>> you are watching me "journal" coming to you live from dw here in berlin. >> thanks for joining us. coming up in the show -- >> israel releases the first group of palestinian prisoners ahead of he's talks starting tomorrow. >> germany's much vaunted railway system rides to a standstill. >> a chinese businessman gets cold "share us the papers or tear your pen heist -- penthouse paradise down."

we begin in the middle east where israel has begun releasing 26 palestinian prisoners. they are the first group of more than 100 being freed as part of a deal ahead of peace talks due to begin on wednesday. >> earlier, the israeli high court rejected a last-minute appeal against the release of the prisoners. it was launched by relatives of some of the victims. for relatives of the prisoners themselves, it is reason to rejoice. >> this house has been decorated by -- for a homecoming. jamil is being released after 21 years in an israeli jail. >> i'm very happy. thank odd. i'm happy my father is coming back after 21 years. when he got arrested, i did not know him. i never saw him outside prison at all. >> israel is divided about the

decision by the supreme court. protesters at this demonstration say freedom for a terrorist means the death of a child in israel. >> this woman's son was shot death by a palestinian, but she still supports the prisoner release. >> this is the price we are going to have to pay. they have to realize that if we do not start making these gestures, there will not be any talks. they will not go forward in any way. >> in jerusalem hospital city, these sisters are waiting for their brother. he has spent 12 years in an israeli prison for arson attacks that left a jewish settler seriously injured. >> you have to try something new and hope that it develops into something, that we can achieve

reconciiation. to do that, i met -- ahmed and the other prisoners have to be set free. >> his name is on the list, but his family is still not sure when he will be released. >> for more on this now, we are joined on the line by our jerusalem correspondent. the prisoners have just been released. can you tell us more about what is going to happen next? >> basically, we saw a few coming out of the prison, but it is still not sure whether there are still prisoners inside, how many of them, and where they will be going. that is part of the strategy. earlier today, some of the prisoners were transferred today from different prisons to central israel. there will be 14 prisoners who will be sent to gaza, and 12

will be taken to another prison, and from there to a check went to the west bank. it is a bit of an unusual release in the middle of the night. we understand that the israeli authorities want to avoid the pictures of celebration and victory signs on the way, but we will surely see those celebrations anyway in the coming hours. >> can you tell us about who has been released? >> these are all prisoners that were arrested between 1985 and 2001, with the majority being jailed before 1993, before the agreement 20 years ago. it was one of the main demands of the agreement, that those long-term should be released before the start of any negotiations. most of them were serving multiple life sentences for murders or terrorist attacks. some were charged with complicity for murder. that is why it is such a controversial issue.

at the same time on the palestinian side, families were waiting for their relatives to be released for a long time, and they see that as a long overdue step. >> thank you very much for that. in egypt, supporters of ousted president mohamed morsi clashed with backers of government. >> the confrontation began when several thousand pro-morsi protesters marched to the interior ministry. local residents began taunting them and throwing stones before the marches. police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. the violence comes after police earlier postponed their plans to clear to pro-morsi citizens because of fears of further bloodshed. >> molly -- mali has a new resident elect. official results have not been announced, but his rival has already conceded defeat. >> keita served as malian prime

minister. he now faces a huge challenge, after a year that saw his country torn apart. >> the runner-up in the presidential election visited the winner at home to concede the feet. keita will now become mali's next president. international observers praised the vote. >> i think that this election, in terms of democratic standards, was a success. it is an election that now allows mali to start finishing the process that it has begun, to return to a normal democracy. >> keita now faces the difficult task of rebuilding and reuniting the country. northern mali was invaded by rebels, who were ousted only after french troops intervened.

many hold new elections can herald a new start where all sides can pull together. >> when he gets into power, he must work with the others. he must not allow the power to go to his head. >> getting the economy back on its feet is also a high priority. mali's politicians know they must combat poverty and unemployment if they are to secure a brighter future for the country. >> on to business news. profits fell at a german utility in the second quarter, but that was not enough to push shares down. >> is a very good example. the second quarter was poor, the business sluggish, but the stock was one of the strongest on tuesday due to the fact that the outlook is relevant, and they gave a strong forecast. on tuesday, the german economic

sentiment indicated it laid an important role as financial experts are also looking positive into the future. in the end, of the earnings seasons, one could say that the mood is very good and widespread here on the floor. the dax rose for the fourth consecutive day. >> let's have a look at the numbers for you and a bit more detail, starting in frankfurt where we had .68% gains. .5% gains on the euro stoxx 50, so gains on both indices there. across in new york, trading is still under way. about .25% higher there on the dow jones. germany's state-run rail operator is under fire. train services near frankfurt have seen massive disruption because there are not enough signaling staff to make the local network work. >> it is the latest in a series

of localized problems that critics say highlights a wider problem, that deutsche bank is not investing enough in its network and services. there are very different ideas about the best way of adding things back on track. >> there's not much happening at the central station. staff shortages have caused the station to grind to a halt. not so long ago, it was berlin that saw its train service collapse because of technical problems. before that, cracks discovered in the axles of intercity trains led to widespread cancellations. germany's railway has had repeated problems. former management tried to make it more productive by cutting costs and axing thousands of jobs. a few years ago, there were plans to float the company on the stock exchange. critics say the cost-cutting has taken its toll. the government project that. in fact, free democrats still want the railway privatized.

>> am very much in favor of introducing more competition. whenever there's a monopoly or a state-run company, there's more of a danger that things will be sluggish. it's not a question of percent no. it's a question of management, and management has clearly failed big time here. >> so, can privatization and competition really solve all the problems? that is certainly what the conservative government in britain once thought. the privatization of british rail in the mid-1990's was initially a great success, but it soon emerged that privatizing rail tracks was a huge mistake. there was no investment, and problems soon emerged. in two thousand two, problems soon emerged. switzerland had to take a different path, investing in its railway heavily over the last few years. economic efficiency is considered secondary. the primary concern is having good rail services even if it is

expensive or the taxpayer. in 2011, for example, the investment per kilometer and her passenger was relatively high in switzerland. britain is also investing heavily in its infrastructure again. compared with those countries, german investment in its railway is low, particularly when you compare it to the profits that deutsche bank gives back to the government. this year, it is expected to be over 500 million euros, so the german operators actually doing well as a company, but that is not helping anyone here right now. >> south korea is warning of possible blackouts after a series of power stations had to be taken off-line. international capacity now running at a bare minimum so has resorted to drastic action. >> government operations have been ordered to switch off air conditioners to conserve power, making for a sweaty day in the height of summer. >> for anyone with time on their

hands, the heat wave is the perfect chance to take five minutes and cool off in the fountains of soul -- seoul. air-conditioning might seem like a basic human right, but government workers are banned from switching them on or using any other device deemed nonessential like elevators or water coolers. >> now it is much hotter inside and outside where the temperature is 34 degrees celsius. i get sweaty even though i'm not moving. it's hard to focus on the work. >> the country is facing a double whammy -- problems at five nuclear plants and to coal powered ones have slashed generating capacity, just as the air cons of guzzling electricity. the government has already issued a preliminary warning of power shortages, and if reserve capacity drops below four gigawatts, the world's 12th largest economy could face roving blackouts. >> let's get onto sports now. germany has picked up another

gold medal at the world athletics championships in moscow. status in the men's discus. the german celebrated vicry and trademark style, by tearing off his shirt. harting set the early pace. german football fans are getting their fill. the new bundesliga season has kicked off on the weekend, and now, the national team is back in action. >> that's right. on wednesday night, to take on paraguay here in germany. the friendly marks the start of world cup preparations to start and brazil. >> to face a difficult year in the lead up to the world cup in brazil.

expectations are high, and his every move is under intense scrutiny by the media. >> over the next year, we will have to stay focused and concentrate, especially the players. everyone has to be prepared to give their all and to perform at their top level. those are our expectations, and they are high. >> players know there is tough competition for a spot in the starting lineup. even stars and other european leagues made themselves available for wednesday's friendly against paraguay. >> you've got to give your all, put yourself out there and show what you got. this season is particularly important with the world cup coming up. obviously everyone wants to play their best. >> is the first time in six months the best players have been at training. 25,000 fans turned out in lines to cheer them on. >> the fans want to see us play our hearts out, and they want to

see the national team have fun out there on the pitch. >> but fans also want to see results. perhaps starting with paraguay on wednesday night. >> it is time for a

>> welcome back. to the country's shiite population. >> the tiny allstate has seen more than two years of demonstration since the outbreak of the arab spring and early 2011. wednesday's protest is planned in defiance of a government ban, and there are fears of bloodshed. >> the government says it is in the midst of a fight against terrorism, and it has warned against disturbing what it calls these, but activists say they are simply punishing those resistant to democratic change. >> mohamed is a 26-year-old activist who has been invited to talk to villagers south of the

capital. the region was a flashpoint during the uprising that broke out on february 14, 2011. many residents were arrested and are in detention today. he is here today to show solidarity with their cause. he, too, was arrested and is facing charges of organizing an illegal assembly. >> the government is trying to control human rights activists by charging them and putting them in jail, hindering their work. especially because they played an important role exposing irregularities, torture, and arrest since february 2011. >> these two were also arrested. these are just two prominent names among many. organizations such as amnesty international or human rights watch have criticized the crackdown on the protest

movement and subsequent repression, including politically motivated arrests. the government rejects the criticism. it says the opposition is free to act at will and that only people with dangerous intentions have been arrested. >> the people who are in jail today are there because they worked towards toppling the government of bahrain. no democratic state would tolerate that. >> but a democratic state is exactly what the protesters want. the government claims their movement is a conspiracy orchestrated by iran, which is trying to stir up hatred among the shia majority against the sunni royal family. activists criticize the repressive methods of the country's security forces, who they say have violated human rights with impunity. >> the regime is just not interested in reforms.

it wants to keep the bahraini people under control, to make sure it is submissive and to return to the situation before the uprising began. >> the shia youth refuse to give up their rights. they continue to hope for more democracy and justice, and they say they will protest again. >> earlier, we spoke to a middle east expert and asked whether after two years of protest the country is any closer to reform. >> no, it is not. the government is talking a lot about reforms, but in fact, it is rather implementing a campaign of repression, ever since february 2011. >> does the west bear any responsibility for the lack of progress? >> yes, definitely. the u.s. does have its main naval base in the persian gulf, and that is part of the reason why the united states is so

reluctant to exert pressure on the bahrainis and their partners. that is part of the reason why the opposition is so critical of u.s. policies these days. >> what exactly is the opposition demanding? >> the opposition mainstream is demanding a constitutional monarchy, but there is a youth movement that has been protesting in some villages in the last months, which has called for toppling the regime, and that is part of the reason why the situation seems to be escalating for a wild already. >> how much of this is about sectarian differences, and how much of it is about democratic reform? >> well, it is both, although i would argue that it is mainly the government that is arguing in a sectarian way, and the shiite majority in the country -- they represent about 70% of the country, they want

democratization simply because it would bring them to power, and that is part of the reason why both sides are somewhat unwilling to compromise. >> thank you very much for that. well, millions of lives have been claimed by war and rebellion in the democratic republic of congo, and yet, the conflict there rarely makes the headlines. >> a framework for peace was signed by congo and 11 other countries this year, but it will take years to heal the scars of war. as we hear from this next report, it is women who are bearing the violence -- the brunt of the violence. >> for her, there is no worse place for women than the congo. she runs a women's shelter and a refugee camp not far from here, a small haven financed by war and a. -- four in -- foreign aid. >> women can meet here and share

their stories of rape, which is often used as a weapon in war to debase women and men. >> a woman is sacred, and a man acquires is worth through a wife. some armed groups have shown us if we are strong today it is because we've raped women in villages. >> rape and sexual crimes have become the norm in a conflict that has cost millions of lives in 20 years. some two dozen armed rebel groups are in conflict with the army and each other. all want access to the region's abundance of natural resources. in goma, there is a semblance of normality, and shops are open, but the tension is helpful -- palpable. >> we are very scared. we do not know how we can live here. we need help. >> when the rebels attacked us last year, the united nations troops just looked on. i do not expect anything from them.

>> now, the united nations no longer wants to just looked on. the 19,000-strong peacekeeping force has been strengthened with a 3000-member intervention brigade that will operate under a more robust mandate. >> 52 years ago, people here in berlin woke up to find their city being sliced into. east german authorities sealed the border to the west to stem an exodus. they built a wall that came, of course, to symbolize the cold war. >> at least 136 people are known to of died while trying to escape over the war -- but -- escape over the wall before it fell. angela merkel, who herself was raised in the east, began by giving a history lesson. >> the chancellor began just like any new teacher -- by writing her name on the board. this afternoon, angela merkel was a guest teacher at a berlin

high school talking about the building of the berlin wall 52 years ago. >> for me, it is really exciting to see what you have experienced yourself is suddenly history for those who have been taught and who have never experienced it. >> for decades, the wall cut a scar through the city. it was intended to stop east german citizens fleeing to the west. today, political representatives came to pay tribute to the many victims of german division. school students from brandenburg also came to find out more. they spent the day meeting people who lived through berlin's division ii here about history that happened long before they were born. >> it is just unimaginable that you have this border that you were not allowed to cross. i cannot imagine and would not have liked to go through that.

>> we live in peaceful times. we grew up in peaceful times. you just cannot imagine losing that. >> german division and a lack of civil liberties is something the chancellor experienced firsthand. all the more fitting that today, she should teach the value of democracy. >> now to a controversial construction of a different kind. i bet you have never come across a rooftop terrace quite like this one. >> that's right. one man in china has built his own mountaintop getaway on a roof in the center of beijing. it took him six years to build. now authorities say he has two weeks to tear it down. >> apart from having to put up with the noise of the construction work over that time, neighbors are now worried about the whole building caving in. gas and water leaks have started affecting several apartments on the lower floors. >> he is on cloud nine.

he has built his very own paradise, replete with mountain peaks and lush gardens hanging over a 20-story apartment complex. on clear days, he overlooks all of beijing. the 800-square-foot mansion towers over the capital, which says a lot in a city where housing is in short supply and the only place to build is up. but he has taken it a step too far. his villa has got to go. >> for one, it is a safety issue, and the other residents do not like the idea of having a villa on their rooftop, and it is illegal since the owner does not have permission to build. >> the villa in the sky has been six years in the making. for the residents, it has left a house divided. >> it looks really aggressive, and i think it is unfair to those who live underneath him. >> is dangerous. the entire building could

collapse. >> we often see rooftop gardens when we travel abroad. i think it makes the city prettier. >> his heaven on earth could soon be over. city officials have given him 15 days to present the proper documents or tear down his paradise. >> the question is how you are going to tear that down. he will need some help, won't he? i'm not sure. if it took him six years to put it up, could he do it a little bit less? >> do not forget, you could check out more information about any of our stories on our website, dw.de. >> we will have more news right here in just about 33 minutes time. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--