this is d.w. news live from berlin u.s. president trump imposes sanctions to hold turkey's offensive in northern syria this comes as the conflict there approaches a dangerous escalation with syrian government troops advancing towards turkish positions the u.s. is calling for ankara to withdraw also coming up. violence on rest breaks out in barcelona as police fired rubber bullets at pro independence demonstrators the clashes coming after spain's supreme court delivers a long prison sentences to catalonia is separatist leaders plus.

from political outsider to the president of tunisia young voters propelling law professor. to a landslide victory is the valves to implement forms of direct democracy. i'm brian thomas great to have you with us the united states has imposed economic sanctions on turkey now this comes after president trump demanded an immediate cease fire in syria in a phone call with president erred on the sanctions include an end to talks on a $100000000000.00 trade deal president mike pence is also heading to the region for talks now on the ground turkey's offensive continues these are live images coming in from ross all that's just across the border with turkey. targeting

a number of syrian towns close to its border and has been pushing far deeper than expected. now meanwhile from the south syrian government forces are venturing to join up with kurdish fighters in the very same area. syrian troops heading towards the turkish border 80 years after president bashar assad lost control over northern syria his army is moving back in. the kurds who control the region saw no alternative other than to relinquish their hard won autonomy and enlist the syrian government's help turkish air strikes and artillery have continued to rain down on the border town of ras i live in. turkish backed rebel groups have already expelled the kurds from. another town on the border. but in nearby tell ahmad assad's troops arrived to hold the turkish advance.

that we came here to tell to merit to face the turkish attack against syria and to ensure the safety of families from the random turkish shelling. the development risks a direct confrontation between syrian and turkish forces meanwhile u.s. troops are continuing their withdrawal from northern syria president donald trump has said he'll keep quote a small footprint stationed in southern syria and threaten turkey with economic sanctions for its offensive against the kurds at the white house u.s. vice president mike pence who said to fly to ankara to negotiate a cease fire with turkish president at a one set out the administration's agenda there is the president's objective here is very clear that the sanctions that were announced today will continue. and will worsen unless and until turkey. embraces an immediate cease fire stops the violence and agrees to negotiate

a long term settlement of the issues along the border between turkey and syria the european union has. also condemned the operation the bloc agreed to limit sales of weapons to turkey but fell short of announcing sanctions. former morsi if the puppet formally it was not possible to have an embargo but all countries committed to no longer delivering omes to turkey and a pretty they. don't. don't ask me right now what is happening with the young going contracts. to see differently it's up to each country to see what they do it's nevertheless a very strong decision. but in ankara president added one vowed to press on. if it did over possible that all the guard most of the threats and pressures were determined to continue the operation until the end and i'm stating clearly we will absolutely finish the job we started. as turkey continues its

advance its civilians who are left to pay the price. let's go straight now to d.w. corresponding julieann standing by for us she's an oxford kahlo that's on the turkish side of the border good day to you can you tell us what's happening right now behind you there are areas that we can see there on the syrian side of the border. i'm about 5 kilometers away from the syrian border which is 2 wood says this on the other side you have the syrian town of tell of yet and reportedly it has been captured by the turkish military and its allies it was one of the main targets of this offensive but they're struggling to capture another crucial town called. we hear about fierce clashes still continuing over there and there is a new front line now there in northeast syria off of the kurdish let forces that have officially turned to the syrian regime for military assistance of bashar al

assad has been sending units off troops to parts of northeast in syria yesterday for the 1st time in years because the because that had officially trucked of damascus rule in 20121 year after the war started and assad's forces had withdrawn from the area and now they are returning and they are facing the turkish armed forces that along a new front line and this is essentially a victory for bashar al assad and his most powerful ally russia because it means they're gaining a foothold in an area that was beyond their control for many years ok now to contain the situation where you are the united states has imposed sanctions vice president on his way to the region can this type of american pressure president. the troops. well it's definitely a lot of pressure but president seems to be determined to go

a have without this so peroration no matter what but it's safe to assume that any kind of sanctions there from the u.s. will further head an already weak turkish economy an economy that has not fully recovered yet from last year's currency crisis now trump raised to terrorism steal back up to $0.50 something he did last year already to press for the release of a u.s. pastor in detention here in turkey he also suspend the talks on a tech u.s. trade deal worth $100000000000.00 u.s. dollars and he imposed sanctions on 3 turkish ministers now no immediate a fact strong effect on the turkish lira it has a loss dramatically in value but foreign investors might be scared off by the sanctions they might not one to invest their money here in turkey. can they expect any international help. from what we understand

from over there it's extremely difficult right now for any kind of aid organizations and n.g.o.s to help the people there according to the united nations 160000 people have to escape they're fleeing deeper into kaddish controlled areas than in north in syria to what cities like iraq about the big question are there are actually fleeing to what safety because the situation has changed now says troops all returning and for many people on the syrian side but refugees here on the turkish side as well this is an absolute nightmare. let's get you up to date now on some of the other stories making the news at this hour a large 'd fire has forced an overcrowded camp for asylum seekers to be evacuated on the island of summers in greece it's not yet clear what started that blaze although it did follow earlier clashes in the camp site house thousands of people despite being built were just a few 100. in fort worth texas

a white police officer has been charged with the murder of a black woman in her own home police body cam footage shows aaron dean shooting at a tanya jefferson without warning after a neighbor called the police to check on her welfare. margaret atwood is one of the winners of the booker prize for her novel the testaments the sequel to the book the handmaid's tale she shares the prize with bernadine ever isto who won for her work girl woman other. well spanish riot police fired rubber bullets and used tear gas against pro independence demonstrators in barcelona the clashes came after spain's supreme court issued long prison sentences for 12 catalogues separatist leaders now one of the morial from cairo us says a new referendum on cattle on independence will now be unavoidable meanwhile as backers of independence for the region are vowing to keep up the pressure.

i protesters shouting freedom blocked barcelona airport outraged at the long verdicts handed down to catalonia separatist leaders dozens were injured in clashes. as thousands took to the streets. and then they were sentenced to many years for a nonviolent act politically approved by the people and it was the people who went to vote while we're looking at that single example they've already spent 2 years in prison for expressing their ideas and we know that the only way is dialogue not violence to express ideas freely nothing more than $1000000.00 times but for the supreme court in madrid it's clear that the catalan leadership is guilty of sedition the former vice president oriole john kara's was sentenced to 13 years in

prison and 8 other defendants also received long jail terms according to the judges those sentenced defied a ban and organized the independence referendum in october 2017. when the former president of catalonia colors pushed him on declared independence from spain violent clashes with the police broke out then madrid imposed direct rule over catalonian one of spain's most serious political crises now prime minister petro sanchez hopes this verdict will end the matter once and for all following the supreme court decision we need to turn the page and open a new chapter based on peaceful coexistence in catalonia through dialogue within the boundaries of the no on the sponsor institution but many catalans don't seem ready to give up the fight yet since the ruling independence activists want by are

preparing for what they're calling. a democratic tsunami. it's too tunisian our officials have confirmed a landslide election victory for this man say he'd the 61 year old former law professor is now set to become president the vote has been very closely watched one reason is only the 2nd democratic election since an uprising in that country helped spark the arab spring you'll recall 2010 so he thanked the country's young people for turning a new page and vowed to build a new tunisia. joy explodes on the main boulevard in tunis proud of this still budding democracy doesn't of site supporters celebrating the men would they say can keep alive the spirits of the 20 levin revolution. had any young people showed they can use their vote to change the system several political parties give

a lot of money to win this presidency but the people and the young ones who are part of the revolution in 2011 did it again a new revolution this time with a ballot. case 8 is a low profile conservative low professor he come pain for radical decentralization and plates to build a democracy that all tunisians including the youth can have a say in. yes it got me we will face up to all the challenges without blood sweat and that will power especially the economic and the social ones because the cuny scene people expect solutions in this respect. but he will have to work with the parliament where no party has a clear majority the supporters though are hopeful that the independent outside a can convince and succeed. well in football england's euro 2020 qualifying

match against paul garia that was in sofia was overshadowed by racism from home fans after monkey chants directed england players or nazi salutes in the stands as a result the referee stopped play twice in the 1st half with warnings made over the stadiums sound system a 3rd stoppage would have led to that match being called off and will end one in the end 6 now the incident has again raised the issue of how to deal with racism in football. it's just a reminder now of our top stories all sides take up strategic positions in northern syria u.s. president from has called on turkey to observe a cease fire and halt its offensive against kurdish forces as ordered economic sanctions to be put in place on. this is the interview news live from berlin up next we have a documentary about the soviet union's lunar program the so-called red moon rising 12 more news at the top of the hour with assuming as well i'm brian thomas for now for me in the entire team thanks for being.