♪ damien: hello and a very warm welcome to "focus on europe," bringing you some of the very best personal stories behind the headlines. malta -- a dangerous place for migrating birds. ukraine -- a dangerous place for the country's children -- and round the world in fewer than 80 days -- on a wing, a prayer and a bit of sunlight. one of the most spectacular sights in many parts of europe around this time of year is when millions of birds migrate from africa.

and for many of them the small island of malta, in the middle of the mediterranean, is a handy stop-off-point. but instead of being able to pause for a breather, thousands are shot down by hunters. if it flies, it dies, is how one animal welfare group has put it. malta is the only european country to allow this sort of hunting, arguing that it's an important local tradition. a referendum to ban the sport has just been held, but that was narrowly lost, and so the hunt is back on. reporter: it's spring, and finally lucas micallef can go hunting again. he first held a rifle in his hands at the age of 10. now 26, he still looks forward to the time of year when it's open season on turtle doves and quail. lucas has to react and fire instantly. his prey are wild birds migrating from africa to europe through malta, not native species.

>> the best shot would be taken from about 25 to 30 meters, let's say. it depends. reporter: hunters are all over the place here. it's a perfect day to hunt turtle doves. >> their movement is quite fast and quite agile. they tend to maneuver quite rapidly, and they're quite difficult to shoot because their movements is just like a couple of seconds. that's it, you've had your chance. reporter: for many maltese, bird hunting is a venerable family tradition. like all the hunters here, lucas learned his skills from his father and grandfather. this year, it's open season on 11,000 turtle doves and 5,000 quail. the eu bureaucracy in brussels has granted the maltese hunters a waiver from the general ban. hunters bask in the memory of a successful shot for the rest of the year.

lucas takes us to malta's seaside cliffs. many migratory birds pause for a rest here after flying across the mediterranean. so it's a real draw for hunters. they lie in ambush here at intervals of 50 meters. lucas introduces us to michael, a hunting rifle importer. today, he is heading up a group of other hunters. something's moving in the underbrush! michael calls outto his brother charlie. no one wants to let the prey escape. he misses! this bird can fly on unscathed. the hunters man their stations until 1:00 p.m. that's when they have to stop and pack up their rifles. animal protectionists observe the hunters closely.

one of them is axel hirschfeld, who comes here all the way from germany every year to do what he can to protect the birds. >> malta is unique. there is no other place in the world with such a high concentration of hunters. the result is that the birds that can be legally hunted, but also protected species, have no chance when they fly over the island. reporter: along with legal hunters, there are poachers. environmentalists try to keep an eye on them. this dead bird is a cuckoo -- a protected species. some hunters aren't in it for the sport, but for money. >> if you bag a black stork, a spotted eagle or some other eagle, you can earn a lot of money. there is a black market where you can sell a stuffed eagle for several thousand euros.

>> they start to mix illegal hunting with just anybody spring hunting. these are two totally different things. poachers are not considered as hunters. they're criminals. reporter: the hunters feel that critics and poachers besmirch their honor. in a referendum this april, a majority of the maltese approved bird hunting. so why must they always justify themselves? >> it's 95 percent hope! and if you catch one or two birds, you close the gun and go home. and the next day you catch another two birds. then you can give the grease to the gun, because that's all you're allowed. reporter: lucas hasn't managed to bag a bird yet. but he and the other hunters value the tradition, not just success. >> i want to see my children and my grandchildren, hopefully, that they're going to know what i've done, what my ancestors have done.

reporter: part of the pleasure is taking a break with other hunters over tea and sandwiches -- with your rifle at the ready. it's a cuckoo and off limits. the brief adrenaline rush is over. the cuckoo can transit the island uninjured -- at least as long as it stays out of the way of poachers. damien: greece may be suffering the worst economic crisis in its history, but some greeks have managed to hang on to their wealth, in particular, the country's shipping magnates, 15 farag% of the world's shipping business is done by greeks. but that success is partly down to generous tax breaks. now many inside, and outside, greece are calling for athens to start taxing these glamorous tycoons properly, to ease the

burden of austerity on the poor, but it's easier said than done, as our reporter discovered when he managed to gain access to a member of this usually very elusive elite. reporter: their yachts are moored in marinas like these. but the greek shipping magnates who own them are nowhere to be seen. as the threat of greece's bankruptcy looms ever larger, they're eager to avoid the limelight. but we're in luck -- nicolas vernicos, a board member of the hellenic chamber of shipping, appears. he's unhappy about his business's tarnished image. not all greek shipping magnates are selfish spendthrifts, he stresses. and he's keen to portray himself as a man of the people. >> it's a wooden classical boat, so on this boat, you could welcome a fisherman and the prime minister-- and both would feel comfortable. reporter: but shipping magnates like vernicos make many greeks

feel uneasy instead. despite their wealth, the super rich in greece enjoy tax breaks worth billions of euros and transfer their money abroad. >> they don't just have ships, but other businesses as well, where they hide their money. >> of course, they pay too little tax. and if you ask them to pay up, they might leave the country. >> i hope the government tackles this injustice. it was one of their campaign pledges. reporter: the left-wing government under prime minister alexis tsipras had promised to curb the privileges of the shipping magnates. now they're sounding more halfhearted. the tax collectors' union has been advising the government on how to tap more tax revenue. but the officials also seem reluctant to upset the shipping tycoons. >> we expect the government to implement their tax plans. but perhaps they should enter into a dialogue with the

shipping owners to get them to pay more tax. they are important for the economy -- but they could pay more taxes nonetheless. reporter: nicolas vernicos can't imagine entering into negotiations with the state over higher tax rates. the privileges of the shipowners are anchored in the constitution. nowhere else in the world is this sector so powerful. for decades, they have been living the life of kings surrounded by beautiful women. aristotle onassis best embodied the stereotype of the flamboyant greek shipping magnate dripping with wealth. but shipowners like vernicos keep a lower profile. he says he can't imagine continuing to sail under the greek flag if the tax breaks are withdrawn. >> if something changes in the fiscal environment of the greek

shipping companies, it is the banks that fund us, for example deutsche bank, who are going to say, mr. vernicos, we like you and we want to support you, but please change flag. reporter: vernicos's shipping company operates tugboats in the port of piraeus. business has picked up since chinese goods have been arriving here by container ship. ut vernicos only pays a low flat-rate tax. and all the attempts by previous governments to change this have failed miserably. as a result, vernicos doesn't take the threats of the new government seriously. his opinion of them iscathing. >> populists, because they know that greece's shipowners have an activity outside of greece. reporter: magnates like vernicos

like to stylize themselves as patrons of the arts. he paid for this gallery not far from the port. shipping owners also paid for the new greek opera house. vernicos believes that his sector bears no responsibility for greece's bankruptcy. and he tells us that money isn't everything anyway. >> with only five euros in his pocket, he can have a good day. going with the tram for 50 cents to the sea and spending his day under the sun. reporter: greece is staring into the abyss, and its shipowners are happy to look on -- and do nothing. damien: more than a year has

passed since fighting began in eastern ukraine, and the area has become a humanitarian disaster zone, particularly for children. it's thought that hundreds of thousands of children have become refugees to flee the fighting. they've lost their homes, many have lost their parents, and most are traumatised by the scars of war. we've been to meet a few of those children of war, to find out how on earth they are coping with the tragedy. reporter: for teenagers in war-torn eastern ukraine, even little things can mean a lot. pascha and his friends at the children's home in druzhkivka are getting new soccer shoes. the four boys came here half a year ago after fleeing from rebel-held territory in the donetsk oblast, in donbass. >> we were brought here by bus. we were told we had to go away because of the war -- 200 of us from the children's home.

reporter: escaping meant travelling right through a war zone, but now they're safe. this part of the region is currently held by ukranian troops. for now, all is calm here. a million people have fled their homes due to the conflict. some just cross from one side of the front to the other. thousands of children are among them. >> it was awful, just awful. i was scared. reporter: we ask if he knows where his parents are. >> in donetsk. but i don't call them. i don't even have their phone number. reporter: genadiy is doubly traumatised. even before the fighting, his parents neglected him and then he had to flee from war. many others here share his fate. >> we saw them shooting, we saw the airplanes and heard everything. we had to lie on the floor.

sometimes the shells went off close to our school. i thought, mamma mia! the older kids were scared, but it was worst for the younger ones. i was afraid every moment, every time i heard shelling or who knows what. everyone was afraid they would land on the school. thank goodness they just flew on by. reporter: in ukrainian-controlled territory in donbass, the children at least can be fed -- thanks to private donations. ralf haska, pastor of the german evangelical lutheran church in kyiv, brings aid too. like a meat grinder to mince what little meat they can get. after almost a year, the state can't meet all the homes' needs. ralf haska supplies many children's home in donbass. he travels along the front lines, over roads full of potholes caused by shelling and heavy military equipment.

soldiers are posted all over donbass. there are military checkpoints every few kilometers. after hours on the road, the pastor reaches his next stop. another children's home is waiting for him and his cargo. >> food, clothes, the plates they asked for. reporter: the caregivers here gave ralf haska a list of their needs during his last visit to novoaydar. >> yes, the plates! we never have enough in our dining hall! reporter: the next morning it's clear why, soldiers are eating breakfast here too. the army's stationed troops here -- in a home for chronically ill children. pastor haska is speechless. children who've come here to escape war now live under the same roof with soldiers. >> now we always escort the children. before, they could walk through the corridors to the treatment rooms on their own. now the're always accompanied by a nurse. they're children and could get into areas of the building they're not supposed to.

reporter: yet these young people want nothing more than for peace to return. they long for a normal childhood. >> i just try to forget everything i've seen, to forget it all. i was really afraid -- and i do my best not to remember that. reporter: that's why pascha and his friends play soccer whenever they can. these children of war in eastern ukraine plan to give their new soccer shoes a real workout. damien: terrible that those who are suffering the most from war are those who are least to blame for starting it. and of course this month here in europe we are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the 2nd world war, so elderly people here can still remember what it is like to suffer as children themselves from war. if you have thoughts about that, or any of our stories on today's show, do get in touch with me on twitter, or on email via the

programme's website, or you can contact me through focus on europe's facebook page. another consequence of the ukraine conflict has not only been a growing rift between russia and the european union, but also divided loyalties for some european countries that want to stay close to both moscow and brussels, such as serbia, traditionally a close ally of russia. but also a country which is keen to join the eu, and it's proving a tricky balancing act. reporter: it's sunday morning at 9:00 in belgrade's upscale vracar district. religious services in a small church dedicated to saint sava are well-attended. many orthodox serbs see themselves as preservers of their country's traditions, which are closely tied to orthodox russia. srdjan nogo is an activist in the right-wing nationalist citizens' movement dveri.

he advocates serbia's close alliance with its big slavic brother. >> russia has this idea of a eurasian union, and we serbs will have to consider whether to organize ourselves with it. reporter: the dreams of a nationalist. but he's in the minority. only a quarter of serbs are considered pro-russian. most want to join the european union. video artist ana adamovic has an opinion common within serbia's middle class, they want to join the eu, but without the social hardships of too much capitalism. >> we are bordering with the european union and hopefully the value system in the european union maybe is not completely ruined. i would say that for serbia the european union is not the 'right' way, but the only way is the european union.

reporter: last year, the serbian government set course for the eu. in the fall, harsh economic reforms were announced. tens of thousands of workers at state companies are to be laid off, pensions and salaries in civil service will be cut by 10%. the majority of pensioners already have to make do with less than 200 euros a month. >> no, i don't think it will be better in the eu. >> i don't understand much about politics, but i trust the russians more. reporter: this is fertile ground for moscow, which has been trying for months to talk serbia out of joining the eu. last october, vladimir putin flew to belgrade. officially, it was to observe a military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the country's liberation from the nazis by the red army. but in the background, russia's propaganda machine is running

full throttle. since february, the russian station radio sputnik has been broadcasting in belgrade. and sputnik's internet presence produces clear messages every day. on this day, a report that russia is planning joint military maneuvers with serbia. it's a difficult situation for serbia's government. it sees itself as a bridge between east and west. but someday, belgrade may have to make a clear choice. damien: i don't know about you, but personally i can't help feeling a bit guilty every time i take an aeroplane, probably one of the most environmentally unfriendly things you can do. and in fact right now we have a train strike here in germany, so once we've finished today's show here in bonn, instead of taking my usual weekly train ride back home to berlin, i'll have to fly.

but two swiss amateur pilots are working on a solution for my guilty conscience, they're flying around the world in a plane that does not use dirty fossile fuel, but rather clean solar energy. reporter: if this adventure fails, 13 years of development and 150 million euros will be lost. if it succeeds, the two swiss aerial pioneers will make history and send a message dear to their hearts, flight without aviation fuel is possible. the trip begins at dawn on march 9th. solar impulse 2 is towed to the runway in abu dhabi. andré borschberg and bertrand piccard pose for the media. the mood in the control center in monaco is tense. in the middle of it all is prince albert, who sponsored the project lavishly. >> andre, here is albert.

i have good news. i herewith grant permission for take-off. have a good flight and, above all, lots of sunshine! reporter: 7:12 in the morning. the start of a trip around the world, powered by nothing but sunlight. shortly before takeoff there were still problems with the electronics. but now everything's going smoothly. cheering in monaco. the team feels tremendous relief. the two pilots have been preparing and training for months, 72 hours in a flight simulator. survival training in ice cold water on a german army base. plenty of test flights in payerne, switzerland. technical problems kept arising and there were other setbacks, but no huge accidents or disasters.

how did it all start? bertrand piccard is following in his father jacques' footsteps. this monster in scaffolding was his father's creation. in 1964, it was the sensation at the lausanne expo, a submarine for tourists. bertrand went along for a ride several times as a child. today the sub is in a transportation museum in lucerne. 56-year-old bertrand grew up under high expectations. >> my family didn't pressure me, but there was a lot of pressure from the public, from people who always told me i should keep up the family tradition, "you should do the same as your father and grandfather." there was a lot of pressure. reporter: the piccards are a unique dynasty, generations of noted researchers.

bertrand was already in the limelight as a child. his father jacques was fascinated by the depths of the ocean and descended 11,000 meters below sea level into the mariana trench, a world record, leading to a medal from us president dwight d. eisenhower. grandfather auguste rose 15,000 meters in a balloon -- higher than anyone before him. he was the first person to see the curvature of the earth. last april, the solar impulse 2 had its maiden flight. many prominent guests were on hand. >> dear friends, it's time to discover this new airplane, solar impulse ii. reporter: specialists were wowed. the plane has the weight of a car, but the wingspan of a boeing. and no emissions. 17,000 solar cells. but its 70 horsepower is barely

enough for a top speed of 50 kilometers an hour. a slow way to cicle the globe. in 25 days of flight, the trip will cover 35,000 kilometers, india and china, then nonstop for 8,000 kilometers across the pacific. across the us, on to southern europe or north africa, and finally, a homecoming in abu dhabi in july 2015. damien: well, that's all for today. thanks for watching. remember, feel free to get in touch on twitter, email or facebook. but for now it's goodbye from me and all the team here, and we look forward to seeing you next week, same time, same place. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

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[ mid-tempo music plays ] steves: riding this gondola, you soar, landing in the sleepy, unpromoted village of gimmelwald. in 30 years of researching guidebooks, i've found hidden gems like this in every country. gimmelwald would have been developed to the hilt, like neighboring towns, but the village had its real estate declared an avalanche zone, so no one could get new building permits. the result?

a real mountain community -- families, farms, and traditional ways. choosing places like gimmelwald and then meeting the people, you become part of the party rather than just part of the economy. this is a realistic goal for any good traveler. eins, zwei, drei. man: [ chuckles ] steves: take a moment to appreciate the alpine cheese. so, older is better? man: oh, yes. -woman: i don't know. -man: oh, yes. woman: for me, it's the younger one. steves: once you're off the tourist track, make a point to connect with the living culture. pitch in, even if that means getting dirty. here, farmer peter is making hay while the sun shines.

welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday may 19th. i'm catherine kobayashi. in tokyo. european union leaders have been under pressure to solve a crisis on the mediterranean. they've seen a surge in the number of deaths of migrants trying to reach europe's shores. they've agreed to set up a naval mission to crack down on human traffickers at sea. foreign affairs and defense chiefs from 28 eu nations spoke in brussels. they want to dispatch navy personnel to intercept smugglers and destroy their boats. >> there is a clear sense of urgency in this respecal