laila: this is "dw news" live from berlin. syrian forces pounded idlib province. residents flee for their lives. governmentnt tanks are mountinga ground offensive on the last -- mounting a ground offensive on the last remaining.

also coming up, germany's president gives his annual christmas day address, asking citizens to overcome differences and respect each other as equals. also, pope francis delivered his christmas message from the vatican. he told thousands of worshipers packed in st. peter's square to let the light of christmas pierced the darkness in human hearts. he also made an appeal for peace around the globe. and the open wounds of romania's christmas revolution. the country marks a grizzly revolution, the exexecution of a commmmunist ctator 30 years ago today that helped bring the country's bloody revolution to an end. i'm laila her rock -- i'm laila harrak.

so glad you could join us. a very warm welcome. we begin this broadcast in syria. more than 200,000 people have fled a government assault on idlib province. most have been heading for the turkish border. syrian regime forces backed by tanks are continuing their ground offensive against rebel held offenses in southern and eastern idlib. about 250 have been killed in this latest flare of violence. >> syrian tanks fire on targets asas the ground assault in idldb province advances. government forces captured village after village. their immediate aim -- opening a major highway that has been closed for seven years. the army ultimately wants to recapture the idlib province from the al qaeda-linked militias which control it. as troops push forward, civilians try to flee the line of fire. tens of thousands are on the run. >> w we are leaving because of e shelling. we are worried about our

children and that thee situation will get worsese. why else would we leave? why would anyone leave his house? >> with the turkish border close, the only option for shelter is makeshift camps like these. it is cold and damp. the conditions are desperate. >> we came to this camp because of the shelling. we c can hardly survive here. people are suffering because of the wet weather. gogod help us.s. >> the situation in the camps is likely to deteriorate. tens of thousands of syrians are already stuck in places like these, and every day, thousands more take to the roads to get out of the war zone. >> let's here now from riyad al

najem talking to us from sweden. a very good evening to you, sir. are you in touch with some of your aid workers on the ground in syria? are they in idlib province? what arere they telling youou at the situation on the ground? >> yeses, the situation inin idb is c catastrophic, deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and homes. over 200,000 civilians have fled this place since the start of the assault, and according to unicef, 60,000 children have been displaced since december 11. it is a ghost town. 100 schools in the city have been closed completely.

48,500 children have been denend their right to education us 348 schools in the region have been suspended. the community for the displaced people are struggling to keep up with a hard life as many have already been displaced before. nowhere is safe in idlibib at te moment. they are being targeted e even though there are no armed groups or military installations in the area. laila: that was human rights activist riyad al najem, who talked to us sometime ago. in his christmas address, frank-walter steinmeier has appealed to germans to overcome their differences. he spoke of highlights including

the 30th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall, and low lights. >> for the german president, the holidays are a time of rest and reflection, looking back on the events of thehe past year, the anti-semitic attack on the synagogue in holla -- and halla -- in halle means important. you see the bullet holes in the doors. it is a miracle that it held and that no more people felt victim to this brutal anti-semitic attack in which two of our fellow citizens were murdered. shar and meyer --steinmeier visited the location of the anti-semitic attack as soon as he could. on christmas, he asked germans to fight hatred and defend democracy.

"democracy needs selfish of citizens who have confidence and drive, common sense, and decency, and who show solidarity with others. i know that all these qualities are present in you, in us, in this society. -- in this society." steinmeier says what exemplifies germans is their daily commitment to improve society. you lend a hand to help your fellow human beings in your neighborhood, in your club, as a volunteer, or a solid employee. thousands are helping tonight in police stations and in hospitals. president steinmeyer -- president steinmeier says he hopes germans can continue to find optimism in the coming year so germans can create a better future. laila: dw correspondent kate brady joins me to talk more about the address. mr. steinmeyer said the event he reflected on most was the

anti-semitic attack in halle. >> it underlies the importance of the issue in germany and in other countries as well, but, specifically, the number of reported anti-semitic crimes in germany has been creeping up in recent years and the event in halle and october really shook german society, and he really used this attack as a symbol in his speech, specifically the door, which prevented the attacker from entering the synagogue back in october, saying if that door was strong enough to stop that attack, or germans now strong enough and capable to stand up against anti-semitism, but also whiter than that, are they stronger and capable to stand up against any kind of racism and any kind of hate? laila: that was kate brady, our political correspondent on the president's address. you can hear the speech in its

entirety after our newscast, at midnight here in berlin. that's just under three hours' time. first, i want to take a look at some other stories making news around the world. in burkina faso, 35 civilians, almost all of them women, were killed by jihadists on tuesday. soldiers and attackers also died in the shootout thahat lasted several hours. president calllled for two dayaf morninin. -- two days off m mrning. thousands accccompanied the funeral procession of t the army chieff who died on monday. he was instrumental in forcing the country's longtime president to resign earlier this year. over 100 families have been left homeless in the central philippines after typhoon phanfone battered the islands with heavy rain and destructive wind.

thousands more have been forced to evacuate their homes, spending christmas day in shelters. pope francis has given his christmas address from the vatican. the pontiff spoke about migrants and people who have endured what he called unspeakable forms of abuse. that was a reference to the spiraling allegations of sexual abuse in churches around the globe. the pontiff also called for an end to world conflicts. he finished by blessing the catholic faithful who packed st. peter's square in rome. >> 50,000 people gathered in st. peter's square in bright sunshine for the pope's christmas address, the seventh of his papacy. again, the condemnation of war and violence was the heart of his message. with conflict in europe, asia, africa, and the americas, francis issued a call for peace.

>> may christ bring his light to the many children suffering from war and conflicts in the middle east and in various countries of the world. may he inspire governments and the international community to find solutions to allow the peoples of those regions to live together in peace and security and put an end to their suffering. >> the list of war-torn regions is wrong. francis again called for better protection for people fleeing the violence, and he criticized europe's policy and expelling or refusing entry to migrgrants. toward the end of his address, he gave the traditional blessing to the city of rome and the world.

>> [speaking foreign language] >> amen. >> and then a more mundane message to the faithful around the globe. >> enjoy your christmas lunchch. [applause] laila: in hong kong, police and demonstrators have clashed again as protests continue through christmas. police used pepper spray and tear gas and -- in a major shopping district while activists blocked streets and smashed shop windows. they called for flash mob protests to continue into the new year. antigovernment demonstrations in hong kong are now in their seventh month, and our correspondent t in the territory filed this update. freebie: protests inin hong kong and other demonstrations on christmas day, , which markrk te 20200 day of the movement.

they picked popular shopopping malls as the platform for the rallieies to create a kind of economic pressurure for the government. meanwhile,e, police are well prepepared to tackle the protes. many of the malalls were heavily guarded by r riot police. we alslso witneneed rounds of tr gass fired outside shopping centers, and some of the demonstrators as well as bystanders w were arresestd and pepperer sprayed. asas a result of the e pressure, many of the mallsls were forcedo close down mucuch earlier than usual. this is definitely one off the worst chchristmases for m many retailers inin hong kong. tension h n not settleded for te holidaday but instead heated up. laila: let's take a look now at some of the other news. in france, ballet dancers took part in the strike against the

government's pension reforms by performing parts of the swan lake on the steps of the opera. while dancers currently benefit from a special retirement plan, if the reforms are implemented, many of them might face l living in prerecarious condnditions. in her traditional christmas address, queen elizabeth the second focus on peace, harmony, and the transformative power of hope. the queen reflected on this past summer's 75th d-day anniversary, citing the example of people's capacity to overcome deep-seated divisions. we are going to turn our attention now to romania. the country is marking 30 years since the execution of a former dictator and the overthrow of his communist regime. he ruled romania for over 20 years and imposed a highly

authoritarian form of leadership on his country. following a brief show trial, he was executed along with his wife on christmas day 1989. his fall from power was preceded by demonstrations against his rule as well as a brutal crackdown in a bid to quell the protest. >> when the revolution broke out in december 1989, dan was in the thick of f it. at t this barracks,, romania's hated didictator and his wife we on trial. the young prosecutor cross-examined the cououple. >> he was a dictatator. if you consisider all the atatrocities hee committed, i wd say only one charge is possible -- crimes against humanity, and there's only one punishment for that.

>> they were executed immediately after the trial. they had no chance to appeal. it had little to do with the rule of law, but after the short trial, broadcast livive, the shooting in the streets stopped. the death toll in romaniaia had alalready reached 1000. the prosecutor i insists the susummary exexecution was jusus, pointing o out the bullett holes with the couple was shot againsthe wall, but 70 years on, he is still waiting for a fresh start for romania. >> it's time the new generation followed their feelings and began to follow the rule of law that young people back then gave their lives for. >> he oftenen visits the cemetey where the e revolutionon's victs were buried. most of them under 30.

many of the perpetrators have yet to be identified. >> to this dayay for all these young people who were murdered in december 1989, there is still no justice. >> the wounds left by romania's communist era and the bloody revolution that ended it 30 years ago are still gaping wide. laila: dw's arpad szoczi joins us now. he was there at that momentous time right after the execution. take us back with you to that very moment when you arrived. what did you find? arpad: people were glad he was gone and wanted to have ample food on store shelves again. they want to do have medicine available in pharmacies, heating in their homes. all these things were incredibly rationed because he was obsessed with paying off the national debt, so he exported everything

he could, imported very little, and almost everyone suffered except of course, for him and his higher political lackeys. i think that was the tipping point for most people. laila: so extreme austerity. what makes us glad to have you here is you wrote a book and also directed a documentary film. i'm just going to hold it up. why? what sparked the interest? arpad: it started in a city in western romania in a city close to the hungarian border. a minister was using his pulpit to preach against the injustices of the country and the dictatorship. of course, that would have a very short shelf life, but he had an advantage. he had a brother in montreal, canada, who had defected two days earlier, and that brother was using the media to keep his brother's name in the spotlight, at least in north america,

occasionally in international media, because he knew the dictator was sensitive t to criticisism from the west. he was hoping that would keep his brother at least alive. usually, you would disappear if you were a dissident like that. he sent in a couple of reporters from montreal. they did a secret television interview which was then broadcast out in the west, and because of that, the dissident protestant minister was fired and given a deadline of december 15 to get out of his church, or he would be forcibly y taken ou. what happened that day is hundreds and then thousands of people surrounded his church to protect him. police attacked. it was a bloodbath across the city and the country. within days, the army switched sides, and suddenly, he opens the door, no more interrogations, and he is a free man. the dictator is executed and the pastor eventually becomes a

european member of parliament. laila: wow, talk about having nine lives almost. romania, of course, is a full-fledged member of the european union. it has come a long way from its dark past that you just outlined, this seminal moment in its history. how is it doing? are there challenges? give us an update. arpad: a lot of people think a lot of the people responsible for the injustices in the country have not been taken to task or made accountable yet. also, there's two major problems still in the country -- one is depopulation. at least 3 million if not 4 million have left romania to work in the west, especially in romania, and germany, in england, and there's no sign they are coming back. that's one problem. the other problem -- and people are veryry sensitive about this- is the culture of corruption in

romania, so people are desperate to try to find honest politicians who will deliver what they promise, and there have been countless demonstrations about corruptions going on. they came to bucharest a number of times to protest about this horrendous situation. dissident democracy, freedom of speech, all that, but there is still a long way to go. laila: are y you optimistic abot the future? >> --arpad: i'm optimistic about the future, but it needs time. it needs another generation. laila: thank you for reminding us about this seminal moment in romanian history. next we go to argentina where few people have much to celebrate this christmas. the country is going through its worst economic crisis in years. the government just introduced a package of emergency measures in an effort to ease some of the people's financial burdens, but one of the country's favorite

holiday treats is now unaffordable to many. >> christmas fruitcake, argentinian style. lemon peel, vanilla, raisins, nuts, ground cinnamon, cloves, and of course, lots of sugar. the pend also -- the pan dulce is ready. italian immigrants brought it with them, and it evolved into something south american. for baker's -- for bakers, advent means overtime. >> pan dulce traditionally belongs to every family in argentina, but now it costs up to 10 euros. people can hardly afford it anymore. >> once again, argentina is in the midst of an economic crisis. workers are being laid off, incomes are falling, while

inflation is rising. prices for electricity, gas, rent, and food are increasing as well as the number of soup kitchens. many people can barely afford to buy anything at all, including the beloloved christmas cake, bt this master baker says that is not acceptable. his pan dulce is lowow-priced ad highly pololitical. >> hopefully, wewe will be ableo say we got through it. it's like this around the world. only by working hard will things get better. >> in the past years, argentina was led by a pro-business president, someone unusualalor the country, but sinince elections, a leftist is again at the helm. serafina is honoring the change in direction with his pan dulce,

which costs just three euros. he donates the proceeds to soup kitchens.. >> we will find solulutions to overcome thehe crisis th w we he been livin witith f so lolong. >> all governmenent policies shshould benefit the people, t e workers, not l like it h has ben until now where only a few rich people benefit and the masses are forgotten. >> the argentinians are probably south america's most politicized, even on christmas eve. laila: in germany, christmas markets are among the most popular features of the season and they attract people from all over the world right after new year's. we went to one of berlin's favorite christmas markets to hear what people enjoyed most.

>> in the center of this traditional market, there is no shortage of artisanal crafts. there are butchers and bakers, even candlestick makers, and the principal offering is an atmosphere that is hard to find anywhere else. >> this is our first time in germany and in berlin and our first time experiencing christmas market. >> i it's really nice. it wasn't what i was expecting. it's better. >> it's nice. it's like merry christmas. we don't have this kind of market in spain. >> it's unlike anything we have in the states. it's a nice time here. it's warm, cozy. you have warm and hot drinks. >> it's my first day here in berlin, and this market is so nice. this is the best one. >> what's your favorite part

about this market? >> to eat everything. >> if the goal is crowds and merriment, then this market has it in abundance. a simple stroll also offers the chance to learn holiday greetings and half a dozen different linkages. >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> merry christmas. >> [speaking foreign language] laila: a group of berlin swimmers calling themselves the sea dogs have upheld a christmas tradition by taking a plunge in a cold lake just outside the

city where they braved water temperatures -- get this -- of just five degrees celsius. that is very cold. some say dogs complained the lake was to warm, saying they missed the snow and ice of previous years. she looked pretty cold. a reminder of the top story we are tracking at this hour -- syrian forces have been pounding rebel held areas in idlib province as hundreds of thousands of people flee the fighting. most are heading north to the turkish border, which is closed. germany's president is asking citizens to overcome differences and respect each other ass equals. frank-walter steinmeier's message was at the heart of his christmas address. thanank you so mucuch for spendg this part of your day with me. ♪

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. the funeral of algeria's exce me ththe situauation in burkina cls it was w where we start this nes comingng in of a dozen soldiers killed. in a new attack that that's taken place this is the country's already in mourning. over the death of some thirty five civilians mostly women killed in a double attack which is takining place in the north this recent attack. today in the same area