this is due to the news coming to you live from berlin the world starts ringing in the new year the clock has just struck of made nice in new zealand top of the old plans your next seeing live pictures all the sky tower this busy is starting off

the new year with a bang with the world's first major fireworks display all twenty eight seen at deafening show pyrotechnics at time lines of the skyline for a full five minutes. i'm out of donald and welcome to the program and a very happy new year to new zealand we're looking at live pictures right now from all clouds it's the first major stacie to ring in the new year and they are doing it with go through a major fireworks display set off from the city's two hundred meter high sky tower and we will be going live in just a few moments to find they have celebrations are going the first let's take a look at preparations underway here in germany for new year's eve and tight security measures are being put in place at the brandenburg ace where the main

festivities will take place. the finishing touches on preparations for new year's eve in berlin and the brandenburg gate is getting ready to host hundreds of thousands of people a massive party and an even bigger security concern. course there will be police at the event especially outside as well as five hundred security personnel. we have strict admission policies will be checking all visitors and their bags and no fireworks glass bottles large bags or suitcases will be allowed and there will be concrete poles outside the event as well as vehicle road blocks. and. the blocks are to prevent truck attacks like the one on a christmas market at brightside plots last year but another major concern is women's safety during the celebrations. for the first time organizers in berlin are setting up a place for women to seek help at attention run by the german red cross volunteers

will be on hand to help anyone who has been sexually assaulted or just needs a place of refuge celebrations are also planned at the cologne cathedral near the city's main train station this is where hundreds of women were assaulted or robbed on new year's eve two years ago many of the suspects were recent immigrants or asylum seekers fueling criticism of chancellor angela merkel's decision to let more than a million migrants into germany. but after the masses salts in cologne do women feel less safe. i'm not the kind of person to be afraid and so honestly i haven't really thought about it i won't be at the clone cathedral but i live in cologne and i go out at night without any worries. because i'm not worried about it i think there are enough security measures after what happened. yeah i don't know something should be done about this but i think it's clear that you won't be safe anywhere. germany isn't taking any chances it's beefing up security with more

police on the streets and video surveillance cameras hoping to usher in a happy and peaceful new year. and two people have been killed in the western a rainy and city of protests across the country state officials have denied security forces were responsible and said foreign agents also unconfirmed social media reports say place shot the protesters state officials have warned that those stoking disorder will quote pay the price protests against unemployment inflation and corruption went. in several cities across iran the capital tehran still burning bins in the burning building. of the gates of the university hundreds of students and others clutched with police. earlier state television finally reported the demonstrations that have been spreading over the last few days the newsreader blamed what she called hostile websites and alien

media for stirring up just as his faction on call the protests illegal state television showed a peaceful demonstration but there were clashes earlier with police in the western city of come on show. the government does not like support tens of thousands of iranians took part in rallies planned for weeks they commemorate pro-government demonstrations eight years ago that put an end to unrest following a disputed election rallies were shuttled in more than one thousand two hundred locations on saturday but some supporters did acknowledge that there were valid reasons to protest and what people are protesting because they are under economic pressure the government must be responsive in the face of rising inflation and economic hardships. to get them out of it and the people have protested against inflation and other problems but that doesn't show that people have turned on each other or are against the ruling says time and the leadership.

security police are everywhere in the islamic republic so open political protest is rare but this crowd in the port of banda shouted we don't want a clerical regime that suggests that what began as frustration over unemployment inflation and corruption has become something more revolutionary. for more we're joined by iranian journalist states comedy dig on he's at the guardian newspaper in london say they you have been monitoring the situation what is the latest that you're hearing. i mean last night the demonstrations became bigger in provinces a lot of people went out in the streets in different cities across iran and what is interesting about this new wave of protests in iran is that it's not focused in tehran the capital you know going to compare it to the two thousand and nine quarters for example it's mainly happening in the provinces and of course there are some of the there were some clashes in some cities and in the last on province in

a city afterward as you mentioned two people were killed and there were no videos of the moment they were killed posted online if art is in iran today you know that they were not killed by the anti-riot police they were killed they blamed their deaths on you know foreign intelligence services and three groups. but. well it's too soon to say. how the handling of the reigning authorities last night was heavy handed or not but there appears to be only does limited in the reports of deaths so far so u.s. president donald trump has he said that the world is watching the actions that there were any in regime is the real uranian government at this point worry debased pressure from the international community. i mean. of course iranian authorities have always had suspicion that the u.s. wants regime change in iran you know sometimes under describing our station in

washington they've been very blunt about it don't they want regime change in iran so there is no i mean of course what trump said is not going to go down well among the authorities in iran i have to say from my understanding from what i see iranians themselves by large also do not approve of the policies of trauma who impose a travel ban on all iranians a blanket travel ban on all iranians. but of course these are difficult times for iran in the parties is a big challenge for damn for the president rouhani was imperent iran as the president this is the biggest challenge to the iranian leadership since two thousand and nine from his chance the rare chance of last night but there were deaf to hominids supreme leader sauced chance so active resistance is quite rare inside iran the road images are arch a lot harmony was for example taken down from the street so to ron not a studio at least so these are interesting times that was the update there from the area during the sede thank you for the. next of the other stories making

news around the world. liberian president elect george has promised to tackle corruption in the country in his first speech since winning the election he also declared liberia was open for investment as victory marks the first democratic transfer of power in the country in over seventy years the. footage has emerged from the hostage standoff at a post office in eastern ukraine that ended peacefully on saturday the man seen here had claims to have firearms and explosives place him arrested the man and all nine hostages were released unharmed authorities say the suspect had a history of drug related offenses. four indian soldiers and three suspected militants have been killed after an attack on a paramilitary camp in disputed kashmir officials say gunmen stormed the compound near so they're in a village no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. while

tennis fans know that the new year brings the first major tournament of the season the australian open germany's antony kerber one is in twenty sixteen but her star has fallen dramatically here in germany nico. taken over the number one spot and she nearly broke into the world top ten this year and it's under its fair is already there on the men's side and he has his sights set on his first grand slam title here's more on the stars of german tennis. it was a year to forget. she started twenty seventeen as it was number one but down the rankings after dismount performances on the way up is alexander germany's shooting star one five titles and defeated roger federer and novak djokovic his grand slam performances when a spectacular that he finished twenty seventeen as what number four. looking at his ranking you expect to see him always reach semifinals he has to show it turned the

second year is always tough. for you here twenty seventeen was a tennis you to remember she even received praise from idol steffi after becoming germany's number one female player following a slow start to the year this one two titles the first silverware since twenty eleven. i think the heat was an eventful year for me and there were some close defeats and some very big ones i lost games at the french open and wimbledon despite having match point but i came away stronger i want to tournaments it's great when you can achieve that after such a long season. the pressure is on put twenty teams can't become world number one. and bounce back to our best. isn't under quite so much pressure she has the chance to stop the new year with a bang on january first. in auckland. returning now

to our top story and new zealand has just rung in the new year and i'm joined now on the line by sarah robson reporter for radio new zealand in oakland she's the o'loghlin sky tower for the official new year's fireworks era all crimes is the first day in the world to be ringing in the new year what is the atmosphere like there at the moment. yes you can say there are still quite a few. guys right. and i just had a five minute mile away like ok i found five hundred. thousand and very good. five hundred kilograms. i am very very excited have been hearing a. lot have town it's been enjoying the fire where as i said it was

a five minute flight the fireworks boat was on the cross mix it up. a lot this is why it's well his plane and baldwin sitting out the words now if i were to cut off the top of the sky stop so closely if you don't mind me i think it's like. i've got a street label sir let me say the festivities are going to be carried on and all. your letter. arrives you can say. that if you're really going to live by me then joining me. around. have a ha ha for many years well able to concentrate there despise all the people around you. how many people are there is seems like a very boisterous crowd in any case. while that's a feeling they can always expect the boisterous crowd whenever

a lot of people get stuck sitting next to expecting about eight thousand people. at the south street party it would have looked like hide me as well throughout the night but there are plates you have all the music festivals around the country it's well i bring kids and all the bass parts i love a great day. and find that i'm fine with them and may well be very similar pain. so i guess i'm proud that i'm a little bit like oh yes but you know that's going on around the country and. the first place to get the bill to break me sarah paulson thank you so much for speaking to us and sharing a slice of the all clear and celebrations a very happy new year's eve you and everyone there. thank you so i must.

now the central japanese town of takayama is known for its unique ritual that sets the new year off with a bracing stars guarded by eight shinto priests these brave men and women are taking part in a cure for cation ceremony clothes. they keep warm picture of themselves as robots ready to set off a journey into the new year begins with a dip into big bruising cool river and a prayer for good health. you're watching news day with us.