>> you are watching "the journa l" on dw. here is what is coming up in the next 15 minutes. victory for ukrainian troops. ukrainian reclaims the eastern -- ukraine reclaims the eastern city of slow banks -- of slovyansk. argentina secure their spot in the world cup semifinals by defeating belgium.

we begin with some significant developments in ukraine, where there has been a major turning point in the fighting between government forces and pro-russian separatists who declared their own republic in the east. after pledging to take back cities and buildings seized by rebels, president petro poroshenko declared his first victory today by regaining control over slovyansnk. the city set off the insurgency that swept eastern europe ukraine and sent the nation into a spiral of violent unrest. the tide now seems to be turning in kiev's favor. >> the show of force has driven separatists from slovyansnk. ukrainian troops moved into the former strong world -- stronghold of pro-russian separatists. they are reportedly regrouping near donetsk. >> we are winning. we are confident. we are --

p.m. kiev time. the flag was raised. the ukrainian military is working on the resumption of activity by law enforcement agencies in the city. >> president petro poroshenko called for national unity and paid tribute to the head of ukraine's orthodox church who died saturday. >> it is one more reason for us to do unite -- us to unite in these difficult times. we pray for the repose of his soul and ask god for strength to tackle the nap -- the challenges our nation faces. >> regaining control of slovyansk is a key victory for government forces, but they paid a heavy toll. more than 200 soldiers have died in military operations in the past three months. the fighting has also claimed the lives of hundreds of separatists and civilians.

>> well, for the latest on this developing story, let's cross over to our markets -- our m arcus ware. he joins us from the ukrainian capital, kiev. do we know what the situation is like in slovyansk? >> according to latest reports, we have eyewitnesses reporting the situation is quite calm. we had heard it earlier in your report that ukrainian troops hoisted the ukrainian flag over the city center in slovyansk. the rebels really pulled back to the eastern ukrainian city of donetsk. earlier this day, ukrainian prime minister arseniy yatsenyuk called for authorities to restore infrastructure in slovyansk so that people will have water and gas and electrification. >> markus, does this mean that the government's offensive has

been successful, that they are now making inroads in rebel-held areas? >> president petro poroshenko, in a nationally televised address, called it a breakthrough. i guess this is a major and very important moral victory for kiev and the ukrainian troops, but i doubt whether this is already a turning point, because they have pulled back the pro russian separatists to the city of donetsk and we have other per russian separatists -- other per russian separatists -- other pro-russian separatists. >> where does this leave talks of negotiations and cease-fire? >> the situation is way too volatile to say what these negotiations will bring for the moment -- bring. for the moment, we have no information they took place. they were due to take place this

saturday. we have no information that the different parties have come together to further negotiate conflict resolution. it is very unlikely to take place in the next hours or the days, because the pro-russian rebels will now have to rearrange and join forces in donetsk and elsewhere. >> markus reher, thank you so very much for your reporting. and we are going to shift our focus now to east africa, where blast -- powerful bomb has left at least two. two people dead in a suicide attack outside of the somali parliament inat least four people dead a suicide attack outside of the somali parliament. islamist militants from al-shabaab famed responsibility for the bombing, one of several recent attacks in the capital. earlier, they warned they would

step up attacks during the holy month of ramadan. isiso iraq now where rebels have released footage of of theirieved or dash leader giving a sermon to followers in the northern city of-- have released footage their leader giving a sermon to followers in the northern city of mosul. his forces have conquered large areas of northern iraq. last week, they declared the establishment of a new islamic state. in afghanistan, taliban insurgents turned the parking lot into an inferno after they torched some 200 fuel tankers near the capital, kabul. so far, there are no reports of injuries. the taliban and the trucks carried fuel meant for u.s.-nato-led forces. >> a sea of fire on the capital. insurgents fired rockets at the trucks, which supplied tool -- fuel for nato forces. firefighters battled the flames

for hours. the taliban has claimed responsibility for the attacks. the nearly 200 tankers were parked on the outskirts of kabul. drivers looked on in horror. >> if it was the taliban, they were dressed in uniform, which is why we didn't realize what was happening. they set the tankers on fire and shot at drivers trying to save their trucks. comes as nato prepares to pull out of the country by the end of the year and before the results of the presidential runoff are due to be at announced, an election the taliban had threatened to disrupt. whohe palestinian teenager was affected and murdered earlier this week was buried -- burned alive. it has sparked violent clashes. in bethlehem, palestinians threw rocks and petrol bombs at israeli soldiers, who responded

with tear gas and rubber bullets. anger has spread after the boy's funeral, for which thousands of mourners turned out on friday in east jerusalem. time to get a check of the sports headlines. argentina are through to the semifinals of the world cup for the first time in 24 years. in a close game in brazil, argentina took the lead early with a superb volley from gonzalo higuain. he had a great chance to finish the game off in the second half but his shot glanced off the crossbar. argentina will now face costa rica or the netherlands on wednesday. final semifinal spot will be decided later today when costa rica play the netherlands. it is squaring up to be a tough match for both sides. for costa rica, it is the next step in what has been a fairytale ride so far. >> they are the dark horse of

the world cup. no team has been able to rein in costa rica, not italy, uruguay, england, or greece. so far, no one has cracked the coach's code. is back five have proved almost impenetrable -- his back five have proven almost impenetrable. >> everyone is giving it their all, players, coaches, and the fans. we will put in the biggest effort possible to play a good match and once again to demonstrate what a great defense we have. >> a tough task for the netherlands' coach, who is betting on his lethal striking duo, who have together scored half of their team's goals. victory is far from certain. >> i think it is possibly the best world cup in 30 years. there is so much competition. players are so eager, and the differences are so tiny, because

everything has already been invented in foot all -- in foot ball. >> the stakes are high. but for costa rica, it is about more than that. it is about winning history one game at a time all the way to the finals. >> brazil booked their place into the semifinals with a strong performance against colombia. brazil got off to the best possible start. name are floated a corner into the box in the seventh minute -- floated a corner into the box in the seventh minute. a free kickminute, blasted into the top corner. lot n won 2-1, but they -- lost neymar after he was fouled in the dying minutes of the match. has leftry to neymar brazil in a state of shock. people across the country are asking how the team is going to cope without him when they

face germany in the semifinal on tuesday. here's more. >> brazilian television show these images of neymar being delivered to the hospital, a thoseblow to the hopes of watching at home. it was clear the injury was serious. condolences poured in from all over the world, including from his rivals. voicing sorrow and hope for a quick recovery. messi expressed hope that his friend and barcelona teammate would soon be back on the pitch. brazil's fans were visibly andened by neymar's injury expressed outrage that the referee allowed play continued -- play to continue. >> that should have been a red card. it was a brutal foul. >> rough play is fine, but it has to be fair. fouling from behind is the worst. >> there is no replacement for neymar.

everyone put their faith in him. what happens now? >> that means brazil will have to carry on without the man considered to be its best hope for hoisting a record sixth world cup trophy. >> plenty of soccer action again today. joinsorts correspondent me in the studio. we will start with brazilian supper -- soccer superstar neymar. can brazil cope without him? >> it is a massive blow. the whole team has the highest market value of any at the world cup. there are a lot of very good players on that team. if they can play with the same passion and drive that they did in the last game, they will have the crowd behind them. they cannot replace neymar, but they certainly have a chance of beating germany. >> how hot is argentina looking at the moment? > they are looking very hot. they were very impressive. great defensive display. they quickly shut down belgium.

it is not just messi. he scored -- green scored a fantastic whole. they are getting better from game to game. argentina are one of the red-hot favorites for the title. >> costa rica taking on the netherlands. can they pull off another shocker? >> it's been a dream for costa rica to get this far. they certainly have surprised a lot of people and teams. it ally, uruguay -- italy, uruguay, and england. they say themselves they are living the dream. this is going to be a very difficult game against holland. all in 11 games have been -- in the knockout stage have been won by the favorite. >> we will see. we will talk about that later on. thank you so much for breaking it down for us. we appreciate it. thank you. also in sports, petra kvitova has won her second wimbledon women's title in four years.

she crushed canadian hopeful straightouchard in sets, wrapping it up in just 55 minutes. as, the tour de france, or some are calling it these days, hastour de yorkshire, kicked off in northern england. germany's marcel kittel won the first stage in a mass sprint. he edged out slovakia. leader'sok the overall yellow jersey. the race was marred by a major crash just before the end involving sprint specialist mark cavendish. it is not known yet if he will continue the tour, which stays in england for two more stages. that does it for us. join me again at the top of the hour. thanks so much for watching "rthe -- "the journal." see you again.

>> readings. welcome to -- greetings. welcome to clubned. >> only here can members legally and openly get high. for marijuanaven enthusiasts in the same country where other people have to stay behind bars for decades when caught like this. [laughter]

ok. recreational cannabis has been legal since the beginning of the year in colorado, but consumption is not allowed in public. they managed to get the license to run a cannabis cafe. so far, it is a rare exception, but one that seems completely sensible. >> it is because cannabis is nontoxic. smokers of it are friendly. there is no reason why, if there's bars, why there wouldn't be places where people could get together and smoke an herb. we needed a place. >> early evenings, the place starts heating up. the guests are adequately dedicated, as they call it, an

even the card games are matched to the occasion. club ned only exists because she has a certain way of doing things that tries to distance the club completely from the criminal past of the cannabis scene. >> merry christmas. >> we follow all the rules. we've bent over backwards to do everything right and not just to follow the rules, but to follow what people would like to see and what they would not like to see. we talked to the community. we talked to the seniors and the church. the church came to bat for us. we just involved everyone in the process. >> what helps when trying to make the case for weed are its medical effects. in 22 u.s. states, cannabis is available on prescription. this former trucker had chronic pain after a complicated leg fracture.

marijuana helped him. still, he thinks something else will tip the scale in favor of the soft drug in the u.s. -- its profits, taxable and all. >> yes, i don't see why not. alcohol is a business. sakes.merica, for god's i feel it is a win for everyone. >> dreams of the future -- not quite. the cannabis business is already trying to industrialized marijuana in colorado and on a whole other level than here at this mom-and-pop style club. i'm heading east through the rockies. in the mid-19th century, this was the scene of the colorado gold rush. now they are digging for gold en and its it is gre center is beyond the mountains. cannabis boomtown denver. in one of the suburbs, a real

supermarket for marijuana -- the medicine man. the whole place looks like fort knox, because inside it is not only full of green gold, but also lots of cash. most banks refuse to give cannabis-related companies an account because of the bad image. for the same reason, the customers don't want me filming them, even on an early thursday afternoon, the place is packed. >> it doesn't make you cough too much unless you take too many hits back to back. >> the sales talk regarding the marijuana strains that can be bought here is a completely new experience for me. >> this is blue dream, which is a very fruity, uplifting, hybrid city the -- hybrid sativa. nice,oing to be motivational, nice for video gaming, hanging out. this is very activity buzz. >> behind the counter are the growing facilities.

he offers me a small tour through the hallowed halls. >> keep the cameras. >> everything on sale in medicine man is grown here. in this room, the employees simulate fall with certain temperatures and light cycles. >> they are actually training the plants to grow out using some trellis and some wires. we can end up with several buds all across the canopy of the plant rather than just one large bud on top. it has a lot of medicinal and recreational value. is what is responsible for the effects when consuming cannabis. on these buds, it is even visible as white orders. -- borders. business is going so well that medicine man is investing the euroslent of 1.9 million

to double production. >> when we were just a dispensary, we were seeing about 100 patients per day. that is a successful business model. being both business and recreational, we are seeing about 300 patients and customers every day now. isthat's why the whole place bustling with activity. especially in this room where excess leaves are trimmed before drying. this might be a little -- he might be a little eccentric, but he is, by far, the fastest. >> he is extremely fast. >> there is a unique vibe to the place, certainly also due to the fact everybody here has a different professional background. there is no such thing as a degree in cannabis trade. >> i hired on as their computer guy. i just kind of like this. i do the computer work, too. had asked me last

january if i had pictured this as a career option, i would have had no idea and probably thought you were crazy. amazing how it works out. >> well, maybe. and in some u.s. states, it would still be crazy to touch marijuana, let alone get caught with it. the missouri department of corrections has given me an appointment to interview a prisoner who, more than anyone else, is a symbol for the incredible differences in u.s. cannabis legislation. has been in prison for around 20 years now because of marijuana. he got life without parole. , in themake it clear u.s., life means until you die. he has brought some of the records that document his struggle with the sentence. >> i got this about 6, 7 months ago. it is supposedly going around on

the internet. >> he talks about the internet, but he has never used it. no access in prison. >> my son tried to tell me a little bit about how it works, this and that, but it is all french to me. >> the sentence seems french, too. he was caught three times with marijuana, significant amounts. prosecution says he was trying to deal. he denies that. even if he was, this punishment seems unreasonably harsh. >> in different states, i would have been out a long time ago, in just about any other state. missouri has laws that they follow certain ways. nonviolent crime. people convicted of murder get out on parole. >> but there is no possibility of parole for him. he's only chance is clemency from the democratic missouri governor, jay nixon. such a move would be very rare, but the former construction worker has not given up hope just yet, partly because of what is going on in other states

regarding the legalization of cannabis. >> i have a lovely family. that helps a lot. they've got a lot of hope. so, besides that, i've got the lord. he is the biggest. and that's it. >> but if earthly salvation really is on the way, will it arrive in time? he is 61 years old. >> you know, i never claimed that i was an angel, but i don't believe i deserved this. >> even after 20 years behind bars, he can still imagine a life the on this prison. >> one of the first things on my list is to visit my mother's and father's grave. just closure -- finally get closure. >> and that's it. my time is up. i'm shaken.

because from today's perspective, it is hard for me to understand why he has to stay in prison for the rest of his life. even if he had been caught with a full ton of marijuana, it just seems wrong. who might beman able to help me understand. before i wrap up my trip, i stop by in sedalia, one hour away from the prison facility. still works in the same building as back then. he was the prosecutor in the hee and got more than bargained for. he offered a plea deal, 20 years with parole, but he declined because it seemed so much. the judge in charge then struck with the full force of the law. >> he was first a persistent drug offender, meaning he had at least two prior felony convictions. and a third offense couldn't be simply possession and it

couldn't simply be possession of a small amount. he had to be found guilty of possession with intent to deliver. >> not surprisingly, he is critical of the cannabis legalization going on in other states, but, nevertheless, he has trouble being at peace with this case. >> two weeks ago, i wrote a letter to missouri governor jay nixon. i explained some of the background of the offense. i explained some of his background. i also recommended clemency for him. i told the governor that i thought that the nearly 20 years he has served now is enough for what he did. >> things move at a slower pace in missouri than colorado, but even here cannabis legislation seems in for a change when people like this stand up for someone like jeff. my way back, i see one last reminder of this highly symbolic case -- a giant billboard sponsored by a pro-marijuana organization.

prison or prosperity depending on the state. those are the options for people who trade or deal with marijuana. even if things are changing when itgg7 @%@%@%@

>> hello. i'm john cleese, and i hope you will join me for a unique experience: "global spirit." the first internal travel series with fantastic conversations and film segments exploring the most urgent, existential, philosophical, and spiritual issues of the 21st century. so, settle back, take a slow, deep breath, as we join our trusted guide and host, phil cousineau, on this fascinating episode of "global spirit," the first internal travel series.