>> from berlin, this is "dw news." they are calling him a bigot, but he is not backing down. public and presidential hopeful donald trump stands by his proposal to bar muslims from entering the united states. many in his party, the white house, and leaders all over the world have united in an outpouring of condemnation. taliban militants have attacked the airport in the southern afghan city of condo heart. -- kandahar. pope francis launches a special

gear for catholics with a focus on forgiving sin. i'm sarah kelly. good evening and welcome to the program. donald trump is a man known for his shock statements, but tonight there are many that say he has simply gone too far. he has stood by his call to ban muslims from entering the united dates, but the backlash has been swift. the white house says it should disqualify him from running for president and the speaker of the house, who is also a republican, says he is not what the party for what the country stands for. our coverage begins with this report. >> addressing a fired up rally in south carolina, the republican front runner made his most controversial statement so far. >> i'm calling for a complete

shutdown of muslims entering the united states until our countries representatives can figure out what is going on. >> his statement follows last week's deadly massacre in the californian city of san bernardino. his words have drawn fierce criticism both at home and abroad. the united nations said it is worried the statement could jeopardize an important resettlement program. >> the resettlement program includes syrian refugees. we are talking about syrian refugees and we are concerned that the rhetoric that is being used in the election campaign is putting an incredibly important resettlement program at risk that is meant for the most vulnerable people, the victims of the wars that the world is unable to stop.

>> meanwhile, as people commemorate the victims of last week shootings, opinions on trumps proposal are divided. >> i think it's a good idea, with everything that's going on in the world right now. it sounds harsh. >> donald trump, i won't vote for him and i will be on camera saying i don't vote for him. i approve of some things he says but he just talks a lot of smack. x both in san bernardino and elsewhere in the united states, one thing is clear. people are anything but united on this issue. sarah: this is a debate that's gripping america and the world right now. i have the national communications director of the national islamic council in washington and our correspondent richard walker is standing by. mr. hooper, i want to know what your organization's response to

mr. trump's comments are. >> there is outrage, not only in the american muslim community but in the larger society. we hope particularly the right wing of the political spectrum joins in condemning these outrageous, un-american, immoral, unconstitutional ideas of mr. trumps, not only to bar all muslims from entering the country, but special id's and databases for muslims, closing down mosques -- absolutely outrageous. hopefully it has reached a tipping point, but we have seen many such alleged tipping points for donald trump in the past, and he only gains more support based on his inflammatory rhetoric. sarah: in fact, he is currently the republican front runner in the race to get the nomination from the party. richard, it's clear there are a lot of people that are buying

into this rhetoric. it seems that he has struck a chord. >> it's clear he is having an impact. we should keep this in some perspective. in looking at the polls, the average of the polls at the moment, donald trump is currently at about 30% of republican voters. about 40% of the u.s. electorate. so that's about 12% of the u.s. electric currently supporting -- supporting him in an opinion poll. it's less than what we just saw in france over the weekend, when you had the national populist platform winning regional elections with 28% of the vote. so donald trump looks like a unique and american phenomenon. actually i would argue that he is part of a trend that you see

across many western societies right now. sarah: very much a politics of fear that is uniting people around the world. these remarks from donald trump, they are capitalizing on. a lot of people are afraid of islam is terrorism. what have muslim leaders in the united states been doing to try to calm those fears? >> first of all, we don't use terms like islamist. that's one of those made-up terms. we are trying to do outreach, we are trying to do education because outreach and education are the only ways to decrease prejudice through our experience and through our research. sarah: mr. hooper, is it working? >> well, maybe it would have been worse if we had not done what we have been doing in terms of outreach and education. the trend lines are definitely not looking good.

sarah: richard walker for us and mr. hooper, both of you joining us this evening. thank you. now we turn to afghanistan where taliban militants have attacked the airport in the southern city of kandahar. clashes are said to be ongoing after insurgents broke through the gates of the airbase. it's not clear how many militants are involved or whether there have been any casualties. one report says several passengers were trapped. a spokesman for the provincial governor said the taliban were targeting the residential blocks of government employees and the joint afghan-nato military base there. as the taliban attacked in kandahar, a conference is taking place in islamabad in pakistan. the afghan president is hoping

for support for other leaders in the region. the ongoing terrorist attacks in afghanistan are taking a heavy toll. let's take a look at the situation there in kabul where people are living under the constant threat of bomb attacks. >> her grief is overwhelming. she weeps for their sons, buried under rubble and broken glass. these are her sons clothes. we lost everything, she says. everything. in august, a truck filled with explosives blew up in front of the house. the blast ripped through the building as people inside were

asleep. some managed to crawl out of the rubble, but abdullah, a teacher, and his older brother, didn't make it. the poster is an homage to the dead and a symbol of peace. i want to die, i want to be blind so i never have to see the blood again. it's likely the nearby defense ministry was the intended target , but government buildings have thick walls, unlike residential housing. everyone knows what's happening in afghanistan. it used to be good, but now the government cannot protect us. that's why so many afghans are fleeing their homeland. they have moved in with relatives. their wounds are still healing. glass shards remain in their bodies. it had to cover the medical costs themselves, some 15,000 euros, more than the family

earns in a year. they are thinking about getting out of afghanistan, just leaving. three family members have already mated to germany. -- made it to germany. if afghanistan were peaceful, would people still leave for germany? why throw away so much money? kabul residents live in fear. hardly a day passes without killings. the victims are usually people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. in the first half of the year, nearly 5000 civilians were killed or injured in the country . numbers not seen since the fall of the taliban nearly a decade and a half ago, according to the u.n. >> it's a country with the recent and horrible pass, 30 years of war. the combination of the recent memories and the way the future will play out creates the

conditions for people to give up hope. >> in october, a suicide bomber blew himself up here. he wanted to target foreign soldiers but he set off his explosives outside a shoe store. he had artie lost two of his sons of former bombing. now his financial survival is at stake. i have so much debt. if it happens again, i may have to set my cell phone wire. an attack could happen at -- i may have to set myself on fire. >> every dollar spent on education and training is a way of preventing the threat of terrorism. those are the words of germany's president after he visited a refugee camp near the jordan-syrian border. the majority of them do not live in cap's. they have found shelters in the cities. >> refugees flee to jordan have

to go to the capital, to the world biggest refugee registration center. it can handle up to three thousand people per day. jordan offers the refugees a safe haven from war and terror, but what most of those here urgently need his financial help. >> these families more and more are using crisis coping strategies. we see an increase in child labor. we see families skipping meals or parent skipping meals in order for their children to eat more. they are seen begging on the street, adults and also children. >> it's becoming more and more difficult for refugees to find accommodation in the cities. he has seven children in a basement apartment. his daughter was standing in front of the house when a bomb and often this street. she lost her right leg. his daughters are not going to school now, but he is not giving up hope.

>> i hope my daughters will study. i just want a better life for my children. in the middle of the desert in no man's land lies a refugee camp. 28,000 syrians live here. their days are filled with boredom and despair. there is no electricity in the camp, and at night, temperatures drop below freezing. a visit from germany breaks the monotony. that patriotic to the ongoing work of the jordanian government and the united nations relief agency. >> i want to see this, to patriot to it. the people working here are very dedicated. at the same time, many refugees would rather be living among the jordanian population than in the capital.

he ended his visit with an urgent appeal to the international community not to reduce the financial aid that helps feed many refugees. jordan is one of the most arid regions in the world, and with soaring unemployment, it is overwhelmed by sheltering a million refugees. sarah: former paralympic champion oscar pistorius has been granted bail, pending sentencing for murder. last week his conviction was overturned from the lesser conviction of culpable homicide. this morning was his first public appearance in over a year. the judge ruled that he can remain under house arrest and will not have to return to prison before resentencing, but his defense team now say they he will -- say he will appeal his sentencing before the constitutional boards. we'll take a short break but we have a lot more news coming up.

rock fans in pairs get more than they bargained for when a certain california band returned for an emotion filled concert. join us again to find out who. all that and more in a minute's time. stay with us.

sarah: welcome back. donald trump's controversial call for muslims to be banned from entering america brings cries of outrage and condemnation. pope francis has launched a special year for catholics known as the jubilee of mercy. it is focusing on forgiving sin. the pope in our great in the festival by celebrating a special mass in st. peter's square. >> open to me the gates of

justice. pope francis's words before he stepped through the northern door of st. peter's basilica. with that, francis had officially begun a holy year, stepping through a portal that is normally shut. tens of thousands have turned out to join the pontiff for a special mass on st. peter's square, where he called for all to set up -- set aside fear and dread. and he had a message for the fate -- for the faithful. this extraordinary holy year is a gift of grace. going through that door means to discover the profundity of the mercy of our father. he welcomes each one of us personally. he is the one who looks after us.

the jubilee event is dedicated to the theme of mercy, one of france's's main themes as hope. the next holy year was originally scheduled to take place in 2025, but pope francis called this one as part of his push for more inclusive and less judgment roman catholic church. 10 million pilgrims are expected to come to rome in the next year and passed through the door themselves. sarah: were going to switch gears and head over to gerhart who joins us with some business news. >> 24 european tech startup companies have been sold for more than a billion u.s. dollars each in the past five years, proof that europe's fledgling tech scene is on the rise. but the capital hungry sector still hasn't got enough access to funding.

bringing together venture capitalist willing and able to take a multimillion dollar bet on the next big thing. the next topic, artificial intelligence. it might look like a cuddly toy, but it turns out to be a robot loaded with the latest artificial intelligence software. pledging companies introduce game changing technologies at this conference. this could revolutionize the way we teach english to our kids. >> this guy is a deep learning-based artificial intelligence robot. it can actually have a conversation with you and naturally talk back to you. but because it has deep learning behind it, it can constantly learn from you and get smarter and smarter as you use it. >> with hundreds of startups competing for the attention of venture capitalists, it's no

wonder the odds are often stacked against them. experts say around 90% of startups fail. investors see an opportunity there. >> in my mind, it's beautiful that more companies get started, and it's ok that they fail. for us as investors, when the product might be too early, whatever reason. more people are getting trained to build a startup and the better off we are. >> this too little guy looks promising so far. after an initial crowdfunding campaign rot in twice as much money as expected, they plan to begin shipping the robot by next year. >> oil prices have hit a six year low and that has many analysts saying investors will

pull out and jobs in the oil industry will be lost. on the other hand, as policymakers in pairs are trying to hammer out a climate deal, many hope investors could move from dirty to clean energy. >> they call it black gold, but oil as a commodity has lost much of its value. that's mostly because of an oversupply to a market with low demand. the global economy has cooled off in recent years, putting pressure on oil demand. however, the powerful opec oil cartel has once again decided to keep oil production high, sending prices even lower. over the last year and a half, oil prices have dropped sharply, around 60% since june 2014, and experts don't see any sign of a turnaround. that has wide ramifications with regard to climate change, despite the -- ambitious goals

intended to promote that sector. >> in the next years to come, we are expecting out of $10 invested, six dollars will be for our revenues. >> they're calling on countries to in subsidies for fossil fuels. worldwide, governments are spending more than 470 billion euros, driving oil prices even lower. that is the real cost of cheap oil, hindering new energy technologies. >> the low oil price is a major concern for countries exporting oil, countries like russia, where the economy is expected to shrink by 3.4% according to the international monetary fund. the russian currency fell 1.3% against the dollar to a three-month low. it is ordinary russians who get

hit hardest. the signs of the money changers tell the clerestory, the ruble continues its fall and it's having a direct effect on people's lives. >> it's easy for ministers to talk about the ruble rate. we don't have a cold pack two spare, and we are going hungry -- we don't have a kopek despair. the price of medicine is getting higher. of course it's stressful. my sister gets mad because we have to spend more money every day. if you need insulin, how can you live without it? since the second half of 2014, the ruble has had a rocky ride, losing about half its value against the u.s. dollar. the decline reflects the overall contraction of the russian economy. the falling price of oil is the main contributor factor. j.d. p -- gdp is expected to

shrink from last year. daniel winters is already preparing your next business update. sarah: in sports, the embattled president of fifa denies all involvement in corruption that football's governing body and says he should not have trusted his colleagues. sepp blatter spoke with the german broadcaster saying he is an honest person but had to much confidence in those around him. he is serving a 90 day suspension while investigators probe corruption allegations. he said he is appalled at their approach. >> this prejudice, this method of questioning from the in cori and their tactics almost feel like the catholic inquisition -- from their inquiry.

sarah: rock fans in pairs had a pleasant surprise when they attended a concert by super band u2. there's an act or acts -- an extra act, the california been eagles of death metal. they were on stage during last month's terror attacks in paris. 89 people were killed in that theater but the latest appearance was a joyous occasion, introduced by bono. >> these are our brothers, our fellow troubadours. they were robbed of their stage weeks ago, so we would like to offer them hours. would you welcome the eagles of death metal. >> it was an emotional return to the stage for the eagles of death metal. >> is everybody here having a good time?

>> they joined up for a version of patti smith's anthem, "people have the power." lead singer bono also made a plea for tolerance, saying we chose love over fear, and you will not have our hatred. ♪ after the concert, fans were full of praise for the band's courage. >> the whole stage was with them. >> is very brave to sing here this night. >> this is a good thing for us to see them again. to come back and say we are

here. >> they were indeed back, and with a powerful message. ♪ people have the power sarah: that's all we have time for here on dw. thank you very much for tuning in. i will see you at the top of the hour. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

announcer: "euromaxx highlights" and here is your host, karin helmstaedt. >> hi there and a warm welcome to our highlights edition, coming at you straight from the heart of berlin with the following topics: guys only -- a danish brewery launches cosmetics for men. hot location -- it's party time in a berlin supermarket. medieval magnet -- carcassonne is a favorite destination in southern france. often you find that the best parties are the ones you weren't expecting or even the ones in places you were least expecting. which is why party organisers are falling over themselves