>> this is the "journal" on dw- tv. coming up, the german chancellor marks the 20-year anniversary of the unification treaty, the document that enters its fourth decade in division. -- ended four decades of division. new rules on child sex abuse, and the u.s. formally ends operations in iraq. chancellor angela merkel fears east german bravery and the country's unification set an

example for the world, marking the moment that the treaty was signed two decades ago, she praised the role of civil rights activists and those who escaped the regime. the german leader grew up in the east and says it is now germany's responsibility to fight globally for freedom. >> the original unification treaty was presented to today's chancellor to commemorate its signing in the same room 20 years ago. angela merkel, who grow up in east germany, was joined there by many politicians involved in the deal. the interior met -- for the then interim minister, signing the treaty was the high point of his career. >> we left the room together for a moment, and then we simply cried because we were moved, exhausted, and overjoyed. >> it took just 23 minutes to end four decades of communist east german rule. unification had previously been approved by east germany's

parliament. chancellor merkel was president at the proceedings 20 years ago. she called on germans to do more for other nations in their struggles for freedom. >> i'm concerned that now we have more less achieved our own visions, our enthusiasm may be flagging when it comes to helping others accomplish their dreams of living in freedom and democracy. the chancellor praised the role of the east german people in helping bring down the communist regime. their bravery, she said, was far greater than can be imagined two decades on. >> later, we will be looking at how life has changed for people in east germany since unification. germany's catholic church has unveiled new guidelines for cases of child sex abuse. the measures are in response to a wave of alleged cover-ups earlier this year. church authorities but the bishop of trieste in charge of reviewing the legislation.

under the new rules, all allegations of abuse must be reformed, unless the alleged victim objects. the regulations began when four peoples of the catholic high school in berlin came forward, saying they had been abused -- former pupils of a catholic high school in berlin came forward. john, tell us what sort of differences do you think these changes are going to actually make. >> there is a range of measures, actually, in these new regulations, which are intended to prevent cases of child abuse occurring. it is difficult to see how effective they are going to be. obviously the intention is good. the aspect that is going to be grabbing headlines in germany in tomorrow's this papers will be the fact that the german newspapers have committed themselves in all 27 diocese to contact the police to report cases of child abuse to the

police as soon as there is a reasonable suspicion that child abuse has taken place, with the sole exception, they say, and this should be a rare exception -- if the victim himself or herself insists upon the police not being informed. that is very unusual, particularly since many people do not realize there is no legal obligation whatsoever for anyone to report a case of sexual abuse. this is a particular restraint the church is voluntarily placing on itself. >> i have spoken myself to a lot of child sex abuse victims, especially in the church, and would you think this puts a lot of all this on the victim? >> yes, you mean that from the point of view that finally won the decision is on the weather should be reported to the police? yes, it does, and that is a regrettable aspect. i think most people do see that. on the other hand, we know statistically that groups of psychologists tell us at least in germany that the majority of

victims of sexual abuse -- that includes women, rape victims -- choose not to press charges. it places a victim, of course, under tremendous pressure to have to go through after having a painful psychological experience, to have to go through the experience of repeating that periods of the church as well as the civil authorities are reluctant to force somebody to do that against their will. >> thank you very much for coming in. in other news, four israelis have been killed in a shooting in the west bank two days before a new round of peace talks start in washington. civilians were driving along a busy highway near a jewish settlement. the armed wing of the palestinian group hamas has issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. the prime minister and palestinian leader are due to begin talks with barack obama on thursday. iraq's prime minister says the country is now a sovereign nation after the in the ad

states formally ended its combat operations there -- after the united states formally ended its combat operations there. it was launched seven and a half years ago by barack obama's predecessor with the stated aim of destroying iraq's weapons of mass destruction, weapons that were never found. >> these u.s. soldiers are packing up. for them, the dangerous mission in iraq is over. they will be heading home after completing a final inspection at a camp in italy. >> i'm excited to go back to the states, you know? i'm excited to go back and see my family and everything. >> visiting war veterans in texas, president obama said much remains to be done in iraq, but he said the country had made enormous strides, thanks to their sacrifices. >> because of the extraordinary service that all of you have done and so many people here at fort bliss have done, iraq has

an opportunity to create a better future for itself. >> iraqi security forces are now officially on their own on street patrols and checkpoints. there is no u.s. soldier in sight. u.s. vice president joe biden was in baghdad to preside over the formal end to the u.s. combat mission. iraq's prime minister called it an historic day. >> today, iraq is sovereign and independent with full ownership of its decisions and everything related to its present and future. august 31 will remain an immortal day shares by the iraqi people. -- cherished by the iraqi people. >> 50,000 troops remain focusing on trading the military, but they will still accompany forces on patrols and on high-risk missions. washington's current plan foresees a final withdrawal at the end of next year. >> rescue workers in chilly have

begun work on an escape shaft with 33 miners trapped underground. they began drilling a test hole on thursday with a special drill had flown in from germany. officials say could take up to four months to reach the miners, who were found more than a week ago 700 meters below the surface. they have been trapped for a total of 26 days, a record in recent mining history. for some good news now, steve is here with the latest in unemployment figures. and a continued improvement on the job market. the german economy created more jobs in august. they had a released tuesday by the federal unemployment agency, showing unemployment fell in august to its lowest level since november 2008, adding to evidence that germany's export- led economy is outperforming its peers. policymakers are now hoping that german consumers will spend more to make domestic consumption another strong pillar supporting the rebound in europe's biggest economy.

>> anyone looking for a drop in germany at the moment has pretty good chances of finding one -- looking for a job in germany at the moment has pretty good chances at the moment. german companies are hiring again, even during the traditionally slow month of august 1 summer holidays are in full spring. figures released on tuesday put the number of jobless at 3,180,000, 4000 fewer than in the previous month. the unemployment rate remains at 7.6%. compared to august 2009, some 280,000 fewer people were out of a job this year. with the expected seasonal boost as autumn approaches, the german government is optimistic. >> there is a good chance that unemployment numbers will drop below 3 million, and i believe in the long run, if not immediately, we might be able to move towards full employment. that demographic changes could

help to reach that goal. the german population is getting older, and the birthrate is decreasing. as a result, the working population is dwindling, easing competition on the labor market. >> taking a look at tuesday's market action now, and after a fairly weak start to the day, most european markets were able to bounce back and finish higher. after getting a bit of help from a batch of economic data out of the united states. our correspondence sent us this summary of the day's trading from frankfurt. >> how is the situation of the economy in the u.s.? this is the most important question for the german stock market, and this is dominating trading in frankfurt. although traders are pleased about positive german economic data, the data has not much influence on the german markets. on the better than expected consumer confidence in the u.s. could change for the better. but the summer is really gloomy. in august, the german dax was pushed down by fears of

recession in the u.s., so this august was one of the biggest trading months. >> we can stay for a closer look at tuesday's numbers, and the blue-chip dax index closing down by 0.2% at 5925. euro stocks 50 also ending the day up, rather, at 2622. across the atlantic, the dow trading fairly flat, closing at 10,014 points, and on currency markets, the year of trading at a value of $1.2679. -- the euro trading at. the door to a bond trader and head of friends met to discuss competition and progress on privatisation. according to eu law, the rail sectors should be completely liberalized by now in both nations, but in reality, those plans have gotten a little bit off track. >> this german i.c.e. is from

sugar, and france will take passengers in the other direction. three years ago, deutsche a bond joined forces with its french counterpart to provide high- speed service between the two countries, but the joint venture is now threatening to derail. the french accused the germans are only paying lip service to liberalization. they also complain that a door to a bond subsidiary and not a neutral body divides routes between competitors. the germans accused sncf of maintaining a monopoly on domestic passenger travel, while running passenger services in germany through a subsidiary. deutsche upon urgently wants to resolve the conflicts, so it can test its high-speed ice 3 on the title bout between paris and london, but that would challenge the french monopoly and the french blocked deutsche a bond

was last at 10, saying the german high-speed train was 25 meters short of the required length. >> european media companies say they are benefiting from a recovering market for advertising. among them is a corporation in germany reporting profits of about 250 million euros for the first half of the year, following losses the same time last year. advertising funded media companies are enjoying a rebound. the bottom line has also been boosted by deep cuts in operating costs. that has increased its profit forecast for the full year. in france, and luxury goods maker says first half profits jumped by 55% to 195 million years, but luxury goods market is apparently also on the mend after suffering through one of its toughest years ever in 2009.

hermes says top sellers were its signature leather handbags, which could sell for thousands of years of peace. sales of high-priced excess -- increasingly prosperous buyers from emerging markets in asia, africa, and south america were also an important factor. that is your business update. >> france has defended its deportation of role in assisting it is in line with european laws. two french ministers were in brussels on tuesday to discuss the issue with eu officials. the european commission has criticized the deportations, saying all eu citizens have the right of freedom of movement. so far this year, france has deported over 8000 migrants to romania and bulgaria. >> a group of roma are waiting for their flight. they are being deported by the government, despite the fact that they are you citizens. european commission have expressed concern over the

policy. >> each person needs to be treated equally under eu law. there is absolutely no justification for mass expulsions. >> france has sent more than 8000 to romania and bulgaria. leading european commission officials in brussels on tuesday, the french immigration minister defended the crackdown. he said france's actions had been unacceptably caricatured and insisted paris had been scrupulously respecting eu laws regarding rights like freedom of movement. >> freedom of movement is also a source of duty, not representing an unreasonable burden on the system of social security. >> the european union says it needs more information before it can determine whether france is failing to comply with eu laws. >> to the united states where residents of the east coast are

preparing for hurricane earl. after crossing the caribbean, the storm is expected to brush north carolina on thursday. the hurricane has been reaching winds of over 200 kilometers per hour, damaging homes and causing floods on several islands in the caribbean. u.s. officials are closely monitoring the storm, which could strengthen and lead to evacuations along the eastern seaboard. divers in finland have begun salvaging what is thought to be the oldest champagne in the world. divers found about 70 bottles last month in a shipwreck off the coast of the islands in the baltic sea. they say it may have been a consignment sent by king louis xvi of france for the russian imperial court more than 200 years ago. experts say the bottles have been perfectly preserved in the temperature is 50 meters down. >> i would not be surprised if that comes up a couple bottles short of a full case.

>> up next, german unification -- a new system and new life. stay tuned for that. >> this is an app. to make sure she does not start smoking, she ratters -- she uses a rather unique tip.

nice try, anna, but for advice that really works, ,help.eu.com. >> it was 20 years ago on tuesday that representatives of the former communist east germany signed a document with west german leaders in berlin. it would bring an end to the country's post-war division and lay the groundwork for treatment -- german unity on october 1, 1990. the unification treaty was the culmination of the east's peaceful resolution and put an end to the police state that had grown increasingly corrupt and despised. >> two signatures sealed the end of east germany. [applause] with the unification treaty in 1990, the former communist state merge with the federal republic of germany and adopted its laws and constitution.

>> the unification treaty is a huge achievement for the future united germany. >> for many east germans, the treaty delivered freedom from an oppressive regime, but there are still areas of contention. one was whether to release the files selected by the east german secret police. another was what to do with land and property confiscated by the communists. on both issues, there was a compromise. there were also divisions over abortion rights. terminating a pregnancy in the east had been much easier than in the west, and it remained so for a time after unification, but it was britain's economic divide that stirred up the most bitter resentment. with a single stroke, the unification treaty turned east german it was a planned economy into a market economy, and many did not survive the transition. >> 20 years on, germany's current economic recovery is

delivering levels of employment that have not been seen here since that era. that goes even for the rural eastern regions, hard hit by the collapse of their uncompetitive agricultural sector, but eastern country folks are not just celebrating 20 years of post- unification prosperity and freedom. they are also happy that, just like western germans, for most people, it is your own personal merit and effort that determines how you live, not your party contacts or your talent for currying favor. >> this town in northern germany -- 3500 people live in the rural community, and like most others in the former communist east, it seems to -- it has seen major changes. before reunification, two large- scale agricultural collectors were based here. the state-run farms here were praised as model operations, and

with the subject of this civic education film in the late 1980's. back then, of around 300 people work for the livestock and crop production units. today, he still works on the land, but now, it is for the farmers' cooperative. he has seen 2/3 of his former colleagues lose their jobs in the tough environment of the market economy. >> before reunification, we did a lot by hand. the feat was unloaded by hand. fertilizing was done by hand. we had a tractor, but everything took time. >> new technology has made farm work less labor intensive, but he says he is now under far more pressure.

>> you have a lot more responsibility than before. there were more people here, and we were told what to do. now we have to decide for ourselves. i have to decide for myself, for my work colleagues. i'm responsible for everyone here. >> the cooperative's director has also seen both systems. before reunification, he was a functionary working in a planned, socialist economy. now, he is required to negotiate wages, calculate prices, and find customers for his products. playing by the rules of the market has been a learning process for workers and for management. >> today, everyone knows we only get paid for what we produce, and people have that attitude now. everyone is dependent on their job and knows what is expected of them.

>> the past 20 years have transformed this town. the once spartan socialist township now has supermarkets and stores like those found all over germany. it has also attracted new residents, thanks to its picturesque countryside and proximity to the state capital. when the town outgrew the old kindergarten, a new one was built on the same spot. heidi has been a teacher here for almost 40 years, but her wages have only just reached parity with her colleagues in western germany. she used to fund political directives frustrating. now, it is the high demand placed on teachers. >> you cannot compare children today with those in east

germany. they are more self confidence, much more free. they are great. but it is simply not the best situation for one teacher to look after 18 kids. the work has become so intense that you are exhausted when you come back home. no one has any idea how hard it is. >> a short distance away is a mail order service with a staff of 200, it is the town's biggest employer. in 1990, west german entrepreneurs converted a state- run factory. they kept on some of the workers. a stroke of luck for this man, now the company's chief technical officer. am i would have never gotten this far back in east germany. there were people who had contact or were party members. they always got the jobs, whether they could do it or not. they were the ones in these positions.

>> the managing director, whose father helped set up the company, and he has talked about the problems in the early years. back then, locals treated the west germans with suspicion. he says such prejudices are long gone. >> i know companies in the west and in the east and the different mentalities. i also know companies in southern germany. i would say the differences between north and south are just the same as east and west. it is a regional problem. >> meanwhile, this man continues to enjoy his time off in the garden, but he misses the social contacts of his old life, especially spending time with friends. >> you do not see them much anymore. they are all working in hamburg or someone else. sometimes, they are around on weekends, but it is always, "no

time, got to rush the kiwis to get together and chat for an hour or so, and now it does not happen, and i kind of miss it -- got to rush." we use to get together and chat for an hour or so. >> memories of east germany have all but faded. >> they go where the work is and have adapted better than others. sometimes, they say it is not a big deal anymore, but it still is to us, even after 20 years. >> a new system and a new way of life. older generations of east germans have had to find their way since reunification. hear, they are proud that so many have succeeded -- here. >> that is our "in depth" as german marks 20 years since

reunification. you're watching dw-tv. stay tuned. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--