>> live from berlin, you are watching me "journal" on dw. >> thanks so much for joining us. >> coming up in the next 30 minutes -- serious as no one can win the country possible war now and hands over a list of its chemical weapons to international watchdogs. >> and in germany, candidates make their final pitches before the national election this weekend. >> pope francis says the catholic church must find a new balance in its teachings of homosexuality, contraception, and women priests.

after two years of civil war in syria, the path to peace may suddenly lead to tehran. iran's newly elected president says his country is ready to broker talks between the syrian government and the opposition. >> it's the latest in a fast series of turns in a crisis. today, serious submitted an inventory of its chemical weapons to the watchdog that enforces anti-weapons treaties -- serbia -- syria submitted an inventory of its chemical weapons. >> all this after the assad regime telling the world the civil war is so entrenched that no one can win. >> while the international community decides what to do about syria's chemical weapons, fighting continues on the ground .

on wednesday, islamist militants with links to al qaeda captured a town near the turkish border. after heavy fighting, there is now reportedly a cease-fire between them and the rebel free syrian army. western powers remain alarmed. french president françois all on -- francois hollande says he's in favor of arming the rebel faction. >> we will do it in a broader context with a number of countries and in a framework that can be controlled. we cannot accept that weapons could fall into the hands of jihadists. >> security council permanent members are struggling to reach agreement on a chemical weapons resolution. u.s. secretary of state john kerry urged the council to act. meanwhile, a surprising twist from syrian ally iran. the country's new president says iran is willing to mediate in

the conflict. germany appears open to the idea . >> the german government is following the iranian president's offer with great interest, especially as it comes right before the beginning of the united nations general assembly next week. however, these words must be followed by actions. >> western governments will be watching the united nations appearance closely. >> syria's neighbor iraq has also seen more violence. at least 18 people were killed when two bombs exploded outside a sunni mosque. >> the devices were hidden inside air-conditioners and set off by remote control as worshipers gathered for friday prayers. iraq has been seeing its worst bout of violence since the height of sectarian violence following the u.s.-led invasion.

some 4200 people have been killed since the beginning of the year. >> dozens of yemeni soldiers have been killed in three coordinated attacks by militants linked to al qaeda. >> some reports say as many as 50 were killed in attacks targeting barracks and a region known as an al qaeda stronghold. the attacks were carried out at dawn and took the troops by surprise. more casualties were reported as fighting continued in the area. if you have something to say, do it today -- that's the motto for candidates in germany as campaigning for sunday's election draws to an end. >> across the country, politicians are using the final hours of this friday to win over 1/3 of voters who say they are still undecided. >> that's a crucial number. no single party has enough voter support to form a government alone.

>> so here we are, the last day of wooing the public, hoping it pays off. >> conservatives have launched one big final efforts at securing their vote. the campaign team has sent 5 million letters asking supporters not to split their vote with the free democrats. chancellor merkel has been taking every opportunity to hammer the message home. >> i want to continue the coalition with the ftp, but in the history of the federal republic of germany, the cdu has always campaigned for the cdu first. >> merkel's social democrats challenger is also chasing down votes right to the last minute, like here in berlin. his popularity ratings are well below merkel's, but people vote for parties in germany, and he has not lost hope for himself and the spd. >> i want to give you a simple reason why i want you to vote for spd candidates -- after the election, i want them to be in parliament to vote me in as

chancellor of the federal republic of germany. thank you very much. >> the pre-election polls say that is unlikely to happen, but steinbrueck is convinced that a high turnout could swing the vote in his favor. the race is far from over. >> for some analysis now, we are joined by our political correspondent. why are so many voters telling us that they are undecided? have the candidates and parties failed to inspire? >> i suppose it could be that and -- that in part, but it is a remarkable number, 30% still undecided. it's not unusual in germany. a lot of people tend to leave it to the last minute to make up their mind how they are going to vote if they go to the polling stations at all. voter turnout in general elections has been all in for decades in germany. -- falling for decades in germany. one thing to say is that the

conservatives, many of their natural supporters feel they have moved away from their core positions, and they do not feel represented i those big parties anymore. another thing is, of course, economies often decide elections and get people to motivated to vote the economy. germany is doing quite well. unemployment is low, so many germans do not feel that their personal situation angers them or makes them want to change the government. >> the world is watching germany this weekend with many expecting to see chancellor merkel returned to office. is there really no room for surprises in this election? >> there could be surprises if angela merkel loses her coalition partners. the social democrats might have a choice between a coalition with angela merkel or with other parties on the left. if the anti-euro alternative party for germany gets in, that

would be a big surprise. if i had to guess, i would say chancellor merkel will still be in office next week, but those undecided could still surprise us, certainly. >> thank you very much. we will have more on the attention being paid to the elections elsewhere in the world. >> you can already find out more by going to our website at dw. de/germanelections. >> he has spoken again and again gotten the world attention. >> he certainly has because of frances has criticized the catholic church for focusing too much on the issues of abortion and gays -- pope francis. >> this does not constitute a change in church teaching but does indicate a change in tone. >> enthusiastic crowds greet pope francis on his visit to brazil earlier this summer. many catholics have laced their

hopes for reform in the new pope . for example, the role of women. in the interview, the pope said that role should be much greater , but he suggested he would not go as far as admitting women to the priesthood. another important issue for liberal catholics is the church's attitude to homosexuality. in the interview, he says the church must shake off its up session with sexual morals. the pope stressed at the church teachings on those issues had not changed, but he said it was not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of individuals and that the church ministers should be merciful. >> for some analysis now, let's bring in our religious affairs correspondent. the pope says that the church needs to find a new balance, or else it's going to collapse like a house of cards. that's strong language.

>> it is. in the interview, he says the church should not be focused on individual moral questions. as important as they may become even more important is the message of the church, which is that people are lovable before they do anything to earn that love, and despite any guilt a may have acquired, simply because they are created by a loving god who loves them. >> the pope has not chosen to put his opinion in a formal document. instead he chose a lengthy interview. what does that tell us? >> that is what is really revolutionary about this. he went to the jesuit newspaper in italy and gave this extended interview. it was translated into other languages, and that makes it very unusual because it makes very direct language that speaks to ordinary people with very dramatic and graphic examples. >> thank you very much.

mexico is struggling to cope with the effects of twin storms this week. flooding and landslides unknown to have killed 100 people. >> while thousands and main con off on the pacific coast, and we have more. >> excess water sounders out of the dam. authorities opened the sluice gates. it was either that or risk the dam bursting, but the water is flooding communities downstream. hundreds of people had to be evacuated. a landslide killed dozens of people and a pillage nearby at the beginning of the week. survivors are in emergency shelters. others are still missing. >> we were surrounded by death. there were so many people killed, all you could smell was bodies. >> and there's no end in sight to the emergency. the current storms have weakened

and moved north, but a third one is gathering. >> venezuela says the united states has barred its president from its airspace. >>maduro was planning to fly to china for bilateral talks but says he was not given permission to cross the united states territory of puerto rico. >> the arctic sea has become the latest battleground in the ongoing confrontation between environmentalists and oil companies. >> the russian coast guard detained 30 activists from greenpeace who were trying to unfurl a banner on a russian- owned drilling platform. the government has impounded the vessel and is telling it with the activists on board. >> investigators say they are considering pressing piracy

charges that could carry a 15- year prison sentence. >> greenpeace activists used rubber boats and tight ropes in their bid to scale a platform in the arctic on wednesday. after speeding into one of the dinghies, russian coast guard stopped the activists at gunpoint. one day later, russia seized the arctic sunrise, and greenpeace calls this a legal -- illegal. >> gathered the crew on the raft, threatening them with weapons, put them on their knees, and kept them for a certain period of time. >> this is what it is all about. russia's first oil platform in the arctic. so far, it is not in service, but once it goes online, activists fear any week would have catastrophic consequences and be impossible to control, but russia is determined to get at the ice.

russia is transporting the arctic sunrise. greenpeace insists russia's action violates international law. one of the activists held on board reports. supporters are demonstrating around the world, including moscow. russia is threatening the activists with long jail sentences on charges ranging from illegal scientific activity to terrorism. >> from the arctic sea to the san francisco bay where it has been slow sailing, organizers canceled thursday's americas cup action over safety concerns. >> in the first race, oracle team usa zigzagged ahead of challengers new zealand in the first race, pulling out a comfortable 31-second lead. defending champions now have four wins, but they still need

another seven victories to keep their title. team new zealand just needs a single win. >> we will be back in a minute.

>> welcome back. germany's upcoming election on sunday is being watched with interest around the world. one of the brick nations and a powerhouse in its own right were german companies are at the forefront -- one of the bric nations. >> while german companies are aware of the value of ties with latin america. >> rio de janeiro, brazil. for many germans, it's a dream destination they associate with surfing and summer. this year, the connection goes somewhat deeper. made 2013 marked the beginning of germany year in brazil.

german is also popular as a foreign language in brazilian schools with são paulo home to the biggest german school in the world, boasting 11,000 students. but there is still room for greater cultural exchange. german and brazilian readers have been slow to discover each other's literature. this year, german authors sought new leaders. likewise, brazilian writers were featured at the frankfurt fair. germany also sees brazil as an essential partner. >> if we want to achieve things globally from environmental protection to securing peace, the smart and right thing to do is to maintain regular exchange with brazil. >> another passion that germans and brazilian's share is soccer. with brazil hosting this year's world cup, tens of millions of germans are sure to take notice. brazil's economic boom may have cooled, but many economic -- in

south american countries are going strong. >> we are amazed at your low unemployment, and we wish you continued success. >> germany's opposition green party accuses berlin of being too focused on trade, ignoring concerns about human rights and the environment. they label the argentinian beef so popular in germany as damaging to the environment. germany is the eu's biggest deep order of argentinian beef. latin america continues to grow more confident on the world stage. argentina's president has come out against a free-trade trade agreement between latin american countries and the eu. >> earlier, we spoke to our latin american correspondent and began by asking how much attention german elections are getting in latin america. >> after all, you're talking

about the reelections of one of the most powerful women in the world. angela merkel's most renowned here for her role in managing the european crisis, which affects more or less latin america's countries, especially in an economic way, so many want to know who will lead such an influential country like germany in the future. >> from an economic point of view, latin america is an important partner in germany. what about the other way around? >> economic relationships in general are very good. we should remember that são paulo in brazil is still the biggest german business location outside of germany. earlier this year, germany signed a new deal with chile about exportation of commodities.

>> politically, it seems relations between latin america and germany have been lagging behind. in 2010, the german foreign minister presented his new latin american concept. have relations changed since then? >> that is the week want and the relationship. many cannot imagine that latin america is a high priority for tire to underline the importance of latin america. on the other hand, there are versatile corporations in many sectors like science, technology, or culture, and germany is seen as a reliable partner in questions of human rights and democratic development. >> what our expectations for after the election? >> i think there are two -- first when and how will the crisis in europe come to an end?

this answer will influence the international finance markets, which will be important for latin american economics, whose permanent growth recently had slowed down. and second, will the german concept for latin america be filled with real contacts? >> thank you for joining us. >> eu competition authorities have given mobile network writer vodafone the green light to take over a german cable operator. >> they say the move does not violate monopoly laws. vodafone will pay just under 11 billion euros, and the merger will create a series new competitor for deutsche telekom. >> shares on the frankfurt stock exchange pause for a breath after rallying yesterday, following the news that the u.s. central bank will maintain its economic stimulus program. our markets correspondent has more. >> after yesterday's rally, which led the dax to a new

record high, traders calm down a little bit. one of the most sold shares has been shares of adidas, the sporting-goods maker. they gave out a profit warning and said that problems in russia are to blame for that. traders have been very disappointed hearing this news because a few weeks ago, adidas already cut its sales forecast and said that traffic -- profit may remain stable, so now investors are saying investors may lose some confidence. >> let's get a check of the numbers. after a week with a historic high, the dax ended the friday session slightly lower. no surprise that the euro stocks were lower, too, closing at 2920 seven. meanwhile, in the u.s., the dow jones industrial is down .79%,

and at last check, the euro is trading at $one point 39 20 -- $1.3920. >> the company also says it will cut its dividend in half and use the savings to pay debts. >> now, every year, car buffs walk to frankfurt for the world's biggest auto industry fair. leading carmakers showcase leading car models in the latest innovation. >> as the frankfurt show wraps up, we take a look at one of the dominant trends -- electric cars. manufacturers are harnessing and losing -- using electricity to fuel future models, but will

sales take off? >> today's toddlers are already growing up with them, putting these electric cars to the test. by the time they have drivers licenses, environmentally friendly etr's might just be the norm on the roads -- environmentally friendly e-cars. all the manufacturers have brought their latest models to the show. >> my exhibitors are convincing a lot more people. you can see that by the reaction of the visitors. the concept cars that were presented in 2011 are now taking shape as real electric cars that are available for purchase. nobody could have imagined that two years ago. >> available, but with a caveat. e-cars still cost about twice as much as their gasoline powered versions, and for that rice, visitors are still drawn towards the more powerful combustion

engines. once again, suv's and sports sedans take center stage this year. >> and carjacking now, and the latest edition of video game grand theft auto is on course to become the most lucrative video game of the year. >> gta v topped 800 million in first day sales, and is likely to top "iron man 3." its makers have faced repeated criticism for the levels of violence in the series. >> that game will cost you around 60 euros in stores. >> imagine shelling out thousands of euros for the latest and greatest toy. >> that's how much people use to pay back in 1983 for the new revolutionary cell phone at the time. >> things have certainly changed since then.

>> the museum for communication in berlin is the proud owner of one of the first ever cell phones from motorola. >> it sits nicely in your hand. you can carry it in your bag. it did not need a big battery block, and you could charge it up at home. it was also the first mobile phone you could do other stuff look like sending text messages. >> a look at other models makes it clear why mobile phones like the motorola represented a quantum leap for the industry. gradually, cell phones became stronger and lighter and were capable of doing much more than their primitive predecessors. now they are called smartphones, and the many, it's hard to imagine daily life without them. we use them to write e-mails, read messages, plan travel routes, and order taxis. at the berlin university of the arts, researchers are working on the cell phones of the future.

he is critical of future trends like the integration of applications like facebook and two glasses or watches -- into glasses or watches. >> if integration is the drug, then facebook is the dealer. we are letting the dealer get closer and closer to us. our most valuable resource these days is no longer time but attention. >> young people are devoting more and more attention to their wireless devices. smart watches and glasses could soon be everyday accessories. >> do stay tuned. >> see you later. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

♪ after you've gone ♪ and left me crying ♪ after you've gone ♪ there's no denying ♪ someday when you grow lonely ♪ ♪ your heart will break like mine ♪ ♪ and you'll want me only ♪ after you've gone ♪ after you've gone away ( door closes ) have you been smuggling your clothes into the children's laundry in the hope that i'd iron it and wash it and put it away? no. sure? they're not mine. don't tell me they're alex's. they're older than he is.