>> you are watching "the journal." >> here are the headlines at this hour. >> remembering the victims. germany pauses to remember that those killed by a neo-nazi gang. >> european judge's rule that libya violated human rights by returning migrants to libya. >> and showing off part beneath the surface. -- showing off parts -- showing off art. >> well, for a minute, all of germany came to halt on thursday.

a neo-nazi gang for nearly a decade, going undetected by police. >> political leaders gathered to offer condolences to the families of victims and issue a warning o the nation. >> they came side-by-side, the families of the victims and the highest representatives of the german states. there was a candle for each of the 10 victims of the neo-nazi killing spree, and 11 symbolizing all the other victims of racist violence in germany. chancellor angela merkel asked for forgiveness from the families of victims and warned of the dangers of turning a blind eye to racist crimes. >> we forget too quickly, much too quickly. we suppress what is happening in

our midst. perhaps because we are preoccupied with other things or because we feel helpless toward all that is going on around us. or do we just not care? >> it was an emotional speech and one full of warnings, especially of the effects of indifference, which has this project which has the potential to destroy democracy. berlin's concert house was transformed into a place of contemplation and remembrancer. ♪ >> one speaker was not originally slated to speak, but he decided to say a few words about the loss of his son. >> my son died in my arms on april 6, 2006.

in the internet cafe he was shot, shot in the head. >> he expressed no bitterness at the series of blunders made by germany's's law enforcement agencies. instead, he told of his belief in the judicial system and banked the nation for its support. -- and thanked the nation for its support. >> it offers of money off -- are appreciated, but we will not be accepting no. >> his speech deeply move the audience, including chancellor angela merkel. and then a ceremony with the families of the victims, as they try to put years of suffering behind them. >> today, i stand here, not

just torturing myself with the question "akamai at home in germany?" yes, of course it i am at home. how can i be sure of that when there are people who do not want me here, only because my parents came from another country? >> the loved ones of victim's hope the nation will come together to prevent more people becoming victims of racist violence. with that in mind, germany came to a halt and paused for a minute silence. >> alright. our political correspondent simon young as in the -- is in the studio. "i am sorry." that is one of the messages we heard. how important is this? >> i think it is tremendously

important for the senior representatives of the german state to show that germany takes these killings, this unprecedented series of cold- blooded murderers, especially seriously because of the racist motivation behind the. today, of course, the focus was on the victims and their families, some of whom suffered personally, and then they were objected -- subjected to police questioning. so, today was a moment of reflection for everybody. i think it was important to show the state takes these crimes especially seriously. >> simon, the government sent us special message, but what lessons are learned? >> the main lessons that have been learned are by the police. they have excepted there is a major failure here, particularly in sharing information between the different law enforcement

authorities around germany. the problem is, you have a decentralized system. they did not always share information optimally. it is also about police attitudes, saying the police did not take the suggestions of of far right killer cell very seriously, the thought that these people from migrant backgrounds were somehow involved in organized crime or petty crime in some why. they did not follow what clear leads to the extreme-right. that was a major failing. the police have already begun to address that for the future, and and there are bureaucratic sort of remedies as well. a think the lessons will continue to be learned for us. >> thank you very much, simon. >> in the equation of these crimes, there remains more

questions than answers. most troubling, why did it take so long for security agencies and police to find the neo-nazi link? >> as investigators pieced together evidence, we review what is known about how the terror cell operated and went undetected for years. >> police now believe between 2000 and 2007, the neo-nazi cell killed several people across germany. but police did not connect the killings until last year. the female accomplice set fire to a woman, apparently to destroy evidence. she is now in custody. police found weapons used in the murders linking the gang to a series of murders and bombings. since then, details emerged of a

series of investigative blunders. in some cases, victims were interrogated, suspected of involvement in organized crime. political leaders agreed these were egregious errors. a parliamentary panel was set up to shed light on the affair. >> agree lawmakers -- greet lawmakers have set up a huge bond swap -- greek lawmakers. >> before the vote, the finance minister says this will help restore financial confidence in the country. the bond swap was approved by eurozone finance ministers as part of the new bailout greece. >> i deeper recession than expected -- that is according to the latest figures from the european commission, which indicates the economies of italy and spain have contracted sharply. >> a new survey shows that

business leaders in germany are more confident about where the economy is headed. >> analysts expect economic performance in germany to improve slightly by 0.6%, less than previously forecast. the forecast in domestic sales sectors is expected to make up for that. overall, businesses in germany are optimistic for the future. most companies say they are expecting orders to increase. in contrast, the european commission says some companies are likely to dip into recession. in spain, italy, and portugal, production, exports, and domestic consumption are falling, exacerbating the woes for companies and job seekers. overall, the european economy is expected to shrink at 0.6%,

following a period of slight growth in 2011. two sectors entered negative territory, similarly to spain, greece, and portugal. european debt is still at the root of the problem. it is hoped the rescue package for greece will promote a recovery at the end of the year. >> markets reacted negatively to that downbeat forecast. blue chips in frankfurt rallied, but then slipped or lower. we have this summary from frankfurt. >> the fear of recession in the eurozone is not new, but the fact that the eu commission said to loud and clear the danger is great that the eurozone could fall into recession dragged down the mood here on the frankfurt floor.

share prices are falling again. in the morning, the mood had been far better after the -- has been issued. the business climate had rose. this shows the prosperity of the german economy. investors are thinking germany stands alone at the moment in the eurozone as a very good economy. >> we will have a closer look at thursday's numbers. and the dax ended the day down 0.5%. a more positive picture across the atlantic or the doubt is trading at 12,970 points. and the euro trading higher against the dollar. >> alright. thank you. the debt crisis in europe,

especially greece, is weighing on financial companies. the insurance giant allianz set profits dropped, largely due to write-downs from greek debt. it is the same story at commerzbank. commerzbank says it has written off nearly three-quarters of its portfolio of greek government bonds. drops for deutsche telekom. they fell 66% in 2011. the company booked a net profit of 60 billion euros last year. there -- the ceo says writedowns in the u.s. and greece contributed "big-time" to the fall of. the plan to invest heavily in united states. the european court of human rights has slammed italy over

its treatment of migrants from north africa. >> the court ruled that the decision to send fleeing migrants back to libya was a violation of fundamental human rights. >> last year, 1500 people died trying to reach italy by crossing the mediterranean. >> the ruling handed down by the judges in strasbourg has implications, not just for italy, but dozens of questions across -- countries across europe. >> it is a clear indication that the high seas are not a lot rezone. -- law-free zone. >> they deported migrants to libya. they had an agreement with the gaddafi regime as part of the so-called "pushback policy." the court ruled that italy should have established whether the migrants work refugees. the ruling is timely.

>> it is a crucial moment for this judgment to be delivered, because italy is right now initiating a bilateral agreements with the new government of libya. >> the new government did not immediately respond to the judgments, which borders them to pay the migrant 16,000 euros in damages. they do not expect to get the money. >> we had good reasons to believe that, unfortunately. they were on one of the ships that was in a shipwreck. >> the ruling may save lives in the future. >> the european convention of human rights is also effective in international waters. rescue refugees cannot be sent back to countries they have fled. >> all right, coming up,

striking gold in germany. >> stay with us.

>> alright. welcome back, everyone. today was the day of commemoration for 10 people killed by a neo-nazi gang here in germany. >> it was also a chance to find closure for families of the victim's. >> they have been speaking out now that they know the truth behind their relatives deaths. >> snapshots are all she has left of her father. photos and memories of a happy childhood. >> he was always laughing. i liked that. >> ganza was 17 when her father was killed in april 2006. >> i used to look -- i never used to look at photos of my

father because the morning was so deep. now i like -- because the mourning was so deep. 1 like to look at pictures of him. >> he was a family man. >> we have a lot of pictures of him are being -- barbequing, which he loved to do. and after eating, we would play soccer together. it was a lot of fun. >> in april 2006, a gunman shot him. he was alone in the shop at the time. victim number eight of the terrorist group. initially, suspicion fell on him himself. police interrogated his relatives for hours, believing

there was a connection to crime or drug dealing. today, at his old newsstand is empty. the family lives a few blocks away, but they do not walk past year and more. it is too painful. ganza and her husband visit her mother almost daily. she is still traumatized. for years, the family suffered from the uncertainty, false accusations, and the suspicions. now they know who killed their husband and father. >> it is good that we now know the truth, that we are victims of terrorism. we are emotionally shattered. it is all coming back these days. is even worse. >> worse than at the time? >> yes. back then, it was having lost by father.

we did not know why. now we know why, and that hurts even more. because my father could still be alive. >> had law enforcement done their job better, he might be with his family today. sadness is what his daughter shares with all others who lost their loved ones because of neo- nazi terrorists. >> russians go to the polls march 4 to choose a new president. vladimir putin is expected to win easily. protests against his government have increased in recent months, but today supporters owned the public stage. >> it was not hard to find big crowds to take part in the march to the stadium. today is a public holiday in russia. we are all here now.

>> many joined the pro-clinton rally on iran, but others -- the post -- the pro-putin rally on the run, but others were coaxed. >> they asked me to come, and i did not want to create any trouble. >> a number of speakers told them the voting for was -- voting for putin was the patriotic thing to do. a vote for him was a vote for the country. >> to join us. work for your homeland. love it as we do. >> it was an appeal to russian patriotism. whether the message will translate in -- translates into

those next month, that is another matter altogether. >> at this rally, he wanted to show he is still capable of uniting russia. most likely he will win the presidential election in march, but to stay in power, he has to deliver more than tough talk. >> and if we have more on the gold rush in germany -- and we have more in the gold rush here and in germany. that is coming up in a few moments. >> dozens of been killed and hundreds more wounded in a series of bombings and shootings in iraq. violence in iraq has increased sharply since u.s. troops pulled out of the country in december. >> all in the same day, u.s. president barack obama offered a personal apology to the afghan people.

at least five individuals were reported killed in a fresh round of riots inspired by the burning of the karan near a u.s. air base. -- the burning of the koran near a u.s. airbase. >> the first talks after the death of kim jong-il in december. the two countries have been negotiating about pyongyang's nuclear program. >> a memorial service has been held at the cathedral in when a star is honoring the victims of yesterday's rail disaster. 1500 were killed and more than 650 injured. is believed to brake failure was the cause of the accident. >> prince daniel has announced that crown princess victoria has

given birth to a girl. the new princess was 51 centimeters long and weighed about 3.25 kilograms. the couple have not yet named their daughter. >> here is news of another positive surprise. construction crews struck gold in northern germany. >> while laying a gas pipeline, workers can across a 10,000 year-old fireplace, and historic burial ground, and pieces of pure gold from the bronze age. >> for archeologist, it is the find of a lifetime. >> it is one of the biggest treasures found not at the jewelers, but at the state office of preservation in hanover. almost two kilos of pure gold with the material value of 100,000 euros.

the historical value is priceless. >> it is like a prehistoric star chart. it is an extremely important find that will raise interest far beyond our state supporters. >> it was discovered by accident during the discovery of a natural gas pipeline. a worker found metal just under the surface of the field. researchers quickly realized the magnitude of the discovery and had soil removed. for months, they have been restoring and cleaning the object. research when don. -- research went on. >> it suggests that instead being one person's jewelry, the person who entered the bay -- the bad was probably -- the person who interred the bag was probably a jeweler.

>> authorities say these items could be on display to the public as early as next year. >> nice stuff. well, a lot of contemporary art gains popularity underground before making a big. in light of that fact, one of germany's most important art museums is opening a new underground link. >> art critics say the new expansion is anything but d'art. -- dark. it will be home to contemporary art and is fitted with dozens of skylights. >> the underground extension extends 6000 square meters and takes visitors on a journey through contemporary art. daylight floods the exhibition

space with 195 skylights. the cascade of light creates a completely new viewing experience. >> to see and feel the daylight. >> visitors are led into the room by a staircase. the walls are flexible and can be rearranged to complement the art hanging on them. it is a space that changes to fit the art. >> the museum has come full circle. we have now become a museum that depicts painting in the history of art and one that is always thinking about how a painting finds itself at present. >> people are flocking to admire something that is now as unique the art on display, like work

of this german artist, or the museum's more modern sculptures. >> nice stuff their. i am still working my way through the magnificent museums in berlin. >> now you have some skylights. >> thank you for watching "the journal." >> day with us on dw. -- stay with us on dw. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--