this is the news live from berlin around promises. as u.s. air strikes kill a top iranian general the pentagon says the strike at baghdad international airport was to prevent future attacks the death of the lead commander. dramatically escalates mid east 10 ships. also coming up on the show scrambling to escape the blaze of mass evacuations in australia as deadly bushfires rage on chat the navy's ferry hundreds to safety and thousands more are hitting the road ahead of

a weekend of more hot conditions. and what took you so long mr bonk after a 5 year away the latest double 07 blockbuster is back at the same. time bryan thomas great to have you with us today iran's supreme leader ayatollah khamenei has warned that harsh retaliation is waiting for the u.s. now that after a u.s. air strike at baghdad international airport killed the iranian general has some solo money the head of iran's elite force now in many has also declared 3 days of national mourning for the general staff he was considered the architect of tehran's military operations in the middle east. the u.s.

asked came in the middle of the night later the pentagon tweeted this strike was aimed at deterring future iranian at tak plans done trump usually very active on twitter tweeted only this image. and was that hungry iranian state t.v. confirmed the death of gentle customer. iran's top security body called an urgent meeting for friday. foreign minister mohammad gen watch a reef tweeted the us act of international terrorism targeting and assassinating gentle soul amani is extremely dangerous and a foolish escalation. the u.s. government has accused solomonic of having a key role in fighting in syria and iraq he reported directly to the country's supreme leader ayatollah khomeini. also kills the deputy commander of the rainy and

backed militias known as the popular mobilization forces the u.s. has accused the group of being behind the recent attack on the u.s. embassy in baghdad experts say the death of salam mani could be a turning point in the middle east and potentially drole retaliation from iran and the forces it backs in the region against israel and u.s. interests. so what will happen next let's talk about that now with amir masowe iraqi journalist here in berlin just returned from baghdad good morning to. you hear how and where do you think iran is going to retaliate to the killing of i think the most important. goals for the rally it is american troops in iraq especially in the base close to syrian iraqi borders were the last weeks has been

also attack against this literary militia militia i think one of the most important goals for iranians will be constructive and of the american presence in iraq and in the region i would not agree about the idea that iran could react through his bull and they would try to keep that front blog called as possible because this is a strategy call for them strategy called the front lines in iraq or is it a lot of americans were talking about over the 10000 american soldiers has been present in iraq they could be a goal of the next year i mean. a what about the embassy at sea in some via. attacks of last couple days could it be a target as well the u.s. embassy in baghdad i think this is a symbol of kill attack has been accorded him back that i think it's will not be fi

action the main actually action of your brain the construct of the american embassy in baghdad because of the fact that as many of our soldiers have been god thing that. you know for example money guarding that embassy and iraqi government to try to to keep that area safe must also be ok now as a powerful head of iran's revolutionary guard the al quds brigades. he's been in the crosshairs of american military leaders before why was he hit now i think if we are go back for 2 or 3 weeks before americans has been already trying to keep that action of that man away from the from the ground but the fact is that 2 guys has been killed we're not talking about just a lay babie with him there is a build back of the un one does the chief of. iraq has been

also killed in the same attack in baghdad i think the fact is that the advise a military adviser told him is that. 2 guys in one place. a good goal a 1st 2nd because of the unclear coming some marines coming to an airport in back to save the embassy that's the communication has been also of course controlled by some cia agents in that area i think they tried to avoid a possible attack off that's roups or possible a big actions from money in the airport ok now for years now so the money's been the linchpin for ransom. terry abroad not only in iraq and syria but other flashpoints as well can he continue to be an effective force to be the threat it has been in the region without him i think in the short term would be

a big or last for the brigade could simply get the long term i think the couple bulleted of the troops will be stronger and i think they will gain more. spec ops from their allies and i think the long term will we will face in a proxy war in the region and i think. the decision to take in this decision off the killing without the consequences without the troops american troops in the area without warning thie allies in the area i think it is for my point of view it's a mistake ok so briefly if you could you're expecting more violence more fighting in iraq that exactly this is will be their response will be as we think. not just in iraq and maybe also the delivery of the oil diverting in the whole region that's why we're talking about increasing the prices of the oil american

salary as ever mayor thanks very much for your insights thank you it's to australia now where 2 navy ships are evacuating thousands of people who remain stranded by raging bushfires in that country they're waiting to be taken to safety from beaches around the town of. now on a visit to some fire ravaged communities prime minister scott morrison came in for sharp criticism for not doing more to help the victims. this is what firefighters in australia have been dealing with for months in some cases. and this is an example of the aftermath the town of moloch or what was the town a blaze tore through here on new year's eve. since then thousands have been awaiting rescue relief anything the plan is for the navy to use ships and helicopters to bring them to melbourne about a 17 hour journey by water. and destruction devastation and this

is just one of so many towns in the southeastern states of new south wales and victoria that have felt the fury of the latest wave of bushfires. side anybody diets. now have parents. people have died but a final count hasn't been tallied yet some are still listed as missing one of the dead is fireman jeff keaton who passed away battling a blaze just before christmas at his funeral on thursday his young son received an award for bravery on behalf of his dead father. forecasters say it'll be the end of the month before there's any significant rain and a possible end to the crisis the next catastrophic conditions are forecast for this coming weekend with temperatures expected to top 40 degrees celsius. for more

i spoke with journalist roger maynard sydney and ask them how the evacuations of the hard hit communities south of sydney are coming along we've seen thousands of people evacuate the. 24 hours they really took an 8 of the fire glass that would be too dangerous to stay there but tomorrow when these heat wave temperatures and strong winds are expected to return as a result of that we had a huge traffic jam coming up from the south so it is a sydney and across to canberra as well but the evacuation seems to people seem to have got enough fuel to to get out of that area and breathe a bit of a sigh of relief but a lot of people are staying to it has to be said a lot of the locals the residents of design need to stay and try to protect that which is the way they can you know with up with a hose pipe or whatever and they're just taking the risk if you would protect the stage roger you know there well let's bring you down some of the other stories

making the news at this hour the trumpet ministration has announced a ban on flavored isa gretz to curb the health risks tied to the teenage use of baby products menthol and tobacco flavors will remain on the market health groups say the ban does not go far enough because it only applies to the cigarette cartridges not liquids separately. people in the indonesian capital jakarta have started returning to their homes after severe flooding forced tens of thousands to evacuate at least 30 people were killed others remain missing monsoon rains and rising rivers thousands of homes and cut off electricity over a wide area. police in buenos aires argentina have rescued a 3 day old baby girl after she was being held hostage inside an abbey alliance media reports indicate the standoff began after the father assaulted the baby's

mother and then hid inside that vehicle they say the baby is in good health in hospital. while turkish lawmakers have passed a bill allowing the country to deploy troops in war torn libya a move his aim that shoring up the un recognized government in tripoli against rebel leader khalifa hof star and his so-called libyan national army the bill passed despite objections from turkey's main opposition groups there are fears that a turkish troop deployment could further destabilize libya. but let's work through and that is that the bill was expected to pass through parliament and eventually it did giving the government a green light for a one year military deployment. but not before heavy debate in the house with opposition parties arguing vigorously against it and that is libya's internationally recognized government the government of national accord based in tripoli is a regional ally to turkey last friday turkish president regift one confirmed had

received a request for military assistance from the un backed administration for months on the outskirts of the capital the government has been facing off against the forces of rebel leader general khalifa haftar. he leads a rival administration to the east of the country and is said to be preparing an assault to take the capital. the general has already taken control of its outer suburbs and has support internationally from egypt and russia. the fighting is threatening to plunge libya into violent chaos not seen since the 2011 ousting of longtime dictator moammar gadhafi some 2000 people have been killed in the conflict . ankara says by intervening it wants to reduce the risk of further instability in the region and protect its cultural and commercial ties there meanwhile nations on the other side of the mediterranean are concerned any foreign interference could lead to more civilian deaths and

a new wave of refugees making their way to europe. police chief has defended police actions against protesters during a new year's day rally demonstrators allege the disproportionate use of force and police retaliation. has been talking with one of the many protesters who fear. changed. the new year in hong kong has begun just like the old year ended with hundreds of thousands of people marching for political reforms a lesser choice has been active in the pro-democracy movement since the outset. that it seems that now yes it's changed my life shouldn't be allowed the protest movement has let me move forward and become a positive. fact see i have my eye on that if i missed this i wouldn't have another chance to experience all of it. caught that's why it's so important that i'm here.

today was i in my presence a joy a little less a wrists a lot by protesting she was already arrested once 3 months ago and still awaits trial prospects would dim further if she's detained again. the protest movement includes all walks of society but the young are the most committed competitive school exams a race for the best universities and the tough job market in one of the most expensive cities in the world on comes you face a lot of pressure. l.s.a. 16 she has struggled for years with anxiety and depression that she blames mainly on pressure in school because she. has sent the movement through coloring to my life child like. so it made me feel my life is meaningful that pioli hate online. since her arrest her anxiety has returned.

although she says she hasn't been violent being at the site of clashes was enough for a writing charge she faces 10 years in jail. the family has been under immense stress since then neither she nor her father use their real names. and can we achieve them to every time she goes out i worry a lot. i'm anxious i guess parents are like that but then i also can't lock her up . at the beginning the march stays peaceful but suddenly the mood shifts was her tear gas in one charge please move slowly. any protesters leave this scene by the front line us confront the police the less it is and if you level she wants to support the frontline protesters she knows what's at stake. i think because i've been invested before if i

go to the frontline i need to be very very careful. nevertheless she decides to take a look but to get out as soon as it gets to. the least round up the record number of people 400 all together but unless it is not among. the. germany 0 hit by a devastating fire was killed dozens of animals including endangered species as now mostly reopened for visitors 3 women turned themselves in after the blaze at the trade fields though police say the women admit lighting and releasing chinese lanterns which are thought to have started the blaze. flowers and candles at kitty felde see more than 30 animals were killed after a fire broke out in the a pink asia many people have come to pay their respects to eat and clippard

students walk and everyone who knows the zoo is sad even outside of germany as well so it's always bad when something so terrible happens again no matter where it happens but in guess i'm trusting i was here almost all day yesterday because i couldn't bear the sadness alone now that help to see so many mourners here and i cried i couldn't have stood it at home so whole so to snitch else go home a total of 8 apes were killed. including one called massah europe's oldest gorilla who is 48 years old the fire in the ape enclosure broke out shortly after midnight enclosure was also home to fruit bats and birds they were all killed in the blaze police believe the fire was caused by a sky lambton launched for new year's eve a mother and her 2 daughters turned themselves into authorities soon after the fire they were reportedly unaware that sky lantern's a band across gemini. with the light in the middle of the people wanted to set off these lanterns with good wishes and of course they

didn't think that could lead to what happened here. was a long illness i must say i think it's courageous of them to go to the police and say yes we're responsible i find it extremely decent and they have my respect and when i was picked. the aping pleasure burned to the ground but 2 chimpanzees managed to escape in found the biden home to the 4 of the to survive the fire with minor burns we don't know how that happened they were then sedated and moved to another enclosure before it investigators are examining how the blaze spread so quickly. let's get more now with our correspondent rebecca stoudamire at the zoo in crave field for us rebecca looking at the video in our report there it's hard to believe at all the damage that the zoo's actually opening its doors again to the public this morning can you tell us what's happening where

you are. absolutely it's pretty incredible that just so shortly after this this tragedy that hit on new year's eve the zoo is now reopening its doors to the public this morning even very early this morning people have been still coming out and putting candles at this massive memorial that has popped up in front of the zoo behind me candles flowers stuffed animals of monkey people have been people have been really really shaken by this and that's obviously evident in the people who have come out not only pay tribute to the memorial but also to to go into the zoo and it seems it's more of an air of what would normally be a fun day at the zoo has definitely been turned into more of a somber affair and a memorial ok rebecca the losses at the zoo were focused attention on the chinese lanterns that apparently caused that they are illegal but still available can you tell us more about the debate that this is been generating.

absolutely this is launched a massive debate there was already a large debate ahead of new year's eve about firework usage in germany many fireworks are legal like you said the however though these paper lanterns are not legal they're not they are banned in multiple states in germany however they are extremely easy to purchase online and also relatively cheap many of the warnings that many of many of the the sites that sell these don't provide warnings that these are actually banned and that's something that the 3 suspects who who are believed to have caused the blaze said that they didn't know that they didn't know that these these paper lanterns were banned and that they didn't definitely did know that they were banned on new year's eve as well you know this blaze spread so very quickly do you know why that happened how did the the fires spread so quickly that the animals to be rescued. well that's that's

also been part of this larger debate surrounding this fire is sort of what happened with the enclosure as well that's something that this issue has said that they've received as much support of these are steve there have also recognize that there that there has been criticism that they have been questions raised however they do did say that very recently the enclosure underwent a fire review a fire safety review and that it had passed and the fire department or the the fire authorities here have also said that there was no there were there were no sprinklers set up in the building but when the building was built in the 1970 s. though those weren't necessarily required and others use a product the issues of how to even release animals in the event of a fire it's not particularly there are a whole lot of procedures on exactly how to rescue animals in to it when when a fire breaks out there will hopefully those procedures will be up for review in

a number of zoos moving forward rebecca thanks so much for that we're going to check some of the other headlines in the news right now a key count along separatist group in spain has agreed to the deadlock in spanish baltics and abstain a no confidence vote in parliament next week allowing prime minister pedro sanchez to win such as the socialist party research coalition deal last month with another left wing party but parliament still needs to confirm him as prime minister. priest from cuba's santa maria religion have given their annual prophecy in a ceremony drawing thousands of visitors they say that cuba faces the difficult times in the new year in 2020 but would be protected by one of the religions most powerful. santa maria blends catholicism with african beliefs.

well the latest james bond blockbuster set to dominate cinema screens in the year ahead double 07 returning after a very long layoff some would say too long here's a look at that and some other highlights we can look forward to in 2020. with. the question is justified after all it's been 5 years since 7 last screens so what's taking so long. well after all he is a secret agent one thing's for certain the 23 james bond film titled no time to die is daniel craig's loss but he will follow your dream as have been buzzing for months about who will be the next to take the doubler 7 card number and this trailer may already have. a woman perhaps i hope. these angels hold at least as much brand value is james bond we have roughly all

the italian painter and architect of the higher nice ones to thank for that 2020 is the 500th anniversary of his death exhibitions to celebrate will be held worldwide . vienna washington in paris dressed in london are just some of the city's holding celebrations. and another italian celebrates his 100th birthday oscar winning director federico fellini. his hometown of rimini has already transformed its historic city center into an open and museum. the main event takes place on his actual birthday the 20th of january but feelings films will be shown all year round. another star who has an oscar in the. trophy cabinet is helen mirren she received

the coveted cademy award for her portrayal of queen elizabeth in the queen. this year she will have to make some room for yet another. golden honorary bay in recognition of her life's work. the british actress of russian descent reaches another milestone in 2020 celebrating her 75th birthday at the end of july makes me feel that i'm not. chillin a month released his 2nd solo album in 2019 but the general cut isn't slowing down in 2020 odd people re comanches ramstein lead singer judy's for a tour starting in may. the band's live shows like a wagner opera with fireworks and a lot of fun for those who can't make it to the 2 or a want to relive that i'm trying to experience the concert film in paris is out now on blu ray and d.v.d. .

this is the interview news live from berlin up next to mark today the science magazine don't forget there's always more to our website as well. for me brian thomas and the entire news team thanks for being. with.

us. the blueprint for every living thing on this planet in my new commission come. natural it's the most effective way to see vast amounts of data scientists in syria now want to use this code for technology they're developing artificial d.n.a. to see digital information tomorrow today next on d. w. . has

a plan the so-called party of god is much of the country's politics and society the body of their objective is to create a theocracy a nation i control. the 2 months this country teeters on the brink of a new conflict levanon the country held hostage in front of us fought telephone. for. 50 years of religions for peace came from many different states all working together toward a common goal the peaceful resolution of religious conflicts in a league now all female members are for religions for peace from the middle east are demanding a larger good. oh come on the ground is empowering women giving them the rule.

making them an agent of change in this way. the female peacemakers stores january 5th. you're tuned to tomorrow today coming up. ancient database newly discovered is d.n.a. the data storage solution of the future. we visit a crime scene what can the tiniest traces of d.n.a. tell investigators. and it's not all in our genes how exercise makes cells grow.