watching dw. thanks for joining us. protest in ukraine. demonstrators topple a statue of lenin. remembering nelson mandela. south africa holds a national day of prayer and reflection. and south korea reacts to air defensesded owned by expanding its own. ne by expanding its own.

massive crowds have been on the streets of kiev denouncing the government over the -- over choosing russia over the eu. they pull down a statue of lenin in the city. but first this report on another turbulent day in ukraine. opposition showed up in force with protesters cramming independent square and surrounding streets. they said they were determined to force out the government -- are in a new ukraine. as evening fell, demonstrators top shoot -- toppled a statue of lenin. it is a victory. people are in this together. taking to the streets together. every day it is growing. more and more people are there.

>> i am happy so many people are here. they are ready to fight for ukraine. >> i don't want my country to become a police state where peaceful protest put down by violence. castnot want people to be for sharing their opinion in public. >> the protesters have put up with subzero temperatures. they say they will stay until the president steps down. this person has joined the protest. she said ukraine had a choice between dictatorship and the euro. a boxing champion has emerged as a major force for the opposition. said now isiew, he the time to act. >> 422 years, ukraine has hoped

to become a modern country. it has not happened. there has been a lot of talk but it is one thing to talk and another to take action. >> but the government shows no sign of changing its position. that will be showing infirm -- interview throughout the day so do tune in for that and you can also see it on the website. let's bring in our correspondent in kiev. what is your sense of the atmosphere? is there a risk of violence? >> at the moment, the atmosphere at the square behind me is very cheerful. you might hear the music. it is on stage, there is a concert going on. they are thanking the people for that. people are very proud of what they have achieved on sunday.

it was a boost of confidence for them because the mood had been kind of grim. they were disappointed nothing had happened yet. sunday they really felt a lot of solidarity from social networks all over ukraine and also from abroad. >> it does not seem the violence is close. i'm sorry. >> what about their actual demand? is the option position -- is the opposition united? or is it simply he has to leave? they are united although there are three different party leaders. liberal party and also the ultra-right party. but they are united by the fact they have one enemy. they want political prisoners to be freed and they want those who are responsible for the crackdown of the protest to be

punished for that. they are in discussions about top and -- toppling the lenin statue. show ay it is a provocation. other say it was a symbol of soviet rule. but they are still united. >> what about resident yanukovych -- president yanukovych? can he afford to sit this out? moment, it looks like he is continuing to sit out. last week he was in china. he went to russia to talk to vladimir putin but that did not go well with the people. he preferred to do business as usual. seems togovernment have learned is that if you crackdown on the protest, even more people will come out.

it does not look like the two sides are getting closer to after sunday and these mass protest which have been the positions havehe become more entrenched, actually. >> we had better leave it there. thank you for joining us from kiev. moving onto other news, churches in south africa have been holding a day of prayer ahead of a week of events in honor of nelson mandela. more than 50 world leaders will be in the country attending either a memorial service on tuesday or a state funeral on sunday. >> a memorial mass in so eddo at the passing of the national hero. church services are normally exuberant but here the tone is serious and somber on this day. peopleilometers away, gathered in front of his former

home to pay their respects. >> it is so hard. everybody wants to be around here and say farewell to a good man. here the other hand, we're because of him. he suffered for us for years and years. jacob zuma called on the country to join together in morning. he attended a memorial mass with members of the mandela family in johannesburg. >> come together to pray. and hisct on him legacy, on his work. nation.ray also for our >> the stay of morning -- and this day of mourning is only the

beginning. it is expected to last four weeks. >> and for the latest on the tensions in the east china sea, south korea is expanding its air defense zone in what is seen as a response to a similar move by china. the new zone includes territory that is claimed by both countries. >> at first glance it looks like isoil rig but this platform a research station. it is built on a submerged island 149 kilometers off the korean coast. china calls it suyan. last week they identified a zone that covers the site. now south korea has extended its zone to include it as well. japan's zone also controls the rock. the research station it is at the center of a territorial dispute. >> we do not think it will

impact our relationship with china and japan. as we try to work for peace and cooperation. china's declaration angered tokyo. both governments have refused to recognize the move. korean and japanese aircraft are ignoring demands to identify themselves when flying through the did been sent. the united states has sent a carrier, the uss george washington, into the region. the state department is calling on all sides to pursue action in a responsible fashion. or is more at stake than control over the island. the dispute will also establish a new regional balance of power. >> getting onto sports now, the latest action from the game saw a strong showing. a 19-year-old was once again in the spotlight, opening the scoring in the eighth minute.

they extend the unbeaten run. they were again on the wrong end of the score line. 0 -- berlint them 2- beat them 2-0. a statement was made thrashing them. the victory means they have gone 14 games without losing. they suffered their worst defeat ever. the second game turned into a nightmare. he turned it into his own net. relentless. when they go in front, and daniel made it 2-0. that ended the match and the contest.

they were in the mood for more after the break. they added to their tally. itmas did his part to make 5-0. this one was a jam. they combined to teach him up. in the last minute, mario got been on the act to wrap up the stunning 7-0 win. conceding seven goals at home hurt. there are no excuses for it. they are in a different class. they taught us a real lesson. they are the best team in the world. the next week we will measure ourselves against a team more in our class. >> that will be scant consolation. >> they have tightened up their grip on second place with a one- 0 win.

their squad has been hit by injuries and saturday meant more bad news for the coach. >> they could celebrate a deserved win of the final whistle. they had been horrible with only one chance in the opening stages. they responded brilliantly. 18 minutes and, he pounced and made it 1-0 to the visitors. it was the south korean's seventh goal of the season. he almost added another on the half-hour mark. players leftome them toothless. there was late drama. a second booking and his marching orders. marco missed one last chance but this was comfortable.

>> let's take a look at the rest of the weekend results. starting off withmonchengla dbach. the battle to win at hamburg. frankfurt lost at home. on friday, nierenberg played to a 1-1-job. all matches completed, let's have a take aim -- that's take a look at the table. gap have opened up a handy in third. they are in the hunt for a champions league place. the race to the bottom remains burg andt both frei frankfurt are counting the lost of last season. they finished five and six are place of lee. fiveare now fighting -- and six place respectively.

this person won the third world cup event of the season in norway. the two-time world champion left local competitors trailing in second to reclaim the yellow jersey for the overall world cup. it was their second win this seventh and his 11th of the season overall. he completed the signing -- satisfying we can for the german team in the ski jump. >> having lead at the halfway point, he was the last two to jump on the big hill on sunday. the world champion put him under pressure. but the 25-year-old held his nerve. he got the first place. pulled off to a strong jobs. even in the warm-up, when i perform like that, i am with the

best. today it was enough for a. . it is fantastic. for a victory. it is fantastic. >> german fans can begin to get up there medal hopes. >> that is it for me. more news at the top of the hour. >> ukraine was in the middle of its worst political crisis since the revolution a decade ago. demonstrators seized a government building. leaders called for the resignation of president yanukovych after his refusal to sign a pro europe packed. >> people are dispirited. despite new governments, the situation is worsening. corruption and lawlessness. we must to change the system from the ground up. the opposition failed to oust

the government through a confidence motion on tuesday. the prime minister offered dialogues to the opposition but issued increasingly strident demands the protesters disband. western leaders expressed solidarity with the movement. the german foreign minister visited with them on wednesday. >> the european union's new surveillance system went into operation on monday. it is run from the warsaw headquarters of the european border control agency. new system will save the lives of refugees and catch criminals. component, of course, is to provide a network to monitor organized crime and illegal immigration. often to save the lives of people in distress at sea.

critics say the system is more about turning away migrants than helping them. it started operation on the southern and eastern borders. monday, the un's human rights chief has evidence that syrian government officials have committed crimes against humanity. she called on the international criminal court to open a probe into the civil war. she said responsibility for atrocities committed in the searing conflict extended to the top echelon of government, including president bashar al- assad. brewers started lobbying for a year unity lot. they are hope -- a beer unity law. in 1516, the bearberry and ruler

decreed beer could only be made with water, malt, hops, and yeast and nothing else. there was relative calm on the streets of the thai capital after days of angry protests. police itrs and should can says the government took steps to calm a dangerous escalation of violence. police were ordered to stand back as demonstrators calling for the resignation of the to entert were allowed government compounds and tear down barricades outside of the police headquarters. i ask the business community and all people, including the protesters, to unite and reform our country under the king. the protestant leader insists the prime minister must resign at the end of the week. the demonstrators were still on the streets. lower --y's extreme

extreme right is facing a ban. interior ministers launched a case the constitutional court to outlaw the party. the petition alleges it is like anti-'s nazi and is democratic. a previous attempt to ban them failed a decade ago. >> african and asian nations agreed on urgent measures to tackle the illegal ivory trade. sign up totates measures including maximum sentences for poaching and reclassification as a serious crime. conservation groups warned africa could lose 20% of its elephant population within a decade. the u.s. vice president joe biden held talks in beijing to lower regional friction.

it followed a stopover in japan where he said the u.s. would not recognize the extension of the military airspace of china to include islands famed by japan -- claimed by japan. the islands sit in an area of the east china sea rich in oil and gas. forchinese president met five hours with joe biden in talks described as tense. afterwards he said beijing sees itself as an equal partner with washington. >> the world is not tranquil. permanent members of the un security council, we bear an extraordinary responsibility to ensure world peace and stability. >> joe biden urged caution to avoid the risk of an escalation of a dispute over the islands but regional tensions remain. on wednesday, a senior commander of the lebanese hezbollah militia was shot dead

by gunmen outside of his home in southern beirut. his death comes amid increasing withon in lebanon sectarian violence spilling over from the civil war in syria. >> on wednesday, the lower chamber of parliament and france approved legislation to shift the penalty from sex workers to clients. campaignersrights say the bill represents a he stourton vance. paying for sex is currently legal in france but pimping is prohibited. of the anti- apartheid leader nelson mandela provoked and not pouring of grief across the nation. thousands gathered outside of his home after he passed away on thursday at the age of 95 with his family around him. president jacob zuma announced the news. >> he is now resting.

he is now at peace. has lost its greatest son. mandela became a national symbol of reconciliation and justice. calledung activist, he for nonviolent resistance against the apartheid regime. after police killed 69 protesters, mandela began organizing an armed opposition. he was sentenced to life in prison on charges of sabotage. he finally walked three in 1990 at the age of 71. the apartheid system was scrapped. thein may, 1994, he became first black president in south africa.

he tore down the walls of segregation this would've mired across the globe for his courage and determination. >> we have -- and was admired across the globe for his courage and determination. >> we have lost one of the most courageous people any of us will share time with on this earth. >> nelson mandela combined fighting spirit with a love of her speed -- with a love of freedom and respect for the law and a search for compromise with an insistence on historical truth. for south africans, mandela was proof of their country's finest in their darkest hours. now they must continue his legacy without him. hurricane force winds battered northern what you're up on thursday. the wind was over 185 kilometers per hour -- a northern european on thursday. the river rose to its highest

level in decades. more than six meters above normal. the fire brigade close to the barriers protecting the riverside areas. d the barriers protecting the riverside areas. >> we have to keep the river out. >> travelers in germany had their patience put to the test. services suffered disruption. despite the storm, there was less damage than predicted. in germany at least. >> militants attacked the defense ministry on thursday killing more than 50 people. two germans were among the workers found dead. germany has since pulled its development staff out of the country. al qaeda claims responsibility for the attack. sectarian violence flared in the central african republic on

thursday, leaving hundreds dead. richard militias and muslim rebels clashed. the united nations quickly agreed to double the size of a french force in the country. paris and hundreds of troops attempt to restore order. the death of nelson mandela and the violence overshadowed the french african summit in state in heads of government were in the capital to discuss new ways of securing peace and security across the continent. >> during my visit to the region, i have said it again and again that a new age is dawning. it is an age in which africa will take its fate in its own hands. and provide its own security by itself. france retains close ties to

africa due to its colonial past. recently it has intervened in cra and in mali. but paris wants things like that to be a thing of the past. draw forccer fans, the the world cup in brazil was friday's biggest event. germany will face portugal and the usa. that pitch former colleagues against each other. these fans seemed confident. wille only one which probably be more difficult is portugal. but they are dealt with already. i would rather have had england and portugal because they are easier to play. holders can look forward to a clash against the netherlands. it is a repeat of the 2010 final. holland is in bad form.

they will not even get out of the group. will have to wait until the tournament next june to see how the predictions pan out. and that concludes our look at the week's news.

>> beginning in the 1980's, the near