♪ anchor: hello and welcome. this is "dw news" live from berlin. russia accused of killing civilians in syria. amnesty international says russian airstrikes have hit civilian targets and may amount to crimes. they are calling for a full investigation. moscow has rejected the allegations. also, iraqi government or --

forces dislodging islamic state militants from the city that fell seven months ago. and the french prime minister pushes ahead with controversial plans to boost the government emergency powers and to strip french citizenship from convicted terrorists with dual nationality. my name is christopher. thanks for joining us. amnesty international says russian airstrikes in syria have killed hundreds of civilians and could amount to a war crime. the human rights group says it has evidence russia has been using cluster munitions and unguided bombs on civilian areas. moscow has strongly rejected the accusations. reporter: a cluster bomb attack on the plains of northern syria in november. each shell contains thousands of

small bombs inside it, causing huge damage. amnesty international accuses russia of violating rules of war. amnesty says its program confirms such attacks have confirmed -- have occurred. >> russia's attacks may amount to war crimes. more investigation is needed, but what we have seen includes both attacks that we believe were directed against civilians where there were no military targets innocent -- in the vicinity. reporter: russia rejects charges that has been using cluster bombs in syria. it says the wording is vague and designed to conceal a lack of proof. "we studied this report and found that once more, there was nothing concrete and nothing new there. it was full of cliches and falsehoods we had already debunked in the past." confirming who is right and who is wrong in this dispute is extremely difficult.

a united nations investigation does not have the mandate to investigate airstrikes by foreign powers. christopher: iraqi government of the western city of ramadi as they try to dislodge islamic state militants. i.s. captured the city and be taking it would be a major boost for the government in baghdad. reporter: one police officials said much of ramadi had already been liberated, but baghdad says it could take days to complete the operation. the iraq he army advanced on the city from multiple directions. the offense of to reclaim the and bar provincial capital from the islamic state has been months in the making -- the offensive to reclaim the anbar provincial capital. >> our antiterrorism heroes into the city of ramadi and advance in the enemy's direction. a number of ruby track houses and vehicles were destroyed -- a

number of boobytrapped houses and vehicles were destroyed. reporter: iraq says it's air force is providing air support to the troops on the ground. baghdad chose to leave pro-government shia militias out of the operation. in the past, human rights organizations have accused iranian backed groups of abusing sunni iraqis. the iraqi military dropped leaflets urging residents to leave before the attack began, but up to 30,000 are expected to be still in the city. christopher: let's get more from our correspondent via skype from iraq. thanks for joining us. do we know anything yet about the number of casualties in the fighting in ramadi on either side? >> it is indeed very difficult to verify the number coming from different sources in terms of

the casualties. multiple iraqi sources have reported as many as at least 100 i.s. fighters being killed in different sorts of attacks by iraqi forces and also airstrikes by the international coalition, which is led the united states, but on the iraqi forces side, yesterday, we know that around 15 fighters were killed. the majority of them were the shia militiamen who are actually stationed outside the city of ramadi. they are not taking part in the offensive, per se, and they are mostly stationed in the areas surrounding the town of ramadi, but as i said, given the difficulty of getting access to the situation on the ground and verify it -- verifying the

numbers that have come in are difficult to confirm. christopher: this is very clearly a fierce battle. how hard will it be to regain full control of ramadi? >> iraqi military sources have said it might take up to 72 hours for them to take the city of ramadi back from isis, but sources on the ground again have been pointing out to date that their progress has been slowed mostly by isis snipers and also by road bombs and mines and booby-trapped buildings and homes. the iraqi forces are saying they are confident they can take the city back, but it seems that

isis fighters are also putting up a heavy resistance, at least so far. christopher: iraqi forces essentially making slow and very cautious progress. assuming they do take ramadi, as they have said, within 72 hours, how big a boost with that before baghdad and how serious a blow would it be for i.s.? >> baghdad does certainly need this boost. it is certainly important for them to push isis out of ramadi, which is one of the two major city-dominated cities in iraq under the control of isis -- one of the two major sunni-dominated cities in iraq under the control of isis. it would be a big blow to isis because if they lose ramadi, they would only have mosul and a handful of other towns in iraq.

they have also lost a significant chunk of territory in the north -- christopher: we have to leave it there, i'm afraid. many thanks for that background. turning now to france, a country that has been under a state of emergency since november's terra attacks in france, the french cabinet has agreed to enshrine emergency powers in the constitution -- a country that has been under a state of emergency since november's terr or attacks. this means the french parliament would no longer have to approve such a move. the french president could unilaterally declare a state of emergency. another proposal would allow the government to strip dual nationals of their french citizenship if convicted of terror offenses.

officials say the measures are necessary because the threat level has never been higher. reporter: the christmas market in paris would normally be packed onto some 23rd, but this year, soldiers and police outnumber buyers. the market stretches right up to the gates of the french president's home. little is normal in paris this year. parliament to create a state of emergency after november's terror attacks. now the government wants to write those laws into the constitution, meaning the president could extend a state of emergency without having to ask for approval from the parliament. the fight against terror demands ceaseless action. we must put in place all necessary measures, so i'm announcing this bill -- the constitutional reform will give us new means to respond. it is urgent to do so." critics think it goes too far.

they fear authorities could abuse the power the law gives them. for example, police placed environmentalists under arrest during the climate summit. many of the french oppose the changes. they fear that liberty is under threat. it's one of the republic's most cherished values. christopher: let's talk to our paris correspondent. thanks for joining us. why are these moves, these amendments so important to the french government? what are they hoping to achieve? lisa: president hollande is hoping to rally support for his policies. right after the november 13 attack, he announced a security crackdown, and he is trying to show he is defending the country against terrorists. he knows many people in the country are afraid new attacks

could happen. many people are afraid of a security crackdown, and he's looking ahead to 2017 win the presidential elections will happen, and he wants to rally support for those people who might vote for the republicans or even the national front by adopting some of those parties' policies, really. christopher: there has been a fierce criticism of some of the aspects of the changes the government is trying to get passed. are these measures likely to pass parliament? lisa: that remains to be seen. the government needs a 3/5 majority in parliament. it is clear that not all members will vote in favor of the measures because they think they are diluting the identity of the socialist party. however, am members of the republicans, the conservative party, and even the national front, the far right, have announced that they would vote in favor of these proposed

changes. christopher: briefly, a state of emergency has been in ores in france since the attacks. how has that affected daily life ? lisa: many people fear new attacks might happen again. still, they are always keeping in mind that there might be new taxes -- there might be new attacks in the future. christopher: still the country very tense. many thanks for that background. the european commission has called on poland to postpone the introduction of a law which critics say hollows out the independence of the country's constitutional court. brussels fears the legislation threatens the rule of law in

poland and once the log reviewed. the polish parliament passed that law on tuesday. reporter: made for police television, filled with the spirit of christmas, members of parliament decorate a tree while the prime minister appeals for people to show love to one p>> we think about what bonds u, not what divides us. no one else is able to unite like us poles. >> the opposition holds a different view. tuesday saw hours of aggressive debate in parliament. the lower house voted in favor of a draft bill in the constitutional court drawn up by the governing party. it wants significant changes. judgments can only be passed with a 2/3 majority, no longer with a simple majority, and 13 out of 15 judges must be present

at sessions. the 13 judges would need to be brought together in the first place -- a tough obstacle, like the 2/3 majority. as a result, the court would be left largely impotent. >> the new law would mean that in years to come, citizens will no longer be able to return to the court if a law is on const additional. -- constitutional -- if a law is unconstitutional. reporter: in december, thousands protested against the government. >> he simply cannot destroy the institution that protects our citizens. we only have this one. i am opposed to anyone raising their hand against our constitution and our constitutional court. that's why i'm here. reporter: some of the protesters' signs portray the longtime party leader. he may not have an official unction, but he is perhaps the most powerful man in poland.

in a survey about who governs poland, he came in first, ahead of the country's president and prime minister. christopher: you are watching "dw news" in berlin. still to come -- his filesharing website was the scourge of film and tech companies across the world and now he faces extradition to the u.s. and possibly decades in jail. that and plenty more coming up after a short break. do stay with us.

christopher: welcome back. you are with "dw news" in berlin. amnesty international says

russia may have committed war crimes in syria by targeting civilians. the human rights group is calling for a full investigation. the iraq he has pushed into the center of from eddie -- of from eddie -- of ramadi -- the iraqi army has pushed into the center of ramadi and expects to have full control of it within 72 hours. we'll stay in the middle east. saudi arabia wants to reduce dependency on oil amid plummeting prices. for more on that, to our business desk. reporter: grim-looking numbers are likely to play a major role. the projected budget deficit saudi arabia is facing is 61% -- is 16% and could increase to 21% next year. the king announced the country wants to reduce its dependence on oil sales, which are by far

the government's largest source of revenue. instead, he wants to push for further privatization, increased taxes, for example, on tobacco, and grain and government spending. saudi arabia has contributed considerably to the current oversupply. scotland is famous for landscapes, haggis, and whiskey. the scottish government feels scots consume too much whiskey and other alcoholic beverages. statistics are just an annual 5% increase in the whole consumption since 1990, which is why policymakers wanted to introduce a minimum price on a college ranks the european court of justice thought differently. reporter: whiskey is a huge part of scotland's economy, bringing in almost 20 billion euros every year, but scott drink 25% more alcohol than their english and welsh cousins, something

scotland had hoped to reduce with a minimum price, but the european court said the policy would limit retailers' ability to compete against each other. >> this is a very important decision. with the court has done today's confirmed 30 years of case law, confirmed that minimum pricing is a restriction on trade and confirmed minimum pricing is it illegal moving forward. reporter: the proposal would have raised the cost of a bottle of whiskey to at least 19 euros. the only alternative when it comes to pricing would be to raise up a whole taxes, something the scottish parliament has no control over. the industry may be toasting success, but politicians will be looking for new ways to reduce consumption for the good of scotland's health. christopher: a court in new zealand has decided that tech entrepreneur kim dotcom can be

extradited to the united states to face charges of money laundering, racketeering, and copyright infringement. this comes almost four years after new zealand police first rated his mansion at the behest of the fbi. he has denied all charges. reporter: he is keeping his cool. on his way to court, he was asked what he thinks of the ruling coming out just for christmas. >> it's interesting. let's see what santa has in store. >> the court handed down a ruling the 41-year-old is eligible for extradition to the u.s., where authorities shut down his internet file-sharing service in 2012. prosecutors say the site offered pirated content, cost and owners hundreds of millions of dollars. dotcom and three of his associates now face serious charges in the u.s.

>> they deliberately attractive copyright-infringing material to their websites, deliberately took steps to profit run that material and made vast sums of money. reporter: kim dotcom denies the charges, arguing that megaupload was a legitimate while-sharing site. he says it was impossible to monitor all users for copyright infringement. following wednesday's ruling, he said he is not giving up. dotcom: i would like to say this is not the last word on the matter. we have filed an appeal. i'm still on bail. we will go through the whole process until the very end. christopher: dotcom has been through multiple hearings and delays since he was arrested in 2012. the german national is a permanent resident of new zealand where he was once known

for his extravagant lifestyle. if he is extradited and found guilty by a u.s. court, he could face up to 20 years in prison. christopher: the beatles were one of the major holdouts in the music industry's shift to streaming, but they will not let it be. the fab four open in their catalog to the likes of spotify and apple music. the move could inspire other artists to come online. spotify alone has 75 million users, and it was a long, winding road, but now, you can listen to the beatles for free ♪ eight days a week ♪ all right, no more singing on the business desk. >> i promise i will not sing what we have coming up.

now we are going to move to soccer. the german bundesliga, as you know, on its winter break at the moment, but the english premier league continues throughout the festive season. one man who is really under pressure -- this man behind me, manchester united's coach. he walked out of a press conference while ago, but the dutchman has found an ally from an unlikely source. >> the manchester united boss is under strain. >> i do not want to go in a world of speculation. i have huge respect for him, and i think what is going on there at the moment is disrespectful. i think it should be part of the education of journalists to go six months in the top job.

it would be very interesting. reporter: they will now wonder if another might stay longer. >> as long as i feel desire, as long as i feel passion, and i feel because it's not an overnight decision i take, i must feel inside my heart that i am in passion to work with the guys. reporter: is manchester united are passionate enough to help out their manager remains to be seen -- whether manchester united are passionate enough to help out their manager remains to be seen. christopher: germany has taken in hundreds of thousands of migrants this year. one of the areas offering them shelter is a small town in eastern germany. migrant and refugee children there are experiencing the firs% german christmas of the moment, getting a taste of the local traditions.

>> the people in this small community are trying something different this christmas, bringing santa claus to a refugee center to give children something joyous to remember after all they have them through -- they have been through. this santa is arriving in a big horse john kerry. local children join those from syria, iraq, and the palestinian occupied territories. whatever their religion, the man in the red suit needs no introduction. >> santa claus. >> santa claus. >> santa claus. >> they are from syria and arrived in germany two weeks ago. the horse and buggy ride is a welcome switch from the monotony of the refugee children's existence here, especially the horses. they are a big hit with these boys.

the kids are so enamored with the animals that they almost miss the main event -- the gifts for all the children living at the center. "before, we decorated trees and bakes cookies together -- baked cookies together so we could get to know each other." this 17-year-old has had no home 14 of years. on this day, she is working as sent a pass assistant. -- as santa's assistant. "people ask if i can translate for them, and yes, i can. it's not hard. i wish i spoke better german, though." this christmas present is a

skateboard. the people raced 1500 euros -- raised 1500 euros to buy these gifts. these two boys got a puzzle and a gift certificate at an electronics store. the kids gather for photos, although one seems a bit shy for a close-up. maybe because it's the first time he has ever posed with santa claus. >> after a long journey to safety, some happy faces. more coming up for you at the top of the hour on "dw news." in the meantime, go to our website if you want more, dw.com. stay with us. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> hello and welcome to "live

from paris." i'm annette young. let's take a look at what is making news this hour. to french government has decided to push through a claim to strip french dual nationals of their french citizenship if they commit terrorism. extraordinary situation of the country is facing. the hearing has begun. spain's conservative popular party is seeking coalition partners. the socialists have already said no. russia