w. . this is date of live news live from the land germany's two biggest banks could soon become want dorchin banks for reportedly agrees to merger talks with rival comet's bank this after both record years of losses we'll find out what that could mean for the german economy also on the program venezuela braces for rival protests opposition leader one wydow calls on supporters to take to the streets again to them on to new elections the government supporters say they also plan to demonstrate. and algerian police arrest nearly two hundred people as clashes break

out following huge demonstrations calling for the country's later to step down but will he hear their demands. i'm rebecca races welcome to the program the board of germany's largest bank has reportedly agreed to merger talks with the second largest the veil time song newspaper says the board of dortch a bank will discuss a fusion with its traditional rival comet's bank the german government has been urging the two banks to merge after years of losses deutsche bank has also faced scrutiny in the u.s. over a money laundering scandal. joining me to unpack this is stephen busy from our business department state hi thanks for joining me what more do we know about this . because that the main thing is that there's finally a mandate for these. merger talks there's been

a lot of talk about this for months going on now as georgia has suffered such serious losses and as recently as friday there were sources from comments bank saying it's absolute nonsense that there's a mandate for talks and now we know there's been one for at least a week back if these reports are correct we know they're still at the very early stages they're small groups and that this has a long way to go before it is approved well there's been a lot of talk about this merger for some time the banks themselves haven't same cane why now well i think first of all i think it's interesting that this finally was confirmed that these reports are correct on a weekend that might tell you something about what they want to see with the blow or what they expect from blow on monday but really the answer is that it's coming now because the economy is softening the global economy is softening german exports are going down the german economy is softening and there are concerns that if germany doesn't have an effective bank to support its. german companies during a weak spot in the economy with both of these banks suffering then they're going to

struggle there is a strong preference in the german government to have a strong german national lender deutsche bank is obviously really the focus of this it is the biggest bank here and it carries the name of germany on it and as you mentioned there been a lot of scandal surrounding it's really gone through years of unprofitability and despite recent efforts to really shored up that have really gone a long way it's just not happening fast enough and so this really isn't unexpected for the german government pretty kay but there's still a lot of resistance there is a lot of resistance i mean any merger is going to have to get through first of all german regulators and we can assume that it would get through those if there is preference in the government for its but it's going to have to also get through european regulators and we know that on the european side the e.c.b. has really preferred a merger between bonk and a european bank they want to see greater consolidation across the e.u. and they believe it has to happen across national lines for the german government there isn't such a strong preference for that of course they want a german champion this gets into a bigger question of the german government and national go. in the e.u.

really want to put their thumbs on the scale saying we need our own banks or our own businesses and of course then you look at the job losses that could come about through those the business models of both banks are very similar the overlap very nicely which means there's going to be a lot of dead weight to get rid of politically that's going to be very very unpopular so a lot of questions going forward and it's not necessarily guaranteed right as mentioned finally a lot of people say that too bad banks combined does not make one good thing or i will let oh i was watching that taught those mood to talk steve beardsley from day that we business thank you. and more protests are expected in venezuela today one of the country's self-proclaimed laeta is calling for his supporters to take to the streets again to step up pressure on president nicolas maduro and demand new elections madeira as also called on his supporters to rally today the power struggle between gotto and madeira has brought the country to a standstill and that is a huge electricity blackout as power lies much of the country.

dialysis patients we say their wards unable to receive treatment from these pirate day machines. and in a maternity unit nurses fight to keep babies alive in intensive care. manually. blackouts are nothing new in venezuela this latest one began just before thursday evenings russia are sending commuters on lengthy tricks back home on fates in near total darkness president nicolas maduro officials say it's sabotage. and i think. after all the statements from the north american empire and comments from those who support them here no one can be that naive to believe that this is a random event. it is an attack on the homeland without any doubt it is an attack on venezuela. not according to the country's self declared

president one quite do speaking at an event marking international women's day on friday he launched his own attack on monday to his government's. given. they have no idea what they are talking about. they are inefficient and corrupt. it cannot be normal that half our hospitals don't have generators and that the other half can barely deal with emergencies and some surgeries without any doubt there is nothing normal about today these are not the living nor normal you know you. never was gradually being restored across venezuela opiate shakily this latest blackout has been the country's longest yet in some areas lasting well over twenty four hours and people just want to get moving again. and. is in the capital caracas and he joins me now by phone also what caused the power

cut. well there are reports from the electrical company that a fire broke out and one of the lines of the coulee hydroelectric plant and that might add to a domino effect that affected some but this is not something new or that surprises anybody in venezuela the government has been alerted of the risk of not maintaining an optimal conditions this plant in fact. if in fact it was a u.s. based seven hogs as the government has said then they have been planning it for years because in two thousand and ten to go chavez gave out there only as of dollars in concessions to build thermal electric plants and none of those are operational today most of the grid is plugged into forty so if that failed seventy percent of the country is blacked out and this has happened before to kind of walk the second largest city has been weeks without electricity in the past year and outages like this one have been happening all over the country for years but never

of the magnitude we've seen in the last few days where the whole country was wiped out will what will this power with these power cuts i mean embolden demonstrators to take to the straits. well people are very angry and frustrated garlits on whether they believe or not the allegations of the u.s. travel times have taken too long to fix many conduct of are still without electricity there have been casualties due to this power outage especially in hospitals where there are many people who have lost. people that were very fake or connected to some kind of electrical appliance. so they're happy that there has been a lot of off electrical appliances per person for food items so this is just a confirmation to all people that are supporting one way do i think that every protest has called for attracts huge masses and today will not be any different the

difference is that the location of the concentration is a traditional chevy's the area of cuttack of very close to the government offices and that could bring up some violence or repression if deliberation is not changing the last minute which i predict it might be an hour but don't forget there's also a promo that are the most recent in the works today although very little information has been giving out about it. in the capital caracas thank you very much for that analysis. and other stories making news around the world. militia men have attacked and of all the treatment center in congo for the second time in two weeks one policeman is reported to have been killed there are many groups in the region praying efforts to contain the disease the about the outbreak in the east of the country has killed almost six hundred people. while the newborn son of british teenager shamima big has reportedly died in syria begum who joined

the islamic state when she was just fifteen had said she wanted to go back to the u.k. to raise her baby in better conditions british home secretary. for revoked her citizenship to prevent her from returning. one hundred sixteen year old can a tonic from japan has achieved her life's dream she guinness world book world record book has named her the world's oldest living person it's a title see she set her sights on when she turned one hundred but she still has some catching up to do the oldest person ever was one hundred twenty two. geria has seen the biggest demonstrations against president abdelaziz bouteflika since protests began in the country two weeks ago the eighty two year old has ruled algeria for the past twenty years and is in poor health but he wants to run for a fifth term in upcoming elections demonstrations were mostly peaceful but police used tear gas to block the road to the presidential palace and in several other

areas of the capital state tell it television says almost two hundred people have been arrested. a force of blue helmets and riot gear pushes forward into the streets of algiers the police fired tear gas and the crowds of demonstrators ahead. armored police vehicles plows through the streets as protesters throw stones in defiance of the ruling government. for two weeks running demonstrations have become a common sight on the streets of algeria's capital city but now the movement has grown larger than ever before with tens of thousands of algerians demanding president abdelaziz bouteflika not run for a fifth term many say they've had enough of the current government and their appetite for protest is undiminished. by him saying no to the regime. we need a better future for our children we did not live the good life but we want our

children to live a better life. the president confined to a wheelchair has tried to ease public anger by promising political reform has also lashed out against the protests saying they have been infiltrated by foreign powers some even doubt that beautifully is still alive political activists rashid neck us staged demonstration in front of the hospital in geneva where the president is reportedly being treated. to be with you here are forty million algerians who want to know where they all german president and those he's going to flee to is because no one has seen him since his last speech in cities on may eighth two thousand and twelve where he declared publicly and in front of all of syria he would withdraw from algerian political life. in a cause tried to list himself as a candidate but was barred by the government he was later arrested after demanding access to the hospital for young people in particular are desperate for change that

. we want to get rid of. the economy even open or close his eyes any more i watch him he's half dead and he really has to be for power now. and we're really grateful for all he did but it really is time for him to leave and now other counted. it's to run for president if the president is listening from his hospital bed he shows no sign of honoring these demands. and it's to some sport now and the president of soccer's world governing body faith has given oceania football confederation one last chance to clean up its act the confederation has been embroiled in several corruption scandals which is saying a former president suspended for six years and the vice president getting a three month ban. fee for president giani infantile no made it very clear at a press conference that the world soccer body will only tolerate a clean oceania that after major scandals rocked the soccer confederation there that includes a number of pacific islands as well as new zealand the times of. abusing

. food will for personal gain over. you know then we can the real time by then sure again for more than for mother of seeing. to the message just definitely post. because this is really the last opportunity for for oceania the future boss now feels oceania has made the necessary reforms. in the bundesliga last year's league runners up shell continued their bad run this time with a four two away loss to braman their coach to many code to discuss desperately needed the three points and his team briefly looks like they could make it midway through the first half the visitors went up one nil with this goal by brylin bola. then took charge scoring four goals and ending the match for to win it this is the

third straight loss for shelter and the coach's job may well be on the line.