where intelligence agencies are pulling the strings, were organized crime rules. were conglomerates make their own laws? shed light on the opaque worlds whose behind their benefits and why are they a threat to us all o peak wolf starts january 5th on d, w. ah, this is d w. news, and these are our top stories. governments across europe are struggling to stem the huge increase in corona bar cases. due to the new on the cron, buried the netherlands has become the 1st country in europe to reinstate a christmas lockdown, which will last until at least mid january. and germany is severely restricting

travel from the u. k. way on, the kron is becoming a dominant counting as underway in hong kong legislative elections. it's the 1st election since begging and post sweeping reforms on the territory earlier this year in an attempt to crack down on a pro democracy movement. the national security law has silence most of the cities, opposition activists and lead others to play abroad. only candidates deemed patriots by a government committee were allowed to run voter turnout. he wriggled low of just 30 percent german president. frank felt a stein my as commemorated the victims of an attack on a christmas market in berlin. 5 years ago the killed 12 people died when a man hijacked a truck and drove it into the christmas market in central berlin. it's the deadliest islamist attack on german soil. the attacker had been known to authorities. he was light,

a shot dead by police. this is d w. news from berlin getting get a lot more on our website. we found a d. w dot com. ah, ah. hello and welcome to this special christmas edition of check in every year in december, germany is transformed into a huge winter wonderland. almost every town opens at least one christmas market. everywhere you go, the air is filled with a scent of roasted almonds, sausages and mold wine. these days you'll find christmas markets all over the world, but its origin fly in german speaking nations. free corona, germany boasted, at least 3000 christmas markets. last year 2020 all the market stayed shut.

now many have reopened, mainly in northern germany, where the case rate is currently lower than in the south. we take a look at 3 of the most gorgeous christmas markets of 2021. we take you along on a tour of christmas markets in cologne, blue, beck and berlin. we reveal the art of crafting a hand made icon and dressed and stolen or fruitless. and we attempt to solve the mystery of the christmas pickle. is it a german or an american invention? ah, ah, we start off at the christmas market at cologne cathedral. the tree at the center of the square is 25 meters tall. it surrounded by

a canopy of lights comprising 70000 l. e. d. ah. this year, the stand in macon or star girl to help visitors are also carrying out spot check. good evening, we checking whether you're vaccinated or recovered. the stand and mention and sure people abide by the corona virus restriction. only those who have been vaccinated against cove it or recovered from it can visit the market in the costume girls stand people's proof of vaccination and issue stamps that are valid at cologne's other christmas markets to have a pleasant evening. in this 2nd, pandemic winter checks are essential. but how do people react to them? they mentioned that the markets i've worked. people have always welcome to china. so far, no one has gotten upset or anything. ah, with a stamp on your hand,

you're ready to set off and see the site. ah, did you know that the christmas market that cologne cathedral is the largest in all of germany? before the corona virus outbreak, 4000000 visitors flocked here and just for weeks this year, organizers expect only half as many guests. but that hasn't dampened people's mood . this one, we live a lot less crowded than normal. and we come to the cologne christmas market. once a year, or if you are folks, or if there's still a nice holiday movie, we wouldn't want to miss any time here. it's very quiet you to corona, but the atmosphere is really pleasant. i guess from spencer. i must say it's quite nice and puts you in a christmas mood soon. the lights are nice. the music to a good variety of stalls. i mean it's, we get to think was in, in the netherlands,

but the german food is much nicer and lot more stark out, which i'm very fond of. but i love the, the potato pancakes that they have here is fantastic. and the, the, the from luck from lexia. fantastic. yeah. and obviously the worst in those grilled sausages, waffled, gingerbread and candy canes are classic treats sold at every german christmas market. but cologne has things you won't find everywhere. you can have a photo taken with a loved one under the mistletoe, maybe even steal a kid. according to british traditions, that brings luck, or by a love law. you can attach it to one of the bridges over the rhine and cologne, or somewhere closer to home, to show that your bond is everlasting. the mugs used to serve mold wine or another nice souvenir. there is

a new design every year. the taste of cologne's organic mold wine also undergo subtle changes. it is, and i had went to the special about our mode wine, is that we offer red, white and rosy varieties. excellent. my refined by a team from the christmas market that includes the summer. yay! profile maps. mm. and what would christmas be without music? other cities may have cancelled their big on stage events. but the people of cologne loved singing too much to do that even performing carnival songs at the christmas market. so join in and sing along. ah ah, here are the 3 things you really must do at cologne's christmas market. to take

a photo under the mistletoe sample, some organic mold wine, catch a show and sing along loudly. ah. 2 german bakeries operate at full capacity and run up to christmas. lou producing treat such as gingerbread from nuremberg. and ah, and not forgetting she. tito from dresden. this fruit love usually sells like hot cakes at the dress and streets and mocked. not this year, though, as the market remains shut, due to the karone of iron. in a report from the archive we show you once again how check in reporter lucas steger learned some tricks of the trade from as teachers. baker, before the pandemic hit injuries

miss a very proud of this story. a cake like fruit bread this christmas specialty even gave the market its name. the old german word. fortunately, it's only originally stolen if it's baked in, one of the $150.00 bakeries in and around police and it has to have the steel of the shore protection association. i'm going to learn how to make a real stone master bigger than krista is my boss. and i am his apprentice. oh, why is the stone protected down whiskers should it has to be protected so that not any old baker in germany can call their fruit cake devised and stolen and blah pick when does f m b o? so we got the idea for this seal, which every baker in this geographically protected area. again, give a big old guide, jackie, a coffee shop if it's lock is spot before they do for they have to ensure their

quality meets our standards. inch by she went on, forced air loo inflation, which ingredients have to be in. it is much one for the northeast original dresden christmas stall and ingredients are always measured in relation to flour. fruit, akilah, 8. the 500 grams of butter will come with a little smile. and i'll help me i. we have a recipe that we have to follow from the 65 percent sal tanice. we're sorry. 15 percent sweet and been almonds and 25 percent candid lemon and orange peel. i'm shot if and fanciful 10th it is hard work. the other stolen has its price. dasheka had time and we had to earn it. what the no, it mock me always use the bowls of your hands. bend your fingers again and back again. what gonzalez' yar can exactly at me had used the bulls of your hands. yeah . like a massage yard. that's why vegas is how healthy. like i know, i think isn't that she should have said i don't think band is impressed with me.

iowa. so sir, now we pulled the corners in and then finish it off, crashing it together, loose through it to sun. but i always thought, i'm not a natural annika discount will manage it. when will i keep rolling it and pull it always rolling? what does it by itself, alignment down x. the next please do. with that, it doesn't take a lot of effort to massey did. were dropped dead on to 500, stolen a day. almost done so thick that these are 8 low, so he's taking his out of the island so we can put am sam yesterday? i'm cheap. making stone is good exercise 1.8 kilograms in each n. him of nit darby

a bad time though. this is the final product. ours just needs the finishing touches more butter. buffalo washed off pots, so pushed off. you know, what, when it was like the renewal back unfolded. the, i'll show you that it's not bunch of people that are more on the side just so much it along form of ill. and the grand finale icing sugar. good. that's enough. sugar's girdle was, but too much is unhealthy. good. the synthetic i phone does is about this is an original dresden installer. went from the la by the apprentice. ah, our next stop is the historic old town of lou back home to one of the oldest christmas markets in northern germany. it was 1st mentioned in historical documents from the mid 17th century. we don't know precisely what the stalls were offering back then, but we can tell you what lou baxa tops these no sellers are today. from

western germany we had nor to lu back. the whole thing date is the hands, the attic city's most famous landmark. it's image can be found all over a low back christmas market. ah, the medieval old town provides the perfect backdrop for festive events. yet things are much quieter here than in cologne. the city band all stage shows to prevent large gathering and has been produced. strict safety measure the how much rubric and do back decided to impose a mosque mandate in the, in a city and to visit the market. visitors must be either vaccinated against it or have recovered from it. they must present their id and the proof of vaccination or try infection. vice can even a knock. but so there's a high level of security. i've got something are visitors and operators really

value in times like these safety play such a big role? this is another factor which contributes to that sense of safety. is that this year there are simply far fewer visitors. ah, lou back is an old trading and seafaring city that's always been well connected internationally. maybe that's why visitors come from all over the might come from sweden from cuba. i'm from venezuela. if i come from brazil, i'm from thailand. from brazil, i have my wine and international the around of mold wine, among friends. though in lou back, you should also give the foyer sung and bow and try. but be where it's alcohol. content is quite high. over about point sang and bowler is the sugar low on

top. it's ok high through from and then from bait until the sugar life is melted from the recipe. red wine, orange. look, you have certain spices, i rum and mall. why? he was the only woman in vine. there's nothing like a mug of foiled song and bold to warm your heart on cold days. with a trip to lou back at christmas time just wouldn't be as sweet without a visit to cafe nita vega. here you can get a taste of the festive holiday confection, lou back his famous for mars of han martha pong bush aid to that. at marcy pan consists mainly of 2 ingredients, f a. c almon.