place. so bad. this is d. w. news live from berlin signs of headway in talks to end the war in afghanistan seventeen years of fighting makes the conflict america's longest war now taliban and new u.s. negotiators say they're seen progress off to peace talks in qatar but some sticking points remain. also coming up venezuela's top military and boy to the u.s. defectors from the government of president nicolas maduro pressure is mounting on their off to his rivals one way to go winds increasing international recognition as

the nation's unofficial leader. and on holocaust memorial day we meet a jewish french woman who risked everything to spy on the not scenes planning a sleeping pill suicide if arrested. we don't think that a kid. that. to parents who talked. to. his became and thanks so much for joining me. negotiations to end america's longest war may have made significant progress the u.s. special envoy will brief the afghan government in kabul today about his peace talks with taliban rebels amid reports of positive steps being made towards a deal zalmay khalilzad held six days of talks with taliban representatives in the

qatari capital doha key sticking points on the go shaping a cease fire and a timeframe for a withdrawal of foreign jury was from afghanistan the u.s. on boy is being cautious in a series of tweets he said that significant progress had been made on vital issues but he warned that some issues are yet to be resolved and he stressed that a cease fire must be a result of afghan dialogue that's a reference to the taliban's refusal so far to negotiate directly with the afghan government. for more on this i'm joined from kabul by correspondent on the t.v. ali thanks so much for joining us today now there are reports of significant progress in doha what are you hearing there in kabul. well right now in kabul or waiting to

see what the government here has to say about the information that's on my colleagues our brings back we know that there have been several sticking points in these discussions things that while sightsee is very important to their demands a potential settled peace in the country so the two main issues left are a troop withdrawal which the taliban say that they have done that they have have denied that they've reached an agreement on a foreign troop withdrawal and also a cease fire which is very important to the. right now of course the biggest issue is the fact that this is all being presented to the government without their direct involvement in the process alley which side has the stronger position here. the truth is you know that. both sides seem to want out at this point and definitely i think with the trumpet ministrations determination to get out of afghanistan at any cost this is becoming much more reality because since two

thousand and one the taliban have wanted to negotiate directly with the united states and never got the opportunity to there were indirect talks in the doha artists when it opened and in the years leading up to its opening in two thousand and thirteen but there was never direct talks up until this moment so the u.s. has a lot of. pressure at this point and they also have a lot of reason to get out you know trump is very adamant that he wants out of afghanistan and potentially any cost now the afghan government still needs to be brought into the loop but so far the taliban have refused direct direct talks with the gap with the government so far what would you say to that. i mean it's been sort of their messaging from the beginning you know they've always said that we want to speak to the decision maker and tell them the idea is that the decision maker is the united states and these talks may actually you know fare that out because what we've seen is that in six days the taliban and on my hollywood star

who is representing the united states have made more progress there's more positivity coming from his own life from secretary mom might pump ale and even from the taliban who just by denying you know a ceasefire or a troop withdrawal did say that there was progress. so that the afghan government is left out but a lot of decisions are being made without them and it seems that you know to tell about may have been right and there calculus. allina teef in kabul thanks so much. you. venezuela's top military on voice of the united states has defected from president nicolas maduro his government his move triggered by the u.s. decision to recognize opposition leader one go i don't know as venezuela's interim president the european union has also thrown its weight behind and called for fresh elections president maduro says his government will not be dictated to by foreign

nations. the trail of two governments challenge or one laying claim to the presidency while the official government is still in office quite a welcome the european union's move to align itself with the us recognizing him as president unless new elections are called you know. the first thing i want to do today is to recognize the european union's firm steps toward supporting them as wella firm steps in supporting and recognizing the democratic struggle in our country. that is different riley the government of president nicolas maduro pushed back in strong terms you don't have what i don't know so the european union has given us eight days to go to hell when it's something as well and don't take orders from anyone. yet every year and every year nobody ever thought of being

nicolas maduro the government has presided over a collapse of living standards as widespread poverty afflicts the oil rich nation inflation is set to hit ten million percent this year and hunger is widespread blame sanctions the opposition blames him. so you know to vote as the crisis unfolded in caracas the u.n. security council met in new york the u.s. called this meeting to force the world's powers to pick a side no more delays no more games if you stand with the forces of freedom or your lead with his male russia has also warned the u.s. not. intervene militarily and venezuela has charm his backing as well that will likely protect me from an armed intervention but as he holds his own rallies he must come time for threat of even greater sanctions and the political pressure from around the world. oh all right let's have a look at some of the other stories making news around the world

a cathedral in the town of jonah in the southern philippines has been bombed at least twenty seven people were killed and schools wounded in the attack officials say twin blasts struck outside the church the area has seen a decades long islam islamist militancy. the un says more than fifty mass graves have been found in western democratic republic of congo after a spate of killings that it's thought the graves relate back to deadly violence between two ethnic groups that erupted in december an investigation is underway with canada's ambassador to china john mccallum has been followed by prime minister justin trudeau mccallum was sacked for suggesting that the us should drop its extradition request for who are way executive men. the chinese business woman was arrested in vancouver in december and is wanted by the u.s. on charges of violating sanctions on iran. in brazil

the search to find around three hundred people missing off to a down an iron ore mine in the southwest of the country will resume at first light this morning authorities say at least thirty four people a known to have been killed brazil's president. has promised a full investigation but there's little optimism that any more survivors will be found this is one of the they are the luckier ones the few who have been pulled out of the muck since friday that's when a torrent of liquid iron ore waste broke through the dam barreling down on miners on their lunch break and pouring through the surrounding populated area officials say the death toll is sure to rise substantially as emergency workers struggle through the thick sludge to find victims. of. the rescue efforts are still ongoing we know that the chances of finding survivors are small but there is

a chance so we are hopeful and doing all the work necessary. this woman's husband is among the many still unaccounted for but i don't have any news he's not jobs during his phone i'll give you his number and you call him i need an answer i'm desperate my daughter is pregnant and isn't feeling well the police aren't letting me go there why if nobody tells me anything if he's not fine he has a family. what caused the dam to burst is under investigation it had been slated for decommissioning but is reported to have passed safety tests the owner of the mining complex the valley is one of the largest mining companies in the world a lawsuit is still open against them for a two thousand and fifteen dam burst in the same brazilian state what's considered the country's worst environmental disaster for its latest dam accident brazilian authorities have already hit volly with more than one point five billion dollars in fines and asset freezes. today marks holocaust memorial day on this day

in one nine hundred forty five salvia troops liberated thousands of prisoners in the auschwitz concentration camp we spoke to a woman who managed to escape the camp and went on to fight against the nazis as a spy. maku and is ninety eight years old. but still full of energy. tonight she'll be holding another talk as only as her husband major accompanies her she says that in remembering the holocaust one thing is often overlooked. to. her at the jewish museum in frankfurt she presents her biography and tells what seems like an unbelievable story she

a jewish french woman spied on the nazis. in february one thousand nine hundred forty five paris was already liberated but fighting continued at the secret line on the front with her perfect german skills moscow and was a lucky find for military intelligence she may have been just one and a half meters tall but she wasn't easily intimidated using a german alias she crossed the border and pretended to be looking for her fiance near the front the twenty five year old was often fearful but she kept her poise if arrested she planned to commit suicide with sleeping pills. i would take it. each. took. to keep. her mission was life threatening but she was inspired by her maiden name. or hope good luck she procured important information about positions on the front

courageous actions like these were often insufficiently recognized says museum director miriam vance all. very many were murdered but there was also resistance and jews as part of the allied forces defeated the germans that's both inspiring and important and was forced to. despite losing loved ones cohen found the courage to carry out her mission. her sister was deported and murdered in auschwitz at mots fiance a resistance fighter was taken prisoner and shot dead. despite her agony mott completed her espionage mission. and if we. might go in wants to tell her story to as many people as possible so this part of history is not forgotten. some tennis news now japan's

naomi a saka has won the australian open a sucka beat the czech republic's petra to secure her second round slam title in just four months the defending u.s. champion took the first self to muster in her opponents of that put the pressure on treats but the czech cloris her way back into the match to win the second set a soccer stepped up her game in the third set she kept her focus to seal the match seven six five seven six full. back in her native japan asuka's odan found celebrated her championship victory. as a result of the when she becomes the new world number one and age is first ever player to rise to the top of the world rankings. coming up shortly after the break it's the bundesliga within the cana cline dortmund were sitting at the top of the table going into much day nineteen and wanted to get

their formidable scoring machine churning once more against one of us that and more coming up shortly on the bundesliga. you're watching news from berlin there's more for me at the top of the al and don't forget you can get all the latest news and information around the clock on a website. called thanks so much for joining me. here is what's coming up for the good news we do have plenty to talk about here or do you believe. the world is leading the weekend here or.