from berlin. brazil's president says he may reconsider an offer t for help o fight fires in the amazon, but first, he wants an apology. president macron accused him of lying about his commitment to the environment. also coming up, the tv station in afghanistan run by women for women. it is a sign of new freedoms women are enjoying since the

fall of the taliban, but they still do not have any say in the future of their country. and the death of a towering figure in the auto industry. the former head of volkswagen has died at the age of 82. i'm brent goff. two viewers on pbs in the united states and around the world, welcome. turkey's president is in russia for talks with vladimir putin. relations between the countries are improving. >> celebrating cooperation by eating ice cream together. russian president vladimir putin paid for his turkish counterpart's treat, offering up a sweetener before talks. >> we will talk about the directions and where cooperation

can go as well as some delicate issues in the region that are on the agenda. >> the venue -- and aviation show -- reflects increasing military cooperation between russia and turkey, which is a neutral country. turkey has bought russian antiaircraft systems, irritating nato, and is now looking at purchasing russian fighter js as well. cooperation has limits. troops are in syria on opposite sides. russia backs the syrian government while turkey supports the remaining rebel forces in idlib province. recently, russi-backed syrian forces have stepped up their campaign against rebels there. >> we cannot tolerate the syrian regime sowing death by air and land against civilians under the pretext of fighting terrorism. unfortunately, attacks on civilians strengthen radical groups.

>> putin said russian forces in syria were under threat. >> terrorists continue to shell the positions of syrian government forces, trying to attack russian military installations. the de-escalation zone should not serve as a refuge for militants, let alone as a bridgehead for new attacks. >> both countries see a huge stake in syria and are trying to do without the west as they settle their differences. putin and erdogan are due to meet with officials from another key player in the syrian conflict, iran, next month. brent: our moscow correspondent has been covering the meeting for us. she told us more about putin and everyone's show of unity. >> the leaders have had close relations for a while now, and they were not key to stress that today. they seemed very at ease with each other. they have met very frequently in the last few years. erdogan always calls putin his

dear friend, and today, they kind of presented a picture of friendshipith putin even buying erdogan ice cream on the sidelines of the airshow. in many ways, that is a strategic partnership we are seeing in defiance of the west. the leaders were looking in part at writer jeff today. that, of course, against the backdrop of the fact that turkey is buying a missile system from russia, much to the dismay of turkey's nato partners. they were, i think, showing a picture of defiance, a picture of friendship to the west and kind of yeah, defiant. brent: brazil's president says he will only accept an offer of aid from g7 countries to fight fires raging in the amazon if he gets an apology from the french president. you may remember emmanuel macron announced an offer of 18 million

euros over the weekend, but brazil's president says macron called him a liar and insists macron first say he is sorry piers morgan 80,000 fires are burning in the amazon, many of them out of control. >> the scale of destruction is plain to see. brazil's state is one of the worst hit regions. as soon as one fire is out, another starts. after international pressure, brazil's government has sent in the army to work alongside firefighters, but ministers have been blamed for allowing parts of the amazon to be developed and for turning a blind eye to forest clearance. this farmer, though, says he has no choice. >> you have to make a clearing by felling trees and planting seeds. even if you take a deserted

area, you still have to mow and burn to build a house for yourself, to make a home for your children. we are not birds and cannot live in trees. >> at the g-seven summit, french president emmanuel macron secured and million euro aid package to help fight the amazon fires, but brazil's right-wing president has threatened to reject the deal, accusing his french counterpart of colonialism. >> macron offers aid from rich countries to the amazon. does anyone help anyone without wanting something in return? why do they have their eyes on the amazon? what have they wanted there for so long? >> macron has stressed it is not

only brazil that is affected by the fires. >> there are other countries in the amazon that have asked for our health. it is important to mobilize quickly so columbia, bolivia, and brazilian regions who want access to this international health can have it and re-forest quickly. >> while the row over eight heats up, the amazon continues to burn, the lungs of the world in desperate need for help. brent: for more on this, i'm joined by our correspondent from an area that has been severely affected by these blazes. it's good to see you. we know there is a growing dispute right now between the presidents over these funds. >> the reaction is that people here, some of them support the

brazilian president. some folks are really liking his nationalism and expressions toward destroying the amazon for economic reasons. they are in favor of him. they like his attitude. on the other hand, there are many people who live in the cities who are really feeling ashamed of him who think he should let international help arrived in brazil -- arrive in brazil. he should not make such strong statements. he should cooperate completely with all the states interested in helping. brent: has any progress been made in tackling these fires? >> we cannot assure this so far because it is the military now since saturday who are in charge of this while coordinating together with firefighters, the

battle and the fight against the flames. it is difficult to verify this because it is in remote areas happening. it's more than 400, more than 800, more than 1000 kilometers away from here, so we cannot verify it, and the military so far, they do not give statements or express themselves because they say they have to settle everything. i have to get things started, so so far, they cannot confirm if really 1040 soldiers are here working and fighting the fires. it is difficult to say, but we hope in the coming days, it will be clear. brent: that is part of the problem reporting the story. it is almost impossible to know if progress is being made in writing these fires, right? >> yeah, it is difficu for us. we see planes many times flying above us.

there are two military airplanes who have 12,000 liters of water. they are regularly dropping the water at the affected areas. i think the effort for sure has been made, but we cannot really arrive easily at the spots and fireplaces, but we received pictures and other material videos, so they are going on, and people think that many weeks , so the fires will finally be abolished. brent: thank you for joining us tonight from northwest brazil. here are some of the other stories making headlines around the world. dozens of women who accused jeffrey epstein of sexual abuse appeared in a new york court. the hearing was set for the criminal case against the wealthy financier to be

dismissed following his death, but the judge said he wanted to give the victims a chance to speak. epstein committed suicide in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. british opposition lawmakers led by labour leader jeremy corbyn, have agreed to work together in parliament on legislation to stop a no deal breaks it. he has also invited no deal lawmakers -- has also invited conservative scenarios who oppose a no deal exit. italy'centerleft opposition democratic party is reportedly willing to keep prime minister giuseppe conte to as head of a new government. talks with the antiestablishment five-star movement of which he is an ally had earlier been on the brink of collapse. the parties are attempted to form a coalition that would shut far right leader matteo salvini out of power. the spanish capital madrid has been hit by flash flooding as heavy rains swept across the country. streets looked like rivers. you see right here.

several metro stations had to be closed after the sudden downpour monday. in some areas, residents had to clear huge piles of hailstones that had built up along the street. health officials in the united states say a person who used e-cigarettes has died after developing lung disease. at least 200 cases of respiratory illnesses have now been reported across the state of illinois, but it is still unclear if the death or illnesses were caused by the use of e-cigarettes, which is also known as vaping. >> they been marketed as a healthier alternative to tobacco. e-cigarettes are now a billion-dollar industry, popular with teens and young adults, but after a wave of vaping-related illnesses, including death in the u.s., experts are scrambling to pinpoint the cause. >> at this time in illinois, we do not know what is contributing

to this respiratory illnesses. the common link among our 22 cases is that all individuals have a reported history of recent use of vaping or use of electronic devices. we urge people to use caution, consider avoiding the use of such material. >> while tobacco use is at an all-time low in the u.s., vaping is on the rise. more than three point 5 million teens use electronic devices last year. no clear link has been established between e-cigarettes and illness, but the devices do contain heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals. the american vaping association has rejected claims that e-cigarettes are harmful, blaming the cases on black market thc projects -- products. brent: you are watching "dw news." still to come, bidding farewell to a giant in the automotive industry. ferdinand ps, -- ferdinand

piech, who turned around volkswagen, has died. we look at his legacy. a new nature preserve is being planned in northern iraq. that is coming up in just a moment. well, it has been 18 years since the taliban lost power in afghanistan. in that time, some women have gained freedoms they never could have imagined under the militants' rule, and yet, there is not a single woman present at the high-level negotiations currently taking place to decide the country's future. in those negotiations, no mention of how to protect women's rights. >> a glimpse into another afghanistan, a television station by women for women. it's very existence an act of a revolution in a country emerging from the shadow of the taliban. ever since the islamic fundamentalist group were driven

out, women have been discovering new freedoms, even in the face of threats. >> i would not allow the taliban to stop me from learning, from working, or from having hope for the future of my country. we will not allow the taliban to worse women again to sit at home as they did during their dark period of power. >> in the reception, two brightly colored burgers stand as a reminder of that dark past -- two brightly colored burqas stand as a reminder of that dark past. nowhere has the enduring dominance of the patriarchy been clearer than in high-level negotiations about the country's future. >> women should have been part of the peace negotiations, but there have not been any talks on women's rights as far as i know.

>> i work in the media. i appear on tv, and i'm concerned for my future because even if he's comes, our future might be in danger. >> it is a view shared by a campaigner. the taliban tried to assassinate her for speaking out for women's rights. for her, the risks could not be starker. >> i think the new generation of afghanistan, the transformed generation of afghanistan will not be able to accept this, and therefore, i think this is a major issue or a major challenge, i should say. how do we smoothly ensure that these taliban fighters integrate the system with respect to the values the people of afghanistan believe in? >> since the war began here in

2001, women have enjoyed equal rights to men in law, even if society lags behind. =, however -- equal say, however, is another matter. rent: he was --brent: ferdinand piech has died at the age of 82. he is credited with reviving the w's -- a vw's fortunes, but questions remain about his involvement in the emissions scandal. >> piech discovered his passion for cars and technology at an early age. he studied mechanical engineering and after climbing the corporate ladder became ceo of the vw group, which w then near insolvent. he transformed the company.

>> there are always winners and losers. with our partners, which vw has across the whole world, i intend to be the winner. >> within a few years, vw was again making a profit. that laid the cornerstone for his reputation as a visionary car executive. when vw acquired for sure, -- p orsche, piech was already group german. in 2015, he found himself in a power struggle with vw's then ceo. was a suggle he lost, and he resned, andbrupt end to a storied career. brent: now to politics in soccer, the eastern german state of saxony is preparing for important regional elections

this weekend, and it looks likely the anti-migrant anti-muslim afd party could make big gains. campaigning is in high gear. a local football club has decided to put up its own campaign banners, calling for tolerance and harmony in football stadiums and in society. those banners belong to a buddhist leader team, but the team insists it is not being political. >> posters have been filling up the streets of saxony for weeks. the far right afd are expected to do well in sunday's election, but some of the placards look slightly out of place. they are not from a political party but from a bundesliga football club. posters featuring the coach and star players have been plastered around the city proudly declaring the drive for diversity and openness. it is nothing to do with party politics, they say. these are just basic principles. >> it's not about party

politics. it's about the values we stand for in society -- respect, tolerance, openness, diversity. we are proudly in favor of an open society. we got 14 nationalities playing in our team. our players live diversity as a club. >> the decision to take a stand is a recent development. on the street, as on social media, not everyone has got the message. >> it's a bit confusing. i wasn't sure what it was about. i thought it was about football. >> the club is keen to avoid endorsing any party, but the timing is no coincidence. >> everyone has something to say during an election. why shouldn't rb? >> there are more than 300 of the posters hanging across the state, but it's at the polling booth and not the stadium that saxony's near future will be determined. brent: the survival of asian big cats is high on the agenda at the city wildlife conference is taking place in geneva, switzerland. one of the world's rarest big

cats is the persian leopard. there are just over 1000 left, but a new nature reserve is being planned in northern iraq to help repopulate the species. >> summer temperatures can exceed 40 degrees celsius here in the kurdistan region of iraq. that's why this biologist and her colleague would like to get an early start. they are looking for traces of the biggest predator here -- a leopard that is considered the spirit of the area. >> it is a top predator, so it is on top of the food chain. >> the persian leopard is virtually invisible. people who live here in the mountains know of the leopard but very few have ever seen it. even hannah, who has been working and doing research for

years now, has never encountered a leopard in the wild. that's why they use camera traps. >> this is a wild goat. we get a lot of pictures of them , which is a good indicator of the prey availability for the persian leopard. this is one of the reasons we get the persian leopard, actually. this leopard is the first photographic record of the persian leopard for iraq that we have. through this, we rediscovered the persian leopard in 2011. this one is a new individu we discovered in 2017. this way, we know for sure we have three adult leopards living in these mountains. >> worldwide, the population of persian leopards is estimated at less than 1300. this graceful yet ferocious big

cat is listed as endangered. for years now, hannah has been negotiating with iraqi authorities to establish a protected area. her efforts seem to have paid off. 2300 hectares of mountainous terrain are to be designated a nature preserve for the leopards. the locals have to be convinced as well. years of unrest forced people to leave, so there are not many left, and the younger generation often look for jobs in the big cities. >> for me, the leopard is a kind of natural heritage. i would like to see more of them in these mountains. >> the new nature reserve is also meant to attract tourists, a much-needed source of income. a tourist lodge is now being built with the support of the international union for conservation of nature. >> and a lot of people would not

expect that iraq is for vacation and for having fun, but actually, i can promise that this region is very safe. >> the isolation of the mountains in the kurdistan region of iraq is the best protection for the leopards. only if the area is left untouched, she says, does the spirit have a chance. brent: at last night's mtv video music awards, it's not what she is saying but what she said that has the world buzzing today. while attempting the best video award, pop star taylor swift said her fans want a world where everyone is treated equally. many say that was a slam at u.s. president donald trump tear it apart from the politics, the awards included a special and some say long overdue nod to a veteran musician. >> it would not be the music

awards without a lot of wild and crazy. and isn't -- an event dotted by megastar after megastar. fan presence was guaranteed. taylor swift won two of the iconic mtv awards including video of the year for her gay pride anthem "you need to calm down." she said her win proved that fans want a world where all are treated equally. rap icon missy elliott deceived -- received a lifetime achievement honor at the event. >> missy elliott is being honored tonight. she is one of my favorite entertainers of all time, and i think this honor is overdue. i love her as a person. she has an amazing heart, but as an entertainer, she's a game changer.

>> the steam is performance was delivered by sean mendez and camila cabello, something to keep fans warm until next season begins. brent: well, she's expecting. a panda in the berlin's zoo is expected and due to give birth within the next to know weeks -- the next two weeks. that word coming from the zoo's facebook account. she was artificially inseminated after the pandas mated to further increase the chances of conceiving, and it worked, but there's bad news for berlin in all of this -- any panda cubs born abroad must be returned to china within four years. here is a reminder of the top stories we are following for you. the brazilian president says he will only accept an offer of aid from g7 countries to fight fires raging in the amazon if he gets

an apology from french president emmanuel macron. he says macron, who made an offer on behalf of the g7, has called him a liar. after the break, i will be back to take you through "the day." stick around for that. ♪

french connections plus. presented by jean go jeweler and florals give me. welcome back to the newsroom half france twenty four we're bringing you the latest international stories live from paris i mean it is it is a wednesday and these are the headlines. is it in president jabal senado says he will accept funds to fight for as far as in the m. isn't. it from schism anyway my phone says sorry for insulting him. this after he turned down twenty million euros worth of eight from g. seven countries. it's elise political leaders are on borrowed time as the five star movement on the democratic policy trying to sign a deal and of that snap elections. this often leads policy leader