State in the philippines but some believe president all that he could do thursday is declaring victory too soon we have a special report. And more medals up for grabs at the Winter Olympics are frances most dumb forgotten takes his third gold of the games in the willing finish to the mixed by a blonde reeling over a new that and a whole lot more from day eleven and john shaq. And a lot of from the bruin International Film festival we just saw the crowd go wild for Joaquin Phoenix well tell you all about it coming up. Thank you very much for your Company Everyone we start our broadcast in syria where government backed troops have entered. A kurdish enclave in the north of the country raising the specter of a deadly confrontation with turkey columns of fighters were seen moving into our city in the spite threats from turkey that it would lay siege to the city in the coming days are reports that turkey has already begun shelling the area their region is controlled by Kurdish Forces turkey considers them terrorists. All right lets get you the latest on those unfolding developments syrian progovernment fighters entering kurdish and african despite turkish threats and dorian jones is in istanbul dorian what more are you hearing where you are well turkish president one has spoken about this incident hes told to play it down he says turkey should tillery opened fire on these columns of militia heading towards the Syrian Kurdish enclave and he claims that they will forced to retreat back out of a free and he said that these militias who are acting on their own malt with the support of damascus and he said the incident is now closed for now this follows reports of large numbers of militia many believed to be linked to the damascus regime as well as the iranian backed militia had announced that they would joining the Syrian Kurdish militia the y. P. In its efforts to resist the turkish offensive into ok well daryn what do you make of this kind of conflicting reporting reporting that because yesterday we heard from the Syrian State Television that they are supporting the kurds fight against turkey whos telling the truth here. Well it is it is an example of this ongoing tensions and disinform ation and information put out by both sides the turkish president earlier today was claiming a diplomatic victory he said after speaking with these russian and iranian counterparts he make clear that it would not tolerate any interference by any militias or Syrian Forces into his operation into africa claiming a victory and then announcing that his forces would have violence on the african main town also called afrin and lay siege now following those tough statements and it appears that the militia whether with damascus is support or not decided to bluff and try to break this ongoing see an offensive that is being launched by Turkish Forces it is very worrying though because this does bring the prospect of. Because militarily facing off a nightmare some are it scenario to all those involved in this ongoing syrian civil conflict going by what youve been reporting just right now what is the likelihood and damascus facing off and an all out war. Well i think the feeling is that neither side really wants to get into a direct military confrontation because that brings with it a whole huge number of risks as well as destabilizing not only syria but ultimately turkey as well but where the risk lies is of both sides of supporting militia which have had long fuse for out the Syrian Civil War the fear is that those militias will eventually face off and both sides of an Damascus Forces will be sucked in to a wider conflict and that is a nightmare scenario for moscow because most co is backing the Syrian Regime by the same time courting in its efforts to bring an end to the Syrian Civil War because of links and support of the syrian rebel forces behind the scenes moscow is working very hard to defuse these tensions because it really sees a threat to the railing its efforts to end the Syrian Civil War and provide an exit strategy for moscow out of this conflict dorian jones reporting from istanbul thank you very much and as dorian there has been alluding to in his reporting are russia plays a very significant role in syrias protracted civil war lets take you now to moscow where correspondent Emily Sherman is standing by and ali. Explain to us exactly how russia is involved in this conflict. Well it certainly is complicated first of all its worth pointing out that russia has been backing Syrian Forces all along in this conflict but when it comes to afrin it seems that russia is going into some sort of a balancing act and that became clear today in the statements of the foreign minister Sergey Lavrov he said that russia understands both the kurdish position and the turkish position he also defended syria emphasizing the importance of syrias territorial integrity after all syria says that turkey has violated the territorial integrity so heres why russia is trying to balance between all those players syria is a long term ally of russias and russias been fighting on the side of the Syrian Forces and in part russia wants a foothold in the middle east through syria theyve already agreed to have an airbase in syria for the next forty nine years now turkey is an ally that russia has been courting theyve been selling arms to turkey especially as turkey becomes more distant to the u. S. And nato and when it comes to the kurds things are a little a little bit more complicated now there are historical ties there but the kurds say that theyve actually been betrayed when it comes to afrin by the russians they say that turkey would have never gone into syrian airspace without russia agreeing so it seems the kurds have kind of drawn the short straw on this balancing act at the moment but certainly russia is bouncing between turkey and syria. Probably wont be able to have it all so what can moscow do if anything to help book calm this conflict between turkey and syria. Well it seems that moscow will try to take on the role of the mediator afterword after all they do have some sway over both turkey and syria particularly over syria and today the kremlin spokesman seemed to confirm that he said that russia is watching the situation in africa closely and that they are talking to both the turkish and the syrian side and theyll be keen to play that mediator role after all thats the role that theyve been very much playing or trying to project themselves as playing in the syria conflict they want to kind of mediate the syrian peace theyve been holding peace talks in austin and they also held peace peace talks this year in syria so theyll be interested in keeping out that mediating role and also russia is looking for an exit out of this conflict in fact the russian president Vladimir Putin said that most of the troops most of the Russian Troops have already been pulled out he said that at the end of the year that russia will be pulling out its troops so russia will not want this conflict to be flaring up again. And we sure are reporting from moscow thank you. And elsewhere in syria the rebel held suburbs of damascus known as Eastern Ghouta are also under siege Government Forces have been pounding the area for three days running and supported that up to two hundred civilians have been killed the Syrian Civil Defense known as the white how much sway least this footage that youre seeing right here but porting to show survivors of shelling carried out earlier today the u. N. Is warning Eastern Ghouta could become a second. While weve been seeing a cascade a very very alarming pictures coming out of that area and joining us now in the studio is how to do a google race he is a middle east analyst thank you so much for being here lets start with the eastern. Whats going on there. And what has been on that siege for i think around three years now it is a majority some the region like the majority of syria the spin speed heading very bored lots of peaceful protests remember this is from damascus by six kilometer is it people in damascus can see almost everything thats happening in these them through those is unthinkable part of the miles because other than a nice three divisions this is damascus itself and this is the lets say the poor of working more working class or damascus border with good roots that has been the forefront of the initiative peaceful protest movements against the rules of the family. For the resistance right as residents have been describing it as an all out attack what is the assad regime trying to do here just force them to surrender yes i mean its using increasingly this is been raising the ante of the firepower the. Order on indiscriminate bodman to force the population to that end to to drive better but its the look we had incurred. In so much civilian casualties that we have to evacuate and ride the infamous you know green buses which is very little incentive another would you had the population transferred and now you have seen their population transferred is basically ethnic cleansing so lets talk about the civilians why dont they surrender why are they still there well lots of them had fled but lots of them have because their homes are and theyve learned the experience of other areas in syria or even the experience of the palestinians from the past that if you abandon your home in the middle east youre almost assured that you would never go about god just saying shes different the government saying theyre being used by the rebels as human shields so they have a point where i mean i mean this is this is a tried and tried to use tactics by the government always to try to drive a wedge between their buddies and the civilian population and to try to divert the attention at the notion that this is a six thirty and and why not if you think that in the shimada getting headed by the media for the last forty years that wants to repeat the genocide and be i think claim things that they did not want against the sunni population the nineteen eighties this is equal to the should of the tactics as the father used against the sunni there but in the one nine hundred eighty s. This is essentially a sectarian struggle of a minority of government against the was right at the population lets talk now about the other situation thats unfolding as we speak after you. What do you make of the kurds uniting joining forces with the pro Government Troops is this a marriage of convenience well that this is not the first theyve been told is united defacto united i mean the people aidid the Kurdish Militia from the onset of the cedar devoid have had the g. M. Put down peaceful protests and present could this dissidents. To be chewed the delivered they could be just too and for that if you put it to good gains so this is not the first stone marriage of convenience or the first time a law is and remember that the allied with the government have this score to settle with the goods enough for you. In the seeds and destruction of aleppo again is the result at least on the population so that it is the middle school here if you look at those who are there freed compared to what the us that is doing but it looks like a months clean that war if it is that you think if there is such a thing and with so many players involved its just becoming more fraught and of course the civilians are the ones that are suffering. Over ways mideast expert here in berlin thank you well. I want to tell you now about some of the other stories making news around the world. The head of oxfam has apologized for the eight organizations handling of a sex scandal Maher Goldring was responding to accusations oxfam covered up allegations of Sexual Misconduct by staff in haiti goldring said he was sorry for the damage caused to the people of haiti. The Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and hasnt called for an International Peace conference to provide a long lasting solution to the mideast crisis and ensure a palestinian state appearing before the u. N. Security Council Abbas also criticized americas decision to move its Israeli Embassy to jerusalem. Iran says it has located the wreckage of a plane that crashed into a mountain two days ago with sixty five people on board rescue workers will have to recover bodies from the debris by foot due to the rough terrain records show the plane only recently resumed service after spending six years in storage. A new suspension bridge with a glass floor has brought the rails and delight to tourists in china. Province the bridge some one hundred sixty meters above gorge was opened to the public just in time for the spring festival holiday. Very brave souls here in germany the center left social democrats have started voting on whether to enter a Second Coalition with americans Conservatives Party members have a little over a week to cast their ballots and the results will be announced on march fourth the deal has deeply divided the espys rank and file and its a battle thats pitting the Party Establishment against its future leaders. Nothing is more important for the social democrats over the next ten days and these kind of town Hall Meetings the partys grassroot is deeply divided as to whether they should agree to a grand Coalition Deal or not and the face of the rebellion against american Led Coalition is this young man kevin the leader of the party is used to doing hes trying to get members to vote no. And. Really what are we can explain to the people why a no vote to this grand Coalition Deal which i am calling for doesnt only mean a no but also a yes because if were serious and pledge our word it can be a chance to create a different new more social democratic policy or to put it to someone in. The face of the internal opposition the social democrats general secretary last cling but its rooting for a yes vote its a first face off of many tonight the debate civilized but passionate in the middle of the event news breaks for the first time the far right alternative for Germany Party has overtaken the s. P. D. In a National Poll the new numbers are a disaster for the party but the Coalition Campaign thinks its best to hold course. This is the best way to tackle bad poll results to develop good concrete policies which improve peoples everyday lives thats why i want us to vote for this and then quickly get a new government implemented policies i bet the s. P. D. Will also be stronger against their. That is why the partys establishment will tour the country in the next week in support of the Coalition Deal passed referendums have been formalities but this time as the town hall show is the result is far from assured. I have two hearts beating in my chest one is for social democracy on the other hand im a citizen of this country and as a citizen i am hoping to have a stable government and this is why i will vote for a grand coalition. Because according to one system early in your agenda just doesnt represent our general. Anymore that could lead to a Coalition Deal postponed all the important decisions too after twenty twenty five or it took fatal decisions such as the Water Climate protection. Division is simmering at the grassroots of germanys oldest poteen and its this kind of opposition that in the end could still prevention many from having a stable government anytime soon. All right a lots to discuss the obvious Political Correspondent simon young joins us right now good to see a son first of all there are concerns that this critical vote could be hijacked by the twenty five thousand new members who joined since the start of this year who are these new members and how could they affect the vote. I can show you one of those hes a ploy to join the party likely this dog here as reported in todays newspaper frivolous attempt by a dog to you know satisfy the conditions to register for membership and join at this late stage Party Managers say theyre going to block that but it shows you the level of enthusiasm there is to get it get involved in this vote i dont think a hijack to be quite the right word to be honest the party has accepted that anyone who legitimately registered or didnt register by the stick to february will be able to have their say so that should go ahead as normal is clear that a lot of people a lot of young people have joined the part fully joined the party in the last few weeks and a lot of them are energized by this message from the young socialists the whats needed now is not more of the same but new ideas new thinking and they say that wont come in government with angle americal but rather in opposition all right what does that tell us simon if you know if this make or break a vote to form a government falls through and s. P. D. Members vote against a working with the americans the conservatives. You know what would happen was seems most likely that there would be fresh elections that could take a few months to organize but i have to say i see it as most likely most s. P. D. Members will plump in the end for