♪ >> hello, and welcome to the "journal" here on dw. i am in berlin, and here is a look at our headlines this hour. at least 18 people killed, overshadowing parliamentary elections in bangladesh. with al qaeda fighters gaining iraq, the u.s. said it will not send troops. and a portuguese player one the has died at the age of 71.

beenast 18 people have killed in election-related violence in bangladesh. there were more than 100 polling stations as the main opposition party boycotted the vote, calling it a farce. you have now announced a strike starting monday morning to demand that the results be voided. deployed tohad been provide security, but widespread violence bill marred the election. usedovernment activists every possible means to try to stop the polls from going ahead. boxes were destroyed. many polling stations never even opened. >> i was in the middle of the road. a bomb went off in front of me, injuring my left leg.

it cannot heal properly. >> many people stayed home on polling day. they very well may have been intimidated by the violence in recent weeks. one of the main reasons for the boycott was the 2011 decision by the government to scrap the practice of having a caretaker administration oversee the elections. that angered the opposition and the supporters. they also accuse the election commission of failing to do its job. >> this is absolutely spineless. it is part of the political party. it is totally not acceptable. >> results are expected on monday, but the boycott means the result is a foregone conclusion. >> so what is behind this buildup of tension ahead of the polls?

we spoke earlier to our south asia expert. he gave us this analysis of last year in bangladesh. 2013 has seen the worst wave of violence. on the one hand, it kicked off early in the year when liberally minded bloggers triggered a violent response with what islamic people discussed as blasphemous comments about islam. and then in response to the deliberations of the so-called international war crimes tribunal set up in 2010 to try people accused of war crimes back in 1970 one, when bangladesh fought for independence from pakistan, and this trial is in the view of rights organizations deeply flawed and does not meet international standards. most of the accused are either islam it or members of the opposition party, and our

sentences handed down, including death sentences, which have triggered ongoing violence on the streets of the city. >> thanks very much. nearte of bomb attacks baghdad has killed at least 19 people and wounded dozens more. at least four separate ones occurred on monday in different parts of the city, and all were shiite areas. they have blamed the attacks on militants who have been fighting the security forces in the western cities of falluja and rahmadi. officials say they are currently planning a major attack to falluja andity of part of the other. >> this unverified internet video allegedly shows al qaeda militants near the city of falluja. they have set several government

vehicles on fire. in the background, gunfire. fighting is also raging in the rahmadi.ty of and they say they will not leave until they have revenged their dead. it is unclear who controls rahmadi, and there is anger at the mainly shiite government. and they say they will soon reassert control of the region. >> i think this issue will be resolved within one or two days. once we have expelled those groups. >> the iraqi army is said to be planning a large-scale offensive. this footed -- footage shows an attack on territory allegedly

controlled by militants. there are reports they have urged residents to leave. >> a united nations report released last month found afghan authorities have neglected to prosecute those who commit crimes against women. this is despite laws that have been on the books for four years, rejecting women against forced marriages, domestic violence, and rape. what many women are fighting is that the laws are useless if they are not enforced. >> many women simply do not survive. mamed at thed hospitals, like this woman, and the culprit was her husband, and she will be stigmatized for life. a mystic abuse and sexual violence exists in the world over. or was a surge of attacks against women in afghanistan that has shocked experts. >> reality of the environment

against women was really shocking to see. really, the cutting of the nose rape.ps, including mass >> human rights activists say that while violence against women existed both before and airing the war, the with drawl of western troops is creating a dangerous power vacuum, and in their absence, no one has the ability to enforce the laws, making them useless. what you are hearing from afghanistan is an easy. there is no punishment. >> the women access to the justice system is still severely limited, and some opt for a desperate last resort to escape reviews. cases of self immolation document the sorry state of

women's rights in afghanistan. >> secretary of state john kerry is asking people to compromise for peace. john kerry met with leaders in jordan and saudi arabia before returning to jerusalem. there, he conceded there was a chance his mission could fail, but he refused to name the remaining stumbling blocks at the talks. out onenot going to lay particular example or another except to say to you that the path is becoming clearer. the puzzle is becoming more defined, and it is becoming much more apparent to everyone what the remaining tough choices are and what the options are with respect to those choices. as many asisrael, 30,000 african migrants turned out for a peaceful demonstration in tel aviv. many of them entered the country illegally, and there is a

refusal to give them refugee status as well as the detention of hundreds of asylum seekers. the authorities to detain the illegal immigrants for up to a year without trial. there is more. >> many thousands packed into central tel aviv for the israeli migrant protest. some estimates say one out of three unauthorized migrants showed up, and many are from ethiopia and the sudan. there protest was peaceful but spirited. >> we are asking the israeli government to counsel the new law. the second is about the asylum request. respect thel should human rights of migrants, he added. this protest homes in response migrantslaw detaining indefinitely. the government of benjamin netanyahu says they are a threat

to israel's social fabric. since 2006, about 50,000 have made it to israel, most going across the sinai desert. you stop the flow, the government has stepped up border security. a wall that stretches hundreds of kilometers across the sinai. it was completed last year, and so far, it has reduced the numbers of arrivals. now, and soccer fans are hit with some tough news today, that one of the sport's largest legends, eusebio , has died at the age of 71. he was one of the top strikers in the 1960's and 1970's and was in the world cup. here is a look at some of his defining moments. eusebio was one of the most prolific goal scorers in

history. his progress will be remembered for a long time. the international championships, 10 times in the 1960's and 70's. >> nowadays, we compare reynaldo and others. back then, all of the talk was about eusebio and pele. for me, eusebio is still the best. in 64scored 41 goals games for portugal. he was the 1965 european footballer of the year, and one year later in 1966, his nine goals helped portugal to finish third in the world cup in england. theor my generation during 1960's, soccer was really played from the heart, and it was like that from all over the world. today, soccer is nothing more than a commercial enterprise. there are some good players, but

essentially, the show is a business. >> many portuguese players reacted using twitter. .est in peace another called his death a great loss for everyone. one of the deadliest strikers is leaving for the archrival, byron munich. he passed a medical check in munich on saturday. he will be joining them at the end of the season. leads currently in scoring with 11 goals in 17 games. the move is adding to concerns about the growing dominance of byron in german soccer. and the world-famous rally held in south africa got underway with stage one in argentina. the fastest in one section,

carlos leading another. last year's winner was among the fastest finishers. take a look. customized many celebrated their success. have nowdeveloped received official support from bmw. is, ofg recognized course, a triumph. we fought for it long enough. never give up. there is always a way to achieve something if you have stamina. >> the journey began in the was co-owned at bmw. at the time, on the board and a regular driver in the rally. 2001, there was the idea that was to change his life.

he set about modifying bmw models to fit them to the race. then, the rally was one twice in the mini. this has 100 more horsepower. both have advantages and a good chance of winning. now, the question is whether the stretch is better suited to buggies or all-terrain vehicles. longw, a 9000 kilometer race over new terrain will determine if the success story continues. >> and drivers in new york city got a surprise this weekend after a small plane landed on a busy expressway. the pilot had been going to connecticut when he was forced to land after experiencing engine problems. emergency crews were quick to bring the situation under control. pilot nor that two passengers were badly hurt, but

it slowed traffic in all directions for hours. ,"at is all for the "journal and the next update is at the top of the hour. thank you for joining. ♪ >> the week began with news that the sporting legend was in a critical condition in a french hospital after a skiing accident. the seven-time formula one champion was in an induced coma with severe head injuries. one day earlier, he had been skiing with his son in a french alps resort. shown here in file footage. head on ad hit his rock. he was wearing a helmet, but that was not enough to fully protect them from the impact. doctors say he has suffered severe brain trauma.

conscious,, he was but he could not answer questions. he had uncontrolled reactions and was unresponsive. a main injuries are to the right side of his head. >> there was a massive outpouring of support from fans, friends, and colleagues. also gathered outside the hospital in grenoble. his 45ththe week on birthday, fans held a simon vigil for their hero. a a suicide bombing rocked russian city early monday morning. at least 18 people were killed, at least 70 more injured when a suicide bomber blew up. it was the second such attack in 24 hours. russian authorities believe islamic militants from the north caucuses are responsible. militant leaders have vowed to disrupt the winter olympics in with maximum force.

vladimir putin visited, meeting with survivors of the attacks and also with local authorities to discuss security measures. >> the ruthlessness of the nomes committed here needs additional comment. whatever the motives of the criminals are, there is no excuse of crimes against civilians, especially women and children. pruden promised an investigation and to fight terror until it is completely wiped out. russian police arrested over 700 people in their investigations. in the greek capital, athens, an unknown gunmen fired rounds at the residence of the ambassador. they say men fired automatic weapons at the house. the ambassador and his family were not injured. so far, no group has taken responsibility for the attacks.

>> in the democratic republic of congo, security forces have coordinated attacks on the airport. the state television headquarters. and a military base. some of the attackers were reported killed. of aare thought to be part group that opposes the country's president. >> 5, 4, 3, 2, one. >> on tuesday, people around the world celebrated new year's eve, and as always, australians were among the first to ring in the new year. there was a massive fireworks display over the city harbor. although the chinese new year is still weeks off, millions of chinese joined the rest of the world in celebration. >> i had a good year in 2013. i graduated from school and have a job, which is the first step in my life. to be4, i want to learn

grateful, content, and happy. in germany, partygoers crowded into the capital. berlin puts on one of the world's biggest open-air parties, along prehistoric city brandenburg gate. and in new york, the traditional sparkling crystal ball dropped over times square. around one million people sign syne." "old lang >> german chancellor angela merkel laid out her plans for the new year in her address. she is urging people to get involved. to do to makelot germany's strong for the future. my priorities include getting our finances in order before we pass them on to the next generation thomas successfully

transitioning our energy policy, and maintaining a good working and social climate in our country, especially because our society is getting older and more diverse. >> palestinians celebrated as 26 prisoners released by israel arrived early on tuesday in the west bank. abbas welcomed them and made a promise. >> we will not sign a final peace deal with israel until all of the prisoners are released. >> the peace talks, revived this summer by u.s. secretary of have sincekerry, stalled. john kerry is due in jerusalem for more talks later in the week, to press both sides to agree on a framework peace deal, but a major sticking point remains. to build more homes for settlers in the west bank and in east jerusalem.

>> on the first day of 2014, latvia became the 18th country to join the euro zone. their prime minister was the first to withdraw a fresh 10 euro note from a latvian atm. >> 2014 is a really historical latvia, becoming the 18th member of the eurozone. it is a path that started maybe 10 years ago, when latvia joined the eu. tothere were video messages congratulate latvia, but many are wary of the new currency and are uncertain about the security measures imposed in response to the debt crisis of 2008. financial experts, however, remain optimistic, forecasting growth of over four percent this year. alreadyado was celebrating at the start of the new year, but there was a second

countdown, to when the first legal sale of recreational marijuana took place. voters legalized pot in a referendum in november 2012. colorado, like many other states, had legalized medical marijuana. over 21 no longer need a prescription. just cash and a photographic id, and marijuana is still illegal under u.s. federal law. they will not prosecute people for buying or selling it, but officials in washington, d.c., still could. >> in india, the parents of a girl who was set on fire after being gang raped amended the death sentence for her killers. the girl was allegedly gang raped twice by the same six men in october, and the second was supposed to be an act of revenge after the girl reported the first to the police. she was pregnant when she died.

six men were arrested. >> a new step in eu immigration stirred up debate among german politicians. as of january 1, romanians and bulgarians may enter germany without first securing work permit. conservatives have been the harshest critics of the law, and they say they will be costly and will lead to social problems. theou want to alter european framework we have been given on an international basis, and we germans are not a social problem solvers of europe. >> social democrats say that is a popular sentiment which will damage the eu. >> it is whipping up fear. we experienced this in 1980 six when portugal joined and in 2004 when it expanded into eastern

europe. both times, we were told there would be a lot of poverty and migration, and both times, it did not happen. >> the chancellor in berlin said they will form a committee to look into how cases of abuse can be avoided. >> rescue came by air for the 52 passengers of a research ship that had been stranded in ice in the ant arctic for nine days. a chinese helicopter made several trips, transporting up to 12 passengers at a time to a nearby australian icebreaker. the researchers, tourists, and journalists on board were heading home when a blizzard trapped in their ship in antarctic ice. despite being trapped, passengers and crew remained in good spirits, posting videos of their adventure online. >> ♪ >> for the rescued passengers, it will be another two weeks at sea until they reach port in

tasmania. troopsraq, government fought to bring back control over two main cities from militants linked to al qaeda. launched army airstrikes on rebel positions in falluja. adi,e, and in nearby ram they were in a couple of districts, and fighting broke out when there was an antigovernment protest in ramadi. >> after weeks of fighting in south sudan, a first round of peace talks got under way on friday. delegations from both warring parties met in neighboring ethiopia. despite the talks, fighting continued unabated. a struggle for power between the south sudanese president and his former vice president has divided the world's youngest nation. than 1000 people have died since fighting broke out mid- december. hundreds of thousands have fled

their homes. >> at least three people were killed in the cambodian capital of phnom penh, when antigovernment demonstrations turned violent on friday. authorities say protesters through petrol bombs at police, who responded by opening fire on the crowd. the protesters are demanding higher wages for garment workers. the violence of the armed forces and the infraction of the used it.overnment have >> for weeks now, many garment workers have been on strike. they earn only 60 euros per month and want to see that doubled. many major u.s. and european fashion labels have manufacturing facilities in cambodia. >> and finally, on friday, the northeastern united states was

hit a blizzard that dropped up to one half of a meter of snow in some areas. several states, including new york, declared a state of emergency. hundreds of flights had to be canceled or delccccccccccccccccc