you know. this is utopian whose line from berlin and u.s. allies react with shock to the latest resignations from the trump administration the first secretary jim matheson quits in protest over trump's of brought pullout from syria he says it sends the wrong message to america's friends and borden's its supposed also coming out protesters in barcelona scuffling with police that spain's cabinet meets in the city in an effort to reduce tensions over catalonia as independence movement. and germany marches and use of an arrow as it closes its last underground coal mine we meet the miners who howard german industry from deep below the earth.

thank you so much for joining us at this hour u.s. allies including germany have appealed for clarity over washington's foreign policy all this comes after defense secretary jim mattis resigned in protest as at present donald trump's decision to were drawn american forces from syria that move was undertaken with no consultation with the pentagon or u.s. allies now the search is on for a successor to matt is widely regarded as the last check on the american presidents unilateralist impulses. u.s. secretary of defense james mattis has been widely viewed as a stabilizing force and us president donald trump's cabinet many had hoped that the four star marine general would help the president make good policy decisions on matters of international and domestic security but now that's come to an end due to

fundamental differences of opinion the defense secretary says he will be leaving the administration by the end of february in his resignation letter the defense secretary appeared to criticize trump's america first foreign policy matters stressed the importance of u.s. maintaining strong partnerships such as nato and the international coalition fighting the so-called islamic state in syria. james mattis knows the situation in syria and afghanistan well he thinks it's wrong to remove u.s. troops from those places or to cut their numbers by half both republicans and democrats have expressed their worries after months his resignation secretary mabus was one of the few symbols the few items of strength and stability in this administration republican senator marco rubio commented on matters decision on twitter just read general mattis resignation letter he wrote it makes it abundantly

clear that we're headed towards a series of grave policy errors that will endanger our nation damage our alliances and empower our adversaries. now trump needs a new defense secretary who will follow the president's line. when not of his resignation is reverberating across the world let's go now to washington d.c. to our correspondent my straighter who is following this story for you might help put this in perspective for us if you will is this administration and rousing before our very eyes. well if so then it's certainly been a slow unraveling i mean we've been seeing it seems like advisors and aides dropping like flies since the very beginning but what's significant about mattis leaving here is he was the last of what was colloquially on the inside called the access of adults which included general kelly who is the now outgoing chief of staff secretary of state rex tillerson the fired just secretary of the fired

secretary of state gary cohen the economic adviser and now james mattis who is the last to leave and these were people who were seen to be as you mentioned a check on the president's impulses madison specially was known across the world a sort of being someone who would move over some of trump's rougher impulses when allies got distressed at a u.s. position mattis was someone who was there to assure them that the status quo the center would hold was all right let's talk about those allies now as you refer to them maya terms this is right we didn't just sideline matters a nato allies also still shell shocked by the sudden policy change how well managed his resignation change how the alliance operates if at all. well it certainly is seems like an end of an era what we know is that trump at the beginning was very fond of madness calling him one of my generals. the

communication between the pentagon the white house in recent days had really fallen by the wayside the relationship had deteriorated someone and it looks like this this policy reversed all especially regarding syria and we've also heard of rumors of also a troop pullout in afghanistan that was really the final straw in that relationship one thing that matters had said was that he would not resign he would not leave the trump ministration unless there were some really unbridgeable gap something that he felt that he had to put his foot down on and resign in principle over and it looked like this was it looks like this difference of opinion of which there were many between trump and maddest but this one over troop pullout in syria was the last one and we've seen a lot of allies coming out saying we don't know where this leaves us we don't know what the power structure looks like without the americans there exactly fifty seconds left do we know who will replace matt a smile. there's been some names floating around like the secretary of

the senator lindsey graham south carolina senator cotton a congressman from texas who's the senate of the chairman armed services committee but none of these people have the caliber or the gravitas that maddest brings to the table to be continued my own shooter reporting from washington thank you. all right let's bring up to speed now with some of the other stories making news around the world. iraqi authorities say they've discovered another i asked mass graves containing dozens of victims the site is located west of kirkuk the soldiers say the so-called islamic state disposed of civilians they killed there is one of roughly two hundred i asked mass graves discovered since the group was forced out of the region. rioters in sudan set fire to the headquarters of the ruling party in the capital hard to thursday soaring consumer prices have triggered the biggest protests in the country in five years at least eight people have died in

the violence the government is rumored to have shut down the internet. the. spanish police have arrested at least eleven protesters during clashes in barcelona spanish media is reporting that dozens of people have been injured in the violence in the clashes broke out at a demonstration organized by radical separatist groups were protesting a meeting of the spanish cabinet being held in the regional capital while demonstrators have been trying to block roads since early this morning but the cabinet meeting chaired by a minister for their centrist went ahead anyway it agreed new infrastructure spending for the region. are at fault joining us from the news desk is my colleague publicly elise who has reported extensively from spain and knows it very intimately so it's great to have you here with me in person set the scene for us what unfolded today in the streets of barcelona well we saw it

there already in the images that there were protests across the region in particularly in barcelona because of this cabinet meeting that was taking place in barcelona and it's believed that there were rand one thousand protesters gathered but of course we saw over around twenty roads main roads across the region being blocked let's not forget this is friday just before christmas and a lot of people are getting taking their holidays so because a lot of destruction across the region of the clashes are obviously awful scenes to . see there you mention that there are at least eleven protesters have been arrested in fact in just the past few minutes it's gone up to twelve and there are over fifty people injured from these clashes and among them many police officers as well now the thing is there's also potentially another mass protests taking place at this evening and in particular in barcelona parts of the temperatures still very very high on the streets and barcelona the two why are people so upset by this particular cabinet now we need to go back one year today's the twenty first of

december the twenty first of december twenty seventh team was when regional elections took place in these were called by the previous prime minister mariano rajoy following the declaration of independence in catalonia and and obviously the powers have been taken away from the regional parliament and there was direct rule in place so the twenty first of december is already a day which causes a lot of anger amongst people in particular those in favor of the independence movement in kenya the decision that whatever stanchest the current prime minister and his cabinet to hold a meeting was to what he says bring the madrid government closer to the people now this was seen as a provocation by cut pro independence supporters and despite the fact that there was these symbolic gestures we'll say may for example are going to rename the airport in barcelona and also more money for infrastructure but it doesn't seem to have gone down very well all right so very symbolic and kind of dates the timing

it's kind of exactly very briefly if you can what has the reaction been from the opposition i think the most interesting is actually from the she's a spokesperson for the catalan regional government she says coming all the way to barcelona to announce the change in the name of the airport maybe it wasn't worth it so that's what was in from cut the money and then of course the opposition from the spanish parties have said public i saw the from the p.p. has said it was an act of betrayal. coldish humiliating for the spanish people that . they have gone to catalonia to speak with their the regional president there and also there actually the fact that they are dealing with the regional power and so the fallout is well we soft assess what the fallout will be but for now thank you so much for that update publicly alias. why are in germany the nation's the last underground coal mine is closing today for two hundred years called was the driving force behind this country's economy dominating industry infrastructure and people's day to day lives but the reign of king cole is coming to an end miners have been

gathering for ceremonies marking the closure in the who are valley today for a final time many of the fifteen hundred workers have met at the cross for an annual mind which has been in operation since the nineteenth century you're looking at live pictures there from that ceremony which is taking place as we speak the shutdown is happening because the world is moving to a new will sources like solar power and wind power still the miners at the last mine in the western german industrial region were to see it go. these are some of germany's last coal miners. many of them have given decades of their lives to the job in four shifts a day twelve hundred meters deep shifting thousands of tonnes of bituminous coal acidic emma no blue better known as city can clearly remember the first time he

went down in a pit cage thirty years ago. asimov were the first time i did it i was still an apprentice so the training supervisor was there you learn where the escape routes were in case something happened but it was still overwhelming. even. the prosper hon the old coal mine in box shop was once highly productive now it's the site of a massive sell off everything is being dismantled and sent back over ground most of the machines here will be sold on to turkey or china it is not the feeling a bit melancholic because we're the last of our kind all this job on exist anymore it's sad. always. used to mining coal for years now but it's difficult. to finish mining one coal field i know that in two weeks we move on to mining the next one. but those days

are over now. it's winding down everywhere and that hurts. but. it's thanks to the coal mines that the rural valley region became the most densely populated area in germany the pit head frames the coking plants and the steel works have left their mark the kiosks and miners housing next to the pits are testament to that there's hardly a city or town here in the region that doesn't boast a foreman street or pittman street works manager you're going croaker has already had to close down two mines the prosper honeywill mine will be his third and last. three big events take place in my life this year as i close my last mine germany stops producing black coal and at the end of the year i'll retire i don't think anyone can experience more emotions in one go than that. the curtain has fallen on coal mining and fifteen thousand locals have turned out to give it

a fitting send off there's plenty of melancholy in the air as traditional clubs miners choir's pick men mine rescue teams and foremen march by. the whole tradition of mining itself the royal region its family every time a pick closes down it's like losing someone in the family. once more they sing the song of german miners. these days it's the soundtrack of the region. the last miners at the prosper hanya will continue to wind down operations until the end of next year. after that most of them will retire. better so we could buy less chicken now we do have a correspondent kate brady she is in bartra good to see you kate the farewell

ceremony is underway how was the mood when it really was a very moving ceremony this evening as full a minus in the last miners who were taken till today gathered in front of the shaft just hit behind me and there was a real sense of mourning that come our audrey that we saw just that in that report and there was also some very moving words from the chairman of the german coal cooperation iraq as that last piece of coal was brought up from the mine and presented to the german president frank and he said for some people they may just be a stone for you it should be a part of german history but for us it was all welsh so it really is the end of an era for many people local to this mining region today very poignant there the example that you have for a trader what does the end of black coal mean for this region.

well local authorities have been making preparations over the last eleven years since the slow. decline of the slayer line of the mines here was announced back in two thousand and seven by angler macro's governments and those of now being phased out and say that have the measures taken to make sure that younger miners will be able to get training to find work in the future so that they run the disastrous implications not felt once again as they were in other mining regions in the past both in germany and abroad and over the past few years as well the city of baltimore is the hero where this mine is behind me and they have also been trying to attract small to middle sized companies as well to make sure that the city continues to prosper in conclusion that back in two thousand and seven the german government's committed to ending subsidies for coal mines by the end of twenty eight what if any climate protection play in deciding to stop funding

for coal. well it's interesting because the fight against climate change actually played a very small role in the decision to phase out underground mining here in germany fossil fuels of course actually still account for forty percent of germany's energy mix and as you mentioned that. that. it was the subsidies actually that because the german the german government to and they space out cake thank you so much thanks for your work blew it away from parts of shelves are great reporting from we're told there's a higher. being a winner there thank you thank you. let's get you caught up on the sports now the business leader reaches a crucial point tonight when league leaders will receive host second place were similar it kicks off the last match say before the mid-season break to last for the

first time this term just observed on tuesday wow what now that all means the gap between the two sides has been reduced from nine to just six points could now cut the gap to three with a win endorsement with plenty to play for fans and the teams are ready for a festive football treat. dortmund coach father doesn't look too bothered by the first bonus legal loss of the season but suddenly the title race is back home and the swiss can have no time for sentiment against his form a side to glove box. yeah. it is a bit special i suppose nothing more than that. i left a club out three years ago i am a dortmund man now but sure it is a bit strange for us on there having a very good season. and there are very dangerous.

one three nil and byron munich that says everything that's my dallas. dortmund without three injured defenders against the side who have the second best goals tally behind the hosts fava ones his players fully concentrated on cut backs fret rather than the festive season or the near months break before their next game . are very well organized they're very compact sometimes they are defending and suddenly the ball goes forward very very very quickly for the club buck meanwhile can move just three points behind dortmund with a victory but they also have injury concerns. we will go there with eighteen guys but we are maybe without seven players but it doesn't matter who starts dortmund our problems too will probably. gotten tell the christmas sing song this week their

team will top the table at the mid-season break whatever happens tonight but fans want them to hit the high notes once again. now and job cuts on the horizon at one of germany's biggest carmakers. apparently wants to cut around seven thousand jobs in the coming years according to media reports the v.w. plants in hanover and engine will be affected the background is that the production of electric cars requires fewer people and the production of peoples with combustion engines the company plans to offer older employees part time work but even in that case up to four thousand jobs in hanover and up to three thousand and might still be cut. declined to comment on the exact figures. let's bring in our financial correspondent bars only we've heard about job cuts of false phone for a while now so this really shouldn't come as much of

a surprise. no it shouldn't because the company has to ready itself for the new age with electric cars and self driving cars especially the electric component means that cars in the future will have much less a fraction only of the parts that are going into the vehicles as we know them with diesel or with gasoline engines or with hybrids and that of course also means that there are fewer workers needed and of course with volkswagen is also more pressure on the brand of volkswagen it's known that the c.e.o. how about these really has an agenda to get the profitability up there so that may play into it as well but expect messages like this connected with the mobility also from other manufacturers in the next little while. german blue chips those should buy a new low. yes the drop under six under seven year olds it's not that far down yet under seven year olds right now it's battling with the seven

year old level and down the boat fifty percent over fifty percent in fact for the year the newest plunge this week came from a new scandal brewing over price rigging in the bond trading sector the e.u. commission investigating there and deutsche bank avoiding a fine probably because it's proactively cooperating with the commission still have a week for it but not just for the doj or bank for shares in general because the docs hate it two year low now with the bad sentiment in the stock market and the dax down for the week. two and a half percent only bounce in frankfurt thank you very much. paris coles has slapped a five hundred thousand euro fine on french oil company told after finding it guilty of paying bribes to win a huge gas contract in iran in one thousand nine hundred seven the court says total

pay paid thirty million dollars in bribes to middlemen for help in securing the lucrative southpaws gas concession five years ago total hods to pay almost four hundred million dollars to settle a similar case before it went to trial in the us. well for a few brief that looked like eggs miss on chief collins go would be getting out of jail before the gate even opened for him to pounce state prosecutors office issued a fresh warrant for his detention prosecutors now say they've gone millions of his own personal debts on this on accounts he was originally arrested on nov nineteenth then prosecutors allege go declared far too little income and personally enriched himself using this company capital. seumas here in germany and on to think twice before splashing out on goods that sentiment is also reflected in fresh numbers business confidence is down especially among retailers this month's will

the spirit of the season will help them boost their bottom line well we went shopping in berlin to find out. it's the most important time of the year for teen movie but. it's just a few days before christmas the manager is hoping to see a lot of shoppers in his luxury department store card. he's pleased with this year's sales. the personal touch and friendly atmosphere of very important something online rivals don't have the department store depends on both german and foreign customers the employees give buyers advice especially about the current trends. but there are various trends when it comes to fashion a classic cashmere sweater. popular toys are still ahead from classic board games to dolls for your daughter but there are a lot of new trends for the home this year like interior design and for the kitchen utensils we do this i was on a starched smaller stores are not as

a beat because i feed managers three fashion shops in berlin she's found a nice with special smaller sustainably produced brands she has many regular customers but sales could be better now she's thinking about launching an online shop even though it's a daunting challenge. but as a side major plus very harshly and would require hiring at least two new people purchasing inventory would also be an organizational challenge that's why we're taking our time being careful and seeing what happens in the coming months. and fussed up a sitting this one out of some consumers prefer shopping in their own neighborhood if you're interested to get mine keets i support my neighborhood stores and avoid online shopping whenever possible i'd like to see and feel the president i just think it's better for me i think often it's cavaney stein's i can start shopping in

stores walking around and seeing what would suit my parents or siblings notifications seconds could pass for a song if there's a big difference in price or if i can compare items better i buy online but going to a store is always good. but there is growing competition on the internet more and more retailers are doing business online particularly in entertainment and consumer electronics analyst seven crease their growth forecasts for november and december from nine to eleven percent. is bucking the trend by focusing on traditional retail sales only consumers can determine if the strategy succeeds. so for me on the business scene here's a reminder all the top stories we're following for you here. on independence supporters in the spanish province of catalonia clashed with police and boss alone . place as the spanish cabinet met in the city in an effort to reduce tensions over

his independence from. president trump is losing another key cabinet member defense secretary jim stepping down after growing increasingly disillusioned with trump's policy as trump decided to withdraw u.s. troops from syria. watching the news from. the top of the hour football fans stay tuned to call is next thank you very much for watching.

the. midweek matches in the bundesliga it'll be christmas soon and who's getting the gives you a certainly not mid-season story they picked up their first loss of the year against discs. and it'll be a blue christmas for shaka after losing a home today. rescuing sea horses in greece. off the greek than in slums of copy to keep their lives a colony of tiny sea creatures that are threatened by ghost nets lost or discarded

fishing nets. now volunteers are retrieving the nets and helping to preserve the seahorses marine have attacked. in sixty minutes on d. w. . natural richards precious resources of the sun and a rewarding investment farmland has been called easy jocose gringo the country has an abundant supply of leases it to international ever for joins. the government to export revenues to the corporation's high profit margins. but not everyone benefits from the booming business. the selling out of

a country dead donkey know what he knows starts december twenty ninth on d w. the midweek match day i kind of warm up for the last round of getting fit for the winter break time so work out and get down.