Understandable. And in spain, its not just catalonian nationalists who are pushing for independence, but also people from the basque region in the northwest. Despite the violence surrounding the recent independence referendum in catalonia, basque separatists there say they now feel more determined than ever. It is a busy day for newsstand operator Isabel Lopategi. Here in bilbao in the Basque Country, the Catalan Independence referendum, which was banned by the spanish government, is headline news. The events in catalonia are being closely watched. It depends how things go in catalonia but it could be good , for us, because we want the same as they do. Things need to change. The catalan vote could set a precedent. The Basque Country could be the next region to hold a referendum. Separatists have been fighting for independence here for decades. They argue that the basque people have their own language and their own culture. Many people here are outraged by the Violent Police crackdown against supporters of Catalan Independence. Two peoples, one fight reads this banner at the university of the Basque Country. Many basques are calling for a referendum like that in catalonia. These days the Catalan Independence movement is stronger than the basque one. But now, when we express solidarity with the people of catalonia, we always stress that we also want independence. Narrator Roberto Uriarte is an expert on constitutional law at the university. He says that a fresh push for basque independence is underway. In the past it was led by extremist parties and tainted by the eta movements terror campaign. But now it has mainstream support. Calls for greater freedom, more democracy, for direct participation such as a referendum, could become louder. Even people who are not basque nationalists could become radicalized and want their voices to be heard. Narrator the basques know from bitter experience how violent the fight for independence can get. The eta separatist group killed hundreds of people over four decades. This year it disarmed. Things could turn out the way they have in catalonia. But things could also turn bad again, the movement could become radical. So i dont know. Narrator in her newsstand Isabel Lopategi isnt getting carried away. Shes glad the public is interested in taking its future into its own hands. It doesnt worry me. On the contrary. I think people just want to express who they are, and that they want their freedom. Narrator she says that if the Police Respond to a referendum as violently as they did in catalonia, then its no wonder that more and more people are sympathizing with separatist movements, in catalonia and in the Basque Country. Michelle the arms business is booming in bulgaria, with record setting exports last year. A journalist recently discovered a huge cache of bulgarian weapons, in an abandoned cellar in aleppo. Despite losing her job and efforts to silence her, one woman is determined to trace the route traversed by these weapons to find out how they passed from an e. U. Country into what she believes are the hands of jihadist fighters in syria. Narrator vmz sopot is bulgarias largest arms manufacturer. Journalist Dilyana Gaytandzhieva feels that bad things come from here. She says we cant approach any closer to the stateowned complex. Cameras are strictly prohibited. And she has a good idea why. The sad truth is that bulgarian weapons are being supplied to jihadists in different war zones around the world. Syria, december, 2016, gaytandzhieva was in aleppo as a war correspondent. She and a syrian cameraman were covering the siege by Government Troops and hezbollah militias. East aleppo was said to be controlled by the forces with ties to al qaeda. Once the fighting in that part of the city had died down, local residents took her to a cellar, where, among other items, she discovered 122mm grad multiple launch rockets, made in sopot, bulgaria. It was a complete shock for me seeing the labels of bulgaria on these deadly weapons. All these weapons were stored in warehouses used by al Qaida Al Qaeda affiliates in syria called alnusra front. Narrator the reporter published her findings, but had very little feedback. In 2017, she continued her research. She received leaked documents from azerbaijans embassy in sofia. These documents show that the staterun company of azerbaijan, Silk Way Airlines provided the service of diplomatic flights for weapons. Later on, the very same weapons turned out to be in syria. Narrator gaytandzhieva maintains that azerbaijani planes took on war materials in bulgaria and carried them from there to saudi arabia and turkey, past bulgarian customs and with the permission of the foreign ministry. She lists 350 instances of arms transports. The arms were funneled into syria by truck and into the , hands of terrorists. I published my article here in this newspaper. Later on, i was interrogated by the Bulgarian National security agency. And trud daily decided to terminate my contract just a few hours after my interrogation. Narrator since then, shes been unemployed. Her credibility was publicly undermined. Tihomir bezlov of the center for the study of democracy in sofia speculates gaytandzhieva had been deliberately led to the arms in aleppo for the purpose of exposing nato member, bulgaria. It was a Russian Initiative to take a bulgarian reporter and her camera team to that particular place and show it to her. What was shown to us in aleppo is worth discussing. Narrator opposition politician and mideast expert Slavcho Velkov takes a different view. He sees gaytandzhievas findings as credible. Bearing in mind that alnusra was the leading Jihadist Force in east aleppo, it should come as no surprise that bulgarian and other arms would end up in their hands. The interest in weapons is very great, and the hot spots in the middle east are not a great distance from bulgaria. Narrator according to our own research, bulgaria exported around one billion euros worth of arms in 2016, an increase of about 60 percent over the previous year. A great many of these weapons are reported to have gone to the middle east. Our request for a comment from the Bulgarian Government met with no response. Dilyana gaytandzhieva doesnt understand why her research has not been followed up, and why she herself was targeted instead. I would say to all those bulgarians who claim that i follow somebody elses agenda, to syria and to see firsthand the bulgarian weapons on the ground with the jihadists in aleppo. Narrator the reporter is fighting to restore her credibility in the face of bulgarias powerful arms lobby. Its set to be a daunting struggle. Michelle Martin Engelberg never thought about going into politics. That is, not until he was moved by the charisma and charms of a man who he considers a fresh voice, one that hears and understands the people. Sebastian kurz is the young leader of the austrian peoples party. And like french president emmanuel macron, has inspired some of the unlikeliest of candidates, like martin, a practicing psychotherapist, to run for a seat in the upcoming elections. Narrator its early in the morning and Martin Engelberg is already out canvassing. So far hes getting a lukewarm reponse. Now and then someone will stop for a quick chat and Say Something encouraging in passing, like, im voting for you anyway, or looking good. But its too early for indepth political discussions. Narrator but they are right, it is looking pretty good for engelberg. Hes with the Sebastian Kurz list, as the conservative austrian peoples party, or ovp, is named on the ballot. Its currently leading in the polls. The Election Campaign is entering its critical phase. Theres a festive atmosphere at the Wiener Stadthalle arena, where 10,000 have gathered to see Sebastian Kurz. Martin engelberg has brought his kids along. Sebastian kurz was probably the first top politician who actually talked with me. Weve had frequent conversations. He really gives you the feeling that hes listening to you and picks up on your ideas. Narrator and there he is, the star of the event. Sebastian kurz is showing the crowd whos boss, just as he did when he took the helm of the ovp earlier this year. The party was in disarray when he took over and he wasted no time firing senior officials, including some regional governors. All that matters is the result on october the 15th. Narrator lowering taxes, improving education and limiting immigration, these are the issues underpinning his campaign. But even within his own party there are grumblings that kurz is more concerned with power than policy. Erhard busek, an ovp stalwart and former vice chancellor, is skeptical of the cult of personality surrounding kurzs campaign. Its a general problem in politics, and specifically the ovp and the Sebastian Kurz list. What do they actually stand for, what do they want, whats their agenda . There are many open questions. Narrator after years of a consensusseeking grand coalition, many in austria appear to want strong leadership and a clear message. Kurz recognised this and seized his opportunity. But hes playing a highstakes game. Kurz replaced the normal Selection Process for the ovp candidates and replaced it with a list of independent candidates, such as Martin Engelberg. Many are surprised to see engelberg, a psychiatrist and art collector, throw his lot in with kurz. It cant be ruled out that his party ends up entering into a coalition with the farright Freedom Party. Engelberg is an active member of viennas jewish community. In the past hes rejected this option, but now he appears to be changing tack. Of course i would prefer it if the Coalition Partner were not the Freedom Party. My argument is that the more votes we get as the Sebastian Kurz list, the less well see of the Freedom Party in the new government. Narrator Martin Engelberg looks likely to soon be a member of parliament. Along with the austrian peoples partys young beacon of hope. Michelle many people immigrate to britain with dreams of opportunity and a new life. Unfortunately, there are also those who wish to take advantage of the most vulnerable, of both migrants and even people native to the country. Britains National Crime agency estimates that over 10,000 people are living as modern day slaves. Our reporter met liza, a young woman promised work as an au pair, who left her home in the philippines, only for her dream job to turn into a nightmare. Narrator coming to britain was once lizas dream. She left her home in the philippines, expecting to find a new life of freedom and prosperity. A filipina and her english husband arranged her visa. In exchange, liza would care for their children. But the dream job became a nightmare. Liza had to work seven days a week for 260 euros a month. And she was at the mercy of the lady of the house. Not allowing me to use the washing machine for my clothes. So i have to wash my clothes in the sink, with cold water. Im using cold water to do household chores. She wouldnt even let me use hot water in my bath. Narrator liza was disrepected and exploited. She had no private life because she was always on duty for starvation wages. Liza felt like a slave. Things went on that way for five years, until she fled. Thousands of people in the uk are exploited as forced laborers. Its modernday slavery. They often work in nail studios, hotels or on construction sites. The plight of the victims often remains unknown. And those who do know often look the other way. Kevin hyland wants to change that. Hes the uks first antislavery commissioner, a position created as part of the 2015 modern slavery act. What the act did, it brought together different pieces of legislation that were spread around different rules and laws. It simplified the points to prove. It gave the police more powers. For example risk orders, so they , can actually take action against an organized crime group before somebody is trafficked. Narrator thanks to the new law, a criminal gang was convicted of slavery here in the city of lincoln. Reverend Jeremy Cullimore discovered that the rooney family was running a slavery ring after victims sought refuge in his church. He encouraged them to break their silence, leading 11 members of the family to be convicted of modern slavery and fraud. At least 18 people were held captive by the rooneys, some for more than 20 years. One man i met had his teeth knocked out with a concrete block which was just thrown at him. And they ritualized violence as well as doing it gratuitously, in order to exercise control. Once the people were in their clutches, violence was a critical part of how they maintained control. And they had no compassion, no empathy. They saw the people they enslaved as less than animals. Narrator they preyed on the homeless, the disabled and migrants. Many people from Eastern Europe come to lincoln hoping to find work as day laborers on nearby farms. The rooney family promised them work and a place to stay. This is where the clan operates. Reverend cullimore advises us not to stop. Hes still receiving anonymous threats. Even after the convictions, no one knows for sure how big the familys network really is. The Police Released photos showing how the victims lived, in trailers, in inhumane conditions. Yet most didnt run away. The human being is very resilient and we get used to things. And if you are used to being a slave, youre used to that environment. And you have no one else. That is your family. They dont know anything else. Its what home is. Home is shitty, its awful. But its home. Narrator they also fear losing everything and being thrown out of the country. So a victim support bill has been brought before parliament, which would provide assistance to the victims for 12 months. Liza has registered her case and is getting help from an aid organization. Shes hoping her visa will be extended. But shes been waiting for two years. After leaving that house i told myself it is finished, but until now i am still suffering because i cannot make plans for myself. I cannot go where i want to. I cannot go home. I dont have my passport. I dont have money. So its tiring. I mean, i keep on waiting and waiting. Im tired now. I mean, i dont know what will happen to me. Narrator liza finally wants to live the life she expected to find here. One in which she can earn money and be free to make her own choices. Michelle now, what is the most unique gift youve ever received for your birthday . A group of norwegians planned a big surprise for their neighbors in finland. To celebrate finlands 100 Year Anniversary of independence from russia, the norwegians want to give their neighbors the summit of a mountain. While this would only require the border to be shifted a few meters, it would also call for a change in norways constitution. But not everyone is ready to break out the champagne just yet. Narrator its late summer, and theres not a tree, not a bush or blade of grass here at 1300 meters altitude. Mountain guide Georg Sichelschmidt knows every rock on the halti, a fell on the norwegianfinnish border. Theres been a move afoot to move the border. Were standing here on the finnish halti. Here to the right, you see the border marker. Its the highest point in finland. If you look towards the other side, it gets higher, and thats norway. So finlands highest peak has a norwegian summit. Narrator how annoying that a Mountain Peak in otherwise very flat finland has its summit outside the country, across a border drawn in 1740. The oddity was first noticed by bjorn geirr harsson, a longstanding staff member of the norwegian mapping authority. Hed been investigating some peculiar features of the Boundary Line on the halti and decided this would be an ideal time to correct them. We tried to let the norwegian government give it as a gift from the norwegian people to finland in accordance, in relation to their 100year celebration as a free nation. Narrator his main supporter is svein oddvar leiros, mayor of the municipality at the foot of the halti. He picked up on the idea and wrote an official request to the Prime Minister in oslo. She sent an equally official response that the constitution wouldnt allow norway to cede any of its territory. With kind regards, erna solberg. If the Prime Minister says no, then, as mayor of kafjord municipality, i have to respect that. But maybe theyll reconsider. Its a matter of an area half the size of a soccer field. The border marker would just have to be moved a few meters. Narrator its claimed that a compromise might be possible, a swap wouldnt violate the constitution. Finland would get the summit and give a piece of wasteland to norway in exchange. After all, norway has no real use for the halti. The norwegians have plenty of other peaks to climb, and the finns didnt even get the top of this pile of rocks were standing on here. I think thats too bad, the poor finns narrator and what do the finns say about the issue . Do they really want the additional eight meters of summit . From that side of the border, its quite a long way to the nearest habitation. There may well be more reindeer than people in the area. Then finally, 59 kilometers from the halti, a finnish village. I think it is a very good reason to give it to finland, because we are a Good Neighbor to norway. I like it. Many people come to finland because of that. More tourists. Yes. Theres more tourists. I love the idea, but even nowadays, it doesnt matter, when you are on top of the halti, on which side you are. There is no border line, actually, when you are up on top of the halti. Narrator mountain guide Georg Sichelschmidt thinks the move just might turn the barren fell into a tourist magnet. Of course, it would make this peak more popular, especially in finland. More finns would come here just to climb their highest mountain. Narrator making a presentf a mounin could mean a small ost to nordic tourism, but it could also send a message to the world. At was the original intention. Norway also gives the Nobel Peace Prize every year, and we could go ahead, like a good example on how you treat your neighbor, by giving finland this little piece of land. Narrator finland will be celebrating the centenary of its independence in december. Who knows . By then, with luck, the countrys highest peak could be a little higher. Michelle if the summit as a gift does not work out perhaps a , hunk of quintessentially norwegian brown cheese may suffice . Thats it for today. If you would like to find out more, send me a tweet or visit , our facebook page, dw stories. Thank you for watching. Until next time, goodbye. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] steves on the mediterranean sea, basking between the french and italian rivieras, the principality of monaco barely fits on its one square mile of territory. Of its 30,000 residents, less than 10,000 are true monegasques, as locals are called. Many of the rest call monaco home because theres no income tax. Despite overdevelopment, high prices, and mobs of tourists, a visit here is a riviera must. And monaco is a work in progress. The district of fontvieille was reclaimed from the sea. It bristles with luxury highrise condos. The breakwater constructed elsewhere and towed in enables cruise ships to dock. And cars still race, as they have since 1929, around the principality in one of the worlds most famous auto races the grand prix of monaco. The miniscule principality has always been tiny, but it used to be less tiny. In the 1860s, it lost most of its territory to france. But the prince built a casino and managed to connect his domain to the rest of the riviera with a new road and a train line. Humble monaco was suddenly on the grand tour map the place for the vacationing aristocracy to play. Today, the people of monaco have one of the worlds highest percapita incomes, with plush apartments to match. Its famous casino allows the wealthy to eoy losing money in extreme comfort. If monaco is a business, the prince is its ceo. While the casino generates only a small part of the states revenue, its many banks, which provide an attractive way to protect your money from the tax man, earn much more. There is no income tax here, but the prince collects plenty of money in valueadded taxes, real estate taxes, and corporate taxes. Nearly all of monacos sights are packed in a cinderella neighborhood atop its fortified hill. Its impressive aquarium, which proudly crowns the cliff like a palace, was directed by Jacques Cousteau for 17 years. A medieval castle sat where monacos palace sits today. The palace square features a statue of francois grimaldi, a renegade italian who captured monaco disguised as a monk in 1297. This first ruler of monaco established the dynasty that still rules the principality. Today, over 700 years later, the current prince is his direct descendant. Palace guards protect the ruling grimaldi family 24 7. And they change with the pageantry of an important nation. Every day at about noon, tourists pack the square to witness the spectacle in this improbable little princedom. [ band playing march ]
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.