dust storm starting in april something on t.w. . visited up leaders lifelong a coordinated response against russia over the poisoning of a former double agent told british soil three weeks after the attack i'm so going to script popular pain council president donald fourteen member nations are expelling the russian diplomatic south united states is expanding six think russia says it will respond in kind and. also on the program spain's most wanted man to

pass to face the german judge in exile separatist leader calm as opposed to mauled by a sex addiction to spain barcelona remains on edge after non-survivor protests. on three days of focusing began in egypt's presidential elections with president how seizing old but certain to win many view the election as a sham so the songs of the town are intensely scrutinized. i'm still going to welcome to the program. united states more than a dozen european countries have announced they are to expel russian diplomats following the poisoning of a former double agent in britain so i guess could powell and his daughter remain in critical condition in hospital after being exposed to a nerve agent in the in the city of souls pretty early this month britain blames moscow for the attempted murder explosions come the prime minister it's reason may

ask britain's partners to take action after presenting evidence of russian involvement in the poisoning to european allies last week well let's get a response then from our correspondent based out here that i'm john simon the young is here in berlin the play which is and is in washington d.c. amid rock of storage is in the moscow burn to get in brussels will join us in due course so welcome all let's start so let's start there with you simon young in the berlin what does germany said about the four diplomats it's expelling yes they saying that this is intended is a strong signal a solidarity with the united kingdom and to demonstrate germany's determination that russia can't just get away with this chemical attack the foreign minister i call masa said that all the signs and all the evidence points towards russia as the

responsible party in this chemical attack and they say that russia has so far failed to cooperate with the investigation to play any constructive role in determining who has done it so all of that very much in line with what the british government has been saying barely and is also said that it's taken this action of expelling four diplomats against the background of recent cyber attacks against the german government which it also blames on the russian state or at least on russian sources it says as it's put it. richest in washington what's the u.s. saying about its sixty expulsions. well the white house has released a statement today saying that this expulsion is meant to make it harder for russia to spy on americans and to conduct covert operations on american soil so this is the toughest action that we've seen from the trump administration against russia and quite a departure from what we've seen to date remember it was just last week that trump

was ignoring advice from his aides to call a lot of mir putin and congratulate him on his election victory so it's also important to remember that this is not the first time that we've seen expulsions of suspected russian spies from the u.s. obama in late two thousand and sixteen expelled thirty five russians in response to meddling in the u.s. elections but this is certainly the largest number we've seen in decades since the mid eighty's when president reagan expelled almost the same number as we're seeing today a meter of. moscow the kremlin says this is they put focus is just a what else have they said. well provocative gesture in the sense that russia's point of view is still we have nothing to do with sales were it so there is no reason for punishing us there's no reason for this diplomatic war moscow's foreign ministry condemned the mass expulsion of their diplomats they said that this is an unfriendly act and will not go without consequences from one spokesman

dimitri pitts golf said that president putin is going to make would make the final decision about how moscow response to the sportsman's so that so we will see some sort of tit for tat if germany expels for russian diplomats moscow is going to do the same they will definitely expel more americans off to washington is kicking off more than sixty russian diplomats i don't think that russia's is very that russia is interested right now in making a bad situation worse moscow has economic interests germany and the e.u. still important trade partners better rigor in that those are the only half of the members participating in these. and it tells us that the solidarity with the united kingdom is somewhat limited because some countries think that there's no clear evidence that the russia is behind these attacks and that's why the e.u. concert has it and said it's highly likely that russia is causing this trouble and

there's not as a plausible explanation but no direct naming and shaming here but nevertheless the leading countries like germany france italy for example in the camp for this. and other countries smaller ones which have interests like hungary and greece and austria special economic interest they say we don't participate but still they want to be. show some solidarity and that's why they use preparing further steps and also sanctions are not excluded among the way christmas hasn't finished yet we have finished with you thank you ben read it mitra storage claridge's and simon you thank you. strange most wanted to futures have spent the night in a german jail and is likely to stay there for a while longer german court says it will take at least

a week to decide whether to extradite conestoga to move back to spain the catalan in the seventy's later was detained on sunday while travelling through germany on his way to belgium has been self-imposed exile but is being sought by spanish authorities for his role in catalonia is on the rise to independence vote now the arrest has angered many catalans gossip on the street protests erupted and some ninety people have been injured in clashes between protesters and security forces. bridge demands detention has ignited anger in catalonia supporters of the former leader brought traffic to a standstill near the region's border with spain despite the protests madrid isn't backing down in pursuit of its most wanted man. but it. includes time. i've said it many times. those people currently on trial and those in prison i'm not being punished for their ideas. but for not obeying the

law. missy. in barcelona catalan lawmakers staged a partial strike to protest the arrest of pro independence leaders chanting for freedom. on the streets there are mixed feelings about putsch demands detention. see they would up ice for stuff going i think if europe which it claims to be among should be free and the president of kut lonia. if not you know and we will be witnessing but the kleine of europe as an international community when you don't get up at your end get up and take a stand for i understand his supporters are angry. but i also understand the spanish government you know the laws he has to serve time in prison he did something that was illegal. no one is above the law that it is

a very good no not if but if my freedom or extradition his detention in germany has put berlin in a delicate position but the chancellor rhee says the decision is up to the regional courts and voiced its support for madrid is bain is a democratic state under the rule of law and the german government remains convinced that this conflict with catalonia must be resolved within the spanish legal system i'm for this reason we support the clear position of the spanish government to ensure this happens. just. the german regional court will now have to decide whether the charges against their legal weight in germany. are through some of the other stories making news around the world the final death toll from a massive fire at the shopping center in siberia stands at sixty four several children are reportedly amongst the dead the blaze broke out on the fourth floor of

the complex in the coal mining city of a chemical eyewitnesses say they saw people jumping from windows to escape the flames. thousands of who's the rivals of horses have demonstrated in yemen's capital sana'a after not being years since the country's civil war started saudi led coalition has been waging a negative campaign since march twenty fifth think again stage two things go in the store in the form of government full of the who's these takeover of sanaa in twenty fourteen. and this comes as saudi forces intercepted seven yemeni rebel missiles late on sunday one man was killed and two others injured from falling shrapnel in the capital riyadh it was the first death in the city joining the saudi led coalition's three year military campaign. sierra leone a top courses role the country's presidential runoff can go ahead two judges have temporarily forced the vote because of the forward claims a member of the ruling party election had been chattels the tuesday. three days of

presidential elections have begun in egypt this little doubt that abdel fattah el-sisi will win a second thing come of president's facing no real competition with his only challenge of being not one of his supporters now authorities are that enough voters will turn up to the election credibility. his victory may be assured but abdel fattah el-sisi needs the numbers to consolidate his authority with nearly sixty million eligible voters the former general is hoping his supporters will march to the polling stations and there's plenty of praise for the incumbent. police have rewarded president research of great success for example visual thing a new administrative capital. there is one rival candidate muson mustafa he's not a household name and perhaps surprisingly he himself admits that he admires al sisi

. and the people will decide who the best candidate is the voters who go to the polls with the soon we'll know the result. and. many in the opposition believe mousavi is only in the race to create the appearance of democracy. at first there were more candidates but some were imprisoned after they announced their candidacy others withdrew from the race often under great pressure. in. the government's worry that if there were more real candidates there would have to be debates about real issues. bob. i would. egyptian media is similarly one sided there's even a hotline where citizens can report journalists who criticise the government. promised a heavy hand against terrorists earlier this month there was another bomb attack in

alexandria on the same night peninsula the egyptian army is busy fighting a jihadist insurgency. supporters point to his focus on economic stability the all important tourism sector has been recovering under his rule this man who do it without sisi has fashioned the presidential election as a referendum on his leadership he's hoping for a high turnout to legitimize his rule. germany's national football team continues its preparations for the world cup after friday's the draw with your team and gearing up to face another tournament favorite brazil south american john straight ahead of tuesday's from the results of our successful nation and world cup history in one. biggest prize five times one more. but there will be without superstar name off of this match the. interim.

and i was reminded of the top stories this hour here on d w three weeks after the attack on film of russian double agents so a script of fourteen e.u. member states on the united states side expelling dozens of russian diplomats russia says it will respond in kind. of regional president call as opposed to months expected to appear in the german court today he was arrested i'm tattled in jail after crossing into germany on his way to belgium on sunday meanwhile some ninety people were injured in clashes that broke out in boston logan following his arrest. on polls have opened today in egypt for a three day presidential vote first one town c.c. is expected to cruise to victory. or that's a low voter turnout will throw dice on the elections legitimacy. in situ up to date on the top of the hour in the meantime of course as always the web site concept e.w.

dot com resulted to. me . we make up over three quarters of a fifth of the under budget thanks. to civil service and. dean wants to shape the continent's future to be part of it and join african youngsters as they share their stories their dreams and their challenges the seventy seven percent each of these platforms for africa.