i'm phil gayle welcome to the program. as wildfires rage through australia 7 people have been confirmed dead over the last 2 days and nearly 200 homes destroyed this brings a death toll from this season's blazes to 17 the biggest faster spread across 2 states in australia southeast at victoria and new south wales authorities an hour delivering a food and water to thousands of people who fled the town. on the on the coast they took refuge on the beach and with weather conditions expected to worsen this weekend the crisis is far from over. fuelled by searing temperatures and fast moving winds more than 200 fires continue to consume a strain southeastern states of new south wales and victoria. fire fools these rescue volunteers to take shelter in that truck as flames surrounded them. the crew made it out safely we also have a very real challenge at the moment with a couple of also lighter communities where we've got reports of of injuries and burn injuries to members of the public we haven't been able to get access via roads

i'm phil gayle welcome to the program. that appears to be movement and ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a cease fire in libya's civil war germany's foreign minister how come out has announced that rebel leader. has agreed to abide by a cease fire general haftar has sex with made the comments during a meeting with the foreign minister in benghazi is also said to have to agree to attend sunday's international meeting in berlin which will focus on the libya crisis that he this week the general refused to sign a cease fire deal brokered during talks in moscow. so that's a bring in our political correspondent simon young welcome simon why is this announcement coming from germany's foreign minister. well germany is role in this conflict and in these peace talks is as peace broke and as you say a big international conference with all the players all the international parties is being organized here in berlin on sunday and i think germany is a relatively neutral country compared with some of the other e.u. countries as far as

i'm phil gayle welcome to the program. iraq's army says protesters have now left the u.s. embassy complex in baghdad after militia leaders called on them to disperse american forces guarding the compound 5 tear gas to repel demonstrators angered by u.s. airstrikes washington deployed more troops to guard the embassy after the compound was breached by iran backed shia militia men on tuesday. the new year has begun with a fresh political crisis in baghdad more clashes broke out between pro running demonstrators and u.s. troops. lyta protesters pulled back but they were a god they were trained is a victory of the united states. we achieved exactly what we intended so we pulled back triumphantly and we rubbed america's nose in that. they may have had little choice but to leave more u.s. troops moved into rain for security at the embassy early on new year's day washington deployed 750 rapid response forces to stop demonstrators again breaking the perimeter of the massive u.s. embassy. thousands of kilometers away more u.s. troops have been preparing to travel to the middle east

i am phil gayle. welcome to the program. phil: the u.s. government has unveiled new sanctions against iranian government. the announcement came from mike pompeo and treasury secretary, steven mnuchin. they describe it as a response to the iranian missile attack in iraq. the sanctions target 18 your officials in the islamic republic. we will now get the abuse from the united states and european union in washington and brussels. let's start with pablo. tell us more about these new sanctions. pablo: you sort of said sum of it already. some of these individuals who will be targeted are involved in the iranian financial, technological and mining sectors. they are eight iranian officials who were described as eating involved in destabilizing activities. the idea behind this is to basically cut billions of dollars of revenue for the iranian government. it was announced in a news conference that was very much geared towards this as well. the reason why the assassination of the armenian general took place in the first place and secretary pompeo was

i'm phil gayle. welcome to the program. australian authorities have declared emergencies and ordered mass evacuations in new south wales and victoria. the states hardest hit by some of the worst wildfires on record. evacuation orders are likely to last for days as forecasters mourn that high temperatures and strong winds are expected to return this weekend ---- forecasters warn high temperatures and strong winds are expected too return this weekend. >> this is what firefighters in australia have been dealing with for months in some cases. in this is an example of the aftermath. a blaze tore through here on new year's eve. since then, thousands have been awaiting rescue. the plan is for the navy to use ships and helicopters to melbourne. destruction, devastation, and this is one of f so many towns n new south wales in australia that have felt the latest wave of bushfires. >> just get out and go. >> people have died, but a final count has not been tallied yet. some are still listed as missing. one of the dead is fireman jeff

. ♪ phil: i'm phil gayle. welcome.round's army says protesters have left the embassy complex in baghdad after militia leaders called on them to disperse. earlier, american forces fired tear gas to repel the demonstrators. washington destroyed -- deployed more troops to the embassy after the compound was breached by militia men tuesday. correspondent: the new year began with a fresh political crisis in baghdad, more clashes between pro--arabian demonstrators -- pro-iranian demonstrators and u.s. troops. later protesters pulled back, but they regard their retreat as a victory against the united states. >> we achieved what we intended. wewe pulled d ck triumphphantlyd we rubbed d america's sese in te dirt correspondndent: they mamay havd lilittle choice but to leave. more u.s. troops moveded into reinforced security at the u.s. embassy on new year's day. washington floyd 750 rapid-this -- rapid-response forces. thousands of kilometers away, more u.s. troops have been preparing to travel to the middle east, a sign of how s

. ♪ phil: i'm phil gayle. welcome to the program. the u.k.mally leaves the european union in just a few hours, parking the end of a divisive 3.5 years in british politics. prime minister joyce. boris johnson and his cabinet marked the occasion in southend early, the first place to declare for brexit and the 2016 referendum. mr. johnson is due to make a speech tonight but aside from that, no official events are organized. it was very different in brussels, where members of the european parliament have been celebrating. correspondent: tomorrow, there will be one fewer. the british flag will no longer fly at the european parliament. brexit mps staged a special departure from the building. they have achieved their political goal. >> this s is happening. the wars over. there is n now a battle for the shape of our relationship with the euroropean union, our r role with the rest of the world, but this is the moment. it is done. correspondent: european leaders acknowledge the relationship with the u.k. will be different. >> we are sending a message t

. ♪ phil: i'm phil gayle. welcome to the program. we begin with fresh fears of a war after u.s.n strike killed a top iranian general. the attack at baghdad airport coded general qassem soleimani, the head of the qud f force cocommencing as s the architectf the military in the middle east. it also killed in iraqi military group leader with close ties to iraq. the supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei has a warning to the u.s. at that it faces harsh retaliation. the u.s. has ordered citizens to leave iraq and is sending thousands of extra troops to the region. correspondent: iranians took to the streets on friday in the tens of thousands. they chanted, no compromise, no surrender, fight the u.s. the news of qassem soleimani's killing sparked fury among protesters, who directed their anger at the u.s. >> the same thing should be done to them. their leaders should be killed. all of them should be killed. correspondent: military officials also spoke of revenge for the killing of the man who was widely seen as the second most powerful figure in iran. >> the americans should prepare th

. ♪ phil: welcome to the program. i'm phil gayle. the u.s.overnment has unveiled new sanctions against iranian officials. the announcement came from mike pompeo and the treasury secretary, steven mnuchin, describing the sanctions as a response to the missile attack against u.s. troops in iraq, which followed the u.s. assassination of a senior iranian general. the sanctions target eight senior officials to the u.s. it says were involved in the attack against u.s. troops. we will now get the view from the united states and european union, from pablo foley elias in washington and teri schultz in brussels. tell us more about the sanctions, pablo. pablo: well, you sort of said at of it already. some of these individuals who will be targeteded are involvedn iran's financial, manufacturing, and mining sectors. they are also against officials who were described as being involved in destabilizing activities. this, the idea behind this is to basically cut billions of dollars of revenue for the iranian government and it came, it was announced in a news