as for some to return home, the when chief has called the possibilities a flame of hope. but what about for women? will serious new rulers protect their rights or push the country in the direction of afghanistan under the taliban? i'm quite richardson in berlin. you are watching the day the at the been my home. i worry the most about our freedom of freedoms as women. so i want to speed up a quality for all citizens. it's absolutely essential to have a process this dialogue that is inclusive, that, that all communities of cds c, parts of it. we have now started to build the future and the syria is allied. so the worst scenario would be extremism. an experience similar to the t, ron experience also coming up a president for

a lot of years. the landscapes as he's putting holds for his conference future in incoming us president donald trump dw, ask one of his former advisors. if that is a wise idea. if he wants to, he wants it over, which implies that he doesn't particularly care on what terms to that. and i think that's bad news for you current to welcome. we begin the day with a glimmer of hope and our region engulfed by war. that is what the un secretary general antonio gutierrez is saying about serious future after the allister of long time will work for shar, alas, said, and his brutal regime. the un shaffer's calling on the international community to provide humanitarian aid for the syrian people. and to help them rebuild after years of civil war. whichever is also expressed hope that syria's new leaders will begin a process of dialogue and include all syrians in the countries future,

including minority communities. the people of serious stand at the moment of history and the moments of opportunity. and that's the opportunity can not be missed. the end of more than 5, that gets a little dictate that the room has given rise to much hope. and we share that hope with the city and people, and we stand with them. it's absolutely central to have a process of dialogue that is inclusive. that's the all communities of seed you feel body of it. women in serial who make up half the population are particularly concerned about their future under the new as low misled government. today, the country's designated education minister said girls would continue to enjoy a right to education. but he added that secondary schooling would remain largely segregated by gender, with separate classes for boys and girls. rights organizations have been calling on

the new rulers to protect the rights of women and minorities w's, abraham and rama. drama. connie report from damascus in the syrian capital, damascus, we invited women's rights activists for many different backgrounds to tell us what they want for the new syria. despite their differences, their united and their aspirations for the future state buildings. all i want to speed up a quality for all citizens, regardless of race, ethnicity, sect, or denomination. still, i want the constitution to treat everyone equally. i want to civilian personal status laws. i wanted to sing custody rights over my children, that my husband had fun when we started adding one that came into this ocean with number one in guy, one to him in laws electro noise citizenship laws. and here since laws north around children with unknown lineage, these children should be registered under their mothers. now these annoyances of no

more and sweetly be having to get this process because i want to gender sensitive constitution. when i'm the in laws to give women freedom, both in private and public life, happens also. given these hopes, these women are also worried about what a possible is looms take over. might mean shock because i'm a healthy, i worry the most about our freedom of freedoms as women citizens the policy. i worry that we have just changed the name of the machine and that we would get a new dictator and a different form. we had a military authoritarian dictator. i worry we will just get an islamist one. i worry about political as some i am not against islam itself. i am a muslim, hardly any confused or should know the worst scenario would be extremism. physical got an experience similar to the t, ron experience of the after the fall of the chavo. wrong photo. bad the simple,

the shot to get them out on the streets. optimizon is what brings among serious i didn't feel afraid, the fear is gone. we have now started to build a future and the serious as the game. and so i'm, i think the situation is better. my children were far away from me. now my daughter is back in syria after 9 years. and that, that is, are consistent with, i mean a lot and it looks like a, some of somebody in your, on how we use it on people hope to rebuild syria of how this new hold on honey about in human situation is great. just then right. compared to what we expect it to be high, i can this audience everywhere you go into mass. like the one behind the men and women celebrating the falls were started as a women activists regardless of background. also tell me there's still a lot that needs to be done for them to get the syria of their dream back that are

gathering with the activists. some are already making plans to make their dreams are reality stuff. and now we have been training now. i mean, we have attended workshops and so on, but many other women have not had the opportunities we have had. we have had to work in a horizontal way on concepts that we can present to all women for awareness and community, sir. the way that mitsy um, we need to work on psychological support, especially for families of detainees. the people who have seen their children return as a skeleton southern alarm. but in the back of their minds, they're also thinking about what to do. if things do not go their way and beyond the we now have the freedom to pro chase. so we will go to the streets and do that . if there are laws against prizes, then we will just play will emigrate. so this will be going to have

a non he elizabeth elizabeth. but right now these women activists from around the country are building up their network. they know there's work to do for more, i'd like to welcome louis not to ride from the syrian women's political movement. welcome to j. w. the un secretary general today said that of the many fires burning across the middle east. but in syria, there is a flame of hope to use the hope for women in this moment. just for sure. uh, the political situation is there. yeah, it was a frozen for years and years and we've been stuck in and not at a very difficult situation where there's no need to jump and to where it's like the freedom of syrians and specifically asserted women. so now we have another new opportunity for all of us and specifically women to build a new story out based on that to protect human rights and women's rights

as other countries. what issues specific to women do you think could improve in a new syria? a yeah, in 0 we need to work on the constitution to ensure that our constitution and protect the products women's rights in terms of like the rights of the religions, the right, the right political grades and all of it's related to the land, the land storage. and the properties, and also we need to work on the, the form of the, the, the national law, which is related to citizenship. i think citizens citizenship to the women's children as well. also all which is related to inheritance of from their families and their husbands. so a lot should be done to the for the, at the laws and,

and the, and all what's related to women's rights, israel for, for now and for the switch as well. now many have warned that there could be trouble from high outs. tasha assume it has recently tried to tone down. it's frederick, it's promise things like protection for minority groups and your view, what does they have to offer women in syria? the 1st we need to be really honest. it's just like the story town guarantee just where its, uh and uh, we need to have to see like actions. um, this is like, uh by providing like a space for women to be included in the all of all of the, um like a future. uh uh, government and having also co tougher women to insure like, uh, their participation of the table. so until now we haven't seen any of these. so

just like we have now the, what it's called the care government or the transitional council where there is like a 0 participation or form. and we have seen gender up or tired and you run and then got enough gums done. and we need to be visually and to protect like a what, what do we have done over the, the, the pieces like up 14 years is specifically like seeing what was supposed to move with have been working over years since the beginning of the 3 and resolution on defining the all of the politics and so yeah, from a woman's perspective. and from, from this perspective, this is like to be used during this time, the time of transition where a lot should be done and a lot of uncertainty we are seeing now. so, so yeah, we need to see like women are leaving the country being court of the,

the new government also being part of the candidates for the elections, presidential elections and what's coming on. also to reform the constitution. and you mentioned that comparison to afghanistan style situation. i'm the leader of high out to we are all from just today's spoke to the bbc denying that he wants to turn syria into and i've got his don style scenario. um, are you optimistic given what you've said about their not being women involved at the table in many of these decisions, but that will be possible there it is like in general, like carol, back on like women's rights globally. it's not. it's like it's everywhere. and this is why so you can imagine now in a country where it's like, we experienced like 54 years of a dictatorship. so i think there is the concerns are valid. and we, as, as i mentioned, we need to see like actions and reports and the on to now there is no um,

i'm not not that optimistic. and when it comes to to that, like having woman in leadership. but say, who knows, it just like, as i said, like we need to be gillian to protect like, uh, a word rights and to team also are space and in a soon as a future. and just before you go, are there groups in syria that are pushing for that? who could be helpful in making that a reality? yeah, for sure. there's a lot of like, uh, um, organizations, uh, and like i initiatives on the ground, they are supporting women's participation and women leadership in serialized lights . not only the symbol is both good movement, but to have like us are in lobby. we have also seeing women's a network. we have them a denise and disliked today we have a process in damascus and the center of the muskets where women ask for the to to where women rejected also the current situation where there is no

a seat for women in the turn like how government that we have so women are just on the ground brought this thing and also i'm, the civil society is pushing for, for more and also to protect a women's rights. so it's going to be like the question for the future. and also for all of those who are working in politics and shaping a serious, serious future. but yeah, we need to keep working on and keeping our rights in the center of a serious politics and also the vision and for everything and the, and to push for matching words with actions. well, thank you so much for joining us on d. w. that is, was meant to write a syria and women's political movement. so thank you.

glad to use it. but you know, if it was possible to look at the situation of knowing what is happening now or what the situation was in 20212022. i would think that such a decision which was taken at the beginning of 2022 and you can sort of pull it should have been taken earlier or what would you want moving available thing you might, that range was russian president vladimir putin speaking at his annual end of your press conference, tacitly acknowledging that things didn't go entirely to plan with his full scale invasion of ukraine almost 3 years ago now. but put in went on to say that the war had made russia stronger. and the kremlin forces are making slow. but steady gains along the front line in eastern ukraine. your brains present in flooding mirrors the landscape, meanwhile, was speaking today at the european union's end of your summit in brussels. he told european leaders, ukraine could not live with a frozen conflict. responding to a reporter's question,

the landscape reiterated that he was hopeful that the new us president could help ends. the war for us is very important that i, i think that's uh, president trump is strong man. and i one to pretty much to have him on our side for me is very important. i want to discuss with you more details about this. what i think is very important because he was not in before because he was not the president. and i one's already much come to help us, but ours the landscape hopes in the incoming trump administration well placed the they'll be as washington bureau chief, as paul sat down with someone who knows from thinking well, his former national security adviser, john bolton. it's hard to prioritize in these times with so many new and old crisis is, but i would like to start with ukraine and mr. bolton presidential lensky has stated that he doesn't want to freeze the conflicts to end the war and is not willing to

give up territory, which is something done the jungle of course, seems to be willing to do. so. how do you see the next few months unfolding? well, i'm very worried about the future and ukraine from what trump is said during the campaign and after the election. but just what i know about his general attitude toward ukraine is general attitude toward russia. he trump has, has now admitted that it's, it's not going to work for him to get to the landscape and putting in a room and solve it and 24 hours. just amazing how these things happen. after campaigns that the, that he acknowledges the reality that he probably knew beforehand, but i think what, what motivates trump primarily at the moment is he wants this conflict behind it. he believes it's biden's war. he said during the campaign, it wouldn't have happened if he had been president, which is a statement inside their approval or disapproval, but he wants to, he wants it over, which implies that he doesn't particularly care on what terms to that. and so,

and i think that's bad news for you current to you. what do you expect him to do in his 1st couple of weeks regarding of ukraine? well, i think i've had a lot of priority is that the best of those for ukraine may be, it's got to concentrate more and expelling illegal immigrants into the united states and doing a lot of other things that are more domestically oriented. but he's already named a special on voice for the, for the negotiations he expects to uh, to see started fairly quickly. and i don't believe trying because you had spoken to vladimir, put at some point there will be a conversation. and i think if trump says bottom area, you've got to come to the it was getting table a tote and will all jacked and complain. but then they'll say that donald's for you, i'll do it. now of course, it's the ponies interest to get to the negotiating, take able, if, if that then freezes the front lines and that becomes the new ukrainian or russian

border. so i think putting knows how to play with trump. i think he knows how to flattering a and, and if they have a conversation before and argue, ration day, that could start negotiations fairly quickly. and i just, i'm worried if the us, the parts from the strategy that's a, it's been pursued which hasn't been effective by the way, for a lot of reasons. but as it indicates, we can support for ukraine that europe won't be far behind. and that's just bad news for you, chris is. so, of course all about security guarantees as well for ukraine. new presidents who lensky, what's your expect them from to commit to? i'm very worried you won't commit to very much and, and honestly, uh, its uh, the ukraine head security guarantees from the united states, united king defend and, uh, and russia, uh, in, in the uh, the budapest records which didn't do any good. so i, i'm not sure the security guarantees in the future are going to be any more effective for ukraine than in the past. the only real answer is nato membership,

and i don't see that as a prospect. the real question of nato membership is whether trump keeps the us in or polls this out. and really to try to pull the out. he doesn't understand why the alliance benefits the united states effects. basically, these, these nato is this. we defend your, we don't get anything out of it and europe doesn't pay. so why are we in this a lot? that's what effects and it's not a great leap, a face to say, well, if that's what you think, why don't you get out? and that's, that's why i'm so worried the state of using as poll with that interview there. and this week of the commander of ukraine's droned, forces reveals that they possess a laser weapon that can shoot down airborne targets more than 2 kilometers away. according to experts and such a weapon could be effective against low flying drones, like the iranian, she had $136.00 that russia uses. and it's 4 against you pray. and these drones known as get on yet to in russia are made

a relatively fragile components that are vulnerable to the heat created by lasers with you. the ukraine's claim has not been verified, but experts say it's a feasible, a handful of countries are developing so called directed energy weapons of the technology is still at an experimental stage around 10 towns for sure. so let's break this all down with larry for easy an aerospace engineer with aerial information systems that specializes in grown engineering surfaces and consulting heat drawings. we stay from pensacola florida. welcome just to start things off. could you talk us through a little bit more about how the laser weapons actually work? so the equivalent, it's the laser, just like you would say in all a typical office laser playing laser radar and ring laser. so it's just the concentration of photons. but if you concentrate them, very likely they end up being quite destructive. um the difference between say i

counter drum laser and have typical office laser is these the counter drum lasers will operate either in the infrared or ultra violet parts of the light spectrum. so as humans, we don't, we won't be able to see them. and why might laser weapons work then, particularly well against drones? of this current generation of drums do not maneuver. they simply, they fly in straight lines. they orbit. um they're, they're not like spider aircraft. so it's generally if you can see the drones, you can lock onto him and put the laser beam. so it, with lasers you actually have to, it's not like star wars we're, you know, we're used to seeing lasers. busy as and blow up something with these types of lasers there continue was beam where you have to focus the heat on the critical part of the aircraft for a given period of time until it fails either by building or milk. so in that sense,

drawing might be a somewhat easier target. what do you make of your cranes claims that it has a working directed energy weapon? um i, i'm of the pinion that they have definitely gotten some help from somebody, either the british or the united states, even possibly those riley's, the number of western countries who successfully filled with a tactical laser system for, for air defense. it's a very small club and united states has been added for years now. so i'm really doubtful that the ukrainians were able to, in, in their condition, being in a state of war able to leap frog everyone else with a functional laser system. so without driving too much into the strategy and politics of it all from, from a technical perspective, why is it so challenging for countries to develop these weapons? well, the, there's the optics of the lasers of literally just forming the laser beam

a minute. and you were talking about distances of, you know, 2 to 10 kilometers away from wherever the, the laser is actually located. so you have to be able to actually focus that laser beam into the size of possibly even a point at 10 kilometers away in order for it to be effective. so that becomes a menu. there is a power generation aspect um, you know, nice thing about lasers is they have what we call an almost a very deep magazine. so they will continue to fire until you run out of electrical energy. so become producing electrical energy in the field becomes a could be quite an obstacle for, for some operators. and so with all those challenges, do you think that we will one day have laser weapons that could, could even take down missiles and higher altitude airborne weapons? absolutely, the u. s. has already invested quite a bit of money into shooting them ballistic missiles, with lasers. and those programs were a terribly expensive um,

but i believe that on a technical level that we will definitely be seeing lasers in the field in the next few years. all right, well thank you very much for taking the time to share your expertise with us. that is larry freely with ariel information systems. thank you. and finally, before we go, it is the festive season in many parts of the world with extravagant light displays . and this week, mexico city went off. it's historic city center. ahead of christmas. a unique feature of the mexican holidays celebrations are forced pianos might know them. their traditional decorations usually made on paper shay, they're filled up with candy. there. sprung up overhead and then later children. and if you want to take a swing adults as well, they try to break open those pianos and let the sugary sweets rain down

the church and that is our show for today. don't forget you can follow our team on social media at dw news. if it's the latest headlines you're looking for, there's always our website dw, dot com. i'm sorry, richardson in berlin from me and the entire team working behind the scenes to make this possible. thank you so much for watching the,

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him. he wants to increase polarization. have to wait for trump rise to power. usa to rights starts january 18th on d, w, the business data i didn't use, i forgot coming up on the program after nearly 2 years of fighting. why is the new and inside of the war incident? it's being described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. thousands of people have been killed. a 1000000 small have been displaced, will take you to the phone line off the 5 to 500 meters into this direction. that's where they are as f gunshots right now, and for many of his, the 4th is gun. this presidency liked john muhammad, as his country's political save you in times of trouble for the man himself.