is critical vaccines now offered hope of protection from the virus but how long will it take for the world to recover the corona virus and then the special coverage on a. i know this is a difficult day for some and to our friends in the united kingdom i want to say part is such sweet sorrow all the deal is finally done the u.k. and the european union clinch a landmark post breaks a trade agreement redefining their future relationship. there i missed out the italian this is al jazeera at life and also coming up latin america begins mass coronavirus vaccine rollouts frontline workers in chile mexico

and costa rica get those fast jobs. south korea see is another jump in corona virus cases including hundreds of infections as a prison in the capital. and christmas celebrations are scaled back this year as millions prepare for a quiet time monitoring. now leaders say it's a deal that will write history britain's prime minister barak's johnson says the agreement will help the u.k. take control of its destiny after 8 months of negotiations and just 7 days now before the deadline the european union and the u.k. have finally reached a landmark post rex that trade and security deal the agreement for a 0 tariff trade covers everything from energy to fishing rights as well reach hallums reports. this means that the u.k. has no cheats to leave the european union. finally breaks it is done

4 and a half years after the referendum almost at the end of the 11 month kinds ition period. the u.k. and the e.u. argues negotiated compromise times cajoled but they've done what many feared they couldn't and agree to a future trading relationship. it's a moment of reflection for the european commission president. at the end of a successful negotiations journey i normally feel joy. but today i only feel quite satisfaction and frankly speaking 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 is 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 minimize 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 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 e.u. 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 which in the year of the u.k. is finally done what the 2016 referendum result demanded it's distance itself from europe very tolerance al-jazeera. so the deals been done but what senate has either side fared better than the other or principally it secure was 0 tariff and 0 across

that market for goods that avoids the possibility of soaring prices on both sides which could have forced businesses to fold on the key issue of fishing in u.k. waters u.-boats will keep access for 5 and a half years but the size of their caps will shrink the british fishing industry says it's disappointed that there isn't more of a break from the e.u. for europe a key demand was protecting the level playing field or common rules to stop once again in a competitive advantage it says there will be built in safeguards and incentives to stick to those rules now also deals covering transport data sharing and health plus agreements with norm foresman for example smoothing out the process of extradition still though britons will no longer avoid phone roaming charges and there will be more paperwork if they want to travel with their pets while leona mirali served as an aide to britain's former rex it 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 the words of 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 know boris johnson's and i thought whether your look on the way and i think you were pretty chuffed you've been able to deliver a big deal in record time on a very complex still is obviously 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 steps 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'll 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 ukase overall

economy so there was never really going to be any doubt the 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 factor to actually 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. to the coronavirus pandemic now and 3 countries in latin america have begun their mass coronavirus that nation rollouts and mexico in intensive care nass received the fast approved but that initial roll out could be small from mexico city here's john home. the 1st latin americans to be vaccinated against covert nurses and doctors in mexico few would argue with their place at the front of the line all 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 have 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 mexico city's no red alert with essential businesses closed a group of nurses in the vaccination queue told us how things were in their hospital. that have the word out recompute different patients in serious conditions and ventilators i think is going to eat i mean we just murdered them in this 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 dozens of their colleagues who are nervous about any possible side effects from the vaccine but they said the benefits far outweigh the concerns for don't know what is the most games that are not sometimes we have to isolate and we want to be with their family i want to hug my grandmother and even more christmas with. latin america a bias at the center needed some light at the end of the tunnel as that. this looks like you. can't play she won't be don't need to through. at least it's a slow down home is it a screw city. all the vaccine made by fires and biotech has also arrived at hospitals and chilling the doses are just the 1st 10000 of 10000000 ordered health workers in the capital santiago with a festival inoculated the government hopes to vaccinate 80 percent of chile's

$19000000.00 people in the 1st half of next year and a new russian made vaccines will be given out starting on monday it's the 1st country in latin america to approve the sputnik the vaccine the government is hoping to inoculate $300000.00 people before the year end president how that a philanderer says he'll take the shot himself to prove it is reliable after criticism a vaccine was registered before the start of clinical trials for south africa sorry south korea has recorded its biggest daily increase in corona virus infection since the start of this pandemic it reported 1241 new cases including a large outbreak at a prison in seoul the country rolled out its toughest ever restrictions this week with popular tourist venues closed until early next month testing and contact tracing are also being ramped up meanwhile churches in south korea have been holding their christmas celebrations virtually as a point out of this year a church congregation in the city of dyke who was identified as the source of most

of the country's infections its members were accused of undermining efforts to try to contain the virus but our correspondent robert bryant joins us now live from the capital seoul robyn a christmas is quite a big deal in south korea and the country is under some very tight restrictions as yet how are people there feeling as these infection and does continue to climb. many people this christmas morning woke up to the depressing news that once again the country has set this record of well over 1200 new rig cases being recorded in a single day the news actually was broken by the country's prime minister at a meeting of the coronavirus task force here a lot of the this jump is being attributed to an outbreak at a prison here in seoul some 288 cases recorded mostly inmates but also some stuff there that's in addition to a couple of 100 other cases that had already been recorded there so around 500

cases at this one facility which is cause some alarm here we're seeing some of the prisoners inmates being moved to other facilities tightening up the testing regime etc but this comes as the restrictions have been ramped up across south korea to try to contain this 3rd wave we're seeing more than a 1000 around a 1000 cases per day for the past week or so just before this jump we're seeing ski resorts closed tourism destinations are being shut all as ways of trying to prevent people gathering the numbers of people who are allowed to gather publicly being limited to just 4 people at the government has said that it wants to avoid a complete shutdown of the economy it knows the socio economic impact that that would cause and the highest level where that might take place is what they call level 3 what we're currently at 2.5 just one level below that so far the government has managed to keep the economy going to the beginning of this pandemic but it is

said that if it has to raise it to that highest level then so be it would have to do that right there with all the latest for us from insolvent thanks so much rob. fella had her hair on out of there millions of americans will have to wait until off to christmas for extra cash to see them through a tough time. and iran's top general has dismissed claims his country was behind a recent attack on the u.s. embassy in baghdad. the blanket of snow has fallen the sun has come out to replace it so the picture we're left with on friday is a mostly sunny one the weather which feels to use often determined by the wind is quite a strong modeling down the gulf and briefly in all the run down the red sea was snow still possibly falling in teheran for jerusalem it looks like

a fine christmas day cloudy morning maybe and then for sustenance sunday the wind comes in but it's from the east so something is changing watch this is a northerly look at what's happening in western society this is always the circulation taking place in the red sea coast inland to the northwest decide to move get towards amman eventually getting in towards israel but it may just be the wind nothing more than the show is kept further south the same time doha's wind is cutoff and becomes more of an easterly. rain proper has been falling in southern africa as you well though this is big white cloud easter so the eastern side of south africa and mozambique is in big downpours they're still around during friday drifting slowly east without us behind was a scotch ring of showers in botswana on the eastern side of south africa maputo represents a good bit of rain for certain mozambique and the long gray will be way out.

of the gate com and make sure you're not hyping the situation be part of the debate my main characters are women when no topic is off the table there was in the last allowed child marriage to happen legally these are basically archaic walls dads often legitimize and legal one is pedophile on arrow online jump into the conversation and the team to be part of the discussion this stream on out is the era. and again i'm mr let's remind you of our top stories this hour after months of

tense talks and just 7 days before the deadline the european union and the u.k. have clinched a trade deal the agreement for 0 tariff and 0 question relationship covers everything from energy to fisheries. mexico has started its coronavirus vaccination campaign and intensive care nurse receives the 1st approved dose and argentina is preparing to roll out a russian made vaccine from monday thousands of files a biotech doses have arrived at hospitals and chile. south korea has recorded its biggest daily increase in infection since the start of the pandemic and reported more than 1200 new cases including a large outbreak at a prison in. the country rolled out its toughest ever restrictions this week. now the un security council has approved a temporary deployment of more troops to central african republic ahead of sunday's presidential election there are women march to the headquarters of the un

peacekeeping mission demanding a peaceful voters tensions have flared ahead of this poll with rebels also capturing a large town. well millions of voters in new share will also head to the polls on sunday to elect a new president and parliament 30 candidates running to succeed ma ma ma due east of food has now been in power for 10 years amid interest takes a look at what's at stake. our central market business has been in decline traders here say this is a trend they've noticed for more than a year. a borken woman who fixes or broken watches believes a country struggles on the increasing attacks carried out by armed groups. the biggest problem the security without it we are just wasting time poverty can only get creating other social and economic problems. boko haram attacks in new just so then border region have killed thousands and displaced about 250000 people

strain to 15. and then the west attacks by armed groups affiliated to al qaida and i still have disrupted economic and social life. adam gumbel however is angered by how foreign powers have taken over control of machinery sources he wants the new government to take charge. we have uranium but no nuclear plant this is been ongoing for more than 60 years with a nuclear plant a problem with electricity will be over that he says will support industries to produce and reduce unemployment. analysts however say for the government to tackle insecurity and poverty more emphasis must be placed on education even if many this has been done but. in. primary education and even high level egyptian in this country.

next to 2 of these. so far complaining us passed and peacefully but all travel robberies have revived. civil society organizations say having 30 presidential candidates on the could become fusing for many voters they also say they want it by the number of races a tried and hate speech that characterized the presidential campaigns this year in the uk the government media regulator is struggling to keep the negative messages of their ways. we have stopped them from overheating the polytunnel while address their concerns will also offer counseling and advice for the 2020 elections hoping to make history if conducted successfully it will be the 1st time a democratically elected president will be handing over to another board to say more important than that the want to see improvement in their social conditions.

in the army. syrian state television says the country's ed offenses have shot down several missiles launched by israeli warplanes in the northwest assam a news agency says the airstrikes were carried out in the mafia area and also reports of blasts in the coastal city of tatars. well iran's top general has dismissed claims his country was behind a recent attack on the u.s. embassy in baghdad reports say al could force commander of a small company visited iraq 3 days ago to clarify his country is position on those attacks the rocket attack on sunday injured in iraq the security officer damaged cars u.s. president on trump blamed iran and threatened retaliation if any american was harmed in any future attack or yasmina mazak he is the former chief of communications for the iraqi mission to the united nations she says i'm less believe that terror on is trying to avoid any escalations during these final weeks

of trying to presidency iran has played it very very low key they've they are not trying to be embroiled. 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 may not be the iranian government per se but maybe factions of the iranian government that are pushing these these arms of these militias in iraq to fight to continue with these skirmishes and stage affiliated media in ethiopia says soldiers have killed a group of armed men accused of an attack on a village the incidents in the western region of was so more than $100.00 villages killed media reports suggest that $42.00 men were killed off the prime minister of the head and sent and troops these attacks are separate from the conflict in ethiopia's more than tikrit region the u.n.

says it remains concerned about ongoing fighting there and a lack of humanitarian access the conflict has also raised fears of a security vacuum in other parts of the country. at least 20 people have died when a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of china zia those on board were thought to be trying to reach the italian island of lampedusa when the vessel capsized choosing coast guard officials said 5 people were rescued and they're still looking for 20 albums. and millions of americans will have to wait until after christmas for relief as deadlock continues over $900000000000.00 that $900.00 stimulus package president 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 and democrats support that increase but republicans are blocking it roslyn jordan is in washington d.c. and she says the timing of this impasse is highly political. 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 iran awful watch and in early january hoping they can go back to the u.s. senate if that is the case then republicans would retain control of that body and they would help the republican party basically stay 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 the president trumps muster. well 3 places often associated with religious celebrations at christmas time off bethlehem in the occupied west bank and the vatican this year at both of them mocks the holiday with new said celebrations we begin with me to abraham in bethlehem who has more on this year's midnight mass at the church of the nativity. it didn't look a lot like christmas this year in bethlehem celebrations were restricted to the beer minimum was covered 19 cases searched. only few were shippers were allowed to attend the midnight mass in the church of the nativity the 10 day meet with the with its burden of suffering and this. was to imagine

a different more. made up of new so he dug a team in for 1100 ition feet where assessing the sort of place by leaving. and they were in school for a few becomes a benefit for everyone. the palestinian president and many foreign diplomats didn't join the christmas service. the day started with a low key reception of the latin patriarch of jerusalem a procession to welcome him back thousands this year he gave his blessings from a distance. yanni. you can feel the town's sadness this is not how christmas looks it's also the 1st time that we didn't attend the christmas tree lighting ceremony. bells stein's 1st cases of covered $1000.00 which reported in bethlehem in march tourism dried up in

a country that heavy depends on it. the tourism ministry says the losses this year are estimated at one and a half $1000000000.00. and up a chill many makes a living out of tourism here in just community based tour guides and says 2019 was a very good season now he expects his business to pick up in october of next year we had maybe a year in advance that was the 1st time maybe we had the sons the birth of jesus you know. so it was a mess and we would expect an amazing year and things have changed but it's going to be about. almost all christmas related festivities were called. instead treated corded christmas carols were broadcast on line the palestinian authority says it tried to limit gatherings as much as possible to combat the spread of the coronavirus this year there are fewer christmas lights and

decorations than usual but some here tell us that the message of christmas is all about hope and they're praying that next year will be better. at the vatican. alone christmas eve last. there are no crowds in this socially distance christmas eve mass led by pope francis a celebration in st peter's basilica usually brings in more than 10000 faithful but with cold at night seen about 100 people stood in the pews of a smaller rear section of the church a reflection of christmas amid a pandemic would scale back or cancel celebrations across europe and the world. so the night you come get. a challenge the pope said must be met with strength if i swap it out in fact the king was the the vatican's mass was moved up

to our 2nd plywood italy's tempi and curfew was the epicenter of the pandemic italy is once again struggling with covert 19 that reported more than 500 coronavirus related deaths on thursday and another 550 the day before overall italy has recorded more than 2000000 cases. of it. it's strange it feels like a war scenario where something bad is about to happen but at the same time these a sense of hope that's what we all need to right now. this was st peter's square last year with people lined up to receive the pope's passing but now the world is different pope francis will not be making his usual public appearances in st peter's square throughout the holiday season but it's really strange to be here and to see that here's the really nobody the run from the metropolitan. it was.

the the. the vatican is taking measures to protect the 84 year old pope the specially after more than a dozen infections were reported among the vatican swiss guards a mass unlike any other in recent history marked by a pandemic with millions of faithful hoping next year will be different. than al-jazeera. for the fast time since it has nearly destroyed by fire france's not to don cathedral has hosted a choral concert to mock us the city. of paris and iraq is still being rebuilt and france is still battling the krajina virus that is involved said it was an important moment. as we've been reporting the pandemic has changed the way that friends and families are gathering for the holidays this year to bring a little lightness to

a tough situation a north american aerospace defense unit also known as norad has kept its tradition of following santa claus as he travels the globe the so-called santa tracker has been updating children on the movements of father christmas for more than 60 is now right now santa is delivering gifts across north america as you can see this year he's also wearing a mosque to stay safe. there i missed in the hall with the headlines for you here on al-jazeera after months of tense talks and just 7 days before the deadline the european union and the u.k. have clinched a trade deal the agreement for is 0 tariff and 0 cordial relationship covers everything from energy to fishery is the one protection for a level playing field on regulation while the u.k. avoided a future role for the european.