ah, ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin. germany's new defense minister hits the ground, running just hours after being sworn in boris. historic is meeting with the us defense secretary lloyd austin, likely top of the agenda. german battle tax for ukraine. also coming up i am leaving because with such a privilege role comes responsibility there, sponsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are

not in a shock announcement, new zealand prime minister jacinta and says she is stepping down early, almost a year before her term is due to end. and ah, it's been 40 years since floating balloons became a symbol for the madness of cold war nuclear brakeman ship and launch one of the biggest hits in the german language. we look back at the phenomenon that was a 9 or 9 session of bologna ah and i many cubes. mckinnon. welcome to the program. germany's defense minister boys pistole has been in office for just a few hours. and he is already holding talks with his us counterpart lloyd austin

restatements before the discussions. austin and historian stressed the importance of the close alliance of back country than me thing ahead of nato consultations on friday in germany about further military aid to ukraine. his some of what u. s. defense minister lloyd austin had to say it's been a turbulent term for european and global security, but throughout the crisis caused by russia's unprovoked invasion of ukraine. germany has remained a true friend of the united states in a staunch defender of our allies and values. so we'll continue to support ukrainian people as, as a resist rush and aggression and defend their sovereign territory. i like to thank the german government for all that it has done to strengthen ukraine, self defense,

and your contributions of security assistance and training for ukraine's defenders have been of invaluable. t w's chief political correspondent. nina has followed that press conference for us and she told us more about what was said. a buddhist visorio has, has been in office or since today, essentially. and the meeting with the us defense secretary was his very 1st and big meeting for his historian essentially reiterated the clothes and the close alliance with the united states and said that to germany, the u. s. is the most important ally. his story is spoken english out 1st and the statements you do have to know this became before their actual meeting. so in terms of content, in terms of new announcements, we didn't get any of that. but it was interesting to gauge the atmosphere a little bit. visorio spoken english, he is dressed that in alliance with us. he said that the 2 are talking about what's

going to happen out of hampstead, military base on friday, where the international community is discussing how best to support ukraine. latera lee. but he also said that lots of other nato topics were on the agenda, the in the pacific situation, for example. and to me, what stood out this morning was what was not said and no mention from either of the 2 about that elephant in the room. the potential delivery of a german made leopard 2 tanks to ukraine, and i was just going to ask you about those leopard at 2 tanks. obviously, a really important topic for the 2 defense secretaries to discuss today and the possibility of them being sent to ukraine. we're going to take a look at and why there is so much focus on this potential tank delivery and right now. and nina will come back to you right after that. it's the flagship of the german army, the leper to a heavily armed battle tank with superior firepower weighing close to

60 tons. it can hit targets at a distance of up to 5 kilometers and protect itself and other vehicles from all kinds of threats. while still being agile and easy to maneuver, that's why it's widely regarded as the best of its kind, developed for the bonus there more than 40 years ago and built in germany. the leper too is now also used by many other countries, especially in europe, but also in canada. sheila cutter indonesia and elsewhere. more than 3500 units i used world wide by some 19 nations. overtime the tank was upgraded and adjusted for use in specific environments. so several different versions have emerged and not all of them are still up to date. refurbishing them to make them fit for combat in ukraine takes time. so even with a political decision made, it could take months until the leper to can make a difference on the frontline. nina, you did say that or show an excuse me,

the 2 defense ministers didn't mention the leper to tanks, but there are reports suggesting that chancellor charlotte's would be willing to send german tanks to ukraine if the u. s. and it sends its own tanks to is that a likely scenario that could happen? well, you do have to keep in mind that when it comes to those issues, what is germany delivering to ukraine in terms of military support? that is a decision that so far off, so it has made clear that decision lies with him. now, whether that is going to change under the new defense min is. so we'll just have to wait and see just how and self confident boris for stories is going to be in terms of challenging his counselor in public as well. so far this decision is with all of shows. and he spoke to us president joe biden on tuesday, and what we're hearing is that in that phone call will have showed said that he is open to delivering german made lepper to tanks to ukraine. provide at the us,

send their own abrams tanks. now what we're hearing from washington is that they are not considering such a step. they say it's a system that requires a lot of maintenance era issues with that. then also there's long training periods . they say that they are hesitant, they don't want to deliver something to ukraine, that ukraine doesn't really need right now. okay, now that there is incredible pressure on chancellor charlotte's about this topic to morrow. austin and pastorius are scheduled to attend the meeting of allies at the u . s. military base in ramstein, south western germany to discuss further weapons deliveries to ukraine. so, is there any sense whether they'll be a shift after those talks? what, what can we expect from that meeting? i think you have to take the issue and look at it from what road in detail really. there are 2 questions here. one is will germany send leopard 2 times to ukraine?

i think most likely we won't hear such an announcement from ramstein to morrow. the other question is will gemini give its green light so that other countries can send lepper to tanks, that they have once in the past bought from germany. and that is more likely we're hearing from washington that one of the goals of the u. s. defense secretary austin here in berlin today is to unlock that decision to get germany to agree that there can be a coalition of willing countries who are incidentally expected to meet on the side lines of that comes down, meeting, trying to coordinate the delivery of left 2 tanks a to ukraine. poland has already said it wants to do that finland has as well. and so there might be movement in that respect, but not when it comes to direct delivery from germany. i don't think nina hasn't even been his chief political correspondent. thanks. so much let's take

a look now. some of the other stories making headlines around the world to palestinians have been killed in an overnight raid by israeli forces in jeanine in the occupied west bank. palestinian sources say one of those killed was a militant while the other was a teacher. at least 17 palestinians have been killed by israeli forces in the west bank this year. hundreds of thousands of people have gone on strike in france to protest pension reforms proposed by emmanuel maxims. government in a rash show of unity by all french trade unions, most trains met, chose, and bosses are not operating. the french president wants to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. swedish climate activist gretchen tune berg has accused global fossil energy firms of fueling the destruction of the planet. she was speaking at the world economic forum in deb off switzerland turn burg, presented

a letter that she and other activists had written to energy companies demanding that they stopped exploitation of fossil fuel reserves. them. well, i do want an is alien's prime minister jacinta arden has shocked her country with the announcement that she is stepping down early. she led her labor party to a landslide re election victory 2 years ago. but now arden says that the 7th of february will be her last day, and the top job just in the arden led newsline through the pandemic terrorist attack and natural disasters. she now says she is ready to pass on the baton and so today i'm announcing that i will not be seeking religion. and then my team has prime minister or conclude no later than the 7th of february. i know what this job takes and i know that i no

longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. it's that simple. father became the was youngest female head of government when she was elected in 2017, a be age of 37. she quickly gained global recognition for her brand of liberal and inclusive politics. the following year, she had a baby becoming the 2nd elected leader in history to give birth while in office. and i am by no means the faithful in small the task. i end in terms of being a woman in politics. there are plenty of women who have to pack and incrementally have leaped away. how compassionate response to the ma shooting at a christ church mosque in $2191.00. how widespread praise we a nuisance parliament voted to change the nation's gun laws less than

a month later, voice wisely for $46.00. this is for level 2 and a government's go hard. go. early approach should the pandemic is partly what got her a 2nd dome in 2020 the virus but bold suggest her popularity has waned in reason once. and she has v as an increase in threats of violence, particularly from anti vaccine groups. she insist that is not why she is stepping down. i'm not leaving because i believe we can't win the election. but because i believe we can and will. and we need a fresh set of shoulders for that challenge. i am human politicians, a human. we give all that we can for as long as we can and then it's time. and for me, it's time. arden says she has no plans yet for the future other than spending more time with her family. laura grieves as

a political scientist at the university of oakland in new zealand, and she told us more about our dance unexpected resignation announcement and credibly shopping. none of us would have expected us. in fact, other had actually said late last year that she was definitely going to continue the election. so quite surprised. i mean, the culture in new zealand is to have the summer off to have the christmas often to reflect a bit. so, i mean, we can probably take her on face value that she has just found out she's going out and she has, and her words, nothing left in the tank. yeah. how on new zealand is reacting to the news given the expected we hearing a lot of surprise when people are interviewed on the street with just like, what's that? not what we expect to. there's all a lot of surprise and actually a lot of appreciation across the political spectrum. so has a lot of understanding that during the cova g, as it said, incredibly hard to deal with things like the crisis,

terrorist attack before that incredibly cons. so a lot of gratefulness to her service, regardless of where people are sitting on the political spectrum, she does have a lot of support is that she does. of course, also have her critics. we just heard it in our report. how will her time as prime minister be remembered overall i think fundamentally, we can argue back and forth around the policy issues or different filings. but i think her main point as prime minister will be being the crisis minister facing the question parents with tech needing that was in to say the faculty why island adoption, which, which code many people volcanic eruption they covered is as well being the kinds of prime minister and i were leading co respond, i think she's going to go down in history as the crisis prime minister along by the course. if they're looking ahead. what's next for new zealand? you know what, when will the next elections be held? are there any successes already being talked about?

well, in about 3 days time, all of the members are just under athens party. i'm over. well, all of the members of parliament are going to caucus and figure out who will be the next prime minister. if 2 thirds of them decided that her son will work at walk out a prime minister of new zealand, there have a few months to get to know the public. and then we'll have a few months of campaigning before the election and october. and really a lot of us are looking to see what these next few poles look like. because we generally think it's going to be a very close, very tough election for the labor party. all right, up to laura greeves, the political scientist at the university of oakland. thank you so much for your time. as the german parliament has recognized the massacre of ethnic easy deeds in iraq as a genocide, it was a unanimous vote in the german bond of stark after a debate that lasted just an hour move was hailed by his e d. community representatives who attended the session as visitors,

fighters for the so called islamic state massacred more than a 1000 years ease in northwestern iraq. in 2014 d. w. spoke with one is in the family who found refuge here in germany. it's shopping, talent, slow, still shaken when he re consti attack on his home village are pretty islamic state . and my mom, he is now in germany, but lived in iraq until 2014. that was the year when the islamist militia concrete, large parts of his homeland. and so her bud see, mark taylor's slow and his family fell into. i asked him to the tea and were separated. his krisha shopping heart voiced my father on my house. where is my father? where is my uncle? one of the i s men said to me, we asked them several times if they would become muslims or not, and your father and other men so no. so we shot them on the hub. it shows its shabbiness, his father, like the rest of the family,

belong to the years edi ethnic religious minority, the i as brutally persecuted them because of their beliefs and traditions. the family used to live in the main settlement area of the year, cds, cinder. it's also were tele, his mother and his sisters were held captive by the i s hot on sky schleiden. they beat us and gave us little to lead her fiercely took over for a sisters away and forced each of them to marry a member of the i had in it. and in this one i latin according to the u. n. the i as as mad at more than 5000 she cds and kidnapped there was 7000 women and children since 2014 to this day, thousands of years edi refugees live in camps in iraq. although the i, as was considered defeated. but their homeland still lacks basic infrastructure for as can converse. there is no water and no electricity honk. and there are no

hospitals or schools either a truly support from a country like germany would help formal recognition would release government funding to help you see these rebuild their homes. it is crucial for us as a yes, it is called back to the city has. if this does not happen, i will have a chief exactly what it wanted, but its attack, which is to free this region of your c p u in 2015. the iraqi government paid the i asked ransom and tallow and his remaining family were released and came to germany. but even if the region recovers kind, i do not want to go back to a country where i suffered so much a live in wooster. for now, he has everything he needs here in our does decision, we cannot change the horrible history of the last. yes, is it people have to face,

but i understand that's very important for them to get rid a little bit of that traumatize to find a way for the future. and for sure, it's very important to do everything to speak about it to do, commented, and at the end to take those one responsibility will commit is horrible. trance you say it's important to speak about it, but i, i have to mention that the nasa cuz of course we know happened in 2014, that 9 years ago, already 7 years ago the u. n. was calling genocide. why is the german government only acting on this? now? i fully understand that this is true to long for years. it is it a community? i understand it, but you have to understand that in the german param and it's not a common procedure to recognize genocide as genocide. we do it another not very often. and it takes some time to discuss it at the end. it wasn't initiative by

people in germany, you know, we have a very big community. yes. for our community in germany and they took the initiative last year and finally it comes to the pam. and now we can have this recognition to now it's been recognized is what does this ruling mean in concrete terms? finally, it means that we commit ourselves to deal with this question more than we may be dealt to. now we have to do every thing to give the people the opportunity to go back to the areas where they come from. you know, 100000 are still in refugee camps. we have to do everything to support in the national judge justice to take those one response verbal commit this crime. and at the end you can or you can put them to prison under the different procedures then to. and also i think the question of genocide and the recognition

of genocide, this is very important to deal with the question. okay, so you talk about helping those who want to go back. but in our report, we just heard from a member of the community, he says he never wants to go back to the place where these awful things things happen. so you know what about help for those people and you know, there are different or ideas about it and then we cannot decide for those. i met a lot of different people. some want to go back someone to have another future in the region. and some want to, to go to europe and you know, we had to program in the past to invite those people to come to germany. and i think we have to proceed with this procedure. so if there is no future for them in the region, then we need to kind of program to have them to come to germany or other countries all over the world. thanks father,

from the bundle committee on human rights and humanitarian aid. thank you so much for speaking with aaron dw. all right, and just a quick reminder that was frank father from the german social democrats speaking to me earlier about the importance of getting official recognition of these edy massacre as the genocide. now the lunar new year gets under way this sunday and in china, it's a holiday with an even more special meaning this year is the 1st time chinese citizens there are allowed to travel. since the pandemic broke out transport authorities say billions of trips will be made during the holiday season. and that sparking concerns for the spread of the current of iris from cities to rural areas . ah, travel rush on a scale not seen in years lunar new year in china. march the world's largest annual migration by land, air and water. travelers are relishing a life after lockdown. we got the i'm going home and i feel so happy. so

excited recently that this has been my 1st time going home in the past 3 years. your role when i get to my home town, well, i'll surely do a p c r test just to protect myself. otherwise, i will know if i'm infected. china abruptly ended it 0 covert policy in december after imposing some of the world strictest. pandemic measures residents of big cities are now reuniting with relatives in the countryside. that has china's president gigi ping concerned. it says state devi, medical resources. there are spread thin in a video holiday message g paid tribute to china's healthcare workers. and that long, you'll tre, boy, that either you or this wave of the epidemic, mo came fast either and fierce grandfather. all the medical workers have been working on epidemic prevention and control room while providing daily medical care

at the same time for dr. chance ga, all you have been working long our household goods or hard work, putting an overtime news, some all for the sake of protecting the lives and health of the people. even a great contribution, sir, i thank you for your efforts. i gushing corolla at time of caution and joy for travellers. this lunar new year. and that was so made here in germany that became a global hit at a time of nuclear anxiety. it has been 40 years since the release of and on and on secular belongs by nina. the cold war era, single was one of the biggest german language hits ever recorded in english is 99 red balloons. it captured the hearts of generations of music lovers. and its anti war message still endures. ah,

40 years ago, an unknown german singer and her band released a song that floated around the world. nay, as 99 red balloons captured the angst and sight guys of the iraq, perfectly. in 1983, the cold war was in full swing relations between the u. s. and the soviet union were deteriorating and the world feared a nuclear apocalypse. nato responded to easton block proliferation by stationing pershing to nuclear missiles on german soil. nina and her band took a stand against, with pop music. 99 red balloons, became the soundtrack of the peace movement. isn't i might, it was a time when the big question of whether nuclear weapon should be stationed in germany was at the for, it was a question that occupied people everywhere, not just in germany. and this was when name as anti war song, 99 red balloons burst onto the scene and quickly caught on a limb. or the idea came from the band taurus carlo targets at the end of their

concert in west berlin. in 1982, the rolling stones released balloons into the sky carlo wondered what would happen if they floated over the border to east berlin and were mistaken by soviet radar from missile. the idea for 99 red balloons was born. the song top the chart from germany, japan, australia, new zealand, and reached number 2 in the us. the band later recorded an english language version, but in many countries the original german song was preferred. 40 years on the music may be showing its age, but the lyrics about the senselessness of war remain as pertinent as when they were 1st written. ah. in his a reminder of our top story today, german defense minister boys peculiar says, holding talks with his us counterpart lloyd, often at this hour in, but it,

it comes ahead of a wider me saying of european defense ministers at the u. s. a. base in the gum. stine, in southwestern germany on friday, berlin is under pressure to facilitate the delivery of left to battle tanks to ukraine. we have time for coming out next news. asia with melissa john. i'm on your hips, mckinnon. thank you for being with ah, [000:00:00;00]

with who ah, an exclusive interview with donny, dionne director of the yard to wash him holocaust memorial. you vowed that you would never visit german. what are your expectations? we have to figure out how to continue to keep the flame all for all of those 3 members alive. now he's visiting germany for the very 1st time exclusive interview with donnie dionne with in 15 minutes on

d. w. o. level on to get a moment. i'm a lawyer, i didn't give it away. it is currently more people than in worldwide in such a better life. but a case of in project a lot of money. that's what i believe with a lender method. i find out about bailey's story. info, migraines, reliable news for migrant. wherever they may be. live nor do da vinci's mysterious masterpiece. oh,

this perhaps the greatest leonardo masterpiece and the collection of the louvre and no, it is not them on the lease. it is the virgin of the rocks. was there another symbolic meaning to this beautiful painting that perhaps we just don't understand? the search for answers starts february 10th on d, w. you're watching d w news asia coming up with the prime minister of pakistan. extend an olive branch to india, but just how a sincere is his overture. we'll take a closer look at his offer and the main sticking point. that is kashmir.