brent: this is dw news, live from berlin. i'm brent goff. tonight, a verdict in france's charlie hebdo terrorism trial. a court is now naming people guilty in the attack on the satirical magazine and the jewish supermarket. also coming up, record numbers of: 19 deaths reported in germany, as the country goes into a hard lockdown over christmas. plus, the looming brexit deadline and a last-minute rush

to bring goods from europe into the u.k. it is causing massive traffic jams and headaches at the french port of calais. we take you there. and understanding kangaroos. it is all in the eyes. researchers in australia find that kangaroos can communicate with humans by using their gaze to point and ask for help. ♪ i'm brent goff. to our viewers watching on pbs in united states and around the world, welcome. a court in paris has found 14 people guilty in connection with the 2015 charlie hebdo and jewish supermarket terror attacks. the defendants were accused of assisting the attackers who were killed in a shoot out by police. two brothers attacked the paris offices of the satirical

newspaper, charlie hebdo, killing 12 people in retaliation for the publication of cartoons depicting the muslim prophet, mohammed. shortly after that, five more people including shoppers at a jewish supper market -- supermarket in paris were killed by a close friend of the attackers. both incidents were connected to the islamic militants group, al qaeda, and the islamic state. this sparked global demonstrations calling for more freedom of speech. our correspondent joins us now with the latest from paris. good evening to you. ugh the verdicts here. the prosecutors get the verdict they wanted -- did the prosecutors get the verdict they wanted? reporter: the prosecutors did not get exactly what they had asked for. at least when it comes to the number of years spent for each of the accused.

however, the judges decided to find all of the accused guilty, then looked at each person's personal story and to what extent that person was in the know when it came so the terror plot. the judges decided half of the accused seven actually did not know about it. they were only convicted for attestation of a crime, criminal attestation. some of them got rather light sentences, only a few years in prison. some will walk free quite soon, because they have already spent a few years in prison. not all of the accuser happy. we heard one person who got 30 years will appeal against the verdict with a lawyer. brent: despite the sentencing, this trial is usually symbolic in france, isn't it? reporter: absolutely. it is highly symbolic. this is the reply by a state

with a functioning justice system to a series of horrible terror attacks. it was also an occasion for civil plaintiffs here to pay tribute to those who got injured or died during these terrible attacks in 2015. they could explain who they were and why they are missing them. and finally, it was also an occasion for the members of the charlie hebdo newsroom and their lawyer to make the point that what was under attack year and what still is under attack is the freedom of expression. it was all the more important to reply to such a horrible attack. brent: france has seen more terror attacks this year. president macron responded by promising to curb radical islam. howard that verdicts going to feed into the public debate -- how are the verdicts going to

feed into the public debate that was provoked? reporter: it was quite balanced, but it also shows this country already has lots of legal means to reply to terror attacks. that might give some argents to those who were criticizing the government with more anti-terror legislation, to crack down on radical islam. they are criticizing the government for going too far to the right. they think these new legislations, these new laws coming up might actually stigmatize muslims even more here in the country. brent: lisa louis, with the latest in paris. lisa, thank you. tonight here in germany, more deaths and another lockdown. germany's center for disease

control says the number of covid-19 deaths in the last way for hours has risen to a record high of 952. it comes as the country enters a stricter lockdown in the hopes of preventing christmas from becoming a super spreader event. reporter: the first day of germany's tougher lockdown. all nonessential shops are shuttered at one of the busiest times of the year -- just before christmas. one of berlin's most famous shopping streets is almost empty. a strange sight at this time of the year. >> it is very unusual. it depresses me a bit. but i tell myself that is only this year. -- that it's only this year. next year will be better again. >> it doesn't really bother me. we have a lot of christmas presents already. i think you can also celebrate christmas a little more modestly. it's a time when everything is a little quieter anyway. at the latest after christmas. so it's ok with me. >> we just have to learn other

forms of social contact. that is how it has to be. because the number of deaths are so high. reporter: the new lockdown came as germany reached a somber new record. the highest covid-19 death toll since the start of the pandemic. in some areas, hospitals are nearing capacity. and health experts say cases could continue to rise over the next couple of weeks. some respite could be brought by the vaccine. its approval in euro appears only days away. but speaking in parliament on wednesday, chancellor merkel said the vaccine will not automatically and coronavirus -- end coronavirus measures, including wearing face masks. >> we will still need to wear masks. people may not have symptoms at all. or symptoms may be milder for those who have been vaccinated. it's not known whether the virus can be passed on to others. this needs more research, and therefore, wearing masks

will still be necessary. reporter: germany's new lockdown, which includes the closure of schools, is meant to stay in place until january 10. but health experts and politicians have warned that if the situation does not improve significantly, the main remain for longer. brent: here's a list of the lockdown changes that are now in effect here in germany. all nonessential shops have closed. the only exception, supermarkets, pharmacies, and banks. schools are now closed, and companies are being urged to allow staff to work from home. chancellor merkel is appealing to the public to limit social contacts over the holidays. a maximum of five adults from two households are allowed to meet indoors. there is no limit for children under the age of 14. and there will be no sales of fireworks to help enforce a ban on public gatherings on new year's eve. on this first a of the lockdown,

our chief political correspondent was in the heart of berlin on one of its busiest shopping streets that is not so busy anymore. she sent us this up eight. -- this update. reporter: i'm standing in the heart of the berlin shopping district, on a city square that would normally be bustling with shoppers and christmas carols and traffic. behind me is a berlin landmark, the entrance to europe's biggest department store, normally in the christmas season, it would be receiving up to 100,000 berliners and tourists a day. up until last night, there was a line around the block to get in. but not today, despite the fact the store's luxury stands are -- luxury grocery stands are still open, there is scarcely a shopper insight. if we look further down the street to another berlin landmark, the city's memorial church, there's a beloved christmas market there that four years ago was the site of a terror attack. that did not stop people from going there until yesterday to

drink wine and enjoy christmas treats, but not anymore. all of germany's renowned christmas markets are shut. retail associations say the latest lockdown could prove a catastrophe for shop owners, predicting as many as one in two could be driven into bankruptcy if they do not get sufficient help soon. the government is in fact opening its purse once again, providing payments to affected shops to the tune of up to 11 billion additional euros a month. and nonetheless, cities like berlin worry that if in fact more and more customers do their shopping online, empty urban spaces like this one could end up being the new normal. brent: let's take a look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. people living in the path of a

superstorm set to hit fiji have been warned to secure their properties or flee to the nearest emergency shelters. authorities are warning a cyclone is strong enough to -- the cyclone is strong enough to uproot trees and buildings from their foundations. the eu has announced plans to ramp up cybersecurity after a hacked on new carreras vaccine data. financial markets and health care infrastructures are now the eu's top priorities. brussels wants to bolster sanctions response to cybersecurity attacks. bitcoin has cracked the $20,000 mark for the first time. the value of the virtual currency has rocketed since march, when it was worth just $5,000 -- 5000 u.s. dollars. they turned to more exotic investments, like digital currency, in order to make a profit.

for companies transporting goods between the eu and the u.k., new border regulations that come with brexit are likely to lead to longer waiting times and more red tape. as british companies rush to bring goods into the country before the end of the year, deadline -- end-of-the-year deadline, truck drivers are getting a taste of what is to come. we have reports tonight from calais. reporter: the port authorities tell us they have prepared as much as they can. >> have hired new employees. we have restructured the organization. we have created a special

computerwíystem. i think we are ready. reporter: with a deadline quickly approaching, the ports is experiencing the highest levels of traffic so far this year. last week, they processed almost 22,000 trucks here. extreme stockpiling has led to long lines and massive delays in calais the last few weeks, as businesses try to get goods into britain before a potential no deal brexit. many here fear this is a glimpse of what the situation will be like when customs, standards, and immigrations checks kicks in kit -- kick in on the side of the channel. david is worried. his business operates trucks that transport flour and other goods from the u.k. across europe. with the delays expected, he fears he will lose money. i think the main risk is the traffic jams. with long-standing and waiting times for the vehicles.

that is really harmful for us. on the one hand, you are not earning any money. on the other hand, you still have the running costs for the truck and the driver. reporter: one of his drivers just came back from a tour to the u.k.. he says going there was a nightmare. >> he started here at 9:00 a.m. and arrived at 5:00 p.m.. >> normally? >> normally, you are already in england by midday. >> david is disappointed the politicians have wasted so much time. they ask you to anticipate the changes to come, while they wait until the last minute to decide. at the port of calais, the customs officers are also getting a bit anxious. >> we are impatient to see if what we did will work. and if there are many problems we will have to fix. reporter: whether there is a

trade deal or not, they tell us the changes will come when the u.k. leads the single market. brent: donald trump has undone deals and splintered alliances like no other u.s. president before him. president-elect biden says he wants to repair relationships and renew america's commitment to everything from the paris climate accord to america's place at the u.n.. washington's tone toward nato also shifted dramatically under trump. teri schultz reports that may have helped the alliance. reporter: nato trains for defending itself and plenty of hostile environments. but trump's politics presented a new challenge for the alliance, attacks from within. >> germany as a captive of russia. reporter: trump set the tone on his first visit to headquarters on nato. pushkin to -- push came to

shove immediately in more ways than one. >> he prepared remarks prepared by his staff. he was supposed to recommit to nato's article five mutual defense calls. and he deliberately avoided doing that. reporter: at what was meant to be some reflection, trump focused on spending. >> many of these nations all massive amounts of money from past years. not paying in those past years. >> he sent aignal which even though he laterid say the magic words after a lot of coaching and coaxing, that signal was out there. reporter: those magic words, all for one and one for all, nato's bedrock, but hard for trump to say. the one he tends to focus on is himself. >> because of may, they have raised about $40 billion over the last year.

so i think the secretary-general beckstrom -- likes trump. reporter: he has consistently distorted facts on how nato was funded. one of his talking points is partially true, though he can't take credit for europe's spending declines that started years before he took office, his constant pressure likely did encourage allies to bump up their budgets as fast as they could, and that is his outgoing ambassador's view of his positive legacy. >> the president pushed hard for nato allies to step up, and they have done it. they are stronger and more unified than ever before. reporter: she expects a smooth transition to president-elect biden. >> there's no doubt he will be a transatlanticsist. he will support nato and the

american ladle of leadership -- the american leadership of nato. reporter: the alliance have never gotten so much attention, so many headlines, such fervent support from the u.s. congress. paul taylor thinks a return to traditional policymaking will be welcome. >> i remember an official saying to me in about 2018, when trump came to brussels for a nato summit, he saidfrankly, the end of nato may be a tweet away. reporter: former administration officials say trump's talk of wanting to quit nato, but in the end, he may just have come around. when president macron called the alliance brain dead, trump blasted him, saying he just can't go around making statements like that about nato. it is very disrespectful. brent: for more, i'm joined by our nato correspondent, teri schultz. we hear time and time again joe biden really has his work cut

out for him if he wants to repair america's tattered transatlantic relations. where should he put the first band-aid? >> well, he will need a few band-aids in his pocket. everyone is looking forward to this. the europeans are very receptive to the biden presidency. they already inviting him to all kinds of events he can possibly make time for at this point. the first thing he has to do when it comes to these very basic bedrock alliances is to listen to allies and talk to allies. that is something the trump administration really didn't do. nato felt like the administration was constantly making decisions on it own. in announcing them on social media. so i do not think we expect of item presidency to be as addicted to twitter as president trump was. nobody should be expecting the decisions of troop movements or entire bases will be made and announced by a tweet. . that is the first thing that

will change. simply consultation consultation, consultation,. brent: what will not change? >> every u.s. president and secretary of state and defense secretary has complained about the european low defense spenng. this is what was trump's main topic, even when there were other things to be discussed, to the point where they were not even holding summits anymore because they feared president trump would hijack the event in order to lambaste allies about low defense spending. that will be done in a much more civil manner. there may be worse results because of it. president trump did make governments look and how they can spend more. that is something that probably benefited the alliance. the other thing that might not chan is the troop deployme in afghanistan. allies are concerned about trump's cuts. president biden may not send

troops back to afghanistan, he may leave them at 2500 u.s. troops. that is really a bare minimum for european allies. brent: even trump's sharpest critics say that there is reason to reform nato. how do you see that argument moving forward? i'm not talking about defense spending, but nato itself. reporter: that is something even secretargeneral stoltenberg has acknowledged needs to happen. he launched this reflections group to come up with ideas about how to reform the alliance. they on the meaning -- they all know decisions need to be mad more quickly they knowhey need to basically get the french and germans on the same page about a vision for native. how this interacts with policy. -- for nato. how this interacts with policy. whether you have trump making things more divisive. president biden will have to also deal with this.

there are a lot of difficulties right now with turkey and its role in the alliance. there are a lot of problems, but now with the u.s. expected to play a more constructive role and be talking to allies, everyone is much more reassured about how this process will go forward. brent: dw's teri schultz, as always, thank you. a chinese lunar probe has returned to earth with precious cargo. the first fresh samples from the surface of the moon in more than 40 years. the chinese capsule successfully landed in inner mongolia shortly after 2:00 a.m. local time on thursday. on board are around two kilograms of moon rocks and dust. reporter: the end of a historic mission, as planned, the reentry vehicle separated from the orbiter and entered the earth's atmosphere and began its descent at the speed of 11 kilometers per second.

parachutes slowed down the capsule to enable a safe landing in the mongolian desert. channel five was one of the most complete and challenging missions in china's aerospace history. when the rocket wasaunched on november 29,t was a source of tional pride. the probe was made up of four modules, the land dug for rocks and soi then the materials were returned in capsule fothe journey back to earth. it is the first time in four decades that materi has been brought back from the moon. china's space ambitions are no secret and have been grong for years. in 2003, it security major breakthrough when it became the third country in the world to send a man into space.

10 years later, china hit another milestone. successfully landing and unpiloted spacecraft on the moon. it was the first soft landing since the soviet union's success in 1976. re chinese cheers in january 20 of 19 -- in january 2019. a lunar probe, touching down on the far side of the moon, boosting china's space ambitions. mars is also in its sights. this year, beijing, launching an unmanned probe to the red planet. in july, china but the final satellite into orbit for its chinese navigation system. the country's rival to the u.s.'s on gps. but this lunar mission to bring back material from the moon was one of china's most ambitious to date. and one which beijing was determined would be another success. brent: giannis antetokounmpo

has signed the most lucrative deal in nba history after agreeing to extend their contract that his contract with the milwaukee bucks. the 26-year-old has taken the nba by storm. he is the two-time reigningm most valuable player,. -- raining, most valuable player, and has been awarded with a contract of $228 million, reportedly. slam dunk. any dog owner will tell you their pet can communicate with them, even if they can't talk. turns out the same is true for kangaroos. new research shows the marsupials are capable of the kinds of behaviors only previously noted in animals that have been domesticated for hundreds of years. reporter: --

>> what's got you all excited? you want me to come with you? reporter: a hit from "skippy, the bush kangaroo." all about a highly intelligent marsupial -- highly intelligent, crime solving marsupial. they gave kangaroos a sealed box containing food. when the kangaroos could not get inside, most looked to a human for help. >> to our surprise, they did show the gazing behavior usually associated with domestic animals. it shows this effect of trying to deliberately communicate with a human is not really restricted to the usual domestic species that we know. reporter: it means kangaroos join other animals, like dogs and cats and horses in being able to communicate with humans. >> of course, the little task

itself is quite simplistic. but nevertheless, it was important to carry it out using an wild species, like kangaroos. reporter: australia has a complicated relationship with kangaroos. with many people considering them pests. the findings could change the image of one of the symbols of australia. brent: we still don't know what is inside their pouch. after a short break, i will be back to take you through "the day." stick around. we will be right back. [captioning performed by the national captioning intitute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> liberty, you guarantee,

actuality., you guarantee, >> i am marco and these are the headlines. the compasses have all been found guilty of their trial in paris. they helped plan and facilitate the attacks on the satirical magazine and kosher supermarket. alone police officer was also murdered in the south paris streets. germany uncovered lockdown following a record number of deaths and the continued increase in cases each day. standing by in berlin for the latest. britain has