>> hello and welcome to the "journal" from dw in berlin. >> welcome to the show. our top stories this hour -- east jerusalem is on a knife's edge after a palestinian driver mows down pedestrians, killing policemen and injuring nine. how must says it is behind the attack. >> a body blow for president obama as republicans take control of old chambers of commerce. what does this mean for american politics? >> millions of rail passengers brace for a disruption is germany's train drivers announced the longest strike in history.

>> police in jerusalem say they shot dead a palestinian man who drove his car into a crowd of people, killing one person and wounding several others. >> this comes as tensions continue to rise between palestinians and israelis across the city. there has been more unrest at a site considered one of the most sensitive in the middle east. >> emergency workers rushed to treat the people wounded in the attack. the driver rammed his car into pedestrians before hitting others in the crowd with an iron bar. he injured severing people -- he injured seven people before he was shot and killed by police. it comes to weeks after a similar attack in jerusalem. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu says hamas is to blame for the violence there. >> the running attack in jerusalem is a direct result of the incitement by mahmoud abbas and his partners in how must --

hamas. we are in a continuous battle over jerusalem, which i have no doubt will win. >> earlier, scuffles broke out outside a mosque. muslim protesters threw stones and firecrackers at israeli security forces. the clashes took place as jewish worshipers attempted to visit the compound, a holy site for both jews and muslims. police shut the site for the second time in seven days after the incident. it was also closed last week after protests sparked by the shooting of a jewish activist. there were further clashes in other parts of jerusalem. an arab lawmaker accosted police, asking if they wanted to shoot the boy with her after they threw stun grenades at

protesters. the clashes continued into the night. both israeli and hamas leaders have accused the other of fueling tensions just months after a conflict between the two sides devastated gaza. >>let's cross over to jerusalem now where our correspondent is standing by. we are obviously witnessing a wave of violence in east through solemn that could have wrought are implications. jordan has now recalled its ambassador, and palestinians are accusing israel of wanting to start a religious war. how serious is this escalation? >> this is the worst violence we have seen in jerusalem since 2005. hamas took responsibility for today's attack, which is a strange kind of attack. a guy just drove a truck into a crowd of people at a tram stop, and got out and wielding an iron bar started hitting people until he was shot dead by police. that was followed by violence and very as parts of the city centers on a holy site to both

muslims and jews, and which has been the focus of protests in recent weeks. >> so the most violence in nearly a decade. why is this escalation happening now? what is fueling it? >> there has been trouble in jerusalem ever since july when a palestinian teenager was abducted and murdered by israelis. that came in the middle of an ongoing search for the killer of three israeli teenagers in the west bank, which got hundreds of palestinians arrested. that has fueled deep resentment among palestinians, and it was followed almost immediately in july and august by the israeli attack on hamas, and all this has been accompanied by a series of announcements of new israeli settlements in and around east jerusalem, so there's an awful lot of different factors all calm and aiding in this wave of violence we are seeing at the moment. >> what is the mood among

israelis now in the wake of the car accident. are they bracing for more attacks? >> israelis are very concerned that there will be more of these attacks. the problem is that somebody driving a car or truck does not look like a terrorist, and the palestinians are also concerned that they will be suffering as well as do the israeli crackdown. both sides really teetering on the edge. last week, and attempted assassination of an israeli activist. someone tried to kill him, and he was been killed in a shootout by police. that provoked more protests and more violence. at the moment, things seem to be escalating. there's a danger they could grow out of control. >> thank you very much. >> now to that other story dominating the headlines -- a wave of voter frustration with the u.s. administration has all but washed out the democrats. it's republicans now who are in the driver's seat after their sweeping victory in midterm

elections. >> they have retaken the senate and increased their control of the house of representatives. this is going to mean a policy and strategy rethink for president obama and his democrats. >> and a moment, we'll speak to our correspondent in washington. >> but first, it closer look at last night's results. >> mitch mcconnell has won his sixth term as republican senator for kentucky. >> are you having a good time? >> he is now expected to take over one of the most powerful roles in washington -- that of senate majority leader. both houses of congress,trollin- president obama will find it even more difficult to set the political agenda. democrats won 11 senate races, all in states they already held. republican senate candidates one and 21 states, including seven that have been held by democrats. the republican sweep was even bigger than expected. >> what the current crowd in

washington is offering is making us weaker both at home and abroad. americans have had enough. >> the result reflects a growing disillusionment with barack obama. this in spite of low unemployment and a recovering economy. obama's critics accuse him of incompetence at home and weakness in international affairs and said democrats want to increase the role of government in people's lives. many democratic candidates attended to distance themselves from president obama to no avail -- attempted to distance themselves from president obama to no avail. >> obama said "they are voting for my policies if they are voting for the democrats," and that is hurting democrats. >> people are starting to open up and realize that obama is mostly just big speeches. >> after the results were clear, the white house invited congressional leaders to meet with the president on friday to explore how the two parties can work together in the next

congress. >> for more now, let's go to our correspondent in washington. tell us more about the scope of the gop victory. what all did republicans actually wind in this election? >> i think it is a very, very significant victory. republicans pulled off major victories in key states, gaining seven new senate seats so far because we still are awaiting results from alaska, and there will also be a runoff in louisiana. republican candidates also swept key gubernatorial races across the country. for example, i live in maryland, a deeply blue, deeply democratic state. even there they won. the last time i think a republican won a governor's race in maryland was in 2002. even in illinois, obama's home state, bruce around her -- bruce rauner ousted democrat governor

pat quinn. governor scott brown in wisconsin is on the republican shoulders as a 2016 presidential candidate. >> democrats have taken a beating in this election, but that is customary for the party that holds presidency to get beaten up in these midterms. that is the result solely attributable to anti-obama sentiment, or were republicans offering something that voters actually wanted? >> very good question. republicans have made dissatisfaction with the president their primary campaign message, but you are right -- they have also put forward a positive agenda. they would like to see, for example, a comprehensive tax reform. this would probably mean lowering some rates and making up for the lost revenue by closing tax loopholes. they need to be willing, i think, to compromise on immigration reform, but this may

be kind of difficult. we will see. >> thank you very much for that announcement. >> next to that ongoing crisis playing out in the tiny west african nation of burkina faso, still dealing with the fallout from violent protests that led to the ouster of the country's president. >> the delegation of west african leaders arrived in the capital for crisis talks with the country's new leader. the presidents of ghana, nigeria, and senegal urged the country to sit -- to a point a two-part government. >> burkina faso has been in political turmoil since the former ruler was forced to step down. >> this was the same late last week in the capital when the country's president tried to push an amendment through parliament aimed at extending his 27 years in office.

he even took to the streets to protest. several were killed in clashes with security forces. during the turmoil, he fled, and the army appointed the lieutenant colonel to lead the country. the presidents of senegal, nigeria, and ghana are in burkina faso to urge him to cede power to an interim government as soon as possible. the three west african leaders held talks with him as well as representatives from the country's opposition. some politicians say that unless a transition is arranged before 18 of-week deadline imposed by the african union expires, people will take to the streets again. >> if there is no allusion in the next 12 to 13 days, the people will go back to demonstrating. those who died during the demonstration should not have died for nothing. but we think that something will happen before the 12 days

expire. >> meanwhile, families of those who lost their lives in the unrest moore and their relatives . victor's brother was shot dead during the protests. >> my brother was taken down by a bullet along with many others because of the campaign. we can call them martyrs. they took to the streets en masse, and they saved the whole of burke and a faso. i call them heroes -- national heroes. >> but victor says he worries that unless the power vacuum is resolved, the struggle to bring in new leadership will not lead to any real change. >> the islamic state has managed to mobilize people across the world fo its jihadist fight. >> in germany alone, 40 investigations are currently under way into people thought to

have links with the group. >> so far, two cases have gone to trial. the latest went to court on tuesday in stuttgart. >> the man at the center of the case is a 24-year-old from stuttgart. his lawyers say he has made a full confession and hopes to put his islamist past behind him. prosecutors say he traveled to syria in summer of 2013 where he joined islam and state -- islamic state. he later returned to germany to buy equipment for the group, helped by his brother and a friend. >> this case shows us that the syrian conflict is not confined to that country. it affects us here in germany, too. people are being recruited here. >> in total, some 40 germans are currently under investigation over suspected links to islamic state. the most prominent is a former rapper, who is thought to belong to the group's inner circle. the jihadist video has surfaced showing him present at murders

by i.s. fighters. prosecutors believe the man on trial in stuttgart committed much lesser crimes. they say he became involved in militant circles during a personal crisis after the death of his child and a divorce. >> time for a short break now. when we return, a railroad strike that is threatening to cripple germany's rail system. >> freight train drivers already walked out on wednesday. they will be joined by passenger train drivers at 2:00 a.m. look at how a small union is managing to paralyze german transport and when it wants to get trains rolling again. >> we also have a lot more business news coming up for you, including a round up of the market action. >> we will see you in exactly 60 seconds. stick around.

>> welcome back. a four-day rail strike has hit europe's biggest economy. freight services are already affected here in germany. passenger trains will come to a halt early thursday morning. >> drivers want more pay and a shorter working week. the union called industrial action after talks with the railway company collapsed. >> the national campaign comes as many germans travel to berlin this weekend to celebrate 25 years since the fall of the wall . >> the strike has already crippled the railway's freight sector. wednesday, a last-minute attempt to persuade passenger train drivers to attend arbitration talks failed. >> we maintain that we will enter arbitration only after we have tried to come to an agreement through negotiation and failed to do so.

>> the dispute is about more than higher pay and shorter hours. the small gdl train drivers union wants the right to negotiate on behalf of other rail workers, like onboard train stewards. chancellor merkel says their industrial action is out of all proportion to its size. >> strikes are a legitimate part of pay disputes, but there is an obligation that they should be proportionate. so we can only appeal to a sense of responsibility and urge the sides to try to find a solution that will cause as little damage as possible to our country. >> the transport minister warned the union not to play power games at the expense of rail passengers and industry. >> there is a legal aspect to consider if industrial action is disproportionate. the matter can be settled in court. >> there appears to be little chance of a quick solution to the dispute syrian rail

pasengers are scrambling to find alternative travel solutions. >> well, let's get you some background now to the story. our political correspondent joins us now run our parliamentary studio. great to see you. how bad is this? can a few thousand rail workers really throw a spanner in the works of europe's biggest economy? >> not for now, but if this strike were to go on for longer than those planned for days, it certainly would be a real possibility. this is highlighted by the fact that the german chancellor today took the very unusual step for chancellor angela merkel to actually call for arbitration, call both sides to find a pragmatic solution that keeps the struggle here in proportion. just to throw some figures at you, 17% of goods are ptransported by rail here in germany, and there are some sensitive industries like the

automobile industry in the chemical industries, both very big industries here in germany, that could be hit quite hard if they strike were to go on for very long. >> what would it take for both parties to get out of this deadlock? >> well, orting to the gdl, the rail union, the head of which is becoming a more controversial figure by the minute here in germany almost, it will take quite week steps. we heard in the report this is about a lot more than just more pay and less working hours. this is on a point of principle. the union wants to not just be sitting at the table when those other groups of rail staff negotiate their pay and working conditions. they want to have a real say. they want to become a bigger union, be allowed to have more members, negotiate for them.

of course, they have in the back of their minds that there is legislation on the way that might threaten gdl's very existence. that is possibly why this fight is so fierce. >> thank you very much for that. time now for some business news. it has been an offbeat day for europe's equity markets after the last -- lackluster performance. stocks bounced back. our financial reporter in frankfurt sent us a summary of the days trading. >> in the past, nearly always, after american midterm elections, stock markets rose during the following months on average by 8% during the three months after the election, and this not with ending which party won. that's why this wednesday, the day after the election in the u.s., stop our kids were higher also here in europe, also here in germany. adding to this come the majority of earnings reports coming in managed to beat analyst

expectations. for example, several companies all reported not so bad earnings over the summer months, and they all had positive outlooks for investors, which caused stock prices of these companies to rise this wednesday. >> we stay in frankfurt where the dax ended the day on a high note, rising by more than 1.5%. the euro stoxx 50 surged by almost 2%. across the atlantic, trading, of course, is still under way on wall street, but the gop midterm win has traders cheering. the dow is currently trading almost .5 percent up, and on currency markets, one euro will get you $1.14. >> and soccer action, bayern munich can confirm their qualification for the next round of the champions league tonight. >> they need at least a draw in

their home game against roma. they thrashed the italian side 7-1 when the teams met just over two weeks ago. another victory would mean they are guaranteed to finish top of their group. dortmund have already confirmed their passage to the next round. they continue the jekyll and hyde season, securing their spot in the whole thing. >> they are third from last in the table in the bundesliga. >> dortmund pass second victory required patience. the istanbul signs defense finally gave way. after the break, germans raised the pressure. dortmund conceded before the lead was extended to 3-1.

>> we played strongly in both matches and deserve both our wins. whether so lopsided, i don't know. >> fans put out an unwelcome spectacle. they started throwing flares and fireworks onto the pitch. they vowed to parlay their champions league form into their bundesliga performance. >> we wanted to win today but also to raise our game. i saw that happen, and we will build on it. >> dortmund will get the chance to do so on sunday. >>'s we've been telling you this week, germany is gearing up for a big anniversary. this sunday marks 25 years since the walls separating east from west fell. >> very big anniversary. dw will be accompanying celebrations here in berlin over

the weekend. we do hope you will join us for our comprehensive coverage here from the german capital. in the run-up to november 9, we've been showcasing individual stories all week of what it was like to be here back when the wall fell in 1989. >> today, we hear from an editor of our sports show kickoff. we watched it all unfold. >> west berlin's theater. november 9, 1989. leading the performance, little did he know that the real drama was about to begin. then he heard on the radio the border to east berlin was opening. >> i recognize that something truly incredible was happening. so we drove down to the checkpoint to see for ourselves what was going on.

>> today, it's not that easy to locate where the wall once stood. but 25 years ago, this was the site of one of the first openings on that historic night. >> a telephone booth stood here about 50 meters from the border itself. the first thing i did was call my mother who was born in east germany. i told her the border was open, and she just cried. >> it was an unforgettable moment for him, which he also wanted to experience at the brandenburg gate.

there, the border was still closed. but then the crowd stormed the wall. he was among those who climbed up from the west. these images became icons. >> i don't even remember the exact moment i climbed over anymore. i only know i was on the other side at some point and start to walk through the brandenburg gate. >> he was one of the first west berliners to pass through the gate that evening. >> when you look at the original pictures from that night, neither before nor since have i seen a greenish lighting that gave the whole evening a ufo feeling. it was one of the most amazing moments in my life, to be lucky enough to walk through the brandenburg gate. >> and to witness history being made on the day the berlin wall

fell. >> one of many very moving stories for people who witnessed that incredibly powerful moment. >> it's great to get that first hand account. it's incredible to have that. >> we do hope you will be with us over the weekend when we provide coverage of the anniversary of the fall of the wall. >> for now, thanks for watching. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

on july 1st, 2014, the 17th anniversary of hong kong's return to china after british rule, a pro-democracy protest was held involving about 500,000 people.