>> hello, and welcome to "the journal" on dw. the headlines this hour -- the says theister of malta mediterranean is becoming a cemetery after a new shipwreck tragedy. half a million people evacuated as cyclone phailan makes landfall in india. mark webberdriver has snatched the pole position ahead of sunday's japanese grand prix. ♪

european waters close to africa are turning into a cemetery. that is the reaction of malta was prime minister to the latest tragedy. on friday, at least 34 people died after the boat sank between the italian island lampedosa and malta, the latest in a spate of accidents involving refugees trying to reach european shores. a search is still underway for victims of friday's disaster. for those who have survived, the future is still uncertain. at least these people are alive. they have reached european soil on the island of malta. the maltese navy rescued many people, including children, after their boat capsized. any are skipping the civil war in syria. other say they're coming from

palestinian territories. the situation is stretching the authorities and malta, but countries leader has appealed to the european union for more help. >> my position is clear. it is good this is being brought up at the european council meetings in very good it will be discussed. but talking is not enough. italian naval personnel also rescued dozens of survivors and escorted them to sicily, where an uncertain fate awaits them at refugee centers. the u.n. reports 32 thousand migrants have arrived in southern italy and malta this year alone. two thirds of them have requested asylum. >> the african union says it will not allow the international criminal court to prosecute an incumbent head of state. the trial of the canyon president is due to start next month on charges of crimes against humanity. on relationssummit

with the icc, kenyatta called the court the toy of declining imperial powers. the court has also indicted sudanese president omar al- bashir. the african union accuses the icc of singling out the continent. court defenders say several of the cases were referred by the african governments. time is running out in the u.s. republicans and democrats have less than a week to reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling. if they don't, the world's largest economy could default on its bills. officialsfinance wrapping up meetings in washington, the risk of a u.s. debt fault overshadows everything else on the agenda. >> bankers and politicians meeting in washington were hoping to focus their attention on efforts to fight global poverty, but the u.s. audit impasse took center stage as the imf and world bank's had their

annual meeting in the capital. the chairman of the finance minister urged the americans to reach a compromise. we have all made it clear we cannot solve this for the americans, they have to do this themselves. but we urge them to find a solution. it is in the interest of the u.s. and the world. thousands off federal employees remain at home on unpaid leave. during his weekly address, president barack obama called on the republicans to approve a new budget. >> let's pass a budget, put people back to work, and end this republican shutdown. but they are bills and prevent the economic shutdown. then let's get back to the work of the marketing people, because there is so much else we should be focusing our energies on right now. we have to create more jobs, we have kids to educate, we have an immigration system to fix. met with republican

several times in recent days, but without achieving a major break their. -- without achieving a major breakthrough. most have returned to their home constituencies for the long columbus day weekend. >> the anti-secrecy organization wikileaks has released video clips of former nsa contractor edward snowden speaking in moscow. he was receiving an award from a group at campaigns for integrity among intelligence professionals. program he u.s. by exposed put people at risk of conflict with their own government. he also said people around the world are realizing these kinds of programs do not make them any safer. germany's biggest telecom operator is saying that domestic -- proposing that domestic avoidc be kept inside to surveillance. they are using german computer

servers for domestic e-mails, and now they are calling for cooperation keep data streams inside of the country. reports that america's nsa and other foreign agencies are monitoring data have alarmed many germans, who will recall government surveillance in communist east germany and during the not see regime -- and during the nazi regime. a powerful storm in the philippines has left at least a dozen people dead. the typhoon made landfall friday, bringing floods and powerful wind up to 150 kilometers per hour. several victims drowned or were hit by falling trees. millions in the country have no power, and large areas of farmland are underwater. weathers been extreme in india as well, were a massive cyclone hit the east coast saturday evening. there are five confirmed deaths and severe rain and wind have forced more than half a million people to flee their homes and

seek refuge in storm shelters. >> they are freezing, soaked, and really scared. they don't know what to expect. all of them have been told to evacuate their homes in coastal villages. for the moment, they are on safe ground. about 30 kilometers away from the sea. i have come here with my family to escape the cyclone. our house is gone. >> cyclone phailin is packing winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. the states are bearing the brunt of the storm. 12 million people live in the path of the cyclone, one of the worst in years. a powerful storm killed about 15,000 people in 1999. this time, the authorities have evacuated hundreds of thousands of people to makeshift shelters.

more than 200 people are crammed into two small rooms in this school. >> i came here to get away from the cyclone. my son and his wife stayed because of the cat and their belongings. i don't know if they are safe. >> she is not likely to discover the fate of her relatives until the storm has passed. >> argentina says it will not warw the remains of a nazi criminal to enter the country. his lawyer had said the former ss officer would be buried there next to his wife. he spent almost five decades in argentina until the 1990s, when he was extradited to italy and convicted for his role in a 1944 massacre of civilians outside of rome. he died under house arrest in rome on friday at the age of 100. the man at the center of

germany's latest roman catholic church scandal is believed to have traveled to rome to plead his case with germany's top bishop. bishop has come under fire for spending 31 million euros on his new residence, six times the original planned cost. german media says he will be meeting with the german archbishop, who will discuss the matter with pope francis next week. we changed gear and move to sports. in soccer, germany has clinched its spot in next year's world cup in brazil with a convincing victory over ireland. the german squad made it look easy friday night, knocking in three goals while keeping a clean sheet. the three points that secure germany's qualification never looked in doubt. the players gave their coach and easy night. a huge credit to the players that they kept pushing

hard and how motivated and professional they remained through the qualifying campaign. i am proud of the team for the way they have accomplished this. >> germany took control of the match early on, putting pressure on ireland in their own half. the strategy paid off in the 12 minute when it became 1-0. of theas an element goal, a deflection to get past the irish keeper, but the coach did not mind at all. germany had clear-cut chances the rest of the half, playing in an unfamiliar role of striker. my favorite position, that is what the coach decided. i think the team played well. defensively,ayed but they looked more dangerous as the match went on. they had several chances and eventually doubled the lead.

the victory was all but guaranteed. in short time, it became a 3-0 victory. >> just eight months before the world for all fans turn their gaze to brazil for the world cup. the line up is slowly taking shape. 14 teams have qualified, including germany. ombia also secured a spot friday. 18 slots are still up for grabs in the tournament. motorsports, sebastian could win his fourth formula one drivers championship sunday. in qualifying for the japanese grand prix, it was his red bull teammate mark webber who drove the fastest lap. sebastian had to settle for second place on the grid. >> it is the first turn this season and mark webber has a better qualifying lap and his

teammate sebastian. the australian was .2 of a second faster than the championship leader. he was not making any excuses. this,m not a big fan of so it is always unknown. >> it will be the first time this year that webber starts a race from the pole position, but he promised there would be no tactical racing. the for re: driver, who is second -- the ferrari driver will start second. he could win the title if he wins the race and is not finish out side of the top eight. >> the starting grid for the japanese grand prix -- the red bull team except the front row. mark webber is in pole position with sebastian fedele trailing. the third spot for marseille

fore -- the third spot mercedes, followed by the driver for lotus. wheels to twour wheels, and the german motorcyclist was set to compete in the malaysian grand prix. instead, he is recovering from an ankle operation after falling off of his bike in training. saturday's qualifier saw a 20- year-old from spain take his eighth pole position of the season, beating out the seven- time world champion. austria, where the women's german table tennis team has notched a first at the european championship. ever before have two pairs from the same country gone head-to- head for the doubles title. other,e set to face each both teams from germany.

either way, germany will take home the gold and silver medals. germany's tennis player has advanced to the wt a tournament in austria after routing spain's carla suarez navarro 6-2, 6-0. they will take on the top seed from serbia. and the men's number one tennis player suffered a surprise to feed in the semifinals. >> this time alright i on the doll could do was offer koran gyrations -- this time all nadal could do was offer his congratulations. the spaniard put up a better fight in the second set, but he remained unimpressed. he upped his game and put the pressure on him, winning 6-4 to reach the final in shanghai.

he will face the world number two, novak djokovic. many may be disappointed not to see him face his big rival, nadal. >> that wraps it up for us here on "journal." thanks so much for watching. ♪ the organic farmers market in germany. every day, grow or sell their fruit and vegetables straight from the fields. it is as organic as an eco- friendly supermarket in the big city. selection is limited, but it gives villagers the opportunity to stock up on fresh produce before the weekend. and it is a high point of the week. it is followed by another tradition, the friday bonfire.

the strong turnout shows a healthy village life in a region otherwise characterized by a dwindling population. i'm on the road in the state of brandenburg in eastern germany. many villagers in the reason -- many villages in the region are dying as villagers move away. at this village is an exception. they show it is possible to the trend. people who were born and raised here are staying and raised here are staying in are being joined by new arrivals. about 100ted kilometers from berlin, not far from the polish border. villages 300 residents, 70 our children. it is an unusual ratio. what is their secret? after the end of communism,

things here were not very different from other east german villages. many people lost their jobs, moved away, and the kindergarten closed. it seemed destined for decline. firsten 15 years ago, the exiles fleeing big city life in berlin discovered the village. and it's cheaper houses, large plots, and room for creativity, imagination, and dreams. like letting your kids grow up in the country. the urban transplants brought with them environmental consciousness and a willingness to get involved. a volunteer association and renovated the kindergarten. today is the harvest festival, and children from the kindergarten are decorating the village church. inside, i meet this family. the father, max, is a farmer. their three sons and their

mother, who holds the baby. the family moved here from the western state. she tells me they have lived here eight years and they like it. i ask her what is different here. she says it is the beautiful countryside that makes the region so special. the natural splendor. i ask about the people. unique, the people are and especially here they get along well. so a good mix of old and new? says there are a lot of newcomers, but they interact with the long-standing residents. she says it is a nice mix and they complement each other. but later i learned this intermingling has not always been smooth, and continues to cause friction for some locals. but here in the church, it is a

harmonious atmosphere. ♪ the motto of the association credited with saving the village is "life is sweet in the region." i got an appointment to meet the group's chairwoman to ask why this town is blossoming. she says there is a magic formula. 's civic-minded residents combined with creativity and imagination. but what it really comes down to his involvement, and that is what comes together here. i am going to meet up with sonia later, but first i want to get to know some of these creative people. and i don't have to go far. right next door is a construction site. the builders are all members of

the village association. as the children got older, a private school was set up. now they are adding to it. this used to be a horse stable. an association member says now they are turning it into a giant playspace for the kindergarten. it is covered by a roof so the kids will be able to run around a bit even when it is raining. the school and kindergarten are the biggest employers in the village. the architect's plans are drawn up think what operation with the village association. and that means with the builders. it is grassroots democracy, even if it is not always easy. have an idealways of what you want and you try to get as close to that ideal as possible. he says it all started with

children's day care groups that were first held in people's homes. then they found a small home in the village, then a larger site. still, it was not ideal. once they finish this, it will be pretty close to perfect. some of the girls are taking me to the town's community center. it also used to be a stable. today, it is hosting a used clothing swap. the girls are having fun. but i'm a little perplexed. this is not how i imagined life in the country. in fact, i feel like i'm in berlin. the mothers look the same. aren't there any natives here? i put the question to the village association chairwoman. it is pretty much only the newcomers who use the

community center, a long- standing resident. she says it is pretty much only the newcomers to use the community center. the long-standing residents do not use it as much. they have a mindset of being afraid or unsure of themselves. somehow or other, we have to find ways of changing that. one place to start might be the village pub. back in the time of communist east germany, it was at the heart of humidity life -- it was at the heart of community life. tonight, smit soul is on the menu. it is popular with the locals, but none of them want to talk in front of the camera. the next morning, i try again, this time in front of the village store. unease.ense of uneas

the many here say they have had negative experiences with the media. says there have been reports the newcomers and the natives like him don't get along. he says that's not true and that words are always being turned around, which is why he says he is not prepared to make statements. and that is the end of the conversation. store is just like the shops were back in communist east germany. it is more than just a small grocery store. it's an institution that keeps the town together. nowadays, there are an equal number of local-born residents and those who have moved here. many people come by every morning for a cup of freshly brewed coffee. residents do not always make new friends here, that they do learn to respect one another. -- but they do learn to respect one another.

ramona has been running the store 20 years. people here are lucky. many villagers have to drive far for basic groceries in other villages. she even helps shoppers make sure they have not forgotten anything on their list. this customer needs to go back for milk. the owner has to watch her inventory and expenses closely, with particular care not to order too many fresh products that will go bad quickly. she says she barely gets by from what she sells, but she is ok with that. she says she also benefits from not having to drive for groceries, so she is content with her situation. there are not many alternatives. jobs are few and far between in the economically depressed region. one in six is unemployed. for work come a people have to move to the big city.

-- for work, people have to move to the big city. once you leave the village limits, it becomes apparent the surrounding countryside is not faring any better, with abandoned houses and deserted villages. it starts with businesses closing. then schools, then doctors offices. all that remains are ghost towns. is forecastl exodus to continue. analysts say germany's villages will lose 20% of their residents by 2030. it is something that really gets on the nerves of sonya. says she thinks it goes against nature. country life does not mean uneducated or ignorant. she says you can't forget it is the countryside that has always fed the cities.

so politicians cannot say we can just let the countryside die out, it and in the end we don't care. all of the special regional funds that get set up and canceled again are always just a drop in the bucket, she says. there is no clear commitment to that ruralr saying areas are important and store their living standards. so let's work together to try to do something about it. is what people are doing here. that way, the village survives. friday afternoon, the bonfire gathering in front of the grocery store is in full swing. they are all here, young and old, the doers and the skeptics. these locals say it is a nice chance for people to meet up and

chat with one another. they say where else do people come together like this in the open? in italy, perhaps. not just in italy. also in germany, in places like