the way admirers and critics alike now as the world's most powerful woman shaking her legacy join us from eccles law stops. playing the but . this is the w. news live from berlin after a year of negotiations and missed a deadline britain and the european union are reaching breck's a trade agreement european commission president parcel of underlined describes it as fair and balanced and says or britain that will remain a trusted partner while the british prime minister boris johnson agreed that the deal has fantastic news that will and uncertainty also coming up on the show as he

prepares to leave office president trump makes sure to remember his friends the latest batch of presidential pardons goes to his closest associates longtime confidant roger stone is one of nearly 50 felons granted clemency. chairman of president frank loesser steinmeier says there is a light at the end of the tunnel but i have more on what he had to say about the krona virus pandemic in his traditional christmas address. plus a socially distanced christmas eve mass in the world pope francis marks the day with a surface in the vatican conforming to coronavirus hindu temples. and play richardson welcome to the show after months of uncertainty britain and the european union have finally. an agreement on a post a bracks

a trade deal it's implementation it will mark a big change as the u.k. and e.u. will form 2 separate markets and free movement between the 2 will end and both sides patched up their differences at the 11th hour to avert an encroaching crisis at the end of the 12 month transition period approached just days before the january 1st deadline britain is set to leave the european union with a trade deal after months of wrangling the 2 sides finally agreed to the terms on which the e.u. would be allowed to continue fishing in british waters the last piece of the puzzle to fall into place before the deal could be announced both sides are selling the agreement as the best deal for their positions. british prime minister boris johnson said it would benefit only part of the u.k. . a deal that would protect jobs across this country. goods u.k. goods and components to be sold without tariffs without coaches in the e.u.

market to deal which will if anything allow our companies and our exporters to do even more business with our european friends over in brussels the e.u. chief said it was time to look to the future we will continue trading with ukraine in all areas of mutual interest for example in the field of climate change and security and transport to get there we still need she's more than we do a part it's crazy the deal needs the approval of both the british parliament and the e.u.'s 27 member states. ambassadors from each countries will meet on christmas day to start reviewing the deal the british parliament will debate and vote on the deal on december 30th. today the reporter joel dora has been looking at the details of the deal and he joins me now in the studio for more our joel is it fair to say

there are any winners in this agreement well this is a divorce agreement so it was always going to be slightly painful for both sides and both sides have had to make compromises to avoid the chaos of a no deal brags that on january 1 we can have a look now what is in some of this more than 2000 pages of of an agreement so firstly and most importantly there will be no tariffs on goods traded between the u.k. and the european union so german cars will not get more expensive in the u.k. and vice versa fishing rights was a major barrier the e.u. has agreed to give up only a quarter of the fish that it catches in british waters and the u.k. fishing industry is unhappy about this outcome there's no role same for the european court of justice which was a major issue for the u.k. and instead disputes will be settled by an independent panel and will be an end to the freedom of movement of people between britain and the e.u. with new conditions for residency and travelers will face restrictions. come january 1 citizens from both sides of the channel are going to have just 90 days of

travelling in the other its territory before they can have to start applying for visas and so forth and these negotiations are really came down to the wire what would you say are some of the major downsides of the deal we just because we have a deal doesn't mean there won't be disruptions and in fact british exporters face major hurdles now trying to get their goods into europe that is going to be new paperwork new procedures possible border checks and business groups in the u.k. say that they are not prepared for this also financial services are not included in this deal that's going to be a huge issue for the u.k.'s very big financial services sector they face on certainty professional qualifications will no longer be automatically. recognized by countries on both sides are doctors engineers nurses they're going to have to get their qualifications checked by each individual government and also here's one that's really provoked outrage on social media the u.k. is withdrawing from the erasmus program this is the study program that allows university students to easily go and study across the channel that's going to end

now thickly for the u.k. students and many people are tweeting out saying how sad they are because this was really the foundation of many of the personal relationships and the start of their careers and this is where briggs is going to really be felt in the end to those posts of connections the ability to just go and move and study those cultural connections between the u.k. and the european union a slowly going to wither away and what sort of official reaction have we seen to this agreement well generally there's been a a sigh of relief european union leaders have been saying that this is a generally good deal and that's important because all governments from all 27 member states are going to have to sign off on this deal before the end of the year here in germany chancellor angela merkel said that the deal was a good outcome here's what she said with the agreement we had laying the foundation for a new chapter in our relations even from outside the european union the united kingdom will continue to be an important player for german important partners in germany

and the e.u. now her cabinet is due to meet on monday which is when they might sign off on this deal the same thing has to happen in capitals across europe and in the u.k.'s parliament now the coming days are going to be full of more surprises as people poor through these 2000 pages and they find out what was agreed and what was left out and i write a reporter told all right thank you very much but after. now let's take a look now at some of the other stories making headlines at this hour the 1st a case of the new coronavirus variant a spreading rapidly in the u.k. has now been identified here in germany the infected person flew into frankfurt airport from london 5 days ago and fell ill at home in south west germany meanwhile austria has reopened its steel lifts for christmas winter sports are underway of 400 alpine locations just bite the imminent a start of a 3rd national walk down the government argues that as an outdoor sport ski is safe under strict conditions mountain restaurants however remain closed. moldova has

a new president pro in europe a former prime minister my ascend to has been sworn in after winning last month's election although it is split between supporters of russia and those favor and closer ties with europe and you is the 1st woman to lead the former soviet nation. and outgoing u.s. president trump has issued a new batch of pardons for his allies including the father of his son in law jared a questionnaire mr trump has now a granted clemency to 50 people in the last week the list includes people convicted in the investigation into the trump campaign's ties to russia allies from congress and other felons championed by friends. christmas is the time for family and friends and donald trump has not forgotten his not long after his arrival in florida for the holiday season the outgoing president's latest set of pardons were

announced. what is interesting about the latest batch of pardons from president trump is that many of them have centered on people with whom he has a personal or political connection or bond among them was the father of his senior advisor and son in law jared cushion a. child's cushion though was sentenced to 2 years in prison for tax evasion witness tampering and making unlawful campaign donations the white house cited cushions charitable work since completing his sentence as the reason he deserved clemency but it's the pardoning of poll manifold and broad just stunning that has sparked the most outrage both men were convicted under the investigation into ties between the trump campaign and rush up trump is now part and full people convicted in that investigation. mr president my family and i humbly thank you for the presidential part and you to start on me what's cannot fully convey how

grateful we are manifold and start in a not considered conventional pardon recipients in part because birth was saying to show a lack of respect to the criminal justice system manifold was accused of witness tampering and star and was convicted of lying to congress republican senator ben sasse called the pardoning rotten to the cole. ok make up a fraction of the $26.00 torchwood pardons the president issued on wednesday and with less than a month left in office more pardons are intice appended from the outgoing president . german a president of france has delivered a message of hope in his annual christmas day address to germany emphasizing the challenges brought on by the pandemic but also how it has brought germans together let's take a listen to our presidents time i have to say the evil going on burgo vast.

and vincent israel was a visit in front of them laden on them going out playing the do is call it's on time insisted the most snow of. foosball him study on kino on comes out the highs in the fire. on fearless under the mia depending me i don't stand there in the fire let's leave the mentions invade separately thus is must be anomalous laden. under verse having via. the stark isn't when they are fine and the more and does it. that was president frank there in his christmas address it to the nation is in sports news now and you might want to spare a thought for tomas tuco the coach has been sacked on christmas eve despite winning his last match for nail 21 to 6 trophies with he s.n.g.

and led them to the champions league final last season is team are currently 3rd in the french top division just one point adrift of 1st place to go as expected to be replaced by former tottenham boss what should tina. and pope francis has celebrated the traditional christmas eve mass from st peter's basilica in the vatican this year's service started 2 hours earlier than usual to comply with italy's 10 pm walk down curfew the congregation was also much smaller due to social distancing rules. carols echo through the near empty service made sumber by the coronavirus trying to make. sure that our 100 people attended the christmas eve service compared to the usual 10 ties and. attendees

were masks apart from the small choir and the pope himself a message from pope francis urged people to help those in need this christmas in the god came among us in poverty and need to tell us that in serving the perk we will show our love for him. despite the pandemic residents in the italian capital are hopeful. its strange. feels like a war scenario in which something bad is about to happen. the same time there is an air of hope through this change so i think that is what we all want after this difficult year. the the war with the defeat. the hope for the future the next year. to celebrate christmas all the governor. chris christie will see more changes when the pope gives his traditional derby at rb

blessing from inside st peter's rather than from the balcony overlooking the square an event really attracts tens of thousands of people. time for a quick reminder that you can always get delia news on the go just download our app from google play or from the app store or get access to all the latest news from around the world as well as push notifications for any breaking news if you're part of a news story you can also use that you go after send us photos and videos of what's been happening. that's news. date at this hour don't forget you can of course get the latest news and information around the clock on our web site that's d.w. dot com and richardson in berlin thanks so much for watching and we leave you now with a hit song you may recognize from to talk song and dance monkey by australian singer tones and eye has become of the 1st song by a woman to get more than 1000000 hits on spotify so you can spot her in this music

video. anybody'd. why are people forced to hide in trucks. he said. there are.

slim other lists and there are many stories. above make up your. mum. made for mines. the deal is sealed off for 4 long years they finally done as britain and the european union and 3 on a practice a divorce deal the news means a decades long relationship will end on friend year terms and serious and major trade chaos can be avoided for negotiators on both sides a bittersweet moment. i

only feel quite. speaking. to this to you. stability and a certainty sometimes being away from the truth and difficult relationship with. your friend. you are on. your supporter. and indeed never let it be forgotten you are number one walking. this is business i'm gay ferguson thanks for joining me the deal is donna 4 years off for the people of the united kingdom voted by a narrow margin to leave the european union the 2 sides have reached an agreement on the future terms of their relationship fundamentally the deal means that both

sides can continue to trade without their goods having to pay tariffs there also won't be a limit on how much they can buy and sell to each other in other words no quotes they've also reached an agreement on a so-called level playing field for doing business european commission president or a slush fund a line set the e.u. rules and standards will be respected we have effective tools to react if fair competition is distorted and impacts our trade finally they also agreed on the emotional issue of fisheries with the european union agreeing to reduce its quota for a fishing and british waters by 25 percent for the next 5 years that seems like a win for the block britain britain had wanted a 80 percent reduction in during negotiations. but there are still quite a few open questions this deal only governs the trade in goods not in services

which are especially important to the precious economy so while this deal is being hailed as a big achievement it does of course mark the end of a union that's been quite a fox island at the best of times here's how european commission president or as law funded line described the new relationship status then you know kingdom. country. remains a trust. on long island. whether it be the cup 20 summit in glasgow all of the upcoming. 7 and tell you in 20 presidents. the european union and the united kingdom will. to shoulder live on our common global goals. and pressure prime minister barak johnson have also been hailing the agreement focusing on the 5 of the trading relationship

and evolved so i'm very pleased to tell you this ought to be him that we have completed the biggest trade deal yet worth 660000000000 pounds a year a comprehensive canada style free trade deal between the u.k. and the e.u. a deal that will protect jobs across this country if you allow goods u.k. goods and components to be sold without tariffs and without quotas in the e.u. market the deal which will if anything allow our companies and our exporters to do even more business with our european friends. and this deal was of course a long time in the making and in many ways it represents the beginning of what could be a long post back the journey for the united kingdom my colleague daniel winter on the road ahead. the deal is done a crisis of verted it's a relief for both sides after all half of the u.k.'s trade is with its european

neighbors and the u.k. is the e.u. 3rd largest trading partner the talks were painful but the alternative was worse pushing the begrudging neighbors closer together never has the european union offered so much to a so-called 3rd country the u.k. has enhanced its decision making at home but so has access to the e.u. market whereas the e.u. has kept a key customer for billions of euros of goods selling british wares freely in the e.u. as market place is the 1st big step but britain still has a monumental task ahead of it before the brics it britain had access to scores of deals now it's on a shopping spree buttering with partners to snap up trade pacts worldwide. the u.k. has already signed up $59.00 countries to continue trading under the same conditions as with the e.u. plus a fresh deal with japan that's $220000000000.00 euros worth of trade the new deal will be

a relief on both sides of the channel but for britain the toughest times may lie ahead experts predict economic growth to slow living standards to drop right now the u.k. needs good news for its economy and as with everywhere the pandemic has eaten away at growth hastening the decline of thousands of small towns and cities getting trade humming through britain's ports will help mitigate those effects but will the opportunity cost of brecht's it leave the u.k. far weaker in the world than it could have been or will britain confound critics and build itself into a singapore on the english channel the odds are stacked against them but by getting a deal with the e.u. done britons have looks beyond their island and taken the 1st important step and speaking of looking beyond their own island let's get the transatlantic view on this deal from business correspondent yes quite in new york yes this is of course huge news here in europe how important is this deal for u.s.

investors a particular. well i mean more clarity and less uncertainty is always good for markets and actually we do see wall street gaining a bit in a shortened trading session here on thursday global trade disputes also are usually not necessarily helpful and if we look back 4 and a half years ago when we did have this surprise bricks and devote we also saw some pressure on wall street but having that said it's not necessarily a game changer for wall street this is mostly between the u.k. and the european union and investors on wall street they have so many things to deal with i mean there is the pen demick we are doing we do see some slowing growth so we have all this fight about a new 8 pickett so there really a lot of things on the plate but it is welcome news also on wall street as i've said we do see u.s. markets slightly to the upside ok so u.s.

investors have a lot of things on their mind right now but of course one of the biggest issues around perhaps it was britain wanting to make new trading relations and take you there with the rest of the well world where do you think there were leaks and shit between the u.s. and u.k. in the future. yeah i mean we have heard from boris johnson and there are some indications that the u.k. might push forward by literal trade agreement because the united states the big question is if it's really in washington's high priority list to get those this is a new deal done any time soon there is no pressure for the upcoming president joe biden 1st of all the u.s. actually has a trade surplus with the u.k. so why make big changes at this point and then also boris johnson was considered to be rather close with u.s. president donald trump and i'm not so sure if we have the same feelings between the upcoming president joe biden and boris johnson so i would be cautious to

really believe that we get a new trade deal anytime soon might be in the interest of washington to really clear things for us was the european union and was china before they take care of so you're ok yes cutting you i thank you very much time now for a quick look at some of the other business stories making news. turkey's lira has surged to a 5 week high against the us dollar after a bigger than expected interest rate hike the central bank raised rates to 70 per cent to cool skyrocketing inflation the euro has been among the worst performing currencies this year down around 23 per cent amid coronavirus locked and double digit inflation. some $850.00 cargo stothard british airways are to begin a week long strike on friday over a pay dispute the unite union says workers face pay cuts of up to 25 per cent

shipments to and from britain have already been disrupted by border closures following the discovery of a new coronavirus ferry and. restarted daily flights to and from london after receiving clearance from italy's health ministry the carrier said passengers traveling to italy must be residents or have urgent reasons for the journey a negative covert 19 test is also required flights were suspended earlier this week because of the new virus variant. and finally has this for a childhood dream come true the iconic toy store f.a.o. schwartz in midtown manhattan has opened its doors to over 9 visitors for the 1st time ever the premises recent the advertised on home run full sized air b.n. b. the accommodation includes

a living room overlooking the giant rockefeller center christmas tree the 1st family to avail of it hogs free run of the store including the giant step on keyboard note from the movie big they also got to take home some souvenirs and a reminder of the top story this hour britain and the european union have agreed on a deal governing the future of their relationship. it comes 4 years after people in the u.k. voted by a slim margin to leave the bloc major sticking points and recent months have included securing a level playing field on trade dispute resolution and fishing like. tough props of our show for more you can visit our web site at t w dot com slash business we're on social media as well probably on the team it's good bye and take care.

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blamed the fungus on your world. today. it's taking lives in more areas of society. artificial intelligence. options. lower health. life to start because. me i'd like you to future my cancer. what are the limits. in germany. 60. 4.

don't. need to be. documentary. lead. hello and a warm welcome to focus on europe. 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 the pandemic brings europe largely to a standstill streets are empty shops are shuttered and large christmas gatherings cancelled and the lockdown is set to continue into the new year and many countries . well for many europeans living in big cities being confined to an apartment has created a deep yearning to be closer to nature whole fernandez wanted to escape the confines of his small space in madrid he found a place on the countryside that allows him and his girlfriend to live the simple life. it's in the northwestern spanish region of. near abandoned villages like this one have become hot property during the pandemic. but almost. a year ago a little hope for 9 days and then yellow herrera would have thought they'd be keeping chickens in the countryside. back then they still have the maturity. but

in the summer they moved to rule in north west in spain 500 kilometers from the capital. their different approaches regard frontages and disadvantages. but i mean that's what i meant about i mean for me country life offers things about the city just doesn't touch or of course. i don't know it's something you have to experience. living a couple deal to have a village of 30 and have a chance she was a completely foreign to them a late host parents have a summer house here the young couple is now refurbishing the property clay who is a stockbroker he can work from home and really has to go to madrid daniella is a psychologist she found a job with a real estate company coronavirus like dell it changed everything that there's. no god that. we could never imagine just leaving everything behind to move out to the country far away from middle. but then we spent 3 months cooped up in 20 square

meters i don't want to go through that again i need to have nature peace and quiet that's why we came here. spain's villages are in desperate need of 2 younger residents for decades a rule as it is has decimated them entire communities are dying out especially english here but experts say the pandemic is leading to a turnaround. betty rutile is real estate agent specializing in the banding villages together with a local she visited him as he's just sold the new owner isn't a property in the visual. real deborah said that now belongs to a canadian company. empiricist their food but their companies are coming in and buying whole trucks in their 367 villages in one go so they get turned into vacation homes or residential houses for people who can work from home yes a lot of things are possible for people. there are thousands of such houses for

sale in spain no one's live in a closet for 30 years. iglesias was one of those who moved to the city as a young man in search of work together with the owners he now wants to sell his hamlet. maybe really. it just hurts to see the houses almost in ruins like this but you could take a status of a person it would be nice if someone would take care of that and if life would return it even if i won't get anything out of it's myself going to not only be and i won't pay you know law of the truth out of. the 59 year old grew up here. he ate mills in this kitchen because stubborn knows it the rule of life takes some getting used to even if conditions have improved over the years. because

we used to have to cart her food here by horse think about news i'm the one made everything it. just wasn't any other transportation. access is much better now and to stop us is the pandemic has increased the value of the villages but more needs to be done to save them better in commission would be a good incentive for potential buyers. if local governments did more like with financial aid for reconstruction if you've got to get it all get back on track even faster. you're going to get it looked at me and you larry. but municipalities don't happen monday that's also true in the neighboring town of nova the mayor says the spanish government should help after all villages dying out isn't a new problem he's counting on the pandemic having a positive side. now there's just been talk

nothing's being done. now we're hoping for european aid coming in because of the damage. maybe that could also support projects that will revive these villages. took matters into his own hands and organize a stable internet connection his employee says he'll be allowed to work from his new home office for the long term. yeah i used to be back and i want to permanently settle here of course you never know what's going to happen or where you'll end up it'll meted out i mean what basically i want to stay and so does my girlfriend you know whether you. and helen and me that they'll miss the city they say they don't get too much. for a few days they don't want to give up their country life. for those in the performing arts moving to the countryside and working from home

isn't an option at all many actors musicians and dancers are being forced to simply wait out the pandemic at the caucus theatre in germany conductor mario vns aagot is refusing to bow to the virus the audience may be gone but his ensemble is fine tuning their performance of carmen despite corona but how does an opera as passionate as carmen work while social distancing a few weeks ago our reporter got a front row seat for the rehearsals. national theatre of course is trying to do something different. they're putting on a covert version of george visitors are pretty common. no masks for the soloists but there is actually class to offer protection. there is especially contagious something quite hard for everyone here to forget. it

doesn't look this is an air purifier i don't know what professionals call it. i just purifies the air so we can sing without wearing masks with less risk. we mostly rehearsed with masks on anyway. and to be honest we don't yet know for sure how it will be in the end. of the fruits of me yes of course i'm afraid and i protect myself the best i can and get tested as often as i can but it weighs on your soul 3 of those are 2 ways quite heavy on your soul. you need to see it. but why would they even subjecting themselves to all this theatre was still closed but the performers were still hoping they'd be able to perform for an audience of december. and the danger is not just hypothetical a sort of had covert themselves. it's hard to argue fortunately i already had

a few months ago. my doctors say i've still got the antibodies but of course you always have to be careful. but i know what you go through with this virus. about how was it horrific i'm still tired even now. the pandemic has impacted the song with us now to phone out because they're not under contract unlike the employed members of the orchestra at the subsidise national theatre of cut costs. and many of these freelance musicians haven't had a gig in months. then did it if the government and the theatres don't support us fridges performers they might just wind up living under a bridge by the time the pandemics over into the cook in. a few hours later came the next to set back the entire opera house was supposed to rehearse together

as it normally does with obligatory masks but the latest figures for new infections were alarming the chorus was then released for the day that put mario vance i go and director stefan mackie in a difficult situation. much dying and. not really as the figures rise so do the individual fears and questions we have to deal with the holiday only basis it's always thought if. with it steve inskeep there are a few more fears among the wire and that's what we thought we talked them through this period it is critical here to have my house. for musical result is that the lights to the ears at the dress rehearsal as carmen is ready for the stage they had planned brilliant performances in caucus for the turn of the year but now with the new lockdown nothing is certain anymore still there remain motivated which is the real challenge for the insomnia.

this is their own sort of cover here are they it's this is the job we have to do for our musicians or to send our singers an answer for the entire theater for everyone involved he says so they can form their tasks to the best of their ability and with the greatest dedication priests and this may be one of the most important jobs of my life that he picks them up at minus libyans. finally they're allowed to rehearse with the choir. not on the stage but well spaced out on the balcony. and then we stop with the 3 to about a 3 and one let down of course because that we're not allowed to dance and we can't put the choreography on the stage the way it was played. you were pretty sure to but still were delighted to be accompanied by this beautiful music on to perform common up here on the balcony listen in again here it's across. in this opera about love and passion the hygiene regulations of hospice demand compromises.

the. strict regulations prohibits any intimate kisses. it's heartless but healthy exactly what composer busy himself would say about it. carmen doesn't die of the pandemic but of a crime of passion. and at some point perhaps this opera will someday mesmerize an audience and costs. love in the time of corona well let's hope the audience returns. for the elderly life with a pandemic is especially challenging every day activities like going to the supermarket can pose a serious risk that's really the big car comes in she delivers more than just the

essentials with the help of her custom van and the remote friends area of euro some villages don't even have shops which makes elderly residents reliant on her service for lina work is a joy and she goes the extra mile for her customers. speeding down country roads bringing food and goods. that's lena because mission 1. she stops often you see on a village of 400 people being or comes here every tuesday from the enough. everything that. the. right man to talk is doing her weekly shopping. lena has everything she needs and her fun fresh veggies like sprouts and lettuce along with the current desserts remo and her husband are so fond of becoming we

don't have a car my husband and i don't drive anymore where old folks so we shop and they know that you know. you know doesn't sell cheese and other products. she always has time for a chat and to catch up on the latest gossip. today's big news is that a neighbor has returned home from the hospital with this could we talk about anything and everything i ask what's new i change people's lightbulbs some seniors have no one around their children live far away so when something needs doing i take care of it fixing the t.v. very instead or then it's not just business it's about interpersonal relationships do. it's off to her next destination she's on the road 5 days a week taking various routes around the sure she visits 20 to 30 customers a day this region is sparsely populated and shops are few and far between the

hundreds of hours is compromised of just a few houses. there she visits this. couple are waiting to take a coffee break together with her. meanest stops in once a week she feels right at home with the today's. plane we'd have a problem there are no more stores here she's the only one. quote is in a hurry plane has brought his favorite food. this goggles of s. cargo plane and knows her customers well. each way he buys a dish of snails. then his warehouse is her courage her husband and if he helps her lowered her truck every day since most of her customers are regulars she tailors her assortment to their needs.