♪ ♪ >> this is dw news live from berlin. tonight a political assassination in the polish city of gdansk the city's long-time mayor stabbed and killed on state at a charity fundraiser. while you may not familiar with the name pawel adamowicz, many in poland were. he was a popular leader in the

country's opposition. also, coming up tonight, the brexit clock is ticking. the british prime minister launches a last ditch plea for parliament to back her agreement. urging lawmakers to give a deal a second look before they vote on it tomorrow. and a fresh wave of winter weather is hitting austria. it's tourism hard. but local hotelwners are t elling dw, some skiers are refusing to be daunted by the heavy snow. ♪ i'm brent goff. good to have you with us. we begin with a political assassination in poland carried out in public in front of thousands of spectators. the mayor of the city of gdansk was stabbed on stage at a fund-raising event on sunday night. his name was pawel adamowicz.

a politician known across the country as a leading figure in the opposition movement. pawel adamowicz was taken to a hospital in critical condition. he died from his injuries earlier today. reporter: poland is a country in shock. residents of gdansk light cand les to griveve for the city's mayor pawel adamowicz. despite hours of surgery and hundreds of blood donors coming to his aid, the mayor died from his stabbing wounds. many people in the city knew him personally. >> for me, it is terrible news, especially since we went to grade school together just over there. i thought he would survive. >> i'm physically devastating.

i'm very sad becae i saw the mayor very often. reporter: moments before th attack, pawel adamowicz was pra ising a fund-raising effort for children in need. as the mayor looked out at thousands of people a man lunged at him with a knife. the attacker then remained on stage's blamed the mayor's former party for wrongfully imprisoning him. ♪ then he was tackled to the ground. the 27-year-old suspect is a convicted bank robber who had served five years in prison. prosecutors are charging him with murder. civil movements have already called for marches against violence and hatred in several polish cities tonight. but the president and other

political leaders decided not to organize a march. to respect the wish of the adamo wicz family. >> if citizens want to organize marches, spontaneous marches, they can do it. this is always an expression of solidarity. but, because the family wants to maintain dignity, and once the lease politics and all of this, we have decided that we will not organize any march. reporter: but with many residents asking how this could happen, the murder of pawel adamowicz is likely to inflaming already divided poland. brent: a disturbing story tonight. i'm joined to the big table from dw polish. let's talk a little bit about pawel adamowicz. i mean, he was politically significant beyond the borders

of gdansk. >> oh, yes. he was much more than just mayor in gdansk and to gdansk, it's one of the biggest cities in poland with big political significance. but i would say pawel adamowicz has turned into the face of this liberal poland that opposes the national conservative party that has been rolling in poland for the last three years. well, and he has ruled gdansk for more than 20 years. he ruled the city with liberal views. and -- justice party wanted to take the city from the liberals. last fall, we had local elections where conservatives were hoping to win, but they didn't. pawel adamowicz won. and his victory, it was really a big boost of confidence for polish liberal opposition. brent: what we know about the

suspect and his motives? >> he's a 27-year-old man with already big criminal records. he has already been imprisoned. psent s-- spent some years in prison for armed robberies, he robbed banks. but, you know, it is quite disturbing after he stepped pawel adamowicz, as we, as we heard he stayed on the stage. he wanted to be seen and heard. he claimed that this was his revenge for wrongfully imprisoned in that he had before. he has -- is now in custody. we'll may be here something more about this. >> it sounds like he had a personal ax to grind, but may be nonpolitical. as you were saying, the political scene in poland is very polarized right now. how has the death, the murder

of pawel adamowicz, how has it been received? >> well, all political parties have condemned what happened. and poland is really shocked. this young polish democracy has not seen things li that recely history. really, the country is shocked. everybody is asking to calm down, not to make such political issue out of it. but, as you said, the country is very much polarized. so, i guess this face of calming down will not last very long. >> have people in the media in poland, have they been quick to assume that there was a political motive here in this stabbing? >> yes, of course, very much. there is a very big discussion going on on twitter. some sides opposing the government says this is the fault of the government, the

government's lanagguage towards the opposition. but even the people supporting opposition say, let's calm down. this is not the best moment to say things like that. >>ith dw polish. giving us the latest tonight on this stabbing death in gdansk. we appreciate it. thank you. well, in just 24 hours we were probably know the answer, did the british parliament say yes or no to theresa may's brexit plan? today made a last appeal to parliament to approve the divorce plan she negotiated before britain with the european union. may urged lawmakers to give her deal a second look. she warned of dire consequences of parliament rejects the plan. lawmakers are due to vote tomorrow evening local time in london. the u.k. is set to leave the european union at the end of march.

a date that the promised her say should not be delayed. she warns that a no-deal brexit could threaten the country's stability and unity. theresa may: to those who think that we should reject this deal because we cannot get every assurance we want, i ask what would a no deal do to strengthen the hand of those campaigning for scottish independence or those demanding a border pole in northern island? surely this is the real threat to our union. >> hear, hear. theresa may: mr. speaker, with just wha74 days, until march, te consequences are becoming clearer. with no deal we have no implementation period, no secured a partnership, no securities -- no guarantees for citizens overseas and no certainty that businesses and workers like those i met in stokes this morning would see changes to everyday life in

northern islands that would put the future of our union at risk. brent: our correspondent is in london on the story for us. we asked her about the reaction to theresa may's address to parliament today. reporter: she was quite impressive, theresa may. for the first time in months with this particular speech in parliament to come because she struck a more rational tone. she appeal to sort of the good sense, the common sense of parliamentarians. she was mostly, of course, speaking to her own conservative benches to agree to this deal, because, how she sums it up, is that everything else is worse. of course, she reiterated her ultimate -- that, if the government and the permit, and parliament were pushed into a corner over brexit itthe country minght end up with no brexit in the end. that should strike terror into

thher own rows. of course, everybody knows the lines have been drawn in the sand in parliament. people have made up their minds. we've heard some little changed from one side or the other, but nothing to really remedy the defeat that she is supposed to experience tomorrow. it is a large defeat. that is what the latest survey say. brent: reporting from london. we will have more on the brexit vote later on the day. and more on brexit uncertainty and its effects on britain's financial services sector, coming up later in this half hour. here are some of the other stories making headlines. around the world. four people have been killed and 90 injured in a car bombing in afghanistan. the blast struck near compound housing foreign workers. there has been no claim of responsibility, but taliban militants have carried out similar tax.

a canadian man has been sentenced to death on charges of drug smuggling in china. he was initially given 15 years prison and -- imprisonment but a retrial led to a new sentence. justin trudeau called the said is arbitrary. it comes amid high catches over the arrest of a top chinese executive last month in canada. indonesian authorities say they have found the voice recorder from that lion air jet that crashed into the java sea last october killing all 189 people on board. though broken in two, the record or be useful in shedding light on the cause of the crash of the going 737. -- boeing 737. a fresh wave of winter weather is hitting central europe hard, and the heavy snow is having a disaster effect on austria stories of. many skiers are staying away due to the threat of avalanches, but hotel owners have told dw those

adventurous enough to try, they haven't been disappointed. >> the last 10 kilometers to the ski resort are the most dangerous. this morning, like many mornings this past week, the route is closed the danger of falling trees and avalanches is too high. authorities have managed to open the gate on most days but those hoping to get up the mountain, must wait and hope for the best. we knew the road was life but we thought we would try her luck anyway. -- our luck anyway. he and his father came prepared. for those who work of e ski resort the situation is frustrating. >> we ve been stuck up here. the guys who are working at the restaurant in the moment, they are stuck up here, because they cannot get up or down. for some pele and haseen a mess, sleeping in their cars and stuff like that.

reporter: at 11 a.m.,he news travels that the road will remain closed today. now he and his father have to find hotel here. after two weeks of relentless snow, the austrian tourism industry has taken a hit. several ski areas are temporarily inaccessible, stranding thousands of skiers. and nationwide short-term hotel bookings are down 50%. yet here, the local hotel owners tell me the media is partially to blame for keeping tourists away. there guess came for austria's famous snow. despite a few frustrations, have not been disappointed. this group of friends has decided to take a room here and waited out. >> the hotel bar will help us do with her disappointment. we will have a good time there. reporter: they hope tomorrow morning they will know if their ski trip can finally begin.

brent: sports news. high drama on the first day of the australian open former world number one andy murray lost in what could be his final match before retirement. he truly gave it all coming from two sets down in a loss to roberto batista agut. he says he will retire due to injury. the american band maroon 5 has been announced as the headline act for this year super bowl halftime show. big boy and trevor scott will also perform. it will be the first time or in -- maroon 5 will play. the kansas city chiefs in the new orleans saints are the favorites to reach the american football show piece. ♪ a south african non-governmental

organization is using sports to try and reverse a destructive to trend. people in townships are at high risk of drug abuse and crime. more -- notorious for his gangs and drug related violence is a suburb of johannesburg. reporter: in aldorado park, even the children have been ravaged by drugs. this is a community where onlyfour i fr in 20 ople have a job. substance abuse is rife. some have started to help kids beat your odds. the plan? the empower young people through soccer. >> weffer sport and academic support and character development programs. we teach them how to become good people with good choices. understanding what they stand for living with it. reporter: the life lessons are not just taught on the field. but in group sessions like this one. where young people can talk

through their issues with a trusted peer. one like this former gangster and reform drug addict. >> we unlock the person. we unlock it. it's almost like picking the lock. you never know when it is going to open. with many of these kits we have managed to. >> by believing in myself enough to give -- and by th believing in other people. reporter: and by making sport an alternative to drugs. brent: the suspense is building over take a guess. brexit. >> that big vote in parliament. well, you couldn't get better timing by cbi. it shows demand for britain's financial services sector has dropped for the first time in five years. uncertainty over brexit cited as the reason. last week the city of london corporation said a no deal could

spark chaos in the stock market. cauost up to 12,000 jobs. another survey says money managers are planning to move $1 trillion worth of assets from the u.k. to other parts of europe. ahead of tomorrow's vote, my colleague spoke to the ceo of the british manufacturers association. gibson says he does not see any long-term advantage of britain leaving the e.u. >> we press the government on two issues. one his long-term future arrangement with e.u. we spent 40 years integrating are supplying change and it is very difficult to change crse quickly. we really need to see a conference of agreement that maintains those orders. and secondly, deal would be a disaster for u.k. manufacturing.

we are not ready to exion the 29th of march with no arrangements in place, particular on the borders in the exchange of goods and the free movement of people. it's actually critical for the manufacturing sector in this country. >> heading an industry lobby organization . shouldn't you use your influence to get a deal that is good for the economy. you think you have done enough? >> well, we've work verclosely with governmts. i must say we have spent many months together with a cbi, we are part of a grouthat meets every week with ministers, describing to them in great detail what is required to make sure our businesses can sustain their position going forwards. a l of our points have been reflected in the agreements negotiated so far. so, we are pressing very hard for parliament to approve the deal theresa may's negotiated with the commission because it sets forward a sensible transition, during which we can

adapt to changes. >> are you happy with the deal on the table right now? >> it's not perfect in some respects but it does give us a transition, gives us time to negoate. and bearing i mind, it is only the exit from the e.u. big is time to negotiate what a copper's of new trade you will be between the u.k. and the e.u. >> what is your main concern about tomorrow's vote? is it an all new brexit? >> a no deal brexit would be a disaster. we have been out in the press speaking publicly over the last few weeks together with many other organizations that we are a, not ready for and, b, the level of integration run manufacturers, we have 2.7 million people employed in the manufacturing sect, has been one that haseen really difficult to unravel quickly. that would be a difficulty, we think. >> what is your prediction for tomorrow's vote? >> it's very hard to predict

politics in the u.k. at the moment. i hope the prime minister's deal can get through. if it does not come i hope they can convince mp's in a second vote to get it through. but really we need to get to a resolution very quickly, because this uncertainty is causing, as we know lots of issues like lack of investment and difficulty with customer orders. we need to resulted as quickly as we can. >> the ceo of british manufactures organizations, thank you for joining us on dw. >> thank you. brent: washington's ambassador to berlin has issued a warning to companies over controversial pipeline. it will supply russian gas to germany by passing eastern europe. richard -- reported -- reminding them of west sanctions on the russian energy sector. the u.s. has long opposed nordstream claiming it undermines european security.

the threat of sanctions has the media listening closely but what about all the companies that already deeply involved in this huge european project? well, like its forerunner, the new pipeline will supply europe with gas from russia directly to germany. around 1/3 has been built and it is forecast to be up and running by the end of the year. gaspromm is a key conservator. two german firms received the -- which is owned by basf. and an offshoot of eon. it also involved is france's ng and royal dutch shell and austria's omv. so far no are the companies have responded to the threat. the u.s. is not an import market but the same cannot be said for basf. the company employs 18,000

people in north america. and rakes in 15 billion euros annually. the company refuses to comment. her'e's what some of germany's political leaders think about the contentious energy project. >> on the one hand, you must say it is a form of diplomacy that is unusual. but not totally new. we experience this when he took office and the german economy has given a clear answer. >> mr. grandell's recent comments are rather unusual for diplomatic customs. but i assume he will turn this into a positive. >> there are good reasons to criticize nordesstream 2. on the other hand, it cannot be that grandell operates as a mouthpiece for one of mr. trump 's political agendas. he should for strict himself to

maintaining conventions but he has had a problem with this since his arrival in germany. >> mr. grannell does not adhere to conventions. it is not really surprising to i think this must be rejected, even if it really is possible to -- debate. he also believe -- we also believe it is not useful in energy possible and not acceptable in a few of our eastern european partners. brent: our financial correspondent in franklin. daniel, what would be the likelihood of sanctions? daneiiel: the u.s. ambassador to germany is really known to be a man with strong rhetoric. also a close buddy of the u.s. president. if the centers are going to happen, that is difficult to say. investors are divided about this issue. the u.s. congress is already working behind closed doors on a possible draft. if this would be really the

case, companies and you said it, not just here in germany but also around europe could be hit very hard. we already received a statement from the german foreign minister. he said he does not appreciate these kinds of comments and says that this pipeline project is very crucial for the european energy sector. brent: it is not the first time the u.s. ambassador has tried intervening. >> you're right. it is not the first time this was happening, last year he was very clear in an interview and stated that german companies which would continue to do business with iran could face sanctions as well. just like last year, investors are shaking their heads and are saying they don't think this is the job of a top u.s. did limit to basically threaten companies here in germany and around europe -- this is not the job of the top u.s. diplomat. brent: foreign car sales and

tariffs are putting a damper on this year's detroit motor show. it is one of the oldest of its kind at some of the big players are giving it a miss this time. ♪ reporter: detroit auto show has t lost allts glamour, but it's certainly not the event it once was. >> the xt6, premium luxury model. reporter: gm chose to unveil its new cadillac suv, but many other luxuryarmakers including bmw and mercedes, are giving the event a miss this year. as the global car market contracts and uncertainty grows over the threat of u.s. tariffs. >> we/'re in a transition in the industry. we have had a great run out strong car sales over the last decade or so. we're probably going to have a dip. at the same time, the auto companies, have to focus on today's business to generate profits, so they can finance a future that is going to be very different. reporter: speaking of the

future, one major carmaker that is making an appearance in detroit this year is volkswagen. it's expected to announce that aligns with ford. at the time of heightened transatlantic tensions, the bond could be politically as well as economically strategic. brent: a reminder of the top stories we are following for you. the mayor of the polish city of gdansk has died after being stabbed at a fund-raising event on sunday night. pawel adamowicz was also a leading figure in the country's opposition movement. you're watching dw. brent will be back to take you through the day. that's up next. ♪

. emily to swap into live from paris world news and analysis from from my cat i'm marco and these are the main world news headlines. resumes last ditch bid to get rebel tory mps back on the side. uk prime minister urges them not to let down the country over brexit meanwhile cold in prediksi huge defeats the may. the parliamentary vote on her breaks it. which of these most wanted man is back behind bars left wing terrorist his id but do you see. that on the run for four decades he denies full murders but admits being a member of the group. to carry them out