>> this is dw news come alive in berlin. hong kong braces for another weekend for proro-democracy demomonstrations.. the city suburbs is a traditional chinese festival. some activists still face stiff punishment for involvements in earlier protests that turned violent. tunisia prepares for presidential electioions this weekend, frustration over the economy has many voters cynical

about the political system. contenders square up in german football. rb leipzig have their eyes on the bundesliga title, but they have to show their credentials as they faced bayern munich on dachshund face bayern munich on saturday. -- face bayern munich on saturday. ♪ >> to our viewers on pbs in the u.s. and around the world, welcome. hong kong is preparing for another weekend of pro-democracy protests. recent protests led to violent clashes. this weekend coincides with a big festival. with many families gathering outdoors, activists are demonstrating peacefully. protesters are calling on hong kong leader carrie lam to step down.

here in the studio, and joined by a former china correspondent. we understand that we know about that controversial extradition law is off the table. protesters wanted that. they are calling for greater democracy reforms. you think they can get them? >> i don't think they can get them. they are back in the game. we see all of these spectacular social media activities. the light shows, the new anthem they composed, the shows their winning back the hearts internationally and in hong kong now not about the exhibition law, it's a much longer fight they are in. we have to acknowledge the

strength in this thing is with beijing if they show that they want to use it. helena: it has been a tough fight so far. have seen more than 1000 people arrested. trials are due to begin soon. we understand they could face very tough punishments. let's send to our reporters report. >> it has been a hotspot for the antigovernment protest. daniel chan has spent a lot of time here, but that could change soon. he was arrested and charged with writing in july. he faces up to 10 years behind bars. >> the moment i was arrested, i was calm. i was thinking ababout what i needed to do in the situation. when i was told what the charges were, it felt like i was entering another world. >> hong kong has some of the most coney and assembly laws in the world.

some have been rarely applied until now. since the protests began, authorities said route the full force of these to bear. daniel denies having bee involved in any violence. >> i am too much of a coward to get into fighting. i don't want to be beaten. i also don't want to stand there and do nothing. i went to the front line to help those who were tear gassed and to help them wash their eyes out with saline solution. 40 others were arrested the day he was detained. all have been charged with rioting, the most severe on the books. it's the biggest charges anyone has faced since hong kong was returned to china in 1997. the british government established the laws to quell anticolonial unrest, but they remained in place after the handover. some say charges are politically motivated. >> if one is to look at these

cases impartially, i'm sure you would find that a lot of these charges are not supported by evidence, and they were made up charges, done to scare people, hoping they would be deterred from going out. >> in a statement dw, the department of justice denies political considerations. it insists prosecutors would act impartially. daniel chan is not convinced. >> i try not to think too much about the possibility that i might go to prison for the next decade. i would rather focus on what i can do to support the movement. to worry about the sentence will just demoralize me. >>'s trial is scheduled for the end of this month. whatever the outcome, the government's strategy has already had an impact.

since july, daniel hasn't taken part in any protests. barbara: -- helena: you were a correspondent in china. from your experience, how dire could the consequences be? >> very serious. the 10 years they have threatened them with, they mean it. they will set examples to frighten everyone else. the significant thing is, there has been violent protests. we have only seen pressure on activists.s. we haven't seen one case where they are bringing policeman to court. there has been a lot of police violence. >> to think there were other measures of china's sleeve thatt he could use against the protesters as well? >> they are not using only the legal system. they are putting pressure on their employers.

they are using all of the methods they use in china. the strategy was not to have a big fight with them. they have all these means of finding out who they are, and now they are just working their way through it. helena:helena: that tactic is interesting. is that a pivot from what we have seen from china in the past , due to the fact it has opened up the international economy. it cannot afford to crackdown in a way that it has done in the past. >> i think this was happening in mainland -- if this was happening in mainland china, there would be more open pressure because they could censor everything around it. there would not be pictures. they knew in hong kong, it would be different -- different tactics. theyey are tryining t to lock in quickly. they know it will drag on for a while. they'd make sure they discourage everybody from taking part. helena: we have seen potential

punishments coming down on that protester like daniel we saw in the report. we also saw displeasure within hong kong itself. how long can protesters keep this action up? >> that's what i'm wondering, too. they are taking high risks. they are very dedicated to keeping it up. we are surprised they took it up at all, that they are still here three months later. i don't think they will stop anytime soon. the costs they will bear is really high. >> thanks so much for your insights. helena: tunisians vote in a snap election on sunday, allegedly expected to take place after the death of the current president. the current prime minister,

known as the birthplace of the 2011 arab spring, tunisia is held up as the only country in the region to have successfully managed the transition to democracy. it is still beset by problems like poverty and high unemployment. >> it is election time. young politician -- this young politician is tryingng to convie people to o go out and votote. many farmers are skeptical of politicians. > i don't trust politicians. they all lie to o us. nonobody tells the truth. theyeyheated us,s, thehe farmers more than othehers. we haven't had one single government that has kept its election promises. >> many tunisians are disappointed with politics. now more than ever, the economic crisis is causing problems for peoplele, and someme blame democracy.

several presidential candidates are openly in favor of a return to authoriritarian rule. tunisia is the only country that introduced a parliamentary system after the arab spring. democracy is at stake. >> i talked to a lot of young people. i told you how much we used to dream about democracy. i ask them what they dream up today, and how we can make their dreams come true. >> most people are probably dreaming of getting a good job. one third of young tunisians are unemployed, especially university graduates. most of them want to emigrate. >> two things are important. the presidential candidates must first recognize this problem, solve it. if we can't meet the expectations of our young people soon, it will be a serious threat to our country.

> instead of working toward strengthening the economy, politicians only want to help themselvlves. that'ss what this woman says. she wants to boycott the election. >> i found the ethics of the political class very frustrating. it's all about them -- personal power struggles and accusations. that frightens me. >> 90% of tunisians surveyed say they a are dissatisfied with politics. not everyone has given up. more and more people have registered to vote in the last few weekeks. perhaps this is also due to an initiative launched by the president, where young activists introduced the part -- the system to appease young people. >> we asked people what they would do when they were in charge. people need to understand what the president does, and what parliament does, then politics will no longer be a mystery to them.

* >> >> onene topic that contins to puzzle is the outcome of the elections. 2626 candidatess compete with vy differerent ofililes and goalsl. according to polls, no party can count on a majority. the two top ranked candidates will have to face a runoff vote probably. helena: the sum of the other stories making news around the world. a hospital fire in rio de janeiro has left at least 11 people dead. firefighters rescued dozens of patients from the smoke. the blazes thought to have been caused by a faulty generator. the family of zimbabwe's former leader, robert mugabe, has agreed to have them. at a monument for national heroes. his remains are lying in state at the stadium in the capital. a fourth person has died after another day of torrential rains

in southeastern spain. transport networks have seen significant disruptions. some municipalities have recorded -- reported record rainfall. >> across southeastern spain, streets have become e rivers. many of ththe rivers have broken their banks. some municipalities have reported the heaviest rainfall and record. -- on record. >> in the last 24 hours, almost 200 liters of rain have fallen. in the last six hours alone, there have been 120 liters. this will not be repeated in 100 years according to experts. >> as rain continues to soak the gion, military units have been dispatched to assist.

there is only so much they can do against the forces of nature. landscapes are underwater. the flooding has closed schoolos and airports. roads are the danger zones. two people died when their car was washed away by floodwater. another man died trying to drive his car through a flooded tunnel. this man almost met a similar fate. >> he was hololding onto a a trc light. he wasn't responding. the officer and i jumped down to pull him out. + >> with water still raging, much of spain's southeast mains on high alert. authorities are urging people to avoid driving, and to use common sense. >> turkey is preparing to host a

summit with russia and iran next week to discuss syria's ongoing civil war. turkey has taken in millions of syrian refugees and is seeking to prevent renewed hostilities that might drive more people across the border. european countries are concerned that a deal will be agreed to allow migrants to cross the sea to greece. >> turkish troops fire warning shots and teargas at the border with syria. they are trying to prevent syrian protesters from storming across the frontier. the demonstrators are demanding protection from an offensive by the syrian government on the last rebel strononghold. >> this is a warning that if nothing is done to help us, we are coming to turkey and europe. >> this is erdogan's fear. the destruction and just -- death will send tens of thousands of refugees toward h s

country. during the nearly 4 million who have fled the carnage. he says this will have dramatic consequences, not just work turkey, but for europe, too. >> we will be forced to open the gates. we will be forced to open the gates. if you are going to provide support, thence -- then provide support. if not, sorry. >> erdogan sees this area in northern syria ass a solutution. turkish and american troops already patrolling here at of the establishment of what is being called a safe zone. resettlement of up to one million syrian refugees. but he says the international community is not offering enough support for the plan. he also accuses the eu are failing to honor its commimitmes anand a lamb -- in a l landmark refugee deal with turkey.

it offered ankara 6 billion euros for migrants in 2015. erdogan says he has received less than half of the money. greece, which takes in most of the new arrivals, say he must first change hisis tone. >> the migration issue is a european matatter. it is not a bilateral issue. mr. erdogan must understand hee cannot threaten europe and agree -- an attempt to get more resources to handle the issue. >> with more migrants reaching greek shores in august 2019, more than any y other time in te lastst three years, athens knows the -- a solution needs to be found, urgently. you are watching dw news. still to come, the drought in parts of germany is not being felt only by farmers, it is also affecting wildlife. we will tell you which animals

people are watching to a gauge the severity. it is to turkey, wherere this music video has cauaused quite a stir. the 15 minute track features no fewer than 20 rappers, and is titled for the - -- i can't stay silent. it is becoming g a battle cryryf the opposition to erdogan's rule. to tell us why, i am joined by nicole reese. good to see you. i understand this song has caused quite a stir in turkey. tell us why. >> explosive is the right word. when you look at the numbers, this video has been uploaded last week on youtube and it is been seen by 20 million people. that public -- probably because

these rappers are addressing social issues that have not been discussed publicly in turkey and sometime. violence against women, corruption in politics, the destruction of the planet, but also injustice. the reason why these topics haven't been in the spotlight it -- might go back to 20, when erdogan got almost ousted by a coup. after that, tens of thousands of people from the public sector were suspended. some even got fired. witchhunt rooting out those who disagreed with president erdogan. seeing a lot of journalists going as well. they could share their opinions, now these rappers are taking this soapbox and turning it into

a ghetto blaster. we'll have a quick listen. ♪ >>"i can't stay silent," i think it reflects on the words as well. >> what about the rappers themselves? have they said what their motivation was to release this? > dws had exclusive act -- dw has had exclusive access. they say it's not dividing the people. it's not for people to take sides, but what they want is that people come together to discuss these issues in a more

open public dialogue, may be to also look at how they can shape a brighter future for turkey. let's listen to whahat they told us. >> i i don't t think we shouldle our r words. we felt guilty for not speaking out so far. we don't think we should be silent. we are not afraid of being investigated. we think the u underlying issue that created these problems in the first place was sphere. -- was fear. >> if we have kids in the future, we want them to grow up in a good world. that's why our message is to increase the consciousness of the youth. not to limit their bright minds. no matter what, whenenever they see injustice, they should talk about it, and stand up against it. >> these rappers might just be pushing for an overdue conversation in the public square, which they are doing with this in a way.

>> i imagine president erdogan might be -- might not be their biggest fan, but what do people think? >> it seems to have hit a nerve, who has seen this video. the numbers speak for themselves. 21 million people have seen it. they are also observers of politics. it is being called a political earhquake. many other people are trying to analyze this clip. it's 15 minutes long. you also might expect there is some blowback to this video. we have the former mayor of ankara, he is claiming in a tweet the video is trying to instigate rebellion. watching the music video,

innocent music causes people to rebel, just watch. as you can see, there is a vivid discussion already. maybe this is the moment where we might see a bigger movement developing. >> watching in full it is nicole reese. thank you. the bundesliga is back after the international break. on saturday, rb leipzig face bayern munich. the defending champion's have had a stuttering start to the campaign. niko kovac says he is expecting hot dance in leipzig. >> julian nagelsmann has 13 from three league games, considering just twice. for him, it's a matter of

balance. >> generally speaking, byron are a team who love having the ball and a lower position. in most -- possession -- and love having possession. we can't neglect our tact -- attack. >> if there's one team that knows a lot about attack, it is bayern munich. they are still on cloud nine after their 6-1 hammering of mainz last match day. niko kovac is expecting a lot of competition.. he says it is a four horse race for the title. >> besides leipzig, i have to mention dortmund and leverkusen. they were up there last year. it will play out amongst the fourth of us. we know a hot dance is always a hot dance against leipzig. >> they will need to push themselves like never before.

a win for the coaches side will stretch their lead at the top of the table and strengthen their bid for a first ever bundesliga title. >> some countries in germany have experienced their third hotter -- hottest summer on record. it's leading to below-average harvests and drought conditions. in brandenburg, a sure way to gauge the severity of dry spells is to observe the behavior of these creatures, cranes. >> cranes with their young. a rare sight this summer in the northeast of brandenburg. the birds have less offspring these days. a meadow like this one is the ideal reading ground for cranes. here, the birds can find enough food. in these areas, the waters up to one meter high. this provides the cranes with enough protection against foxes and other while -- wild animals.

now is to dig a little before he reaches water. >> it is already serious when a whole year passes by without a broad. it if it's only one year, they will survive. cranes can live well over 10 years. if this happens more often, it is serious. >> the drought is having dramatic consequences for other species besides the cranes. >> the eurasian bitten, which has been breeding here for 15 years. there are several others that did not meet this year because it was so try. -- mate this year because it was so dry. >> due to the lack of water, the biologist expects 500 fewer young cranes this year, then last. a quarter of the 10,000 or so pairs of cranes in germany next

here, in brandenburg. >> if it happens a few years in a row, they might migrate. the question is, where. i don't know what it looks like. i heard there has been a big drought in poland. >> if the drought establishes itself as a normal weather pattern, then annual spectacles like these might become a thing of the past. helena: you're watching dw lose -- news come alive from berlin. i will be back after a quick break to take you through the day. see you soon. [captioning performed by the nationalal captioning g institu, whwhich is respoponsible for i s caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

. a day of transportation chaos wrapping up here in paris a mass walk out my metro workers on friday and most train lineses were compmpletely closesed buses and trams also severely disrupted. so many commuters of filled the streets with bikes and scooters or ended up paying as much as four times the normal rate for any uber. right itt i is the fit test a against a planned retirement system overhaul it only tells us more