this is d.w. news live from berlin the european union and britain on the brink of a free trade deal the waste goes on outside downing street where british prime minister boris johnson is expected to make an announcement soon this after talks went into the night in brussels will bring you all the details. meanwhile angle mounts at british courts police as thousands remain stranded even after france lifts its blockade over a new variant of the coronavirus. and from the seat of an idea to a nationwide network called meet the twins in india mobilizing to music to help

those hit hard by the pentagon. i'm sumi so much going to thank you for joining us with just days to go before the end of the brakes a transition period the european union and britain are on the brink of a post to greg's a trade deal reporters are waiting outside 10 downing street in london where the british prime minister force johnson is expected to announce the outcome of negotiations talks went on into the night in brussels to hash out the final details of the treaty it lays out rules for when the u.k. leaves the e.u. single market and customs union in a week's time. let's bring in our correspondent standing by for us in london following the developments from there hi barry good looking at what is on the table

at the moment is this the agreement that boris johnson want to. we obviously have to wait for the details to me there as speculation as to what the deal will really look like and old say that the prime minister would have had to give in quite a bit bit on the issue of fish he started out the british position started out with having a big quota of retaining a big quota of fish for the for the u.k. fisherman 80 percent and also having that transition period only slowly giving up their quota to 2 to other e.u. fisherman over a longer period of time the speculation is that britain had to give any here but of course we have to see however what is really important for both johnson is that there is a deal because he had really promised that he would get in to land that he would get it in the very short amount of time and if he really does pull this off and it

really looks like it then this will be a victory for him ever tell us more about that why is it so important for boris johnson to really get a deal done here. he was really elected on that platform he became the party leader of the conservative party he won the elections on the premise is that there was an oven ready deal to be head is what he had promised now this didn't turn out to be that easy as you said but if there was no deal it would obviously be a very severe blow for him passing only having promised that this would happen he was on to a lot of pressure just of late by businesses by british businesses who for them they would fear that if there was no trade deal that the u.k. would leave the e.u. and would have to pay that would it every import every export would have to be subject to terrace now they would have to live with the fact that there will be

more paperwork when it comes to e.u. u.k. trade because the u.k. snored a member of the single market in the customs union anymore but if there was no deal it would be a big blow particularly for for some industries like manufacturing like common you factory so if this can be averted it will be a victory point prime minister the other thing that is relations the coronavirus crisis you have to just look at the ports and what happened in the last days and the chaos we see that the ports with the closing of the borders if there was no deal we could expect extra chaos in the beginning of january and that would have been a massive problem for boys johnson our correspondent 30 months reporting from london thank you very much well the german airline lufthansa has flown 80 tons of food and produce into the u.k. after as we heard ground transport was halted to contain a new coronavirus variant france has reopened its border to freight traffic

entering from britain and trucks have started boarding ferries at the port of dover but thousands of truckers are still stuck at ferry terminals because they can only cross the channel with a negative coronavirus test and many say they've already waited too long. knowledge of how i do not know was my call to frustration and anger in dover as truck drivers are furious at the delay in getting back to europe. some drivers are transporting cargo but all of them simply want to get home for the holidays if they're stuck on the english coast could be any of the last 4 nights you didn't see nobody believes you want to be in the nothing. would have been going to be discussed in his place not we have no food we have no water yesterday. organize the food but it was just something. and we don't know

when we. can get home we have to day 15 and day and now they say yes we don't have. the way. yet boccardi. is blocked bay we have one way here. meanwhile the lines of trucks stretch for many many kilometers. and the drivers will be eventually allowed to cross but only after testing negative for cold feet 19. the army has been called in to help with the tests at a lorry park on a disused airfield near dover. the blockade doesn't just hurt drivers one 5th of all goods found for britain pass through dover supermarkets warned of shortages of basic goods if the port remained closed. india has recorded

nearly 25000 new corona virus infections in the past day the total number of cases there is now over 10000000 that's the 2nd highest in the world after the us since september the number of new infections in india has been declining sharply as everywhere and how the pandemic has made life difficult especially for the poor and for people who've lost their jobs back in july we reported on 17 year old twins in delhi who set up a national hotline to help a sick look at the report. how many. and . what. sheer can't hari and her sister ses get a dozen calls per day the girls have set up a telephone helpline in delhi they use it to distribute food and medicine the coronavirus pandemic has plunged hundreds of thousands of indians into joblessness

and poverty. when the lock down saw to it there was so many people out there who had lost their jobs even have enough money or resources to get the most basic necessities like food or medicine and we were so dan tweeting. and asking the parties to take action so we thought we'd create this how. many people come to this barrier fence word has spread they can get help here mina malik has 3 children they were fed at school until the school closed due to the pandemic her husband lost his job and she did turn. i've had no job for 4 months my nobody needs us not even for a little odd jobs. between his mother helps finance the initiative as sakes they say doing good works is important to them. you know in my religion we always put aside the money to spend for charity and it's one of the food. prices over any of

our generation than to bring my parents and their ever seen. the twins mother also brings food medicine and mosques to delhi's outlying districts tens of thousands of market workers live in this settlement when her daughters got the 1st call for help people here had gone hungry for 5 days straight. but new coal has come in for the twins they've already helped feed $50000.00 families in over 30 cities across the country now flour sugar and ross is heading to a family but the demand continues. now to some other stories making headlines u.s. president donald trump has issued another set of pardons they include charles questioner a father of his son in law jared charles questioner had spent 2 years in prison for tax evasion and other charges trump is also part of his former campaign chairman paul matter for as well as longtime confidant roger stone the president has also

vetoed a major military spending bill that had been passed by a large majority of republicans and democrats in congress trump had previously criticized the $740000000000.00 national defense authorization act saying it would benefit china congress could now move to overturn the veto. and ethiopian state media say the military has killed over 40 people involved in wednesday's massacre in western benson goldblum was reachin security forces arrest of 5 local officials following that attack that left more than 100 people dead it is the latest episode of unrest in ethiopia following a deadly civil conflict in to grab. singapore's changi airport is often counted as one of the world's best but like most airports around the world passenger traffic plummeted this year due to the pandemic now they're hoping a new offering will lure people back to the terminals. they call it clamping in the

clouds the this campsite is a firmly on the ground with the coronavirus putting a stop to nearly all air travel singapore's famed airport has swapped takeoffs for tents a much needed reprieve for some of the many families stuck at home this holiday season let me usually we we go out of the country if we do the up on travel my head is that full of the day so i thought you know why not go do something different what if you're good and i think did they enjoy camping idealism i know that you know how so i thought that ended and. anyone who has missed a flight knows all about overnighting at the airport but here you get to do it in such style as the name suggests these bland has a kid out clean signs beds temperature control and even festive christmas lights put it more than $250.00 u.s. dollars a night and it's not for the budget traveler i mean it is really right here that

the man was when he was like you know you could have fit for. you in for staycation . tend to go down until the end of the month but organizers hope that even after the pandemic glancing at the airport will take off. well it's christmas eve here in germany and one of the festivals most popular traditions as buying and decorating a christmas tree millions of young pine trees are cut down every year to adorn living rooms around the country but there's growing criticism over the damaging environmental impact of the practice so some entrepreneurs are creating more sustainable alternatives. tree is cut down. and another. every year we cut down millions of trees just so that we can have one for christmas in germany alone around $30000000.00 trees are sold over the festive season i benedict bruiser is selling christmas trees with a difference to make

a difference well the idea of the regions of christmas trees is that we develop a system where we only cut the top off the tree and then have the natural succession off the tree and that will again build a new branch so to say hopefully so it's a regenerative tree that never is being killed but it always regrowth. in january birds of peas people if they bring back the bits they've had over christmas. those bits are cut up and mixed into soil becoming nutrients in the tree plantation. underneath the cover brazil plants potatoes. or wild strawberries. and in the middle blackberries. and all around them the regenerating christmas trees which have a special meaning for burst. through through all the technological advancements and

the digital world we have lost many of those just natural ways of coming together and communicating and celebrating life and you know being aware of what life actually means and for me to distance is the christmas tree at christmas where you come together as a family and you just enjoy being together and having that time to also reflect on the year if the project proves successful hopes the technique will be used around the world to make christmas trees a little bit greener. and we just have time for some festive cheer of the furry variety courtesy of the berlin zoo the animals in the german capital were treated to some early sacks of presents and there was even something under the christmas tree for the black bear. 2 of the zoo's stars are its polar bears how to and tanya and they even took their tree for a swim after their. show coming up

next day w. business chris colfer talks with a european member of parliament about what the impending trade deal might need from both the e.u. and thank you so agent. story of producing propaganda. they were called the rhineland bastards. their mothers were germans living in the occupied crying land their fathers soldiers from the french colonies in. the book you know trying to feel

pride and racism. lish documentary examines the few traces that remain of their existence. and. storage generally of d.w. . things are nearing and their conclusion britain and the european union are reportedly on the cusp of striking a coast gregg's. trade deal which would end the grueling long ago she asians of the e.u. group a relationship after britain left the bloc almost one year ago also on the show we take a look at you through exporters through all particularly anxious for both sides to reach disagree. i'm chris cuomo welcome to the program a bumper delivery of pizza helped fuel negotiators through

a night of talks and now britain and the european union are close to agreeing to a post brags that trade deal according to multiple media outlets announcement is expected later today according to the irish foreign minister there has been a last minute hitch with the wording of the deal but he emphasized there is still likely to be a formal announcement the polland lets on the news as britain appears close to avoiding a damaging no deal breaks it after 9 months of turbulent negotiations. for more let's bring in correspondent max sander in brussels. is there yes max what exactly is the hold up there. there you said it chris oh

talks have been going on well into the night through the night until the early morning we have limited insight on what's happening behind closed doors but there was cautious optimism that a deal is in arm's reach so to say it seems that this did that one of the major sticking points to the level playing field a competition rules for the u.k. is access to the e.u. internal market has been resolved now it's still the table is the issue of fish the issue of fisheries access for e.u. fishers to u.k. waters it's a relatively small issue compared to the overall trade volume of the block but it's a very emotional issue a very political issue and politicized on both sides vowed to stand by their fisherman will have to wait and see if and how this was resolved the last word hasn't been spoken on this just yet nevertheless everybody is hopeful that the deal will actually come to happen if it does get all the necessary thumbs up what are

the next steps. so yeah time is time is running out there are only a few days left after the holidays this year and there's no might not enough time to do the formal ratification process now council would have to make a call the e.u. member states would have to make a call and and they could sign a provisionary deal to put this in place that would cushion the the hard affects of of bricks and one so the u.k. u.k. . leaves the transition period and at the end of the year and this could be done in the entire deal with depends really depends on the complexity or maybe just on on parts of it but the actual ratification the process would have would have to be finalized next year when the european parliament comes together scrutinize the deal and then signs off on it and then the last step the e.u. council would have to give their and their thumbs up you know your correspondent max center in brussels where officials are still negotiating final details of the

proposed e.u. u.k. trade deal max thank you meanwhile e.u. food exporters are watching nervously as the brags that that line which is december 31st approaches this would be the time to rush through as much of their produce as they can into the u.k. right now though that's not possible. several 1000 trucks are backed up in dover and that number is growing they won't be home for christmas but they at least want to avoid new border checks and customs controls that will come at the end of the year at this food wholesaler in the netherlands they're also worried about the fast approaching end of your deadline december 31st coconuts citrus fruit asparagus all of this has to go to great britain as quickly as possible if the u.k. left to the brits a transition period without a deal there'd definitely be delays in the movement of goods. over day.

long of course it depends on the product you have a stronger product and we could products but it. will load the prize of the project . comes humor wants to consume. very 1st profit. great britain is one of the most important markets for dutch fruit and vegetable traders last year fruit worth 2000000000 euros went to the island and of course other industries across the e.u. are also facing a last minute panic. as of now officials still wrangling over a post bragg's it trade deal band is a member of the social democrat party democrat party here in germany and a member of the e.u. parliament and the head of the committee on international trade let's get more from him welcome to d w not disagreements on fishery rights continue to be the hold up issue here is this economically small issue worth the wait for this very important agreement. no it's

not really an economically apart but politically it's important look here to tool to france a bit to him we have crossed by being populist parties. on our no. wait . we're not little really like to see yellow vests protesting against the agreement and spirit of the populace and on the british side of course this i did not approve progression on top of 3 which is really 1st in. the on the good waters so critically there. now a level playing field when it comes to competition as one of the main sticking his been one of the main sticking points between the 2 assize here you are having the ears parliament committee on international trade and have been pushing for a level playing field when it comes to competition do you see the goals that you

set out there accomplished with the agreement that's on the table. i think so it's totally clear that we need if we have a really open market to result in eternal boost in any quarters then we have to be a safety and have a safety net there is not undermining our standards and of course adds to the conditions on the lives of our it's an environment to lights and state so knowledge of it being a new instrument dispute settlement because this man which has also impossible possibilities to control there is no longer really difference in the level playing but. mr lang. with a deal in place which we're all expecting to happen later today what will trade between the e.u. and britain look like in the future. of course number people who want bodies

straight without any year or complication i guess but of course there is a change people have. different custom of procedures on probabilities and of course. there is some truth to civically on animals and him up with knots so there is a change in the extra cost for companies but never less reliable. and lion social democrat and member of the european parliament thank you for talking to do you know. it's like a merry christmas i as the other german government is considering a parcel charge for every online retail sale is intended to support brick and mortar retailers around the country after all since the start of the pandemic e-commerce sales have been surging which also means the amount of parcels that delivery workers have to transport has more than doubled and we want to see what

exactly that looks like for a parcel delivery driver joachim go to the d.c. starts early he says van had a delivery base in south berlin just like several 100 of his colleagues every day then they set out to deliver their packages and parcels to customers in the german capital the 55 year old says it's always crazy a few weeks before christmas but since the coronavirus pandemic there's been a boom in online shopping logistics companies have been inundated since march back into i definitely noticed a difference of course the number of parcels has gone up after the 1st wave there was massive growth as a must see this december i'll definitely have to work overtime and on my days off to. d h o currently delivers of levon 1000000 parcels a day in germany alone before the pandemic they used to deliver some 5000000

a day. after a 20 minute drive devolved arrives and his delivery district he has 160 parcels to deliver today on some days it can be up to 200 and they can weigh up to over 31 kilograms. that's where we have a lot more large parcels and also more heavy parcels i really noticed that i think the tendency to order online was already there. but the virus has made it so much stronger still people have been shopping online for a while now and then think. with the onset of the pandemic and closed stores the benefits of online shopping become apparent ordering from the comfort of your sofa no risk of infection in crowded stores no climbing stairs or lucky when it comes to working conditions however none of the major delivery companies has a good reputation whether it's amazon's own delivery service hermes geo less or

other providers many parcel services employ subcontractors and unions have pointed out countless cases of overtime hours and low wages the post subsidiary d.h.l. pays their delivery people according to chair forgive ations they're trying to prevent the boom from overwhelming their delivery drivers as can fuck we don't have enough people to fill all the jobs in the logistics field we've hired more than a 1000 temp workers and have an additional $13000.00 vehicles in service. you walk england does more than halfway through his shift he's pushed his packed parcel carts through narrow stairwells a dozen times today. he says the silver lining to the pandemic is that people now have a new respect for his job. and a quick reminder of our top story at this hour britain and the european union are close to agreeing to impose bragg's a trade deal according to multiple media sources officials close of the talks said

an agreement has been found on the sticking points fair competition and fishing rights british prime minister boris johnson is expected to hold a press conference soon. and of course we're following that story for you in the coming hours and i'll. watching. success. on. the phone.

by everything. new bob knows that the lady is the source of her strength the clique line is. god 7 my god my mom. has his feet carry her across the water. seemingly. to be able to do.

what secrets like the one. to discover new adventures in 360 degree. and explore fascinating world heritage sites. w world heritage 36 to get here now. hello and a warm welcome to focus on europe i'm lara babylonia it's nice to have you with us today twas the night before christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse the classic tale has taken on a new meaning this holiday season as a pandemic brings europe largely to a standstill streets are empty shop.