this is d.w. news line from berlin the tide of misery continues in syria as thousands of people stream out of the rubble held damascus suburbs of eastern this as syrian government forces intensify artillery bombardment of the area with the support of russian airstrikes also coming up. british russian relations in a deep freeze moscow says it will expel twenty three british diplomats as a dispute over the point inning of a former spy and his daughter in the u.k. escalates even further. and early voting gets underway in russia's presidential election with a win for president putin looking likely can he get the voters to turn out in the

numbers that he wants. and welcome to the program thousands of people continue to flee the rubble held damascus suburbs of eastern ghouta for the third day in a role backed by russian airstrikes syrian government forces have intensified artillery bombardments of the area russia's military says some three thousand people are leaving hourly for humanitarian corridor monitored by russian troops more than thirteen hundred civilians have been killed and thousands more wounded amid weeks of relentless 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 remission for we have information that militant units are ready to lay down their arms and leave east and go tough 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 but. 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 led forces are attacking could issue 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. bloodier than belgium berg is a journalist speaking to us tonight from airball in northern iraq and he recently returned from syria. a lot of civilians from africa have fled where are they heading. they're actually they're fleeing to. help their. small towns close. surnow observatory there's like around fifty thousand civilians that's left there but there's also been it's also inside the city i. think. and assad's forces as we know are advancing they're backed by russian airstrikes could this potentially be the final stages of the fighting in the area and what does it mean for the people who remain trapped there while the assault force is going to around sixty seven percent who can now. side up there will be

a much change because the international community will not intervene neuter the u.s. or europe so most likely but i'll be all over this month or maybe next month so for us food is they don't have a new chance to escape so eager to go to the most course or they state are most likely about to what some point will be over and what hope is there for a ceasefire you just mentioned the reaction from the international community we know that the u.n. security council called weeks ago for a cease fire but if syrian and russian forces feel that they're advancing and at the end is near what hope is there for a cease fire or cessation of hostilities while the u.n. security council called for a thirty day cease fire the need of turkey or russia they're listening to it so in attacks on group three and there are continuing on the cease fire was not implemented and i think yes so there are two days ago the u.n. chief specially called for again calling for un cease fire to be implemented by

till now both both actors both russia and turkey they're not listening to this. resolution lattimer vandalism bergen airball thank you very much. now to some of the other stories making news around the world greek authorities have been searching the adjacency for survivors of a migrant boat that capsized at least sixteen people are confirmed dead three people managed to swim to land and raise the alarm they've been taken to the greek island of those along with the bodies of those who died. 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 and officials say all the victims were civilians if the fourth suicide attack in the city in three weeks. the f.b.i. is former deputy director andrew mccabe has been fired just two days before he was

eligible to retire with a full pension u.s. attorney general john sessions says officials believe may cave leaked information to the media and misled investigators mccabe has denied the claims and says the trumpet ministration is waging a war on the f.b.i. . london and moscow are trading more than just insults in the wake of the poisoning of a russian spy in england with a soviet era nerve agent russia now says it will expel twenty three british diplomats after london made a similar move moscow says the british consulate in st petersburg and the british council cultural organization will also be shut down. because it will try to breach and send messages 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 expanding its deployments earlier in the week. in london british prime minister to resign may

stay 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 say 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. there must be retaliatory measures so that we are respected so i support taking action. to work remember. 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 but. 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 in russia although the dispute 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 a low voter turnout. 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 the presidents of the. us 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 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 alexina vonnie 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 have not photo says the decision is already been made by inverting by

all means and with pleasure. i don't think it's really necessary their photos. in the end pop music and glitzy ads may not be enough to persuade everyone to go to the polls. to talk more about how the actual election will go i'm joined by our correspondent reread give shadow your it's good to see you we just saw some commotion video there but what exactly is the government doing to motivate russians to head to the polling stations. well different things have been done to motivate russians to go to war with other poles famous russian singers cold to their compatriots to vote russian cosmonauts from space spoke on television local authorities organize some prize draws where people could have a smartphone on another nice electric devise also there was an unspeakable

homophobic and x. in a four b. commercial on state television its message was if people in russia don't go to the polls and don't vote for their rights president or the so-called right president then dark skinned soldiers would serve in the russian army and gays would infiltrate into private apartments as if that would be a big threat to russia ok so some scare tactics there but what does a low border turnout mean for president putin. well look at people in russia are traditionally very reluctant to vote the belief in democracy generally and in democracy election isn't decided by the people but by those up there which means by the authorities so many of them who like putin don't necessarily go to the polls to elect him again and again the popular myth of stability that he has created however this myth is very careful and maintained on the state television so that the opposition has little chance to criticize putin and to show to people if you huge

number of problems in this country ok and observers are pointing to a clear victory for president putin another term for him what should what are some of the things that we should be looking for now post vote. well that putin will certainly win this election is two election you are right the question is what is the position is going to do with putin's victory except to the communists we haven't heard of any big protests or thought actually we have an extremely cold to be in and even this we continue face minus twenty degrees here in moscow you have to be extremely angry to hang around in the streets for hours to express your political attitude we'll see. correspondent yury were shadow thank you to the bundesliga now it's been a day to forget for some of the league's basement dwellers minds were desperate for points as they travel to frankfurt but kevin prince bowa tanks scored for the hosts

just six minutes in and two more goals soon followed three nil was the final score and a new coach of hamburg has done little to turn their fortunes around they went ahead early on against her to berlin but the berliners scored two goals in the second half to steal the win. and on friday freiburg hosted stood guard as the relegation battle heated up the visitors haven't lost a game since new coach typhoon cork took the reins and they're going for an unlikely european spot mario gomez pushed her car in front for just four minutes freiburg go hit back after half time through neil's piercing wonder strike but margot has wasn't done just yet she was on hand again to clinch the points with just fifteen minutes to go should guard are now unbeaten and nine under their new coach and firmly in the running for the europa league. all st patrick's day arlene's national holiday and the day when millions of people around the world whether they're irish or not celebrate with food parades street parties and of

course plenty of green the u.s. city of chicago with its sizable irish community is no exception thousands of revelers along the banks of the chicago river were treated to a spectacle as city authorities die at the water's a bright green the color of the emerald isle is estimated some seventy million people across the globe will raise a glass to mark the day and we hear i did always say to everyone celebrating flinching. you're watching the television is live from berlin i'm out because i wasn't more to calm at the top of the hour and you can always get all the latest on our website e.w. dot com thanks for watching.

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