>> welcome to the "journal" coming to you live from dw in berlin. good to have you with us. >> here are our top stories -- foreman ministers from russia, ukraine, germany, and france have agreed on steps for a cease-fire to end the fighting in ukraine -- foreign minister's. >> fighting in jerusalem after the abduction and killing of a palestinian teenager. >> the world health organization calls the latest evil let outbreak in africa one of the world's greatest health risks -- the latest evil of -- the latest ebola outbreak in africa one of

the world's greatest health risks. foreign minister's from russia, ukraine, germany, and france meeting in berlin have agreed on a series of steps for a resumption of the cease-fire in eastern ukraine. >> steps include reopening talks no later than saturday with a goal of reaching a sustainable cease-fire. >> in that declaration issued after the talks, ministers welcomed russia's readiness. >> there was reason for guarded optimism as the meeting adjourned. participants go prospects are good for a renewed cease-fire in eastern ukraine. the german foreign minister reported progress after the crisis meeting with foreign ministers. >> we know this is not the solution to all of the problems. it is not a magic formula.

i believe it is the first important step to a cease-fire on both sides. >> a contact group will be formed by saturday, made up of representatives from russia, ukraine, and the osce. a key element of the agreement is the monitoring of borders. >> it is important to strengthen border to stop weapons and separatist fighters from coming into ukraine from russia. >> russia has agreed to post osce monitors on its borders only as long as a cease-fire is in place. the russian foreign minister also said his government will try and negotiate the release of hostages in a further effort to reduce tensions. but for the moment, the violence in eastern ukraine continues. after the last these fire was

largely ignored, kiev pass that up its battle with the rebels. >> this is all about ending the fighting. let's bring in our political correspondent. this is looking very much like a breakthrough. can it defuse the crisis? >> this joint declaration will still have to prove what it's worth on the ground, but no doubt this was a very vital step. what we've seen today as major players in this conflict getting together and calling for a multilateral cease-fire as opposed to the unilateral one that lasted 10 days and that was not renewed on monday evening, which led to further bloodshed. very important step there. also new concessions by russia actually granting access to ukrainian border guards. that is an unheard-of step so far in this crisis. it is a real concession that can

actually be proved on the ground, and it will be very interesting to see now how much influence russia actually has over those separatists in eastern ukraine, who will come to the negotiating table, whether all of these groups will agree to such a cease-fire. >> it's not only about the people, but time is of the essence. saturday, july 5, the deadline for talks to begin. >> first of all, this contact group will have to gather again, and it will be interesting to see who the osce hosts -- who the ukrainian government will find on the other side. then we will need to see some results very quickly. we will need to see a cease-fire actually signed by relevant parties and lamented on the ground, and as we heard, this, by no means, is the solution to

the crisis, but it is a very promising first step, the spurs that could concretely translate into an easing of tensions on the ground. >> looking for some quick results. thanks so very much. >> in other news, the white house has condemned the killing of a palestinian teenager whose body was found on the outskirts of jerusalem. it has urged authorities to take steps to prevent tensions escalating. >> the killing has raised decisions he was murdered by israelis to avenge the deaths of three jewish youths. >> palestinians have taken to the streets in violent protests of jerusalem. >> clashes erupted in east jerusalem as news of the murder spread, and palestinians took to the sheets to express their anger. many think it was the work of radical jewish settlers. >> he was an innocent child, abducted outside his front door

without good reason or warning. he was waiting for the mosque to open so he could pray. it's a terrible crime, whichever way you look at it. >> the boy's family is convinced the killing was an act of retribution. they also accuse the police of being slow to react when they reported his kidnapping. >> we called the police. his phone was working. we gave them his phone number and everything. they did not help at all. >> police say they found his birth a-day in a forest on the outskirts of jerusalem. the israeli government has condemned those responsible. >> prime minister netanyahu has instructed the police to conduct this investigation expeditiously , to get to the truth of the matter as soon as possible. he has also called upon everyone to not take the law into their own hands. >> anger in israel has been widespread over the killing of

re-jewish teenagers, and some have called for revenge. many hardline israelis think the government response has not been tough enough. israeli forces have bombed the homes of two suspects in the west bank and arrested dozens of members of the radical group hamas. there have also been airstrikes in gaza. tensions continue to mount. palestinian leaders blame the israeli government for the death, saying it is responsible for jewish terrorism in occupied jerusalem. >> to france now where former president nicolas sarkozy has accused the country's justice system of trying to destroy him after he was charged in a corruption probe. >> the former conservative party leader was charged with taking funds from late libyan leader moammar gadhafi. >> sarkozy says he was detained for 15 hours at a police station to humiliate him as he launches

a political comeback. >> it was the early hours of the morning before nicolas sarkozy was released. news the former french president was taken into custody is dominating the nation's headlines. "the figaro" described it as a shock wave. his chance of a political comeback was questioned. >> corruption? in france? no. >> it makes me laugh because he is the man who wanted to revolutionize and reform france in order to ensure greater justice. >> is it a means of preventing sarkozy's 2017 candidature? that's a legitimate question. if it is politically motivated, it is a scandal. >> the former president is accused of corruption, influence peddling, and violation of secrecy. he and his lawyer allegedly offered the magistrate a post in

monaco in exchange for information on the probe. sarkozy denies wrongdoing. >> as head of the government, i ask for us to remember the independence of the justice system, which must work assiduously. secondly, that no one is above the law. thirdly, and it is important to remember this, that the presumption of innocence applies to everyone. >> it's unclear how this investigation will impact sarkozy's reelection hopes in the presidential election, but it looks set to be a hot topic for a while to come. >> the eu demanded immediate steps to rollback unemployment levels that remain at historic highs, not only at home, but also in greece and spain. >> the country's popular new

leader described europe as a tired has-beens and said it was time to put an end to austerity and create jobs for the young. >> matteo renzi took on the eu presidency with a call to shift economic focus. the italian prime minister treated european parliamentarians to a sobering analysis of the current situation and said policies were now needed for growth rather than austerity. >> if europe was to take a selfie today, how would the picture looked? it would be a worrying image. because it would be a picture of stagnation. >> renzi talked every awakening the european spirit and putting people first. to do this, he suggested economic policy must be steered away from austerity. >> we have a stability and growth pact. we have achieved stability, but where is the growth? i demand that growth he comes a

central element of european economic policy. this will not only help italy but all of europe. >> this has alarmed parliament's conservative wing. it fears growth policies could that in the newly one economic stability -- newly won economic stability. >> how can we tell portugal, greece, spain, and ireland they have done their homework, learned their lesson? >> even critical european parliamentarians hope renzi can generate enthusiasm for reform on a european level. he will have his chance over the next six months. >> the eu has paved the way for a deal that would create germany's mobilephone operator. the antitrust authority in brussels has approved the merger. >> it brings together more than 40 million customers, nearly a third of the german market, and it will cost an estimated 8.5

billion euros in cash and stock. o2 has pledged to help smaller competitors enter the market to ensure that the deal will not stifle the market. our correspondent has all of the reaction from frankfurt. >> higher prices in mobile phone business would be a very good ink. not necessarily for customers, of course, but for the mobilephone customers -- companies. investors appreciated the green light. shares of telefonica richmond went up by 2%, and also shares of some competitors went up here on the frankfurt floor, where it was low trading again. the dax tried to rally, but the early gains melted down in later trading. >> let's pull up those market numbers for you now. we stick in frankfurt where the dax held steady with traders looking ahead to the ecb's interest rate.

across the atlantic, the dow jones industrial average is still trading, and it is just below that historic 17,000 mark. as for the euro dollar, one euro will get you $1.36. >> it is a post a few governments can make in the age of ballooning deficits, but germany says its budget for 2015 will be the first one that does not include any new debt since 1969. >> or lynn says a valid -- berlin says a balanced budget is the foundation for economic growth and prosperity, but not everyone is on the same page with the government off keeping. -- the government's bookkeeping. >> next year will be the first and for decades in which germany will have a balanced budget. >> we have reached a milestone in our budgetary policy. for the first time, we have

created a national budget without making any new debt. >> for years, expenditures have our exceeded income, but the 2013 projection is to break even, and the coalition hopes it can avoid new loans in the coming years, but the opposition remains skeptical. >> it's only good news on the surface. it has been achieved primarily by dipping into the social welfare coffers. people will feel that in their wallets. and it's also down to historically low interest rates. >> the finance minister shrugged off the criticism. >> you could also say that the finance minister has become more relaxed over the years. >> the government wants to focus on the good news, but for the time being, germany appears to be sitting pretty. >> are you a monty python fan? if so, being in london is an absolute must right now.

>> the legendary comedy group has reunited for a series of farewell performances presenting all their best-known sketches. >> that and more after the break. we're back in a minute. >> welcome back to the show. the world health organization is urging drastic action in west africa to combat the largest known outbreak of the ebola virus. >> hundreds have died in countries where poor health system and lack of understanding over the disease has made it even harder to stop the virus from spreading. >> elizabeth smith was working as a nurse in liberia when she contracted the virus from one of her patients. she is one of hundreds in west africa to become infected in what is the world's worst ever ebola epidemic and the first ever in this region.

the outbreak started in guinea, but it has since spread to neighboring liberia and sierra leone. the world health organization says more than 460 people are known to have died across the three countries since the first cases came to light in january. international aid organizations working to break the cycle of infection say they face a lack of trust among locals who are wary of their protective clothing. >> the disease is natural. it is not a mystery, but simply is a disease that is acquired. if only they would listen appropriately to our advice, we could break the chain of transmission. >> one of the ways the virus is transmitted is through the consumption of monkey meat, which is a specialty in west africa. once infected, the carrier can pass the virus on through bodily fluid including sweat.

50% to 90% of cases have so far proven fatal. there are no vaccines or cures available, so physical contact with infected persons needs to be avoided at all costs. what makes fighting the disease particularly difficult is that families tend to nurse their sick at home and to wash their dead before they are buried. the chance that elizabeth smith will recover from the virus is slight, but she is receiving all the help currently available. >> west african health ministers are meeting in the capital of ghana to talk about how to handle this crisis. we spoke earlier with a representative from doctors with out -- doctors without borders and asked what his colleagues have been saying. >> we are very concerned about the situation. the epidemic started in march this year. while we saw some decreasing numbers in may, we are seeing accelerating numbers again now, and we have to see -- have to

say the epidemic is spreading again, not only beyond regions, but the aunt -- beyond countries. three countries are involved, and the numbers are going up every day. >> why has this outbreak and so devastating? -- been so devastating? >> i think everyone is surprise, including us. we thought we could scale down our activities earlier. we thought we could scale down our efforts, but we see it is spreading in remote areas where there are no health facilities, and the knowledge about ebola in the countries affected is still not been enough. people hide themselves or their relatives who are infected rather than bring them to the hospital to see a doctor. >> fear and ignorance have certainly been playing a role in the spread of this virus. have there been larger efforts to educate locals on how to react?

>> that is a very important point you mention. in previous outbreaks in central and east africa, people knew about ebola and could take precautions. in west africa, it is the first time it hit the area, and people do not know anything about it. information is crucial. people have to know that hiding people and not seeing health specialist is dangerous. they have to be precocious and hygiene and funeral preparations, so this is important, being fully transparent on all levels. we do everything we can to inform the populations and to get the right knowledge about this disease. otherwise, it will not stop. >> a ship carrying toxic chemicals from syria has started transferring them to an american cargo vessel at a port in

southern italy. >> this is the start of the final phase of the international effort to destroy syria's chemical weapon stockpile. the mustard gas arrived and 78 containers before they were offloaded to a specially equipped american naval vessel. they will be neutralized in the middle of the mediterranean. the treated chemicals will bid -- will then be returned to land. what is oscar pistorius' mental state right now and at the time he shot and killed his girlfriend, reeva steenkamp? those are some of the questions lawyers addressed on the 36th day of the athlete's trial. >> the defense has painted him as a contrite man, whereas prosecution says he is an overbearing egoist. >> this week, the pistorius trial has become a battle of the psychologists. monday, the prosecution gave its take on an evaluation of the story us' mental health. it said he was fully saying -- same -- sane when he shot his

girlfriend. prosecutors want to prove he killed his gopher and deliberately and in cold blood, but the defense has countered with its own psychological assessment, arguing the sports star is not the type of man who would abuse or harm his girlfriend. his lawyer portrayed him as brittle and tormented by his girlfriend's death last year. >> the degree of anxiety and depression that is present is significant. he is also mourning the loss of ms. steenkamp. should he not see proper care, his condition is likely to worsen. >> the court also heard pistorius had an abnormal fear of crime he cuts his lack of legs made him feel particularly formidable -- because his lack of legs made him feel particularly vulnerable. the trial is set to wrap up on thursday. >> the quarterfinal lineup is now complete. >> belgium beat the u.s. in a thrilling game to win a spot to the next round. once again, it was a tight match

with the teams battling hard into extra time. >> the breakthrough finally came in the 92nd minute. a substitute player set up kevin two-putt belgium in the lead. belgium dominated the game, but it was not until extra time that they made the most of their chances. for the first 90 minutes, goalkeeper tim howard kept the u.s. in the game. the americans fought until the end, and julian green made it 2-1 in the 107th minute. that set up a furious last 15 minutes. belgium will now play argentina in the last round. >> the complete quarterfinal lineup -- on friday, germany

faces france in rio. after that, host brazil take on colombia. >> saturday, it's argentina versus belgium followed by the netherlands weighing against costa rica. we spoke with our sports correspondent who is in rio right now, and we asked it the right teams got through the quarterfinals. >> certainly, the strongest teams overall did. all eight group winners win through to the quarterfinals. they did make it difficult on themselves. five of these matches in the knockout round went to extra time, two to penalties. we saw some wonderful performances from the underdogs, not least the usa last night, and switzerland and algeria against germany, and it has really been a case of one or two world-class players sprinkling their magic on the matches and turning them to the big boys. that has made the difference. we have all the big boys through to the next round, plus costa rica thomas who just refuse to give up.

i think we are in for another great round of very high quality matches indeed. >> friday's first quarterfinal sees germany facing off against france. who are you tipping to win? >> that match takes place right here in rio on friday, and is shaping up to be a real classic. i do fear slightly for germany. if they defend like they did against algeria, they could be in real trouble. france will be looking to do what algeria did, which is just play balls in behind that german line for their fast forwards, and that will be very hard for germany to contain. i think the big plus for germany is that they showed real willpower to come through against algeria, and that is something they have been accused of lacking, and it makes them very difficult to beat. i think it will be a very close match, and i imagine we might even see penalties on friday. >> thanks so very much, titus.

now, it is the holy grail for monty python fans around the world, the chance to see the legendary college troupe back on stage. >> decades after their last performance, monty python has reunited for a host of farewell performances in london. 14,000 enthusiasts were on hand when the curtains went up. >> it was monty python's unholy resurrection, a return for the english sketch troupe who once slew britain's sacred cows. today, monty python's characters are themselves legendary. generations of britain's -- britons have grown up laughing at sketches like "the lumberjack song." thousands packed into the stadium for the comeback show. the troupe brought nearly all of the eccentrics out of the woodwork, among them some of the

country's most famous comedians. >> whatever you can say, i don't think there is any other comedy troupe in our culture which has the simple letters after it -- e sque. pythonesque, everybody knows what you mean, straightaway. >> monday was the first of 10 shows. the pythons have turned the tv sketches into a spectacle for the occasion. for fans, it is a chance to check out their idols one more time. after that, they promise the show really will be over. >> good for them. they've still got it. >> still chuckling along -- still chugging along. thanks for joining us. bye-bye. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

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>> it's 9:00 p.m. here in the french capital. you are watching live in prison "france 24." denying any wrongdoing, the former french president nicolas sarkozy takes to the air waves saying the corruption related charges he faces are politically motivate. apparent revenge. clashes erupt in jerusalem after the body of a minute boy is found. it is thought his death was to avenge the murder of three jewish teens. and a farewell reunion. the monty python comedy troop turns to the sage in over 30 years. their 10-day show