really came out of nowhere. like florida trump 2 is facing an uphill battle according to opinion polls. amid criticism ivy's handling of the pandemic in an election year could be enough to cost him the top job. it's you're watching news live from berlin don't forget there's always more on our website to have you dot com you can also follow us on social media i'm sarah kelly in berlin thanks for watching take care. of our middle come good welcome to the 2nd season on the grid for. the planet on the brink of disaster we did a long in-depth interviews with experts about one question how to change the

deficit. on west africa's atlantic coast the former british colony of ghana became infamous for its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and also for its abundant reserves of gold which is why the english called it the gold coast. of the country is rich in raw materials such as oil which was recently discovered in the region and above all coca. ghana is the world's 2nd biggest producer of coto bought despite the plentiful resources they rarely benefit got nations themselves. results from this has become a necessity for some people white gold has replaced yellow they're not aiming to get rich and many trying to survive. gonna means

warrior king a fitting name that reflects the strength and resilience of its people. but i want to buy a whole basket. they face a new battle every day. don't normally like phone time to launch a starter fishel reservoir in the wild water taxes put up to the banks. 3 times a week a transport isolated villages to the big markets in the town of tom pocket and. this particular county seems to sense the getting on the boat isn't going to be an easy tox. like and

i'm going to sell my car at the market don't you know that way to get there are risky for the car but i've got no choice but 7. let's. look out would have on down to the appreciated a ramp but a ride in the fresh air is bound to calm it down. with the next set of. the boats may be primitive but they are vital for the region's economy without them farmers would be trapped on that items. you might. not. like.

that wombat and i doubt. that much give the man my basket so he can bring it to me to. let up some other i love life. everyone gets on to such boats any way they can they have no choice the fare is a too big to dock at the small patches of land although few of the passengers know how to swim and mainly use the life jackets as power saws. but everything's fine and nature is like a mill pond. where only watching the boats draft josephs the captain gets as much onto it as he can. i got a lot of i don't know actually how many people and animals there are my counted for

cows and 4 sheeps. off what are the next moments about 1015 comes in the maximum number of people i would say is 5250. but it's very dangerous. if we're on lucky and the storm hits when we're in the middle of the lake. it's really dangerous because. i. was after a 2 hour journey the water taxi arrives at top a market for the animals getting also a boat is a much more pleasant experience in getting off.

while. the passengers are badly off the boat when it heads back i want to cross the lake. at the top the market the scent of spices mingles with the aroma of freshly fried freitas. still it's hard to ignore the smell of petrol and fish. i. met this pop array of sense one in particular is missing the center rived from a fruit found at every market stall the cocoa fruit at santa doesn't dom fold until it has been processed. ghana is the world's 2nd biggest producer of coca hundreds of trucks transported across the country before it's exported all over the well.

in and bought most locals like a because i have never tasted it. move all the people in this village they all because obama just. did it all for example if you come and work out google partly escape and even if you. know what you're going to see some of the dublin involved. from up there go by. their juggling of all they do this to give him a little bit won't. even

. be kosher holes between dozens of warehouses along the road he wants for the state which buys almost all of the cocoa produced by the region's finest. in. the world. i mean a kilo as the result. is 65 years into that system but lives. with . cocoa sales represent 10 percent of ghana's gross domestic product but the locals rarely see any of the prop. fits and that day to day lives. i'm out of.

that is i. the roads leading to the warehouse is a rundown. ready to go because there's a lot in that god use very as praise if you want to get to a dime and there would be because of. what the sheep are going to do got the. most people look like you to cause why. it's a fish or cycle if biko is late delivering the load he will lose part of his salary .

in the heart of the forest of the cocoa harvesters have to get a move on. how did the average. while the thought of the season is coming to an end i need to gather the remaining poms the fruit that contains the cocoa beans before they rot on the trains. but i wish shane could do the work as well as these men can but harvesting is an arduous task .

they extract from parts with machetes which i nicknamed go to hell. is the pride of this country. this is the let me. i'm going to tell you the receipts the best quality. other countries produce cocoa. but it's just not as good as in ghana where you go. from here in the cocoa or go to our. government and watch there will have to europe. i don't know what its final destination will be like this and i thought you. were right. oh.

around 15 families farm the cocoa trees in their small forest but in the past few years production levels have dropped. the single crop funding of coca has sucked all the nutrients out of the soil the trees are growing old and there's no money to replace them nowadays every penny. he counts. the farm is situated close to the border with togo geoff sells his cocoa beans to whichever country bids highest. and to remember that that is the border with toll roads around a kilometer from there it's the worst this year left on december togo is paying one euro $0.37 a kilo gone i was paying one euro 16 friend but at the end of the month togo's prices have dropped to one euro $22.00 and gone as price rose so it was better sell

to go. on this is that you will die before. i'm going a little design to a motorbike i'll take a shot i'm going to tell my god why are you putting it on a motorbike up on because there's no path there's no road just tracks. there's no road suitable for cars. but in a. very dangerous there are lots of accidents. by people normally the government should have built bridges but there are no bridges now so if you're not careful you'll have an accident often you don't think you're going to fall but then you do some of the number up awkward thing about them it's about them it's. not going to go the trip to the town on these old motorbikes can be very risky broken arms or legs are common although jeff's team hasn't suffered any fatalities

he hands a lot. more rain recently maxwell was not so naki he died in a car accident as he was delivering packs of cocoa beans to the town. his aunt precious is bringing his body back to the village in a coffin shaped like a coke ipod as a gesture of honor. funeral singing gonna fall from morbid to fads. here death is seen last as an end as the gateway to eternal life that is cause for celebration. believe in the afterlife it's important for families to express love and respect for the deceased to ease their journey to the other side. sometimes burials a large affairs just like the one today. that

the whole village is taking part. 6 the women prepare a traditional dish of corned topped with a spicy sauce. the it may seem shocking to some the body is dressed in finery and put on display

before it is placed back in the coffin. but that was dead. while they mourn their loss maxwell's family firmly believes that he has simply moved on to another life in one form or another he will be more powerful than those still living so each of them. comes to talk to him to win his favor. safe journey you'll be reunited with your brother. you'll be reunited with everyone then you'll be welcomed with open arms. the child will you do in your next line. truly i did for you you left me. by the way

1 if that's true then. everybody back you face. serious today. or not they will not believe. that this was a young guy. how important that. you can see your past that and. much more is present dinamo for 4 months his family paid the equivalent of $300.00 euros for the coffee and an enormous sum for people here. to scout some schoolchildren give him

a round final sendoff. that often example. because the fact that the whole family and i never want to have the time i get highlighted that found. her there by the whole.

7 time i didn't. go on with that many of them would have them not really working out. after a 2 hour long ceremony the coffin is taken to the cemetery. i'm . fucked up i'm not going to get into. a company to maxwell's final resting place where his coffin is again welcomed with scenes of joy so he can begin his new life in happiness.

through the combination nothing chanting incense and beating a drum barrier. precious's nephew is a frenzied affair. but it's the wrong way to turn him this way. 7

up. on the plantation away from the chaos of the burial jeff and his men head off to town to sell some of their last remaining balance of coca. the 10 men transporting 650 kilos of cocoa beans. none of them have

a driver's license in any case navigating through the bush isn't something taught in driving schools. it's a 50 kilometer long journey and all the drivers are alert they want to survive this journey. 2 hours across rough terrain take a tall man old motorbikes. fit

enough. to live there's a guy got to be here have some broken because the road is so bumpy. cannick and jaska. american such bad shape it broke or is it because they got to step on the sand on through this if there is that's just the kind of thing we have to wait up with yours on the average or as a. motorbike is back on the road they will have to put some of their profits from selling the coker towards the repair. the group is hoping to an around $100.00 euros which would make 10 euros passion. they've reached the final hurdle but it's not an easy one quality control carried out by the uncompromising joseph who buys cocoa for the government he's the one who sets the prices. messy.

i want egypt a coup de ness of that if the court is good if this 2nd bite if they're going to look good then all is not that i have to date. today joseph appears to be very satisfied with the quality he pays japs team 200 euros 100 more than they were hoping for. with its massive deposits of minerals and oil ghana could be. very rich but it's a call to me still relies mainly on farming and fishing. making a living in these sectors is far from easy many corn on higher powers to help them

get by. to get out of there with the lord we have come to our place of work this morning make your blood fall upon us and protect them said it was lord may you destroy karma from evil spirits from india i'm a. their earth is over their. budget my god people can start it's over there where the birds are iraq. oh i was all thought of here in direct competition with other boats i'm out so we have to cast our nets before they do not know about their own doctor i do what i. gotta have one of them has already started fishing oh they're talking their nets too hard. they're too desperate we're all mobile. just as.

the crew had better hurry and 200000 boats are all competing off the gone name coast as a consequence fish stocks have steadily twin gold over the years. who. do little who will go with the one who. who know little of the one who are who are. not. the low level robot will go i don't know get a move on. you don't want to return home empty handed ringback. you want to keep going don't want to if you don't work you won't get paid about about. it was a man who was the quartermaster otherwise known as the head of the crew his job is to keep his men motivated. was i really.

never really. come back yeah yeah. definitely looking. for. the love. of the young. i don't know what i would let me go. up so we have time to recast the net once more. we had a well go. fishing one make these man millionaires have court around $100.00 kilos at the most mainly

just small fish. the methods of some captains who use dynamite and pester science to town quick profits have forced bigger fish to retreat to deeper waters. long. beach. dozens of women are keeping an eye on the horizon. but they're not waiting for the hospitals to return for. their fishmongers. home in the morning and gather here to wait for the fishermen to come back it's the only work we can do to feed ourselves it also means i can send my children to school and i knew that he didn't but i knew i'd use.

the bomb to be disappointed none of the 15 votes separate times with an impressive . bottle of fishmongers begins because there isn't enough fish to go around. if. i want to buy the whole basket i'll tell you what i want to basket for 2 i do i want fisherman i want some smelt. that it was surprised how much he was sending them for. oh. i love you love. we always hagel when we buy. the fishermen give us

a price and we negotiate if they say $100.00 races just 15 out they say $200.00 we said a 100 where that is to. go. after that what is that my basket you're putting up now you go ahead fill it up front to the brim. and. i'm going to smoke some of them and the others will be sultan dried in the sun come up no ice you then sell them at the markets. but i doubt that i'm the one. smoking and salting the fish prevents it from having to be refrigerated fishmongers can preserve it in this way for a week maybe more. that's why salt is vitally important in africa ghana has enjoyed a good reputation for its old since the ancient century i

. drivers who transport cocoa and those who transport salt chant the same treacherous routes things. can a so-called white gold is in demand and sold across the african continent. but . if. i want to load up 2000 bags of socks. 50 topics i keep a close eye on because you know because of hers yob done something about how

missing i have to replace a. lot of the i've got. what i might. go it's a dangerous trip sometimes robbers jump on a truck and steal the goods if the roads bump and you have to slow down there and climb out of the truck. but george has no choice he has to drive slowly on these poorly maintained roads. george is taking his delivery eastwards to 2200 kilometers he and his truck have been dancing to the rhythm of the potholes as he puts it. all down the only park were dancing at a party because of the growth and that was how i was dancing at the wheel i just got rid of the brown bell it was because the roads are so badly damaged down

through it we're out of here and out of the nothing. most coastal residents make a living from salt production. but that everywhere you look at our salt even when the women who dig down into the ground they find salter by about it but that. salt is one of the rare edible minerals found in abundance and it's an unlimited resource that helps people living on the coast to survive. because there's a lot of it doesn't mean it's easy to harvest. i think for the. kids the men who delegate and share out the work and it's

us women who have to dig for the salt. we're told on your document avoid doing it themselves because it's hard work. but you are not done you know work but there are . also it's us women who have to do it. now. you know. i'm coming. to watch out. if you can do this all with your bare hands to get covered and so on all go up all that much. and that's why mine are in such a bad state that i use this tool to hope that gets me out of the wood and nails to break down the salt crystals. that i've worked collecting salt for 20 years it's a really tough job. no one. got to have awful leaks in my name so i have

a bad back when i'm a lifeguard but. my feet are cracked a harley. one . day the train toggled they are ruthless. that they're fed i want nice looking solid to be able to resell it i have to spread it out and examine it so i thought if it doesn't look good i won't be able to sell it for the best price say and you know it can't be mixed up with any scent. so it was windy the sand mixes with the salt. but i will know. so is

this one yours. i said i saw it for $200.00 no that's too much that how much would you pay for it i'll get real $100.00 say they know about mine no no deal oh well i deal oh yeah oh come on please. i'm not compromising. so i left my source is nice and white it's white but times i heard people just aren't buying any more i'll take it for one today but not this. 120 isn't enough. so no matter how well you know yesterday someone bought it for 15901 question here don't agree i'll go buy somewhere else ok all right i'm happy today my children and i will be able to eat we'll have 1st comics flying. over she bought everything off me and i have money to count up how back here's the money you thank you for buying my salt

may god bless you and protect you on your journey back. to. the equivalent of 21 europe's the money will last and her 2 children a week any animal she can catch and supplement to them meals. help or much about this is my house it's where i live all my riches are here. a demo will make everything mice. with my own hands these buckets are mine i got

them out there and i well i can't find secrets to one side for a funeral as. we look at that now we shall. now show quite that writing i show my hands are damaged from the hard work i do dos . is starting to look like the hands of a liberal. now as i feel like. john always tries to keep a smile on her face a monster she says is you can't wear down on x. by slicing bananas. in other words anything is possible with a bit of willpower and that something that can names appear to have an ample supply no matter how obvious the task.

george and his assistants are now being dancing in their trunks. but i like my job. i was a pest and. my dad taught me to drive. right and driving since i was young. when i was 12 i could already drive been the gonna work in a fossil hybrid polish mali nigeria easy area. all these years of driving have taught george patience lots of it especially when it comes to crossing borders. about this that we have to go and check in. here george and his assistant arrived in a town on the border with togo. to

. evolve it did i customs officers will check the goods dish in that area they want to check that stuff hasn't been caught often make people say you did because i did. this all of us that. george takes his place among the hundreds of other trucks waiting to be inspected some have been stuck here for weeks the customs officers work at their own pace as drivers wait patiently. along it may take everything will get to where it needs to go just to get.

back into cocoa plantation jeff is also preparing to go to tokyo he's located much closer to the border and so he's making the journey on foot. with the full if you look really good little you know. such as. these are the last few bags i'm going across the border i need some c.f.a. francs that's a currency managed in the village i want to go to that is that i'm taking the last few bags to sell them this year the quality of the cocoa isn't good it will be spoiled or the rain that ruined all the cocoa that did pull so that. these cocoa beans on and good enough to be sold to kanye and buyers but in turn go jeff names a trader who doesn't scrutinise goods 2008. said

that under most of the village is an hour's walk away carrying the cocoa on our heads. this is when we arrive at the border will cross or don't head to the front. of the carriers it's a far from gentle stroll they've gone around 30 kilos all my hands. so far as i walked out i thought this is not the risk that marks the water that i'm in i was cross the border but i'm not gonna do it oh now we're in toto so obviously once you cross it you're in total so now i've made it and i just see. oil gold and other mineral resume says could make gonna one of the world's fastest growing economies. instead gone names describe the country as

a sick child. who has only recovered because of the tenacity of its workforce. looking. to the point of strong opinions to clear positions from an international perspective smoothly. after 4 nights of heated negotiations in the leaders reached agreement on the 750000000000 euro recovery package it's being held this historic in principle will improve so in practice find out onto the point. the terms of the

cuts are going to be. the ultimate of a strong d.w. . cutting through the noise. where i come from people are known for being tough but fair and new york can get loud and people tell it like it is they call it the concrete jungle the melting pot the city that never sleeps it's busy energy that makes it feel like cold put amid the hustle it's important to listen and pay attention because it's not just the loudest voices who needs to be heard we all have a story that's how i see it is my job as a journalist to go beyond the obvious now i'm based in europe the i my work takes me around the world it seems for me in the state to tell the important stories behind the headlines what is the heart of the story why does it matter who live in power. to stay focused if you want us to cut through the noise to get to the truth

of the bias our colleagues and i were put to death. this is the news live from berlin a start of a new era for. the 1st time in nearly 90 years the building opens for muslim friday prayers we have the latest on president ever wants a controversial decision to change the status of the world famous monument also

coming up security forces say they're freed a german woman kidnapped by militants in iraq. as an.