traces that remain of their existence. the truth. starched. d.w. . the bad. face is data news live from the day and it's midnight in parts of australia now where it's finally time to welcome in 2021 if i were lighting up sydney how we doing areas close to the public spectacle is on a well in crowds virtually this year here and elsewhere around the world coronavirus restrictions obs appling celebrations. also coming up.

on the eve of the year that will see her leave office german chancellor angela merkel calls for patience and insurance in tackling the pandemic a crisis she describes as a once in a century challenge. and the last trucks cross the channel before brics it takes full effect like this nice britain makes its final departure from the e.u. single market and cost off pof a century of close ties with its neighbors in europe. but i'm rebecca raters welcome to the program it's been a year defined by coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns and people around the world are more than ready to show 2020 to do it from sydney australia has just welcomes the new year with its annual fireworks display. the bridge these are live

pictures you're saying behind me access to the area is limited this year all stars these have urged people to stay home and has placed restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings in other countries plywood displays have been restricted or canceled altogether while the crowds might be gone people are finding other ways to mark the occasion. and from sydney joining us is correspondent andre leslie happy new year to you andrea the big fireworks display is on the way they have got a bit of a difference this year give us a sense of what's happening. it's all very different this year i do have a ghost of a straight in shot and i bring in the new year which is a bit of an old tradition so you just to get down to business thank you otherwise things are very different we've got no river was a real we've got all of that is like connick landmarks the sydney harbor bridge the

opera house which normally is food of international gates and locals who you walk down to watch that far i would describe none of them live there it's all very empty and there are also kuwaitis but the forwards continue it's a shorter celebration this year that's been forced for some months now and a 7 minute show rather than. minutes i think that's probably because the organizers want to see we are hoping that they didn't spend too much money on this at a time when a strike is going to be a financial difficulty but premier gladys berejiklian the premier of new south wales has told everyone to stay home please don't say very and this is all in response to that december 11th outbreak in the north of asia seriously the of course which is made everyone a little bit cautious you know tell us a little bit about the outbreak then moving away from the celebrations if he is in the midst of a covert 19 outbreak how is that affecting life in the city at the moment. well it

is affecting los rebecca but it's not mean it's nothing comparable to europe at the moment we're very wary of that down here and we we know we've had it pretty good you mean you have to bear in mind australia's had only around 100 because of gates but it's still there rob order restrictions on people from new south wales the state here i was sudanese the capital all are now banned from traveling to south a strong idea i think is also banned from the northern territory and victoria a southern state very popular start with that have had a major kind of if not seen outbreak here i'm on for god is not letting sydneysiders down there so i hollered at him like isn't this time of year we're very came to get around the country are struggling to get around but look it's it's not a big problem when you consider what's happening around the rest of the world andre to you and to all my friends and family in australia happy new year. she is to say that. she his. german chancellor angela merkel has

called on germans to help bait the pandemic by sticking to the rules in the wakes and months ahead in what is likely to be her final new year's address merkel said that germany faced hard times but the day was hope inside now that vaccinations have begun. after a year dominated by one issue it came as no surprise that the main theme of chancellor angela merkel's traditional new year's address was the punter make. the call one of us pundit me of the coronavirus pandemic was and is a once in a century political social and economic challenge this either has to it's a historic crisis that has demanded a great deal of all of us and too much of some of us it's biased us i know that mustering this historic effort has required tremendous trust and patience on your part and continues to do so. that the pandemic and its effect on german society dominated the speech it was also

a message of hope with machall paying tribute to the german scientists who developed the biotech pfizer vaccine already in use in several countries and after 15 years of chancellor the end of her political career beckoning ended on a personal note in the end we're not there will be federal general elections in 9 months and i will not be running for re-election. that's the day i'm likely speaking to you on new years as federal chancellor for the last time off is thinking i don't think i'm exaggerating when i say that never in the past 15 years have we all experienced such a difficult year for or niihau and never have we greeted the new year is so much hope that so despite all of our concerns and some skepticism on civility in and so you and your families have my very best wishes for good health confidence and blessings on the new year 2021 months. well joining me to talk more about michael's

new address and her legacy is data research chief political editor. hi thanks for coming in so this is probably going to last new year's address we expect after 15 years in office what's your take on this this year over what we expected to be the last because unless coalition talks continue into next year this will be her last one and i take away that she's trying to be very stateswoman like again she is actually she says she's speaking on a personal note but then she's sounding rather reserved again like the angela merkel we know she said new motional standards throughout this year of crisis in the pandemic when she spoke of how it was breaking her heart to see sops close and everything so i think compared to what we've seen this year it's a very reserved machall something those beaches have been really emotional. surprising to see they were gripping and she really did set a new emotional stand that this year and so compared to what we've seen this year

this is forward looking this is trying to show empathy that she feels for those people who've lost loved ones in the covered 19 crisis and although she says it's not only covert pretty much her speech was only covert only mentioning in passing those big overarching issues like climate change like the position of europe in the world so that was clearly missing particularly with that trade deal between the e.u. and china less than 24 hours old clearly she decided that that was something she didn't want to press upon and as they are very inward looking right now yeah when she said it's been the most difficult year of her chancellors if in fact how satisfied are germans with her dealing of the pandemic they are very satisfied angela merkel is doing what she does best which is crisis management and while she set out into this year. which also in the 2nd half saw the presidency we expected

her to build her legacy which would have been much more of an uphill struggle with the public than actually fighting a crisis which she's proved in the past when we took a look at the financial crisis we thought we'd be talking about the migration. come this time around and now we're talking about the woman who's seen as a champion in fighting covered $900.00 pandemic of course behind against the backdrop here and many of those numbers soaring right now so it is a more intense crisis than it was less than a year ago but always being that warning vote voice and always remaining transparent with the public that yes mistakes would be made and she didn't have the overall onset possibly dealing of the pandemic likely to be her legacy. i think so i think her legacy will be a lot more than just the top to heading migration. yes also the european leader the one who dealt with china but over a crisis managed the world has probably not see

a kind before. thank you very much. and you can watch uncle michael's new year's address in full from 7 pm central european time here on days of the news and all our platforms let's take a look at some other international stories now hong kong media tycoon and democracy advocate jimmy lie has been ordered back to jail after the city's highest court sided with a request to deny him bail why was granted bail by a lower court last week is one of the highest profile figures charged under a new security law imposed by beijing in june. fill us says it will increase tariffs on a range of goods including one from the e.u. it's the latest development in a 16 year battle over subsidies paid by the 2 sides to boeing and airbus so the charges are being placed on airplane parts as well as brandy's from france and

germany. well later today the united kingdom will leave the a use customs union and single market bringing to a final end its membership of the european union the u.k. will then trade goods with the 27 member bloc under a new treaty a great last week with brussels it brings the curtain down almost 5 decades of british membership of the. goods from britain role of the ferry at cal a france it's the last day of the year and the last day of the united kingdom place by e.u. rules from midnight brussels time the u.k.'s membership of the single market and customs union ends and with it friction free trade. the deal struck on christmas eve will ensure that goods will continue to flow without tariffs but increased red tape such as checks and paperwork could cause delays for whole is. one of the concept the smallest even just

a couple more minutes for drivers to prove that their merchandise is customs approved with the right documents and the right barcode if that takes just a couple of minutes we know that even with no. i'm elected ety there is a risk of those infamous traffic use at all on wednesday the british parliament voted on the trade deal agreed with the e.u. lawmakers had just hours to scrutinize the $1200.00 page document become only a few voted against it even though many agreed that it did not fulfill boris johnson's breaks it promises. for the prime minister the goods were delivered. here it is very good and the question you ask yourself this is how i really think yes. this deal is quite free to say i'm off. at the port of dover the last day of the year began with clear skies and clear

passage to europe 4 and a half years out of britons voted to leave the european union a cliff edge breaks its has been avoided but rough seas could be just over the horizon. well as people think and to welcome the new year and say good riddance to 2020 they w. correspondents around the world have asked people what they wished for in 2021 there was a common thread as most interview said they wished for one thing about. just just be able to do the normal things again. that everything goes back to normal i want to go after school see my friends if i wanted to go back to normal. as i was you don't know model i want everything to go back to normal or. just normal i mean for a moment it is but i you know my hope for 2021. just that cove it will be

over because 2020 has brought a lot of hardship but. i hope we'll be able to see each other again without masks i hope people will be more cheerful and kind with each other i think. i hope the coronavirus goes away in 2021 and we've got a good amount of work to do. you know you're both under me and i wish everyone to be peaceful and for the pandemic to go away so that we can all be kind to each other with all our hearts. i really hope i'll be able to travel again catch up with a time i don't. i don't want things to go back to normal because i want things to be better than they were before. we're watching the news here's a reminder of the top story we're following for you german chancellor angela merkel says 2020 was her most difficult year of chancery in germany on the eve of a year that was likely we'll likely see her leave office cold cold to patients and

insurance in tackling the pandemic a crisis that she called a once in a century challenge. that's it you're up to date this hour stay tuned now for doc films coming up after a short break i'll be back at the top of the out with more headlines i'm rebecca resist in berlin from me and the entire team here happy new year people. call me old and i'm game did you know that 17 trillion landed on the plane or killed worldwide sure but it's not just the animals little suffering that's tomorrow if you want to know how it went clicked off the priest alcohol truth strange to us as we think to listen to our podcast on the green.

whatever it is on this car deserves a place in paradise. lost due to the sell job. the family will. not. be. allowed to have bought with my truck still going up to 6000000 kilometers i spent more time caring for him my then my family acted up on me and. each.

other i only want this car here because it's a good car for the people and it was only. on for a poor country boy like me. that. mercedes calls them every day classics cars from the latter part of the last century in germany they're now collector's items but in north africa and latin america many are still in use as were courses helping people earn a wage. this is the mother church every year hundreds of thousands of car fans make the pilgrimage to stuttgart and the control center of mercedes. more than 130 years of automotive history are on display in the mercedes benz

museum. among the 160 vehicles on display are legends like the 300 s.l. . prototypes that never went into production. and silver arrow. that made motor racing history. the museum also boasts regular road going models from yesteryear restored to tip top condition and available for sale assuming you're ready to spend the price of a new car on a 40 year old model the stroke 8 the germans called the new generation w one 114115 was launched in 1968. the egyptians called it can see it a piglet of all things because that's what they thought it looked like tariq last

is a taxi driver he drives a mercedes 200. cairo on the nile the biggest city in africa on the longest river in the world. tariq is a very special taxi driver his clothes are a stylish as his car. his 59 his mercedes only 25 years younger. he's been driving a cab for almost his entire working life. tariq is not keen on new cars he calls them plastic cars then i sift through. a lot in addition to have a very fancy so. why. would i if i was. really

having to see have a very good stuff in a budget catch me. is there live is without the me is paying the full my. stroke what. i like puts a. lot of study in. more people. was in don't be able to look into the. illegitimate ego is like just got a classic organ and to beautiful. is like watch and sometimes visually taking it that it will like book will show you she had such got the same they exist. is going to. sharm el sheikh and st catherine's monastery for half a day's drive from cairo and like the pyramids popular tourist destinations. but the city itself is a juggernaut it has 20000000 inhabitants but hardly any subway or tram lines the

public transport is minimal if you don't want to go by foot here you need a car or taxi. cab there are over 50000 cabs in cairo. but drivers like tariq are now a rare breed because the state subsidizes new taxes that have catalytic converters . egypt is fighting pollution a huge problem especially in cairo. the aim is to banish dirty older models. tariq has to keep his 200 running because there's no chance he could register and another old mercedes as a taxi. for him a worrying prospect. leave. it plus the same like chinese. bugs agenda maybe every 3 months 4 months you like to change about. bugs in the city just. to get is that it just

wouldn't change a good. 80 years but from time to time does still have to take his mercedes to the garage. after all it has about half a 1000000 kilometers on the clock. the trunk lid is jammed a minor problem and one that's quickly fixed. i told its 200 is one of the last in cairo but in the nile delta he says there's a city full of old mercedes models 50 years after the new generation series came out. designed metsi dispensed around up front. so i'm afraid the. timer col

bent on 1000 more that engine. yet started to fork out your fork. crunch toast in front of the test mirror for long in the boxes. namely under the hood in the nuts once a soldier on top of would include. the berms and. mother. design that's a dispenser on the switch. shaft so perfect you're.

in the mercedes museum there's an entire area dedicated to the stroke $8.00 and $6.00 as. they're called everyday heroes the bread and butter cars that once guaranteed mercedes sales. along with the mass produced cars there are a few very special models in the exhibition. such as this it. early in stroke. repurposed as a hearse for some passengers final journey. was a success or model was known internally as the w 123. were sadie's produced $2700000.00 units almost half of them were exported from germany to $173.00 countries at 1st customers would have to wait up to 3 years for delivery it was replaced by the w 124 this portuguese diesel powered taxi has driven

1900000 kilometers not that we know it. the w 124 has long been a collector's favorite. in the southern german town of putting the w 124 club holds its final means of the year in late summer a chance for members from the streetcar region to meet their colleagues from but their area the club has just under a 1000 members throughout germany and those who have just 1124 are in the minority and a little more of course there was always

a bit of snobbery involved when it comes to driving cars from a time when emissions were hardly an issue. that. we have to prove a convertible it was a dance 6 cylinders 8 cylinders 4 cylinder diesel the whole range. i just enjoy driving and i've always loved cars line on t.v. for me this is a wolf in sheep's clothing there's it alls and he people wouldn't look twice if it said 200 g.'s on the bag. but then you hit the gas pedal hard. because they got smacked. their car doesn't give much away never mind the bobble head or the missing maine badge the bear numbers a 4.2 liter ph 279 horsepower top speed 250

kilometers per hour. a 30 year old rocket. but the $124.00 also has its weaknesses says it is an issue with our device anyone looking at these cars to avoid one with visible russia because that will be an endless money pit. rust isn't an issue with these cars here nor is jealousy. as you have you sometimes suffered from your husband's hollywood. come on not as such he's always been a petrol head. but it's also his job. i also like to drive fast or at least i used to there was hobbies than this escape your mother hope is that this is. because i own 1124 as they sold one recently they basically packed it in on all

fronts after half a 1000000 kilometers their phone was ringing off the hook. so they were all people from lebanon and jordan who take apart these cars and take them back home because importing complete vehicles into these countries is no longer possible. since these cars are still on the road they're not they need the parts and here in germany there aren't many left so when a car is sold for parts it's the man does he. just because a. large is always on the lookout for spare parts larby was born in morocco and has been living in stuttgart for 40 years he drives a 986 w 124 wagon. you can still get new parts for my car and you can also get parts on e bay or from a scrap yard the cars not so well that you can't get spare parts anymore. as he

sure but he sometimes comes up with the goods as easy usually sells whole cars use models in the low cost segments that are easy to repair many of them end up here into rattly through other countries but exporting to large piece native morocco is becoming difficult. they must not be older than 5 years old and this car is very old no chance of it entering morocco. many countries have similar import restrictions environmental factors are increasingly important but used car dealers are resourceful. a trader might show up let's say from egypt 20 plus vehicles takes them apart puts them in a shipping container transport them to egypt then puts them together again and sells them as normal cars. or they welded welders yes. that's one solution what is imported is not a whole used car but 2 halves considered spare parts larby is planning

a trip to casablanca in his native morocco by car 3000 kilometers as the crow flies from start cart. one last check before the trip as the neighbors look on. larvae as a trained car mechanic and worked for decades in a mercedes contract the ranch. he knows the 124 inside out here just how old is it now i know my city one doesn't know. about even so the car is flawless that's all you can come with me in morocco there's enough space that's going to be offered counts as a bit too much of a surprise for paige her neighbor. is the thank you for your part so i'll show you some pictures of morocco. just to look at the whole car park is just w $123.00 taxis but they're really sturdy that's. why this is because of and that

is casablanca downtown this used to be or you see only 123 is everywhere no matter where you look. military but morocco just gets more beautiful every time i go there multiple it's my home after all. casablanca and industrial and commercial metropolis on the atlantic home to 4000000 people and morocco's largest city. and its large piece home town. he grew up in the damp sometimes neighborhood. he comes to visit once a year sometimes he comes alone sometimes with his wife and 2 sons larby

retired a few weeks ago in the future he plans to come to morocco not just for a few days but for a few months each year. most people want to rocco is still my home but my roots are here germany is my 2nd home to where i earn my living. so both morocco and germany have become my home and i cannot live without either of them. so is this. that's why every year he drives from one country to the other and back

again with this mercedes which looks perfectly at home in morocco whereas in germany it almost seems like a relic from times past. either spend 6 months or even for students are going to. be you know you a little bit about to discuss a swipe fee is the right $1.00 that. the our lives have to feel no use to feel the boots and a few. of us who feel a need to move with an absorbing deepness whether. somebody's making a fool should snuff a little. more than the who produced. one. we feel beautiful to. get it done to these money.

back in casablanca the w $124.00 like the one larby drives is considered almost a new car here not least 2 to the price. the cityscape is dominated by the preceeding 123. its nickname in morocco is the white shark. they're mostly used as call taxi which are generally booked for longer trips. they work according to the principle of shared taxi. driver starts when the car is full. most call a taxi are mercedes 240 diesels yes you did that this is the. modern competitors are catching up vans made by rhinos low priced romanian brand dacha are picking up the pace here. but the passengers swear

by mercedes and the mercedes taxi drivers who wait here for customers in moroccan style relaxing with a glass of coffee. that was often met him in his 59 years old and has been a taxi driver for almost half his life he drives daily from casablanca to el gato his native village about an hour away he travels 4 to 500 kilometers every day on his taxi seats up to 6 passengers 4 in the back 2 in the front. locksmith also drives a diesel the fuel is cheaper than gasoline in america and up med's white shark uses around 8 leaders per 100 kilometers that's hardly any worse than a new car. there's a. possibility what you're i looked at some new colors but i didn't like them.

compared to mercedes reliability is downright ridiculous. in the mercedes you can drive even 2 or 3000 kilometers without worrying about whether you'll break down in the desert or somewhere. that. you'll always get where you're going. although he sure the cold. hard to believe if you take a closer look at athletes car it is after all. 36 years old. and it does not know how many kilometers it's clicked the a door matter is broken. but lucky. enough . that we see him on the lookout for spare parts.

a replacement spit on matter perhaps larby book can help his parts warehouse has nearly everything especially for the 240 diesel the most common model here but every year it gets harder to find used parts 10 years from now larby says there won't be any more. he can still get a lot of parts from europe from cars that have been in accidents or were scrapped every 3 to 4 months he receives a delivery by ship the last one came a month ago and has almost been completely sold on. unfortunately this white mudguard which i could use comes from the wrong car the successor model. and then there's a problem with ahmed's 123 it's leaking water but it's not a cracked hose it's something much worse the thermostat housing is corroded the surface all eaten away what's needed is

a new part but that cost several $100.00 drams or he can try the garage across the street. what follows is an introduction to moroccan improvise ation involving advanced aluminum welding the welding wire comes from an old alternator housing and it's all done freehand. after a few minutes the corroded hose connectors are welded. the ground off the excess material. thief now they only need to put together a seal and the thermostat housing can be reinstalled. the entire repair takes half an hour and costs around $6.00 euros outlets mercedes is good to go.

in morocco a lot of people live with all their cds and make a living off them but if the other stories have their way that won't be the case for much longer by other countries caracal is fighting air pollution the state pays taxi drivers half of the purchase price if they buy a new car even so most cannot afford to replace their vehicles and cannot get a bank loan for us meant a new car is out of the question before you know i'll be the last one to get rid of the car repairs the truth no way am i dreaming about mercedes. that's because the car provides his income and his family's. off med can afford an apartment in one of the better neighborhoods of casablanca he lives here with his wife and daughter and his mother in law and her nephew. the son lives in new york where he too works as a taxi driver. but it's not easy akhmed pays the quintile into 2 months earnings

just for the job training for his daughter ayesha she wants to become a flight attendant a job where you have to know people are met says nothing happens in morocco without the right connections. i am. sure. life is expensive and difficult for taxi drivers. nothing is provided for you here health care or unemployment pensions. these are all things that we have to cover ourselves. orders to live that. morocco is a country in transition agriculture phosphate mining and tourism are the pillars of the economy as is illegal hasheesh farming. morocco is

a monarchy the king is as popular as he is powerful he holds sway over the economy. even so unemployment is high one quarter of the population cannot read or write. security and stability take precedence over freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate. oxman could have been a government employee for life as a police man but after 2 years he decided it was not his true calling. i saw too much inequality but no democracy too many things i didn't like. to

force that's why i turned to the profession but it's fascinated me since i was a boy driving a taxi. all the symbolism. doing his dream job for 25 years now always in the same car. is simple for me this old mercedes is my faithful companion the one who is if i really admire you i would like to stay with her till the out of work there's. the good to be a mosque one of the iconic landmarks of morocco. the red city morale. coast pearl of the south more than a 1000 years old and one of the 4 royal cities mark ash. the city is surrounded by a wall 19 kilometers long it once offered protection against bandits who threaten

to take merchants goods for their lives it was a perilous time which explains the name of the city. does it if it's made up of 2 arabic words more kush you go fast but you the area around america was very dangerous and the caravans had to pass through it quickly you put the old city ramparts in the towers provided security for the caravans up enough money couple as did the ins catering to caravans not because they all had big gates and more cush go fast but to the name america is what i couldn't stop. talking let's see our nose the city like the back of his hand not least the souk the bazaar and mark cash with its 10000 traders hakim is a tourist guide he speaks english german and french the 2nd official language of morocco the biggest contingent of tourists here come from france followed by spain

and germany practically everything on offer here is aimed at visitors from abroad but hawking says 99 percent of the products in the souk are produced in morocco and many right here in the bazaar. the traditional handicrafts instead of cheap copies from abroad this benefits local producers and ensures traditional techniques of work. when shifts are not lost. talking the tourist guide is 45 years old that happens to have

a doctorate in science he studied in dusseldorf but instead of researching he shows tourists his city. this is a bus you're on that's what it's always been a passion of mine and i like to show my country to people because i have seen that many people from europe like germany do not have the right image of our of my out the scene wish them the rich they can do or do but was this and. that's why he also offers tours of parts of the old town where tourists rarely venture the marquez of the moroccans just around the corner from the shiny facades of the modern tower blocks. hakim's main message is that morocco is a liberal country including in religious matters he calls it islam lite. fundamentalist islam he says is not very popular here.