>> this is dw news live from berlin. passing the political torch in washington. president barack obama endorses hillary clinton to succeed him in office. obama dashed hopes back in the 2000 and eight campaign and says maritime has come. iraq steps of the battle to retake falluja.

the u.n. estimates that 90,000 civilians are trapped there. and europhoria's building has football fans across europe and the world await the kickoff of the european championships. excitement and security are high as tens of thousands had to the van zone in paris. -- the fan zone in paris. ♪ >> it is good to have you with us. he wants her to follow him. u.s. president barack obama has endorsed fellow democrat hillary clinton to succeed him as the next u.s. president. obama's backing comes of the democrats pressprich unity after a hard-fought campaign. obama appeared in a three-minute video today which he called clinton the most qualified clinton ever to run for the

white house. >> look, i know how hard this job can be. that i is why i know hillary wil be so goodod at it. in fact, i do not think there has ever been someone so qualified to hold his office. -- this o opff -- office. she has the courage, compassssin and heart to get his job done. even after our own hard-fought campaign come in a testament to her character, she agreed to serve our country as secretary of state. to our pursuit of diplomacy around the world, i've seen her judgment, i've seen her judgment , i have seen her commitment to our values up close. brent: let's go to our washington correspondent was been covering the story for us today. president obama has endorsed hillary clinton. what more do we know?

richard: it was a pretty unequivocal endorsement. this video that was published earlier today shortly after barack obama had a meeting with bernie sanders, the losing candidate on the democratic side -- obama saying itit, that was e key quote, never has someone so qualified run for the office of president before. the two are going to o go out togegether on the e campaign trl next week, , taking part in an ent in wisconsin. very much a picture of unity between the president and the woman he hopes will replace them. brent: i wonder if this will be enough to achieve the unity that the democrats would like to see. you have to wonder, what about bernie sanders? he bowed today to work together with hillary clinton to defeat trump but he is not quitting his race for the white house, is he? richard: that is right.

it does seem like bernie sanders try to have it both ways. he said he will contest the final primary of the entire campaign. but he effectively played that down in his comments to the press after his meeting with barack obama and did say he is getting ready to meet hillary clinton and work out how they can beat donald trump, how they can cooperate to achieve that. people are asking, why is bernie sanders just saying i am beaten, i am out? why is the conceding? the amount of emotion that has been built into his campaign, not just from him but from his millions of supporters, i think he needs to give a clear message to those supporters that it is not suddenly all over, not all is lost. the main points of his agenda, if not his presidency, but his

agenda can be put into practice. you want to have as much leverage as he possibly can going into the convention next month. he was to have as much leverage as possible so he can see his kinds of policies going before the voters later this year. brent: our correspondent in washington on this day when hillary clinton received the endorsement from u.s. president. richard, thank you very much. shortly after president obama announced his endorsement there were early signs on twitter between the two presidential forerunners hillary clinton and donald trump. clinton's rival posted this week -- obama just endorsed crooked hillary. clinton responded in three simple words -- delete your account. it seems many others felt the same way.

her comeback trending worldwide. 140,000 retweets. you can follow the u.s. presidential race on our special page, you can see the address right there. you can retweet that as well. tonight in iraq, special forces has entered falluja. following a major offensive aimed at retaking it from the islamic state group. tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped in the fighting and those who do manage to escape face an uncertain future. >> after more than two years, control of the iraqi city of falluja could be poised to change hands. special forces have entered the city for the first time since it was seized by the islamic state and 2014. >> the distance between us and

the center of falluja is only two and a half kilometers. we are determined to liberate the city of illusion. >> and masquerade containing the bodies of more than 400 soldiers and civilians is testament to the human cost so far. as the fighting gets ever closer, people in falluja take -- face a tough solution. whether to stay or take the dangerous trip to shelter. >> we've let the city with about 35 other people during a night without moonlight. at some point during it all, my aunt collapsed. >> those that make the 40 kilometer trek to a human refugee camp are happy just to be alive. but they had to leave relatives

behind. up to 20,000 people are believed to have fled already. tens of thousands more could try to escape. that would push eight organizations to their limits. -- aid organizations to their limits. >> every resource we have is going to falluja. we do not have any more funny. we know there are 90,000 more people trying to come to us and our ability to support them depends on the generosity of the international community. >> donations have blitz over 750 million euros to the agency but less than it are of that has been paid out. brent: let's pull in our correspondent and iraq. good evening to you. what we have heard here is that iraqi troops have entered the suburbs of falluja. the furthest they had been in two years.

how confident is the iraqi army now at this pointnt that i can retake the city? >> they seem to be confident they can a accomplisish the job. it seems to be a matter of time. but having s said that, it does not mean this will be an easy job. nobody expected taking falluja to be an easy job. it is a very symbolic city because it is the first iraq city that became under the islamic state. the iraqi forces are expected to have a difficult job come a hard job. but the gathering of a large number of iraqi forces from the military and paramilitary forces and local tribal forces, they are expected to be able to take the city. it is just a matter of time. brent: what about the civilians were inside the city right now?

how desperate is the situation or them? -- for them? >> the situation is very difficult and the civilians who are still inside falluja are trapped because of the heavy fighting between isis and iraqi forces. the city has become under heavy shelling at times, especially in a random matter. there have been reports of civilian casualties inside the city. they are coping with very difficult circumstatances here some of them have reportedly been abused by the paramilitary forces on the outskirts of falluja. but even for those who have remain inside the city, apart from the fighting, they are really also coping with the shortage of the very basic needs from food to medicine, and

really everything else. brent: our correspondent in iraq with the latest on the bottle -- in the battle for falluja. take a very much. now to some of the other stories making headlines around the world. at least 18 people have been killed and around 30 others injured as a bus plunged into a vine in sosouthern brazil. the force of the impact sheared of the roof off the vehicle. the bus was ll of students when it feared off the highway near sao paulo. friends of a man extradited to italy on suspicion of human affickingg say officials have the wrong man. they claim the man taken into custody is not the suspected head of a crime ring trafficking migrants to europe. britain's national crime agency was involved in the arrest and says it is investigating the

claims. two former british prime ministers have issued a joint appeal urging voters to remain in the european union. speaking in northern irend, former political rivals tony blair and sir john major say a boat in the june referendum could jeopardize britain's unity. we are countindown to an outbreak of football fever as france hosts the 20 16th european championships. thousands are making their way to the ban -- fan zone at the foot of the eiffel tower for a month of soccer in plenty of party. but as kickoff approaches, security concerns our top priority -- are top priority. >> the city of love hold his breath as it turns into the city of football. reversals are underway for an opening spectacle which will pay all my two french culture.

-- pay homage to french culture. >> the ceremony is so vibrant and colorful. we have done it in an incredibly short space of time with over 400 volunteers. it is just going to be so exciting. >> the excitement is palpable but so is the fear of possible attacks. security was extremely tight as the fan zone open its gates. >> it was a long wait. we had to be frisked and patted down. >> i'm extremely relieved. i think this is reassuring for spectators. i think it is a good thing. >> the area around the eiffel tower is ready to host 90,000 people in france is concerned the large crowds to be a terrorist target. >> there is a threat. unfortunately, the threat will remain for a long time so we must guarantee in every way

possible that this big event, the euro 2016, is successful. >> nerves here are still shaken after the multiple terrorist attacks of november 13. one of them right outside. three suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a game. a germanefender was in the stadium at the t time. he says he will not allow his family to attend any games during the tournaments. while fans concentrate on the party and security chief focus on keeping everyone safe, the footballers warm-up for the game. coaching a charity pitch in the heart of the french capital. brent: we spoke to our correspondent in paris earlier in estimate for more on the mood in the french football capital. >> right behind me, you can see thousands of people have come to

the center of the fan zone. people have been pouring in and there are thousands. so many activities from table football to football themselves and facepainting, everything. food and drink, so much available. the parties getting started and people are in a good mood. brent: when we come back, more news. stick around. ♪

brent: welcome back. u.s. president barack obama has endorsed his onetime political rival hillary clinton. saying she is uniquely qualified to succeed him at the white house. the two will campaign together startingngext week.. clinton says it means the world to her to have obama's backing. germany took in more than one million migrants last year and

hundreds of thousands more will arrive in 2016. despite this, amnesty international has issued a scathing report accusing the demon -- german state of neglecting its -- by not protecting migrants from hate crimes. >> the number of arson and other attacks of refugees has soared. with in germany last year. racist stereotypes still play a role in the way german authorities, including the polilice, think and act. >> for example, men with immigrant background sell drugs or are violent. that sort of prejudice influences criminal investigations. suspicion often falls on the victims. >> amnesty says the authorities do not take right-wing extremist

violence seriously enough. in february, an angry crowd blocked the crowd of a coach bringing refugees to their hostile. -- hostel. amnenesty says arson attacks are played down and the victims of racist crimes are offered little or no help. >> we want crimes against people with immigrant background and against black people and refugees to be acknowledged and dealt with by the police and public prosecutors as race crimes. and to be punished as such. >> amnesty does not claim that police officers willfully acting a racist manner but that racist third types and prejudices can still play a role. it is an accusation the police union rejects. >> the police is very well-equipped to identify extremist groups. we're less well-equipped to deal

with them. in terms of staffing them up there are serious deficits but not when it comes to respecting human rights. >> amnesty want to see better protection for refugee hostels. standards nationwide be an important first that. -- step. brent: warning politicians do not expect monetary policy alone to sort out the eurozone economy. we have heard that efore. helena: the warning as called on politicians to do their part to foster jobs in the eurozone. he said structural reforms by governments must not be delayed. speaking at the brussels economic forum, he said the eurozone cannot rely solely on monetary policy. they're getting nervous as stimululus aunition runs low.

criticism is growing that the bank has also started buying corporate bonds. let's cross over to our financial correspondent in new york. good to see you. has the speech caused any ripples on wall street? >> not just as words but especially the actions from banks, especially the european one. what is happening is we see huge pressure on yields so we have negative rates in many european markets. on the other side that put pressure on the euro. the dollar trading, up to the stronger dollar. we saw pressure on commodity prices and ended a three-day winning streak on wall street. it is still fascinating to see because there are so many warnings out from all areas.

the federal reserve, v ben bernanke or the current chairwoman janet wellen, all along the government has to do something, the central banks are left alone. helena: we're hearing that one of wall street's wealthiest bankers is betting against shares and going for commodities. what is driving that, is he expecting a crash? jens: at least he is definitely getting nervous because he has not placed that's -- bets in that amount in a long time. he is selling stocks and buying gold and mining companies. he is concerned of the overall state of the global economy. he is especially concerned when it comes to capital outflows out of china. he is also concerned about a possible brexit. he knows what he is talking about. he placed a famous bet in 1992.

he made a good one billion pounds. now he is getting nervous again. the future will tell if he is right again. getting nervous, so he sells stocks. helena: many thanks for that update. german football's top two divisions have sold its domestic tv rights. it is set to earn over 4 billion euros over the next four years, that is almost double the amount netted in the previous deal. >> it is big business in germany and now business is bigger than ever. germany's top-flight soccer league handed out broadcast rights for the next four seasons here the deal will earn the league almost 1.4 billion euros a year until 2021. is the biggest deal in history and one that says helps cement

their place among the world footballing elite. england's premier league as around 3.2 billion euros per season. followed by spain ast -- at 2.2. they may be a distant third and broadcast revenue by the new deal was still a critical win. >> we reached our goals with this deal. we are among the top three soccer nations worldwide in terms of income. now it is up to the teams to invest the money wisely. >> like keeping german talent at home. german teams haven't struggling to hold onto stars in the face of lucrative contracts from abroad. they look to nenew advertisingg revenue to hopefully secure players and an international title as well. helena: it is another bad day for the sharing economy. the french quarter find the -- fined uber 800,000 euros.

uber drive is required to obtain a chauffeurs license but now unlicensed drivers can accept there's like a standard taxi. both services have proven popular abroad but are facing which back from european regulators. the berlin-based startup incubator rocket internet is posting millions in losses. some of its online delivery and fashion shots are keeping it going. rocket ceo says shareholders should not expect their investment to achieve liftoff anytime soon as he is expecting a lean period. rocket's business model is to expand rapidly before turning profits. that is your latest business news.

back to you, brent. ? brent: returning to the soccer championships here the german national team may be a favorite but it has been beset by injuries. the latest player to go down is defender antonio. germany still has a big to do list including who is going to play in front of the goalkeeper. >> the hotel is all booked. they have taken over the room. after -- the players are slowly starting to appreciate the locatition. >> i like it here. i probably forgot to mention that we have a view from our hotel deck. i also have a small balcony with a view of the lake. >> he is talking about lake

geneva. the team has the same view from the training ground. that is where the germany team are working out the last details before the match against ukraine. one decision still not madede is who will p play in frontnt of mn well --- manuel? > after the injnjury, it is important to have a defender. he is such a player. he is strongly tackle,e, he coud also play an important role in standard situations because of his strong aerial gain. >> it is still undecided will lead the team. >> who will wear the captain's armband is not so relevant to us. as the keeper, i will have to assume responsibility. >> it may seem calm at the moment the detention is rising.

the only serene thing at the moment is the lake. brent: dw has plenty more coverage of the forthcoming four-week football when into from france on our website. it is well worth a visit. our euro 2016 website has all the information, opinion and analysis you need as well as videos from our reporters in france and live updates from the germany team's base. just go to dw.com/euro 2016. after a shirt break i will be back to take you through the day. stay with us. ♪

laura: welcome back. we are "live from paris." barack obama officially endorses hillary clinton. he says he cannot wait to hit the campaign trail. they will appear at a rally together in wisconsin later this month. up security following yesterday's deadly shooting at a café in tel aviv. thousands will lose their entry permits. hundreds of extra troops are being deployed to the west bank. taking off festivities -- k icking