ah ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, china expands its post cupboard 19 opening. the border between hong kong and the mainland is thrown open to tens of thousands of people a day, just as covey infection search also on the program. after this week's latest protests and linked executions in iran,

german politicians warned that there will be consequences if the state sanctioned killing doesn't stop and keep reports deadly. russian strikes in eastern ukraine as it pushes towards the city of buckman. the new attacks come as moscow ends itself declared christmas seas fine. ah i'm michael ok. welcome. china has reopened. it's border with hong kong after it was largely sealed off for 3 years due to covered restrictions. mandatory quarantine roles happen scrap, but people still need to present a negative test. and the number of daily travelers will be kept. the shift comes as beijing continues to loosen covered restrictions even as infection search. the 1st train headed to a newly reopened border crossing on board. people rushing to take

advantage of the relaxed rules for entering china. thanks for the changes these travelers won't be facing mandatory quarantine for the 1st time in 3 years. hong kong residents with family on the mainland was some of the 1st to join the rush. oh, i'm so happy, so excited. i haven't seen my parents for years. they aren't in good health. i couldn't go back to see them even when they had colon cancer. i'm really happy to see them now knowing all, i haven't seen my wife in 2 years, so i'm hurrying to get back to while these people may not be facing, quarantine authorities are still imposing other restrictions. visitors have to register in advance online with only 60000 a day permitted need direction. they also need proof of a negative cov test from within the last 48 hours. while that requirement could

help keep people here safer, it stands in stark contrast to beijing's angry denunciations of similar testing mandates imposed by other countries on arrivals from china. let's go straight to hong kong in bringing d w correspondent, phoebe con phoebe. we understand the easing of travel restrictions between china and hong kong or being done gradually. what does this mean for travel during lunar new year? father chapel peak season in china stats from this weekend as many prepared to return home for lunar new year. that's also what we observe here at the p c as well, which happens in hong kong and bordering mainland china. many i am going back to china to prepare for the annual festival. so if things are running smoothly, the authorities help to increase chapo protests ahead of the our holidays to allow

more people to i travel in between the 2 territories and also to open more chat points. and in fact, are we are expecting at the high speed rail way on like in hong kong to resume next week. that will allow us more passengers to go to china more quickly. and also as chinese authorities start to our resume on the, the issue in the says, issuing our work so that will allow more tourist to come to hong kong as well. so definitely we are expecting more travelers in the coming through weeks. phoebe, as you know, these changes come as cobit cases or surging on the mainland or residence in hong kong. worried a well on the chinese travelers are neat to carry a negative code to test results before departure when they want to come to hong kong. but unlike florida visited, there is no vaccination requirement,

has all the time is travel as so from hong kong, where we are about to potential outbreak and offset about whether be opening and also our competition. medical supplies under a hospital bath and even the vaccines, despite the gap amended reassurance. so, and the reason the reason within our pharmacy shelves being cleared off of feed her medication because i'm usually mom from mainland china and a hospital back in hong kong. i already overwhelmed a winter uptake, so people we were, we adopted is really a long way to moment for many families, a tourist and like businessman to travel by that. quentin, definitely, it's not like the same excitement is shared by many local residents here as they are. they have to embrace themselves while potential impacts in the coming weeks. a months like emitter search of infections, one can easily imagine that that's d w's. phoebe collins, there are many thanks. the european union has condemned iran for

executing to men detained during anti government. protests state controlled media, say they were convicted of killing a member of an official militia. amnesty international has called their trial a sham aimed at intimidating other demonstrators. 4 people are now known to have been executed in connection with the recent unrest. oh, these 2 are the latest victims of the war. the islamic republic is waging against its own citizens. mohammed media cut me at 22 year old for my karate champion. and mohammed jose me a 39 year old worker who coached children in his free time. both were convicted and sham trials, where they weren't allowed to choose their own lawyers or even see the alleged evidence against them. evidence expert, say, just as bogus as their confessions at by iran stayed media found in the army for weeks, their friends and family hoped they could be saved. on his honor,

i kindly asked the mamma's author to do, sorry. i beg you please remove my son's death. said this a oh, how long their calls were echoed. not only by iranians, around the world, but also by politicians. here in germany, haggling book, a green member of parliament was a sponsor of color me and campaigned against his execution. this new executions will have consequences at the moment that is not pretty clear which shaquanda grims exec that will be what there will be consequences. we won't be quiet the german government, nor the you will be quiet till this violation of human rights. within iran, people are also not remaining quiet, fresh, protests, supplant, and many refuse to be intimidated. on social media, this video is spreading since the executions mohammed,

medi cal army dancing with his family matters, anti government protest, i say, don't die. and they vow they will not rest until those responsible for his and other killings out of power. other stories now making headlines around the world to metro trains have collided in a tunnel in mexico city, leaving at least one person dead and dozens injure. one of the train drivers is in critical condition. first responders pulled the injured out of the crash site, rescuing for people trapped on one section. authorities have not yet specified the cause of the crack. thousands of people have protested in tel aviv against israel's new government. leftist in arab israeli politicians lead the demonstrations against what's been called the country's most right. when government ever protesters held signs criticizing plans to reform. the judiciary amid fears that the changes will

weaken democracy, the household voice support for palestinian and l g. b t q writes a group of 46 soldiers have arrived home in ivory coast after their release. and molly, the troops were pardoned a week after being convicted of conspiracy, ivory coast and the united nation, say the soldiers were part of a un peacekeeping mission. in malo, russia has bomb several regions in eastern ukraine overnight killing at least one person. russian troops continued to shell. the city of buck moved their current focus in efforts to push for the west. the strikes come as moscow ended, a self declared cease fire for eastern orthodox christmas. ukraine had previously dismissed the ceasefire as a tactic by russia to gain time to regroup its forces. d don't be correspondence on your founder, joins me now from keith. sonya,

what is the situation right now? well, that has been no significant let up in hostilities along the front lines in the south and the east. the fighting has continued in areas around kasan in the salt and, and car keith in the northeast. but of course, some of the most intense shelling and heavy are to be fire continues in backlog. this is a city in the east and on bus region where we've seen some of the bloodiest fighting in this war for over 5 months now. and it's one of the few places where russia, russian forces have really kind of remained on the offensive. their soldiers have, you know, drug these trench lines and fields just east of the city and the arc, you know, continuously rushing, you know, more troops and equipment and artillery to the front lines in a bid to capture this, you know, of a strategic city in the danverse, we should remind our viewers this weekend was orthodox christmas. there an important weekend, of course, for the country. you visited, butcher, near keith,

were russian troops are accused of multiple atrocities. what was it like there? that's right, only me visited a service at the church of saint andrew. that's the mean church in boucher that's a suburb north west off cave. and it was in a very emotional service in light of the enormity of the atrocities that were allegedly commit committed by the russian troops they, when they occupied at last march, the local priest there, you know, told us that the church had actually come under fire at that time and that still the wall distill, riddled with bullet holes. the church had altered also turned into a mass grave for a while with dozens of bodies, you know, had to be actually buried there when the local mog ran out of space letting yesterday's service for many people who came there was extremely emotional, extremely painful. and it was the church held a service on the 25th of december of the priest told us for the, you know, marked ot rocks christmas yesterday as well, largely to accommodate, you know,

the older members of the congregation who are still wedded to orthodox traditions. let's take a look at that piece. the church of saint andrew in boucher on the outskirts of keith, the 3rd crew. it's known for the makeshift burial ground that locals here dug for the bodies. the russians left behind initial as was priest under the halloween. natalie survived with his life hung with great. he says, many people here want nothing to do with the russia any more. last years for a than fish. unless you fish shuttle with your machine, we have our own identity initiative. and russia tries to kill, tries to destroy this identity. zenato as you, anya, cheer miss mosley. this war is for our survival, our survival as a nation. when i read through the children, she provides many people. but even those who have relatives in russia have seen

what the russian sphere of influence is all about. stella now look, they don't want to have anything in common with russians. newton, which is my thing. choice building is rachada. ah, and that includes how to celebrate christmas for father underneath this is his 2nd christmas day. he offered celebrations on december 25th as well, like the west. he knew the can quickly, with people who wanted to celebrate on the 25th celebrated said as they were carols and songs cooler. and those who want to celebrate on the 7th will also have the same opportunity with the customer murder. those sticking to the orthodox tradition, often aldo molar. so it's always easier for the young generation to accept change. the visual, older people are more conservative, et cetera, even when they understand with the head that they need to change girl the habit of

decades is hard to break rascal would, is minute. mon, i said, let it be the way it is for now. but i think in the future we all have to celebrate christmas on the 25th of december, 1000, dempsey after the horrors russian soldiers inflicted on boucher if there's one place in the wood that deserves 2 christmases. it's here back with sonya on a golf course. sonya, we just heard a woman there say ukrainians should start celebrating christmas on december 25th. like in much of the west. i know it's just one woman, but is it another indication of russian president vladimir putin achieving the exact opposite of what he set out to do? yes, i think that is partly true. you know, we saw a de sierra, many especially young ukrainians. mock december 25th of my christmas on december

25th. many churches like the one in butcher actually said that they would switch to december 25th. and if not now in a couple of years. and this is part of a broader shift underway since the war, i think, in ukraine to move away from, you know, kind of a cultural 100 religious traditions that reflect rushes, centuries, all domination of ukraine. it's part of this kind of movement to kind of really reject anything associated with russia and you know, yesterday to mark or to lots christmas. we also saw a very significant ceremony in the heart of give 100 ownership plus a model have entered there. sonya coming up next is world story i should go to use it at all, sir gray you.