the good news is our own choices in energy conservation. recycling. and transport can help regional airline find out what you can do today at regional the lines. this is d.w. news live from berlin the world is ringing in the new year hour by hour the clock has just struck midnight in some parts of asia these are pictures of new year's celebrations in the indonesian capital jakarta for twenty eight thirteen he's also

written off with a bang also tell you how people here in berlin are planning to celebrate also coming up. the iranian government restricts access to social media and threatens to crackdown on anti-government protesters as it tries to contain the biggest challenge to its authority since two thousand and nine. i met armin welcome to the program the world is ringing in the new year australians were among the first to celebrate with their annual fireworks spectacular in sydney harbor now as the new year sweeps across east asia we're seeing new celebrations in the indonesian capital jakarta has been celebrations in other major cities of course hong kong beijing tokyo seoul and pyongyang in north korea. we'll be

following the arrival of the new year as he crosses the globe here on w. but there still are a few hours to go before midnight here revelers are streaming toward the side of the city's biggest party at the brandenburg gate as always security is tight both here and another german cities including cologne that is where our numbers of women were sexually assaulted on new year's eve two years ago. the finishing touches on preparations for new year's eve in berlin the brandenburg gate is getting ready to host hundreds of thousands of people a massive party and an even bigger security concern. of 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 roadblocks.

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. because 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. durham's must come together in twenty eighteen that is the message from chancellor merkel and her annual new year's eve address to be broadcast later today. as a preview highlights the challenges ahead she's struggling to form a government after the most recent elections fail to produce a clear ruling coalition it was a difficult political year for chancellor angela merkel at the very beginning of

her speech she addressed the social atmosphere in germany and the tensions. all files i think i know from many conversations and encounters this yet that a lot of you are concerned about the cohesion of germany it's been a long time since the differences of opinion about this have been so stark some have even spoken of a rift running through our society like. merkel mentioned the worries over whether the government would be able to organize and direct immigration into germany but she also spoke of the fears and doubts of people living in the countryside who feel left behind those are her obligations as for foreign policy she look to europe and says she is expecting decisive years ahead for the european union. plans and all of this germany's future is inseparable from the future of europe the twenty seven countries of europe must be motivated most strongly than ever to hold together as a community and this will be the crucial issue of the coming is this will be

a matter of whether we europeans represent our values in a globalized and digital world assertively and in a spirit of solidarity both internally and externally. but european policymakers are also waiting for germany to form a new federal government for chancellor marigot that will be the most pressing task in the coming months. all in all a bit to chew on for medical we have political correspondent michelle in the fifth hour here with us to talk it over mentioned this rift in society in those remarks i mean is this her failure in that she's led germany for the last twelve years well that's what her critics are saying that she failed to detect this that she failed to actually create the kind of conditions where this wouldn't be possible she carefully avoided the word nationalism she avoided the many rightwing extreme policy that for the first time into german parliament but she certainly now is

feeling this pressure and she is calling this challenge by the name this rift in society and this very much is and has been her government style to date that she didn't have the kind of macaw approach of drawing this grand vision of where the country where europe's to go but rather works down the list of challenges and that's what she did in this address well i mean where does medical go from here then i mean we mentioned that these coalition talks are dragging on and merkel herself as a political figure in germany has a different meaning than just a few years ago i mean is your future bright she going to see yet another four year term well that's the big question right now is seat technically able to put together what really what is the only option realistically left in another grand coalition with the social democrats will the democrats go along with this we're expecting those talks to begin for real over the coming days that's the first thing that's going to happen here at the beginning of the year at the same time we saw

him many times before talking about is this the beginning of the end of the america well she has pasta prime i think there is a recognition from all sides that this is if it's another time in office will be most likely her. the big question is would see x.e. . serve another full term that's what she says she intends to do but there's many ifs and there's many questions and we didn't see any kind of questioning of her power in the past so there is a different quality of power that she has right now but if you start talking about who else is there in europe who will see that kind of power i think that's a good fresh look at really how much power she still holds certainly looking on at germany from the outside right thanks so much for joining us. and d.-w. will broadcast on the americans for new year's speech in english later today it will go out in our eight o'clock central european time broadcast so now on to some

other stories making news around the world at least seventeen people have been killed and fourteen wounded in a bomb attack on a funeral in eastern afghanistan there has not yet been a claim of responsibility but both the taliban and militants from the so-called islamic state have stepped up assaults in the region in recent months. rights groups in the democratic republic of congo says police have shot dead two protesters in the capital city can this after security forces interrupted a catholic mass and arrested altar boys who had been protesting against the country's president elections to replace him have been delayed they are due next year. at least thirty six people have been killed in a bus crash in central kenya police say a bus truck collided on a dangerous stretch of highway close to town with one hundred people have died on the route just this month alone. 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. is victory marks the first democratic transfer of power in the country in over seven. footage has emerged from a hostage standoff in a post office in eastern ukraine that ended peacefully on saturday the man seen here had claimed to have had firearms as well as explosives elise have arrested the man all nine hostages were released unharmed authorities say the suspect had a history of drug related offenses. following anti-government protests that have spread across iran authorities have restricted access to social media apps blamed in part for fanning turnout two protesters have been killed in the western city of dog food and thousands of

iranians protested for a third consecutive day on saturday was started as an outcry against economic hardship quickly turned into regime demonstrations state officials have warned that those stoking disorder will quote pay the price the protests are the largest since the post-election unrest in two thousand and nine. well for more we are joined by a.f.p. correspondent eric randolph in teheran eric we've now seen three days of protests last night two protesters were killed what's the situation presently do you expect the protests to continue. it was being kind of hard to get information. quite a lot of internet access and social media ups but we have got reports that there are some relatively small protests. and videos on social media sharing some purchase i was going to so we could be in for

a fall right on the rest around the country president how son rouhani who has been notably absent throughout this period is due to give an address the nation at a time clock. and really interesting to see what he says in a bid to calm down tensions which seem to be running slightly out of control. as he said these protests began on economic issues on the cost of living issues are. quite virulent and slogans and some fun to listen and some violence and different parts yet there's some notion that the hard line elements in this regime were happy to see these protests happen at first in that they would discredit rouhani do you expect him to to close ranks with with the other side of things in the government tonight. well that is something that a few on the lists have said the hard line is how economy is. to

run it for a long time and. there are some groups that they hope to start the initial protests that were somewhat shocked by how quickly those escalated it grew out. i mean house already see the more truth more water hardline factions turin to go referring to the bundles counter-revolutionaries some oil but also have to make a distinction. there are legitimate economic grievances everybody agrees that. wanting to make sure the is separate those people from people who are pushing for wider disorder. violence against the system itself that seems like a very fine line to walk especially when the rhetoric is saying that protesters will pay the price for their actions of what kind of response are you expecting in the coming days. so far they are to soften your approach.

up in the western town with the two protesters were killed which may be a different story but they have tried to not really confront the protesters if it starts to grow up we might see the growth of guards who are. in other which indeed eric randolph in tehran thanks so much for joining us. the new york times has reported that the f.b.i. probe into possible collusion between the trump presidential campaign and russia began after a tip off from an australian diplomat according to the newspaper former campaign adviser george papadopoulos told the diplomat that russia had obtained thousands of e-mails that would embarrass trump's opponent hillary clinton. australia later informed the f.b.i. the agency's russia investigation has hung over the trump administration since he took office nearly

a year ago. well thanks for joining us here at deja vu news in berlin we're going to leave you with some spectacular images of new year's fireworks from japan south korea and australia as those countries for a twenty teen enjoy happy new year. i think there's a real meaning to journalists people that can make sense of all this and can explain what's actually happening. and it's not just about being embarrassed.