was just twelve hours to go into germany's federal election r t looks at the main candidates and their final push to win over voters. in the world headlines with. france's president calling rushes through his overhaul of the country's labor code with a raft of executive orders amid scenes of violent protests against the reforms. also this hour travels to the syrian city of the which is slowly recovering after three years siege by eisel terrorists.

live from moscow with me in a day or two to welcome to the program we start this hour with breaking news the u.s. has flown its bombers off north korea's east coast the aircraft remained in international airspace though this display of power was reportedly intended to demonstrate america's military capabilities to pyongyang and i will bring you more details of course as we get them. but main focus though is germany where it's the federal election live to the election team in the capital. the continuance of what's happening there in north korea in the coming hours but of

course those who do or say the focus here what's going to happen over the next twenty four i was here in germany the very heart of europe welcome to our special election coverage live from the heart of berlin would make kevin and me make the error and highlight now the results of sunday's vote will determine whether chancellor angela merkel will remain in power for a fourth term it's going to get an old picture this election sixty one of the half million people able to vote those polling stations open it's poker morning so it's go you know so twelve hours time now in case you missed any of the build up to this we've squeezed together the highlights of the election season for just fifty seconds. this. is a. minute outside in. fact of the whole thing.

these are. what i find that. i didn't hear the skeptic. the final campaign rallies have taken place in major cities across the country with candidates doing that is to breathe new life. i've into that political image. quite literally the chancellor angela merkel showing her first aid skills at a rally in northern germany to the sounds of the rhythms yes if you're old enough for the fiji stand alone talk to set up some tempos highly suited for performing c.p.r. if you have one that there was fear quite cheerfully of the event in contrast to

the key to the rather embarrassing or little bit of embarrassment that went on in a big rally in munich earlier. the only thing. which high if you look at the budget through cold storage guns. this year started to be. not quite the same atmosphere there is anglo american was booed and we're still washy was trying to win over any floating votes is around two hundred protesters through the chancellor and a number of well rested. so to be elected chancellor for a fourth time about the end of the turn there will be a new generation literally of germans that have seen no other leader in office microsoft notes many of her rivals indeed have come and gone through her twelve years now at the top of the show to do bensky reports next how merkel has become somewhat of a political survivor. not just

a political survivor she is known as being the mother of not just germany but for some the mother of europe and some describe it as being a political dynasty now under merkel hopes that the results of that election tomorrow will see her when the fourth term in office i will see her back at these offices that she's called home for the last twelve years let's take a look now at some of the political leaders from europe and across the world angle of merkel has seen off during her time in office.

during that duration three terms sir paul anglo merkel has seen highs and lows let's start by the fact that germany has for a long time during her first term and even into her second term in office seen as the powerhouse the engine over europe in terms of its finances that was hit slightly during the euro crisis that we've seen over the last ten years or so with germany having to bail out many other countries and forcing the european union to help bailout many other countries including greece we've also seen the migrant crisis with around a million refugees coming here to germany and then of course they have in many incidents of terror.

she saw a big dip in the polls in two thousand and sixteen with some people thinking that she may not even contest this election for a fourth time but two thousand and sixteen was a long time ago and she has rebounded in the polls since then she is also a person who is kani enough to know that when her own policies are not reflecting well in terms of the public opinion and she's been known to take ideas. other parties some of described as being a bit of a flip flop when it comes to policies. those who have been persecuted who are refugees displaced by war should be allowed in europe that is current or if i could i would turn back time many many years to prepare better together with the entire government and those responsible for the refugees so there are many ups and downs in anglo merkel's twelve to twelve years in office has three terms it is very

likely if the polls are correct the party will come out on top tomorrow but it will still then have to form a ruling coalition if she is to gain another few years in this building. our correspondent daniel hope ins is being busy gauging the political mood finding out what the public really think about this election and where the main fight will be playing out there's no major surprises being expected no shock results being anticipated this election is more about the changing landscape of domestic politics in germany and more of a litmus test for. popularity voters' confidence in her policies you put out in central but in all day speaking to people this is the word on the street we have kind of a stalemate you know that nothing's really moving politicians our chancellor she's pretty good on one side on the other side says since twelve years now in office and so i think this is definitely a time for change to have fresh power even if she is

a powerful woman though. i think it will stay more or less the way it is there will be no groundbreaking difference because merkel will carry on and that's good. i just heard this morning that it's just as predictable as hillary clinton becoming the next u.s. president so you never know and i hope people including myself about trying to vote should to avoid. going together with the. because there will be a kind of very near liberal coalition that many including myself want to avoid having i mean we were happy that she did not many things going to change because i think a lot of things are pretty ok so pick change always comes as a big big risk as well. oh i think what has to be changed i for one am not a fan of merkel no one that i know is a fan of merkel and i hope that we will cause a big change i think many commentators would agree there's no deep divisions or

heated passions for this election but really the voters can be divided into several distinct groups the michael finds who think the c.d.u. is the way for they're happy with the status quo those who feel it was need for change and for some fresh faces but within the confines of mainstream political discourse perhaps voting for the the social democrats or the freedom democratic party the f.t. people within the centrist framework those voting for fringe parties and those voting to stop those fringe parties they may be the a.f.d. they've made some surprise last minute games going up a couple of percentage points they could be in for their first seats in the bundestag the first the right wing party far right party considered by many to do so in german history can they be the next german opposition party that is could be the biggest change coming out of this election will find out soon enough but. you know we'll gauge where the team may or may not go in

a minute but first let's talk to ali marshawn former intelligence officer from my father going to ask you about that a minute but let's talk first of all. like you are loath or you go take a half of to where she's been a survivor what are you putting that into. i would put that down to i think it's just a case of the german national character being fairly risk averse i mean some of the box pops that i heard just then seemed to indicate that actually change is a risk and it would be good not to have to change stability prosperity security tend to be the things that they would vote for and if she is perceived to deliver them then she will remain in power i would suggest though that security is a slightly tricky issue for her at the moment because not only have we had a whole range of increased and diverse terrorist type attacks in germany over the last couple of years but also don't forget only four years ago we had the snowden disclosures which on the opposite side of security showed how the german intelligence agencies were complicit with breaking

a german constitution in order to support an aide to the american intelligence agencies which course much of scandal back then and i think that is going to feed into some support for some of the other fringe parties most notably the pirate party which advocates privacy and internet freedom and. let's talk about martin schultz way home main rival his party has also been a c. to use junior partner that someone tied his hands in terms of visibility to criticize merkel do you think that he's been able would seriously excessively presenting himself as a clear alternative to the german people. i don't think this too much for clear divide between the two of them so he was obviously the favorite contender when he put his hat into the ring to succeed called to have a chance of toppling her but i don't think he will at this stage. is going to. go to germany chances of coming.

along the road as occasions of that do you think they will do. the sums over there probably because. i think the polls are indicating they have a very good chance and also of course. when you doing polling on those sort of parties you tend to get the sort of shy voter not really disclosing that they intend to vote for a party they just seem to be unacceptable socially so i think they may well end up with more folks than is currently being polled and this of course is a knee jerk reaction to the immigration issue and while most people would applaud the humanitarian reason behind michael's intervention and inviting all the immigrants in as well as her pragmatic approach to saying we're an aging population we need some new young workers coming into our country it has caused discontent it has caused resentment most notably in what used to be eastern germany because whether it's true or not there have been a number of commentaries and a number of headlines saying that the east german. felt that they weren't

integrated successfully when germany was reunified twenty five years ago so they feel resentment that actually so much effort is being put into integrating the new immigrants whether that's true or not which just it could be very damaging to merkel. well we'll know probably the world gets most polls this time tomorrow night we'll know about six hours of pretty much where it's going to go to get really good prices but we're. told to sort of think you. know however confident the chancellor and o.c.d. your party may be merkel's main rival the social democrats leader martin so says he refuses to believe it is already one says he hopes a last minute swing could still happen seeking to win over undecided voters the former european parliament president is positioning himself as a man of the people. angela merkel. in the race for the german chancellor. how the world knows him as the leader of

germany social democratic party and also as the former president of the european parliament what many don't know at least outside of the option downs of have marty's early days. starts at the beginning and shoots his troubles began a high school from which he never graduated he wanted to be a professional footballer but a knee injury put an end to those dreams. started drinking and was diagnosed as a serious alcoholic by the time he was twenty four it was so bad that he even contemplated suicide luckily he turned his life around opened a book store and eventually got himself elected as the mayor of his hometown. his rags to riches story paint in twenty twelve when he was elected the president of the european parliament transforming him from small town mayor into a powerful eurocrats the perks reportedly included to limit and over thirty aides which angered some fellow m.e.p.

the queen of sheba probably had less stuff certainly less refers i can't decide if martin schulz is a bowling bolshevik or who a gruff federalist. was also accused of using his position to help his good friend the european commission chief and former luxembourg prime minister. by blocking the probe into a luxembourg scandal in which big companies got generous tax breaks now back from brussels to seeking to dethrone angela merkel accusing her of americans while presenting himself as a man of the people. given the struggle she was in jordan his early days it's likely that many relate to him as a man who understands real hardship but he's more recent brussels baggage indicates voters might find it difficult to tell him apart from the iron chancellor he's

trying to oust. him echoes facing criticism from many sides of the political spectrum with the immigration campaign has angered by how refugee policies and leftist movements. blaming her for the widening gap between the rich and the poor well arty's piece all of it can explain. away from mrs merkel's popularity nationwide there are pockets of the scent that are on happy and frustrated with the policies of berlin like here in dresden despite the appeal and so of the whole town the city is the capital of one of the poorest states in germany it's a conservative hotbed as well in fact it's the only major city in the country that leans politically to the right dresden is also the birthplace of the anti immigration protest movement to gaita while the numbers have dropped off across the country as we can see here in dresden still drawing

a crowd. why don't we support merkel because she with her open border policies and whatever she says isn't moving us forward now the refugees are here and she should stand up and admit her mistakes but she doesn't she should offer solutions not model through the issues in politics i'm not happy with this whole refugee policy that's been in place a the last two years the german people have not been asked if she decided this all by herself. why should i support her with road bombs so here are a few of the big program is opening. and you've got millions of people coming to germany. but you didn't know who is it what do the blue your vote of the doing or your this makes people rarely. do you of course are bazza future i've traveled around five hundred kilometers to the northwest to the port city of hamburg and the problem people were telling me about and drive them well they don't think that there is much the people here does this version is this hope this is

probably because there is extreme polarization happening in our society but the reasons for such political division in our society have stemmed from the government in previous years to make have the country poorer you. the middle class almost nonexistent and they reach even richer the second largest one of the richest cities in germany also home to fall left and ana kissed groups in just over my right shoulder here is the floor now this form of the it's a squat it was that a lot of the demonstrations for the g. twenty organized but as we remember from the g twenty some of those demonstrations ten violent.

in politics violence is never the way it must be always we want peace and we want everyone to put social rights that's right you know so strong and opposition to you know because at the moment the politics is that the rich the rich get richer and the poor get poorer it could be argued that angle of merkel has been so long lived as german chancellor due to her claiming of the political center ground for her own but she looks set to claim a historic fourth term it will be with voices of dissent from both the left on the right. peter all of a. rainy saturday night here the model for the big election this is important tomorrow though because of course what goes on in the very heart of germany this proud of europe as runs occasions around the world we've got special coverage coming up throughout the rest it's more of a day off as well but there's a lot of other news around north korea france the tourists are after the break to

take you through the. come back to our moscow studio with mina david souter and it's time now for our top stories of the day paris has seen more protests after present micron's signed the five executive orders to rush through his controversial labor reforms on friday although largely peaceful there were some clashes at the main demonstration. i i i. i i think for. micron's former rival in the presidential race sean llewellyn shaw announced that over one hundred thousand

people gathered to protest against the president's policies our correspondent reports from paris. well i would estimate that there were easily around a hundred and fifty thousand people where i'm standing in the bastille square and this follows a promise that was earlier made by the leader of the french leave milan sean that he would be passing in people from as many as three hundred fifty cities today saturday and since the early hours of this morning we've seen people the riving here more democratic france is becoming far less democratic now days even more decisions are taken by officials not by the french people the people who. need the . civil rights. that you get is the place to. get work with. people want to show the don't agree and told us what's happening with the decisions of the government decisions that are almost always in favor of the ruling classes who have money and people who work then also for thoughts about which is

why we need to show that me here to stand up for our rights talking to protesters yet they are angry basically angry with the statement that mcconnell made not so long ago calling them slackers for sure they didn't do that ministry as i will be absolutely determined to do i will not yield in any way not to sarkozy not to cynics not to extremists music's nowadays that is sexy it's quite imagine you find our way out. and we're making our way down to wait. hours. to get around this area during. the first grade or. repeat.

it. as they march with the protesters here at speaking today what they're most concerned about is that a labor leader will. trade unions loose how is it one of the same power companies to be able to move easily find people so really the mood on the ground is one that people are not going anywhere until mcconnell himself make some changes. syrian city of days or is slowly recovering from the horrors of the three terrorist siege. reports a semblance of normal life he's beginning to return to day to sort but it's a symbol it's because normality he's still away so he sees it traumatized city and its people are really just beginning to come out of shock they have gone through one of the longest speeches in more than he shoot three long years cut off from the

outside world to see one of the most terrifying groups in modern history i said really the only way to reach the outside world was via a dangerous and didn't frequent helicopter ride which are mostly reserved for soldiers and the military to be honest with you it is sometimes difficult listening to the stories these people have to tell supply because those that saw by this siege for example the staple diet here for the past year or so to speak. mixed with water and that seats three d. it's the bridge that's run right out a long time ago that was the vegetables the food for young children three four years old that never tasted anything sweet in their lives one man was standing south in the early days of this siege shoulder these old dicier fifty kilograms of show go back with sugar was still available in the black market now of course the

situation is better just to keep up simple conditions yet but food. there's a right medicine is beginning to ride with their lights the problem reaching there is or is it difficulty even though itself to see a hundred kilometers from datasource to the ball well supplied worse than the part that seriously supplies have to be trucked four hundred kilometers across scorching desert to their right to a people that have nothing no body and little in the way that you see so. sometimes their house is in the bottom it's in order to buy food for their children because the siege continued so isis is still in the city about fifty percent death but david sort is still controlled by isis and it's full of people the device is designed to keep the whole stay cool using your stupid shoots the russians say that you believe in the next few weeks they believe they will liberate if you get his

own city after that it's the rest of this sort of probing itself. back to our breaking news story now where the u.s. has flown its bombers off north korea's east coast the aircraft remained in international airspace though in a statement the pentagon said it's closed the fall this north of the demilitarized zone any u.s. fighter obama have flown off north korea's coast in the twenty first century this mission is to side to demonstrate quote u.s. resolve and sends a clear message that the president has many military options to defeat any threat. round up of the news this hour don't forget you can find us all over social media on facebook twitter and of course our website www dot salty dot com i'll be back at the top of the hour so stay with us.

prescribe medication is widespread on the u.s. market and a frequent cause of death. like everything. my family was literally coming unglued i had planned. to. watch. so commonly used we were doing what the doctors told us to do we were being responsible and what the real side effect. was. what i did.

we're going underground on the day a representative of the victorious assad government in syria takes to the stage at the un general assembly after years of british backed rebels coming over there's a. new liberal. nigel for a. speech means so far goldman sachs is winning and the british people are losing. his party conference in the south east of england we are right who voted against the iraq war former labor cabinet minister lord chris smith the outgoing chair of the regulator of british advertising. plus the queen of mean on to raise a seventy eight percent increase in hate crime in the u.k. winner of ru paul's drag race insults comedian. is legal in twenty nine u.s. states to be fired for your sexual orientation and as hurricane maria continues its trail of destruction we speak to the.