brian: i -- laila: live from the dw studios in berlin, this is your world news. i'm laila harrak. laila: i'm -- brian: i'm brian thomas. laila: light mh 17 shot down over ukraine. -- flight mh 17 shot down over ukraine. new reports say germany's new of the danger and remained silent -- say germany knew of the danger and remain silent. brian: and profits tumble. we begin this program in nepal

where the country's worth earthquake in almost a century has claimed more than 4000 lives. supplies are not getting through to hard-hit regions and hospitals are overcrowded with injuries. laila: powerful aftershocks continue to shake the country spreading panic and further, getting rescue efforts. many remain buried -- further complicating rescue efforts. many remain buried. time is running out to reach them. erdogan is -- reporter: it's a scene of devastation. this is gore cut -- is ghorka. officials said the damage is greatest in places where traditional building practices were most common. kathmandu was also affected. i nearly 200-year-old tower was -- a nearly 200-year-old tower

was destroyed. that's nothing compared to the effect that the quake had on the people of nepal. as the death toll continues to climb, rescue workers are trying to reach those buried beneath earth and rubble. often, it is recovery rather than rescue. here soldiers pulled the body of a young girl from underneath a collapsed house. >>. in a church we found 13 bodies -- >> here in a church, we found 13 bodies. we think there are still people buried under the rubble. reporter: many survivors now face a lack of shelter, water, and food. a neighboring helicopter -- helicopter from neighboring india has brought rice and water. it also transports the injured. kathmandu airport has been overwhelmed. getting aid to those who need it has been difficult. the government is calling for

more displays -- more supplies. >> we need tents dry food, blankets. there are 80 different medicines that the health department needs. reporter: help is now arriving from at least a dozen countries. this german team will search for survivors and try to help those affected by the quake. brian: how are they doing? for more on that, we spoke with the founder of himalayan crossroads an organization that brings medical experts around the world to nepal. we asked her what affects the aftershocks are having on rescue efforts. >> community members have come together. those who have any open space lawn space have opened their doors to neighbors. people have occupied every

single open space available around the city, which is not much. people are basically pouring out onto the streets intersections any tiniest bit of open space available. they are placing themselves there. those who can are opening their doors and providing shelter. i think about half an hour ago -- i was with friends and family members. you are feeling optimistic and having good thoughts -- we were feeling optimistic and having good thoughts, but we are continuously terrorized by the aftershocks. i think for the next week or so, it will be managing our trauma getting ourselves more stabilized. the base feeling is that we will be able to come together and get ourselves out of this trauma and slowly moved towards a path of reconstruction and recovery.

brian: thanks so much. laila: the epicenter of the earthquake was located on one of the world pass major faultlines -- the world's major faultlines. the force of the quake reached to the world's highest mountains, triggering even more destruction. brian: the video shows how an avalanche buried the base camp filled with climbers. >> [indistinct shouts] no! >> [speaking foreign language] laila: some harrowing footage.

mountaineering legend peter habeler is an authority on nepal and its people. in 1978, he and reinhold messner became the very first people to scale mount everest it out supplemental oxygen. he has also set many other climbing records. he has criticized what people are beginning to call a "t wo-class rescue system" in nepal. i asked him whether he thought the wrong priorities were being set in the rescue efforts that are currently underway. peter: somehow, i do believe and i went to you why normally people are walking towards the mountain. normally, these people climb the mountain or maybe they don't climb the mountain, and they return back on foot. recently, in recent days, it is a habit that people flying to base camp, they do the mountain,

climb the mountain or don't climb the mountain, and fly back out. if we talk about this big, huge stretch, if i hear anybody -- i'm not there. i read the newspapers. the newspapers tell me many helicopters were used to get the people off the mountain. what the --? the helicopters should rather take the people who are in the villages or who are really poor. this is what i think about the rescues, which i don't think is correct. laila: in your opinion, mr. habeler, you think the helicopters that are currently evacuating the climbers that are stuck should instead be used to help the people of nepal? peter: exactly. you just said it.

we have this big thing on everest, the avalanche, so there are dead people. but i think the helicopters would be much more useful to get out the people who are hurt badly hurt, in a really terrible situation. and the climbers should be able to walk back down from the mountain. they should be able to go down to base camp and wherever. i think this is not right, but, of course, the money comes in. everybody on everest they are injured. the helicopter agencies kno the moneyw will be paid immediate -- agencies know the money will be paid immediately. if they rescue a farmer or sherpa in a village, they will never get the money.

the agency will never get the money. i'm very sad about this situation. laila: mr. habeler, you sketched a very two-tier system that is very dire and rheumatic. you know -- and dramatic. you know nepal very well. what has this natural disaster meant for nepal and its people? peter: it's terriblepeter: -- pe ter: it's terrible. i'm still in shock. nepal is my second home. i love the people there people who have hardly anything. whether we talk about the sherpas, the people in the mountain villages, the valleys. people in coffman to -- in that men do -- people in kathmandu. the forest people -- the poorest people -- nepal is a fantastic country.

beautiful people. really nice people. the rescue worldwide is taking place and i do hope, of course nobody knows how long it will take, it will be later than sooner, the situation will get -- not normal, but fair. laila: peter habeler mountaineering legend. thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us. brian: in other news today european leaders say they will not be sending peacekeeping troops to eastern ukraine. laila: the response comes as eu commission president jean-claude juncker and the european council president were in kiev for a summit with top ukrainian officials. despite denying peacekeeping assistance, the top eu diplomats did promise president petro

poroshenko's government a boost in humanitarian aid. while staying with eastern ukraine, there are reports here in germany that berlin was well aware of the risks of flying over the region when passenger flight mh-1 was down -- mh-17 was downed last year. brian: just before it was down, the german intelligence agency told the government that the airspace over eastern ukraine was not safe, and that warning should have triggered flihtght path. >> this is where mh-17 came down last year. investigators are still trying to figure -- determine who brought it down. a team of german journalists say berlin had intelligence about the dangers two days before the crash. separatists had boasted of shooting down ukrainian military cargo planes -- shooting down a ukrainian military cargo plane.

the intelligence service warned that the airspace over ukraine wasn't safe. experts say this should have raised red flags. it meant that passenger planes were not safe either. >> in a case like this, where intelligence cables clearly show there is a serious threat to security i believe the government had a responsibility to alert the airline and to make sure that the plane was redirected. reporter: but the german government did not do that. in fact, on the day flight mh-17 crashed, three planes belonging to lufthansa also flew over the war zone. so far, the german government has refused to comment. the transport ministry says it had no information about the security situation. brian: more news from the intelligence agency, the bnd here in germany. germany -- a german newspaper is

reporting that the chancellor's office has known since 2008 that american economic espionage was targeting major european countries like airbus, but did nothing in response. laila: the paper cites intelligence agency documents" insiders -- documents and quotes insiders. the national security agency spied on german companies with the help of germany's very own intelligence service, the bnd. reporter: it is now beyond doubt that u.s. intelligence spied on western european businesses as well as their governments. when did germany's for insult -- germany's foreign intelligence service find out, and when was chancellor merkel informed? opposition politicians are outraged. >> the bundesliga and the bnd caught up in the biggest intelligence scandal germany has ever seen.

even the government is talking about 40,000 infringements. this is about real cases of industrial and political espionage. reporter: you get the sense that the left -- >> you get the sense that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. the bnd has a life of its own. reporter: on the fringes of talks in warsaw, chancellor angela merkel broke her silence in characteristically blunt fashion. chancellor merkel: we made it clear in last week's press release that there are shortcomings. we listed those problems in the statement, and now we have to get to the bottom of them. reporter: these revelations present a host of questions, but the answers on offer are vague at best. another reason for the bundestag's inquiry to take an even closer look at u.s. espionage activities. brian: when we come back, the story of some russian bikers on the way to berlin.

they just can't get here. laila: don't go anywhere. we will have that story. reporter: refugees hope, europe's challenge. the stream of refugees from africa is not letting up. what are the causes, and how the -- how should the european union respond? refugees hope, europe's

challenge. our focus this week on dw. laila: hello again. russia is demanding the next from poland after polish authorities denied entry to a russian biker club who were on their way to berlin to mark the soviet victory over the nazis 70 years ago next week. brian: now the 10-man convoy has been at the center of a brewing political storm with the polish prime minister calling them "a provocation." the russian ministry says that warsaw has reacted inappropriately to a noble cause. reporter: it's the end of the road for the night wolves, their victory ride cut short. authorities here say that the dozen or so nationalistic russians cannot continue. it is a stark contrast to saturday's parade, when thousands of supporters gathered in moscow to see the bikers off.

6000 kilometer ride in honor of the red army's role in defeating nazi comments -- nazi germany. they did not all have valid visas to enter the shenzhen zone. their leaders seemed determined. >> it will be more than just 20 people. 30,000 polish bikers have expressed their solidarity with us. reporter: the pro-kremlin bikers had a number of vip supporters like russian president vladimir putin. united by their love of country and motorcycles, as this video from 2011 shows. many western governments see the rally as a provocation. the german foreign ministry has pledged to make sure the night" make it to berlin -- night wolves won't make it to berlin.

the polish bikers eagerly awaiting the rest of the pack on the other side of the border were naturally disappointed. >> is a very big shame that some -- it's a very big shame that some bikers are trying to come to berlin and they are making such a big problem. they behave as if the third world war just started. reporter: the russian biker club was founded in the former soviet union in 1999 -- 1989. hundreds of members would race through the streets of moscow at night, hence their name. now, whether they will stay true to their nocturnal traditions and cross into the eu secretly under the cover of darkness remains to be seen. brian: it is one of the most urgent problems facing the european union -- what to do about the thousands of migrants trying to reach europe. laila: germany says new efforts

will focus on refugees fleeing conflict in syria and iraq. berlin will send manpower to italy and greece to help register migrants. brian: just today, italian authorities rescued 274 migrants in the mediterranean. the coast guard ship came to their rescue about 40 nautical miles off of the libyan coast line. europe's budget for rescue missions as he has just been tripled -- missions at sea has just been tripled. laila: people on the ground in italy need to be convinced. we have this special report from our correspondent. reporter: migrants arriving here have all survived and arduous journey across the mediterranean -- survived an arduous journey across the mediterranean. this group takes in migrants from sub-saharan africa. they wait to be transferred to other camps in sicily or on the mainland.

he still wears the id bracelet given to him by the italian authorities when he arrived in sicily. he and a friend spent 14 months working on building sites in the libyan capital, tripoli, under appalling conditions, saving up for the crossing to italy. >> they are very wicked people. if you are a black man, they don't respect you. they treat you like a dog. reporter: his story chimes with other migrant experiences. they talk of ruthless people smugglers with little regard for their human cargo. >> they send the migrants over at any time, in any weather, whatever the conditions are at sea. reporter: despite the dangers the migrants keep coming desperate to reach europe. no one incivility -- in sicily believes that setting up processing centers in libya will change that.

>> these people can't just wait there forever. they still want to come to europe. they definitely don't want to go home, otherwise they wouldn't have fled in the first place. reporter: police are skeptical that a solution will be found quickly. last year alone, this officer arrested nearly 200 human traffickers. but the masterminds are out of reach in libya. >> the people smugglers obviously don't want us to catch them. that's why they often higher migrants -- often hire migrants to paddle the fishing boats across the mediterranean. reporter: investigators' files run to hundreds of pages. even when smugglers are caught, they often get off with three-your sentences while there -- three-year sentences while their bosses in libya remain at large. laila: we have special coverage

of the crisis evolving in the -- the mediterranean. one syrian fled his war-torn country. to read about his harrowing trip, go to dw.de/refugees. we will have continuing coverage of the refugee crisis all this week on dw. brian: japanese prime minister shinzo abe is on a visit to the united states that is being titled a profound revision in their relationship. laila: the teeter countries have -- the two countries have new guidelines that further pull japan away from long-standing pacifist boundaries. brian: they are also deepening trade ties. reporter: these cows belong to scott. he has 450 on his farm in

maryland an hours for -- an horur's drive from d.c. >> these cattle produce a high-quality experience for customers locally, regional customers, and export customers as well. reporter: u.s. farmers cannot export their meat to japan. it protects industry from imports through tariffs. that might change after a visit to the u.s. by prime minister shinzo abe. >> disagreement entails -- this agreement and tells about 40% of the worlds gdp -- the world's gdp. it away for japan to remain in the game of east asia and beyond. for the united states, it's an opportunity to remain a leader in setting the agenda and the rules for the biggest, most dynamic area in the region. reporter: not everyone in congress is in favor of the tdp

-- tpp. many are worried about job losses at home. president obama is trying to put the doubters at ease by highlighting the trade and growth potential that the tpp is supposed to bring about. president obama: the current situation is not working for us. i don't know why folks would be opposed to opening up the japanese market more to u.s. autos and u.s. beef. it doesn't make any sense. reporter: japan may be moving towards opening its markets, but it is also moving away from its pacifist defense policy, much to the anger of china and south korea. both countries were victims of japan's aggression during the second world war. some analysts say, despite that dark and painful chapter, the united states is pleased that japan now wants to strengthen bilateral military ties. >> on security, the two

countries are revising the alliance guidelines for the first time since 1997, a significant element -- development. it could be a significant deliverable from the summit, incorporating changes to the summit and trying to push japan for a greater security role. >>reporter: scott is not too worried about the politics. he is focused on breeding cattle and selling meat and keeping employment -- important clients happy -- diplomats at the japanese embassy. brian: deutsche bank. germany's largest lender has revealed details of its highly anticipated overhaul. laila: the embattled financial institution joins a growing list of global banks that are downsizing to survive. reporter: prices, what crisis? -- crisis? what crisis? even though georgia has been under -- though deutsche has

been under pressure. >> up, we have four divisions that are working well and a solid business model. we have managed to keep our capital base at over 11% so we are looking strong as we embark on agenda 2020. reporter: agenda 2020 is what the bank is calling its restructuring plan. it involves selling its majority stake in a german high street bank. deutsche will also close to hundred seven branches and shrink investment banking operations -- will also close 207 branches and shrink investment banking operations. the ceos say they remain

committed to the universal banking model. the restructuring won't come cheap. 3.7 billion euros. laila: deutsche bank's restructuring plans were not well received. investors gave it a resounding thumbs down. time to get a check of how financial markets kicked off the trading week. we start in frankfurt, where the dax gained almost 2% to close the day at 12,039. the euro stoxx 50 rose by 1.5%. across the atlantic, trading is still underway.

♪ damien: hello and welcome to "focus on europe" giving you an insight into how europeans really live. i'm damien mcginnis.

giving an insight on today's program -- italian olive groves in danger of destruction. the romanian village that is wealthy but empty. an estonian military volunteers who are nervous. first, to italy, the world's second-largest exporter of olive oil. now the ancient all of groves -- olive groves that produce the oil are under