from berlin. a day after u.s. president donald trump threatens to destroy north korea, germany's chancellor offers to help resolve the north korea crisis. >> even though this conflict is far away from germany, it also affects us. that is why i am prepared, as is the foreign minister, to assume responsibility. sarah: in an exclusive interview, angela merkel tells dw diplomacy is the only way forward with pyongyang. also coming up a desperate , rescue effort underway right now in mexico city at a primary

school that collapsed during the earthquake on tuesday. the building is one of hundreds destroyed in what is being called mexico's deadliest quake in a generation. protests in barcelona after spanish police detain regional officials. their elected crime, organizing an independence referendum that is said to be illegal. ♪ sarah: i'm sarah harman. welcome to the program. it is good to have you with us. germany's chancellor has spoken out on the north korean crisis, just days ahead of the general election in germany. angela merkel has said she disagrees with donald trump's military ultimatum on north korea. in an exclusive interview with dw, she offered germany's assistance in negotiating a diplomatic solution.

yesterday, donald trump told the u.n. that the u.s. would destroy north korea if they continued to threaten the u.s. or its allies. >> diplomacy is the only way to solve the north korea conflict, according to the german chancellor. correspondent: in an exclusive interview with dw, angela merkel spoke out in favor of multilateral negotiations involving international partners such as china, russia and the u.s. >> even if the conflict is far away from germany, it is one that also affects us. that is why i am prepared, as is the foreign minister, to assume responsibility. we took part in negotiating the iran agreement, which i think is good and better than having no agreement at all. it took many years, but in the end it did limit iran's possibilities for nuclear armament. correspondent: addressing the u.s. president's threats to

destroy north korea, angela merkel had a special message for donald trump. >> we consider any type of military solution to be absolutely inappropriate. and we are counting on diplomatic efforts. this must be vigorously implemented. in my opinion, sanctions and enforcing the sanctions are the right answer, but anything else with regard to north korea i think is wrong and it that is why we clearly disagree with the u.s. president. correspondent: with polls in her favor, angela merkel can feel confident she will be reelected. but the afd is likely to win seats in parliament for the first time. she has ruled out cooperating with the far right party and has promised to take the concerns of those that feel disadvantaged seriously. >> my answer is clear -- to solve people's problems, the worries they have, having their own jobs as well as decent schools and doctors, to really

take care of these issues. but on the other hand, to signal a clear stop to hatred and violence. correspondent: the interview with chancellor merkel was the last in the series of seven that included top candidates of germany's major parties. if recent surveys are correct, her conservative party will become the strongest political power and she could become one of the longest serving chancellors in german history. sarah: for more i am joined by our editor and chief, ines pohl. great to have you. this offer to mediate with north korea, it is big news. is germany the right country to play that role? ines: i think so that germany has something to offer. let's start with divided germany, we have experienced. we had the wall, east germany and west germany.

chancellor merkel grew up in the east, so she really has experienced that. the other thing, because of the close ties from east germany to russia we have a traditionally closer relationship to north korea because russia was a partner in the korean war with north korea, so there is some relationship from germany to north korea and i think this is what angela merkel refers to. sarah: so there is history, but we have to remember that we are four days away from the general election. how do you think her comments about donald trump will play out with the german voters, because talking bad about donald trump is a way to score points. ines: that is right. everything angela merkel says four days before the election is connected to the election. she is always campaigning. and indeed, germany loved barack obama. germans found him so cool, especially after the bush years. it was really a change. and now ere is donald trump, we just do not know what to do with him. one day he says so -- and the next day, so -- and just his attitude and

arrogance, to always say let's put america first. many germans do not like this. this is something angela merkel reacts to. the really tough speech that he gave at the u.n. about north korea, that was a reaction. for her to stand up and say, listen i do not agree with you. , i take my own stance and i criticize you in public. sarah: he has that showmanship style that is not necessarily going down well in germany. let's talk about angela merkel, she is going for her fourth that is sort of unheard of in western democracies. is it something specific about her that resonates with the germans, or do germans not like to change a good thing? ines: good question. we asked her that question, so it is worth watching the interview. i mean, she stands really for a continuity. in a world that is shaken, she is a solid rock. that is what germans should want, because germany is doing fairly well compared to other european countries.

but one has to be fair. you know she really thought , about it and it she spoke openly about it that she did not make or give herself an easy decision. she really was debating should i , run for a fourth term? she has been in office 12 years. that is a generation that does not know anybody else than angela merkel as a chancellor. sarah: amazing. ines: she is still strong and powerful and she wants to take the responsibility to keep leading germany. sarah: she is known as being reserved, for being calculated. during your interview, did you get the chance to ask her anything personal? ines: ya, she is reserved and she was reserved in the interview, but she is very friendly, she is very bright, she is very in the moment. i asked her, how she handles this burden which is on her shoulders. the whole world has all these expectations for her to be the rock in this shaken world, as i said earlier. so i asked, are you worried about things? what are your fears? do sometimes not sleep well at

night? and she gave us answers. so watch our interview and you will get them. [laughter] sarah: quite a tease. ines: i know. but she talked about it and she said sure, she feels the burden. , she is worried about the situation and the crises of countries around us. sarah: a lot of interesting information. thank you for being with us in the studio. as mentioned, you can watch the full interview on dw beginning at 2:30 a.m. utc, and again at 6:30 a.m. utc, and it will be repeating later in the day. and of course if you cannot wait, the whole thing will be on our website, dw.com. and only four days to go until germany decides. and we want you to join the discussion on the election. you can get more of our coverage online and you can also get updates on our facebook page, and of course follow us on twitter and tell us your opinion using the #germanydecides. our social media team cannot

wait to hear from you. turning now to other world news. in mexico, at least 225 people have been confirmed dead after tuesday's powerful earthquake. rescue workers frantically looking for survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings. one of the most desperate rescue efforts underway right now at a primary school in mexico city. correspondent: it has become the focal point of the latest natural disaster to hit mexico. rescue workers and emergency crews have flocked to this primary school in a desperate search for survivors. they are exhausted after working through the night, but while there is still hope they will keep going. [speaking spanish] >> it is possible that there are survivors, because we confirmed it with a thermal camera, which detects human heat. the conditions are not optimal, but we are doing the best we can. all these people are.

correspondent: of all the buildings to have collapsed, the school's story is perhaps the most harrowing. many children have already lost their lives under the rubble here and many more are still missing. some panic struck in -- panic stricken parents have received a text messages from their children trapped inside. in a cruel twist of irony, this 7.1 magnitude quake struck after many had carried out in an earthquake drill. like every year the drill was , scheduled on the anniversary of a 1985 earthquake that killed more than 10,000 people. this latest adversity has united the city in both grief and determination. people from all walks of life have formed human chains to pass the rubble. >> it is sad because you want to help, but you cannot do anything. you want to do everything quickly. it is a human survival instinct, but you cannot do anything.

correspondent: the sheer number of people involved is also complicating the efforts. rescuers regularly call for silence. any sound missed is a possible life lost. correspondent: as the search for survivors continues, many in the city have taken refuge on the the second quake that hit the country in two weeks has left them with nowhere else to go. mexico's president says mexico is facing a new national emergency. he has declared three days of national mourning to honor the victims. sarah: i am now joined by mark handy, a seismologist in berlin. thank you for being with us. a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, devastating to the people in mexico. how much advanced notice was there that this would happen? when did seismologists know it

was coming? mark: had they been sure i am sure they would have said something. it is difficult to predict exactly when the big one will happen. that is why they remained silent. sarah: it is not like the weather. you cannot say we are expecting an earthquake here in today's. it makes it tricky to warn people. do you think people in the region can look forward to more seismic activity in the coming days? mark: after big event it is usual to have aftershocks. i am sure people will be nervous, they will feel the quakes coming more frequently and then they will die off with time. the frequency will decrease, but there will be some in the next few days. sarah: this was not the first major earthquake in this part of mexico. are there some areas more prone to the earthquakes? >> yes. mexico city was hit in 1985, killed almost 10,000 people good it is not unexpected -- people.

it is not unexpected. but it is hard to predict. and it is difficult to evacuate some of the people. sarah: i have heard different things, what should you do? do you go in a dorm frame -- door frame or go outside? mark: it depends where you are in the building. instinctively i would say that you disappear under something heavy, so if the roof falls it does not fall on your head or at least the fall is broken. sarah: can anything be done on a larger scale to prevent the kind of death and destruction we are seeing right now? mark: mexico city has undertaken a number of steps. they have fairly good advanced warning systems, they monitor them. and they have strict building codes so the buildings do not topple so easily. but in a huge event like that, nothing to really prevent big discussion and deaths,

unfortunately. sarah: mark candy, thank you -- handy, thank you for sharing your expertise. we are turning onto another natural disaster. hurricane maria is wreaking havoc across the eastern caribbean and puerto rico. it is weakening slightly, but not before it has inflicted damage. it is the strongest and 80 years and has triggered flooding and knocked out power across puerto rico. puerto rico was already any financial crisis and this devastation will likely only make things worse .caribbean and -- earlier maria left other islands strewn with debris. at least seven people are confirmed dead. and we have a look at other stories from around the world. i ran's president hitting back at president trump's threat to scrap the nuclear deal.

he told the general assembly it would be a pity if the deal was destroyed by what he called newcomers to the world of politics. he also said the u.s. administration would only destroy its own credibility if they violated the international commitment. and at least 12 people have died and more than 90 missing due to flooding in the eastern congo. emergency teams have been sent to small towns where torrential rains caused a river to burst its banks. and kenya's supreme court has been delivering it to reasons why they annulled presidential elections there. uhuru kenyatta declared the winner of the event. a rerun will be held in october. and in spain, tensions running high over plans and the catalan

region to hold and independence vote on october 1. the spanish police raided several government offices and detained 14 carolyn officials as part of a crackdown on the referendum. that prompted protests in barcelona, the capital the region, where independence is a hotly contested issue. correspondent: thousands of protesters on the streets of barcelona, the target of their fury, the police. they crossed the red line today. earlier, the officers of the catalan regional government were searched and 14 people arrested. their crime, preparing for the independence referendum on october 1. >> spain has effectively listed the atomic status and has imposed on us a state of emergency. the police operation marks an escalation. the spanish government doing all they can to stop the economic powerhouse from breaking away.

madrid views the referendum as illegal. and spanish unity as a cornerstone. >> to the protagonists in the catalan regional government behind this threat to our coexistence, i demand that you stop your illegal acts, that you abandon your proposals. you already know this referendum will not be taking place. it was never illegal or legitimate -- neverle legal or legitimate. now it is a dream or an excuse to cause a deeper riff in society. correspondent: pro-independence campaigners are determined that the referendum will go ahead. police who are supposed to prevent the ballot have been banned from taking holiday. sarah: you are watching "dw news."

coming up, two giants in the still industry looking to merge. but unions are warning that thousands of jobs could be on the line. we will take a closer look at the business logic. but first, business news -- the u.s. dollar is set to rise again. >> that is right. this is after the latest it meant from the federal reserve. as usual, highly expected. they have left interest rates unchanged, but they have signaled a hike could be in the cards before the end of the year. chief janet yellen announcing a reduction in the bond buying program. she is facing a tough balancing act between embracing the ongoing economic recovery, and worrying over a recent drop in inflation. and when she speaks, the business world is listening and if so is our financial correspondent at the new york stock exchange. good to see you.

ok, based on what you have heard and what we have heard, will we see a further rate hike this year? correspondent: it seems so. over the last couple days, the futures were already looking at the possibility of the rate hike this year, probably in december after conversations and washington about tax cuts and the fiscal stimulus. today, after the dot plot was published, expectations have skyrocketed to over 70% in favor of a 25 basis point increase by mid-december, that will lock the short-term interest rates between a range of 1.25-1 .5%. and janet yellen said the path will increase, but if you want, let's listen exactly to what she said. janet yellen: we have raised the funds rate four times and we believe we are on a path where

it will likely be further increased over the next couple of years, which will give us greater room. and we think the recovery is on a strong track. so the reason for our actions today, and beginning to run down the balance sheet, is we think the economy is performing well and we have confidence in the outlook for the real economy. >> janet yellen there clearly stating why she is also reversing the so-called quantitative easing program. jose, is this a bold move or playing it safe? correspondent: i would say is it is a cautious move into the unknown. keep in mind, there is no historical precedent on such a reduction in the balance, but it is true the fed has done an excellent job in setting up a structure for the market to know exactly how the process is going to work, at least on the fed's side.

nobody knows the real impact it will have on the bond market, especially with the treasury yields. we still need to figure out where the defense will be and the appropriate level to stop the process. >> at the new york stock exchange, we will follow up with you. thank you. back to you now, where the shares have been spiking after renewed speculation that a merger could be in the cards. according to reuters news agency, italy's unicredit approached the german governmenh the state backed. lender it is early days, but such a move could go ahead and it would be one of europe's largest ever cross-border mergers. and speaking of fusions, it is the latest move to counter this deal crisis -- the steel crisis, a german steelmaker

could be coming together with an indian counterpart. the fusion will likely cost thousands of jobs. correspondent: protests have already begun at this plant where the workers have set up a vigil for the jobs they are afraid to use. 2000 in management and another 2000 jobs in production, split between the two companies. some fear that these cuts are only the beginning. >> i do not expect much good to come out of it. it seems after the initial cuts, there is restructuring. the problem is we have to shoulder the burden -- the burden of the merger. we stand against it. if we cannot stop it, we will try to get as many concessions to the workers as possible. correspondent: most important -- >> how many jobs will be left? will they keep the plants open? can we get the trainees into

employment? that is what we are fighting for. correspondent: with workers worried, the ceos are defending the moves. >> if we had continued on her own, the risk to jobs would have been greater and the extent of free structure even further reaching than without the joint venture. correspondent: that is because cheap imports from china are challenging the european market in recent years. and while these two companies will not break the top 10 companies, they will be better positioned in europe, set to produce 21 million tons of steel per year. that is a good shot at second place. markets responded well to the merger news with shares of both companies rising on the prospect of 600 million euros in synergies. the two companies, met each other well -- two companies

complement each other well. >> auto manufacturing is important in germany, but not the only thing they do. sarah: we are going straight to china where a new exhibit of german art has just opened in beijing. artworks old and new are being shown at a different museums throughout the city, bringing germany's art scene to chinese audiences. here is more. correspondent: there is something new within the walls of beijing's forbidden city, german art. more of it has ever been -- more of it than has ever been displayed in china. from postwar paintings, to the contemporary works, the photography of german artists including the political portraits of andreas muhe. the exhibition includes 320 works by 55 artists, spanning seven decades. >> it is a sensation. visitors to beijing can see the city transformed into a temporary german art gallery.

correspondent: the art is displayed in eight different locations throughout the city. in gallery districts, old factories, and plenty of young artists are involved. the chinese people are curious, they want to know a distinction in german art. what is real, what is an illusion? sebastian riemer makes negative images from the paintings of caspar david friedrich. >> in china, you can best sing somebody's praises by copying them. the copy becomes a tribute to the original. and i think visitors here will be alert to what i'm trying to say. >> it looks pretty simple, but actually there is a lot behind it. it surprised me. it is very precise. i like it a lot. correspondent: david schnell's landscapes are here with a hint , of cyberspace. new viewpoints all the way from germany. and the cloud of truck tire

inner tubes getting inspiration from transformation. photographer katharina sieverding is also here. she says she definitely sees the chinese art scene on par with germany's. >> of course, chinese artists are looking to break through in the global art market and they are succeeding. the question for every artist now is, do i want to make art history or market history? correspondent: this dialogue through art, of course being live streamed online, will continue into the end of october when the exhibition deutschland 8 closes. ♪ sarah: and in germany, match day 5 underway, cologne and frankfurt facing off with the early kickoff with their guest

taken the lead in the 27th minute. they had a chance to equalize, but could not find in the back of the net. they have lost all of their game so far this season. and a quick reminder of the top stories we are following this hour. germany's chancellor told dw she disagrees with the way that donald trump is handling the north korea crisis. in an exclusive interview, she said germany was against any type of military solution and offered germany's services as mediator. goodbye for now. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

e for now. stay tuned for more updates on nhk world. shenzhen, the city has been drastically developed since it was designated as a special