And other kurdish areas are x. Kurds have been under sanctions from baghdad and are internationally isolated you know obvious funny fish are has the latest from the region also coming up. Support for spanish unity spills on to the streets of catalonia now madrid must decide whether to arrest the cut along leaders who proclaimed independence last week we go live to barcelona. The fierce winds and heavy rains lashed Central Europe leaving six people dead poland and the Czech Republic hit hard germany also battered overnight as well. With. A low and welcome to the show im brian thomas. Iraqs autonomous kurdish region defied the Central Government and held a referendum on independence a month ago kurds overwhelmingly backed a separate state but the move triggered quick retaliation with troops from baghdad seizing key kurdish areas and now president mustard barzani the man who championed independence for decades is stepping down in a moment well be hearing from the ws funny fish are whos in the region first lets take a look at how some iraqi kurds have been reacting to the news. Outrage in the kurdish capital protesters here in erbil forced their way into the Parliament Building as lawmakers voted to approve barzanis resignation. Many here feel hes being mistreated after fighting for kurdish independence for decades. Barzanis long struggle for a separate kurdish state culminated in last months move to secede from iraq he wanted that vote to be his legacy instead its provoked baghdad to crack down on the kurds. And defiant address barzani defended the referendum he said the will of the Kurdish People was clear. Then get a referendum can never be erased because these are the votes of three Million People from. Iraq no longer believes in kurdish rights. Iraq is using the kurdish independence referendum as a pretext to attack kurdistan. The vote for independence has angered the Iraqi Government baghdad once the kurds to declare their referendum void and has backed up those demands with force after the referendum the Iraqi Government launched a surprise attack on kurdish controlled territory and seized her cook the oil rich city would have been the economic hub of a future kurdish state. The loss of kirkuk has cost barzani support among some of his fellow kurds but its unclear whether his resignation will help bring an end to the confrontation with baghdad. Well could we be seeing the end to the confrontation funny joins us now from Iraqi Kurdistan shes in erbil the capital of the region good morning to you a funny is this the end of the kurdish iraqi push for independence. No that would be really i know its too early to tell at this point but what we can say at this point that a post referendum since thats a nonbinding referendum that took place end of september there is a rift among those actually who voted for us in the independence because theyre worried where this conflict erupted after the referendum may lead to some say actually its really good that president barzani the regional president here in Iraqi Kurdistan is stepping down in two days to make sure somebody else steps in and is going to lead Iraqi Kurdistan and iraq itself basically in a corporation where the Central Government leading both of them out of this crisis that again the others who say of course this is the right time because once again your rock is proving that they want to take control over the Regional Government over iraq kurdistan so this is the time to push for it because iraq in iraq of course have pushed for independence for generations in fact not just iraq of course of course as we know but kurds in many other neighboring countries as well ok now baghdad has been taking a very hard line it moved the troops into Iraqi Kurdistan right after the referendum is the Regional Government still in control of the situation on the ground in the area. Well in fact we have just seen a helicopter of the Regional Police here which of course suggests that the Regional Police is in control of of security here in iraq or distant but if you look at the rest of the airspace the fark today as it backed out the Central Government. Basically doesnt give the permission for any International Flights to a calm to our appeal incorporation of iran and turkey as well who do not want a kurdish state of it in iraq or rather also out of iraq that clearly tells you that to a certain degree the autonomy of the Regional Government of iraq according to un may be limited but the question is by just how much in fact just a short while ago the Prime Minister of the Central Government in iraq other body has said that the borders two wars iraq according to stand at the borders through turkey the borders through syria and iran to kurdistan to the kurdish region should be controlled by peaceful forces as you say but peaceful iraq is forces so once again the grip will be tightened are on iraq who are to stand the question is just by how much i was funny for sure for us reporting from here below in iraqs kurdistan region. Well catalonia has started its first week under direct rule from spains Central Government politicians and Civil Servants started returning to work amidst uncertainty if they will be accepting orders from madrid hundreds of thousands of pro unity demonstrators filled barcelona streets sunday now that was two days after separatist leaders declared independence spain dismissed catalonia as Regional Government over the weekend and must now decide if its leaders will be charged with treason. Or will they to find out lets bring in our correspondent charlotte children phil and barcelona are charlotte will the catalonian president show up right behind you at his offices this morning. Its crunch time here in barcelona bryan is the first office day since independence was declared as a we will soon find out whether or not those who were in charge of the Regional Government are going to come in and get back to work as normal they say theyre in charge madrid obviously says something very different now we are starting to hear a few people turning up to one minister has tweeted a picture of himself at his desk saying hes carrying on as normal and the Parliament Leader as well has also apparently shown up for work on himself the man everybody here is waiting to hear from is not exactly clear where he is hes put on instagram a post showing a picture inside this building right behind me are those very ambiguous as to when that picture was taken it could have been taken previously and he may just be trying to tease the media because everybody here really is very keen to find out where he is and of course then if he does try to go to work what reaction there will be from madrid now we do know that some lower level employees are allowed back into this building behind me secretaries and so on but whats crucial here is that theyll have no idea exactly who theyre entering to at this point its also crucial is where will be in fact arrested if he does show up today by authorities from the drug. Yeah i will spanish authorities are preparing legal action against him charges of rebellion and what were hearing at the moment that carries a thirty year jail sentence whatever his legal status they whether his face is sealed legally or not both madrid and he are going to have to play the next few hours very carefully if for example we start seeing images of him being let out a gun the buildings in handcuffs that could really inflame a situation that so far been quite calm its certainly not something that his supporters want to see there were thousands of people on the streets here on friday celebrating independence and they will not take well to seeing the arrest of the man that they say were responsible for bringing them just stand so the waiting game continues outside the president s offices in central barcelona thank you very much for that charlotte now for some of the other stories making the news this monday in Kenya Opposition leader. Of the rally in nairobi as the standoff continues over that countrys repeat president ial election but it is called a voter sham the electoral board is expected to decide whether to reschedule voting where protests block turnout or to declare victory for incumbent president who can ya. President donald trump sharply criticized an investigation into his twenty sixteen campaigns alleged ties with russia this is u. S. Media reports the first arrests in the probe could be imminent without pointing to specific evidence the president used twitter to accuse his former opponent Hillary Clinton of herself having ties to russia the Academy Award winning Actor Kevin Spacey has apologized to a man accused him of Sexual Misconduct in the same statement spacey came out as gay this after broadway performer anthony rapp told buzz feed that spacey had tried to seduce him when he was fourteen years old stacy says hes not specifically recall that encounter. Well at least six people have died after a powerful storm swept across Central Europe leaving a trail of destruction in its wake the storm caused traffic chaos left hundreds of thousands of homes without power in poland Czech Republic parts of germany were also hit hard just weeks after being battered by another fierce store. The morning after the city is submerged and homburg the surge from storm has pushed the river elbe over its banks causing massive flooding. The high winds diverted and canceled flights major rail connections were severed across the country leaving thousands of travelers stranded. For safety reasons weve had to cancel many regional trains heading north but also a Long Distance route and we hope to clear the lines by monday. Nights. At the salzburg airport a plane aborted its landing after heavy cross winds forced the jet to veer off course. The flight had to return to frankfurt. The high winds also found trees and tore the roofs off buildings emergency teams responded to hundreds of calls. This is the second major windstorm to hit Central Europe this month following the destruction of storms less than four weeks ago. We have some sports now Lewis Hamilton has been crowned formula one World Champion for the fourth time at the mexican grown pray the receive his driver and closest rivals the boston federal were involved in a collision on the very first lap with both fours into the pits to change tires red bulls next stop and took advantage to win the race but hamiltons ninth place spanish was enough to seal the championship with britains fourth title leaves and three off michelle she offers oldtimer. West of breaking news in football that a brain wins coach legs on the norrie has reportedly been sacked after a disastrous start to the bundesliga season braman lost three nil to ausborn sunday stretching their winless start of the season to ten matches on a nori the club as were just three goals this campaign and lie second bottom in the bundesliga table he took over last season and steered braman away from relegation but failed to breath build on his early props. Well the other sunday match was a south german derby between stuttgart freiburg the guard have been off to a solid start in their first season back in the top flight they were eager to keep their impressive form going against their struggling neighbors. Of average two and a half points a game at home this season and see two points the way they were hoping that these guys would again make the difference in a clash with fellow strugglers five books on the raucous home support seem to get to five weeks tell us a huge you sent packing by the v. A. Offer this humble and thirty minutes to his on his managers consternation. Got to believe through done you can check in thirty minutes. On bones you mean pava glanced in a second against the ten men on hof. Semen to vote out of the photon eighty three minutes another wouldnt hold back on his votes men who acknowledge the part the crowd had played in their victory. By a book meanwhile clearly felt the ref was to blame for the latest setback visitors remain mired in a basement bottle. Ok check out all the bundesliga standings after this weekends games by a minute go back to their familiar perch at the top of the table for the first time the season ahead of dortmund leipzig and over move up to fourth in the bottom half had a berlin guard all get a boost amberg braman in cologne are still stuck in the relegation zone. Im brian thomas for the entire news team here in berlin thanks so much for being with us and well be back again dont forget at the top of the hour. Stories that people of the world