ah, a motion cuz it is kind of a mystery. believe me starts december 25th. oh d w ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin. brittany griner is free and back in the united states. after months in a russian prison camp. the plane carrying the us basketball star touched down after she was handed over and her prisoner swapped in exchange for a notorious russian arms dealer. also coming up on the show, us senator kiersten,

a cinema leaves the democratic party and registers as an independent. we'll go live to washington to find out what that means for the balance of power in the senate and leonor bussey's argentina, or in to the final for at the world cup in tar after a dramatic victory over the netherlands. ah. hello, i'm clare richardson, thanks so much for joining 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 u. s. and russian governments, a saw her released in exchange for a russian arms dealer, accused of supplying all tighter 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, star b, u. s. president joe biden broke the news to grind his wife that she had arrived safely. back in the u. s. o 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 us, including republican lawmakers, have slammed it as a gift to putin, anemia. you believe me amused through a 3rd one, even though i got a miracle can you know they've also taken aim at biden's failure to negotiate the release of former us marine paul whalen, who is currently serving a 16 year sentence for espionage falling on. that's a charge. the u. s. has continually denied, however, you can see her that in a sign of hope. putin said more prisoner exchangers were on the cards. look. must you let the pro law no contract to put 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. susan, in the search for compromise. the boy's good company, in this case, a compromise was found. no, we aren't ruling out

a continuation of this work in the future if you will do that is pearson 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. let's get some u. s. politics. news, and arizona senator kiersten cinema has announced that she is leaving the democratic party. and this comes just days after the democrats increased. their slim majority in the chamber cinema will instead register as an independent and has emphasized that she will not sit with republicans for her. she also plans to continue her committee positions through the democrats and is expected to continue casting. most of her votes with them said emma is up for reelection in 2024. so here is what the white house has to say about cinema's move. the way we see it and understand it, it does not changed a new democratic majority of control of the senate, and we have every reason to expect that we will continue to work with her

successfully. so let's get straight across to d, w correspondent, carolina shamore in washington, dc. for more on this carolina we just heard the white house. they're saying this isn't going to change anything. do you think that's right? yes, claire, they are probably right. the democrats will still have a slight majority in the senate, even if cinema does not vote. as a democrat cinema has not specifically said that she will still caucus with the democrats. but she has said that she won't vote with federal republicans. and this means that democrats will probably still hold to the majority of 51 to 49 in the upper chamber. however, even if cinema continues to cast most of her votes with the democrats, she will probably also separate herself on certain issues like we have already seen in the past. let's keep in mind that as she has always voted in an independent manner defending some party priorities, like for example, the same sex marriage but also opposing others like

a minimum wage increase cinema herself. m has he cleared in a video where she was announcing her decision that nothing is going to change for her. we know that she is also still holding her democratic committee assignments, as you just mentioned. and effectively this means that she will be probably an independent, probably aligned with democrats, like other senators, like bernie sanders from a vermont or angles king from maine. so if we're not expecting a big change in the way that she votes, what you think the motivation here is? is it just deep dissatisfaction with partisan politics or are these personal interests to play so hard? seems to be a personal decision. sen, cinema said in an interview at that this isn't reflects that she has never really fit perfectly in either national party and that the most extreme voice is continued to drive each party towards the fringes. that is what she criticizes. she also

mentioned that politicians are more focused on denying the position party of victory than they are on improving american slaves. and that is why the were elected into, into the senate. it's still not clear though, if hers is also a political decision, because she has not confirmed yet that she will run or if she wait right, will run in 2024. but politically, it would make sense probably, and advisors as say so because the past the midterm elections have shown that 40 percent off the voters in arizona called themselves independent voters. and therefore she would have a quite a support there in her own state in arizona. thank you so much for that, update that seat of your correspondent, caroline, much more in washington dc. well, china has begun relaxing much of its strict ha 0 cove, its 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 the country begins to

slowly open up again, many are nervous about the current high rates of infection. proving a return to normal life is still quite a way off yet. long lines and val hon, where the coven pandemic fo started. after nearly 3 yo's, china has dropped some of should strict measures covert clinics. i'll see a soldier admissions if only the high demand is. if we were in locked down at least only asymptomatic cases, either be quarantined at home or sent a makeshift hospitals. but now with everything opening up, all these people are out of the infection rate is higher. you 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 docked up buying a whole bag of medicines and is happy to see things opening up. would you rather kyra? i think opening up as great as we're only in our 20. if these locked down continued,

that would mean our entire youth would be spent sitting in a house to ambush guided by law. despite that sentiment thus 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 as things opened up, i'm not really prepared to travel. a 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, while i'll do my best to protect myself. yeah. even if i eventually really do catch this virus, i won't be afraid. now, jones, out the why just if you will, if you did the up china's exit from it's 0. corporate policy has been sudden and

rapid. now it's citizens up playing catch up of return to normal is still some way off. let's bring you up to speed now with some other stories making world news headlines. oh, a former minneapolis police officer involved in the killing of george floyd has been sentenced to 3 and a half years in prison. jay alexander king, that pleaded guilty in october to aiding and abetting manslaughter. king is already serving a federal sentence for violating floyd civil rights. and a court in moscow has found opposition. politician in the ashan, a guilty of spreading false information about the russian military in ukraine. miss reaction had described the killings of civilians in boucher by russian forces as a massacre. he faces up to 9 years in prison. ah, the world cup and guitar now angeline all massey's world cup hopes are still alive after argentina won their quarter final against the netherlands. the south

americans were 2 goals up with 7 minutes to go, but they ended up needing penalties. to be a dog, a dutch side, argentine supporters had to stand firmly in their hands as they looked to leon. l messy to carry their country into a semi final, and it was the captain who and pick the dutch defense with his 1st half rouble to no will. molina held off for tilden date to put his team in front. in the 2nd half mark as a cooney was brought down inside the box. and bessie made no mistake the spot. the result was told of settled. but with 7 minutes left, this header from substitute vogue, vic horse begun to fight back and it was thick horse again who leveled the scores deepened to stoppage time. mecropolis taken free kick after that he done to shoot out hunting thing keeper. any martinez is heroic. steve

. his side, the advantage they needed to pick themselves replacing the semi final keeping missy's world can dream alive and breaking the thought of their holberg dependence . and 5 time winners. brazil are out of the tournament after losing to croatia in the quarter. finals crozier held their nerve to win on penalties after a 10th period of extra time. meaning epistles wait for a 1st world cup since 2002 goes on the crowd inside the education city stadium had watched more than a 100 minutes of gold football. when no more so low effort finally broke the deadlock for brazil. a slick passing move, culminating in his 2nd goal of the tournament, one that looked like a in winter. ah, but in the 170 minute correlation 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 value who prevailed while croatia hammered home. clinical sport kicks. brazil twice failed to convert. it was martinos missed that finally settled, things sending croatia into the final for once again. the run is up in russia have higher hopes for could talk. while ne mind coat are once again heading home empty handed straight. after the final whistle, dw reporter barbara hazel joined us from his agra barsh and we asked her to describe the atmosphere there, which obviously turned out to be a rather needless question. ah,

ah. c a okay, so that with a nail i meant the rise. this is a cooling rainy diagram. so all the public viewing took place inside in inside the many bars of the city, and people with care head to help lead beckett words and meghan parts. i don't need to tell you what the mood is like. you just got a little taste they. i absolutely over the mood. it was not here. i mean, brazil was, there was the one aside. they were really sprayed off. that's what you have. what disgrace a trainer has not gotten set before. so if we look at the players, we know we have to be afraid of them. but they really thought it out that they

showed this tremendous is build is that seems to be the strength of the creation of the race team. and so people are absolutely over joy. this is going to be one hell of a party tonight. it sure is, and barbara hazel picked the place to be well, that is your news update at this hour. you can stay tuned for the business headlines coming up next with my colleague rob watts. thanks much for watching from the melting ice reporter tracks down the arctics major players with russian warships and alan guys.