ah ah ah ah those dw news lie from berlin, brittany grier, it's free and back in the united states after months in a russian prison camp. the plane carrying the u. s. basketball star touch down after she was handed over in a prisoner swap and exchange for a notorious russian arns dealer. also coming up iran,

his head with more international sanctions, following the execution of a 2003 year old man for taking part an anti government protest. bride's groups are outraged and warned that more hanging could be on the way. and then katara, brazil's long wait for a world cove glory goes on as the favorites crash out after losing on penalties to croatia in the quarter finals. ah, i'm not really, it's good to have you with us. us basketball star, brittany griner is back on us soil after being released from a russian penal colony. she touched down in san antonio, texas 10 months after being detained in moscow. a deal between the us and russian governments saw her release in exchange for a russian arms dealer, accused of supplying al qaeda and the taliban,

and fueling armed conflict around the world. a prisoner swap on the tarmac of abu dhabi airport. it was here that captivity ended for us basketball star, brittany griner scene here on the left, and the russian army dealer, victor boot on the right. u. s. president joe biden spoke to griner shortly after her release. i'm glad to be able to say the brittany is in good spirits. she, she's relieved to finally be heading home. and the fact remains that she's lost months of her life experienced the needless trauma. she deserves space privacy in time with a longer to recover and heal from her time being wrong through detained greiner was arrested at a moscow airport in february after she was caught with less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage. she was sentenced to 9 years in prison.

the man she was exchanged for victor boot was in a u. s. jail serving a 25 year sentence for arms trafficking. his role in selling weapons to rogue states, rebel groups and warlords around the world. and him, the nickname, the merchants of death. the exchange is no doubt a victory for both prisoners and their families. but some in the u. s, including republican lawmakers, have slammed it as a gift to putin. anemia. you believe you, me amused through a 3rd. even though i got a miracle in your head, they've also taken aim at biden's failure to negotiate the release of former u. s. moraine paul whalen, who is currently serving a 16 year sentence for espionage falling on. that's the charge. the u. s. has continually denied, however you can see it, but in a sign of hope, putin said more prisoner exchanges were on. the cards look. must fuel with the pro law. oh,

contact. the put of the contact is ongoing. on the level of special services. it never stopped or other exchanges possible. yes, everything is possible. this is the result of negotiation soon in the search for compromise, the boys could compromise. in this case, the compromise was found. now, we aren't ruling out a continuation of this work in the future if you've got a will do that as person continues to wage. his war of aggression in ukraine and washington through its full support behind cave hopes of more co operation may be premature. and for more, we now speak to the delay of corresponding carling actually moisture in washington dc. catalina, britney. griner is back home in the us. what are you hearing? how is she? yes, she arrived this morning in texas as we heard the report and was taking it to the brook army medical center where she will be examined and where she will receive medical treatment in

a statement. the medical facility said that the u. s. government is focused on ensuring that greiner, anthro, families well being, are prioritized, and that all assistance available should be offered. we also know that a w and be a league where griner place has expressed their happiness, of course, about this release. but the commissioner also added that greiner now needs time and space to recover, and that the league will be patient, and that they are prepared to assist a griner in whatever she needs. the griner family has also a react that they thanked a president biden at the same time, and they have will to express sympathy for mr. wheeler family. keep in mind that poll whelan, he is another american citizen. citizen, has also a consider is wrongfully detained in russia. and who has been there in prison for almost 4 years. russia is claiming this as a grade diplomatic success. how have people in the us reacted we've already heard

of been about mixed reactions there in the report. exactly what the u. s. is also claiming victory, of course, and this is a huge win for the biden administration. we have to say a bringing wrongfully detained. american citizens back home is always a victory for the administration in charge, especially of course weeks before christmas. we have seen that the popularity of us presidents usually goes up with a release of this kind. that was also the case under obama, especially if there has been public pressure. and that has been definitely the case with greiner. so the announcement brought definitely celebration, but also some criticism. and that is because the trade did not include you as a marine pull whelan and american citizen who is also in the russian custody. as i just mentioned, how is the, is the white house going to go about his case going forward because repeating, already hinted at possible, further a prisoner swamp?

is he talking about william there? we don't know if he is talking about whelan and to give you a bit more of background on whelan whelan is being charged with espionage by the russian government. something that the administration denies. and therefore they say that he has been wrongfully detained in russia. whelan supposed lee was the one who was planned to be exchanged for victor boot the russian arms dealer who has been released in exchange for a greiner. but that was, of course, before griner was detained in february this year in russia. so while the administration and people here are celebrating the release of greiner, the pressure to fight for the release of poll, we only is, of course, also growing. president biden said yesterday, during his speech and that his administration will keep on fighting for we learned to release and secretary of state on, on the blink. and also pointed out that there was no alternative. it was either the release of reiner or no release at all. thank you. w,

corresponding carlindo. she went to washington dc. and let's fall on and get the russian perspective and bring in our correspondent and russia analysts konstantin anger. and he's in vilnius, at constantine a sports starving, treated for an armed steeler houses swamping seen in russia. no. depends who. who looks at it. i think that put me on to raj is very glad it's really put in the scoring a point with the he's a chuckle. delete both was in the fox of their attention for nearly 15 years since he was detained. and the that provides for quite a lot of speculation in law school about why the government is really civil was so key to jackie to take him out of russia because there are suspicions that he perform services for the russian intelligence. there are other suspicions on prove

that some of his arms, the going to the pockets of someone very close to the credit or company side comment. so i'm not, i'm any theories, as for the so called ordinary russians. well, it depends on how the russian propaganda was. played out, he's not that familiar to the russian public, but i'm sure he both will be presented to someone who is a victim of an american imperialism in germany. and now the question is, what he's going to do after that. so people like both, he's one of the job, they usually prefer quiet and they usually prefer to remain in the shadows, which she probably well, after the swap, president thornton said that thursdays exchange of greiner for a boat involved compromises the u. s. certainly had to compromise on, on whelan, especially at did rush. i have to make any compromises. well, it's only a supposition, bugs, some american, her outlets media. let's report that. i'm mr. poodle. really wanted one

person out, but this person serving a life sentence in germany's name is vivian garcia, and he's been sentenced to life for the killing of a former church on wall or the middle of berlin in 2019. maybe maybe so in my supposition, solely, my suspicion could you wanted biden to pressure all the shots, the german government to also release our classic off. and then william would have been exchanged, but it seems it did work out, but that is only a hypothesis that was as more us prisoner as soon as are possible. there are of course, other western prisoners being held in rational and dubious charges. what are their chances of release in this climate? well, i think we're speaking mostly about whelan. i'm my fear or is bouts, do or get mr. classical over least this many serving like germany. ah, maybe put in would like to have another hostage and the so probably

a german s for whelan. i think that with quite a few a legit russian spies being detained recently the last few months against the backdrop of with his aggression goes to crane. maybe that will be candidates for a smoke and poll. we'll and we'll go pre ration affairs analyst concerning and environment. thank you so much. thank you. take a look now at some other stories making headlines around the world to day. a court in moscow has found opposition. politician india, shame guilty of spreading false information about the russian military of ukraine. mister yashimi had described the killings of civilians and boucher by a russian forces as 8 massacre faces up to 9 years in prison. fire that broke out at a shopping mall. knew moscow has claimed at least one life and in gulf the entire building. initial reports say the fire broke out at 6 am local time because of the

blaze is being investigated. a free condoms are being made available to young people in france from january 1st to any one between 18 and 25 years old will be able to receive free condoms from pharmacies. french health authorities estimate the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases increased by around 30 percent in each of the past 2 years. britain has placed new sanctions on iran, including numerous government officials for their part in a crackdown on anti regime protesters. as comes as the european union announced it to is planning further sanctions. international condemnation has voluntary runs, execution of a protest. her most ann shikari was hanged on thursday and activists or warning that at least a dozen more arranged. protesters faced the same fate. behind the walls of the notorious evian prison most in shaker re was hanged on thursday. the death sentence against the 23 rolled was only handed down in november and has now been very

quickly carried out. war to live up as a rhymes. judiciary accused shaker re of injuring a militia member during the protests. human rights groups condemned the proceedings as a false tract show trial. lacking an independent defense intended to scare off of the processes by hamburg. ah, on thursday morning broadcast is close to the iranian regime, shed this video on social media. it was supposed to prove she carries guilt, accompanied by dramatic music from and the use of computer generated scenes of violence. the regime staged a dubious admission of guilt. observe, is believed that the confession was extracted under torture and duress. iranian took his political scientists to reese casket and says that systematic in iran, you know, minucci excell since the foundation of the islamic republic. in 1979. the regime is repeatedly imprisoned,

opponents tortured them and put them in front of cameras. and now that doing that was a demonstration, if we, they want to show them as fearful and weak people like normal as people who break when that pot under enough pressure on little core cock. only a few days ago, a regime propaganda channels published a video with the famous rappa too much so les, he was who also faces the death penalty. in the video, extracts from one of his music videos were cut together with an interrogation. in its delay, he apologizes for inciting people to protest. when on you, irish gaskin believes the regime propaganda strategy is having the opposite of his intended effect to lay he and others. now heroes to many bruce, good people see the stage confessions law really is a sign of the weakness of this regime that's trying to prevent its downfall. a regime that is increasingly under pressure because the resistance in

a rollin shows no signs of going away are corresponding jack, paris and brussels reported earlier about the likely form of the ease lay, the sanctions package. we've heard now from france and ireland to say the foreign ministers meeting in brussels at the start of next week. all going to sign off on fresh sanctions against iran. they could potentially involve putting 20 people on the black list of travel bonds and asset freezes. clearly a lot of those people probably don't actually have an intention to travel into the european union or perhaps the assets here, but it will be symbolic. also, they'll do something similar to one entity. this is also over the protest since the since the death of masha mimi. but also now, since, since in iranian judgment, as part of those protests was, was executed in iran, which the european union broadly is completely against the death penalty anywhere.

and is very concerned about this issue. now we won't know the exact details of what the sanctions that are put on ah, until the foreign ministers need. but we are pretty sure that they, that they will come into place. the question is, what does this mean for the broader context of the european union trying to pull iran on the united states back into the iran new to the deal, which is intended to prevent iran from gaining access to and you can weapon, but which rum mean says then once economic opening up to the rest of the world and also the questions of its relations to russia because science has been placed on iran for sending drone equipment to russia to support it's a invasion of ukraine. the big question is, is what power can the sanctions have neither around no rush effort for that matter have really changed that path or that ways in the way that the western powers would like them to no matter how many sanctions have been put on chinese presidential

thing has met with arab leaders in the saudi capital. ria, during the china arab summit chinese, the chinese president praise, closed security and energy ties with golf nations. as the hell talks with several arab leaders, she and saudi crown prince mohammed ben stallman, stress the importance of a stable global oil market. to zines announced 46 bilateral agreements and memorandums. saudi crown prince is made, promised to continue arab chinese cooperation for their common goals for local merchant. how do to us this summit establishes a new phase in the history of relations between china and saudi arabia. drug that aims to deep and cooperation with china in all sectors and to coordinate views on regional and international matters. through the cooperation council, considers china an essential and important partner. this partnership has positively affected our common interests, as well as the security and stability of a region. and i was to call her. and while china has begun relaxing much of its

strength, 0 coven strategy, the move away from coven 19 curves is being greeted by many chinese people, especially the young after 3 years of harsh controls. but as a country begins to slowly open up again, many are nervous about the current higher rates of infection, proving a return to normal life. still quite away off, long lines and full hon, where the corporate pandemic 1st started. after nearly 3 yos, china has dropped some of its strict measures covert clinics. i'll see a soldier admissions if only the high demand is if we were locked down at least only asymptomatic cases would either be quarantined at home or sentiment shift hospitals. but now with everything opening up, all these people are out of the infection rate is higher, have a lot of friends who already have a cold or fever symptoms that are a lot. and i'm one of them is so in spite of being sick,

sion is outside. she has knocked up, buying a whole bag of medicines and is happy to see things opening up. would you either, kyra, i think, opening up as great as we're only in our 20 areas. if these knocked down continued, that would mean our entire youth would be spent sitting in a house to ambush that guy. despite that sentiment, there's barely any one at one of her hands bell, no night. markets. people are wary of rising infections and still getting used to the big change. so this is a has actually, i'm still a little watered way in my work. business travel was normal us, but at the moment us things open up. i'm not really prepared to travel to the town called a deal going to go. but what you did is daniel, clearly the, i think the last 3 years, but a little differently. it felt like we were fighting a war. now i think that i just think while i'll do my best to protect myself. yeah

. even if i eventually really do catch those virus, i won't be afraid, etc. now, jones out the why just if you little it's is the up china's exit from its 0 corporate policy has been sudden and rapid. now its citizens are playing catch up of return to normal, still some way off. ah, the world come in, could har now and 5 time winners. brazil are out of the tournament. after losing to croatia in the quarter finals, frasier held their nerves to win on penalties after a tens period of extra time. meaning brazil's weighed for a 1st world cups since 2002 goes on the crowd inside the education city stadium had watched more than a 100 minutes of goldish football when name all so low effort, finally broke the deadline for brazil. a slick passing move, culminating in his 2nd goal of the tournament, one that looked like

a certain winner. but in the 170 minute creation substitute, bruno petrovich converted his team's 1st shot on target. a deflection from martinos ensuring that croatia would be heading into a 2nd successive penalty shootout and for a 2nd successive time. it was they who prevailed while croatia how much home clinical sport kicks. brazil twice failed to convert. it was martinos missed that finally settled, things sending croatia into the final 4 once again. divine is up in russia have high hopes for could talk. while ne mind coat a once again heading home empty handed, a straight after the final whistle, dw reporter barbara basil joined us from a diagram bar. we asked her to describe the atmosphere which turned out to be a rather needless question. ah,

oh, i. c okay, so that was a diagram, so all the public viewing took days inside inside the many bars of the city and people with their head to head back to the 2nd floor. so i don't need to tell you what the mood is like. you just got a little taste there. i absolutely over the mood, it was not clear. i mean brazil was there was still one aside. they were really

afraid of that. what do you have? what does gracious traitor has a if we look at the players, we know we have to be afraid of them. like they really thought it out that they showed this tremendous resilience. that seems to be the strength of the creation of the phrase team. and so people are absolutely overjoyed, this is going to be one hell of a party tonight. it's really looked like it. and for more on this huge result, i'm joined now by the w 4. it's danielle barcelona, who is covering all of this from can tar done yet another world can failure for brazil. how much i'm a disappointment is this for them? this is a massive disappointment for brazil, i mean, coming into this game. they were definitely the favorites coming in to the entire tournament. brazil were favorites to win. there is so much believe here in doha,

in brazil really everywhere that this brazil side would be able to win another world cut this time around. i mean, they had, they have such a skilled team from their goal keeper, all the way to their forwards. everybody we talked to here thought that brazil were going to win the tournament. i mean, especially after their strong performance again, south korea. everyone was really flying high thinking brazil would went now. maybe they got a little bit too overconfident because tonight that was definitely not the case. now we know brazil historically them struggled a little bit against a european opponent. in the knockout. this is the 6th time they lawson and knockouts to a european opposition. of course, croatia is not an easy team to play against the finalists of the last world cup. not meant to be, i can tell you who is not upset though, and that was argentinian. then who are going into the stadium behind me? they were seeing and dancing glad that their perennial rivals,

brazil are now going home. croatia were extra time specialists at the last world cup already. how do they keep coming up with these winds? i mean this game for croatia was absolutely massive. i mean it's such a small country. there's under 4000000 people that lived there. and they knew that coming in to this game, they were going to be the underdogs. and actually it's kind of become a hallmark of croatia, is that when their bats are against the wall, they prove they produce some of the most spectacular gains and results. now croatia knew, of course, that brazil were probably had more skilled side than they did. and the way that they were going to be that was through grit and determination. that's been really been the way that they've approached this world cup. they've been more solid than spectacular. but they know how to get the job done. they do not stop fighting at no point in the game, did they give up? and actually probably an extra time in

a world cut. there is no better side than croatia. i mean 8 of their last 9 naco game have gone into extra time. they've now $14.00 to $4.00 penalties, shoot out. so really if you think about it, it might have been kind of a walk in the park for croatia once the game went to extra time. diane barcelona, in control. thank you. japanese billionaire you sako, my isabella, has announced he will take the k pop star top on a trip around the moon on a space 6 spaceship. next year. 35 year old top is a member of one of the world's most famous boy bands and one of 8 people. my style was selected for his dear moon project. the japanese tycoon launched his lunar voyage plans in 2018 and bought all of the seats on the spaceship. last year he and his producer became the 1st self funded tourists to visit the international space station since 2009. remember, coming up for quite, and here's

a reminder of the top story we're following for you today. american basketball star, brittany griner is back on us soil. the united states secured her release from a russian penal colony as part of a prisoner swamp with russian victor. a boot who's accused of helping to arm the taliban and al qaeda among others and without anger, up to date, up next to our environment. magazine eco, africa needs a woman dedicated to bringing poachers to justice in uganda, and how people in nigeria can get health insurance. i'm to cos briefly in berlin. thanks for watching. ah ah ah ah

ah mm ah, thing with will be co africa. droughts are hitting rwanda heard this year. now the government is taking action by providing free access to groundwater and teaching people how to use it to sustainably with the power level. but firstly,

every one is responsible for protecting a to jeff. secondly, because we have to know how to use the water without wasting it. eco africa. next on d, w o. interest, the global economy, our portfolio d w business beyond. here the closer look at the project. our mission to analyze the fight for market dominance. east, this is west. good is still head with the w business beyond enjoying the view and come to take a look at this tv highlights every week in your inbox. subscribe. now,

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