this week. this is g.w. news live from berlin sweden a century old political consensus threatens to a gravel over migration the top of the far right sweden democrats could win as much as one quarter of the vote as the country prepares for its first election since taking in more migrants for capita than any other country in europe but also.

reports of intensified airstrikes across northern syria including the rebel held in the province which is home to some three million civilians and mexican director alfonso quote on a win the top prize at the venice film festival for roma the black and white drama based on his childhood memories. welcome to the program i'm married i haven't seen people in sweden are preparing to vote in sunday's general election the traditional mainstream parties are facing a strong challenge from the far right sweden democrats they've made migration a key issue in this election as the country counts the costs of the large number of migrants it's accepted in recent years a poll suggests no party will win a clear majority. it's shaping up to be one of the most significant elections in

sweden's history the first nationwide vote since the country to get more migrants pair head of population than any other european country back in twenty fifteen at the height of the migration crisis it's just one key issue along with health care education and climate change but in rural communities like here insults bug migration has become a prism through which everything else is viewed. in its content many or one time we cannot thank you they can all stop they mean so many to him it's a good life i think they want to be in the. country and they say so much. swedes are divided about high far large scale migration brings with it violent crime but the country's prime minister stack i love then has already conceded that the twenty fifteen migrants influx was too

much to cope with. he leads the center left social democratic party which has come first in every swedish election since one nine hundred seventeen it governs in coalition with the greens. he faces a challenge from the center right moderates led by other christerson his is the largest of the opposition parties which make up what is known as the alliance which also includes the center liberals and christian democrats. but all eyes are on the far right sweden democrats ones on the fringes the party led by jimmy acas son boasts twenty percent support from the thirteen and to achieved at the last election other parties have real day working with hayes making it unlikely they'll be part of any government what's more likely is that any party forming a minority government will have to rely on their support. and with no party likely

to achieve an overall majority that's a potential political nightmare for sweden's establishment but even if white spread on ease about migration doesn't bring the sweden democrats to pirate it could mean the country's century old political consensus is over. syrian government and russian warplanes have reportedly pounded towns and it'll have province syria's last major rebel bastion that's just a day after turkey iran and russia failed to agree on a ceasefire in the syrian war syrian human rights activists say the strikes are the most intense in weeks and are targeting rebel positions and it live and hamam provinces it live is the last opposition stronghold in the country and the government says it will retake it three million civilians trapped there it's fear that an all out assault could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. well for more on the situation in syria we're joined

now by the. burra who's in beirut so on child with all these reports of heavy airstrikes are we seeing the start of a major offensive an invalid. well we certainly see the start of an offensive we don't yet know how major this is going to be because if you look at where these strikes have happened and then russia is trying to send a message that these articles to begin with limited strikes even though we've seen eighty plus lives today we've seen them in an area most of them in an area of consequence which is believed to be under the control of jihad this extremist group known as. in the past has certainly had dies with al qaeda and believed to have links with them so russia trying to say that this is going to be a phased offensive blogger and putin yesterday in the trilateral summit at that and said it's going to be feast stuff so they're trying to give a message that the casualties will not be as high and they're going to be targeting

just the members of the sixteen this charter school what happens of course remains to be see because that of three million people in it live in whatever strikes you have there are bound to be civilian casualties. well until you mentioned the talks on friday and at those tough talks russia rejected a cease fire which was proposed by turkey just what is moscow trying to achieve with this offensive where the long and short of it really is that it's been supporting the rebels and even though duckie has now called this job is. davis now this continued to have a presence there russia says look you had enough time to look you by that i mean don't get enough time you should have reined in the jihad is cool by now you haven't done it so we're going to be eliminating the terrorists of integrity especially since this group has also been targeting the russian city or this of the members of this group and other verbal head on which the sudanese government has

already claimed but not in high numbers but here they are and mr putin says that this civilians cannot be used as a shield so this is russia's explanation unlike the other level they had aunt lives in italy that actually are to her the elements but as i said the problem here is that live it is a very peculiar situation you want to take out that others how you go about it because whatever you do there will be civilian casualties will indeed speaking of these civilians what are their options do they have any way to ski. they have very few options really because turkey does not want any more refugees europe is not in any mood of letting any more refugees in options are really just two options one is the sitting government opens a few corridors which could actually happen as the suspense of the aggressors although in go up to areas which were only under the control of kurdish sessions but now some of these areas around with all of turkey they could go up there this is it today we've seen at least eight people have died among these

a gesture going one is a woman as well these are just because of a comment from an opposite weekly that operates out of the united kingdom and activist groups like hamas on the ground this is just the first day of the suspense and i keep saying the big fear here is the civilians might be caught between the sitting government and russian offensive and this job at school and reporting for us in beirut many thanks indeed and now to some of the other stories making news around the world a court of egypt has confirmed the death sentences of seventy five people over a twenty thirteen pro muslim brotherhood sit in which ended in the killing of hundreds of protesters by security forces those convicted include prominent islamist leaders the court also sentenced photo journalist mahmoud they eat known as chalk on to five years in prison. north korea has begun celebrating its

seventieth birthday with a showcase of its achievements the festivities began saturday evening with a concert featuring three of the country's top musical ensembles on sunday a large her aid is to be held in the heart of gang to mark the anniversary. now oscar winning director alfonso cuarón room has won the golden lion at the seventy fifth edition of the venice film festival a black and white drama is a portrait of the indigenous maid who raise caught on in mexico city in the ninety seven the netflix release beat out twenty other entries to claim the top award at the world's oldest film festival rumor has been hailed as quote owns most personal film and his best it was also one of several entries that focused almost exclusively on female characters. well to talk more about the

highlights of the venice film festival and joining the studio by d.w. culture editor rocks for us it's got all these good to see of so this is a very special win for alfonso quote on who made a very personal film with roma wasn't it you know very much so it is interesting because corals best known for big hollywood films really gravity children of men but this is completely different said it's a look at his own childhood growing up in mexico city in the one nine hundred seventy s. but what i found really interesting was that instead of telling his own story he decides to focus instead on the two most important women in his life is at the top of his his mother and his naomi growing up and so in doing so he sort of puts a focus on two women growing up in a very male dominated society and gives them a voice that they probably didn't have then and often women of this kind don't have and sort of today i'm incredibly powerful film visually unbelievably starting shot in amazing black and white it's for me his best film i really loved him as a director and i think this is by far his best movie and i would be really

interested to see now how it goes on and if you can maybe pick up a second or third oscar of this movie well speaking of how things go on of course in recent years the venice film festival has become a kind of a launching pad for the oscars i know you were at venice scott what do you think which films have a good chance. making it to the oscars with this one definitely i think carl's film already is the front runner for me going into next year's oscars just though based on what the reaction in venice but there are a lot of them i think specifically the actors this time i mean we saw for the first time a lady gaga act in a film the stars born it wasn't a competition inventory it's been told it's a thousand times about a young talent discovered who makes it big but this is lady gaga as you've never seen her before i mean she's completely scrubbed of makeup and she really delivers the goods i mean i'm not too proud to say i cry during this film but it was beautiful very big budget hollywood style. story wonderfully done i think will have

a great chance for her and in general for the oscars and then the couple of others i mean i was really impressed as well by olivia colman she's a british television actor actress but she was in the favorite and won the best actress prize for her role they are playing i don't know how to describe it she's placed the queen is a british period movie but it's utterly bizarre she's she's sort of evil bitter but also vulnerable and incredibly funny really really funny movie. british is a huge star for to on television she's not really that well known outside of britain i think this film is really going to make her a star and i think if the oscars don't at least nominate are then i think i'm going to have to resign from from my position here because i think this performance really knocks not some of the park all right god has a very very quickly of course germany was represented at the competition what can you tell us about the journey. is the film it's by far and sparky did the lives of

others this is the new german film really really good movie it has a chance for the oscars maybe i'll get nominated didn't win anything this time maybe is a bit too long maybe it's very similar in some ways loves others maybe that's why people don't like it as much at least in venice but i still think is a very very solid film and if you like the lives of others you should definitely check this one out it's again a story of sort. the history of germany but cold enough a bit of a thriller for about some of the lives of others very very strong movie and it's also the can tender from germany for the oscars so we'll see how it do all right well wish them the very best of luck and the scot roxboro d.w. culture editor always a pleasure i'm jealous i wish i could have but i don't know if there's a harder job yet it's been a daily i'm going to go next year but as always many thanks for all your insights i know which movies i need to watch and you're definitely the list. all right some tennis now and a dramatic final at the u.s. open in new york only osaka has beaten serena williams to claim her first ever grand slam title and the first for

a japanese woman the twenty year old cruised to victory in the first set williams took control early in the second set but then she lost her cool smashing her racket on the court and ranting at the chair umpire the six time open champion was given a game penalty for verbal abuse sock on the other hand remain calm to take this sat and then match the mars space rover curiosity has the world a new selfie from the surface of the red planet nasa has just released this three hundred sixty degree penner m. and there it is from the rovers position on the vera reuben ridge it shows a rare view of the rover itself covered in a layer of dirt following a powerful storm this summer you can still see the does darkening the martian atmosphere well that storm actually put another mars rover the solar powered opportunity out of action curiosity will take the drill samples on the ridge before

heading to its next location. they're up to date now on d.w. news so we'll have more at the top of the hour omarion evans dean from all of us in the newsroom here in berlin thanks for the company and see you soon. i've attempted going on a polar expedition. don't miss this story. john jay should johnson takes you along on a thrilling bone chilling journey. you can discover new stories and look at a. story on instagram.