hello. welcome. this is the "journal" on dw-tv. students' protest against government plans to raise tuition fees in ireland. >> germany's top economists say the economy will rise. >> and the holocaust claims conference scandal. student protests in london

have turned violent, with demonstrators stormed the headquarters of britain's governing conservative party. tens of thousand people of taken to the streets to protest the tuition hike, part of the government's sweeping austerity program, aimed at redding and the deficit. until now, there has been little protest against the cuts. >> they are angry against the government and they are demonstrating. at the headquarters of the governing conservative party. enraged protesters smashed the glass reception area and lit bonfires. the police were not prepared for the violence and war injuries among but the demonstrators and security forces -- and there were injuries among both the demonstrators and security forces. >> it is ridiculous. >> university fees are set to

cost three times as much as they are now. students will have to pay around 10,500 euros per year. the move has sparked widespread rage. some of the protesters stormed the party headquarters, smashing furniture and windows. the conservative liberal governing coalition said it is part of a comprehensive plan to rein in public borrowing. >> this is an extraordinarily difficult issue, and i have been entirely open about the fact we have not been able to deliver the policy that we held in opposition. >> student leaders have warned of the liberal democrats will lose an entire generation of supporters if the government goes through with the fee hikes. >> for more, we spoke with our correspondenin london, who

gave us this port. >> the group of protesters broke off from the largely peaceful demonstration. most of the protesters on the roof of the building have been brought down by the police, but the hard-core are still oxide. the police are dictating them one by one, bringing them inside the building, trying to contain the embarrassing situation. this is the conservative party headquarters, the ruling government party headquarters, not protected as the demonstrators passed by earlier in the afternoon. they broke part of the ceiling, smashed windows, got up on to the rooftop. now the police say that have not the situation very much under control and student leaders who organized -- now the police say they have the situation very much under control in the student leaders who organized the protest are condemning the violent protesters.

>> they are hit by the deep cuts. can we expect a surge of protests in britain? >> we certainly have not seen scenes like in france, very violent scenes, very strong protests. the public spending cuts in this country will affect a large number of people. the students who took to the streets today say that tuition fees will increase by three times, about 40% of university resources decreased. they're very angry about that, but student leaders have emphasized they want this protest to be peaceful and they feel these violent demonstrators have detracted from the message they wanted to get across. it has been in the media today, the violent pictures, the building being smashed, rather than the message they wanted to get across, that the cuts are not fair. a government cuts across the

board in the country, certainly many people not happy about that. it will have to wait and see if there will be more protests. british police investigating a parcel bomb found on board the cargo plane in central engla last month say the device was set to explode inside u.s. airspace. the bomb hidden inside of a printer cartridge was intercepted at east midlands airport. it was mailed from yemen. investigators say forensics showed it was time to be activated across the eastern seaboard of the u. it was addressed to a jewish organization in chicago. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton has criticized israel's plans to build mor than 1000 new homes for jews in disputed east jerusalem, declaring them an obstacle to middle east peace talks. she made the announcement while announcing $150 million of new

direct assistance to the palestinian authority, calling for other donor countries to step up aid. she is scheduled to hold talks with benjamin netanyahu on thursday. ahead of the talks, israel's vice premier said israel would continue to build it in jerusalem forever. tde and currency issues are expected to dominate the g- 20 talks in seoul. world leaders arrived ahead of the summit. the g-20 represents two-thirds of the world's population and most of the global economy. global debt, trade policy, and trade imbalances are likely to trigger lively debate. >> this is no welcoming committee for g-20 leaders. protestors have a message for the summit. >> they have never achieved a substantial results. we urged the g-20 to adopt a

different direction. the poor are the victims of the global financial crisis. >> redistribution of wealth is what they want the g-20 leaders to concentrate on, but its economic policies will take center stage. when president obama and 19 other leaders meet, trade imbalances and currency exchange rates will top the agenda. german chancellor angela merkel left for the meeting supported by economic news at home. she also indirectly criticized u.s. federal reserve policy of quantitative easing. germany says it could cause instability. >> this time, everybody must ensure that global economic growth is more sustainable and long-lasting than what we thought a few years ago. >> the u.n. secretary-general is urging greater focus on the

world's or and disadvantaged. >> i will do my best to ensure that the world's biggest and strongest economies create solutions for the poorest and most vulnerable people are around the world. >> demonstrators in seoul may welcome the words, but it will be expecting concrete action. can there be good news in germany? >> the council of economic advisers, the five wise men, are predicting smooth sailing ahead for the german economy. they predict strong economic growth this year, with a slight drop off in 2011. the forecast is for growth of 3.7% in 2010, making it the strongest in a long time, on the back of an economic boom, with unemployment continuing to fall further, under 3 million. >> it may be appropriate, but

the good economic news comes with the traditional celebration of the apple harvest. the strength of the economy is starting to bear political effort following months of bad headlines. the government's popularity is up. now the latest growth figures showed germany is recovering from the recession much faster than expected. >> there has been a noticeable drop in unemployment. the figure dropped below 3 million in october of 2010 for the first time in 18 years. >> despite the positive figures, the economic advisers caution the global economy still faces risks. >> given the experiences of recent years, we cannot exclude the possibility of a sudden shock to the financial markets which would have a bad effect on the real economy. >> the results do not mean the government has room to relax.

economics minister has called for tax cuts, something rejected by the advisers. they want continue spending discipline and an accelerated rate of economic reform. >> and we spoke with one of those economists and asked if the recovery is still export- lead or if consumer spending is lending a hand. >> we have a situation where the strong recovery of the german economy is drawing from two sources. one is exports, the other is domestic forces. the reforms to the label market, social security assistance, corporate taxes, and at public households have all bear frui and the dostic economy is quite strong. we expect next year that most of the growth that we forecast, 2.2% overall, is coming from domestic forces.

>> german energy giant eon will sell 15 billion euros of assets, part of the new strategy aimed at expanding operations outside of europe. they said it will focus on growth opportunities elsewhere. the company warns of challenges ahead, such as the government's plans to tax nuclear fuel and tougher conditions in the market. european stock markets closed lower wednesday as the eurozone debt crisis reared its ugly head again. we have this report from the frankfurt stock exchange. >> for the longest time, it looked as if nothing could dampen the mood, the dax racing from annual high toot annual high, seemingly unencumbered. now the market has found a reason to consolidate. because of the road debt crisis being back.

portugal, their bonds being sold in the market, and had to pay higher interest rates to get the buyers to purchase the bonds. then at bair said ireland is under more pressure. the yields on the irish state bonds is rising drastically as people are fearing that ireland could be the first candidate to slip under the euro rescue bailout package. looking at the numbers, starting with the dax index, finishing the day lower, 6719. the euro stoxx 50 at 2845. in new york, stocks opened lower in trading, 11,342. and the euro at $1.3742. the government agreed to increased tobacco taxes on

wednesday, increased gradually over the next five years. that means smokers will have to pay between 4% and 8% more between now and 2015, bringing the cost of cigarettes up to 5 euros. the government says the measure will raise to but million euros in the first year alone -- will raise 200 million euros and the first year alone. the fbi in the york is charging 17 people they brazen scam that has thus far that a fund for -- that has defrauded a fund for holocaust survivors. >> victims of the holocaust who survived nazi concentration camps received reparations from two german government funds. the indictment says the supervisor of the funds and several accomplices skimmed millions of dollars for themselves. >> it is disgusting that anyone would steal, and certainly on this issue, but no amount of

fraud will be tolerated. we identified a, documented it, brought it to the fbi, and we will go to the end to find each and every application. >> the scandal is a major embarrassment for the jewish claims conference, founded in 1951, to distribute claims to victims of the holocaust. they recruited applicants through foreign-language newspapers in the united states. >> applicants, mostly in the russian jewish immigrant community, were recruited to provide identification documents in exchange for a promise of money from a fund related to the war. >> with the fraudulent claims, the suspects allegedly siphoned more than 30 million euros from the fund. most of it was paid by the german government. if convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison. players, coaches, and top managers from the world of german soccer have been

commemorating robert enke, who took his life one year ago. germany's coach was among those who laid a wreath at the goalkeepers grave. the shock of anke's suicide led to a new awareness of the pressures of professional sports and depression among athletes. >> the movers and shakers of german football paid tribute at the grave. the family requested the number of mourners be kept to a minimum. at his former club also paid tribute with a small memorial. the anniversary also brings back questions about how professional soccer treats its players. >> i assume that little or nothing has changed. it was not realistic to expec that. i don't think he could jt flip a switch and say everything is different and that it simply works. we still need a lot of time. >> enke felt he had to keep this

depression a secret from his teammates and club management. the german soccer federation has started a new foundation and his name to raise awareness of depression and make clear is an illness and not a weakness. that is an ambitious goal, especially in professional soccer, or performances precisely analyzed. things may not change quickly despite the efforts. sotheby's auction house is helping. a world record with the sale of a rare pink diamond. the estimated value is between 90 million and -- between 19 million and 27 million euros. it was bought from an american jeweler. experts say it has top rating for purity and color. one official described as pink champagne.

we will be back in a minute. don't go away, please.

welcome back. germany is moving to solve a growth problem affecting many european countries since the 1960's, a steady drop in the birthrate. a new study points to a new problem. the average age of first-time fathers is increasing and now stands at a 30 years, one month. the government is moving to introduce measures that it hopes will be an incentive to amils,ike guaraeed child care and parental leave. berlin once tax-funded care for children when you're an older to be made available by 2013. that is already the case in one state. >> this is nikko. he is proud to be going to nurture reese school, following

the footsteps of his older sister, -- he is proud to be going to a nursery school, following the steps of his older sister and a temporary his father reduced his working hours with the kids were born while their mother kept her full-time position as a college professor, and coordinating their schedules is a complex task, but things that easier once he went to nursery school. >> first of all, i can keep working without any disadvantages. at the same time, i know that my kids are being looked after. i don't have to worry about anything bad happening to them. >> the family just bought a house. he wants to work full time again. every bit counts. they are happy they don't have to pay for their children's care at nursery school. it is a new experience for nikko. the staff was trained on location and facilities were

rebuilt for the purpose. the changing table was not here before. neither was the quiet room. many working parents won a place for their children here. >> we already have 19 applications for the coming school year. but we only have 11 places available. > the state spends more than 80 million euros per year to provide nursery care free of charge. it is money that could be spent elsewhere, but the state government considers it an investment for the future. >> decisions regarding children and families are always dependent on many factors. i am absolutely convinced that a well run the program of educational and child re offerings can encourage young families to start. they want good opportunities for the children and the need to be up to combine family and career. >> while the children spend

their days in the nursery, their mother has time to prepare her lectures. she loves herhildren and her career. she says it is a shame that many families have such difficulties combining them, and she thinks the government should step in. >> people are always talking about aging population and a lack of workers in the future. if we are not producing future generations now, there will be no place for young people grow up. that is why the government has to do something, to ensure that more children are born here. >> their family is happy that the state is leading the way when it comes to state funded child care. they hope that families in other german states will some day enjoy the same benefits. the situation is improving for child care, with 23% of children under three now and preschool, a 2.7% increase over

2009. some doubt whether widely available child care will increase the birth rate. research has shown birth rate depends more on the social environment than on financial incentives. in many parts of germany, a working mother is still seen as a bad mother, sacrificing her children for cash or career. with women often paid considerably less than their male counterparts, the cost of day care could mean it is hardly worth their while going to work, at least in economic terms. the situation in france is quite different. it has a population that is actually growing. >> there are lots of mothers with their children on the streets of downtown paris in the late afternoon. the mothers are coming home from work and the children are coming back from day care centers. a career and motherhood at the

same time, perfectly normal here. >> it is hard for me to imagine a life without children. i waited until i accomplished certain things but i always knew i wanted to have children. >> in france, most woman tried to get their career started early before they have children, even though can be complicated. >> there are moments when you think you are not doing anything right. but to stay at home and only take care of the children? i cannot imagine that. >> i never had a guilty conscience, even though my children went to a nursery at an early age. my daughter was 4 months old, my son was 3 months old. i am delighted with the system. my children always got the attention that they needed. >> some 80% of all mothers and

france also have full-time jobs. this sociologists says that has political ramifications. >> they expect the state to help them. there is a lot of demand and pressure on policy makers to create conditions that make it possible to combine work and family life. >> but what about germany? this researcher has been analyzing data related to birth rates for years. he says it shows most couples want children but there are not enough child care facilities, and when there are, they are expensive. >> couples try to come to terms with the situations, but in both cases -- but in most cases it causes the woman to leave the job market, at least temporarily, to rear the children. this becomes problematic when a

second child comes along. >> prevailing attitudes and a lack of affordable day care facilities often lead women to make a fundamental choice between having a career or having children. 20% of all women over 50 in germany have no children. this person says society is facing a dilemma. >> on the one hand, we have strong mechanisms designed to expand women's roles and the work force. on the other, we have no solution would women face the classic conflict of choosing between jobs and family. >> but france seems to have found a way, with different social policies and a different concept of motherhood. >> women of the french aristocracy never raised their children. from birth, they were entrusted to nursemaids, often far away from the family home.

it was not unusual for women not to see their children until they were three years old. this concept is deeply rooted in contemporary society. though it was confined mainly to the aristocracy, it remains a tradition among wealthy families in the 19th century. >> that tradition means it is rare for a woman to be branded a bad mother and france just because she works. >> i am a feminist. i think the very idea that a woman could be obliged not to work is sad. >> introducing better day care policies could help boost the birth rate in germany, but as the french example shows, society would also have to change some of its views on women, childn, and motherhood. >> thank you for joining us.

itgoodbye for now. -- goodbye for now. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- u forget it. yourself, so don't fall.

u forget it. now he tells us. how far am i off the floor? about twelve inches. twelve whole inches?