this is g w news live from berlin tonight libya's capital under scenes a military strongman fighters advancing on the city of tripoli dozens have been killed the un backed government says it is launching a counter offensive as western countries call for troops also coming up tit for tat the u.s. brands iran's elite revolutionary guard as terrorist iran says it made it clear u.s. troops in the middle east terrorists two and a prominent russian film and theatre director arrested two years ago for

envelopment put under house arrest today in an unexpected move was free we'll tell you what. i'm burnt off it's good to have you with us we start tonight in libya where the battle for control of the capital tripoli is raging militias opposed to libya's u.n. backed government are closing in they've forced the closure of the only functioning airport and thousands are reportedly fleeing the city the u.n. backed government in tripoli says its forces are mounting a counter offensive dozens have died in that fighting western countries are calling for a truce and for the resumption of peace talks. funerals in the libyan capital tripoli honoring fighters loyal to the u.n. backed government victims of the clashes. when the militia forces of the warlord

khalifa haftar are his troops are closing in on the city. we must take our revenge on this criminal who is killing our children he's coming to invade tripoli. government forces are preparing to defend the capital the number of casualties on both sides is rising steadily the fighting threatens to disrupt oil production and drive mo migrants to seek refuge in europe it looks like being a bitter battle. here. we will protect the capital with our lives we will give our lives for tripoli. but have to ask militias are equally determined to launch a decisive assault on the city it appears the strong man a general in the army of the former dictator muammar gaddafi wants to seize control of the whole country to protect the people he says and that it had a as this campaign was specifically launched to defend civilians to defend the

libyan people to defend our country's resources and for the dignity of libya now in the way. that the. the international community is calling for a cease fire. i think the first message we need to pass united's is the full implementation of the my italian troops to allow the civilians and the wounded to be evacuated from. the city and to avoid any further military action and for the military escalation and the return to the political negotiations and the political track in tripoli civilians turned out to demonstrate a case have to us advance the u.n. says nearly three thousand to have already fled the fighting with little sign of any letup in the hostilities many more are likely to follow. well i'm joined now by. political analyst founder and general director of the subject institute that was the first. think tank in libya and this joint just tonight from beirut we

appreciate you taking the time to talk with this let's talk about this general. are with people outside of libya looking at the situation what should they see when they see general has talked. well this is the amanda claims he has an army but really has a badge that almost gives all these different militias particularly a set of militias that are inspired sponsored boy. radical shia. clerics that have been given a badge of legitimacy to almost do whatever they want in the last two years many of those troops that he commands only because claims are loyal to him have been taking instruction from saudi arabia from egypt from jordan and have conducted walk in the being investigated by the i.c.c. for war crimes in the city but it wasn't that they were deployed to trip a lot i'm responsible for extradition killings for meth executions and as it is about housing and investments that we should be kind of careful of using this label

of the libyan national army it's a badge that effectively uses the sponsor of the worst and the most lethal of these groups and militias that are really kind of engaged in an ethno sectarian kind of battle for control of a libya so it's a very dangerous are the to think of them as a conventional army but he really wants to return the country to rule under his militia see that he is he selling this as a campaign a campaign to rid the country of terrorists he's mentioned al qaida and other extremist groups basically trying to get the west to the hear and to listen to what he wants to do is that not true. it's up to them is absolutely true i mean this in its own magazine the big has come out and already claim that the forces the half there was fighting were already more to the outside of the religion of islam they claim that they were heretics and they wanted to fight them those groups that were claimed to be isis and because they came and said that they had nothing to do with with isis the only people on earth have been called in those groups and isis in

libya and in eastern libya or the l n a or half to himself has been selling a war that no one in libya is buying apart from the international community that wants the kind of see progress in that and this is the danger is that when you believe the propaganda and you thought the fight groups like the terrorists you drawing them from the sky you treat them as if they're captives then effectively you radicalize those groups of and more so it's it's a very very dangerous narrative to buy into because it can almost become the truth . thanks for coming on the show and the money political analyst and general director of the second institute and it's thank you. well here are some of the other stories now that are making headlines around the world in sudan state media reporting that seven people died anti-government protest over the weekend thousands of protesters have been demonstrating for a third day outside on army headquarters in the capital khartoum they want the military to oust president omar al bashir he has ruled the country thirty years italy's far right interior minister matteo salvini has announced plans to form

a new populist alliance in the european parliament salvini hosted other populous at talks in belong on the head of next month's european elections among the groups attending germany's far right party the danish people's party and the finns party from finland and turkish president richard tell you a better one has made his russian counterpart vladimir putin in moscow a to discuss the syrian conflict as well as turkey's plans to buy a russian missile system that plan has entered nato partners it was aired a one third visit to russia this year underlining stronger ties between ungar and moscow the turkish capital ankara has sworn in its new mayor opposition candidate months or yeah the us in recent local elections yob us a spring a surprise to narrowly beat the candidate from president heir to once again party heir to one's party is now appealing against his victory as well as an opposition win in istanbul. the united states has formally declared iran's elite revolutionary

guard as a terrorist organization this is the first time that the u.s. has ever labeled part of a foreign government in such strong terms the white house says the move is simply acknowledging the reality in the region that iran is a state sponsor of terrorism which relies on the revolutionary guard to export the terror washington's decision triggered an instant response from tehran the capital says it could now declare u.s. forces in the middle east to. there was too well explaining the new policy u.s. secretary of state might pump a said the us wanted to exert maximum pressure on iran for forty years the islamic republic's revolutionary guard corps has actively engaged in terrorism and created supported and directed other terrorist groups the r.g.c. masquerade as a legitimate military organization but none of us should be fooled it regularly

violates the laws of armed conflict it plans organize and execute terror campaigns all around the world that was mike pump a u.s. secretary of state speaking earlier today to israel now a day before the country's general election prime minister benjamin netanyahu he has made a controversial last minute campaign promise he says he will annex jewish settlements in the occupied west bank if he's reelected and he's facing a stiff challenge from a former general the centrist benny gantz with a tight race ahead our middle east correspondent tanya kramer said mrs report on what voters are saying on the eve of the election. benyamin netanyahu slick could curse of spending against blue and white party is resurrection is said to be a tight race with voters remaining split including here in this close restore in jerusalem ilana benyamin hopes the d.v. netanyahu it's everyone calls to prime minister who form the next government she

can see any alternative. and. i think b.b. has a great team they're doing fine and have babies elected i will sleep well at night we will move towards a safe future for me for my sons and grandsons it should include them surely another four years of to be unthinkable for this young student guggenheim voted for netanyahu is likud party in the previous elections but this time his vote will go to the new blue and white party headed by former army chief of staff benny gantz i think the time is coming though you serve his country well i think after time for years the really the time has come to switch parties and have been born white take the premiership and move country to hopefully better and more secure places. when israelis go to the polls on tuesday they have a wide range of issues to consider and a record number of parties to choose from economy and security are usually the top

priorities for voters but this election is slightly different. in essence these are vital issues for israelis but they're not necessarily the big determinants of votes because we have a situation where the voters focusing primarily on the issue of netanyahu his ten year long governance over israeli society thirteen years in total and the corruption charges against him. despite facing an indictment on a string of corruption charges netanyahu can still count on a strong voter base. he campaigned on social media and by meeting foreign leaders with a clear message he's the only one who can keep israel safe and represent the country's interests abroad. meanwhile pentagon's and his team of former army generals have been touring the country with the centrist blue and white party has been ahead of the likud in almost all opinion polls. in a small community in southern israel guns who served as military chief under

netanyahu appears to voters there's only his party can move the country forward boards or something to love prime minister netanyahu and his messages of busy dividing people and using incitement in order to survive we have busy reinforcing the security of israel and working towards a better future for our children. paul says predict that gunther netanyahu will compete next to nick but netanyahu might have the upper hand to form a right wing coalition with smaller right wing parties. or the award winning russian film and theater director karylle sarah bernard fan has been freed after being held under house arrest for more than a year to health he faces allegations of embezzlement but his supporters say that the arrest was politically motivated. when the moscow court ordered kerio sara brenny coffs release from house arrest the director's gratitude to the court and his supporters was plain to see now he can devote himself to his work again

directing theatre and film. is pretty difficult got thanks to all the people who came up to me and encouraged me by saying don't give up and we are with you and so on and my daily to our walks it was incredibly touching your supporters need it but i'll say again it's not over i still have to go back to court and prove our innocence through the president bush. in august twenty seven hundred seventy brannock off was taken into custody over allegations he had embezzled state funding for the arts stealing money meant to be used for theater he and his supporters insist there's no evidence and the arrest was politically motivated. everything they tried to bring up against him was ridiculous and for example they said that he never did use the money for the midsummer night's dream production. and they were

not aware that this production even went abroad a hind of became aware. there's nothing against a. very brainy coffs work is bold and political his radical style of direction especially in reworking classics and good conservatives he also defied the kremlin by publicly supporting russia's g.b.t. community and criticizing the country's annexation of crimea in twenty fourteen. his release was unexpected but sarah brannock of is not allowed to leave moscow and still stand trial. and we end this evening with some much needed good news for a group of captive whales in russia his plight prompted an outcry from the public and even from celebrities like leonardo dicaprio authorities have signed a deal with international scientists to free the nearly one hundred whales the orca and beluga whales have spent months in cramped pens near the sea of japan.

that's after a company called them to export them to china images of the whale sparked a campaign to free them and forced moscow to intervene. for those whales. thanks for the company everybody. looks a bit. linked to news from africa moral or link to exceptional stories and discussions from the news as easy with safety deputed comes here to join us on facebook. for go. to that new romex you tube channel.