óçóç this is "focus on europe." i'm lara babalola, welcome. russia's war in ukraine has severely impacted europe's energy supply and forced countries to find alternatives to get through the winter. securing pipelines and the power grids has also been crucial. that's why the sabotage on the nord stream pipelines last september caused ala for european governments. the explosions destroyed parts of the underwater gas pipes running between russia and germany. gas was sent spewing to the surface of the baltic sea.

it is still unclear who was behind the attacks. back when russia's natural gas flowed unimpeded to europe, norway was a small player as a gas exporter. but since moscow began cutting off its supply, norway has emerged as europe's largest gas supplier. that has the military there on high alert. troops have been deployed to safeguard norway's power grids and gas pipelines in the north sea. rune andersen is head of the nation's navy. his mission is to ensure there's no interference and the gas gets to where it's needed. >> norwegian navy chief rune andersen inspects a frigate docked on norway's western coast. ships like these monitor norway's territorial waters and, above all, what lies on their seabed. oil and gas pipelines needed to

supply many european countries. >> we can't control everything that happens underwater. but information provided by energy producers combined with military intelligence, give us a rather detailed overview of the pipeline network below. >> norway has to protect some 9,000 kilometers of underwater pipelines and cables and in addition, oil and gas installations at sea and on land. norwegian military forces are on patrol around the clock. acts of sabotage are a legitimate threat. the fear became more real after parts of the nord stream gas pipelines were blown up last september. norway is also vulnerable. that's why last october, norwegian prime minster jonas store said norway's armed

forces have heightened their defensive readiness. >> we need to expect threats across the country, at sea, in the air and online. that is why we must increase defensive preparedness in our country. >> security expert stale ulriksen says norwegians have been naïve. for years, he has warned that russia has had neighboring norway in sight. >> take the large number of russian nationals working for norwegian shipping companies, even in coastal shipping, even though everyone knows this is a deliberate attempt by the russian government to infiltrate. we now need a comprehensive security concept that takes into account military threats alongside terrorism and espionage. >> last october, a man claiming to be a brazilian scientist was arrested in the northern city of tromsoe.

research group bellingcat later said he was a colonel with russia's gru military intelligence agency. since the outbreak of russia's war in ukraine, norwegian police arrested nine russian tourists in various locations. among them, the son of a russian oligarch on a sailing tour. he was accused of illegally flying a drone and photographing restricted areas. but many ordinary norwegians don't seem all too concerned. >> some people constantly suspect espionage. i'm a bit more skeptical. but i have nothing against the army shoring up its readiness. >> the russians are trying to scare us with such actions. but we shouldn't let that happen. >> but norway's navy doesn't want to be caught off guard.

norway's navy chief rune andersen has asked the coast guard for a status report. the norwegian military has bolstered its patrols along more than 2,500 kilometers of coastline. >> our approach is very flexible. we can't be everywhere at once. we decide, sometimes on an hourly basis, where to go and when. >> the mood among the troops is one of great seriousness. but it's also a good feeling to see the job we've been trained and prepared to do has become more important than ever. >> norway is now europe's largest gas supplier. gas is a major source of income for the country. but it comes with great responsibility. navy chief rune andersen and his forces are trying to ensure that gas is delivered where it's needed, especially in these

uncertain times. lara: another consequence of russian president vladimir putin's decision to invade ukraine, the demand for wood has increased. in poland's carpathian forest, business is booming in the timber industry. the state has earmarked trees to chop down and turn into briquettes, a plan that has alarmed environmental activists. the forest is filled with trees that are hundreds of years old. and brown bears use them as dens. jozefina and jakub are doing all they can to preserve the forest and ensure that the bears can live undisturbed. >> here in the forests of southern poland, bears can still feel at home. the towering old trees offer the bears shelter and protection. but now, the forest has become a source of contention. jozefina and jakub are conservationists. they take stock of the ancient trees.

tall ones like these are marked for felling, which could have serious consequences. >> animals have a place to hide. at the beginning, it may be smaller animals, like fox, and later on, it can become even bigger, and it can become inhabited by a bear. >> the red dot marks the tree for felling, a decision made by polish forest authorities. these trees are not standing in a nature reserve. that's a problem for the bears. logging interests take priority here. that limits the spaces where bears can live undisturbed. forest authorities warn visitors not to get too close to the animals, but that rarely happens anyway. the department has an open-air exhibit with an overview of many of the local forest animals, except the bear. any special protection for the bears would be unnecessary, says the spokesman for the regional state forests.

>> we saw the first bears here in 1950. by the 1970's, there were 20 bears, and now, we've got 200. that's quite a big increase. >> polish forestry authorities are more focused on logging. because of russia's war in ukraine, lumber prices are high, and fuel is scarce. but the forest conservationists aren't quite convinced. >> this tree is probably around six or seven cubic meters of wood. so with current prices, it would be between one thousand and two -- 1000 and 2000 euro for a certain tree. so it's not big money. we are like wasting our national heritage for actually not that big amounts of money. >> if from time to time, a few of the trees worthy of

protection, the ones that could be natural monuments, are cut down, the change is hardly noticeable. after all, there are thousands of trees in the forest. >> the bears use old trees like this one as dens, because they are rotting out and hollow. young replanted trees don't help much on that account. >> it reires a tree to be hollow inside, but it happens with age. so if we allow this tree, this type of tree, to be left in the forest, then there will be more available spots for bears. and if we cut them all just to sell them for timber, then the bear will have no place to live anymore. >> deep in the forest, far from civilization, a few forest activists have set up a protest camp, taking a stand against

loggers. not everyone is happy with their protests. a car near the camp was attacked and the conflict gets heated. the forest activists don't live in this region, but in warsaw or other major cities. jakub, jozefina and rafal don't intend to back down. >> i see the massive destruction going on here. and i don't condone it. i want my daughter to be able to enjoy these old forests in the future. >> and perhaps still see bears too. of course, if all the old trees are chopped down, the animals will move somewhere else. they may even enter areas populated by humans which could be dangerous. >> it's become a problem in recent decades.

incidents with bears where humans get hurt are increasingly common. one person even died. >> the people and animals of the region have one thing in common, they are camera shy. many people here work in the timber industry. on signs, they don't mince words about how they see the activists, they are eco-terrorists. but jozefina and jakub believe many residents don't realize how close the relationship between bears and trees is. >> you can quite easily imagine how a bear, that is a big animal of 200 kilograms, could actually fit inside a tree, inside this tree. not now, but in the future, if this tree would become hollowed out, i think a whole family of bears could fit.

>> they've often asked authorities to place old, rotting trees under protection, requests that have almost always been denied. lara: the power of positive thinking research shows it can extend a person's lifespan and even boost the immune system. for some, maintaining a healthy outlook is a challenge for others it feels impossible. stay-fan compyon from belgium suffers from depression. negative self-talk, low energy, and loss of interest are common symptoms of the illness. now a pilot project launched in the capital brussels is aimed at helping people like stay-fan. doctors prescribe patients a trip to the museum and there's more than just paintings and artefacts to discover. >> depression is a dark place. longtime sufferer stephane campion knows the difficulty depression causes st trying to cope with everyday life.

>> to dress, to go out, to see other people, it's dficult to take transportation. >> but today campion is getting a new kind of prescription from his therapist. he and doctor vincent lustygier are among those taking part in a six-month pilot project. depressed patients are being given prescriptions to visit their choice of five participating brussels museums. >> we think it could be useful for everybody, but some didn't want to go because they're shy to go outside and to leave the settings where they live. but most of patients are interested. >> so stephane campion is voluntarily going to a dark place now. he has invited us along to brussels sewer museum. >> most people wouldn't want to look in sewers, how is this

going to make you feel better? >> just the idea to go out, to go outside and meet some other people. i think that is the interesting point. >> art therapy is nothing new, neither is recommending that depressed patients visit museums. but what's being tried now in the pilot project, making that suggestion an actual prescription, appears to motivate the depressed patient to actually go and they can take up to three people along for free. this can be very important, doctors believe, for helping restore the feeling of community to a person who is suffering psychologically and possibly financially. >> the patient can go on his own with his own family and it's something new for us. and we are excited to use it ourself. >> the project was launched by deputy brussels mayor delphine

houba, who had heard of a similar effort in canada and wanted to try it. >> in belgium, numbers of depression doubled in ten years. so it's huge. so there are so many people suffering outside and maybe inside, we don't know. so, yes, we have nothing to lose. doctors have nothing to lose, patients have nothing to lose. and here for the museum, it's just more public coming here. >> a world health organization report of more than 900 studies documents the positive impact art can have on health. the pilot project wraps up in march but houba says even without the final statistics, reaction has been so positive she hopes to expand the practice. >> i've already been contacted by other cultural institutions, also by other doctors willing to be part of the project. so i see that people are very enthusiastic. maybe it will take time to, you know, to make the people understand how it works and to dare to come here. but i think that even if it's only a few people, it's going

to already be very positive. >> for some visitors it works even without prescription. >> life is so sad nowadays. seeing something beautiful makes you feel happier. it's that simple for me. >> and stephane campion's experience shows you might not even need to see something beautiful to be uplifted. >> i feel better. i feel better. i forget my problems and and i see the wonders of the world. >> he says he's looking forward to sharing what he learned with family and friends, which will be another small victory over the darkness. lara: another remedy against loneliness and depression is love. oona and hugh are a couple living in ireland.

they've managed to keep the spark alive after meeting nearly 20 years ago. a time before tinder and online dating sites dominated the scene. oona and hugh were brought together by this man, willie daly. he's a third-generation matchmaker and a legend in the industry. willie's love connections have gained him followers around the world. single people flock to the small town of lisdoonvarna, hoping that willie will make them lucky in love. >> every weekend, willie daly, ireland's very last traditional matchmaker, welcomes dozens of single people to this bar. and he's never here without his love book. the hopefuls are asked to lay their hands upon it for seven seconds. a few look for a little extra courage at the bottom of a glass before they fill out willie's questionnaire on their ideal partner. rené has flown over all the way from toronto, canada, traveling several thousand kilometers just to see willie.

13 of rené's friends, all of whom are married, pitched in to pay for her trip to the matchmaker. >> they planned this for three years. they knew i'd still be single in three years time. so, 14 of us jumped on a plane. and we are here trying to find me a guy somewhere across the ocean. >> scores of single people seek out willie's help. his services cost roughly five to 15 euros, depending on his mood, the time of day, and the amount of guinness he has consumed. on occasion, willie's been known to dance with one of his clients, but he keeps things strictly professional. willie daly has two great passions, pairing up single people and his donkeys. when he was younger, as many as 20 donkeys might be found outside the dance hall. if a boy met a girl, he would bring her back home riding on a

donkey. but that was long ago. >> people are still looking for love. they want happiness, and in rural ireland they want children. which is very important. i know a man, he is over 80, he would still like to get married and have children. >> the donkeys are what caught sarah and carey's attention. the two are vacationing here from minnesota, and they are both single. they filled out willie's questionnaire the previous evening, and by this morning, he already had good news for both of them. >> i have two very attractive men. for you, i'm going to get a very tall, slim man. dark hair, blue eyes, maybe 6'2", broad shoulders. >> that's tall. >> you are going to meet a blond-haired man with very blue, no dark eyes. and this is a concern because he probably has his hair dyed. but you don't mind?

>> i don't mind, i dye my hair too. [laughter] >> but in all seriousness, sarah could even envision moving from the united states to ireland to be with the man of her dreams. and being introduced by a matchmaker makes the whole prospect extra special. >> we have a lot of internet options as well, but it is harder i think to do the internet stuff. this is just fun. you actually get to meet somebody in real life. you get to see them and you know they are actually a person and all of that. >> sarah and carey get ready to meet their dates this very evening. willie says he will be turning 80 soon and has had seven children with several women. but this third-generation matchmaker doesn't really like to talk about himself that much. practically everyone in western ireland knows about the love book. even his grandfather used it

some 160 years ago. it is said to have brought couples together before theyâ™d -- they had even met for the first time. >> these are the ladies. i will put them on this side. and i'm going to put the men on this side now. they will be meeting each other as well in the notebook. >> hugh and una maguire have been a happy couple for 17 years now, ever since willie pulled una off the dancefloor and pointed at hugh. >> it was very exciting. really was exciting. because i was with a load of people all looking for partners. and i saw hugh out on the floor dancing really funny and i thought, oh my god, somebody you can have fun with. >> but una played hard to get with hugh, at first. he got down on one knee and proposed before the first year was out

and una turned him down. he proposed again the next year and again, una said no. >> on the third year i went down on two knees. and she says yes. the whole busload was there. the whole lot. >> it was very funny. >> it was very, very funny. they were all clapping. hundreds of people. the place was packed. >> willie brought his love book to the get-together. una asked hugh to close his eyes and concentrate. she regards the love book as a kind of power bank for their love. one of his sons took over the farm long ago, but willie still likes to drop by. he daydreams about what matches he can make next.

and he finds a bit of peace and quiet. well, at least until his phone starts ringing, signaling the start of the next assignment for willie daly, ireland's last matchmaker. lara: many looking for romance also head to paris the city of love. and right now, it's in full bloom. yes, in the middle of winter. restaurants are brightening up the dreary days with elaborate floral arrangements a big attraction for influencers looking for a photo-op. their social media posts are a boost for business. but as with many things online, reality is quite different from instagram. >> it's the stuff dreams are made of. this restaurant is near the louvre museum in paris. and it is decked out in colorful flowers all year round.

>> i think the people like is a beautiful place. it's an instagrammer place. >> and that's the idea, promotion via social media. not only for the food, but the decor too. >> we have a lot of influencers and top models that take pictures here and post them. that's part of the magic of paris. >> more and more parisian restaurants are dishing up plastic. at least on the outside. in this race for hype, the more color, the better. but it's not to everyone's taste. >> it can be a bit tacky. i thought it was pretty at first but now it has been overdone. there are too many fake flowers now. >> luc deschamps can't get enough color. his business has been flourishing since he started specializing in designing and creating fake flowers for façades. his clients are benefiting, too.

>> we know that redecorating the façade boosts sales significantly. by at least 30%. >> it started with real plants but those wilt in the fall. that's where plastic roses came in. but to some business owners, the trend is a real thorn in their side. >> in the summer, you can smell the real flowers. with plastic, you don't smell anything. in a true bistro, it is about keeping things natural, sharing an experience together. you lose that with plastic flowers. >> but the plastic flowers of paris aren't going away anytime soon. more restaurants keep installing them in front of their façades, upping their appeal to the next generation ofnfluencers. lara: and here i thought plastic was going out of style. well, that wraps up our show for this week.

thanks for watching. bye for now. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

♪ brent: this is dw news live from berlin. ukraine's president saying there will only be peace in europe when russia is defeated and when ukraine becomes a member of the eu. also tonight, more than 21st -- 20,000 people confirmed dead after