and still raises profound questions about the ties between the catholic church and the irish state. arlen's mother and baby scandal. on a. i know this is a difficult day for some. and to our friends in the united kingdom i want to say heart 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 life from a headquarters in doha and also coming up latin america begins mass coronavirus vaccine rollouts frontline workers in chile mexico and coast to reka 1st jobs.

iraq is protesters prices skyrocket after the biggest currency devaluations since the fall of saddam hussein. a christmas like no other celebrations are scaled back in countries around the world as millions prepare for a summer holiday. hello e.u. leaders say it's a deal that will write history britain's prime minister boris johnson says the agreement will help the u.k. take control of its destiny 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 bricks at trade and security deal the agreement for a 0 tariff trade covers everything from energy to fishing rights were a challenge report. 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 transition period . the u.k. and the e.u. argues negotiated compromise times cajoled but they've done what many feared they couldn't and agreed to a future trading relationship. it's a moment of reflection for the european commission president. at the end of a successful negotiations generally i know many 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 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 as 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 a kind of it's the u.k. has finally done what the 2016 referendum result demanded it's distances self from europe. down to 0. so the deal has been done what will or will not happen next or before anything else both sides will not need to get any new deal ratified

by their parliament by the end of the year that's in just a week's time and there should then be no noticeable change to trade with the u.k. keeping tariff free access to the european single market but a customs border will be erected between the mainland and northern ireland as part of a previous agreements to avoid a hard border on the island last thing 6 years and freedom of movement to ends with the u.k. implementing a new points based immigration system employers will be required to check that citizens are eligible to work or face penalties leon immoralities served as an aide to britain's former bricks at 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 in their work to begin with so it isn't going to be a perfect feel 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 only a 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 area 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 bracks

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 for mexico city here's john homan. 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 more medical staff have 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 $3000.00 doses the line to get them snaked around the block moves 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 completely different patients in serious conditions and ventilators i think is going to eat i mean we just might at this minute 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 didn't know what was the most games that are not sometimes we have to ask light and we want to be with our family i want to hug my grandmother and even more christmas with. latin america a bios at the center needed some light at the end of the tunnel that all this looks like it but the. the population won't be vaccinated for months yet at least it's a stone. is it a city. a vaccine made by pfizer and biotech has also arrived at hospitals in chile but those are just the 1st 10000 of 10000000 ordered health workers in the capital of santiago were 1st to be inoculated the government hopes to vaccinate 80 percent to 19000000 people in the 1st half of next year. and in argentina russian made vaccines will be given out starting monday it's one of the few countries to accept the delivery of moscow's sputnik me jobs but there are many majestical challengers

danielle swan the reports from. 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 safe was that she was. on the go she a team with other producers for alternative vaccines. you know. as of today we've not heard anything against vaccines it's all positives who 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 provinces 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 version from russia marks the beginning of the end of the covered 19 pandemic. from my medical staff to be the 1st to be vaccinated but health experts are keen to stress that the battle against the corona virus is. 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 with the hopes and expectations that the recently arrived vaccine in check. that. one of cyrus 2 new strains of the corona 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 onus the country's total number of cases is rapidly approaching 1000000 several nations have restructured travel from south africa as a precaution and 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 or forty's there are trying to complete

a mass coronavirus testing operation after a new covert $1000.00 varian prompted france to 1st close and then partially reopen its borders so far only 3 drivers have tested positive ronald schroeder from germany was one of the people stuck ad over and after days he's finally on route to be with his family on christmas day he told us what it took to get moving yesterday i went to get the. test at 4 o'clock this morning i. wake up went into the line at the harbor. at 8 o'clock. except. it creek just from h.s. and the result was negative so i could pass the border christmas at home with my daughter with much time with my wife. it's great feeling. both

organizations of the british government during this crisis no shops open. no brings no coffee no facilities at the mall with a good bit of people just very. low. for me to do looks like that the ship's not impede that. that they're looking off pests. that's the only reason why the nuff truck trucks who. would think that only my ration of this crisis has just totally failed i'm on board your ship the hunger and all. that the ship is now just a very old bottle. for the top 5 they have on happy to go home. coming up on al-jazeera

a christmas far from loved ones pandemic restrictions make life even harder for foreign domestic workers in hong kong a plea for calm as women march in central african republic in a tense run up to presidential elections. it's about to snow again for japan the wind has turned around and says documented the increasingly cold siberia and northern china which means no a half meter of snow quite happily on the western side of the slopes the honshu and in her car do that for most other places whatever happens over here is just cold sunny by day frosty by not increasing clouds seems likely in southern parts of china was spotting rain every now and again here and there that is it's not significant the wind i think increase in hong kong about winds being quite strong

anyway as the northeast monsoon recently heavy rain still seems likely in southern thailand on its way as his remains that tropical depression and the following showers will be frequent is not necessarily heavy in vietnam but is a concentration of showers so heavy downpour to in central southern philippines dancer borneo and summer ways the less us excluded in java and sumatra they're increasing again i think by the end of the weekend. now there may be slow change taking place in the northern plains of india the cold wave is still with us this northeast monsoon means a few showers fall straight lanka but although the sun pops up every now and again for me for a few hours every day in new delhi is nothing really to change what is largely poor quality. of. the silence has been this.

belief this. is one of scandinavia 3 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. the the we. are going to top stories on al-jazeera after months of tense talks and just 7 days before the deadline the european union and u.k. have clinched a trade deal the agreements for

a 0 tariff and 0 quota 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 mass vaccination programs and intensive care nurse received the 1st approved dose in mexico tens of thousands of pfizer environ tagged vaccines have also arrived at hospitals in chile. syrian state television is saying the country's air defenses have shut down several missiles launched by israeli warplanes in the northwest the sunnah news agency says the air strikes were carried out in the musty off area there are also reports of blasts of the coastal city of tire to. iran's top general has the smiths claims his country was behind a recent attack on the u.s. embassy in baghdad sources say oakland's force commander a. visitor to iraq 3 days ago to clarify his country's position on the attacks the rocket attack on sunday injured in iraq a security officer and damaged cars u.s.

presidents blamed iran and threatened to retaliation if any american was harmed in any future attack speed is the former chief of communications for the iraqi mission to the united nations she says analysts believe to run is trying to ease tensions in the final weeks of trump's presidency. so it's a very recently trunk 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 are 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 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 as these small skirmishes in baghdad and people in iraq are struggling to pay for everyday goods off of the government devalued the local currency it's the biggest devaluation of the iraqi dinar against the dollar since the fall of saddam hussein in 2003 charles structured reports from baghdad. for more than a year a theory pretty him has been coming to protest in central baghdad to demand better services political reform and an end to what he says has been decades of corruption

and mismanagement. but he's here today because like many iraqis he is shocked and angry about the government's recent devaluation of the iraqi deano against the dollar by more than 20 percent and yet stand by the government's action i vill i think to lose almost quarter of myself because i'm paid indiana the finest meanest says it won't affect us how we'll its not. the government said it had to devalue iraq's current c. because of a collapse in the oil prices brought on by a slump in global energy demands due to the coronavirus pandemic this devaluation is the biggest since the fall of saddam hussein in 2003 and experts are saying it means the already a reasonable economic situation for millions of iraqis could get even worse. this is back dance usually bustling wholesale market but it's been very quiet since the

devaluation of the dino the collapse in iraq's industrial and food producing sexes in recent decades means most food and domestic products are imported from neighboring countries especially turkey and iran but china do not have. a boat goods the old dollar price and now we have to sell the devalued price so i have to put my prices on for a lose a lot of money it hits every day people the hardest and there are no jobs because we don't have a comma so think is in charge this means shopkeepers have had no choice but to suddenly put their prices up too and still go out and i still haven't received my give a month pension and even when i do it it will be much less all the prices have suddenly increased of course it is affecting a start up. even before the current she devaluation the world bank predicted and shop rising property in iraq almost 90 percent of iraqi government revenue comes

from oil but plummeting prices have caused a cash crisis. iraq's public sector has tripled in size to building 4000000 employees since 2003 delays in payment of government salaries and the lack of private sector jobs have fueled the protests. hundreds of people have been killed in the crackdown no one has been called to account for the deaths it is a disaster that the vaster for the middle class the lower class but not the top class obviously but the main reason is corruption corruption is the one because there are other oil producing countries that are not affected as iraq is of course iraq sells or oil in dollars so they don't get affected but the people are getting their salaries in there and so instead of ripping off the budget they're ripping off the lawyers themselves and that means financial hardship for iraqis and potentially bull civil and political rest john strafford al-jazeera baghdad

millions of americans will have to wait until after christmas as the law continues over a $900000000000.00 stimulus package 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 while state affiliated media in if the o.p.'s say soldiers have killed a group of armed men accused of an attack on a village the incidence in the western region of. more than 100 villagers killed media reports suggest 42 armed men were killed after prime minister sent in troops . they want security council has approved a temporary deployment of more troops to the central african republic ahead of sunday's elections most opposition presidential candidates had already stopped campaigning because of security concerns they want the polls postponed but the

government says that's not an option catherine sawyer reports in the capital. the mood in this market in benghazi is just right for christmas kristi's central african stake their 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 vote on a safety 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 times 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 a b. 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 hot the population need some form of aid and hundreds of thousands of central african the refugees in neighboring countries. syria are has survived 5 years of need constant to stability since gaining independence from for. in 1960. the latest conflict started about 7 years ago when the then president francois was overthrown by a mostly muslim 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 wish 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 say that tired of broken promises but here are the markets 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. bunky christmas celebrations around the world have been muted this year because of a coronavirus pandemic of the vatican pope francis celebrated christmas eve in a rare section of st peter's basilica urging people to do more to help those in

need and italians are under a nationwide lockdown for much of the holiday season. and that hong kong thousands of foreign workers are spending their christmas away from their families because of strict restrictions sarah clarke reports. christmas decorations may be up but large celebrations in hong kong our whole public gatherings of more than 2 people have been banned and borders remain closed. people like nathan cowen will spend the festive season on his or in his family in australia unable to fly in to join him because of strict travel restrictions were very top family and spend a lot of time on together it's been really hard on myself on the family and on the boys as well foreign domestic workers in hong kong have been hit hard by the pen demick there almost 400000 here most of from the philippines and indonesia these women of the breadwinners for their families but they're unable to return home for

a holiday this christmas very hard for a mother wanting to see your family your your child and. sorry. you know you want to you want to give her the best christmas but you know you can't really push her to understand everything this is all i think here is all. this domestic worker who doesn't want to be identified gave birth last month she didn't plan her pregnancy and has struggled to pay the high living and medical costs she's been forced to rely on charities for help and their money and where it's been very sad and financially difficult for me and it's hard being alone without any support our shelter has been full tilt to bethink pretty much the whole year and as has been the other shelters that we refer our mothers to in the community say shelters been a big the government has given

a number of cash handouts to residents here in hong kong to help out during this pandemic and the foreign domestic workers have missed out that's the spot and. a minimum winds around $600.00 a month free covered 19 tests are available for market workers who've lost their jobs but the government rejected a plea for a pyros this year the 3 months oust class among the dumbest walk of as saw probably in that and many of the trying to stop them south that i had to squish that a small money so that conscious that all this got off sort of in the employer as well as helping the family the pandemic has exposed the haas realities of being a migrant worker in asia to travel restrictions it could be months before they can go home and be reunited with their families sarah clock out a 0 hong kong. our number headlines on al-jazeera after him.