ith us. here are the top stories. the euro plummets against the u.s. dollar, levels not seen in almost a decade. greece is part of the equation. we have team coverage in frankfurt and berlin. >> nearly two years after the boston marathon bombing the trial of the surviving terror suspect gets underway with jury selection today. is a fair trial possible? >> niuns risking their lives to care for children caught in bloody family feuds that go back centuries.

>> it has been a rough start to the new year for the european common currency. >> it fell to the lowest level today in almost a decade on fears the european central bank is losing its ability to control inflation and deflation. >> greece is part of europe's worry; asian now with more political leaders saying out loud a greek exit from the eurozone maybe -- may not be the tragedy it could have been a few years ago. >> more on that in a few minutes. we start off with more on the euro slide. >> the european common currency continued its fall at the beginning of the week. monday saw the euro temporarily fall to $1.18. that is the lowest level since

the beginning of 2006. since then, the value has fluctuated greatly. in may last year, the euro peaked at $1.40 and has been trending downward ever since. traders say that is largely due to policy at the european central bank. they expect e.c.b. president mario draghi to act soon. but not everyone is sounding the alarm. >> i will remind you the euro originally traded at $1.18 when it was introduced. i don't see any dangers yet. >> global uncertainties could push the common currency even further down. some analysts say dollar-europe air parity would not be such a bad thing. >> some political leaders including chancellor angela merkel are saying a greek exit from the eurozone would not be such a bad thing either. >> that is a dramatic turn in tone and message.

there's genuine fear across the eurozone that greek voters will elect a new government this month that could say no more reforms, no more austerity. >> that would not go down well with brussels potentially leading athens to become the first capital to break with the euro. >> who is afraid of a greek exit? that is the message from german chancellor angela merkel and finance minister -- and the finance minister. governor officials say the eurozone is better equipped to cope in case greece returns to the drama. berlin stresses the debate does not signal a change of course on the crisis-stricken e.u. member. >> our work and that of our european partners aims to strengthen the euro and the entire eurozone, including greece. we will succeed if we keep going down the path of recent years.

it will require all sides to keep up the agreements they have made in those years with respect to structural reforms. >> economics -- the economics minister says any new greek government should keep saving and reforming. president francois hollande also urges greece to stay on course but says voters will decide. >>the end of january. greece is a democracy. >> the european commission says membership of the eurozone is nonnegotiable. >> we have team coverage of this story. our correspondent is on the story in berlin. he is standing by at the frankfurt stock exchange. let me start with you and german chancellor angela merkel. she has said the eurozone has recovered and reformed enough to

withstand a greek exit. he could debate that point. why would she say something like that now? why would she say it publicly? >> essentially this is a message to the german voters. the german chancellor and government want to tell the voters we will not waste your tax money spending it and wasting it and pumping it into a country that is unwilling to reform. there is growing fear amongst many german politicians that german voters might make a switch to the populist party that is currently experiencing a rise in support.- that party has been firmly against rescue mechanisms for grace. >>-- for greece. >> let's talk about the greek burden. how heavy is greece right now on the european central bank's ability to maintain price stability? >> this is a big stress test for the european central bank.

the currency bank, the reserve bank has to provide adequate monetary policy to the whole of the eurozone. with fiscal policies economic policies diverge and potentially more this task for the european central bank might he come too much to bear. >> what about mario draghi dropping a bomb by hinting he could be the father of quantitative easing in europe? >> in an interview, he said the risk of the e.c.b. failing its mandate to provide price stability is higher now than six months ago, which means on the european markets people can brace for more quantitative easing on a larger scale. >> this goes back to politics. nothing is going to happen until the greek election is over.

what happens if a new greek government says no more bailout? >> he has said if he wins the election he wants greece to stay in the eurozone but renegotiate the terms of the bailout. that bears the risk of other countries also wanting to renegotiate the terms. that could have a spillover effect. >> what about an effect on stock markets today? >> there is definitely a negative effect on the stock markets here in europe. let me give you the market numbers. the german dax down 1.5%. the euro stoxx indexes losing 2% at the moment. the euro is only worth a bit more than $1.19. back to you. >> thank you to both of you. >> as we just heard, the drop in the euro's gaiam against the

u.s. dollar has european markets on edge today. >> the greek gravity pulling down the currency has been years in the making. take a look. >> for greece, april 2010 marked the point of rome -- no return. the highly indebted country officially turned to international help. the european union and your opinion -- european central bank provided the first aid package worth about 110 billion euros. but it was not enough. two years later, greece got a bailout to the tune of 130 billion euros. in 2012, private creditors became involved in the rescue for the first time. massive sovereign debt restructuring helped greece cut about 100 billion euros from its debt load. in return, the country committed to tough austerity measures despite protests. wages were cut. thousands of government employees were laid off.

public enterprises such as ports were privatized. the consequences were severe. unemployment rose to over 25%. today, one in four greeks are out of work. as public and private investment struck off, the economy shrank for several years. that insured greek debt rose again. the debt is currently over 175% of gross genetic pocket -- gross domestic product. in the wake of reforms, there have been a few bright spots. after years of recession the greek economy is growing slightly once again. but the outcome of an early election later this month could put greece in danger once again. >> a look at other stories for you. a suicide bomb and gun attack near saudi arabia's border with iraq has killed two saudi guards according to the interior ministry. >> the attack took place near

the northern city. no group has claimed responsibility. but they control territory on the iraqi side of the border. they threatened revenge for joining airstrikes against i.s. in syria. military sources say libyan government warplane has bombed a greek owned oil tanker anchored off libya. >> the tanker was in the eastern libyan port when it was attacked. the port is considered a base for islamist militias that have pledged allegiance to islamic state. the attack is seen as a major escalation in the internationally recognized governments' struggle against the militias. >>investigation continues slowly into the cause of a fire on a ferry that was carrying almost 500 people from greece to italy. >> 13 people have died. the ship was pulled into a port. the fire is still burning hampering efforts to find more victims. >> it continues to belch smoke

and fumes. 11 have died aboard the ship. since the rec., firemen and investigators have been working around-the-clock to determine how the blaze started. they've already managed to salvage the black box. she has been dispatched from rome with a specialist firefighting unit raided his men have been working on the back for hours. >> the biggest challenge at the moment is getting inside the vessel. the heat is intense. we have to get the temperature down. that is difficult and takes time. we have to take things gradually. >> temperatures inside the ship are as high as 180 degrees celsius and are hampering the search for bodies. it has been impossible to access deck two where many drivers sleeping in their vehicles may have been trapped.

experts fear opening the garage door could trigger an explosion. relatives of those still missing are exasperated by the mistakes in the passenger list. >> and i arrived, i was told my father was dead. i was taken to identify a body. but it was not my father. i told them several times it was not him until they removed his name from the death roll. >> his father is still missing. while the norman atlantic tragedy has triggered a fierce debate about sherry safety standards, that will do little to console him. >> in germany, it promises to be a monday night of protests. >> more protests. for three months, a group has held demonstrations every monday evening in the city of dresden. for the last one, 17,000 people gathered. >> he claims to be a group committed to stopping the

islamic education of europe. it's protests have been met with counter protests. >> is the first time the protest is planned in berlin. >> they fill the streets each monday. every week, the ring seemed to grow. supporters in front of the opera could before christmas, they numbered more than 17,000. they say germany is being flooded by migrants and want to toughen laws on asylum and extradition of criminal foreigners. that is the rhetoric of the far right in germany. but these people claim to b from the middle of society. some observers have started talking about a general shift toward greater conservativism. in her new year's message, the chancellor warned against the rallies. >> i am addressing all those who go to such demonstrations. do not follow those calling out to you. all too often they have

prejudice and even hatred in their hearts. >> others are marching against the group under the banner thousands have been turning out on mondays for counterdemonstrations. groups are also forming in berlin and cologne after organizers announced plans to march there too. political leaders are lending support calling for a clear signal against xenophobia. the most famous landmark will call dark. the church is refusing to give the demonstrators a backdrop for the message. >> the search for bodies and debris from the airasia plane that crashed into the sea off the coast of borneo has been widened. of the 162 on board, 37 bodies have been recovered so far. >> the crew of one search vessel said they may have found the tail of the plane which is where the crucial flight recorders should be.

strong currents have been hampering efforts to reach the wreckage. we are going to take a short break. we will be right back. stay with us. starting january 10 on deutsche welle.w. >> in the u.s., the boston bombing trial begins today. it is expected to take several weeks just for the jury to be selected. >> jury members will hear the case against the only surviving bombing suspect. the 21-year-old is accused of mounting the deadly attack at the finish line of the marathon, killing three and injuring more than 200. >> tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the bombing. he could face the death penalty if found guilty. controversy has been raging over whether he will get a fair trial. richard walker has more from boston. >> april 2013.

two bombs go off at the finish line at the boston marathon. three people are killed. hundreds have their lives changed forever. almost two years after the attacks, the physical scars where the blast hit are pretty much gone. but the memories are raw. they will get dredged up during the trial that could last for several months. >> i wish it was over. that is how i feel about it. it was a horrible time. >> it will be a necessary unpleasant experience for the city to live through. >> i don't wish death upon anybody, but if that is what they are looking for, you know what i mean? i feel like keeping somebody in a little room for their whole life is enough. >> will he get a fair trial as he faces the prospect of execution? critics doubt it is even possible to select an impartial jury. he is a prominent civil rights

lawyer. he points out just how many people are affected by the attacks in some way ruling them out as potential jurors. >> there were the people from the race. the people there to cheer the people in the race. there with the friends and relatives of those injured. by the time you are done with these webs, you have an enormous number of people in the community. >> that is not the only problem. most all the boston was affected by the traumatic manhunt that followed the bombing. many were subject to lockdowns. one police officer was killed and thousands of people feared for their lives. >> the governor issued a request, the command actually, that everybody remain in their homes while the manhunt for the perpetrators proceeded. that is unprecedented as far as i know in my memory. i think people cannot forget that. >> we asked locals if they had

been affected by the bombings or the lockdown. >> it was horrible. it was having to deal with not being able to leave your house because you are afraid something is going to happen to you like you might end up somewhere next to this guy. >> it was really scary. we did not know. i was not close enough to see it was a bomb. we heard these two bangs and saw smoke. we were trying to figure out if there is an accident or something was going on. >> already in my head, he's guilty. >> more people we spoke to, the more it became clear it will be very hard to find jurors who were completely unaffected by everything that happened. that is why the defense called for the trial to be moved to another city. he has no doubt the judge should have moved the trial. >> the number of problems were

so enormous there was no way he was going to conduct a fair trial. there is no way he is going to be able to conduct a fair trial even if he thinks he has an impartial jury. >> but the judge disagrees and is pushing ahead which are a selection --jury selection at boston's courthouse. he has invited 1200 candidates to take part with very high security. we will soon find out if lawyers on both sides can find full jurors they are happy with. >> let's crossover live to richard walker at the courthouse following proceedings for us. great to see you. as you just mentioned in your report out of 1200 candidates, 12 jurors will have to be picked. talk us through how the court will go through the mammoth task. >> it will be a mammoth task. all 1200 jurors have been thronging through the entrance

of the courthouse behind me over the last couple of hours. first what they will be going through is a set of questionnaires trying to ask questions that will show whether they are digitally suitable jurors. those that seem most suitable will be intensively screened by lawyers on both sides and the judge. lawyers on the defense side will be trying to keep out anybody who was affected in any way by the attack or manhunt that followed. as we just saw the report, that is going to be a lot of people they want to rule out. the prosecution will be wanting to roll out anybody who has a philosophical objection to the death penalty because ultimately this trial could come down to a question of the life or death of tsarnaev. >> is there any indication of how long this trial will take? >> we are looking probably at several weeks for jury selection.

then there will be two phases to the main trial. the first phase will be on the question of guilt or innocence. if he is found guilty, there will be a second phase called the penalty phase where the two sides will argue over whether he should face execution. all in all it is expected to take several months. >> richard walker, thank you for your insights. we look now to albania. the southeast european country wants to join the european union. but it does not even have official candidate status. one hurdle is the justice system. it is considered corrupt and inefficient. many albanians do not trust the police or courts. instead, they rely on the traditional system of justice that sentence as many two generations of blood feuds. our reporters traveled through northern albania to a town high

in the mountains where traditions have a high priority in life. >> while this brutal system still dictates everyday life for many children and young people are often caught up in deadly cycles of revenge for the deeds of their ancestors. >> her mission is about life, but she is surrounded by death. sister christina is familiar with the cemetery in northern albania. members of her congregation have been killed, victims of vendettas. >> he and his brother went out of the house nearby to take a few sheep to pastor. but those seeking revenge came and shot him. >> the people for whose lives they are fighting for nearly all come from this mountain region

. social rules called the kanun dating back to the middle ages still hold sway here. they ruled that a dispute between families that causes a death must be avenged. >> i see this pledge shooting as a great wound on this country a deep festering wound. -- i see this blood feuding as a great window this country, a deep festering wound. >> once a week, she picks up the boys threatened by the vendettas and takes them to play in the convent. they spend the rest of their lives hidden in their family homes. the trip is dangerous, not least for the nuns. >> i can only do this with protection from the lord. i would be defenseless if someone was to wait for us and really intended to kill us or one of the children. i could probably not prevent that. >> the first stop, four boys get

in including these brothers. years ago, their uncle shot two men. he has disappeared leaving the boys in the sights of those seeking revenge. >> i'm at home a whole time. i cannot go out. i can only wait for time to pass. it is not much of a life. >> the sisters collect 10 boys from the area and bring them to the convent. they now have two hours -- 10 hours to talk, laugh, and play. how many will still be alive next week or in a year? at times like these, sister christina praised her god. >> i become angry and tell him this, that i am immensely angry and i throw that anger at him on the cross. >> in the evenings sister

michaela takes them that their homes. they are all potential victims. they cannot escape the kanun. >> if something happens to my brother, i will avenge his blood. >> it is a fact of life in regions where the kanun is law along with no mercy. -- a law with no mercy. >> dakar rally punches its way through central argentina today with a long and amending stage. >> drivers have 330 kilometers ahead. it is a mix of paved roads and off-road driving which demands that most concentration. >> the opening stage saw last year's winner hit with technical problems. >> this year's rally could not have gotten off to a worse start for the defending champion. the spanish driver was stranded by oil pump problems after just a few kilometers. >> i don't know what we are

going to do. we have tried everything. >> 2011 champion had some bad luck too. his stage victory only lasted seven hours. he was penalized two minutes for speeding handing another driver the top spot. in the bikes section, he had more luck. the briton broke most wrist -- both wrists before last year's race. he was back on sunday finishing as the fastest man on two wheels. >> there is the fastest woman on two wheels or two legs. thanks for watching. bye bye. >> ♪

marathon bombing suspects zero carbs are not have. 12 -- dzhokhar tsarnaev. 12 men and women will decide whether or not he is guilty, and if he is, whether or not he will face the death penalty. >> it was the worst bomb attack in the u.s. and 9/11.