last thing on our origins. the invisible hands. slavery in the twenty first century. story december second on d w. this is d w news live from berlin zimbabwe facing an uncertain future that after a military intervention set in motion the endgame for president mugabe after almost four decades in power can the country make a peaceful transition to

a future without i'll be talking to our correspondent in the capital harare also coming up cows coal and cars just three of the topics that could stop on the macro from forming a new german government and possibly see her out of office we'll get an update as time runs out on coalition to go sheesh. and a five hundred year old masterpiece by davinci becomes the most expensive piece of art ever sold at auction a cool one fifty million laid down. i'm brian thomas a very warm welcome to the show zimbabwe is confronting an uncertain future after the army intervened in the succession to president robert mugabe ninety three year old is under house arrest at this hour as the army patrol streets many are hoping

the military will make good on its promise a political change. the army stresses this isn't a coup but with tanks and military vehicles blocking off parliament and government buildings in the capital harare it sure looks like one and the coup is something the rest of the african union has said it will not accept. you know we in the african union are against any violent government overthrow. issued a statement saying the army should retreat and return to constitutional order. would support the legitimate zimbabwean government and in no case will we accept a forceful seizure of power for the fate of president robert mugabe and his wife grace is unclear but they appear to be in the custody of the military who say the couple are safe the army's intervention comes after months of power wrangling over

who will succeed ninety three year old mcgovern who has ruled the country since one thousand nine hundred eighty last week mugabe fired vice president emerson one ghagra he was widely viewed as the hair apparent and backed by some of the country's most powerful generals that sacking seemed to clear the path for grace mugabe to become the next in line now the military has stopped her ascent at least temporarily and an influential group of war veterans once stunned mugabe supporters themselves is calling for him to step aside completely with. the robot governor for the better corps from is the role as the president and first. frustration has been growing in zimbabwe it used to be wealthy but thirty seven years of mugabe's rule have left the economy in tatters and the question of who

will take over to try and repair it has now been thrown wide open. let's go straight to zimbabwe now where privilege most on here is standing by for us reporting from harare what's the situation right now where you are in the capital. this situation i could describe it is tense and competence in the sense that you it is unprecedented to have tanks stationed in the central business district you know how. it's unusual and then calmness comes in this sense that people are going about their business some not going to. particularly civil servants and some shops late today shops are open and people are asked to queuing in and have been queues to try and now exists the amount. of people of course the skip to go there. just to know what is going to come out will

fuck this kind of situation ok certainly certainly a lot of anxiety where is right now the man who ruled this country for forty years president robert mugabe and his wife grace do we know. president that it is still going to find to house arrest their whereabouts of these why. not very clear there were reports that one tuesday when i mean in this statement that they would intervene in windy beach where the deed negotiations that seek would be given out pretty pass it to leave the country with your family but is that the some reports were coming out to see that she is now in the media but all of those are unconfirmed reports ok it looks like south africa has started taking

a role in this crisis could you fill us in on that. yes yes the date was so so logic and president zuma always the current subject to piss in the sand delegation. to me just as the one. foreign affairs minister and the other one was asked it's a huge media to come and speak to for the sites that i meet and prison gabi to really come to find out. the problem and what has brought this integration but i'm. dittos of what discussing it to come out we're also expecting. that maybe probably today we me if some detail is coming out but. it took that to do a sudden or so it's cool to wait troika meeting.

got their own with three countries that are in the tree couple decided that way to meet it decided it quits as you got it really didn't want to discuss about this situation in zimbabwe ok a very fluid situation right now politically privilege most fun harry reporting for us from harare thanks very much now for some of the other stories making the news today lebanon's former prime minister saad hariri has accepted an invitation to travel from saudi arabia to paris that's according to france's foreign minister this after beirut had accused riyadh of detaining hariri following his shock resignation earlier this month as a rival date has not yet been announced. human rights watch is accused them in marm military of the widespread raping of raw hinge or women and girls arise group alleges that for the past three months me and mar security forces have used sexual

violence as part of its tactic of ethnic cleansing against the muslim minority in mars' army has denied the allegations. greece's declared a day of national mourning after severe floods in athens left at least fourteen people dead more heavy rains are expected today officials say the death toll could rise as crews search flooded homes. the u.s. delegation at the united nations climate conference in the german city of bombs expected to defend president trump's rejection of a global action plan on climate change now this is other leaders push negotiators for urgent action to reduce c o two emissions. well it is crunch time for germany's would be government as the deadline looms for negotiations between possible coalition partners although i'm ackles conservatives want to deal with the free democrats and the greens but those junior partners could walk away from talks

and force a new all action if their demands are not mad and if america wants to remain germany's chancellor she must solve a slew of problems and the clock is ticking down. their party colors may reflect those of the jamaican flag but germany's conservatives greens and free democrats don't match up so nicely when it comes to forming a coalition. it won't be easy it'll be a tough experiment even so they seem to be on the same path in at least a few areas there's little disagreement on foreign policy with compromises reached over how to deal with difficult partners. and all agree that affordable housing is urgently needed there's also consensus on the right to extended child care for elementary school children as well as increased support for families. and the parties see the need for a label indicating fair treatment of animals the clock is ticking and the parties

are still miles apart on other issues. issues like climate protection the greens want a rapid shutdown of coal fired power plants. but the conservatives and free democrats are against it even though that would mean anglo-american misses her own climate targets. through this in us dollars we know that germany's a country that still uses a large amount of coal and so it has to make a considerable contribution in order to fulfill these goals figuring out exactly how to do that is something that we will have to discuss together precisely in the coming days. but the biggest hurdle to a coalition is the subject of migration and especially whether to allow family members to join those already here something the federal government has suspended for two years. refugee organizations closely allied with the greens are up in arms

. the evidence from to my we expect the same of the jamaica coalition as we would have every other federal government that they respect refugees fundamental and human rights and not violate those. but which tradeoffs can the parties agree on how many compromises will they be able to swallow while still looking their supporters in the eyes. at anonymous collector has paid four hundred fifty million dollars a record price for a painting by the renaissance master leonardo da vinci now it's an astounding price for a painting that was once thought to be one of the students previously did change hands for just a few thousand dollars but it christie's new york while it was a completely different story. ladies and gentlemen we move to differentiate the subjects of modern day savior of the world the portrayed of jesus christ like cool the breath of everyone in the room. many wanted to record the historic moment the

auction that was selling one of the less than twenty known paintings by the master of the italian renaissance. christie's four million dollars is that. the pictures. so. the work was patches by an unidentified by a via telephone at a price that shattered the record for artworks sold at auction plus the fees that's four hundred fifty million dollars four times the price christie's had asked to meet it fifty million dollars fifty two million dollars the buyer obviously wanted the painting. which was an advantage for me. and. the buy it was was was what i would say rather calm for making this kind of. money. the portrait dates from around fifteen hundred and was presumed lost until the early twentieth century over the years it had been partly repainted so people thought it was only by a disciple of leonardo. it's true identity was only revealed with it and owners had

it cleaned and discovered the original painting and the need. the auction house not it was a rare opportunity when it announced to say last month works by him come on the market never and it is not just a painting by leonardo it's a great painting by leonardo of the sort that is absolutely unobtainable and has been on the quantum attainable for well over a century so this is a once in a not even a lifetime a once in several lifetimes opportunity the palios identity has not been revealed so it remains an open question whether the public will ever have a chance to see the book again. some sports now and russia's hopes of making the winter olympics in pyongyang south korea february and very much in the balance after the world anti-doping agency decided not to lift its suspension wada says

russia's anti-doping body has made improvements in the past of years but that the country has not fulfilled all requirements first russia still refuses to publicly accept the results of an investigation that detailed state sponsored doping and they still will not allow access to urine samples gathered from suspected cheats the i.o.c. has the final say in december earlier i spoke to a higher sample he's the investigative journalist who first broke the russian doping scandal i asked him whether waters decision would affect russia's hopes of competing in the winter games. well as a pressure gets higher for the international olympic committee because if you. don't big engines it's not cold cold compliant that means that. and then doping work in russia doesn't work and good way let's also. spend it in moscow so there are many reasons to believe that it's

a constant of us russia and russian sports doesn't allow them to compete at the olympics but to must pass a dramatic is he president has a different take on that he is against a collective punishment so i believe there is still a chance that russia will be testy that the olympics intention two thousand eight hundred. several to get your minder now the top stories we're following for you zimbabwe remains under military control a day after the army seized key institutions presently gobby is under house arrest this official seek a peaceful solution to the army's intervention. i'm brian thomas from the the entire news team thanks so much for being with us. in just a tad this is the one hundred and i think it's really important to give a bit of time and look back to the families who make so much effort.