Happens next also coming up a bit more freedom for women in saudi arabia the ultra conservative kingdom is finally going to let women drive activists have been fighting for that right for years. How the push to defeat just how this is taking a heavy toll on the people of somalia we have an exclusive report. Plus the long and winding road toward forming a government germanys general election last weekend means chancellor merkel has to persuade two other parties to join her conservatives could take months. Hello im terry martin good to have you with us Thailands Supreme Court has sentenced for Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra to five years in jail she was found guilty of failing to stop corruption in a government rice subsidies scheme shinawatra was not present when the sentence was read out she fled the country in august when the verdict was originally due. Well for more on this story lets bring in our correspondent florian knows shes standing by for us in bangkok florian first of all yang looks right subsidies scheme was deemed a failure but governments make lots of costly mistakes all the time why did this result in criminal prosecution. I think there are two answers to that one one legal istic one if you listen to the judges they have a unanimous vote saying that members of your glocks administration actually falsified a government to government rise deal and that that was also corruption involved which you know it wasnt hard to but she should have overseen that which she didnt so she was accused of negligence and that is the legal istic answer but i would argue that there is and that is more important a political answer now the. Party has been very popular over the last two decades with the rural population the poor the farmers but not very popular at all with the leads here in bangkok and especially not popular with the military and the military apparently saw a way of exerting pressure on the just judiciary at least that is what some people here claim to get rid of an often opponent. Tory and yang banished to flee the country before sentencing everyone knew that was a risk theres a history of that in buying call in thailand how could she be allowed to get away. Yeah thats the thing and even though the military junta denies any role in. Nobody really biased that because she had been under pretty much twenty four hour surveillance there is a very tight security grip on the military so for someone like for someone like you not just to escape across the border into cambodia thats apparently what happened without the military knowing about it that its hard to believe for everyone so my take and the take of pretty much everyone here is that the military ordered the police to how pro flee the country because the military thought this would be an elegant way of getting rid of an opponent because they feared jailing would actually could stir the masses here to protest but with this symbol gone the military can basically continue as they like florian thank you so much to floria notion that reporting from bangkok saudi arabia says its going to allow women to drive its a big leap forward for the ultra conservative nation the only want to bar women from getting behind the wheel a royal decree the nelson state television said the ban would be lifted in june in the meantime a committee will be formed to work out how to implement decree it came as something of a surprise well find out why its been issued at this time but first this report the streets of saudi arabia have long been a battleground on one hand women wanting to drive on the other the religious conservatives whove called them too stupid the mobility threat to society now it is the women who. King solomon has issued a decree giving them the right to apply for driving licenses and the freedom of the roads that will be implemented by june next year its a huge step for saudi arabia enough to warrant a special announcement at the United Nations you may be interested to know that a few minutes ago our oil decree has been issued in saudi arabia giving women the right to drive thank you this is a historic day for Saudi Society for men and women. For years some saudi women have gone behind the wheel as part of a campaign with Global Support on social media. This activist lost her job when she was caught others have gone to jail now celebrating their victory. Saudi law and forces a strict form of islam known as well. Women have to obey strict dress codes they cant associate with unrelated men if they want to work travel Access Health care they need the consent or accompaniment of a male guardian but slowly things are changing on saturday women were allowed for the first time into a National Stadium for celebrations marking the kingdoms anniversary the movies part of a program headed by the crown prince to modernize society and saudi women are already wealthy well educated and ambitious and. Women are at all levels there in the Government Advisory Council that doctors nih women are in big positions so why shouldnt we join the men that matter most to our nation. That would suggest saudi women will fight for greater rights. Well joining us now for more on the story is not. Shes a journalist whos reported extensively from saudi arabia thanks for coming in this morning. Activists have been pushing for a womans right to drive in saudi arabia for decades why is this happening now well in fact its happening now because it has to happen and there is no chance another for the royal family nor for the system of the government to push it. And to postpone this issue and the Saudi Society. Is also a Strong Female society even if we dont realize this the number of very much very well educated and vicious females is really high and they are pushing towards. Their own in this society a quarter million of her young saudis are studying a brode funded by the government more than sixty percent of them are females who drive outside the country yet so this brings them with thoughts back that the system and the conservative part of the system cannot sustain anymore ok what about the women in saudi arabia those who maybe have never driven abroad are they going to be able to just start driving next june when the royal saudi houses that that its going to be allowed to be implemented how easy will it be for women to actually exercise their right to drive in saudi arabia at this point first of all i would like to congratulate this how do women for this step and in fact the king for this decision still its clear that its not going to be so easy the first step is to have a committee from foreign ministries who will study the regulations or the needed regulations that are conform with the religion to allow this but still we have a date we have a deadline so i think its a balance that the king is trying to do between the. Conservative and the liberal powers in the country so its going to be allowed but apparently according what i followed up on twitter. Activists is that age is going to be an issue if theyre late if theyre women are married or not theres going to be an issue and some other things which are not clear to get in the still very much a male dominated society you mentioned the need to conform with the religious strictures in the country but also that the idea of a male guardian determining what women do in that country is still very much in place wont that be a problem it is in place and i think that this step is one of the first very small steps the saudi saudis are going to go through to drop this regulation having a god because now driving the car does not necessarily request having the formation of a god which means that this is one of the the first step of the beginning of the end of this regulation but it is clear when i was in saudi to see that nobody even the women are are asking not to be so fast and with a twelve because there were one of the free actions that might bring them steps back you know one step ahead of the three back so they are everybody was talking about small steps to approach ok im afraid were going to have to leave it there. Thank you so much for coming in and talking with us today on the w. News thank you youre watching news still to come in business of a mega merger between europes two biggest train makers theyre bulking up to fight off a giant challenge from china first we bring you some of the other stories making news around the world today iraqs kurdish leader has claimed victory in an independence referendum despite warnings from the Central Government in baghdad final results of mondays voter expected today iraq has refused to hold talks whatever the outcome its also threaten to impose a flight to market one kurdish airports of regional authorities dont hand them over to central control. The latest effort by us republican lawmakers to dismantle the Health Care Legislation known as obamacare has failed the party has was unable to win enough support in the senate and decided not to put the bill up for about two years. Now to somalia where the government has been struggling with the hottest insurgency for years with International Support efforts to defeat the alshabaab millett militia have picked up this year but the fighting in somalia has also led to more hardships for civilians u. W. Reporters son of peters money and young Philip Schultz sent this exclusive report about people already devastated by almost three decades of civil war. But battle means to survive in somali its a fitting name for this refugee camp on the outskirts of mogadishu where life is a struggle for the next meal the next bucket of water. Fatty mind her daughter found refuge here two weeks ago theyre still waiting for official assistance. But thats preferable to starving in that village where the Islamist Militant Group is in control. They would rather let us die than accept any aid from infidels. Who are. Not all somalis are fleeing hunger and up a few kilometers away in another refugee camp we meet not a young man who is from barrier about sixty kilometers south of the capital at least ten civilians were killed there in an attack by somali and u. S. Forces almost a month ago mariannes husband was among the dead. We are used to the fighting but this was by far the worst weve ever seen. In march the u. S. President on a trump ordered the u. S. Military to intensify the war against al shabab bringing in special forces the militant group killed more than four thousand two hundred people last year its leaders and agents with al qaeda want to establish a theocracy. And you government has been in place in mogadishu since february and its getting a lot of International Support but the drones and raids employed to combat terrorism are endangering the local population. And this is being exploited by al shabab one former member of the militant group tells us that the people in disputed. Areas feel the government backed soldiers just as much as the militants. The people here dont trust the government in the areas controlled by alshabaab people fear the military will loot and rape them and alshabaab has become skilled at tapping into those fears. Peacekeeping troops from the African Union also serving in somalia under the un the un special representative is convinced the conflict cannot be solved only through military means. While he welcomes u. S. Involvement he wants the Main Objective should be strengthening the new government and state institutions. Too many civilians are being killed protected by insurgents particularly here in mogadishu because there are soft targets. Yes if you are fighting an insurgency being very careful not to kill civilians is incredibly important because if you do you you lose the support of the population internally displaced somalis arrive in the capital every day almost seven million are dependent on emergency eight thats about half the countrys population these women and children will likely have to wait years before they can live in a state that can keep them safe. Well here in germany chancellor merkel is beginning the tough task of forming a new government an important member of the old one has already left the minister of labor and social affairs a social democrat under it knowledge will soon be leaving merkels going cabinet the s. P. D. Parliamentary group have just elected office as their new leader and alice is a member of the partys leftist wing earlier the s. P. D. Centrists had protested against her candidacy his cabinet duties will be assumed by Family Affairs minister catalina ali also be a pretty. Well for now lets bring in our Political Correspondent hans bond so hans the social democrats have named a forty seven year old woman and they had novice from the left wing of the party to lead their Parliamentary Group in opposition is this what a fresh start looks like for the embattled s. P. D. Its certainly a start for a fresh stud one has to say its the very first time that there is a woman who will be leader of the opposition on behalf of the social democrats she will be there face and parliament and that will make her a very prominent voice for the party and being forty seven years old obviously means that shes also of the Younger Generation so in both senses it is a new start for the Party Obviously that does not mean that the party as a whole has yet to establish itself. Firmly in a new camp on the left and there are certain factions within the party that would try to put a brake on that as youve just said its not all done yet but it certainly is this thought so while the s. P. D. Is trying to reinvent itself chancellor merkel meanwhile is struggling to form a new government shes working with very different prospective Coalition Partners do they have enough overlapping interests hons to form of viable coalition what would government look like. Thats very difficult to say at the moment obviously im glad marco is a very seasoned negotiator she knows how to deal with difficult situations like these but obviously also all the parties that are involved in these talks in other words until americans conservatives the green party which is ten tends to be more left in the political spectrum and the market liberal free democrats all of these want to put their issues on the table and want to make sure that their issues will be respected in a new government so its going to be very tough negotiations they will last for a long time people say that by christmas if we have a new government by christmas that will be good going hans thank you so much t w is hans blunt from our parliamentary studio. Now the Global Financial crisis may be ten years behind us but its not all smooth sailing theres been a stark warning from the World Economic forum when a has more yes thats right were talking about a decade down the line but now fresh challenges on the horizon in the terms of autumn eyes ation and a robot tries ation in the world of the World Economic forum did highlight countries leading the way though in its Global Competitiveness index ranking though lets take a look at them now weve got switzerland retaining the top spot on the list with its flexible economy and the labor market which is considered one of the best functioning among the one hundred thirty seven countries surveyed now efficiency and innovation helped the United States secure the second highest ranking but the report does say that more progress is needed and more needs to be invested when it comes to health care and education to maintain that competitiveness well number three and four covered by singapore and the netherlands respectively followed by germany where innovation and high level of technological readiness exist alongside strong Worker Protections hong kong sweden the u. K. Japan and finland make up the second half of that list and thats the list of the top ten in the World Economic forum emphasize that a shift away from Economic Growth is an end in itself was important its that competitiveness had to be a means towards improving overall wellbeing especially amid the perception that current economic approaches have left large swathes of the population behind. Well for decades they were bitter rivals but no one else to have confirmed a merger to make a huge european train build the french government has encouraged the deal which analysts say is a change of strategy the focus is no longer on protecting French Business but about creating a european powerhouse at a time when International Competition is. The merger between siemens and alstom is on track to create a new european giant in the train Building Business in the near future the german i. C. And french t. G. V. Will come from a single manufacturer. Siemens wants to bring its entire Train Division in return for a fifty percent cut of the new firm which will be based in paris but theyre not doing it entirely of their own free will. The Real Construction and signposting market is in a state of advanced consolidation the Chinese Group c. R. C. Is today bigger than our storm siemens and canadas bomb body a combined the next step of this Chinese Group is in all likelihood Continental Europe where c r r c could rely on a purchase of a european manufacturers. Even after the new firm is founded the pressure on the europeans will increase siemens had considered canadian company. But the deal was reportedly de railed. Shaky finances now the competition authorities need to approve the deal. Well to talk through this now im joined in the studio by you again and that from the business and in frankfurt off financial correspondent quantified booze and welcome to you both us firstly to you these companies were bitter rival so why are they getting together well theyre joining forces in order to match their chinese rival to fend off their chinese rival the state owned c r r c company is by far the biggest manufacturer or in the world and they are going global recently they have gone they have won contracts in britain and in the Czech Republic and youve got to remember up until two thousand and seven china had to rely on foreign high speed trains they bought them from europe from japan and then they told those Companies Listen if you want to continue to sell of the your trains here you have to manufacture them here and to put it nicely that way they learned how to build high speed trains on their own and now they want to sell them worldwide all right conrad i want to go over to you then because can we be sure that this will be a marriage of equals and that is even as well well go through with it is had a shaky reputation regarding tie ups in the past. Youre right helen. Of course theres talk of a marriage of equals tries to conceal somewhat that they are not perfectly equal why. Was the First Company in europe to construct and produce high speed trains the famous t. G. V. The tram are gone vitesse siemens in recent years has been more successful in selling its trains and its Technology Worldwide thats why its so important that the headquarters of the new company will be in paris and that. Who is now the else on chief will become the boss of the new company will seem and stay on board well this merger is made in a way different to past mergers that struck in other parts of its businesses siemens for example has the opportunity to have more than fifty percent of the joint Venture Company and its going to keep the whole company on its Balance Sheet and that indicates that this is more of a long term this is planned to be more of a long term relationship all right well i think there is the feeling that this is president marcos baby so is the rest of the European Reaction quite so enthusiastic yes you know the idea to former european champion ties in nicely with pro brit business stance he favors a more integrated European Union and that Franco German partnership ties in nicely with that supporters of the deal often cite as a good example you know seventeen years ago for European Companies countries formed that company in order to rival the American Company boeing and theyve done their quite successfully so now supporters of their deal call it. On tracks and thats not to say that there isnt some potential concerns and id like to raise those we view conrad namely over job losses at these legitimate fears. Of course there are legitimate mergers only makes sense if you look for the synergies if you get rid of double production structures of inefficient location of resources and that includes workforce of course but i have to say for the moment theres no talk of job cuts and of significant job cuts and both sides saying that they dont plan to close down factories they are more focused on the opportunities and on the possibilities they have with their combined forces on the World Markets where we still await a preview from a shareholders and regulators conrad in a frankfurt and europe from the w. Business good to have both of your perspectives. Now of you ever felt like you had more to say on twitter but lacked the space to say it well soon you might be getting twice as much room twitter has announced it was testing out the two hundred eighty character limit within a small group on the micro messaging site and thats double the current standard but the experiment has received mixed reviews from all over the world many uses are just unable to see the value of the change. Prosecutors in the United States have charged ten people including an executive with bribery and fraud thats following a widespread investigation into corruption in College Basketball prosecutors accuse the manager or bribing athletes families to get players to attend universities sponsored by added us german schools were making confirmed the arrest of an executive on tuesday saying it was unaware of any wrongdoing on its parts. Im terry has. Thats right helena just a quick roundup of the two main stories were following for our viewers today saudi arabia says it will allow women to drive for the First Time Ever king solomon has issued a decree officially changing the law its expected to go into effect in june. And thailands former Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra has been sentenced to five years in jail the Supreme Court found her guilty of negligence in connection with a government Rice Subsidy Program bought she have already fled thailand so its uncertain whether shell actually serve a prison term. As well you know years from now join us again top of the hour if you have time or you can check out our website or follow us on twitter. To find all the latest news and information there on our own r d w l bring you up to date on whats going on not just in germany and the rest of europe but all around the world. Youre watching d. W. News so were back with another full building in the top of the next hour thanks for watching. The return of imagine you. A very special citoyen bishop has just hit the road. An iconic car now recreated as a sustainable work of art. And we went along for a spin. Your romance next d. W. Well show you a very different side of jimmys cat. Nicole for really takes you wanted to out of the government district and goes behind the scenes at the reichstag vulnerability from an underground tunnels all the way up to the glass cable out. Ill also show you plenty of signs even around the government quarter. In sixty minutes on d. W. We take it personally i do it with all the wonderful people and stories that make the game so special. For all true fans farai. Pick up more than football online. G. W. True diversity. Where the world of science is at home in many languages. On top of that ive been going there you know. Theyre with us our innovations magazine for. Every week and always looking to the future fund d w dot com science and research for asia. Welcome to the show im louise house and i will be here taking you through this next half an hour which