♪ >> hello, and welcome to "the journal," come if you live here from dw in berlin. >> our headlines for you at this hour -- the european union slats more sanctions on pro-russian separatists in the ukraine but fails to bring more action against russia itself. >> intelligence services believe that at least two europeans are among the islamic state militants latest beheading video. >> and german scientists take a look at one of the most modern vessels in the world.

>> a summit dedicated to finding a common strategy to dealing with the ukraine conflict has ended with an emphasis on dialogue with moscow rather than confrontation. >> while european union foreign ministers did approve more sanctions for individual separatists, they backed off from new sanctions against russia itself. >> the foreign minister was on hand at that summit, receiving support strictly limited to the civil sector of the country. >> warm gestures and clear words, the ukrainian foreign minister and eu foreign-policy chief met early on monday in brussels to find that you sign an accord. part of the european attempt to help ukraine implement urgent at -- urgent economic and institutional reforms. >> it allowed the european union to start a mission to assist the authorities on restructuring the civilian security of the country. we will start on december 1. >> ministers are divided on the

need for tougher sanctions. lithuania insist that they can make a difference. >> if it is possible, i don't know, we will discuss it. >> the eu has agreed to add more separatist to a blacklist of people facing travel bans by the end of the month. the message to moscow is that you want dialogue. -- eu wants dialogue. the german foreign minister thinks that they should open talks. >> maybe it would make sense to bring portal -- to bring both organizations, one of which is more of a nucleus, into contact. we should see if there is truly reason for worry, given the nervousness and concerns that have caused so much public contention. >> she has indicated that she might pay a visit to the russian president in moscow.

>> our brussels correspondent has been following today's meetings and joins us now live. it looks like some mixed signals coming out of brussels, especially at a time when the conflict in the eastern ukraine could easily explode and become a full-scale war. what did the summit come up with, exactly? >> it is fair to say that today's decision is part of a bigger plan on the part of the ministers. on the one hand, they want to show russia that they do keep up the pressure. on the other hand, they don't want to apply to much pressure and in danger diplomatic efforts. simply because the economic sanctions already have an impact on the russian economy. a strong impact, in fact. that is what the german foreign minister said. of course, also, there is the effect of these economic sanctions where a lot of russian

investors and international investors have her treated from the russian market. >> moscow does not look like it is prepared to change its policy towards eastern ukraine. what is the you prepared to do if they keep their current policy in place? >> i think that today's main message was to find alternative ways to resolve this conflict. the answer is if these alternative ways are not found and do not work, the answer is that we will see more of the same. more economic sanctions, more diplomatic efforts. the reason is simply because there is no alternative to a diplomatic approach, because a military option is clearly not on the table. a lot of eu countries are simply dependent on russian gas supplies. >> ok, a lot of things being considered on both sides there.

thank you. >> this political impasse comes as the fighting in the ukraine continues to escalate. a series of loud explosions and artillery fire have been heard at the airport. >> ukrainian troops have been battling for control of the strategically important city for months. the conflict has killed over 4000 people. >> in another important development, on the ground in the eastern ukraine the governor of an eastern province has ordered the removal of 117 lenin statues in less than one month. nationalists see them as a symbol of former soviet oppression. and moscow's continued dominance of their country. >> our reporter went to the province in order to track down members of a far right nationalist group. they say that violence is the only way to solve the crisis in the east.

>> honor to ukraine, honor to its euros. the men chanting this are members of the far right party on the mission in the region of eastern ukraine to destroy statues of the first soviet leader. they have pulled down more than 60 of the monuments in the past few weeks. >> we are doing this because lenin's statues are symbols of totalitarianism. he was responsible for the deaths of millions of ukrainians. >> the governor ordered the purge of the lenin statues, many of which can still be found in the region's more remote villages. the deadline for their removal is november 24, but not everyone is behind the move. this village is home to 3000 people and many residents are not bothered by the mementos of

the communist past. >> we have nothing against him. we did not build him. let him stay where he is. >> he is not a problem for us. he is a piece of our history. >> he doesn't bother me, leave him alone. >> let those sentiments are not enough to save this statue of lenin, corrected in 1957 on the soviet unions 40th anniversary. to avoid conflict, they do it late at night when people are asleep. they believe they are acting on the will of the majority. >> local administrators are not following the government's directive to destroy the statues . it is more of a recommendation than an order and we are making sure it gets implemented. >> the demolition squad is keeping the best of the heads.

they say that they want to put them on display in the future in a museum dedicated to soviet rule in ukraine. >> in other words, western intelligence agencies are working to identify islamic state diligence seen in the video of an american aid worker being beheaded. >> a french official says that as many as two of the militants could be french and there are unconfirmed reports that another is british. >> they have held a ceremony for the young man in his hometown of indiana. >> mourners gathered around the vigil. the 26-year-old converted to islam in captivity, changing his name to abdul. his parents were also among those commemorating the iraq war veteran, who became heavily involved in helping the victims of the syrian civil war. in 2012 he moved to lebanon and founded a small a group.

he was kidnapped the following year while delivering supplies in eastern syria. after 12 months in captivity, he was murdered. islamic state released a video of the execution style slaying. footage is believed to show another extremist to has joined. these images were released online, but can't -- the convert reportedly joined last year. >> our intelligence services have analyze your video and are attempting to establish a highly probable scenario that a french citizen may have directly participated in committing these horrible crimes. >> french authorities believe that a second frenchman that appears in the video, a man from wales told british authorities that he leave his son was among the militants. the man has since recounted that claim.

>> the islamic state is operating at will in parts of neighboring lebanon. increasingly they are taking captives for ransom, selling them off in the region's growing slave markets. a correspondent in beirut met with some of the relatives and sent us this report. >> a stone's throw from the lebanese parliament sits a protest camp. a gathering point for relatives of people held hostage by the islamic state. his son was kidnapped in august. >> what did this boy do to anyone, that he was taken hostage? i raised him for 30 years, he is my only child, and now i must experience this? >> they attacked the border city at the beginning of august. several soldiers and policemen hostage. they beheaded two of them.

now the militants want to exchange some of the hostages were fighters held in lebanon. refused. >> many are following closely what has happened to the hostages and their families. however on the streets there are mixed feelings about whether the islamic state is an imminent threat to lebanon. >> god willing, i hope they don't come here, they are very dangerous. they don't think like us, they only want to kill us. it is dangerous and chaotic. >> if we can come together as lebanese to support the army, then they can hurt us. and but if we cannot unite against them to make them feel unwelcome? then things could get as bad here as they are in iraq. >> politicians are split over how to proceed. some observers say that that could play into the hands of the

militants, allowing them to build a network of supporters in lebanon. >> the islamic state tried to benefit from the division of differences and opposition, yet the ideology of the islamic state is not really excepted by the moderate community that has long been a moderate community in lebanon. >> this woman's brother is a hostage. she still holds out hope that the government will negotiate. >> we live in constant fear that there will be more killing. we hope that those who have been killed already are the last that have to die. >> for now, the vigil continues, with no end in sight. >> other news now, slovakia and the czech republic have been commemorating the 25th anniversary of the follow-up communism in that country.

>> thousands turn out in prague, many prominent individuals were in attendance. the czech president did not get quite as warm a welcome. hundreds of demonstrators protested against him as being too friendly with moscow. >> the events of 1989 have changed the face of europe and a whole new generation has grown up in a free and democratic society. >> it is often difficult for them to imagine what it must of been like under communism. that is why the checks have resorted to some unusual methods to teach the younger generation about exactly what happened 25 years ago. >> they seek to explain to a new generation the excitement of the 1989 protests and the fear of the police.

berlin wall had fallen, thousands of students gathered in downtown prague to demand an end to communist rule. an initial police crackdown only cause the numbers to swell. within days this czech dissident was leaving hundreds of thousands of protesters through the city's streets. one world away for life today in prague. >> it is tough to explain to children today the overall atmosphere of the time, what we were allowed to do, what was banned, what would get us into real trouble and how complicated everything was. >> it was a story with a happy ending. the uprising stayed peaceful. the following month the new president was sworn in in czechoslovakia, splitting the czechoslovakia -- the republic. today both countries are members of the european union.

unthinkable just 25 years ago. >> we are going to a short break. stay with us. >> you would like to study in germany and you still have lots of questions? you will find everything you want to know right here. information on nurses, qualifications, cost, and much more. the first port of call for anyone interested in studying in germany.

>> welcome back. nigeria has once again been hit i a terrorist attack. >> sunday evening a female suicide bomber blew herself up in a market, killing eight people. most of the boko haram attacks have taken place in the northeast, where the militants are trying to establish an islamic state. the nigerian government and army have proved powerless to halt their widening reign of terror. >> for a closer look at the situation we have our reporters there, they traveled to the city where members of the muslim and christian communities are turning to each other for protection against the threats. >> fish is expensive in northeastern nigeria. gloria used to frequently cook

it for her husband and her four children. now it is rarely on the menu because she has 20 additional mouths to feed. family and friends who have fled the terrorist group. >> what they are doing has nothing to do with religion. the muslims ray in their mosques, the christians and churches, they live peacefully together here. that is how it has been for years. >> they come from villages to the north, where the army is fighting boko haram. for years the group has been terrorizing the people. over 5000 have been killed this year alone. she fled her village just a few days ago.

>> i suddenly heard shots and explosions and i just ran away. i still don't know where two of my children are. >> she is a muslim, thankful to her christian host. there are thousands like her here, most living in private homes or being supported by the church. with food donations, for example. every day the bishop and his congregation try to do their bit to help. >> if you know someone, donate for the displaced. >> the congregation has been collecting for the refugees for months. despite the widespread poverty in the region. the bishop says more than 3000 families are dependent on church donations. >> we don't discriminate. we welcome anybody that comes here.

>> northern nigeria is predominantly muslim. many fear that boko haram are perverting the spirit of their faith. in their propaganda videos the terrorist group says that they want to introduce sharia law across nigeria and create an islamic state. but it is also responsible for the deaths of thousands of muslims. >> in the end, it is not religious. >> gloria is confident, despite his difficulties. she sells snacks in her neighborhood, earning just over two euros per day. >> the people are working for our house. >> is that enough? >> it is not enough. >> despite her worries over money, she is prepared to take in more refugees, no matter

whether they are christian or muslim. >> peace talks have been suspended in columbia after leftist rebels kidnapped and army general. >> the colombian military has launched a massive search operation to rescue the officer. the surprise capture has led to a government crisis as they try to put an end to centuries of fighting with foreign rebels. >> the media says they are -- that he is the first army general captured in the five decades long conflict. abductive along with two other people while visiting an energy project in the west of the country. the government response was swift. >> peace negotiators were going to lead a new round of peace talks. i will order the negotiators not to travel.

negotiations will be suspended until things are clarified and the captives are released. >> he entered peace talks with the government two years ago after suffering a series of setbacks. while controversial, the process has raised hopes that the long-running insurgency in columbia could come to an end. but the rebels have stepped up attacks in months. of ducting to soldiers just last week. the guerrilla army has stopped the long-running practice of genetic civilians for ransom, but they still see military hostages as legitimate targets. >> moving on to romania, and ethnic german mayor has pulled off a shocking victory in the country's presidential election. >> he has secured about 54% of the vote and according to some initial results he ran on an anticorruption platform and has found deep change.

>> his surprise victory is being seen as the biggest electoral upset in romanian history. voters it -- voters expect him to implement needed political and economic reforms. >> romanians have voted for profound transformation. not only of romanian politics, but also of romanian society. the citizens understood and accepted my offer to change the way that politics is done here. >> the center-right politician vows to crack down on corruption and forge deeper ties with the european union and nato, something that many here want. >> there is a powerful desire for change here. turnout was high above all expectations. showing that the voters are tired of corruption and leaders that have no values. >> the 55-year-old is a relatively comer to politics, working as a physics teacher

before becoming the mayor. he is also an ethnic german, explaining his appeal for some voters who see in him typical german traits. >> it's very, very good that he is one. let's see a different way of thinking, different leadership. a german is a german, wherever you put him. >> but he will face a hostile majority in parliament after he is sworn in next month. >> time for some business, it is official, japan has slipped back into recession, gdp shrinking again in the third quarter. stocks took a nosedive on monday. the yen fell to its lowest level against the dollar in seven years. >> the prime minister might be forced to rethink some of his economic policies, especially a planned tax increase. many expect them to implement new elections. a win would show that support

for his policies remains strong despite the setbacks. well, onto monday's market action in europe, where shares reversed earlier options after one week of confirming plans to increase the economic stimulus program. our correspondent has a summary on the day's trading action. >> japan, in a recession, no one expected this bad news. the index is reacting with losses. the guess is that this negative data might lead to further stimulus for the economy, leading to a recovery. shares of a german drugmaker had the best performance thanks to cooperation with pfizer. pfizer is going to buy the rights of a cancer drug developed by merck, and they can expect a payment of more than 2 billion euros. the shares have been on the highest level ever.

>> in frankfurt we have a quick look at monday's numbers. euro stoxx 50, doing even better on wall street at this hour. the dow, trading at a level of 17 645, just barely up in positive territory, the euro trading down. >> british health authorities are looking to identify a strain of bird flu detected on a farm in northern england. >> officials are calling all the birds on the premises. on sunday this strain of the bird flu was found on a poultry farm in the netherlands. >> a state-of-the-art research ship has been delivered to german scientists. it is the world's most modern scientific research vessel. >> eight laboratories on board,

it will search the oceans for rare raw materials. >> the 116 meter long research vessel is one of the most modern ships in the world. up to 40 scientists on board will record data from the depths of the world's oceans. as i >> it will provide information on the climate and climate change. it will reveal how microorganisms live under such extreme conditions. and it will provide data on minerals and ores on the ocean floor. >> the hydro acoustic center will bring the ocean to life. the echo sounder or sonar will map the wild one doesn't allow mothers of steel rope will be used to take samples from the ocean floor. the maiden voyage is planned for

2015. >> before we go, this update, scientists ever ordered data from the comet lander before it ran out of electricity. it shows that the hard surface of the comet is covered by about 12 centimeters of dust. >> previously they only knew that the comment was made of rock tom eyes, and dust. it is the first ever human made object to touchdown on a comet racing through space. >> we are hoping the battery will charge when it hits the sun. >> a little bit of sunshine. >> that is all for now. thank you for joining us. thank you for joining us.

♪ >> hello and welcome to "focus on europe," showing you the personal stories behind the headlines of the people you don't usually hear from. i'm damien mcguinness. i'm really pleased you could join us on the program today. in spain, why its local women who are doing the heavy lifting. while italy, meanwhile, is struggling with the weight of history. and why russian villages are dancing to their own tune under the strength of sanctions, but first, to a spanish town in north africa. because it is