>> this is dw news live from berlin. hitting close to home. the u.s. unleashes sanctions on vladimir putin's entourage. oligarchs and officials have their assets frozen because of what washington calls a brazen pattern. also coming up. show down at the gaza border. israeli troops use live fire on palestinian protesters, killing seven people and injuring hundreds more. also catalonia's good -- separatist leader walks free. a court refusing to extradite him on rebellion charges and releasing him on bail. plus a deadline looms over an anxious brazil. federal police wait for their

ex-president to turn himself in. lula da silva appears to be holed up with union members in defiance of a court order. will he began his prison term for corruption peaceful? it is good to have you with us. we start off with the escalating diplomatic standoff between russia and the west. in the latest twist, the u.s. is striking at the heart of vladimir putin's inner circle imposing some of its strongest sanctions on some of -- several oligarchs. washington singled out a number of senior russian companies

accusing them of malign activity around the world. the sanctions target three close allies of britain. his son-in-law -- we have some technical problems. >> one of the most striking additions is putin's son-in-law. he is price -- vice president of a petrochemical company. another noteworthy addition, he heads russia's state owned energy company. and then his family controls the

largest mining company. one of the targeted businesses is gaz group whose owner is his personal sanctions. the west's firm stance after the poisoning of a former spy and england is likely to have triggered the sanctions. however, the u.s. government has been under pressure to react following russia's alleged interference in the last u.s. presidential election, cyber warfare, and military activity. >> we have to get this straightened out. >> the sanctions going all the way to the top. one of the sternest actions yet

by washington. we will take you to our correspondent. it is hard to make sense of the u.s. policy toward russia. what are we seeing now, have the sanctions been imposed because of the poet -- poisoning case or the alleged russian meddling in the 2016 election? claire: top u.s. officials had said this sanctions are not in response to anyone issue but in response to with the u.s. sees as a pattern of bad behavior by russia. they are upset about things like russia's support for syrian president bashar al-assad, for its backing of separatist rebels in eastern ukraine, cyberattacks, its alleged meddling in 2016 elections. the issue that has garnered the strongest response from the white house under trump's administration has been this case of the poisoning of a russians by on british soil. we saw the u.s. announce that it

would expel diplomats as well as impose other sanctions early last week. >> we understand 24 russian tycoons and officials are being targeted by the sanctions. let's have a listen to what one of them had to say. >> i have been in the u.s. many times. regarding the fact that they have introduced sanctions, it does not mean we will not committee kate with them. there are other countries where it is possible to communication work to resolve these questions. >> what do the -- one of them is not sounding concerned, should he be? claire: russia has promised a tough response to the sanctions. these are meant to hit members of prudence inner circle. some of the richest people in russia. the question is how effective can they be? do these people have significant

assets in the u.s. or is it possible they move them off u.s. soil? it is an open question to see whether russia needs to be worried about how big of an impact this will have. >> are corresponded -- our correspondent there, thank you. we coula could be the moment of truth. a deadline for him to turn himself into police has expired. lula has holed up at a building. he was ordered to again serving a prison sentence for corruption while he appeals the conviction. supporters say it is a ploy to stop him from writing in the election where he is the clear front runner. let's get more from sao paulo.

the deadline has passed, lula has defied the arrest warrant so what happens next? >> that is a tough question. it still could be he decides to head himself into the federal police branch in sao paulo which is one of the theories flying around. the other is the federal police will come and collect him from this union headquarters in sao paulo. if that happens at this time, it will be difficult logistically because it is 5:00 p.m. here right now, sao paulo is a city that has bad traffic. also because of lula is surrounded by thousands of his supporters. it could be quite a tense standoff if they decide to come and get him. that is being discussed amongst his -- as one of the tactics, make the police get him as it would be embarrassing to them

and provide images that would circulate around the world. that would make lula out to be more of a victim of injustice. >> the police have to come and get him. there are these thousands of supporters around him. could things get out of control and become violent? >> it is a difficult question to answer. yes, they probably could. lula's supporters said they will defend him to the end although it remains to be seen. there is the chance that lula would also if it came to that, he would walk free and he would freely go to the police and call his supporters not to be violent. it is a tense situation. logistically it will be difficult for the police to get him. lula has always maintained his innocence. he says the charges are politically motivated to keep

him off the ballot sheet and his supporters share the message as his defense. >> brazilians are headed to the polls and october, lula is the front runner. what will the ruling mean for the election? >> lula is the front runner but without him in the race which he has been convicted which, according to brazilian law means that he cannot run for public office. the final decision comes down to the electoral court which is separate from the criminal court. with a -- they may make that decision closer to the election. there are four or five candidates, second is a far right former army captain who preaches a tough law and order message. also there are more moderate candidates in the second round of the runoff. it will be unanswered and

unpredictable election and there is a rocky road to go for those elections take place. >> giving us the latest from sao paulo. on the situation with lula the silver. thank you. israeli security forces have fired their fronds on palestinian protesters at the gaza border, killing seven and injuring dozens more. following the deaths of more than 20 people who died after demonstrating last week. palestinians are protesting against the decade-old lock eight of the gaza strip. israel accuses the palestinians is using the protests for a cover for attacking the border. >> sending up smoke from burning moundsof tires. the protesters hope what is really soldiers cannot see, they cannot shoot. the demonstrators are calling this the great march of return. their demand, the people forced from their lands during the 1948

war with israel be allowed to return. the islamist how moss has been a force in organizing protests. >> the land is one of them, the other is the holy site, the mosques and the churches. >> israel says the protests are a challenge to its territory and it has the right to defend itself. it accuses hamas of using the attacks as cover to carry out attacks. >> this is a travesty for the palestinian people that the hamas government is encouraging its people to attack israel. encouraging its people to commit acts of violence and encouraging them to storm into israel to destroy israel and kill as many people as possible. >> human rights watchdogs have criticized israel for firing on protesters from its side of the border. the yuan has urged restraint. >> remind israel of its

obligations to ensure a excessive force is not employed against protesters. the unjustified and unlawful recourse to firearms by law enforcement visit -- resulting on -- in death is a breach of the fourth convention. >> the protests are expected to culminate on may 15, the day following the 70th anniversary of israel's declaration of independence. >> here are the other stories that are making headlines around the world. in syria opposition marchers say the government airstrikes have killed 27 people in the last rebel held area inside eastern guta. government forces are closing in on the town of duma. the attacks and a 10 day lull in fighting. the russian s -- x spy who was poisoned by a nerve agent last

month is responding well to treatment. the hospital says he is improving and is no longer in critical condition. his daughter gave a statement via u.k. police yesterday that she is getting stronger every day. south korea's impeached president has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for corruption. she was convicted on several counts of abuse of power and coalition. park is the latest in a string of south korea clinical and business leaders to face jail. the corruption scandal has divided south korea. the prosecutors ordered that he be set free after a bail fee. spain called for his extradition on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds. a court ruled out extraditing

him. the court is deciding whether or not to extradite him on the second lesser charge. >> after 12 nights behind bars, carles puigdemont acknowledged his supporters. he knows it is a long road ahead for him and the other separatist leaders facing the glare of the spanish court. >> i come for the immediate release for all of my colleagues still in the spanish prisons. it is a shame for europe to have political prisoners. i always trust in democracy based on the will of the people, separation of powers, peace, and human rights. that is the kind of democracy at risk in spain.

>> he said he will fight the corruption charges hanging over him and called for dialogue with spain. but the madrid government is in no mood for talk. a spokesman stressing the charges were brought by independent judges, not politicians. >> what is clear is -- he ran away from the spanish system so as to not face it. they have made it clear he is not being persecuted for political reasons but because he ran away from the justice system. >> since the former catalan president ended up in the clutches of the german justice system, and officials in berlin have been straining to keep their hands clean. they insist that his liberty is a matter for the courts. >> the state of the u.s. labor market, good or bad? >> rather good but not as good

as it was before and the latest job figures show the economy added one hundred 3000 jobs in march down from the previous month. the numbers are important as they show us how strong the u.s. economy is. despite the weaker jobs growth companies are eager to hire new employees. the problem is they're are struggling to find qualified workers. analysts say last months modest job gains indicate that some employers are struggling to find and retain workers with the skills they need. a u.s. bank survey shows 61% of business owners were experiencing extreme or moderate difficulty finding qualified employees to expand their business. the federal reserve notes labor shortages could be slowing down growth in the manufacturing, transportation, and construction sectors. politicians are trying to pass legislation to create more vocational training opportunities. >> by 2020 there will be 6

million jobs that are open that we cannot find qualified trained workers were. after that tax cuts and reform legislation we passed into law a couple of months ago, we have seen the growth of new job opportunities. they will be for nothing if we do not have these pathways for individuals to be qualified and trained. >> of american businesses are not able to find sufficient workers to fill their needs, consumers could see food price increases with workers in short supply and have to wait longer for manufactured products and services. >> those could get more expensive. china has called on the eu for a joint response to the thread of punitive tariffs by the u.s. amounting to $100 billion. beijing announced countermeasures and is accused the u.s. of arrogance and blatant offenses of international trade law. the chinese trade minister said on friday that if the u.s. continues down the path of trade

protectionism, china is ready to go all the way. for more let's bring in our financial correspondent at the new york stock exchange has been following these developments. we have seen a crazy week on wall street with ups and downs and i have the impression that investors do not want to believe these tariffs will harm the u.s. economy am a that -- did that somehow changed today? >> i think investors are trying to get -- starting to get nervous looking at the back-and-forth and trade policy. there are politicians taking a stance on the possibility of a trade war and the market seems to be caught up in this without staying on top of this with a clear vision. friday's losses outdid gains. it does seem like this is taking a toll on investors and if you

think back it was amazing how calm the markets reacted to trade were concerns in the beginning of the year. they simply shut them off but eventually, investors are not immune to the daily back-and-forth between china and the u.s., which seems to be sounding more aggressively over time. it spooked some investors a little too much to stay in the market. >> adding to the voices is no other than the fed chair jerome powell making some bold statements today. what did he have to say? >> all in all, jerome powell has an optimistic sounding speech and highlighted the strength of the u.s. economy and its recovery and answered questions about the potential of a trade war. he said it was too early to say how tariffs imposed by the u.s. and china might affect growth and inflation but he also stated

a potential trade war would have no immediate effect on the fed's plans to continue raising interest rates this year. >> we will keep following those developments. thank you very much from the new york stock exchange. that is often the business dax -- desk. one politician is breathing a sigh of relief. >> hungary goes to the polls, the prime minister, is seeking a fourth term. opinion polls show his party has a comfortable lead but hungary's complex electoral system makes the outcome difficult to predict. our correspondent is in hungary to cover sunday's parliamentary election for us. she sent us this report from the capital, but a past. -- budapest.

the governing party produced billboards like this. it has been two and half years at the train station looks like this. it was packed with stranded refugees and although hardly any has been granted asylum, it remains the main topic of the governing party. its leader, the prime minister, talks of an invasion by muslims. he is campaigning with the message hungary first. i want to know what our refugees the basic -- biggest concern? >> i care about the health care system. it is in ruins. >> migrants would want -- not want to settle down. what is important is to make sure he does not win. >> migrants? they are very aggressive,

especially with women. we will not let that happen. >> we meet a young journalist who has another concern. >> most media are controlled by him, there's lots of propaganda everywhere opposing liberal democratic voices receive less space. >> used to be a reporter for the biggest left-wing paper but it was shut down in 2016. officially for economic reasons. former staff says the demise was the work of the government keen to silence a critical voice. >> i do not see any political party in hungary that could stop him. opposition parties are not working together. >> we came to the outskirts to meet with his supporters, hungary first does well here. his patriotism is clear for everyone to see. he has three kids, the family

are devout christians. i met them back in 2015 when the migration crisis was at its peak . what has changed since then? >> there are not that many migrants because the policies work to keep them out. they are not a workforce, there culture does not fit with hours and having them here does not help public safety. >> he agrees the issues such as corruption are problems but he says they are nothing new. for him, the positives of the government outweigh the negatives. >> we benefit greatly as a big family and utility costs started to degrees, that is also good for us. >> opinion polls put him firmly in the lead. some of the opposition would consider it a victory if they manage to deprive them as -- of a two thirds majority.

all in all, hungary is headed for a fateful election. >> let's talk to the author of that report. good evening. he is strongly pushing an anti-migrant message. is this the most important issue to voters? >> according to recent polls and there are many of them during this last day headed up to the elections. it is about social issues that seem to matter the most to hungarian's, social issues like a competitive education system, higher pensions, or higher salaries. that perspective changes according to party preferences. if you are likely to vote for the center-right government, you are most likely to say that immigration is the most important topic. social issues coming in second. if you want to vote for a centerleft government, you're

most likely to say no, it is about higher salaries, and less corruption. the population is divided when it comes to what matters most to them. >> he has been ahead in the polls but it seems that a race may be tighter than expected. what has happened? >> has to do with the prime minister himself. he did deliver a fierce speech on march 15 on national holiday where he was speaking about dealing with those people opposing him or those that are spreading hatred according to him. he did not name anybody, is a going to be critical media, opposition parties, supporters of opposition parties that he will deal with? no one knows. it has an effect. the people who did not want to cast a ballot because they thought it was a done deal for the center-right government are motivated to head to the ballot

and cast their vote on sunday. there is a second event happening that an independent candidate was running for mayor in the south of hungary, an important place for the prime minister. this candidate actually won the election. >> very briefly, he has been on a collision course with the european union. what will his reelection, what will it mean for europe? briefly, please. >> not much is going to change. hungary has been and is going to be on the course with the prime minister with a different vision to change the eu according to them. also for the czech republic and slovakia and hungary. this will not change regardless if the prime minister winston i

a two thirds or by a simple majority. >> thank you. after a short break, i will be back to take you through the day. we will be right back. çñññññññññññññññññññññ

♪ karin: hi there, and a warm welcome to our highlights edition, the best of european culture and lifestyle as it shaped up this past week, with the following top stories. maritime classic -- the traditional fishermen's cap is back in style. urban glow -- the luminale light art festival in frankfurt. and extreme biking -- steffi marth has made a name for herself in a mainly male domain. and we start off with one of spain's biggest and craziest festivals. every year in march the city of valencia ushers in the spring with its las fallas festival. that literally means "the fires"