in terms of. global start september first. is the d.w. news live from berlin and uncle americal prepares to meet whatever poutine here in germany just months after their last bilateral meeting in russia disagreements over ukraine and other issues dominate relations but with shared interest in other areas how much will pragmatism going to talks also coming up. a week of mourning after the country's most famous son kofi annan dined at the age of eighty the former united nations cheap and nobel peace prize laureate served two terms as

the world's top diplomat later he became the u.n. special envoy for syria will have a look at his legacy. and commemorating the dead italy holds a state funeral for the victims of tuesday's bridge collapse in the northern city of genoa relatives and friends join the country's leaders to say goodbye to their loved ones. thanks for joining us i'm marrying evan steen german chancellor angela merkel will host a bilateral summit with russian president vladimir putin later today the talks north of berlin are expected to focus on energy issues as well as the conflict in syria and ukraine german or russian times have been tense for years the bugs are showing signs of a pragmatic fault this. will be the two leaders second meeting in the past three

months. well i'm joined now by emily sure one who's standing by in moscow we've got thomas sparrow who's at maison burg north of berlin where the meeting is about to take place and our political correspondent nina is here with me in the studio so thomas i'd like to begin with you marilyn cuttin actually just met not too long ago in sochi so why exactly are the two leaders meeting again today. well essentially because they have a lot to talk about so whatever they discussed in previous meetings did not necessarily bring about concrete results so both leaders found that there was a need to further discuss some of the key issues that both leaders and both countries are facing we're talking here about three concrete topics on the one hand obviously the conflict in syria where both countries are in different ways affected

by where both countries want a solution to the conflict obviously the goal from the german perspective is to try and find a political solution to that than we have the conflict in ukraine angela merkel was one of the leaders that specifically focused on the minsk agreement in twenty fifteen and she wants that minsk agreement to be effectively implemented that's one issue that she has stressed without even putting on many occasions not only today here in but also in previous meeting and then we're talking about a third issue you mentioned that issue that's the the north stream to pipeline project which is obviously a key development a key issue for both germany and russia but that has implications beyond germany and russia there are countries within the european union that have criticized the pipeline there are countries outside of the european union that have criticized the pipeline one case being for example ukraine ukraine sees its role as a transit country affected and that's one of the issues that are going to be

discussed today and obviously also the issue of donald trump donald trump has also been openly critical about the north stream to pipeline so there's a lot for these two leaders to talk about and that explains why they're meeting here today at mesa verde not far away from berlin all right so a lot of issues some of them very contentious and really what about from the kremlin his perspective what is putin hoping to achieve at this meeting with merkel to their. well as thomas mentioned there is a lot on the table i think one of the main issues though that the kremlin will be eyeing is this north stream to project on the one hand because the u.s. has just announced new sanctions against russia and the ruble has already taken a huge hit that's likely to get worse next week when those sanctions come into effect so putin will be likely looking for an economic win and north stream sure some movement on the project could provide a win and not sense and it's also

a political one when if there's movement on that project because it can align russia and germany in a sense against the u.s. now donald trump has been very critical of the north korean to project he said that it would make germany a captive of russia and in this case ahead of the meeting to meet. the kremlin spokesperson said that specifically said that these they'll be discussing commercial projects against the backdrop of threats from third countries so russia here seems to be looking to align itself closer to germany in this kind of shifting world order that that trump seems to be in some ways shifting sort of presenting itself as a more reliable partner than the u.s. . well nina merkel herself actually when talking about this meeting warned not to have too high expectations at the same time people within her own government seem

to have a bit more optimism what is about to happen here are we going to see a new chapter in german russian relations i think it's definitely a good sign that the two are meeting again that they're all bilateral meetings and really have described it germany and russia do still stand on very different positions when it comes to a lot of issues but the fact that these two well leaders meeting in such an. informal atmosphere in the guest house just north of where you can have really informal straight talks with each other that in itself is a big success after five years of almost like a frozen conflict where they have a very few bilateral meetings where there were a few phone talks so these two have understood that they do need each other to solve international problems and that they are both interest oriented people this is real politik of its best political corresponding ahaziah with me in the studio

and in moscow emily sure when and in mr burg north of berlin thomas sparrow many thanks to the three of you will be checking in with you a little bit later in the program and for our viewers and note we will be covering this story later in the program once uncle americal invited me and putin to make their statement ahead of their meeting today here in germany now turning to other news and the former united nations chief and nobel peace laureate kofi anon has died anon was the first black african to be the world's top diplomat he served two terms from one thousand nine hundred seven to two thousand and six and nine died after a short illness at the age of eighty. kofi annan for almost ten years the face of the u.n. for many years he still is he managed to be more than just the u.n. secretary general he was a moral authority he was driven by one conviction that he kept for it to rating we

have an obligation under international humanitarian law and now on moral values to help kofi annan was born in ghana in one thousand nine hundred thirty eight his parents were well off he could study economics in the u.s. as well as switzerland the young soccer fan was only twenty four when his career began at the united nations. he started with the world health organization in geneva and soon became head of u.n. missions in war zones. when he moved to the top post at the u.n. it was meant as an interim solution taking over from the controversial previous secretary-general boutros boutros ghali despite his diplomatic skills he felt his biggest defeat was over the two thousand and three iraq war but his belief in the un's goals and importance never ceased i think most of you know that one of my chief. ever since i took over as secretary general has been to make the united

nations more useful for his tireless work as a peace negotiator and ambassador for human rights and none was honored with the nobel peace prize in two thousand and one leaves a wife and three children. i'm joined now in the studio by our correspondent doc margaret erika as she's been heat up as africa correspondent for many years and dagmar i understand that you actually met kofi anon on several occasion but what was he like. i mean every time when he entered a room it was really a feeling of this is the u.n. entering the room the space he had an aura he had a presence a real prisons and yet this big men the top. diplomat from the u.n. he was really short and he was humble. sometimes he was a bit of a technocrat when when i asked him something we'd get really difficult about answering it so no straightforward answers but i suppose that comes with the job

a bit when you're together lots of signatures to be able to do something at all but he was warm and he was mothers. are well he served two terms as the un's top diplomat but he actually did much more what is he likely to be remembered for it's really his work as a tireless committed peace negotiator and the best the door for peace for reconciliation for human rights it's also his fight for or against aids and global poverty he was also really the one who drove the millennium goals for would got that signed in two thousand and it's just tireless efforts for people's plights the river that was his latest he did and the syrian refugees he was the u.n. special envoy there all right we understand that there have been a number of reactions to kofi annan. death including from

the current u.n. secretary general antonio tennis i believe we have a tribute to him that he posted on twitter can have a look at that. that's right he said anon was the guiding force for good he joins the world in mourning his loss in these turbulent and trying times and as legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration for us all so dagmar can you talk to us a bit about what kofi annan did then after leaving his position as u.n. general secretary touched on it a little bit before but what else can you tell us about i mentioned it briefly was the un special envoy to syria he made the rescind his own plight and he chaired the elder this it's a group of top form a statesman and peace nobel laureates for example south african desmond tutu is part of the group and they're trying to spread mandela's mrs of peace and reconciliation to young africans he was really involved in that as he was chairing a plus last but not least he had his own foundation which pushes for better

governments in governments in africa but also all over the world and the more just more peaceful world indeed a remarkable man and norma's contribution to the world that we have to take thank you very much indeed. well now to some of the other stories making news around the world a polish prosecutor says the driver of a ukrainian bus that crashed overnight in southeastern poland will be charged three people were killed and thirty eight injured when the bus heading from the ukrainian city of live to vienna crashed through a guardrail it plunged down a slope about forty kilometers from the polish ukrainian border. venezuela's president nicolas maduro has raged wages in the country for the fifth time this year as part of a monetary overhaul that aims to curb inflation a new sovereign boliver are in use for monday we'll see five zero zero locked off

the nation's currency. the mexican military has uncovered a huge underground drug lab in remote mountains in the country's west troops say they destroyed fifty tons of methamphetamine on site mexico is a major supplier of meth and heroin to the united states which has seen a surge in opioid addiction. well turning now to italy where thousands of mourners have attended a state funeral in the city of genoa want to commemorate those killed when a motorway bridge collapsed in the city on tuesday the country's leaders joined victims' relatives to pay tribute to the dead but the families of about half the victims boycott of the ceremony calling it a farce and. they pray for their losses for their loved ones and friends. these people of genoa are heartbroken by the tragedy of the bridge that collapsed killing so many could collapse of the morandi bridge costa gosh in

the heart of genoa. did you know that. the turnout for the state funeral service was huge italy's political leaders also attended both prime minister to set the continent and president came to offer their personal condolences to the relatives but not everybody took part in the families of about half the victims chose to have private services some out of anger against the government calling the state funeral a farce and blaming the authorities for failing to keep the bridge safe their sentiment is shared by some. so moved by you these are mistakes that keep on being repeated and now again angels are flying into the sky and paying for the mistakes of other human beings it is time to say enough and to think about what is really crucial which is maintenance and i took a phone with me. this is the aftermath. this

car was pulled out of the rubble of the collapsed bridge investigators are trying to find out if a design flaw or improper maintenance might have caused the disaster interior minister any though seen here on the left has been quick to blame al to strut of the managing company of the highway. that they don't want to strata has refuted the claims the company's c.e.o. has said they'll create a fund for the victims' families. but if he didn't stay put no money in the world can bring back their loved ones let's bring in our correspondent philip will and who is standing by in rome for more on this story so philip now.