really so if you're reconcilable. deadly. storms or destroying trees w. . if you ever think that. this is the w. news live from berlin angle america meets readymade putin here in germany differences remain as the to tackle the tough issues of ukraine and syria about signs of a pragmatic thought as the german and russian leaders talk face to face for the second time in three months also coming up gone a declares a week of mourning after the country's most famous son kofi annan dies at the age

of eighty eight the former united nations chief and nobel peace prize laureate served two terms as the world's top diplomat later he became un a special envoy to syria will examine his legacy. commemorating the day italy holds a state funeral for the victims of the cheese days bridge collapse in the northern city of genoa relatives and friends join the country's leaders to say good facets to their loved one. time head of the home free glad you could join us german chancellor angela merkel has been holding talks with russian president vladimir putin here in germany with crises in syria and ukraine high on the agenda but they're all signs of a pragmatic thaw in what have been difficult relations with

a key energy project also on the table. it's their second meeting in three months and there's no shortage of issues for the two leaders to chew over. i mean the third thoughts in view of the fact that there are so many serious issues around the world we need an opportunity to find solutions we both have responsibility germany but in particular also russia because russia is a permanent member of the security council so we need to look for solutions that are in our best and reasons within. solutions on syria will be difficult as merkel said there has been a reduction in the fighting but the search goes on for an end to the conflict. the same goes for ukraine this is the first time vladimir putin has met merkel in germany since the ukraine conflict began and peace is still elusive.

of course we will talk about ukraine as the chancellor said in the context of settling the crisis. we are not making the progress we might have hoped but there is no alternative to the implementation of the minsk agreement. this top level relationship looks more active and more core deal than it has for some years as merkel said earlier this week while breakthroughs are unlikely talking remains essential. well to talk more about this now i'm joined by the w.c. and any show win in moscow thomas sparrow in a maze a bag that's the venue of the talks and here in the studio with me our political correspondent nina has a welcome to you all thomas i'd like to begin with you because merkel and putin met just recently in fact in sochi why exactly are the two leaders meeting now. well i'm going to merkel cannot focus on foreign policy one of her strengths so

vibing a key internal debate on migrations of that can explain at least partially why they meeting now that focused on going to merkel on her government want to put on foreign policy issues and foreign policy issues that by the way have to be sold with russia when we're talking for example about the crisis in ukraine we're talking about the crisis in syria in particular for example the crisis in ukraine is one that i'm going to mobile has been trying for years alongside other partners to try and hold in particular through the means degree months of two thousand and fifteen and when it comes to syria she has also been vocal about the need to finding political solutions obviously that is a very difficult challenge ahead not only for germany but also for other partners internationally but that explains the need why anglo merkel undoubtedly a putin a meeting precisely here in missouri back today can see thomas this is something the chancellor has been grappling weighed for many years now concretely what is it do you think that germany expects from russia now. on the one hand i

think ongoing dialogue it is not something that's unique to the german russian relationship but it is particularly important in the german russian relationship made namely the need to keep talking even when there are very evident differences that on the one and then obviously political assurances when it comes for example to ukraine or to russia the need to try and find long term solutions for both conflicts and then there's obviously the issue of trade one that was also discussed here in particular the north stream two pipeline that both countries want to advance but that is facing certain opposition not only from certain countries in the european union but also other countries in particular for example ukraine but also the united states donald trump has been very critical of his north seemed to pipeline so those were all issues that had to be discussed by the two leaders and that are going to merkel was particularly interested in finding at least some sort of answers from vladimir putin. so progress some answers nina we know that when it

comes to syria to angela merkel actually wants putin to finalize a lasting cease fire what role can germany play in in syria and brokering peace there well germany does have a clear interest in avoiding a further escalation of the conflict russia is selling the world of the narrative that bashar al assad's and his they've been supporting for years has essentially won the war uncle mackle said earlier that she still believes that there need to be fresh elections but at the same time germany's interested like i said in not escalating the conflict further so what germany will try and do anglo-american has set those is she's going to try and talk to flooding near putin about a potential syria meeting in turkey in september where france and turkey and russia and germany who talk about percent potential solutions all right very briefly i'd like to go over to emily share win in moscow and really the north stream to

pipeline will bring russian gas directly to germany putin has said that it's an economic project what does he mean by that briefly if you will. well north stream two bypasses ukraine and ukraine has been very worried about that and merkel came to this meeting had of hoping for guarantees for ukraine as well and in a way putin kind of handed those guarantees to her on a platter he said that ukraine would continue could continue to be a transit country but he also left a kind of back door open he said that it would be a transit country if that was economically beneficial family show when in moscow thomas sparrow in maze of land and of course with me in the studio political correspondent nina thank you very much to you all. and now to some of the other stories making news around the world indian prime minister and her and her modi has promised more than seventy million dollars in aid for flood stricken caribbean the

government has deployed thousands of troops to the southern region following to rentschler monsoon rains the disaster has killed hundreds and thousands are still waiting to be rescued. from the cricket star imran khan has been sworn in as pakistan's new prime minister in his first speech as premier khan promised to enjoy what he called ruthless accountability to fight corruption his party won the most votes in last month's election but failed to secure a majority. at least one police officer was injured in them when around five hundred far right activists clash with an equal number town to demonstrate the far right group was marking the thirty first anniversary of the suicide of not to convict this some twenty three hundred police officers were deployed to prevent the bombings of. the former united nations chief nobel peace laureate kofi annan has died and was the first black african to be the world's top

diplomat he served two terms from one thousand nine hundred ninety seven to two thousand and six he died after a short illness at the age of eighty. kofi annan for almost ten years the face of the un for many of he still is he managed to be more than just a u.n. secretary general he was a moral authority he was driven by one conviction that he kept for it to writing we have an obligation under international humanitarian law and our own 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 then was honored with the nobel peace prize in two thousand and one leaves the wife and three children. thousands of mourners have attended a state funeral in the italian city of jenin what to commemorate those who were killed when a motorway bridge collapsed in the city on tuesday that the families of about half of the victims boycott of the ceremony calling it a false. g.'s here 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 all collapse of the morandi bridge because the gosh in the heart of genoa. to quote it 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 there's a sentiment 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 not to think about what is really

crucial which is maintenance and i took a phone to 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 salvini though seen here on the left has been quick to blame out a straw to 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 did no money in the world can bring back their loved ones let's bring in a correspondent fit when he's standing by in rome now. good to see

philip now the operators of the bridge out toss that out that they have now spoken that promised the victims and their families financial aid what will this look like . oh yes they've indicated that several million euros made available for the families of the victims and also people who've lost their houses as a result of this disaster and they say that they're also prepared to make available around half a billion euros had to quickly demolish the remains of the bridge and build a new bridge the entire process to last about eight months it would certainly be an extraordinary seat if they were able to achieve that sort of timeline but they're certainly trying to win some goodwill in general were failing to communicate and appearing very aloof and cold in the initial days after the disaster so goodwill

three financial means that what about responsibility for the disaster that they say anything about that at the press conference idea. yes they were questioned repeatedly about that whether they would apologize for the collapse of the bridge and the directors of the company were very careful not to. apologize in any way assuming responsibility for the collapse and they said that they would assist the judicial inquiry which should be swift and deep and responsibility was entirely up to the magistrates to determine and so they didn't want to anticipate in any way and the responsibility of their own they indicated that the reports they had on the condition of the bridge all indicated that it was in satisfactory condition so they were very careful in there to keep their blame away from

themselves. fed up when and who is in rome thank you and you're watching the w. news from but i've got much more for you at the top of the hour don't forget you can always get the latest on our web site of course that is d w dot com i'm headed home for the imbalance thanks for that for your company and see very soon. for steve school. the first to climb the last of. the doors grandma with arrives. joining a regular training on her journey back to freedom. in our interactive documentary durian orangutang returns home on the d. w. dot com a tanker.