♪ hello, and welcome to the "journal" on dw. i am brian thomas. >> i am sarah kelly. here is what is coming up. pressure grows on bashar al- assad as western powers to expel syrian diplomats. >> on his first state visit to israel, germany's new president reiterates berlin's commitment to the nation's security. >> powerful aftershocks in northern italy. at least 15 people are dead. ♪ >> syria is added to pinpoint --

those are the words of international envoy kofi annan and sit-ins' to salvage his tattered peace plan for the country. >> western powers have accused the syrian government of being behind last week's houla massacre that cost over 100 lives. in response, at least 10 nations, including the u.s. and germany, have been making moves to kick out syrian diplomats. >> syrian president bashar al- assad has denied any responsibility for the houla massacre, saying islamist extremists were to blame, as the pressure mounts. >> syria's ambassador left the french foreign ministry after getting the boot. he had just been informed that he had 72 hours to leave france. >> this was not decided by france unilaterally. it was in concert. >> in concert with other nations around the world, including britain, germany, and many other european countries, as well as the u.s., canada, and australia.

the moves are an attempt to increase pressure on damascus after the massacre in houla last weekend. in syria, u.s. special envoy kofi annan continues to press for implementation of his peace plan. but the syrian president bashar al-assad blames opposition forces for the latest violence. while the opposition blames the regime and says the peace plan has done nothing to reduce tensions. >> implementation of his plan does not exist on the ground. we are witnessing more explosions and kidnappings. >> meanwhile, the violence continues. these images are said to show fighting in homs on monday. their first reports of civilians, including women and children, being killed by artillery and sniper fire. the u.n. now says most of the victims of friday's massacre in houla were killed with small arms and knives. the u.n. peacekeeping chief in

syria said pro-assad local militias were most likely responsible for the killings. >> for more on the diplomatic efforts to end the crisis, we're joined by our political correspondent terry martin. many are saying that the houla massacre is a tipping point for syria. is that the sentiment here in berlin? >> there is a sense here in berlin that things in syria have taken a serious turn for the worse. the massacre in houla has provoked outrage in many european capitals, including berlin. but we have seen expulsions coordinated -- expulsions, coordinated explosions in several european countries. germany, france, spain, italy, the u.k., and also the u.s., canada, australia, all putting out top-level diplomats as a concerted and serious response, all being accompanied by a very tough language. berlin itself is saying that syria has no future under assad.

>> with the tough language in these expulsions, the german foreign minister wants syria but on the u.n. security council agenda. what might we go westerwelle be looking for? >> that is right. german foreign minister guido westerwelle said on tuesday that germany would be urging the u.n. security council to take up syria again. he did not indicate exactly what action would be demanded, but we can expect that there will be calls for tougher sanctions. we do not expect any general effort to suggest that the u.n. should lead any armed intervention into syria. it is believed that the country is heavily armed. it is noted that it is a very pvolatile region, and we have already seen violence spilling into lebanon. i think there's going to be some reluctance to get involved militarily. >> thank you so very much. >> germany and israel are closer

than ever before. those were the words of germany's new president on his first visit to israel since taking office. >> meeting with his counterpart shimon peres, joaquin gauck spoke of germany's special responsibility towards the jewish state. at the holocaust of world, he said germany's commitment to israel's security was based on the past -- at the holocaust memorial. >> after lagging a wreath, jaochim gauck road a few lines in the guest book about the emotions of being at this memorial, the sense of sympathy, morning, and horror in the face of such evil. and finally, resolve. >> you stand here, and your heart, your mind, and your conscience tell you, never forget. never. and remain true to the country that remembers those who are not committed to live. >> jaochim gauck was welcomed by his israeli counterpart shimon

peres, who spoke about their friendship that now binds the two states. jaochim gauck called for peace deal with the palestinians that addresses palestinian concerns but he also affirmed germany's role. >> the commitment to israel's security and its right to exist is a determining factor of german policy. israel should live in peace within secure borders. >> jaochim gauck also said he understood israel's circumspect attitude towards the people in the arab world, as it is still far from clear that democracy and respect for human rights will prevail across the region. >> for more on the german president's visit to israel, let's cross over to jerusalem and our correspondent there. this is a highly symbolic visit by president jaochim gauck. how much are german-israeli relations shipped by the holocaust, and how much for the shift by issues like a palestinian state? >> i think they have a shared

history. this is also part of this visit or the german president has more than once said that germany is standing side-by-side with israel, committed to israel's security, and this is a main part of german politics. there are different ways of dealing with today's israel. germany has taken a more critical position towards israel's -- [inaudible] a common eu position. >> jaochim gauck heard his israeli guests call iran annexes it shall -- an existential threat to israel. what was his response? >> that is a topic that is high on the agenda during this visit here. it was very surprising to hear shimon peres today making a very strong statement on iran, saying that this could be a new show

what. the german president said he wanted to see a diplomatic solution. at the same time, he said his impression of germany's talks with the leadership, that the military strike must not be imminent. having said that, it is unclear what israel has decided. i think everybody is looking to the talks between the international community and iran that will continue in geneva soon. we will see if the international community will find an acceptable solution to the israeli release -- leadership. >> to is a very much. jaochim gauck's visit to israel comes at a time when tensions in the middle east are higher than ever. as we have seen in syria, that is in the grips of vicious fighting and there is no resolution in sight with iran pose a nuclear program. >> for germany, the legacy of the holocaust continues to make the relationship with israel and

its security a high priority. it is not always easy for either side. >> relations between germany and israel are as complex as their shared history. the german chancellor was careful when she visited israel in 2008. every word, every gesture was closely watched. in a speech to parliament, she pledged closer relations with israel. she described the shame she felt about nazi crimes against the jewish people during world war ii. >> for me as german chancellor, the security of israel is absolutely non-negotiable, and in a time of crisis, those will not be empty words. >> four years later, the conflict with iran looks set to escalate. iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad has used rhetoric that many interpreted as threatening israel with aggression, even annihilation. israel is taking the threat seriously, and the chancellor's

stables of support are attracting attention once again. >> the wording used by the chancellor could be misunderstood as unconditional backing. i think that between friends, it is important to be able to speak clearly. >> just what demands by israel make in a worst-case scenario, and what is germany actually prepared to do? the two countries' defense ministers agreed in march to increase cooperation. but what that would mean in case of an attack on israel is still not clear. >> we stand with israel. what that means our could mean has not yet been decided. >> germany has already delivered five submarines capable of launching nuclear weapons, subsidized in part by the german government. a sixth is supposed to fall. some observers said that

chancellor merkel may consider this to be a way of meeting our obligations. -- meeting her obligation. >> i personally would like to see an agreement with israel that states clearly that these submarines will not be armed with nuclear weapons and can only be used for national defense. >> relations between israel and germany are based on a germany's acceptance of responsibility for the holocaust. initially, many israelis rejected the idea of having any relations with germany. meanwhile, germany has given ties with israel high priority. but it remains a sensitive subject, especially when israel is criticized. >> israel, a nuclear power, threatens world peace, which is already in a fragile state. this must be said now. tomorrow could be too late. >> is it acceptable for germans to openly criticize israelthcriticizeis author

caused an uproar when he offered his opinion on israel earlier this year. relations between israel and germany are characterized by the burden of their common history, and that will be the case for years to come. >> in other news, the burmese opposition leader aung san suu kyi has arrived in bangkok. it is our first trip out of the country also known as myanmar since 1998. suu kyi won a seat in parliament in april under being kept under house arrest for 15 years. in thailand, she will attend a meeting of the world economic forum and talk about the role of women in asia. she is expected to meet the prime minister and speak with burmese migrant workers. northern italy has been hit by a fresh series of earthquakes, the second in just over a week. >> at least 15 people were killed when an aftershock at the magnitude of 5.8 hit the region. one more tremor has been reported since the some victims

are reportedly still trapped in the rubble of damaged buildings. >> thousands of people were already homeless after the first earthquake on may 20. now, thousands more have been driven from their homes, many buildings damaged by the first earthquake collapsed during the new tremors but a major damage was reported in villages across the region. the town hall here had already been damaged before this latest earthquake hit at 9:00 a.m. local time. >> i heard a big bang. i was shaving and ran out half dressed. i do not dare go in my other house over there. >> a few kilometers away, rescue teams searched for people trapped. a witness described how the warehouse he was in a collapsed. >> i was inside. thankfully we had tied the beams

securely, but it was terrible. >> more buildings collapsed here. the region around bologna is one of the most productive in italy. prime minister mario monti promised the government will do all it can to get the area back to normal. the italian president expressed solidarity with the victims. >> i am certainly overcome at this moment. i want to express my feelings of great solidarity with all those affected and their loved ones. >> the death toll from the latest earthquake is already more than twice as high as on may 20, when seven people died. >> and just ahead after the break, we will have all the latest business news. >> and we will have our daily check on the teams competing in

europe in 2012 up today. we will get denmark's chances. >> do not go away. keep it where it is. we will be right back. >> stay with us. ♪ ♪ >> true art has a mind of its own, just like beethoven and the artists who interpret his work. at the beethoven festival bonn 2012, from september 7 through october 7. order your tickets online. ♪

>> thank you so much for staying with us. >> official figures show inflation in germany has fallen below 2%. >> consumer prices rose an average of 1.9% year-on-yr. one big reason, falling oil prices. the price of crude has dropped almost 14% this month alone. but inflation is expected to rebound in future months as higher wages and low interest rates put upward pressure on prices. u.s. consumer confidence saab's biggest drop in eight months in may. analysts had expected a modest rise in the consumer confidence index. >> the conference board research group says the slump is mainly due to many people's concerns

over stubbornly high unemployment, falling stock markets, and the global economy consumer spending accounts for about 70% of u.s. economic activity. stocks here in europe took the news in stride, ending the day on a high note. uli bartz sent us this report from frankfurt. >> look on the positive side, that could be the motto of today's trading, hoping that greece would vote in the end for pro-reform politicians and for staying in the euro and hoping that the banks will do good stuff with all the billions that they are getting in state aid. and also, disregarding the bad news coming out of spain, hoping that in some way the ecb will help out there in end if need be. also, looking at the positive side, china, there were reports that china is willing to inject hundreds of billions of euros into their economy to stimulate

it to prevent it from going down. this could maybe benefit the journal -- german car industry. car shares here among the favorites. >> a closer look of the market numbers. we stick in frankfurt. the dax was higher on the day. more than one percentage point higher. 6396. euro stoxx 50 was also higher, 2160. over in europe, the dow jones industrial average's in positive territory, 12,559. the euro declining, 8 $1.249. no one knows for sure what is next on the agenda for greece, but if the june elections end in a protest austerity government of the country will likely remain in the eurozone. >> that is right. yet, austerity measures are exceedingly unpopular with most greeks, and the possibility of return to the drachma has graded something of a run on the country's banks. >> how does the future look to the greek people?

we have this report. >> greeks are not yet lining up at banks to withdraw all their savings, but many, as here, are beginning to fear for their future. a future with the drachma as their currency. >> my money is still in the bank, but i am getting ready to end the my account. -- to empty my account. >> i have never felt so uncertain. it is awful. >> every time our politicians indicate they may not be willing to do everything to stay in the eurozone, people become afraid and empty their accounts. but i have heard it is not yet a mass movement. >> the banks are still being propped up with eu bailout money, but that will not be possible in the long term. greece needs to develop renewed confidence, not just in its financial institutions but in

the country's future. but that looks unlikely at the moment in the face of the dire economic crisis and the austerity measures. more and more businesses are going under, as here in the industrial district. many of the managers of surviving companies in doubt whether the draconian austerity measures are the right way to go. this soft drink maker, like almost all greek companies, produces mainly for the domestic market. it is suffering from weak consumer demand. >> returning to the drachma first means adopting a new currency. we're more interested in people's spending power. in the end, does not matter if a person has 1000 euros or 500 drachma per month in a disposable income. what is a important is that he has enough money to feed his family, buy milk and bread, and has some cash left over to spend. >> but the majority of people in the country as a whole want to stay with the euro. this car rental operator is one

of them. >> many cannot imagine it. but if we went back to the drachma, crisis would explode because we import most things. for instance, tiles or building houses or petrol. we would not be able to afford them. >> most greeks and no idea what a return to the drachma would really mean. >> it could be one of the most sophisticated computer viruses ever made. it is called flame. it has been targeting iran and a number of other countries and the middle east. "six birds are comparing it with a virus that was a so-called cyber whether that hit the wrong's nuclear program two years ago -- specialists are comparing it with another virus. >> the threat has been reviewed posed by flames. it has been described as an industrial vacuum cleaner for sensitive information. >> it searches for files with

specific content. internet connections and data. it can even turn on the microphone and allowed to listen to what is being said in the room. >> flame is much more complex than the other virus which affected iran's nuclear facilities two years ago and shut down their centrifuges. iran is downplaying the impact of the new malware and claims to have anti virus software that can cope with it. the sophistication of the flame has triggered a storm of speculation. >> it must have been government- sponsored, and its purpose is clearly an espionage. it has been active since august 2010 and specifically targets computers in the middle east. it really represents a new dimension in malware. >> suspicion has fallen on the united states and israel, but there is no hard evidence yet. experts said the programming is so good, it may be impossible to

determine its source. >> all right, time now for our latest euro 2012 team check ahead of the soccer championship. >> we're looking at denmark. group d, a tough group that also features the netherlands, germany, portugal. some are already calling it the group of death. >> most analysts reckon denmark's chances of making it through to the knockout phase are pretty slim. ♪ ? 's side practicing -- denmark opposes at practicing in the country's east coast of using a local club's. if the players are nervous, they're not showing it. it is a casual atmosphere. >> i think that has to do with the fact that we are a small country. everything is a little more relaxed here. for example, the interaction between players and fans, it is the danish mentality.

>> the practice sessions are a hit with local residents. >> this is a small stadium. you can just walk in and see the national team. it is great. >> we are having a cozy little picnic. >> of denmark became european champions in 1992, but this time around few are expecting them to come close. the coach expects to rely heavily on a core of players who played for big-name foreign clubs. like william from bundesliga stood guard. and the 20-year-old from amsterdam. still, the coach is cautious about the team's chances. >> everything depends on how fit we are on any given day. then we will need a little luck. probably more than the other teams do. >> they have nothing to lose, so they're going to give it their best shot while having some fun.

dw gives them two balls out of six and predicts they will exit in the group stage. >> it is a scale -- a live skill most of us take for granted, and those without that are excluded from most basic everyday activities. reading. >> in many countries, improving literacy is an extremely large challenge. one initiative in south africa shows this. a correspondent joins a team of volunteers on their rally to read. >> the rally to read convoy has spent hours driving through the south african bush. the volunteers are visiting what they call lost schools. >> in the context that there's so far out and are so ruled that the department of education and the government really hardly get out to support these schools. we find that we can really get to these schools and deliver

resources. >> parents, teachers, and peoples of turned out to welcome the visitors and their precious boxes of books. for many, it is the highlight of the school year. the rally to read teaching materials are aimed at ruled chilean. they often find it difficult to relate to standard additional material. -- the materials are aimed at rural children. >> they give us books. they gave us books irrelevant to our kids, the government. so the box that the govenment gave us are sometimes too difficult for the kids. sometimes irrelevant for what we're going to teach for them. >> educational standards in remote parts of south africa lag far behind those in urban areas. the organizers hope that by approving letters to, they can be used people's self-

confidence. this little boy says i want to become a doctor. there are no hospitals for miles around, but i want to help people when they are sick. >> since 1998, rallied to read has visited nearly 1000 schools, drawing more and more big-name sponsors. >> that is it for now here on the "journal." thank you for watching. we will have more news in one half-hour. every day for the next nine days, we will have our team check for the euro 2012, looking at a team every day. >> for more information, you can check out our website, dw.de, for a lot more. thank you for watching. >> goodbye. ♪ captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- ♪

♪