host: this is dw news live from berlin. women take to the streets on international women's day. thousands demonstrate in turkey's largest city and around the world. marching, protesting and striking in the name of gender equality. also on the program the biggest demonstrations so far against the president of algeria. protesters object to his plan to run for a fifth term as president. a cargo plane repairs to welcome four -- to welcome two unusual

passengers. they are leading a life of show business in the chinese aquarium. they are being taken to iceland, a sanctuary for beluga whales. ♪ i'm carl nasman. welcome to the program. police in istanbul fired tear gas at demonstrators taking part in a banned women's day march. thousands gathered for the protest bird police pushed back another group of women at the entrance to the main stopping -- main shopping street. 14,000 women have been jailed since serious civil war again eight years ago. earlier we heard from dw correspondent julia hahn in istanbul. she explained why turkey

tolerated this for little over an hour even though the demonstration was banned along with other mass protests since 2016. julia: it is of course international women's day. it is a meaningful protest. but as you said, especially since the failed coup, we have witnessed a massive crackdown on media organizations, civil society and private persons and criticizing the turkish government or president erdogan himself. all kinds of demonstrations, workers in unions, the gay pride, they have all been banned . that shows how difficult it has become for people to voice their concerns and anger, how little space there is left. today, tonight is another example. that is why women's day is so important for many people here not just for women but others.

carl: it was 1975 when the united nations adopted international women's day, but it began 100 years ago in new york city. thousands took part in a march for women's rights. the capital is the only state in germany to declare this a public holiday. reporter: there is a festive atmosphere at the biggest women stay demonstration but the issues are serious. women and men arch through the center to protest pension property and any court -- poverty and inequality at work. >> there is no equality. we don't get equal pay for equal work. that is why it is important to have a symbolic day like this to show everyone we are here and continue our battle for women's rights. >> i think every day is women's day, not just once a year.

it is good we can say we stand together to help each other, and power women and show how much love we have to give. reporter: this is the first time international women's day is a public holiday in reunified berlin. many use the day off to demonstrate for gender equality. the world bank says there is room for improvement, but it comes to gender equality in germany which the bank put on 31st place in their rankings. that is ahead of the u.s. and china but below most european countries, making it a national women's day holiday as berlin has done, might help to take out those issues. many state home rather than go out and demonstrate in the weather, and some doubt making women stay a public holiday -- women's day a public holiday mix much sense. -- makes much sense.

>> i am already emancipated. >> i think it is important because maybe there will be an international men's day sometime. reporter: butreporter: march 8 is about women and has been for more than a cent -- a century. the people hope he doesn't take another 100 years to achieve gender equality. carl: for more, i am joined by sylvia were -- in new york -- sylvia in new york. she works with a group that strengthens the united nations on gender equality and women's empowerment. what are the most important things the u.n. can do to support women around the world? sylvia: thank you for asking. the most important thing we are doing is t to make visible whetr we work on d development, , peae and security, economic

empowerment, you name it, we will only make progress if we fully i involve women, if wee integrate women's perspectives in our work. carl: how can the u.n. achieve that? sylvia: we do that at different levels. we worked with governmenent to develop policy recommendation, but we also work with government at national levels to provide technical assistance, concrete advice on what governments at different levels across all sectors can do to make sure that women's points of view are integrated in policies, concrete activities, so that women and girls benefit fully from the work. whether itit is on heaealth and education, on infrastructure, you name it.

carl: on a day like today it is easy to focus on the problems and other issues women are facing, but what about recent success stories? anything standout? -- stand out? >> there has been progress in chchanging laws that have discriminated against women. we have more women in politics than ever before. we have a growing understanding that any i issue is relevant to women. we have more girls in school than ever before. so yes, we have made progress. the me too movement is a sign of progress that there is increased visibility of the violence women have faced over centuries, and there is a lot more goodwill to take action, to provide

services, to change laws, to work together for gender equality. carl: is gender equality a realistic goal? sylvia: i sometimes say i i am t sure we will recognize it when we see it but it is a goal. we will not make progress whether we look at climate change, economic growth, conflict resololution, if women are not fully part of the discussion and of all solutions. carl: allll rig, sylvia, thank you. sysylvia: thank you. carl: let's take a look at of the other international women's day stories. women also took the streets in the spanish cacapital madrid for international women's day. many skipped work to demonstrate

against inequality and gender based violence. the parade ended in a protest at the conservative people's party headquarters whihich refused to take part. emmanuel macron has awarded france's gegender equality prize to activist -- this activist. she was described as an example of courage for helping victims ofof rape and forced marriage. she will receive 100,000 euros as part of the price. hundreds of women have demonstrated in the indian capital of delhi. they are demanding an end to gender dissemination and violation -- discrimination and violence. boys are still more favored, and they still need to raise the number of women in parliament. women in nairobi have been protesting against gender-based violence, calling for perpetrators to face justice. one said survivors needed more

protection. international women's day is of course an opportunity to highlight robbins -- the problems women face every day. this slum was once known for violence and sexual assault against women but thanks to its oldest female presidents, things -- residents, things are changing. a group of grannies you don't want to mess with. reporter: a few years ago this place was known as nairobi's most dangerous slum. people lived in constant fear especially elderly women like this 70 -- this 65-year-old. >> you wouould hear screamams al the time. women werere attacked byby boyso had come to rape them. reporter: she says the grannnnis were r regularly targeted. the attackers believeved the won were hiv free and sex with them

could to her -- could cure infection. almost daily people were raped and murdered. >> one day we found this lady did with broken bottles inside her body. -- dead with broken bottles inside her body. wewe carried her to police b but they closed the gates. we took her to the mortuary. on that day we decided enough is enouough and we will stop -- stt helping ourselves. reporter: in a suburb like this, elderly women have had to bear the brunt of societal neglect and crime. many of f them have been assauld or sexually deemed as easy targets. it is here they decided to take safety into their own hands. veronica has decided to fight

back and others feel the same. the grannies between 65 and 90 years old meet once a week to do martial arts and defend themselves. >> when i am walking down the street, this is how i fight. i am proud to say i am a strong elderly woman. >> it is with this pride and dedication that has scared off attackers and raised awareness. ththey used -- rapap used t to a daily reality for these grannies. now veronica says she only hears of a case every second month and she will keep on fighting until every woman, young or old, feels safe. >> 10 years from now, this will be a new neighborhood. will be known as one of the

neighborhoods that people are proud to live in. carl: all 28 members of the united states women's national football team have filed a discrimination lawsuit against the u.s. soccer federation. it comes three months before they set out to defend the world cup title they won in canada four years ago. they say they work under worse conditions than players on the men's team. dw has launched a page for women on its facebook profile to coincide with international women's day. search for dw women. to algeria now where people have held the biggest demonstration seen against president bouteflika since protests began two weeks ago. he ruled algeria for 20 years and as in l health -- is in ill

health. police used tear gas to block the road to the presidential palace and other areas. reporter: this has been a common site on the streets of algiers the best two weeks. the president's decision to run for a fifth term has led to protests. many algerians say they have had enough of the current government and appetite for protest is undiminished. >> i am saying no to the regime. we need a better future for our children. we did not live a good life, but we want our children to live a better life. reporter: the president, can find to a wheelchair, -- confined, has assuaged -- he is lashed o out, saying the protess have been integrarated --- ininfiltrated by foreign n powe.

some doubt that the president is still alive. they staged a demonstration in front of the hospital where he is being treated. >> there are 40 million algerians who want to know where the president, ababdelaziz bouteflika, is. no one has seen him since hihis last speech on may 2012 when he declared publicly in front of all algeria he would return -- woululd withdraw f from algerian political lilife. reporter: this man tried to bar him's -- list himself as a political candidate but was arrested. he was barred froro the hospita. young people are asking forr chchange. >> we want to o get rid of boututeflika. he can't even open or close his eyes even more. he is half dead and he really has to leave power now. we are grateful for all he did, but it is time for him to leave and allow others to run for president. reporter: if the president is

listening, he shows no sign of honoring these demands. carl: i am joined by a journalist in algeria, tracking this story for us. how much political support is there left for the algerian president? >> the political support he had in the last 15 or 20 years [indiscernible] that stands behind him was composed of several people within the business elite, polilitical parties backing him since he was elected in 1999. also the powerful trade consideration. in the last days there were a lot of [indiscernible] in the parties that are backing him, members of the central committee or members of parliament, public [indiscernible] they are leaving the party.

with the trade union federation, they say leadership is still bouteflikaka but a lot of local branches and unions that are [indiscernible] our publicly declaring they are not backing the president anymore and are joining the protests. carl: bouteflika is 82 years old, has been president 20 years. his support is dwindling. will these protests support him just stepped down -- him to step down? >> he could try to run again. [indiscernible] since the 22nd of february [indiscernible] protest in the streets. also on that day you could see it was the biggest protest movement the country is witnessing since 1988.

it is not something that happens on a regular basis. it is a massive movement. what depends right now as well, which might be the last [indiscernible] a call for a general strike. there is a lot of talk about a week or 10 days but now it is getting more likely this will really happen. several unions are calling for a strike starting on sunday the 10th of march, so when this materializes, i think next week might be the last day of his campaign able to maintain his presidential b bid. carl: our gentlest and algeria, thank you -- journalist in algeria, thank you. other stories, britain's prime minister theresa may has called on the european union to make what she called one more push to get a revised deal on brexit. the u.k. parliament will hold a

second vote on the deal next week. the prime minister has failed to gain the concessions she needs to secure lawmakers' support. former intelligence chelsea manning has been jailed after refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating wikileaks area she objects to the secrecy of the proceedings and already told authorities everything she knows. she served a jail term after leaking insights in 2010. a capsule built by the american company spacex has splashed down off the coast of florida, ending its test to the space station. it could carry its first astronauts into orbit later this year. reporter: a six hour dissent. -- descecent, ending in a spspl. with a finding in the atlantic ocean, the unmanned crew dragon

capsule completed its six-day mission to the other -- ththe internatational space station. it marked another's milestone for elon musk -- another milestone for elon musk's space company, showing they are capable of carrying astronauts to the iss. mission accomplished. ripley would have survived, but she was a dummy, covered inin sensorors but with h no voice to return greetings when her capsule docked by remote control march 3. >> welcome to the crew dragon. congratulations to all of the teams who made yesterday's launch and docking a success. these amazing feats show us not how easy our mission is but how capable we are of doing hard things. welcome to the new era of space flight. reporter: spacex is one of a

handful of companies opening -- hoping to usher in a new era of extraterrestrial travel. one in which companies instead of governments hold the key to the heavens. carl: still to come, these beluga whales are about to leave a life in the spotlight for the peace anand quiet of a sanctuar. they have to undertake a a complicated journey. we will tell you all about it. much of venezuela is without electricity right now in the worst ever blackout. the president ordered schools, government entities and stuff to close. the blackout is raising tensions in a a nation already on edge fm the ongoing political turmoil. reporter: dining in darkness at this restaurant in the capital caracas, it is service as usual but shops are shuttered, unable to do business.

venezuelans are familiar with power outages but this time the question is how long it will last. trams and subways are off, buses packed full. many commute hours on foot. >> i was traveling to buy groceries, but now all the shops are closed and etm's -- atm's are not working. >> let's imagine ourselves in a hospital. what would an emergency be like? don't even want to imagine it. i just pray to god for those in the operating room right now. reporter: the government says the problem is here at this dam, blaming the enemies of socialism for damaging the largest powerstation. the opposition says government corruption and economic mismanagement caused the blackout. politicians pass the buck, and venezuelans are left to wonder where is the power.

carl: in bundesliga football, all eyes are on dortmund when they host stuttgart. dortmund held a lead in the title race but no the perennial champions bayern munich -- now the perennial champions have grown even. the pressure is on portland to refined their form. --refind their form. >> injuries started in december, keeping this player sidelined for a time where the team suffered a dip in form. the table toppers could have notched up more points than they ended up doing. >> we have to stay positive. we always create enough scoring senses to win. we have to eliminate the individual mistakes. reporter: despite the bumpy weeks in the bundesliga and sobering and to the champion --

sobering ending, the champions are behind their team. >> i believe almost all teams have phases in the course of a season in which things don't go so well. that is what we just had. reporter: the club wants to believe the crisis is over. saturday they will find out if the opponents stuttgart are willing to play along. carl: the beluga whale's are some of the most -- wales are some of the most intelligent marine animals. so many say it is a tragedy they are kept in aquariums to perform tricks. this group is trying to change that with a jumbo jet. reporter: little white and little gray. two female beluga whales here that have been in captivity for a decade now, and this is their daily routine. performingng tricks at a shanghi

aquarium. but now their lives are about to change. this jumbo jet is being readied to take them to the other side of the world. wales -- whales on a plane, suspended in a container in the hold with a team of vets anand specialists. they will travel some 10,000 kilometers.. >> the gold isis a brighter future, but the larger price is we provide a blulueprint, teteme for other species in other locatitions around the world to offer wales and dolphins a brighter future. reporter: that future is here, this island, off the south coast of iceland. a secluded code is being tururnd -- cove is being turned into a sanctuary with the just in net

shutting them off -- sanctuary. with a net shutting them off, they will have near natural conditions. they will work with an entertainment firm which owns the shanghai aquarium. >> there is a body of evidence that shows that we can't really care for these incredibly complex, social, intelligent animals and they shouldn't be on show for public entertainment. it is better to provide these t wo amazing animals with a more natural home. reporter: worldwide between 300 and 400 wales -- beluga whales live in captivity. some could leave concrete walls kind and make their way to iceland, joining little gray and little white. carl: that is it for now. you can always stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates

on the clock. dw.com or follow us on twitter @dwnews. the day is coming up next. stay with us. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪

twenty four and franance twenty fofour dot . nine pm here in the french capital a catch up on our headlines this evening a life from paris tenens of thousands f people have taken to the street. in the algeria as resistance continues to grow and to president because of his bid for a fifth. term in office and in venezuela schools and workplaces were shot on friday as an electricity block have continues there. and another sign of the country's woes will bring you a special reports on the crumbling hehealth service one of the reasons. so many people have fled the country. and across the world women and men have been marking international women's day with marches and some strike action to take a look. at some of those events later on in the shop