this is d.w. news live from berlin firefighters in australia under world lentulus train for nearly 4 months now among those working to put out the flames are many volunteers they've taken leave from their jobs in some cases risking their lives now i think it's really the government has announced plans to compensate them and honor their efforts also coming up. protestors in india remain defiant against the government's new citizenship long our correspondent takes us to delhi where women in particular

are standing together and calling for change. i'm married to evanston welcome to the program australia is bracing for another week of bushfires as temperatures are expected to soar and winds are picking up firefighters have been trying to contain the fires since september 8th people have died 2 of them firefighters many of those on the front line are volunteers and now the australian government says it will pay them for their efforts. it's one of australia's worst bushfire season is over. with so many blazes to basle it's often volunteers who answer the call for help. giving their time and paying the costs. of. 1516 hour shifts in

a row you're exhausted at the end of that you might have one day break and then they want you to go again. it just takes its toll physically and emotionally on the family they don't see you and me it means i use my annual leave maine said i you know i use my time in leech time. now there is help for the helpers some volunteers to be compensated for about 20 days worth of income lost while fighting the recent fires. as very prolonged for sleaze this is putting additional demands on our firefighters in particular and it means that the turnouts in the call outs have been far more extensive than in previous years going well and beyond and above what is normally expected of those who are engaged in volunteer services going on already public servants have been pledged additional leave to

join the fight with a straight these some are just getting started the country needs more helping hands to step up to the challenge. and joining us now from sydney is james morrison he's a spokesman for the new south wales rural fire service thank you so much for being on our program well 1st like to ask you about these reports of further bush fires erupting overnight and yet we're also hearing that sydney harbor new year's eve fireworks display is still to go ahead as planned from your perspective is that a good idea. oh good afternoon look at this stage obviously way tight precautions working with the pyrotechnics i agencies and organizations are closely with them in regards to our total fire ban exemptions and and their requirements and at this stage given the full cost conditions we don't believe that there will be any she's at this stage in regards to the sydney harbor. going ahead

. he continued to work with them and if we need to have a heart and level of response from our forefathers from both the r.f.s. and foreigner a few new south wales throughout the sydney area will do is to say working to the conditions but we are expecting a semi that southerly change to move through needs a number of hours to move through from around 5 to 7 pm on need. to say those much cooler conditions while this one we certainly by the time we reach me not on trees dine on but at this stage as you mentioned we do have a number of new forest on from wanting a down in the south eastern parts of new south wales if you just storms moving through which certainly isn't a good thing considering we've got the stuff these worsening weather in coming days all right james morris from the new south wales rural fire service we appreciate it thank you. let's get a check now of some of the other stories making news around the world in lebanon

hundreds of protesters rallied outside the home of the country's new prime minister demonstrators fired flares and demanded the resignation of his son who is backed by the islamist group hezbollah lebanon is facing its worst political crisis in decades protests against corruption and mismanagement have gripped the country since october. more heavy rains and flooding have forced thousands of families to flee villages and farms in western kenya the weather has displays some 2000000 people in east africa in the past 2 months with hundreds dead the rains are expected to ease up only at the end of the month. all right we'd like to bring you some breaking news now media in the united states are reporting that there has been a stabbing attack at a jewish hanukkah holiday party in new york state according to reports

a man stabbed at least 5 people at a rabbi's home in the town of muncie that's about an hour north of new york city the attacker reportedly escaped and this is the 7th anti semitic attack in the region this month alone and of course we'll be updating you on the story as it develops. all right let's turn our attention now to india which has been engulfed in massive nationwide demonstrations ever since a controversial new citizenship law was passed in early december now the law makes it easier for religious minorities from neighboring countries to get indian citizenship but it is excludes muslims protesters say the law threatens india's secular constitution and is discriminatory one neighborhood in delhi is defying the police with a marathon sit in at a key highway in india's capital. you cannot play a role it's been 2 weeks since monday on khan's bentonite

a tour. despite the cold front crossing more deadly she's come here to show the earth disagreement with india's new citizenship law. this is the 1st time my d.m. has taken part in any kind of protest. usually has her hands full looking after her 2 young daughters but she says she's come to fight for their future as rightful indians you name it of a temple yes woman who didn't i don't know what my daughters are up to i don't know anything about what's happening in my own house my country needs me right now all these women sitting here and their voice and they are mine and that means that the i was the magnetic i want everybody i was. very clear the women of new delhi shaheen mog neighborhood have spearheaded this protest that. dawns to make sure that someone is always upset and too old to do. the right and it isn't all speeches and chance that the character to say protesters are keeping the crowds entertained

with music movies even readings of the constitution this see it's important for all of them to understand why they have assembled to go 1st to progress the new law that makes a diligent death just a dozen ships in section of india for the 1st time. and didn't stop. bitching in by crowd funding resources to provide medicine and food for protesters. even standing guard. was that addition as day pieces were dozens are going to kill them talk that's across the country then i'm going to allegations i could easily taliban extensive use of force and the police has come here and has also raised our hands and to dissipate the rhetoric but these protesters are defiant. and evidently returning we don't fear the police on the slopes against us this is why we have come out onto the streets of. our passion for our country is keeping us

here we are ready to do anything we are willing to suffer which is want our independence the honors lead but the mood is upbeat good business sign of backpedaling from the government. these protesters are confident of victory. d.c. this too much at stake for anything less true. and our correspondent the mission while the file the report and joins us now from delhi hello to you name it. so many of the protesters you spoke with seem to be confident that their voices will be heard but are there any signs of the government is actually taking note or willing to change its position. unfortunately not the government discontinuing to us so that all these fought us through will why would be calling anti social elements or by the opposition by the spread of misinformation they keep asserting that indian muslims will not be affected and that these protests are not

all ballad representation of civil unrest and and a civilian saying that this law is not ok so the government unfortunately is not pulling back all right well what about opposition politicians what role or or if any are they playing in this conflict. well opposition bollman opposition politicians did come out very strongly in parliament to speak against the law but unfortunately they are completely outnumbered by the party and barred they are trying to reach out to the people affected in the brought us some leaders from the opposition congress party went to the dish where some of the worst of the while lives as happened but they have been down and up they have been blocked so even opposition voices that are speaking out are basically being blocked by authorities and the government is reasserting again and again that they are actually misleading people across the country and that they must stop the indian please they are alleging that the opposition is actually trying to stop not only life in india but

even nations and that. is new mission just while reporting from delhi thank you very much. now authorities in the somali capital mogadishu say at least 78 people have been killed by a truck bomb somalia's president mohammad abdulahi mohammad is blaming the jihadist al-shabaab group for the attack but no one has officially claimed responsibility. of god. the survivors of a massive truck bomb explosion being ferried to hospital out of all the attacks the capital suffered in 2019. this is the worst. i've been here all the beauty of it knocked me to the ground with its force i've never seen such an explosion in my entire life william but hopefully than me or mention of that but it's a blast took place as i was getting off a minibus. off what i was on my way to work shut my eyes like got injured

some of. the tangled wreckage on saturday morning the people of mogadishu were gearing up for the new working week when the bombers struck. by their truck loaded with explosives was detonated at a busy control checkpoint the explosion led to many deaths and injuries. that it was that most of those most of those who died here were students who were going to school or university. here john malvo. but in the middle of it a bus ferrying students to classes and lectures. no one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet but scenes like this of wimbley familiar on the streets of the capital the un backed government in mogadishu is struggling to take control of the country the militant islamist group al-shabaab has carried out

deadly attacks here in the past now once again the people of this city are mourning they're dead. a key outcome of a recent summit between ukraine and russia is an agreed prisoner swap ukrainian soldiers and pro russian separatists have been captured in war torn ukraine since the uprising in 2014 when dozens of the captured prisoners are to be swapped on sunday leaving family members anxious to find out who will make it back home it's been 2 years since not your 1st of a loss or a husband drama they married young and later on he left not yet home with the children trained engineer joined the ukrainian army and 2016 year olds a year later he was sense of the conflict zone. was captured near the frontline separatists accused him of being a subject sir and posted videos of him in captivity.

there was a flood of emotions tears. i felt hysterical it's horrible to think about it. across the front line on the way to donetsk mother natalia she gorean is waiting for her son separatists hardly has been held captive since the summer social media posts indicate he was taken prisoner by far right of militia. he's been wounded in the saw in the stomach and no one's giving him any medicine they're not giving him anything. and. it's rumored the swap will happen at a checkpoint like this one in eastern ukraine no one knows for sure which prisoners will make it so the other side and who will still suffer the absence of their loved ones. they're watching the news coming to you for berlin up next an 11 year old dancer pursues his dream of

a lot of us stuff maher in st peter that up next on reporter don't forget you can always get the latest news and information on our website just go to you dot com american episteme from me and the entire news team thanks for watching. 50 years of religions for peace people from many different faiths working together toward a common goal of peaceful resolution of religious conflicts. now female members of religions for peace from the middle east are demanding a long.