we understand the differences and similarities of cultures across the world is another matter when you will be leading news and current affairs that matter. to a or. i know this is a difficult day for some. and to our friends in the united kingdom i want to say our team is such sweet sorrow. the deal is finally done the u.k. and the european union clinch a landmark post trade agreement redefining their future relationship. you're watching al-jazeera live from the headquarters and. also coming up latin america begins mass coronavirus vaccine rollouts frontline workers in chile mexico

on coast to recount the 1st jobs. u.s. house republicans go against donald trump and to increase relief payments for a struggling american. and a christmas like no other celebrations are scaled back in countries around the world as millions prepare for a somber holiday. thanks for joining us in new leaders say it's a deal that will write his story britain's prime minister boris johnson says the agreement will help the u.k. take control of its destiny well after 8 months of negotiations and just 7 days before the deadline the european union and the u.k. have finally reached a landmark post trade and security deal the agreement for a 0 tariff trade covers everything from energy to fishing rights i was worried

challenge reports this means that the u.k. has to leave the european union. finally breaks it down 4 and a half years after the referendum almost at the end of the 11 month period. the u.k. argued negotiated compromised and cajoled but they they couldn't agree to a future trading relations. it's a moment of reflection for the european commission president. at the end of a successful negotiations surely i know you feel chilly. but today i only feel quite satisfaction and frankly speaking in relief for the u.k.'s prime minister it's a political success that caps a year which gave him very few of them there will be no palisade of

terrorists on january the 1st and they'll be no non-tariff barriers to trade and instead there will be a giant free trade zone of which we will once be a member and at the same time be able to do our own free trade deals one area of disputes that seem compromises fishing rights outside the e.u. britain has control of its exclusive economic zone but it's had to budge on how much access he has have there's also been movement on state aid to allay e.u. fears european companies could suffer from unfair competition and now both have an imperative to work together to make this deal look good and run as smoothly as possible and that will many my short term disruption the government's independent spending watchdog says not reaching a deal would have nots 2 percent off u.k. growth in 2021 alone partly because of temporary disruptions to cross border trade but even with this deal the u.k. business is still have plenty to worry about only

a small number of transport companies have had access to britain's new border crossing software expected to be rolled out just a week before the transition period ends there are concerns about britain's current jobs crisis deepening if firms relocate to the e.u. and there are still unanswered questions about how to avoid physical border checks between northern ireland part of the u.k. and ireland in the member for now both sides will be happy to have something to show for the torturous negotiations boris johnson insists the relationship is still closed this country will remain culturally emotionally historically. strategically geologically attached to europe but in the year the u.k. has finally done what the 2016 referendum result demanded its distances from europe . down to 0. so the deal's been done but what's in

a turn has either side fared better well principally it secures 0 tariff and 0 market for goods and that avoids the possibility of soaring prices on both sides which could have forced businesses to fold now on the key issue of fishing in u.k. waters will keep access for 5 and a half years but the size of their catch will shrink the u.k. fishing industry says it's disappointed there isn't more for a break from the e.u. for europe a key demand was protecting the level playing field or common rules to stop one side gaining competitive advantage it says there will be built in safeguards and incentives to stick to those rules and they're also deals covering transport data sharing and health plus agreements on law enforcement for example smoothing the process of extradition and the u.k. has opted out of the student program so britain's no longer avoid mobile phone roaming charges and there will be more paperwork if they want to travel with their

. served as an aide to britain's former brics that secretary he says the trade deal is historic despite its limitations. what we've got here is possibly the 1st trade deal in history where we started with free trade and we've moved to an end point where there are more barriers and networks of begin with so it isn't going to be a perfect fail quite clearly there would have been compromise on both sides but i think that whether you go boris johnson's and i thought whether your look on the law and i think you were pretty chuffed you've been able to deliver a big deal in record time on a very complex deals oversea those key areas like fishing where there may have been some compromises as key areas about level playing field as well but on the whole we need to see the legal text before we can decide whether the losers and winners will be the predictions were. without a deal we are looking at potentially losing 6 percent of g.d.p. with a deal of this nature we're looking at only losing 4 percent of g.d.p.

so you know we're all still looking at a potential loss a loss in our opinion and in particular looking at the fishing industry which is it a contentious point that's worth around or point one percent of the u.k.'s overall economy so there was never really going to be any doubt that fishing was going to be the thing that broke this deal but i think it's one of those contributions that allows us to avoid a cliff edge breck's it avoid that it's all to leave rex a potentially build on this over the coming years to build a closer closer range of between the u.k. and the european union and of course the opportunity for the u.k. now is to go out and get those trade deals with the likes of the usa and other nations where we haven't been able to trade with before and if that happens that potentially things could be looking good. 3 countries in latin america have begun their mass coronavirus vaccination rollouts in mexico an intensive care nurse received the 1st approved dose but the initial rollout could be small from mexico

city here is john home. the 1st latin americans to be vaccinated against kobe the nurses and doctors in mexico few would argue with their place at the front of the line stuff that died here than in any other country in the world in which a massive wooden i'm going to feel much safer now at work the truth is that we're really exposed to all types of body fluids so having the vaccine is really going to help so far because only received 3000 doses the line to get them snaked around the block should arrive each week they can't come soon enough the mexican government is pretty triumphant about the arrival of the vaccine but it's not here in time to save the country from its current problems in the capital the hospitals are almost full and now there's very few ventilators available for the population of one of the biggest cities in the world. cities no bread alert with essential businesses

closed a group of nurses in the vaccination queue told us how things were in their hospital . that are out there without recompute leaflet and patients in serious conditions and ventilators. to eat i mean we just murdered them in it and a lot of deaths to about 7 a day at the moment and a lot of people coming in from the moment we start our morning shift. they does this of their colleagues who are nervous about any possible side effects from the vaccine but they said the benefits far outweigh their concerns we don't know what is the most games that are not sometimes we have to light and we want to be with our family i want to hug my grandmother and even more christmas. latin america a bios at the center needed some light at the end of the tunnel that all this looks like it. but vast segments of the population won't be vaccinated for months yet at least it's a start john home now does it or it's considered. the vaccine made by pfizer and

bio intact has also arrived at hospitals in chile those are just the 1st 10000 or 10000000 ordered health workers in the capital santiago were 1st to be an ocular and the government hopes the vaccinate 80 percent of chile is $19000000.00 people in the 1st half of next year and in argentina are russian made vaccines will be given out starting monday it's one of the few countries to accept a delivery of moscow's jobs but there are many logistical challenges as daniel schorr i'm the reports from one osiris. the arrival in argentina of the 1st batch of 300000 doses of the sputnik vaccine from moscow a symbol of hope for the country's 45000000 inhabitants or the health experts warn there are still difficult days ahead. the start of the vaccination program does not mean the end of the pandemic is just the start of a road that will lead to 70 percent of the population being vaccinated days

important but it's only the beginning. after approving the vaccine on wednesday the argentine north or it is a working with their russian colleagues to convince a skeptical population this safe was which it was when you were on the go shooting with other producers for alternative vaccines. no not anymore as of today we've not heard anything against the vaccines it's all positive who will choose to refuse to be vaccinated it is complicated but by law nation argentina is obligatory. now begins the huge logistical operation of distributing the vaccine to the distant corners of this enormous country the 8th largest in the world the future of trucks is taking supplies to argentina's $23.00 province. this is where 1800 vaccination points are being set up there's still a long road ahead but in a country that suffered more than 42000 deaths and over one and

a half 1000000 infections argentina hopes that the arrival of this shipment from russia marks the beginning of the end of the covered 19 pandemic. front line medical staff to be the 1st to be vaccinated but health experts are keen to stress that the battle against the corona virus is far from one. our concern is that the infections are rising but we've been very focused on the vaccination plan and to prevent more hospitalizations and more deaths especially in intensive care so we're targeting the 1st of all those who are at the most risk in the most vulnerable. are imposing fresh quarantine restrictions over the holiday periods trying to keep rising infections under control and the hopes and expectations of the recently arrived vaccine in check. on the road to 01 of cyrus or 2 new strains of the current a virus have emerged in africa with separate mutations recorded in south africa and

nigeria the south african variant is believed to be more infectious contributing to what experts have called an alarming spread of the illness country's total number of cases is rapidly approaching $1000000.00 several nations have restricted travel from south africa as a precaution. in the u.k. thousands of truck drivers and travelers trying to get to france are stranded at the port of dover on christmas day. they are trying to complete a mass coronavirus testing operation after a nuke over $1000.00 variant prompted france to 1st close and then partially reopen its borders so far only 3 drivers have tested positive and france has also sent a team of firefighters with 10000 coronavirus test kits to the u.k. to ease that process more than 2000 others have been given the all clear to cross the english channel most drivers are expected to spend a total of 5 nights in their vehicles with limited food water and access to

sanitation iran's top general has dismissed claims his country was behind the recent attack on the u.s. embassy in baghdad and the clips force commander. visited iraq 3 days ago it's a clarify his country is position on the attacks he says he doesn't want to give the u.s. reason to take further action the rocket attack on sunday injured in iraq the security officer and the damaged cars well the u.s. president donald trump blamed iran and is threatening a military response let's bring in he was the former chief of communications for the iraqi mission to the united nations she's joining us from memphis tennessee thanks very much for your time with us once again on al-jazeera so would. visit to iraq be meant to reassure the iraqi government or is he sending a message to the u.s. president's. i do mean thank you for having me on well it's twofold it

iraq it's business as usual we're looking at a proxy war that has been going on since 2003 where the iranians and the americans are jockeying for power not just in iraq but in the whole middle east and trying to strongarm one another outside of the territory and his visit to baghdad is not that different from you know another u.s. president or another u.s. officials visit to baghdad it's a message to iran but it's also a message. of support and a deeply rooted alliance that's historically been there between both countries right so what is the u.s. administration's and the game when it comes to iraq because trump as we've been reporting pointing the finger at iran and not offering any proof as of now and iran of course saying it was not behind that attack in baghdad so is trump trying to draw iran into a conflict in his final days. well it's not clear as of november or so very recently trump was you know publicly asking his advisors whether or not it was

feasible to go into you know to. find military solutions in iran as a result of their their enrich uranium. stocks and. since then iran has played it very very. low key they've they're not trying to be embroiled with. in a war with america in the last months of this presidency in fact i think many of us believe that they are waiting on this new president elect joe biden to come back to the table and renegotiate an agreement so it's not clear what's happening but as far as what's happening in iran they do have elections coming in june we have you know the supreme leader khamenei is is old and there are some younger members of the guard who are pushing very hard to to. reengage with the united states you know there are people who are looking to overthrow khomeini. and looking to gain

supremacy one of those ways is to. is to incite these small skirmishes in baghdad so it may not be the iranian government per se but it may be factions of the iranian government that are pushing these these arms of these militias in iraq to to fight to continue with these skirmishes and just get on the trump and ministration then how do you explain the u.s. navy sending vessels to the persian gulf we know that right now other cruise missiles in the strait of hormuz and over the past month or the pentagon has ordered a serious of a b. 52 bombers to the region. correct and that's been happening for years i've had u.s. vessels and iranian vessels have been circling the gulf region. for a long time to sort of a show of strength and light and you know jockeying. showboating if you will has

it's not new but i think it's become clear over time that both countries are not interested in an all out war because they understand that it's detrimental to the entire region and also to their respective countries right to us means i can thank you for joining us from tennessee thank you. still ahead on al-jazeera. a plea for calm as one man march in the central african republic in a tense run up to the presidential election. another winter storm is blowing through the u.s. currently going through the midwest in the satellite picture but he did go in further west siris site of a snow shower coming across fairly rapidly this is northern colorado a more familiar picture of north dakota the dakotas and minnesota both had visited

warnings out recently and it was just a typical wintry scene just yet another one if you like. now that is the storm so ahead of it is quite warm weather and behind it is where the cold tuxes and that contrasts that line there is where we've had some pretty active sons tones so it's what i have potential on the magen to go eastwards during later part of thursday and friday they've been should go offshore being followed eventually by that cold push and a bit of snow but they will be probably and gap between the 2 on the pacific seaboard those storm is unfolding is snow inland and rain that's you forming itself is there with that to san francisco quite possibly on christmas day but the picture for the recent new york is a disappointing looking one for friday 60 degrees so it's mild it's raining and it will be windy that does get through saturday and sunday it will be sunny days for virtually all of the u.s. but cold.

for. the silence has been this. belief this. is one of scandinavia as the largest iron ore deposits. and it's driving a wedge between those seeking wealth. and those defending their way of life. gala a witness documentary on al-jazeera. top

stories. after months of tense talks and just 7 days before the deadline the european union and u.k. have clinched a trade deal for a 0 tariff and 0 closer relationship covers everything from energy to what became the crucial issue of fisheries. 3 countries in latin america are now in the early stages of nation programs and intensive care nurse received the 1st approved dose in mexico 10. tens of thousands of pfizer and biotech vaccines have also arrived on hospitals in chile. iran's top general has the smith claims his country was behind a recent attack on the u.s. embassy in baghdad president donald trump has blamed iran for sunday's rocket attack and threatened a military response. well millions of americans will have to wait until after christmas for a much needed economic relief as politicians baker over changes to a $900000000000.00 stimulus package so president donald trump surprised both

democrats and republicans when he sent the bill back to congress for amendments this week he said the $600.00 direct payments were too small and called for $2000.00 per person democrats support the increase but republicans are blocking it let's bring in jordan she's joining us from washington d.c. so why are republicans objecting roseland. well suddenly we have a democratic president who will be coming into power on january 20th and after 4 years of watching the federal budget deficit increase several times over now republicans are worried about the increase and they're saying that the u.s. government cannot afford to give people $2000.00 for a one time benefit to try to tide them over in the middle of the pandemic now the of course this is something that the president has been pushing for some speculate

in order to help the 2 republican senators in the state of georgia who are in a runoff elections in early january hoping they can go back to the u.s. senate if that is the case then republicans were saying control of that body and they would help the republican party basically stay in in a way to frustrate joe biden's powers but all that said if the president decides to veto the measure then that really does push back any sort of financial relief for americans and there's no telling when the members of congress would be able to come up with a new deal that could pass president trump's muster and what more is at stake rosalyn because of all of this political bickering. well it's not just the one time payments to poor and middle class americans that is at stake we're talking about unemployment insurance that money is running out the vick should no more tory

i'm that runs out a week from friday that is also going to be a real problem because people who haven't been able to pay their rent or pay able to pay their mortgages could start finding themselves being evicted in the new year we're talking about a lack of ongoing financial support for small and medium sized businesses that have really taken a beating in the middle of the pandemic ever haps just as important and certainly a very serious thing you could see the federal government shut down as of midnight on monday because the bill that is being sent to donald trump for his review and hopefully signature this weekend includes funding to keep the federal government operating so if he vetoes the measure all of that goes out of the window and that is something which has members of congress very concerned but there is no resolution at this point and we're basically going to have to watch developments

through the weekend to see if something can be salvaged from this really political chaos at this point yeah it sounds very much like political chaos for the time being thank you very much for reporting from washington. state affiliated media an ethiopian say soldiers have killed a group of armed men accused of an attack on a village incidents in the western region of benny's goma saw more than $100.00 filters killed media reports suggest 42 armed men were killed after prime minister abu ahmed sent in troops had visited the area the day before the attacks calling for unity following recent violence between ethnic groups. the attacks are separate from the conflict in ethiopia's northern to grey region the un says it remains concerned about going fighting and a lack of humanitarian access the conflict has raised fears of a security vacuum in other parts of the country. we're just getting some breaking news out of syria and the state media is reporting that the country's air

defenses have confronted what it calls is really aerial aggression in the north west so the news agency says the airstrikes were carried in the must area that's near the coastal city of thought of tools and there are reports of more airstrikes in the region more on that story as we get it it's. the u.n. security council has approved a temporary deployment of more troops to the central african republic votes ahead of sunday's elections most opposition presidential candidates had already stopped campaigning because of security concerns and they want the polls postponed but the government says that's not an option catherine sawyer reports from the capital. the mood in this market in benghazi is just right for christmas kristie ditties central african steak the celebrations seriously and traders are making a killing it's also an election season they go to the polls on sunday and their

main mori is security on sunday both of us have to of course but it's christmas and who doesn't want a good cheer. but everyone is in a festive mood though many residents want to get their voices hard some through religious procession is praying for peace. others like this women condemn the newly formed peaches for change a coalition of several armed groups that has threatened to march to the city and is already causing havoc in the countryside and militants on 1006 to 6 our country has gone through coups rebellions mutineers and each time it sets us back the 2013 protests a lot of sorrow women have been raped many people have died and others displaced. down hoping that the 12000 un peacekeepers in the country alongside government troops and other international forces will keep the pages for change. that's saying

they just want a peaceful election this is a country that had been in conflict for so long and the humanitarian needs a huge one and hopped the population need some form of aid and hundreds of thousands of central african the refugees in neighboring county. ca are has survived 5 years of need constant to stability. instigating independence from france in 1960. the latest conflict started about 7 years ago when the then president francois was overthrown by a mostly armed group called seleka reprisals by the mainly christian i. only made things worse a peace deal signed between 40 rebel groups and the government in 2019 brought about some calm but now violence is again on the rise. we have the poorest people now heidi in rural areas who they are scared and which as a father

a man of the church ask those who have picked up weapons to f.p. to warn us. all the presidential candidates are promising peace many central african they're tired of broken promises but here are the market they tell us they want to take the weight of their country's politics off this shoulders for just a little while to have a merry christmas. at least 20 people died when a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of tennessee or those on board were thought to be trying to reach the italian island of lampedusa when the vessel capsized coast guard officials said 5 people were rescued and they're looking for 20 others a court in pakistan has ordered the release of the man convicted in the killing of u.s. journalist daniel pearl. being freed while appeals are still being heard he was sentenced to death for organizing the kidnapping and murder of pearl in 2002 but

a sentence was commuted earlier this year. christmas celebrations around the world have been muted to secure because of the global pandemic of the vatican pope francis celebrated christmas eve in a rare a section of st peter's basilica urging people to do more to help those in need. are under a nationwide lockdown for much of the christmas and new year holiday season. or al jazeera here the headline after 8 months of tense talks and just 7 days before the deadline the european union and u.k. have clinched a trade deal the agreement for a 0 tariff and 0 quota relationship covers everything from energy to what became the crucial issue of fisheries. protection for a level playing field on regulation.