unions there call their first year, backede in a by the left-leaning government -- against austerity backed by the left-leaning government. we will take a ride in a self driving car and find out how it is planning to rival google and others in the race to bring this technology to the roads. first, our top stories. first, a major offensive against the islamic state group is now underway in iraq. kurdish forces are trying to take back the strategic sound -- town of sin jar -- of sinjar. the kurdish regional government says 7500 of its fighters known as thehe peshmerga are now movig in. arlier today, i spoke to journalist and he told us more about the strategic significance of sinjar. onsinjar is a border town the border between iraq and syria, a major connection hub between the two important cities iraq..s. controls in taking sinjar will deprive crisis of a very fast deprived of as -- will deprive isis very important road in terms of logistical supply. it is also symbolically a very important -- symbolically very important for the kurds and the broader fight against isis. we all rememb

the opposition reports air strikes led by the government, backeded by the russian fighter jets across the country in various parts. they say dozens of civilians were killed in those air strikes. at the same time the rebels say it that they have captured a new village in the northern part of the strategic city of aleppo and they're launching a counter offensive in latakia and also other area that they have lost over the last few weeks. they will continue the fight until bashar al-assad is toppled. the rebels seem to have acquired new sets of weapons because you just see the new pattern in syria. you can tell that they have advanced weapons and they are able to attack different, 45 areas, particularly latakia and aleppo >>> many thanks. russia's president vladimir putin has signed a decree imposing a series of economic sanctions against turkey. russian businesses have been banned from giving new jobs to turkish anationals and tour operators have been told to stop selling turkish holidays. the sanctions come after turkey shot down a russian war plan. the funeral of the prominent pro-kurd

they seem to prefer to go after the moderate syrian opposition including those clup groogroups backededy turkey and the other members of the coalition that you mentioned. france was the first country to recognize the syrian national coleal ligs as the government in exile to syria. this is a consortium of different groups that have banded tog. they are also backing many of the free syrian army affiliates that have taken the brunt of russia's air campaign. you have these ir reconcilable differences. putin said we need to go after isis. we judge him by his actions not his rhetoric. his actions says he is not that interested in getting going after isis. he twoonts deny any credible to the regime of bashar al assad or isis. it is those two choices. >> we are watching these tensions between turkey and russia. turkey is already on board. can that region take one more conflict? >> well, syria has ceased to be very sorry to say, a popular protest movement against a dick ta tore yara jeem i don't know what the main event is any longer. this recent confrontation between turkey and russia is very l