afro germany starting december tenth d w. this is d w news live from berlin tanks on the streets of zimbabwe but the army denies it's staging a coup. we should make it abundantly clear that the season not and needed to all of the. still the army has occupied state t.v.

and says it wants to remove criminals from the government now that has the fight to succeed the ailing president robert mugabe intensifies we'll get the very latest from our correspondent on the ground also coming up. all straley a says yes to same sex marriage in a non-binding postal poll two thirds of participants backed the change now the government wants to make it law by christmas. i'm brian thomas welcome to the show a night of unrest in zimbabwe with shooting and explosions reported in the capital harare but the army says it is not a coup it's saying this is a targeted assault on criminals surrounding president robert mugabe and promised that he is safe but tanks are on the streets of harare. and the army has taken over

the state broadcaster soldiers have sealed off the government and parliamentary buildings the situation remains confuse the opposition has called for a return to democracy now this after them bob ways army chief had warned that the army could step in to calm tensions over the garveys possible successor. in a statement on national t.v. the army denied speculation that the ongoing military operation is a coup what is my wood fence foresees is doing is to pos if i. did united team political social and economic situation in our country which if not addressed made. in my own it. to members of these about would fence forces overly is console

and your old pretend your buttocks with the emitted it let it be clear that we tended to address the human security to put it you know kind therefore any provocation will be met with an appropriate response let's go straight to zimbabwe now where correspond privilege on the here is reporting for us from harare privileged you've been out on the streets of harare what did you see what's happening out there. yes there is a military presence in this case so far out it particularly in the area where the what we could call the government district where it the parliament the high court the supreme court and the quest attritional court as well as the president's office is located there a suit off by soldiers and tanks are also stationed in the same

area they're not allowing anyone to pass through but clearly the street which was a. main introns of the prisons office now this appears to be part of a power struggle over who might be replacing president robert mugabe is his time as the nation's leader coming to an end. right now is difficult to say because. in the statement at the raid out during the night they are still at the only thing prison governor is the president and their commander in chief of the defense forces sort of and they're also saying that is safe. and he said it and his family i guaranteed sure it's. yet you know it's early days to illegal now concluded that probably that's the end

of his heater or he has been pushed out because the i'm stupid are going to nice is him is the head of state ok now my god his wife grace she's waiting in the wings to assume power how does she fit into the political equation. now it is difficult to be due for head to assume the vice president's because if the enemy is after he allies because. from one message or the you know the information that is floating around there's been a least of about nineteen. people while here allies that have been working with us in terms of. going to easing rallies and also. the you know pushing for the expulsion or for our people who were aligned to the former vice president a muslim and others so now they're kind of did you got to see that she will be able to assume the vice president's post that looking at this current scenario with the

army has taken all the and after the allies ok what are the nations politicians saying about all of the have you heard from them. yes there is in a statement statements coming from the well positioned really to go by and he is. calling for the restriction of the constitutional order. when there are fears that. they don't know how it is going to end is that only twenty years to be in china that their fear is that broadly the not getting the assurance that the only same that they have not taken will that this is not in military or this is not just. you know immediate other people but it is just for it should dispensation when they are trying to sort out what the same was something that was getting out

of hand particularly from the factional fights that we're coming up out from the ruling but if that's the way now that it was invited as a kind of we. have privileged most fun hearing for us there in harare following the developments there thanks very much for that you're welcome and now for some of the other stories making the news today russian lawmakers have backed measures that would force some international media outlets to register as foreign agents a mover seen as a response to u.s. pressure on russia's state funded r t channel to register as a foreign agent in the us american intelligence has alleged r t was used to meddle in the twenty sixteen election campaign russia denies the allegations. us secretary of state rex tillerson has called for a credible probe into abuses against me and mars range of muslims but advised

against levying sanctions on the country's government told us that his enemy in march for talks with leader aung san suu kyi more than six hundred thousand range of muslims have fled military operations in me and maher for neighboring bangladesh . around state media says the death toll from sunday's earthquake on the border to iraq has exceeded five hundred thirty it was a rounds deadliest quake in more than a decade some thirty thousand homes were damages and survivors say aid has been slow to reach them. to australia now and sixty percent of australians have given their support to same sex marriage in a non-binding postal poll on the issue the government says it will make same sex unions legal by the end of the year campaigners have been out celebrating the result. she is of jubilation in australia.

and some spontaneous proposals as it's announced that the majority destroyed voted for gay and lesbian people to be able to marry. today means everything to hear that a strike is the sixty one percent of the o.g.t.t. . we're just going to love and we're just so thrilled and happy thank you it's right thank you so much yeah. in mice and so high as thousands gathered in parks around the country to celebrate the results of the national postal service and. watershed moment for gay rights in australia where it was illegal in some states to engage in homosexual activity up until nine hundred ninety seven yeah it's been a really special moment it's and it's a similar with my mom and i think. it's the point in our history or way of saying. we've got resoundingly for a better. country and that is so special. the voice is nonbinding

been destroyed his prime minister malcolm turnbull said parliament would now legislation on the bill. i voted yes for a commitment i voted yes for love and now it is up to us here in the parliament of a strike to get on with it. to get on with the job the astrology and people of costs to do and get this done this year before christmas. eve the bill passes muster and it would be the twenty sixth country in the wonton eagle unstained thinks marantz. well the bills backers have been celebrating australia's yes vote by sharing their personal love stories on social media like this couple this user saying that even if the official bill still has to be passed by parliament in his eyes this marriage equality map sure looks a lot better after today some are marking the results of the same sex marriage

survey in their own way the sydney opera house for example lighting up the famous building in rainbow colors and we also see high ranking politicians congratulating the country like canada us prime minister justin trudeau he says love wins in australia thrilled to hear australians have voted in favor of legalizing same sex marriage canada legalized same sex marriage in two thousand and five. well the european parliament is meeting today in strasburg to determine if it wants to sanction poland over the rule of law situation in that country poland's ruling law and justice party has in the past two years and acted a series of reforms that the use as undermines democracy and the rule of law these include new legislation on the appointment of judges and moves towards greater restrictions on the media now if the european parliament decides to sanction poland that party could lose that country rather could lose its a voting rights in the european union. our correspondent max often joins us

now from strasburg with the very latest max we understand that the debate has already started on this where you are walk away expect to happen today. it's a very high flying emotional debate so far we do expect them to vote for that resolution that would basically ask the member states it would have to decide to start this article seven procedure that you just mentioned also called the nuclear option in brussels and in strasbourg because it could potentially strip poland of its voting rights in the european union something that has never happened before and high flying emotions well because you have some polish members of the european parliament who say this is all just an anti polish crusade one of them even walked out and the more moderate parties for example the social democrat saying listen this is not at all anti polish crusade but we're trying to shed light on what they called the weapons of mass distraction not destruction distraction that the polish

government is using to deflect attention from what it's really doing which is of course stripping the polish citizens of their rights and max could this type of pressure where you are a lead the polish government to change its course on its political program. on simmons is here with the vice president of the european commission who's in charge of this whole procedure and he's very frustrated because he's invited the polish government multiple times to talk this over they don't come they just respond in writing they don't give one step they don't back down and so this vote here could help to give some legitimacy to the commission and also to the member states who will eventually will have to decide whether they want to trick or article seven or not and that's important because then it's hard to say that this is a polish crusade if you have a democratically elected institution like the european parliament throwing its weight behind it max often following a very important debate for us today and strasburg thanks very much max. we have

some sports and football now and two favorites for next year's world cup germany and france met in cologne last night it was a final international test this year for both teams. the friendly against france was coached yohimbe lives last test in twenty seventeen and both teams came out lively after half an hour and danced around nicklaus and played in alexandra like a set. and easy tap into good friends so one no late. after the break it was measured turn to produce a bit of magic team then a taking advantage. finishing with aplomb through the cape his legs. fifteen minutes later france were back in front of his sats once again put through and go to one to friends. and a superb assist providing the struck his second on the night. but germany snatched

a draw at the death rushed in to make it two two with defense splitting pass decisive. a satisfactory end to twenty seventeen for both coaches. this is the news i'm brian thomas for the entire news team thanks so much for being with us and rita will be with you with more news at the top of the hour and don't forget there's always more of a website d.w. dot com i buy. into this is that i think it's really important to give a bit of time and love back to the fans who make so much effort.