and they are trying. to really. change doesn't happen on its own. legal pure. w. . minds. hello everyone and welcome to focus on europe we're going to start today with a new development in a story about europe's most tragic maritime disaster since world war 2 the sinking of a large ferry in the baltic sea in northern europe that caused the deaths of over 850 people the m.s.s. stonie out was on its way from estonia to sweden in september of 1994 when it sank

in the middle of the night only a few people were rescued the commission that investigated the incident suspected that the ship's bow hatch had broken away during a storm but there are doubts about that official report with family members and some survivors repeatedly calling for new research into the disaster recently a swedish documentary filmmaker answered their call and rick efforts and went to the site of the accident and lowered an underwater camera all the way down to the wreckage and there he found something unexpected. in september 2019 journalist henrik efforts and his team center very thought to examine the wreck of the m.s.s. . on the floor of the baltic sea he captured these images of an enormous hole ripped in the hollow for me to slung. it's completely dented in.

my view as we navigated along the starboard side we were stunned. the damage was so extensive. we couldn't fit it all into one shark. it just kept going and going. on never forget the sight. henrik was researching for his for the humming a documentary after speaking with survivors and experts he concluded the whole must have been created by some outside force perhaps by a collision the case behind the sinking of the ferry a stone here he said deserved to be reinvestigated. through the one thing the ship started listing sooner than the investigating committee had presumed. there was a considerable 14 minute discrepancy because most of them and witnesses also saw water under the car dark for them so it was leaking in from somewhere from.

the m.s.s. stoniest sign on september 28th 1994 on its way from tallinn to stockholm when the water 1st entered the ship the passengers were all asleep. only a few survived and were rescued from the icy cold baltic sea 852 lives were lost that night the mystery surrounding the estonia's fate remains unresolved to this day. official records claim the bow hatch came off causing boards to rush into the car deck and sink the ferry it infelicitous in the documentary witnesses say they saw something else the war planes the moment. the sea along to them i saw something white. it was several meters large. or drawers and i could see it moving from left to right the other waves went crashing over it or.

last a young son lost his daughter in the disaster he now hopes investigations will be reopened. the documents ever since the documentary was released the come hopeful most of it and a more careful investigation might look into what really transpired. so how could something so terrible even happen for the for. the who we still don't know and we don't believe the investigators report for one second and threw in the poor folks the sunken ship lies in international waters and nearly all bordering countries have prohibited dives to let the does it hold to rest in peace but not germany so hendrik efforts and he used the german ships to reach the sunken hull and film what he discovered. of a shark scrum up all of we scanned the ship from

a distance resourcefulness we never went inside the ship them. we placed great importance on ethical conduct and don't feel we've committed any crimes or to his 50 each has now indeed cause the case to be reopened sweden finland and history nia have declared a dive as planned this summer then they could finally shed light on the most serious single maritime incident in history of post-war europe. henrik everett's and has also had to defend his research in court but the good news is that those efforts appear to have paid off as estonia is now planning to contribute $3000000.00 euros to the renewed investigation of the incident on to france now where the government coffers are a bit light at the moment to make ends meet it has recently started to quote unquote sell the family silver in this case stayed on to real estate which include some pretty spectacular castles and even monasteries. now that doesn't mean you can

just buy the palace of birth sayet but other culturally and historically valuable properties around it are up for grabs. the world famous palace of versailles is a glorious example of francisco old heritage built in the 17th century it was the principal residence of louis the 14th known as the sun king. located on a nearby street this lesser known building served as the office of francis minister of culture though as part of the 1st psychotics the french state simply sold it off ok you know they stuck a for sale sign on it and added a cell phone number anybody could call i can you know that it's as if they were making an ordinary sale. but they were selling off one of the kings public office buildings that. day but some of your preservation is surely in because this outrage

that france is cultural heritage is being snapped up by investors during louis the 14th day this building in for a song i even housed the mona lisa yet the new buyer turned is former picture gallery into dull apartments this conversion he says has completely destroyed the build his character even though they put in new floors and chopped the space up into separate rooms marring the overall impression that i don't know off held it up in our eyes it's truly a scandal. and is no isolated case either across france the state is engaging a real estate agency to sell away its historical buildings as it lacks the funds to maintain them itself. this former prefecture has changed hands as has this old hospital such sales brought some 500000000 euros to the state's coffers in 2019. regional and local governments are also disposing other agricultural airlines the

former shot used to clone here mona street belonged to the city of paris which used it as a sanatorium mill was being auctioned off for 3000000 euros to an investor from bordeaux the man who brokered the deal thinks the state did the right thing not only how money's tight and loans are expensive. before few of the buildings are news and have no political significance to beef it's easier to sell them off than he used to be. to facilitate sales many public entities are putting old buildings up for auction online though it's not enough just to place the highest bid buyers must also declare what they intend to do with the buildings says the current to pandemic emptied the public purse business for auction houses like these has been booming only factor in more experiencing strong growth and expect to sell even more real estate in the coming months only more to the. point julia like

cause has no problem with buildings that have no historical value being sold off but he says the state shouldn't part with treasures like this honey lodge in the woods of st close but despite his warnings for his manager is now seeking a buyer as the lodge is in desperate need of repair also but you want the should hold on to the pavilion and make it accessible to the public. it's a perfect destination for people taking walks in the forest that. you could open up a restaurant here all that they could or should films through more to an education even. still some residents are 1st sign. don't seem to concerned who the buildings belong to as long as they're in good shape but more workforce i think it's ok to sell the building stuff i don't know if the government has enough money to maintain mt what else but one f. wish the buildings full of parts they haven't seen the quality of the renovations

by private i say let them do it but if it were to affect the wing of the palace the 1st science self i'd be wire eat surely cause thinks it's better to lease the buildings this one for a side is being turned into a luxury hotel with a restaurant run by star chef a lot because that's it it's a good solution you. know we won't have access to it for a few generations then i still want it in 99 years the state will get its building back in good shape it won't get the money no one the renovations will have been paid for by a private company but it did i would know what i did to get 100 people and that's important because france's historic buildings aren't just a financial burden they're valuable pieces of cultural heritage that need to be preserved for future generations here in europe the skiing and snowboarding

season is just about over but for most ski resorts it never actually began the coronavirus pandemic meant that on the alpine slopes like in the southern part of germany the operators endured a winter season that was an absolute financial disaster on ahead lot runs a cabin in the mountains which means she still has bills and employees that she has to pay she's doing her best to find a solution but isn't sure if it will actually work. guests at the town in her to enjoy a splendid view of garmisch park in care and in winter when the weather's nice the place is normally packed but this winter is anything but normal if that's how i feel pretty hopeless and don't think things will get better anytime soon. is trying to get by offering food and drinks to go. you know we still have to pay our running expenses power bills insurance policies cash systems after months in lockdown

she's tentatively reopening for the 1st time with just a couple of dishes after all she has to keep her cook busy somehow now that she can only hope some guests will find their way up the mountain and get so i'm scared to not going to make it sound worried what's to become of us and how we will manage if things don't start picking up again soon. conrad a ginsburg in office door faces the same fears. he bought brand new skew equipment to sell and rent out so. this year has been tough. he says just saw this season we spent about $200000.00 euros on inventory alone that's not counting the money we spent on renovation or construction or anything else and each day the season doesn't start it becomes less and less likely that we will be able to sell the items we may end up with a complete loss. over lost their. conrad

a ginsburg has been running the ski school for 25 years normally you can keep up to 180 seasonal workers busy at a time but how are things now during the pandemic shift. it's tough thing to do there's a lot at stake what can i say. leaving long we've been working all our lives please turn it off turn it off please have you been seen or heard from these we'll see if we ever receive financial assistance from the state for now we're just getting by with i'm chipping away at our pension funds very heavily must see is the only way for us to pay our bills.

ton and heard the 1st day welcoming back hikers is coming to an end. on ahead is taking stock slack business was slow when we had some visitors but fewer than expected we might just have broken even at least she can pay the cook. on a maid a childhood dream come true when she opens the town in her. but now her money is running out to. the 1st but the government pays we're going to promised hasn't arrived we're anxious for that to be distributed so we can hold on to our employee . otherwise they risk losing their jobs. conrad a ginsburg now faces a grave task before the pandemic he was planning a new rental center nearby. the work there is nearly finished but today he has bad

news for the workers. through the 50 gun school see who are there the next big hurdle that we have to find a way to pay you what you finish your work we have to but we haven't earned this is april 2020. 1 conrad would be happy to offer skin classes to keep learning money. just like other professions in germany. frankly we don't understand hairdressers for example or in close contact with their clients but we're not allowed to give one to one outdoor lessons that's difficult to accept. normally conrad and his instructors would be teaching hundreds of children cross country skiing at the local ice stadium. but without clients in might have to close his business for good.

how can you keep your chin up and bleak times like these. and i don't even feel like a host right now i have no guests. how i feel. a bit useless i suppose for light right now there simply aren't enough guests for on ahead to entertain. but there's a silver lining at least now with so much free time on our hands on a can explore the gorgeous mountains in our region and hope for better times ahead . what you see here behind me is part of unesco's world heritage i repeat belgian beers really are recognized by the united nations as an intangible cultural heritage they're internationally beloved and the belgian brewers also makes a really creative drinks greg are back home is one of the experimental types and

even if his beverages aren't to everyone's taste more and more beer drinkers are very happy with the result. preparing limits and measure for 1st batch of craft beer to learn x. microbrewery to use is hard work like most thursdays using fragrant belgian hops they invent new beer for artie's each week for their neighbors and for local shops. mildred my mother loved beer yeah my father loves beer. i love beer you know it's in my genes more young it's a very belgian trade. group of all his buddy hatch the idea is to start an independent brewery over some cold groups. seems to work in fantasy max was a business consultant now and he earned a living making beer for the local community decided to stick with i live across

the street and i'm interested in your favorite east whiskey i like what they're up to us and that's why i come to it by might be measured on christmas with my like supporting a local business in my area. but i do beers taste very good if it's good and it's a great addition to the neighborhood if i don't. play much was highly popular craft brewery is situated in the nearby city senhor irish beer some here employed her own one who is an expert on bell just independent really see. you know global breweries have no connection to us. we want to drink something that has a connection to us that we know we can see the birth we can visit the brewery we know where it's made we know who's making it and that's a really i think important aspect of the trend we're seeing in the city of the past few years. everything started with the process here project a particularly craft a craft brewery you're almost pretty much what i expected. by any fruity.

secrecy. going on. i get some flour almost as well like very almost like tea. it's really good. 10 am time for a drink or what we're going to brew early in the morning is when your senses are the best it's actually the best tasting not necessarily the best time to start drinking. but not to worry this ferrari has a distinctly fruity somewhat acidic taste and practically no welcome david brock blue tea back from thailand which they used to color their beer there also experimented with a range of new ingredients lately bitter beers have been popular the company employs people from 10 different countries different from portugal even

incorporates famous portuguese desserts into his creations. they decided to become . super tasty but there's another from portugal and tried to put them in a beer and try to to make the beer taste like a push of an otter still being a beer the proselyte spear project has grown into a sizable company and it was launched with an unusual crowdfunding campaign so we went to see. people in brussels friends and family in beer lovers and say ok if you want this project to go life is also us and we give you for beers every year for life. so we go the 1st time we've got 369 people we say ok all right you have 2 crazy guys here let's let's say let's bet on them their slogan leave the n.b.a. joining the playground pokes fun at the country's traditional and at times uninspired brewing culture and they certainly know how to have

a laugh. you can take the. good naked. as if there were no a book and because it's basically a beer you should drink in the shower exclusively in the shower. john heck's offers a wide range of beers to house as well as is typical for independent craft breweries to do the math and group who want to get to sample their latest creation and mentored beer which turned out fantastic 2 years. ok so it is finally time to get our butt kicked by a woman named nancy funder stratton she is 74 years old she's a grandmother of 8 and she's a boxer so she hops into the ring several times

a week in her adopted country of turkey where she gets a lot of recognition for her fighting spirit that reputation stems not only for her quick hands but from the fact that she isn't just boxing for fun. oh. hell left hook is a little harder than her right says nancy fonda straightens coach but even at the age of 74 her ice cold sterile learning is enough to strike fear into the hearts of her opponents if they don't watch out belgian born nancy will punch them right in the nose despite the fact she's been suffering from parkinson's disease for years until through she was mushing smushing people you know it's a very personal very go continue to it's a good no relation of all. this go in there and at the same time developing strength with you body with you your legs so it's a good coordination mind the hands and feet nancy was

diagnosed with parkinson's 7 years ago she took medication to reduce the shaking caused by the disease but her condition deteriorated rapidly on the internet she learned that in the u.s. parkinson's patients used boxing to get their symptoms under control so she sought out of books in school in an tallia near her home on turkey's mediterranean coast. go the dog when she came here for the 1st time i thought which should never manage because of her age and because back then she couldn't even stand up straight i thought she'd never make it but there she surprised it was. not a cs physiotherapists is very pleased with the spry seniors physical condition and her posture in particular. trying to derek symptoms that are that she walks much more erect than before as used to shake and suddenly her movements will become

choppy your part now there are much smoother in your book on the shankar of her ticket that could do it in but. nancy lives in a village above the coastal city of entirely or she says came to turkey over 40 years ago with her husband who has since passed away they were hippies who were curious and love to travel the couple and their living making decorative windows and converted to islam. when she's not boxing nancy likes to draw and paint sometimes she even sells her works and earns a little extra money to supplement her pension which totals $450.00 euros a month her disease hasn't hindered terror billeted to draw. my observation is that if you create something i've know who have never been to india does this droning out so it's new in the my i create something i don't have

problem with from the beginning it's like that if i wrote that big sometimes you going very very. nancy says she needs the rights she needs to train to the american rock band aerosmith is music to her ears. 15 minutes more or less. time i would be serious i really should meet you know it's working perfectly. and it's a treat treat him. to nancy recommends boxing to anyone she suffers from parkinson's she's living proof that at least for some it can dramatically improve the quality of life. and. here's hoping nancy and all of you our viewers out there can keep fighting well into old age that's it for this

week's focus on europe thank you all for watching stay healthy out there and see you next time. you you thank you thank you thank you. thanks.

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this is d w news line from berkeley and a court in hong kong has convicted a group of pro-democracy activists including media tycoon jimmy like the group are found guilty of an authorised assembly jury in the protests in 2019 we'll take you live to hong kong. and the 2 trillion dollar make over for the united states president biden sets out pounds from not sort of infrastructure spending programs. in france is heading into lockdown for us said time.