>> this is "dw news" live from berlin. is president trump moving toward a confrontation with north korea? a u.s. aircraft carrier is approaching the region amid growing concerns the state may be about to conduct another nuclear test. china is urging calm. also coming up, a huge bomb dropped on the so-called islamic state group as president trump works to make good on a campaign promise to liquidate the terro group. turkey decides. this nation is about to vote in

a decisive referendum that could give the president more power. istanbul ahead of sunday's crucial ballot. >> ♪ anchor: it is good to have you with us. tonight, is the korean peninsula on the brink of war for the first time in more than 60 years? these next four hours will be crucial. saturday sees north korea marking the birth of the founder and the secretive regime may test a nuclear device. that has set the entire region on edge. u.s. president donald trump has sent an aircraft carrier group to keep watch and warned he will not shy away from acting alone. reporter: the spirit of conviviality. north korean officials gathered for a festival marking the

anniversary of the birth of the country's founding father. behind the celebrations, the atmosphere is anything but rosie as the country enters deepening tensions with the united states. >> we are comparing trump's policies toward north korea with the former administration. we have concluded it is becoming more vicious and aggressive. trump says it is us making things more complicated. but it is the other way around. it is the u.s. that makes problems. reporter: last week, the u.s. ordered an aircraft carrier group to move towards the korean peninsula, a show of strength amid growing speculation the reclusive nation is preparing more nuclear tests. on thursday, the u.s. defense secretary warned north korea one more time against further provocations. the escalating war of words

prompted north korea's closest ally to urge calm. >> china has always opposed any moves that will provoke tensions. history has proven the weapons cannot solve problems and dialogue is the only way out. it is not about who has the most hateful words or the biggest fist. rather, when war breaks out, there will be losses on all sides. no one is the real winner. reporter: north korea has a long-established history of defying the international community as it develops its nuclear capabilities. now it must decide whether or not a test could provoke an unexpected reaction from the trump administration. anchor: the situation on the korean peninsula is described as a tinderbox. a long time and list has been

analyzing it for decades. pyongyang has threatened to strike that before. is it different this time? >> not different. it is almost normal procedure that any action provokes a reaction from north korea. this time, maybe the vocabulary is stronger. that is simply because president trump is using stronger words. anchor: he does use strongly what. if the u.s. resorted to a primitive strike, what would that mean for the region? >> anymore means catastrophe. in case president trump would take some military action, first of all, all of the possibilities are limited in scope because if it is real war, it would be catastrophe because the whole region would be in flames.

hopefully, he does not take any military action. if he thinks he can have some warning action just like in syria, that is also a big danger because he will draw in china. anchor: china is north korea's only factor. they have warned conflict could break out at any moment. what is china willing to do to avoid conflict? >> first of all, the leverage. even china has warned the north koreans are defying everything from outside. china has one interest. no conflict, no war in its close neighborhood. they called for all sides to put on restraint, including north korea and america. please restrain, no war, please. anchor: china is calling for restraint. what about other countries in the region?

>> they are very much afraid something unpredictable might happen due to any action which is not really calculated. first of all, south korea would be right in the war. japan is also in the range of north korean missiles already. and of course, china. i mentioned the whole region is afraid of any kind of military action or war on the korean peninsula. anchor: a lot of anxiety you are describing. what do you make of vice president mike pence's visit to seoul? is he trying to shore up support for south korea? >> to assure the south koreans we are with you, do not worry. secondly, also trying to probably talk with the south koreans who know very much about north korea. what kind of alternatives they might have at hand. anchor: is a long time dw

correspondent in the region. thank you for your analysis this evening. president trump has called the u.s. bombing of the islamic state stronghold in afghanistan a very successful mission, limiting islamic terror was one of his campaign promises. the afghan government supported the airstrike which killed 306i.s fighting well avoiding civilian deaths. i.s. claims the bombing did not kill any of their fighters. reporter: aerial footage released by the u.s. military shows massive explosive force. the largest nonnuclear weapon in the american arsenal targeted a series of underground tunnels ananias ammunition cache -- and an i.s. ammunition cache near the pakistani border. this is where washington believes the vast majority of fighters in the country are hiding. the head of u.s. forces in afghanistan says the move to drop this weapon was tactical, not political. >> this weapon was the

appropriate weapon to use against this target. prior to this, we did not have such a target. reporter: first tested in 2003, it produces a blast as powerful as 11 tons of tnt. those on the ground attested to the bomb's power. >> last night's bomb was really huge. when it dropped, everything was shaking. i believe it killed 70 or 80 of them. this is a positive move, that i.s. fighters have been eliminated. no civilians were there at all. reporter: the use of the weapon comes a week after the u.s. conducted airstrikes in syria, another show of force from an american administration that suddenly seems more willing to intervene. anchor: german prosecutors investigating tuesday's bombing say they have considerable doubt

about the authenticity of three letters found at the scene of the attack. these documents claim to be written in the name of allah. investigators are now saying they believe these were forgeries intended to the liberally suggest an islamist motive. experts analyzed these texts and concluded they were likely not written by islamists. joining me now in the studio is our political correspondent. welcome. why do investigators believe these are fakes? what is the evidence? >> there are several things. investigators said straight away after this attack they thought these letters were unusual. not typical for islamist attacks in germany to claim responsibility in this way. it is usually done by other means, if at all. also, there were no symbols of any islamist group on these letters. now some islam experts have had

a look at them and concluded despite the references to being in the name of a law -- allah, that they don't think these letters are authentically originating from an islamist group. anchor: if an islamist group did not leave these notes, who did? >> that is an open question. sources in the german media say police are investigating or focusing their investigation in particular on extremist groups, left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists. and there are even some suggestions there may be links to right-wing football-related groups, particularly in saxony. that is an area of germany that has had a problem with this, particularly around the club but elsewhere. leipsic and saxony have been centers of right-wing street protests in recent times. the idea is people from -- with

those kind of use might be trying to suggest this attack had been carried out by islamists. anchor: that is one working there. authorities did arrest a 26-year-old iraqi, did they not? >> they did. they have arrested him but not in relation to the bus attack. he is being investigated in relation to suggestions he is a member of the so-called islamic state and he led a unit which carried out kidnappings and killings. it would appear that man was on the radar already as an islamist. he was picked up because he was in the general vicinity of the attack. and now police and authorities have decided to prosecute him anyway. anchor: simon young, thank you very much. today marks the third anniversary of the abduction of

the schoolgirls in nigeria. 276 girls were kidnapped by boko haram islamist militants in a move that shock the world. the failure of nigeria's former government to bring the girls back sparked a global campaign. today, almost 200 of these girls are still missing. for the families, it is a nightmare. reporter: the mass abduction of schoolgirls three years ago is never far from people's minds here. they used to live there, but now they are in the eventual capital. -- provincial capital. her sister managed to flee as boko haram stormed the school. but four of their cousins are still missing. >> i feel very bad. if you look at my face, i look 50 or 60 years old.

this added stress to my life. even the parents, too. for three years, there was no authentic information about these girls. we only believe they are live by faith. reporter: boko haram read 21 girls in october. since then, there has been no movement. the nigerian military says all territory held by boko haram has been won back. 30,000 civilians were freed in the process. says the commander of the operation in northeast nigeria. for a long time, the girls were believed to be in the zombies a forest -- zambiza forest. but there is no trace of them. >> we are going from one corner to the other of the forest.

that is the reason the operation is not over yet. it continues. we believe as we progress in the end and --nigerian territory, they will be found. reporter: the prime minister has been in power for almost two years. one of his campaign promises was to intensify the fight against boko haram. his army managed to gain ground in the fight against the terrorists. he failed to fulfill his promise to bring the girls back home. he has lost faith in the government. neither the former nor the current one has visited. he has no plans to return. he says it is still far too dangerous. anchor: pope francis washed the feet of inmates at a high-security prison near rome. he held a mass for the 70 inmates and washed the right foot of 12 of them. the foot washing ritual

commemorates christ's gesture of humility toward his apostles. the prison inmates are former members of organized crime. coming up, turkey faces a real test on sunday. a referendum that could shift the country's future. we will have that >> it is all happening. your link to news from africa and the world. your link to exceptional stories and discussions. >> for more news, visit our website. >> join us on facebook. >> ♪

>> ♪ anchor: welcome back. you are watching "dw news." our top story, fighting words from pyongyang as the u.s. aircraft carrier group approaches north korea. analysts believe the secretive state may test a nuclear device to mark its national day. the u.s. is warning it is prepared to act unilaterally. turkey is facing a crucial and decisive referendum that could change the way the country's government is run. on sunday, voters weigh in on whether to give the president more powers through constitutional changes. european observers believe it

has not been a fair contest. they reported opposition voices have been silenced by firing public servants and attaining those who oppose the draft constitution. he has warned they not overstepped its bounds. he would be unchallenged as a leader for years to come, sparking fears of a dictatorship. reporter: he considers himself a conservative muslim. he wants back to the turkish president. these days, he is taking a firm stance in the drive to defeat the referendum that would grant him more power. in his outreach to other devout muslims in istanbul, he echoes the warnings of fellow activists that a yes vote will pave the way to autocracy. from an islamic perspective, what we are witnessing the country today is a big step backwards. >> our democracy has been weekend. the government is distancing itself further from islamic values.

that is why we have taken to the streets. reporter: his religious campaign does not get much positive response in this conservative district. but supporters are keen to talk about the presidential system the turkish leader wants to introduce. one passerby asks if there is not a similar system in the united states. no, he says. in america, the government lawmakers and judiciary are not rolled into one. further right-wing resistance comes from a former interior minister whose nationalist party is backing erdogan's proposal, but she is against it. her motives beyond getting a no vote on the referendum are not clear, but she has a large following. that is why she is now banned from making appearances in many areas. our gatherings are often met with violent opposition -- her gatherings are often met with violent opposition. his platform for law and justice

is out campaigning. they use a microphone atop their van to spread their messages such as, "dictatorship and corruption are sins." they are undeterred by attacks from the government. >> i think it is already a victory for us that so many different social groups have come together to block this development. >> the fact that even conservative circles expressed doubts about the planned presidential system is a bigger problem for president erdogan than the criticism from the left. officially, the government continues to be confident. but the polls speak of a head-to-head race between opponents and advocates of the constitutional reforms. the questions many people here ask is whether erdogan would really give up his plans for a presidential system if he were to be narrowly defeated in the vote on sunday.

anchor: let's get the economic view on sunday's referendum. >> we are holding our breath because we know the referendum will be decisive for the tertius --turkish politics in the country's politics. clinical unrest is toxic for investments. terrorist attacks have damaged the turkish tourist industry which is to make up more than 10% of the country's ddp. after the vote, stability is unlikely to return to this once powerful emerging market. >> not on the go, turkey was a tourist magnet. gwyneth paltrow german holidays were spent there. that changed last year. vacationers are not only worried about their safety. they have political concerns. >> that is a big problem now. people -- >> tourism is not the only sector affected. this company wants to build a bio glass plant in turkey like this one.

since the failed coup last year, the plans have been shelved. he says public administration there is paralyzed. >> we wanted to use this pilot project to carve out a place in the market in turkey our technology. now we don't know what is going to happen. we have got to wait and see. >> wait and see about investment. it is the case for many now. those already there are finding it ok in turkey. they are sticking it out. but others are hesitating. trade is also muted. german exports to turkey have fallen slightly. german businesses are keeping a keen eye on the referendum. some of the companies are saying if it goes through with a yes, at least things will calm down a bit. but if there is a no vote, there will almost certainly be a new referendum along with fresh uncertainty. >> german companies are hoping

for stability in turkey, whatever the outcome, and an end to the uncertainty that has weighed on them. >> some corporate news. they reached one further milestone in its turbulent history. the italian carrier's management has made a last-ditch deal to prevent bankruptcy. under a 2 billion euro capitalization agreement, the struggling airline will cut workers wages by 8% and lay off about 1000 employees. creditors forced unions to accept the cost-cutting in return for a bailout. italy's premier urged the workers to approve the deal. previous bailouts by the government to save the airline have already totaled more than 12 billion euros. credit suisse has agreed to reduce onus is for executives by 40%. investors have criticized the company proposal to pay out 75 million euros to the executive board. critics maintain the bonuses were far too high considering the bank posted two consecutive

annual losses. the move comes ahead of the annual general meeting at the end of the month. the new york auto show is again showcasing the latest car models for the u.s. market. you can tell we have had low oil prices the last couple of months. saving fuel does not seem to be a priority anymore. it is all about getting drivers excited. >> ♪ >> can carmakers keep u.s. consumers fired up about the latest offerings? they are hoping the simple recipe of bigger, stronger, faster will keep consumer demand motoring along. enter the dodge challenger demon with a 6.2 liter hemi v8. dodge claims it is the fastest thing on american highways. >> this is not just a dodge or challenger. this is the most technologically advanced street legal drag car ever. >>--car market has been -- the

u.s. car market has been booming. fears are growing the good times could be over. first-quarter sales at ford dropped 7% this year. they are betting a new entry into the popular s.u.v. series will catch the eye of the bigger is better crowd. but gas guzzlers are not the only offering on display. hybrid power systems are taking center stage as carmakers try to cash in on the tesla wave.+ >> the question is just, which one to choose. that is all from the business desk for now. anchor: thank you so much. claiming the nazi regime did not murder 6 million jews and others is a crime in germany. the subject is about to get a new airing in a new court case

filmed. it is of interest to those concerned about denial in germany and around the world. >> you cannot lie and expect not to be accountable for it. not all opinions are equal. some things happen just like we say they do. >> no one with common sense would argue with that statement. but the historian and holocaust expert soon finds herself in court when a british holocaust denier puts her on trial for calling her a liar. it seems absurd that she has to prove the holocaust actually happened. how do you gather evidence for a long known historical truth? that is one of the tricky questions the film focuses on. he remains from that alternative

facts do not exist in the past or future. >> i see it as a message. i see it as a message about truth and lies. that there are certain things that are true. world war ii happened. could hit where have been stopped -- hiltetler haven't stopped earlier -- have been stopped earlier? historians debate it. all those things. but it happened. >> in a large part, denial comes across not just as a drama but a courtroom thriller. although the outcome of the trial is well known, it is still exciting. that is because she fights not only for herself but for the primacy of truth. >> you can have opinions about the holocaust. but i will not meet with anybody who says the holocaust did not happen. >> i am that david irving. i have got $1000 to give anyone who can show me a document that proves the holocaust.

>> i will not debate you. not here, not now, not ever. anchor: you're watching "dw news." our top story, fighting words from pyongyang is a u.s. aircraft carrier group approaches north korea. analysts say the secretive state may test a nuclear device to mark its national day. the u.s. has warned it is prepared to act unilaterally. that is the latest from berlin. see you soon. >> ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] n8

(xylophone music) - [narrator] after decades of relative stability the us energy revolution is beginning to shift the geopolitical dynamic. where once it was dependent on the middle east for much of its energy, the us is now producing more of its own, allowing it to potentially forge a new foreign policy. a geopolitics of oil. next, on great decisions. (trumpeting music) - [narrator] great decisions is produced by the foreign policy association in association with thomson reuters. funding for great decisions is provided by pricewaterhouse coopers, llp. - [narrator] nations have always been in competition with each other. often, it's in the search for natural resources like oil and gas.