all, we can be the generation, the ends at so good. malaria must die. so millions can live the this is dw news live from berlin, confusion over the future direction of syria. the rebel leader off at l. sharah strikes a deal to unite rival militias, fund kurdish forces launch a counter offensive against the national army, which is backed by turkey. also coming up, germany's president calls for unity in the wake of the attack on the christmas market in mac. diverse city grieves as the anti immigrant far right calls for deportation the

marietta evan, spain. it's good to have you with us. we begin in syria where the overthrow of a shadow outside has left the shape of the future government unclear, state media, say the revelator of metal sharah has agreed with other affection sheaves to consolidate rival groups under the defense ministry. but the kurdish lead syrian democratic forces say they've launched a counter offensive against the national army, which is backed by turkey. the kurdish forces aim to take back territory near syria's northern border with turkey as well. for more on all of this, let's bring in was style fi. he's the executive director of the syrian emergency task force and joins us from washington. d. c. welcome to the w. i'd like to begin by asking you about some of these most recent developments in syria. first,

there now appears to be in agreement with frivolous action leaders to dissolve all the armed groups and then consolidate them. under the defense ministry, what more can you tell us about this? well, i think it's a very welcome step in one of the international community should be excited to hear . syria has been plague by multiple faxes of all these competing interests. whether they be the ones that stood with the revolution, against the tyranny of the said, redeem, and the russian in iranian occupation, or whether it was, you know, you're on your back proxies advisable on, you know, i, r g, c and the list goes on. but now the joint military operations command room, which has liberated the entire country, including damascus without outside help. not turkey, not thoughts, are not anyone is now saying that all these different factors, including h t s, are to be dissolved. absolutely, because now there needs to be

a ministry of defense, no more. it's syria divided up all over the place. and that's a very welcome step. what is important is to ensure that also all other factions that are out there, that once a free and democratic syria to also dissolve and join in their rightful place within the ministry of defense. so it's a good piece of news. all right, we should mention for now it's only an announcement how in fact can this be implemented? are these rebel factions going to disarm? so 1st of all, you know, the last week has looked like a dream, right? it's a brand new middle east. so i understand sometimes it takes some coping to realize that sometimes good things actually happen, right, like christmas decorations all over syria, if the bad or isis or title rolled up somewhere. no one would be decorating for christmas. we've been, we'd be covered up in blankets, trees, you know,

would be it to be horrible. none of that will happen. we'll see is a syria that's coming back to people. now in terms of the factions, they already fought in a single way in multiple cities liberating a level in 2 days. and then on the, i'm a and homeless and it live a and the rest of it live and to damascus. and they did it all with great self control. i would argue some western countries in wars, they would be more reports of violations than there were a if any, in the 7 days. and they stuck to those rules. and now they're all their leadership have come together, not because they're forced from some outside entity, but they're all sitting together. they just liberated their country and they've decided, you know, what, we don't want to be different effects and we just went to the new syria. so it's, it's not just an announcement, if you saw them all meet and see it this, these things will happen smoothly. again, the challenges remain a lot thing. everything's going to be rosie and syria, but no more,

not amongst the factions that liberated the country, the clear night about the way forward. that was the last and the staff are from the syrian emergency task force. many thanks. indeed. course i was staying in syria. there are more atrocities coming to lived following the fall of the asset regime in the damascus suburb of the young eye. witnesses of the massacre that was carried out in 2012 are now breaking their silence. dw, in this town signs of life where we are in the year and the sold in outskirts of the muskets. only a few, if it's more than 100000 residents, are back following the photo for showing us that they are trying to rebuild their lives. 63 year old dom on beta star sits on the ruins of what used to be just sort of factors. he says his family owned

a number of shops and buildings here. now it's old gone. it couldn't do, but i mean, they used the barrel bottoms to exterminate everything way, but yeah, there were factory machines there. i'm on the 0, after destroying the building, they looted whatever was left child. if either you know, this is how it goes. we have nothing left. i swear, i'm living in a rental. hostile. it was all right then just like most of the people in the yeah, he's clubs. the thoughts food has come to an end as lobby on there. they were getting serious and thank god, it's over not the most kids the around in gratitude and the one that's my only son fled to egypt. so he's my only son is my truck is 3 times from between my on most of the with the, the video and usually i had to back we officer. so then he would let my son go all the article, the i sent him to egypt after that,

after you must have been without it. in 2011, the radio was one of the 1st towns twice again stella thought for that it paid a heavy price. in august of 2012, the horrifying must occur. took place in the basement of this building at the hands of the run, the administrators and syrian officers jamal tells me who in the car, driving them is the people who are hiding all over the place. and this is all connected to come with. and poor people who are hiding here with the opposite uh, 90 saw body storm, the basement that shot everyone. well as to how far they were competing chose more people of 70000 to go. we killed any and everyone out about the most. every family in the neighborhood last a member and dismissal, also among the victims. so what state means daughter headed me before no definitive . so we try to keep it for date with z as in goodness. we barely made it to work

from also before the short in the car. it is the 1st hit, the tires on the back end, the lease charge on over the car one bullet. i need to take my daughter's heart. she died immediately. most survivors like 50 you do not forgive the former regime of this law so they feel they wouldn't never get closure. local activists here in the right, you had told me that at least 750 bodies were recovered from the basement. they said that even after 12 years since the massacre, they still find human remains until 2 weeks ago, before the downfall of the sod regime. no one was allowed to visit the towns graveyard jamal says, i know how to be honest. no one knows where exactly his relatives are. siblings are buried. oh, but i knew what else the bodies were brought here with both the most i pay for some people are buried in mass graves across the field when the whole number tool for

you having witnessed these atrocities 1st tend, jamal is a class where least to be able to speak about the many untold stories that happened in the young let's turn our attention now to some of the other stories making news around the world. this, our defense minister, israel cops has confirmed that israel assassinated from us political leader, east male, near earlier this year. at the time israel was widely believed to be behind the explosion into ron. that led to honey, as deb caps of statement is the 1st public acknowledgement. 2 crew members are missing after a russian cargo ships sang in the mediterranean would be or so much or went down between spain and algeria following an engine room explosion or you for any in president of little mirror. zalinski says more than 3000 north korean soldiers had

been killed or wounded in russia's course region. ukraine estimates that about 12000 north korean troops were sent there to help the russian units to retake territory that ukraine sees back in august. or u. s. congress report accuses the former republican member that gave a ranking of the level serving in the house. he allegedly paid women for sex and drugs, including sex with a 17 year old gates denies all wrong doing. he was present to elect donald trump's initial choice for attorney general. for one person was killed in the us state of california after being fatally trapped under debris from a storm. the waves in santa cruz county also caused a peer to partly collapse. 3 people were thrown from the pier into the water, but eventually made it to safety. well here in germany, the president is calling for unity following friday's attack on

a christmas market. in the city of magda burge that killed 5 people, an injured hundreds more from falter, stein meyer said, quote, hatred and violence must not have the final word. let's not allow ourselves to be driven to part. let's stand together. people enacted berg are lighting candles and lang flowers to remember the victims. the attack has fueled to debate about security and immigration in germany. matthew carnage, nick is politicos, a chief europe correspondent and a short time ago. i asked him whether were any closer to understanding the attacker's motives as well. thank you for having me. i don't think we really understand the true motives behind it, except what he's written online, which is that he was angry about the way the german state had treated saudi

refugees. over the years he felt that they were not given the same priority as refugees from other countries in the middle east, including syria, where germany has obviously been quite generous since 2015. so that seems to have been a long running issue for this man. if, if that's really what was driving it, i think it's probably more to it than that. i mean, you know, that people don't usually undertake of murder sprees. you know, over over an issue like that. there was clearly some deep psychological issues this, this person has been, has been facing. but beyond that, i don't think that we really understand what was what was going on here. well, as we saw in our report, one of the leaders of germany is far right. a of tea party said that a legend is list, ideology was to blame. we should note, she did not provide any evidence of this. but do you think this kind of tactic is

gonna help safety gain more support? i think that's going to be the big question is germany goes into this election campaign. i think the issue of security certainly will dominate the campaign, whether the a f d can turn this attack into a real boost for its own agenda is not really clear to me. i think that they will benefit to some degree from it. but as we heard in the report, this individual was also a supporter of a fee, and all you have to do is go online and you can see the positive things that he wrote about the a s d and in recent weeks and months. so it's a little bit difficult, i think for the f t to push that narrative, what they're saying is that he wasn't islamist as we just heard. this is a kind of conspiracy theory that has been circulating and social media in recent days. there's no evidence of this anywhere that i have seen. in fact, he was an anti muslim activist, a self described in the muslim activist. so it doesn't,

it doesn't really fit neatly together. that was politicos, chief year of corresponded matthew parts and intellect speaking a short time ago. all right, now to a year end tradition in japan where people laugh where their troubles from the past 12 months. have a listen. over a 1000 people came to a template and sound good to sound loud in the year and a high note invoice. for good luck, the ceremony is rooted in the midst and which deities with life and dance to persuade the sun god is to leave for k. as well as christmas eve and children around the world are eagerly waiting for santa and his presence in finland. one father christmas took to his sleigh in front of well wishers. his annual departure from santa claus village has become a big holiday event. this year the single reindeer seemed

a bit reluctant to start the journey. they must be picking up santa's other aid reindeer along the way and that's the latest on the w news this hour. i'm here and evans team. thanks for watching. the d. w. travel. all over the side. phase 3, food, honest with inside entity, local high, nice. well, let's go here, we go to so when it comes to sustainability information and try and do that. when you travel you can have it all expected. it has to check the bags. so you're planning a trip.