♪ >> this is your news, coming to you live from dw in berlin. >> our top stories at this hour. request denied. greece asks the european union to extend its bailout loan. germany says no deal. >> defeated in debaltseve. ukraine says sending in u.n. peacekeepers is the only way to stop the fighting with rebels. >> and europe's struggle to deal with a surge of migrants arriving in lampedusa. the island is reaching its limit. ♪ is greece out of the eurozone? we may be closer than ever to an answer. >> athens sent a request to the

european union to have it loan requested -- extended by six months. the reaction from berlin was no. the german finance minister said the request lacked a proposal for a solution and accused greece of trying to keep the bailout without meeting the terms. >> there is only a week left until greece defaults on its debt. >> it was a previously unthinkable move. in accepting continued supervision by the ecb, imf, and eu the greek government recognized financial obligations to its creditors, but in talks to eurozone finance ministers athens called on its partners to show understanding for the country's financial difficulties. >> i believe all the conditions are there for a mutually beneficial solution tomorrow. and i believe this will be the result at tomorrow's euro group.

if any case, if there is a negation of this huge effort that has been made, each person will have to take responsibility. >> but in a frank statements, for german finance -- statement the german finance minister did not hide his disappointment. the letter from athens is no substantial proposal. in fact, it targets bridge financing without fulfillment of the demands of the program. the letter does not meet criteria agreed by the eurozone -- euro group on monday. germany's economics minister was keen to see more details. >> what needs to happen in the greek economy? how should reforms continue? how can we be sure reforms will be honest? the letter does not explain all that. that's why weneed to go on with negotiations. >> but the final decision must now be taken by all 19 euro zone

countries. finance ministers will meet in brussels on friday to look for a way out of the stalemate. >> our political correspondent terry martin joins us. russell's welcome to the request from athens as a first step -- a brussels welcomed the request methods as a first step. why is germany finding it differently? >> if you look at statements from berlin and brussels they are pretty much saying the same thing. of course, berlin is being specific in its rejection of the greek proposal. the spokesman for the german finance ministry said that the proposal is not a "substantive" proposal for a solution. that it does not recognize the criteria that were apparently agreed to on monday within the eurogroup. it says that it is more of a bridge financing request. but what brussels is saying is a bit more diplomatic. it says it is a first good step.

what is a first good step? it means it is not enough. so it seems that the eurogroup as a whole does not feel the request from athens contains the language it was looking for. >> does the finance minister wolfgang scheibe up -- wolfgang schaeuble's reaction nero the rest of the government? >> it has cost a little friction. one minister said that they should not be rejecting the greek proposal publicly at this point, but should view it more as a basis for negotiation. obviously the economics minister is looking ahead to friday, and the prospect of negotiations with the greeks again on this loan program that is supposed to take place in brussels. it is clear he does not want to prejudice those negotiations. >> those negotiations are looming on friday.

terry martin, thanks for joining us. >> let's check out business reaction. despite news that germany rejected greece's proposal as it stands, it failed to unnerve investors. most major markets finished with gains. this summary from frankfurt -- >> today's trading action was once again clearly dominated by the standoff between greece and the eurozone. we had a little bit of an uptick of momentum in the morning after greece came up with a better than expected offer. but then wolfgang schaeuble said the offer was not good enough and we immediately saw a little selloff here in the equity market. in general one has to say that traders are very pragmatic. they think that tomorrow we will seek some sort of solution, some sort of an agreement between both parties. that is why shares are actually gaining, and the dax could even

touch a new record high during today's trading session. >> we stay for a closer look at the numbers -- on the big board. at the finish, not too bad. dax finishing over 11,000 points. stoxx 50 up more than 0.6%. on wall street, the dow edging slightly lower and the euro trading lower against the greenback at a value of 1.1369. >> in ukraine, president petro poroshenko ordered the united nations to send -- asked the united nations to send peacekeepers. >> ukrainian troops gave up their last positions in a key crossroads city of debaltseve yesterday. >> the fighting comes despite renewed efforts to revive a cease-fire deal brokered last week. kiev says pro-russian rebels are setting up a new front and ignoring the cease-fire yet again.

>> these are the first images from debaltseve as pro-russian forces captured it. it is a scene of devastation. weeks of fighting have left the town in ruins. the debris of battle is everywhere. for the separatists it's a moment of triumph. they have -- leave no doubt about who won. "greetings from russia" says this fighter addressing ukraine's president. last week, kiev and the separatists agreed to pull back heavy weapons from the front line. but with the battle over, the big guns are still here. now the ukrainian military says there has been heavy shelling near another flashpoint. near the black sea another strategic hub still government-controlled. pro-key of troops say that further to the north -- pro-kiev

troops say that further to the north this checkpoint was attacked. >> we were controlling traffic when shrapnel hit my gun. >> a shell hit just a few meters away. ukraine continues to count its dead. officially, more than a dozen were killed during the pullout from debaltseve. will the latest cease-fire agreement collapse? in kiev, ukrainian president petro poroshenko called on the u.n. to make the deal work. >> we think peacekeepers are needed to ensure the truce is observed in the region, and to monitor the russian-ukrainian border and the region around donetsk and luhansk. >> poroshenko wants the mission to include eu police, but that was met with opposition from russia. the foreign ministry says it does not like the idea, because they want to give the minsk agreement more time to work. moscow says ukraine's government must ensure the agreement is viable. but in donetsk the separatists

seem to be expressing support for poroshenko's idea. the leader says the proposed peacekeepers months ago. >> so if they want to send peacekeepers we are not against it. let it go ahead. >> but even if they talk about peace, the separatists continue to establish forces on the ground. it is unclear if they will stop at debaltseve. >> our correspondent is standing by in kia. we heard that poroshenko is calling for peacekeepers. is this an admission that his own military can't stop the conflict? >> it is indeed an admission that the ukrainian army is obviously not capable to end this conflict without international help. the question of whether there will be weapon deliveries is still pending for the ukrainian army. let me come to this idea of

president poroshenko getting the eu and the united nations into the east to oversee this minsk agreement. there are questions behind that. for now there's an international mission on the ground of the osce. they already have a lot of to get to all the places they want to see. they are also missing a lot of people and materiel, in terms of reconnaissance drones. the question remains, what could be the -- would be the difference with a u.n. mission? >> president poroshenko seems to be willing to give the minsk agreement a chance. doesn't that exposing to a lot of criticism at home? >> the ukrainian army, especially commanders, have criticized him. but i have a feeling many people in the capital one piece. -- want peace.

it is about his role as commander in chief. the upcoming weekend will be crucial for president poroshenko. on maidan square behind me people will come from around the country to celebrate one year of their democratic revolution. the president is scheduled to speak tomorrow night here. we will see where his support stands at this point. >> the real question is, is the minsk agreement still alive? >> well, everybody is holding on to it. this country needs peace and a cease-fire, much more than russia or the rebels. because this country is in a disastrous economical situation and needs to reform. for now, it is still on the table. >> frank hoffman, thanks for joining us from kiev. we will go back to our stop -- top story now.

athens sending a request to the european union to have its loan extended. berlin said no. we will pull in our correspondent from greece. the fact that they asked to extend the loan, does that mean they are caving in to pressure? >> it is quite clear that greece has blinked first in this showdown and it is caving in to pressure. coming very close to the stance of its creditors. athens has effectively agron of its creditors confining itself to a program which alexis tsipras, the prime minister who came to power said he would tear to pieces. most importantly greece recognizes the program and continues to accept this supervision by a trio of institutions which it condemned in the past. so it is a major climb-down. >> voters have a lot of

expectations of the new government. how far can tsipras give in without losing face? >>. much more than what he has already done -- not much more than what he has already done, especially as far as this proposal is concerned. it will be a hard sell. mind you, negotiations are still taking place. it is not a final document, just a proposal. but we understand, even from his own party from within, a lot of noise is being made. if he does continue to climb down he will face problems, first from within his party then from the people. it is a very difficult situation for him right now. >> a tough position, indeed. thank you so much for joining us from athens. >> to asia now. in myanmar aid workers are

calling for a cease-fire in the eastern kokang region, where ethnic chinese rebels are fighting myanmar's army. >> earlier this week, the rebels ambushed a local red cross convoy. two eight workers were injured. president thein sein then declared a state of emergency for the area. scores of soldiers and rebels have been killed, and tens of thousands of civilians are trapped and attempting to flee. myanmar is now urging china to prevent rebel attacks from across its border. we have to take a short one-minute break. but coming up, one year in office for italy's premier. has he followed up on promises to reform the country? we take a closer look at that question. >> and, europe struggles to cope with a surge of migrants and asylum-seekers. the island of lampedusa is example number one. more coming up, after a short break. please stay with us.

>> welcome back. with greece's future in the eurozone unclear, leaders from across europe are reaching out to athens to find groundwork for an agreement. >> one of the leaders is italy's matteo renzi. he has been some pathetic to greece, partly because his country is facing serious economic woes of its own. >> renzi swept into office last february, vowing to transform italy's floundering economy and tackle corruption. now his message has changed. >> matteo renzi! >> when italy's prime minister took office exactly one year ago, he left no doubt that he intended to shake things up. but even -- not even 40 years old, he called himself "the scrapper," and vowed one report -- reform a month.

fulfilling that pledge has proved elusive. one important move was reforming labor laws that made it hard to lay off workers. the hope was that more flexibility would encourage companies to hire, a key factor in stimulant in the economy. but so far there's been little effect -- there has been little effect. at the end of 2014, italy slid into recession. people are disillusioned. these policies are being met with strikes and demonstrations. >> we are against renzi. it is all hot air. nobody understands what he's doing. europe's finance industry is the most important thing. the banks's interests, four hours -- come before hours. >> when alexis tsipras became prime minister of greece, some some parallels with renzi. but renzi has been quick to make clear that there will not be a

mediterranean pact against austerity. in brussels, eu officials have come to respect the young italian leader. the country may be struggling economically, but politically it has stabilized under a prime minister who has pledged to push ahead with reform. >> italy is changing. not because europe demands it, but because it is the right way to go. the road to reform must not be blocked. instead, we must speed up perform. >> one year on renzi's balance sheet is mixed. he managed to push through only a few of the reforms he promised. he started referring to 1000-day reforms. in rome, they say he started as a sprinter but has since become an endurance runner. >> renzi has a lot on his plate internationally. just a few hundred kilometers south of sicily, the country's

former colony of libya has collapsed into conflict in recent months. >> in the resulting lawlessness thousands of people have been escaping or transiting through libya for europe, making the journey across a narrow stretch of the mediterranean to the italian island of lampedusa. for them, it is a getaway to europe because of how close it is to africa. >> just a few thousand people live on lampedusa. in recent days, services have been stretched to the limit by the number of migrants arriving. >> lampedusa's migrant reception center overrun by thousands of desperate people. staff is struggling to cope. the center was designed to fit half as many. this fence is meant keep migrants within the center's ground. -- grounds. it is broken, and several people have escaped. but lampedusa is barren and craggy. the arrivals will find it difficult to avoid recapture. most survived a difficult and

dangerous journey to the island across a stormy mediterranean sea. >> the guy who was driving he said "sorry, guys." why, why? he said, the boat stopped working. >> lampedusa's reception center is designed for emergencies. it has long been a first stop for displaced people arriving in europe, but the u.n. says it has not lived up to its mission in recent days. there are sickly too many people. -- simply too many people. food and water have been running short. if too many people arrive, a humanitarian crisis threatens. >> germany has become the second-most popular destination for migrants, behind the united states. >> the country has struggled to do with the influx of people, especially from countries beyond europe. >> an immigration boom is

underway in germany. the first half of last year brought 670,000 new arrivals. that's an increase of 20% over the same period in 2013. most newcomers are from the eu. many germans welcome that. but a new survey shows that 61% of germans oppose immigration from non-eu states. in europe as a whole 57% share that view. opposition is especially strong in italy. immigration is a divisive topic in germany. since january more and more people from kosovo have come seeking asylum. but they have almost no chance of getting in. the government has put fast-track procedures in place for these applicants. instead of taking six months, a response is now due within two weeks. >> there is no persecution in kosovo neither in terms of religion, race, or politics. we need to help kosovo economically and that's a task for the entire eu. >> refugee organizations say

they are worried the basic right to asylum in germany is being watered down. they also say that kosovars may appeal against rejections, allowing them to stay longer in germany. >> years after unification, east and west are still struggling from major differences according to a new survey published 25 years after the fall of the berlin wall. >> overall the difference, perceived or otherwise, between eastern and western germans is narrowing. the younger they are, the less it seems to matter. >> scenes of euphoria and national unity. this was how germans celebrated new year's 1990, weeks after the wall fell. but the party didn't last long. many east germans became disillusioned, suffering mass unemployment and social upheaval. the demolition of east germany's parliament and other landmarks also hurt.

now 25 years after the wall fell, a new study asks of germans are living in one country or two. researchers say it depends. >> generally, we can say that the youngest cohort, those born after reunification do not differ based on east or west german heritage. what unites them is that they think globally. >> the study shows germans are growing closer on some issues. in 1991, 40 percent of east germans supported democracy, compared to three quarters of west germans. in 2014, that figure was 70% in the east and 80% in the west. another finding, many western germans adopted some east german attitudes. for instance, that women belong in the workplace. >> here, west germany has taken a leaf out of east germany's book. >> but there's still a huge gap in how germans regard the past. most germans west and east, agree that east germany was a dictatorship.

but only a minority of east germans think it was a place were people had no rights. nearly three quarters of west germans think that. last november, this was how germany celebrated a quarter-century since the wall fell. analysts say the study demonstrates that despite unification, germans are not always united. >> germany's job market is booming despite the ongoing euro crisis. but at the same time, poverty is also on the rise, according to figures from a german charity. >> it says 12.5 million people struggle to make ends meet, a number which has fallen since german reunification. but the gap between rich and poor is widening. those in need are mainly pensioners and single parents with most earning less than 60% of the average wage. tell a bit of sports news now. fifa will allow qatar to hold the world cup in november and december 2022, according to a

report in "sports illustrated." . fifa's decision to award the world cup to qatar has come under heavy criticism. many say the country is simply too hot to host the championship in summer. they mocked proposals to install air conditioning in soccer stadiums. "sports illustrated" says next week fifa will formally recommend a shift to the winter for the event. >> champions league soccer is now in the knockout stage. in the first leg, schalke faced off against titleholders real madrid in the final 16 p >> cristiano ronaldo -- in the final 16. >> cristiano ronaldo put one in. defeating schalke 2-0. >> basel took an early lead over porto. but with less than 10 minutes left porto equalized on penalty. final score 1-1.

finally, steve -- it is the year of the sheep in china. in english, it is known as the year of the goat or the year of the ram. >> mandarin chinese does not distinguish. they are just animals with cloven hoofs. to some westerners, that is also the sign of the devil. astrology struck in the signs -- astrologists reckon the signs are anything but good. >> just after midnight in beijing, the chinese new year is welcomed with the tolling of a massive bell. for hours, fireworks lit up the skies as millions celebrated the beginning of the year of the sheep in asia. >> i hope i can have my own home and that i can also have a bigger restaurant,. making a bit of money would be enough. >> for the year of the sheep i hope everyone can be very happy the whole family happy together. >> but according to fortunetellers the year of the

sheep is anything but under a lucky star. they predict accidents an unstable economy and even war. with such a gloomy outlook for the next 12 months, many visited the temple in the hope of appeasing those higher powers so they might be spared and find their personal good fortune instead. >> don't get too crazy. they will call you a lunatic. [laughter] >> that's all for this edition of the "journal." mourners for you at -- more news for you at the top of the hour. . [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

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