They need the support of other policies in order to govern but in Spain's current political climate that could be a major challenge the country has been polarized by the Catalonia crisis which has deepened in recent weeks and the issue has dominated the election campaign the far right Vox which takes a particularly tough line against the independent schools appears to have been the main beneficiary of the turmoil guy hedge Kaye with that report there's no sign of a letup in eastern Australia where firefighters are continuing to battle numerous bushfires in the states of New South Wales and Queensland the Rural Fire Service in New South Wales is warning that the situation is likely to get one s. In the coming days David West is mayor of Midcoast city which has already suffered the effects of the fire as a very short distance from here there is another foreign legacy where young women lost like last night we had 3 fatalities so far that we're aware of 150 our lives destroyed that we are aware of however we do believe that number will most likely increase significantly altogether there are 75 burning it's a catastrophic situation at the moment this is rice remain with the latest world news from the b.b.c. The Cambodian justice all authorities say they have East restrictions on the Opposition Leader Kim soca who has been under house arrest he was charged with treason more than 2 years ago the Municipal Court said Coombs soca contant gauging political activity or leave the country Saudi Arabia's state oil company Saudi Aramco has released the prospectus for its initial public offering which is expected to be the biggest launch ever seen it reveals the workings of the secretive firm for the 1st time and says this enough oil to keep pumping 50 year. Romanians of aging in a presidential election today the incumbent Klaus Your Highness is being challenged by 13 other candidates opinion polls suggest he'll win the most votes but will have to face a 2nd round in 2 weeks time next thought bizarre Central Europe Correspondent Klaus you had this is 60 and has led Rumania through a period of economic growth mass emigration and constant battles with leftist governments under the Roumanian political system the government is the main executive power in the land but the president has more influence than in most of Eastern Europe this 1st round is largely seen as a contest to find out who will challenge President and is in the 2nd round on the 24th of November polls suggest a race between social democrats than Cilla green centrist down Boehner and independent Mitch. Next thought proposing and the British You Tube star k.s.i. Has based on his American rival legen pool in a much hyped boxing match in Los Angeles the 2 celebrities who have huge followings on social media will walk away with prize money of more than $800000.00 each the promoters hyped about will introduce boxing to a new audience but some commentators have dismissed it as a farce b.b.c. News. 70 I was 60 mc this is weekends from the b.b.c. World Service with Celia Hanson coming up later the chief executive of the fast food chain McDonald's is such because he had a relationship at work with a junior colleague should romance be discouraged in the workplace because I was a single mother my social life was more with my son on the mothers with kids so it was very difficult and I don't want people to think this should not go out if you actually look at it that meet someone they should but there is a strain already I understand that should be professionalism I think it would be really wrong to tell someone you can be. Will discuss the pros and cons of dating colleagues as I mentioned we have to guess with us throughout the program they are Erica Wagner a British American writer journalist and literary critic She's here with me in the weekend studio in London and John Kampfner British author journalist and he joins us from the b.b.c. Studio in Berlin so John you're in Berlin this weekend to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall was it important for you to be there in person I was there as the Daily Telegraph correspondent back in 1909 actually based in East Berlin in communist East Berlin within a stone's throw from the evocative border crossing of Checkpoint Charlie and so yes I mean I've been in Germany a lot this year researching a book I'm writing about it pleasure called culture of the last 30 years in society more broadly but on so many levels in terms of old friends reliving the events not just the night of the war but those that preceded it the demonstrations the vigils and those that followed it as well the sort of incredible chaos but sort of very dramatic orderly chaos of the 11 months that followed the fall of the wall and right. To the very speedy. Unification that followed to type in 1905 I've read your past work when you know that the wall might have been removed but the barriers between east and west remained in place yes absolutely that there is you don't feel so much in itself the city has to a very large extent become one you still notice. Except in the center of what is east and what is West but the areas in the areas in the mine do exist particularly in the small towns where you've had deep population you've had the younger predominately female better educated more ambitious people pretty much off the 989 into the early ninety's. Upping sticks and going to Thailand in western Germany or West Berlin as it was still social of then in search of what can I don't get unity so you have a sort of hollowed out post industrial landscape in smaller towns or some of the biggest hounds like Leipzig are doing incredibly well so it's image a mix pot but I'm an incredible German a fallen optimist and I think handled things notwithstanding the problems has been incredibly good John do you think that that that division is is is has been discussed more on the eve during this anniversary than it was in in past years for example on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the wall that's a really good question I was actually asking some friends I was with last night as we were. Watching the Brandenburg Gate celebrations and yes they do wonder why it is that more attention of p. Is a 30th anniversary isn't more important than the 25th and yet somehow there is more reflection and I think it's because this is most people think it is because all the change in the world generally. The adventure of triumph of nationalist populism of the a.f.d. The right wing policy in Germany that she verge who put up between 10 and 20 percent of the votes to buy New York which regions and the sense that I did negligible progress towards liberal democracy around the world has not just been halted but has been robust So that's really led to a greater sense of introspection John thank you Erika you're sitting across from me here in in our studio in London I understand you're judging a prize for fiction here in the u.k. That's going to be announced this week yes that's right I am the chair of the judges of the goldsmiths prize I'm a lecturer and creative writing at Goldsmiths College and it's a prize that was established in 2030 that's been going for 7 years to reward what is most novel in fiction novels published in Britain and Ireland that really push the boundaries of the form of the novel the 1st winner of the prize was him or McBride with a novel called Girl is a half form thing that had struggled to be published and then went on to huge success so the goldsmith's prize has really I think shifted the literary landscape in this country certainly in Britain and Ireland It's tricky though isn't it to judge one book against another or is it yes it's extremely tricky and certainly this year with the Booker Prize they didn't manage to choose one winner He even though the rules say you have to choose one winner that's our job with the goldsmith's prizes to choose a single winner in a sense of course the process is invidious and novels don't ask to be judged against each other but those are the rules of the game that we're playing and we think we have a really strong shortlist that we're thrilled with you've been involved in an on several judging panels as you said it is it is a. Sometimes Calero which book should be the winner or is that always a bit of a tussle it's always a serious discussion it always should be I've always had very good experiences judging I have to say I've never got on to anything fistfights or over my dead body conversations. If you in gauge with the process seriously it is a really wonderful and rewarding way to engage with literature to justify what you think about a particular book Why are you so passionate about this book why do you think this book will speak not just to you but to audiences hopefully around the world that's a remarkable and very privileged thing to be able to do Ok Erica thank you very much Erika Jon it's so good to have you with us for the next hour a reminder that you're listening to Weekend on the b.b.c. World Service It is 13 minutes past the hour let's turn to the latest events in Australia where 3 people have died as a result of bush fires burning across much of the country's east firefighters are battling more than 120 blazes and people are being urged to leave their homes but the fire brigade acknowledges that for some it's already too late to evacuate David West is mayor of mid Coast City Council an area already badly burned by fire I spoke to him earlier and I began by asking him to describe the effects of the fire on the place where he lives. If I were I am situated on my property where being in a diner with my Nimbus at the moment well that the embers are quite cool so I don't expect them to set fire to the property but a very short distance from here there's another far in the sea where young women lost a lot last night we've had 3 talent the side father were aware of 150 has destroyed that we are aware of however we do believe that number will most likely increase significantly all together there are 75 burning it's a catastrophic situation at the moment can you describe some of the scenes that you've witnessed today if you could imagine a wall of far 40 meters high too far trucks with people in it endeavoring to control that piece of a thing that's what's happening at the moment the wind presently is very low by Tuesday we're expecting this to be very hot very dry and to cause a catastrophic and I repeat that would a catastrophic situation with the entire New South Wales community to fire trucks contending with a wall of fire it doesn't sound like a lot do you feel like you have the resources you need given the size of the fires and the number of fires the assets that are being put forward a many don't necessarily you control of 5 but you know just type property that's where the problem is we lack sufficient assets at this point in time I recently spoken to the commissioner a bushfire services and we are getting extra services and extra assets from Victoria and from Queensland but these fires are in an area which is calm and drought after drought after drought every many many years and we're currently in. Which is impacting all of New South Wales and has done for the last 3 years the 5 that are where I live on and work on I have one day left on the property was a major warrant that. Is to be used to defend my house and by what my box in my family from what we expect will be the firestorm on Tuesday Can you describe what it's like at the evacuation centers in your area what are the people at those centers telling you these people are brilliant. May not talk to each I wonder when I do not carry an emergency situation we all do this time we all pull together to ensure they were all psychics I was in an evacuation center with 580 people these people don't know what the house is intact I just know that they've come away from a property because the roof said they should these people and sat they accept that they lived in the bush and unfortunately lost their homes they will rebuild I'll maintain their memory forever but it is such a horrible horrible thing to see these people least families. Receive receipt and aware of what's happening to their real estate knowing full well that there are thousands of people risking their lives to save them and others in this horrible situation I have expected the death toll to climb I had to say this but yes I am there are people that are unaccounted for there are people that choose to stay when they know they shouldn't and these are people that. I just don't realize the risks associated with right right 8 and they don't like it we've had many many years because of Bush this is a sunburn country we lack. The people still live in this Bush I live in this because I love you mentioned the warnings for Tuesday that the Rural Fire Service has indicated that she's day will be a dangerous day what are you in the people around you doing to prepare for that day Ok currently the roof fire service a back burning the fire. Threat everybody the ones that were under emergency warning the Choose the temperatures expect to be safe spect it to be 38 to 39 degrees with no humidity and extremely strong winds I understand breezes will come from the south in which case it won't turn the fires back on themselves it will in fact drug the Fars south where they were there is a fire in Queensland that has a front in the vicinity of 110 kilometers Chibi only give it joins up with of. Course so much devastation where. We could end up with a fire front the 300 kilometers long it all depends on what happens over the next couple of days absolutely. Right but the unfortunate truth is the batteries it we'll. David West mayor of Medco city council in New South Wales Australia now Paul Sara's joins us with the latest sports news good morning Paul it's already been a dramatic weekend in the Premier League and we've still got the pick of matches to come what's been happening to. The city are up to 2nd in Chelsea 3rd in the table with both winning their matches yesterday later today though we have one of the matches of the season so far with leaders Liverpool hosting reigning champions Manchester City at Anfield the B.B.C.'s football correspondent John Murray looks ahead to the game this is become the Premier League's heavyweight contest of the current time last season Liverpool lost only one match in the Premier League but it was to city in Manchester in January and Pep Guardiola team went on to pip Liverpool to the title by a single point that however is Liverpool's only defeat in their last 50 Premier League matches indeed they have not lost at Anfield in the league for over 2 and a half years it is city who are more seriously hampered by injuries and with Liverpool holding a 6 point advantage over the champions what will be all important today is how much the respective teams are set on winning it as opposed to not losing it elsewhere yesterday the wins for Burnley a new car so well Spurs and Sheffield United drew 10. And Paul after a brilliant performance at the Women's World Cup earlier in the year things have been quite difficult for England's women's team since they have yes 5 defeats in the 7 months since that 4th place finish at the World Cup including a last minute loss to Germany yesterday in front of more than 78000 supporters when really better news for England's cricket team that's right yet their incredible recent rivalry with New Zealand continued overnight their much finished about an hour ago the 2 teams needed a supernova to separate in the World Cup final in the summer at Lord's and they've been at it again net t 20 series let's hear from Tasman specials Jonathan acne it was fitting that the last match of the series should ended a super over it was difficult to separate these teams now as it was at the World Cup last summer but this time a guns victory was emphatic producer just 11 overs preside Guptill got New Zealand away to a fly on the ground notorious for its short boundaries as Seifert 39 k. From 16 bowls best 01 man of the Match for his 47 from 18 holes in reply but ended last a clutch of wickets leaving Jordan to school the 12 runs needed off the last 3 balls to tie the game best 0 and Morgan scampered 17 from the super over and Jordan and kept his nerve again as New Zealand fell 9 runs short. Through still 2 Test matches to come before England head off to South Africa for the rest of the winter. Your listening to Weekend on the b.b.c. World Service. A reminder of our other main news headlines there have been violent confrontations and Bolivia between supporters and opponents of President Evo Morales who is resisting pressure to resign or call new elections and Spain is holding its for the general election and in as many years in an attempt to end a long political stalemate. Let's change tack now to what some might think is a juicy question Is it Ok to have a romance with a work called like and more specifically someone who's your Jr The British businessman Steve Easterbrook was until last week the all star chief executive of the fast food chain McDonald's under his watch the share price had doubled and performed better than the u.s. Stock market average and the restaurant sector as a whole but he's lost his job for having a relationship with an employee of the company too much has been said about the colleague or the relationship but it is described as recent and consensual Mr Easterbrook is divorced so are such relationships at work inherently risky and should they be discouraged we thought we'd ask a couple here in the u.k. Rima and Dilip who met it work at London's Heathrow Airport 5 years ago Dilip was Rima senior well hear from Rima 1st when I was transferred into the main free shop I met him there as my manager I was I saying the chocolate Eagles names and all that and he came saying that I shall get one for a son's mother in directly saying oh I'm divorced single so I was that interesting obviously he knew I'm single I being from there we go going site chatting on Face Book just randomly chatting he was not new in London but he didn't know much around according to what he said so I said I'll go to those of friends and I can take a. Wow I can show you around in fact he showed me a hound and he did me it was just abut the tree tend to be a date and 5 years later be a marriage yeah he did cause problems because I kept it very quiet and unfortunately one day I had to tell a couple of my plate because remember is going to working directly for us so I have to tell her the secret laws that I've been sort of saying for the last 3 months and obviously I can't but quiet among some colleagues and others don't you if people would react if you like but once we decided it was like this was going to you know it permanent thing just with me for one to all and at the end of their eyes so I all I've got a new girlfriend us in. Trouble if you actually know who it is he just sort of said well one of he's going to have to move terminal unfortunately terminal she was just out of time so it sort of fell for a minute she Volokh at Unity to be honest I had to because in the end of the day his role was more important to hire moving him to the city according to you know why I think and I was actually wanting to go to to note that the new download thing in the end of the day in a high alkie is that for him not to move and but for me to here and in fact it was a question it was never told you should move it was always a discussion I thought long and hard about it for a long while but by even talking to regular i'm such a fast mover that I think saner about 6 months prior to that it took about 6 months to talk so I was quite sure of her character and you know that she wouldn't be. And if it didn't work out she wouldn't be mature about it I mean I've definitely seen colleagues who have relationships abandoned has caused all sorts of problems at work. So basically before I met at what AK I was single for a long time well 5 years on a long for me but then I think because I was a single mother I was the only opportunity. Yeah had reality meet new people meet people I can go out to my social life was more my son on the mothers with kids so it was very difficult and I don't want people to think they should not go out if they act we're going to meet someone they should but there is strain already I understand that should be professionalism. I think it's really really wrong to tell someone you con date. That was Rima and Dilip who are now married after starting a relationship while working together at London's Heathrow Airport John counters some some workplace romances are tolerated but other employers are more nervous about them where do you think the line is it's incredibly difficult I mean some areas the claimant Obviously any sort of sexual harassment anybody sort of using that power in hierarchical structure if it is one in an office. To put pressure on someone and conventionally but not always it's been. On the woman I mean that's been been clamped down on hugely although it continues to happen I think in the McDonald's case the problem was that he was the boss and the boss of the of the whole company and what does that say about the company and you always have that question of if somebody is the boss and somebody is the junior thought Junior gets promoted. A is someone sort of doing favors for them but now I mean that report showed so many couples do meet at the workplace and for a lot of people it is that it is the main sort of social function and so it would be crazy to say to people that they couldn't all they could only do it if they were exactly as if they were exactly equal. Erica yes I think as that couple was saying so many of us spend so much of our lives at work and we're very engaged with our work it's where we meet the people who share our interests perhaps of we're lucky enough it's very difficult to police human relationships of course as John was saying sexual harassment is a whole other issue and also as he was saying he was the boss of the whole company what happens if this person is promoted but I don't really know about this particular situation but I think we're not a climate where it's is for a difficult Ok well we'll leave it there but do stay with us it's coming up to $730.00 g.m.t. You are listening to Weekend from the b.b.c. World Service and until. Distribution of the b.b.c. World Service in the us are supported by fracture creating photo decor by printing photos on glass a fracture is image frame and mount all in one hand made in a carbon neutral factory fracture made dot com slash b.b.c. And babel a language app the teachers were a lot of conversations in the new language like Spanish French or German dabbles 10 to 15 minute lessons are available in the app store or online it will be a b b e l dot com. It's 730 g.m.t. This is weekend from the b.b.c. World Service Still to come the effect of u.s. Sanctions on the lives of Bahraini and citizens why Cyprus has revoked 26 so-called golden passports and how young Eastern European struggle to promote liberal values 30 years on from the fall of the Berlin wall that's on weekend with me silly hot. B.b.c. News with Rosemary main There have been violent confrontations in Bolivia between supporters and opponents of President Evo Morales as tension mounts over the disputed presidential election Mr Moran is says the homes of the governors of 2 regions have been burned down along with his sister's house in the city of a rural opposition activities say convoys carrying protesters to pass the seats of Bolivian government have been blockaded and attacked Spain is holding its 4th general election in as many years in an attempt to break a political deadlock that has left the country without a stable government the socialist acting prime minister pederast Sanchez is hoping to secure the majority that eluded him when he won the last election in April the Cambodian justice authorities say they have eased restrictions on the Opposition Leader Kim SOCOM who has been under house arrest he was charged with treason more than 2 years ago just days before he leaves office Sri Lanka's president has granted a controversial pardon to a death row prisoner convicted of killing a Swedish teenager in 2005 Ju Jaya and from a wealthy high profile family has walked free following Presidents my trip on a serious saying is highly unusual decision many Sri Lankans of expressed their outrage on social media there's no sign of a let up in eastern Australia where firefighters are continuing to battle numerous bushfires in the states of New South Wales and Queensland the Rural Fire Service in New South Wales is warning that the situation is likely to get worse and that it cannot promise to deploy resources to help everyone threatened by fire and Saudi Arabia's state's oil company Saudi Aramco has released the prospectus for its initial public offering which is expected to the biggest stock market launch ever seen the i.p.o. Will begin on Nov 17th with an unspecified number of share as in the world's biggest oil company that's the latest b.b.c. News. You're listening to weekends from the b.b.c. World Service with me Celia Houghton and with us for the rest of the program until $830.00 g.m.t. Our guests Erika Wagner British American writer journalist and literary critic She's here with me in the weekend studio in London and John counsellor British author and journalist he joins us from the b.b.c. Studio in Berlin will hear more from them in a little while it's been a year since the full reimposition of u.s. Sanctions on companies doing business with Iran the sanctions following President Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement Iran signed with 6 foreign powers in 2015 have hit Iran hard and earlier this year the i.m.f. Estimated that the year rainy an economy would shrink by 6 percent in 2019 run at Rocky Horror as a presenter and reporter for the b.b.c. Persian service she told me more about the effect of the sanctions basically many companies are worried about penalties that are imposed on them by the United States Interestingly many European companies are technically allowed to work with Iran but they are very worried about the consequences of doing any business with Iran so they have volunteered to move away from anything that has to do anything with Iran not just the Iranian government by the Iranian individuals as well so it has created devastating effects on the Iranian economy and consequently the people of Iran the B.B.C.'s Persian Service is not allowed by the Iranian authorities to report from inside the country so how have you gone about reporting on the effects of the sanctions obviously it's very difficult because we don't have any reporters in the field but we have colleagues from the old days who are talking to us off the record we have family members we have friends and then we have our viewers which are biggest assets we also them to get in touch and to because of the anniversary of their imposition of the sanctions many of them said. Just clips and they explained how day to day life has become increasingly difficult and in the view of many of them it's the ordinary people of Iran who are being punished as a result of the sanctions rather than the Iranian authorities Taslima the total. I suffer from a mental disorder and due to the sanctions I have difficulty finding meds and my mood and how I feel relies on taking my medication and finding it has become a nightmare I have to go to 3 or 4 pharmacies to find my medication and I always feel stressed about finding my next dose This is increased my depression and anxiety and hams that I make buzz and stress that they my husband is retired and his pension barely covers the rent and paying the thought that when literally living hand to mouth both of us are working hard to make ends meet and it gets worse every day was that was. The b.b.c. Has also spoken to the u.s. Government to address concerns about the impact of sanctions on Iran's What's the Us been saying so the United States has repeatedly said that the sanctions are not targeting Uranian medicine and Iranian food but the problem that the Iranians face is that because of the banking sanction it's impossible to pay for foreign made medicine and that's why as we heard in the clip we have people who have food who find it very difficult to find their medicine specially if it's not made in Iran even the medicine that is made in Iran sometimes the components have to be imported from other countries so yes the United States is right medicine itself is not sanctioned but the fact that you can't pay for them means you can't import them we spoke with Brian hook us Russia representative for Iran and he defended us maximum pressure policy towards Iran our sanctions regime next. The exceptions for food and medicine and medical devices there were seem has a banking system that is completely dark and most banks around the world are very worried about doing business with these dirty Iranian banks and so they stay away we are putting in place a new humanitarian channel that we think will expedite the flow of more humanitarian assistance assessment that we need to do but it's something which the regime in many ways has forced other countries to do because they prioritize funding foreign adventures and exporting revolution over the welfare of their own people is there any sign that terror Ron is responding to these sanctions in the way that the u.s. Might want have they adjusted their nuclear stance at all no there are no signs that Iran is going to back down if anything they have escalated their nuclear activity so far they have taken 4 steps towards reducing their commitment to the a j c p o a which is the nuclear deal which the United States used to be part of until 18 months ago Iran has explained that the nuclear activity will be under the supervision all International Atomic Energy Agency i.a.e.a. And it can be reversed but they have lost hope because they've waited for a year they've given Europe to help Iran get out of this situation and Europe has failed and Iran is going to escalate its nuclear program. That was runaround him poor from the B.B.C.'s Persian service. On Thursday the government on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus announced it would revoke the so-called golden passports bought by 26 rich foreign investors and family members from outside the European Union the individuals involved weren't named but reports say they include 9 Russians $85.00 Chinese and a Malaysian the Malaysian person is suspected to be the businessmen Jolo wanted in connection with a massive investment scandal the one n.d.b. Case in which billions of dollars disappeared from a Malaysian state investment fund he has denied any wrongdoing Well joining us on the line now is Oliver bull a British journalist and author who researched the sale of gold and passports across the world for his most recent book titled money land why thieves and crooks now rule the world and how to take it back all over how do golden passport schemes work and what's in it for both parties. Well I mean they work in essentially the same way and an ordinary passport scheme works an ordinary passport scheme you you can either get a passport because you're born somewhere or because your descended from someone who was this adds a 3rd category which is that you can get a passport if you buy one but the passports are identical a they look the same way they work in the same way and that's super useful if your a wealthy person from a poor country because poor countries traditionally have passports that don't allow you to travel very very widely or work widely around the world unlike European or North American passports and that's a knowing if you will if you are very rich and so there are a number of these countries now which will essentially sell a passport is like a bit like selling a super visa and that gives these these these wealthy citizens of a poor country access to the kind of privileges that would normally only be available to citizens of a rich country and so why would a country like Cypress want to cancel golden passports. Well I mean you've got to go back to why they wanted to sell them in the 1st place I mean essentially the reason they sell passports is because it's free money really. Selling something which you can print yourself as money as you want and that is your sovereign right to print and then you sell them and you get and you get the money and there's no downside to Cyprus or mold so are other countries that do this because these people don't really want to live in those countries in the 1st place so they just want the possible because it allows them to travel widely now they claim that they do lots and lots of checks due diligence checks on the people applying to make sure only they're the most scrupulously honest people apply for them but there is always a temptation to say well we'll bend the rules a little bit because hey it's free money right and that's the problem that they appear to have found themselves in here they have essentially allowed a number of people who by any stretch of the imagination should not of qualified for this scrupulously honest passport scheme to to a passport and that has allowed you know potentially these people to travel around the world Incognito to travel much more widely than they should and in the case of Joe Blow who you mentioned he is a is a fugitive from what the Department of Justice has called his biggest ever catch actually case and he if he has a separate passport that means he'll be able to travel widely in it undetected so it's you know this is a serious issue and Cyprus does have a lot of questions to answer of what they've been up to me so is it appears is it just an embarrassment really 1st time Purrs that that Jolo might have a Cypriot passport is that why they might consider revoking such a scheme I mean as you said it's free money for countries that that might want it. It's true but these passport schemes they essentially skate on the on the edge of respectability they are widely criticized in other Western countries and they have been quite damaging to the reputation of countries that have previously been caught up in these kind of scandals think it's the nearest The Carbin Federation that started this whole sort of trend in selling passports back in the mid 2000 that had a country had a scandal with giving passports to Iranians who who ended up going to Canada which which the Canadians were very close about and Canada canceled visa free travel for the citizens of St Kitts and Nevis and it did a lot of reputational damage to the scheme so I think Cyprus will be looking what were they hoping by revoking these passports to make this look like you know this is just a few bad apples you know the rest of the scheme is fine and then with the long term aim that is won't damage the reputation of this game and people will keep buying the passports because this is a very competitive industry the passport selling one you know you can buy a Cypriot passport Oh oh you can buy Maltese passport and so multi will be licking their lips and oh well you know I'm I'm sure in the meetings I was I well a Cyprus one that's got a terrible reputation that what I've been up to by a Maltese possible instead right or you can buy a passport you know a cheaper passport not quite as good but for some of that Moldova that gives you travel rights into the into the or indeed as I said from from since its name is before other Caribbean countries all of which also give you travel rights into the year so it's it's a competitive fail so I think Cyprus will be hoping its It's not coming across as too sleazy this week by saying that we've taken early action when this was uncovered well if I'm going to bring my guests in he might have some observations or questions of their own Erica Yeah I wonder if you think that this may mark a tipping point or a sea change you know this Cypriot story does this mean that other countries are going to have their antenna up and this kind of practice might stop or at least reduce sadly not I think it's actually that you there is a tension in the. Between the fact that the the the system as it stands is essentially institutionally I'm fat if you are from a poor country you don't get the same rights as you say it is if you're for a rich country and that's through no hard work of our own or poor work of their own that's just the way the world works so there's going to be a constant demand from wealthy people from emerging markets who are going to want to have access to better travel documents than they get so I think that this is going to continue in fact the number of countries selling Costco's increases steadily all the time Montenegro is getting into the game there are often rumors about other countries getting into the game too so no I think this is just it's a blip it's a blip in a steady upward trend John counts now what do you think about the whole passport game yeah all of us view on and deeply skeptical I mean this is been a trend the super rich the unaccountable super rich and the very rich and the selling of possibles these gold possibles is just one a mess one manifestation of that tax havens is another. Legal unaccountability I mean one of the things Cyprus has just become a sort of off shore haven for Russians and what does fall not just e.u. Security but NATO security is is deeply problematic because with the Shang and with the Schengen. No restrictions. Approach of most countries not all most countries in continental Europe Bass's in a way a wedge that is just opened into the broader European continent but as I say it's it's also you have tendencies to violence and settling of scores between different rival groups as well and you just have a sense and this feeds into this populist resentment of people who own properties in countries in which they have absolutely no emotional or economic. Interest and it just tilts the power relationship not only in that regard but more generally to. All right well thank you to all of or below for speaking to us there you are listening to Weekend from the b.b.c. World Service It's 45 minutes past the hour. On this program this weekend we've been marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall but despite the reunification of Germany in 1990 stark political and social divisions remain and perhaps nowhere more so than in the city of Dresden in the former East Germany is often associated with far right an end to the migrant sentiments 5 years ago it was the birthplace of the piggy to movement the patriotic Europeans against the Islam as a sion of the West on one side of the river that runs through Dresden to get a March is once true tens of thousands even today the March participants number between several 100 and several 1000 on the other side of the river a different picture emerges is full of integration projects promoting multiculturalism as a Wallace found out when she visited. Was in place in that Old Town Hall strong cots played bass with the grand palaces built for the 18th century ruled with the strong people here are proud of the history was a nice was. Was I was going to the square in front of the foreign Kish splendidly rebuilt after a 2nd world war destruction is also where the and if you muslim piggy to movement have been meeting on Monday I recent video shows the square filled with flag waving supporters singing the German national anthem market space anniversary we don't need an ice cream example is going to be going to see you next week. Good evening if it's any good evening give Patchett a picky to sound and looks back on. In the past he has been investigated and fined by the disseminating hate speech but organizations like his focus on celebrating aspects of German history and culture because they say they need defending against what they call the threat of mass immigration. Across. The soundtrack play. Music Project. In trombone player and. We were always on the counter. To counter the new Nazi groups with demonstrations can get a bit boring we could lift the music. By 2015 kangaroo band was offering for the newly arrived migrants an asylum seekers who were allowed in when Germany opened its doors to more than a 1000000 refugees from Syria and. Is it regionally from Sierra Leone came to. Italy in Switzerland. So I just decided to live. Now 19 he sings and writes lyrics for the band it's training to be a cook and sees placed in. A way. Because I'm living the good. Cannot see the people. Something tells me everybody did everybody I've met. Before. Why do you come here. So. He's a Syrian refugee and has. To counter this. With an organization called Crash to give people an alternative view of the city. I joined him as he took a group of 15 year olds around a new town so it. Is not just a right wing city it is not just piggy. It's very multicultural and full of people who want to make the cities beautiful Unfortunately I have suffered racism in this city too mostly. In the new town I feel much better about things he said. According to taste and city council the numbers of foreigners living in this city is fairly low around 45000 just a population of about 550000 only about 8000 have some kind of refugee status like Daniel but even with his refugee pay it was when he joined the band that life improved now I feel completely different I want to stay here. I belong here. Community here. In the city and it's very good people especially. The kangaroo is just one of many integrity of projects springing up around. Managed by the Refugee Council and the city authorities a private groups. All involved lots of volunteers working to get the old and the new the 2 sides of the Elba River back together. I am. That report by Emma Wallace Well we're going to discuss now political divisions between young and old further beyond the former Iron Curtain Paula Arizona is a journalist and civic activist from Moldova That's the former Soviet Republic which is bordered by Romania to the West and Ukraine to the east she's currently based in London you've recently written an article for a national newspaper here in the u.k. In which you argue that the traditional left right spectrum that's often used to map out political views simply doesn't work in Eastern Europe why not well if there's a generational divide so a lot of young people like me on tending to Woods I'm all kind of Western like leftism but that's obviously complicated by the fact that we have this heritage from the Soviet Union all other communist countries and so on the one hand we have this kind of big oppressive inefficient state with secrets have a says that it's nice to listening to people's phone calls much more than. In Western European countries for instance and and you know you know if inefficient dysfunctional hospitals and schools etc and also a memory of to tell you Terry in asthma so for instance my you know my grandparents were victims of style Mr oppressions my parents my mom was you know was about to. Place at university because of the kind of a sorry Tarion rule that So there's this tension that's. Complicated by. An attitude to responding to rising inequality since the ninety's and the and the full of the Iron Curtain and then also. The more difficult different. Heritage that we have in Eastern Europe compared to the west so if you trying to take an idea. Progressive i.d.r. Leftist idea from the west and try to bring it back to Moldova how how might it be received well I mean I would say that the kind of grassroots lefty movements in remain and Moldova for instance are doing their own thing so they are adapting. These ideals to the local realities and that's a very important thing for them that they don't just import you know Weston and leftist ideas and so. You have for instance when we talk like I guess you for a lot of these movements corruption for instance is in specially in Moldova is still. An ideal that is widely. Corruption is on the ideal corruption is a fight that everyone is kind of. Trying to and. Basically what I'm trying to say is that in Eastern Europe and in Moldova specifically there's this consensus that we need to reform you know the judiciary Ole to get rid of them. And state corruption and so and that unites the whole of society but I guess the kind of new elements that young lefties bring to this is more awareness of how corruption in these countries is linked to corruption in the world at large and in Western countries as well and for instance you know well you guard systems in Eastern Europe us appointed by networks in the West and in in the case for instance as well and all of the below who was on the program has covered this widely. John Kampfner in Berlin at let's let's bring you into this this conversation you know how do you see the did the discourse being different in any strong Europe how is the history of that region really really colored what's going on there now but I'm so much I'm fascinated by what Paula said I want to ask her a question but I'm so much of the discussion I was what happened to the post 989 or and Soviet Union case and post 991. Sort of ideal that Francis Fukuyama end of history idea of liberal democracy and free markets would go hand in hand that they had won and that the world would be rosy now that walls had come down and totalitarianism had ended support of what what happened was that just Western Americans was it the power structure is just holding firm and stealing all the money. So I think that ideal is quite widely said amongst many parts of Eastern European societies but obviously. And I think you know that's my. Maybe less so the case and some countries than others but. But the issue is that you know the reality of the 1990s was that some people Gods rich really quickly and through kind of immoral means just because there was this. Time of. Legal moral cultural political change when. Some people who had more courage I don't know all one more cunning just profited from that so and then now way you know we're facing. A lot of problems to do with. Inequality and people who are left behind and I think these people's voices are starting to be heard again we don't have much time left but Erica Wagner do you for a brief question yeah I just wonder Paula whether you think as these younger people become more and more involved in politics if that will really change the political landscape of these countries that what we see as left and right will alter so at the moment I think it these movements are just grassroots activist movements so they haven't materialized into actual political parties but I can see that changing in the future Paul Arizona thank you very much do stay with us you're listening to Weekend on the b.b.c. Worlds are. My. Public radio for the north coast of California and the southern coast of Oregon you're listening to cage s u h d. H s our Crescent City and. Garberville. Use translators r k 260 Q Willow Creek and. B.b.c. World Service it's. See this is weekend. Polls have just opened in Spain for what will be the country's for the election in just 4 years dozens of. Uncontrolled across eastern Australia the blazes which are expected to worsen have already claimed at least 3 lives. And a literary look at the 100 books that inspired the great David Bowie and with us for the program guests British American author and literary journalist and John Kampfner British journalist and broadcaster that's here and he can. Hello this is David Alston with the b.b.c. News polls have opened in Spain's 4th general election in as many years the socialist acting prime minister Petro Sanchez is hoping to secure the majority that eluded him last April has Guy Hedgecoe although Mr Sanchez is socialists have been leading polls it is likely they will again fall short of a majority and will need the support of other parties in order to govern but in Spain's current political climate that could be a major challenge the country has been polarized by the Catalonia crisis which has deepened in recent weeks and the issue has dominated the election campaign the far right Vox which takes a particularly tough line against the independence cause appears to have been the main beneficiary of the turmoil just days before he leaves office Lanka's president has granted a controversial pardon to a deaf.