>> hello and welcome to the "journal" coming to you from dw in berlin. >> here's our headlines this hour -- another summer to save the euro? all eyes on angela merkel. will she give it any ground? >> and a big victory for barack obama as the supreme court backs his health care reform. >> the nation stocks for soccer. millions of germans gather to watch their team battle in italy in the euro 2012 semifinals.

>> it is the 20th summer since the euro debt crisis started, and expectations are not high -- the 20th summit. >> officials are divided into two camps -- one saying austerity is the main solution to debt problems. >> and one saying more needs to be done to bring down borrowing costs of the countries on the front line. >> that is right. those countries are spain and italy. taken together, they are too big for europe's they'll of funds to rescue, and that is raising pressure to find a new approach to the crisis. >> bold new steps expected from germany at the eu summit, but chancellor angela merkel is staying focused on a growth package already agreed upon. "we have worked out a good program, especially regarding

future investments and creating job opportunities for young people he can -- young people." proposals from the european union president are far more treasury and a banking union with central supervision. the italian prime minister wants the summit to address borrowing costs. he has found an ally in the french president. >> i have come here to find very quick solutions to support the countries facing the biggest problems on the markets. they have already gone to great lengths to consolidate budgets. >> spain's prime minister says financing is his most pressing issue. he will be urging other leaders to act in what is sure to be a long and difficult debate. >> our correspondent is covering this summit for us. let's go live to brussels. it is germany versus italy in

soccer tonight, but at the summit, it seems to be just about everybody against germany. >> that is true. everybody here at the summit and the european council -- they are all watching football here as well. we were expecting angela merkel to give her press conference before the game kicked off. she did not come. maybe that is a sign that things are not really going her way. she planned to speak to the press about an hour ago, and we did not hear anything by the press conference was postponed. it is true she is getting increasingly isolated. when you talk to people on the ground, they say they can understand germany's position, but, of course, the situation is very urgent in italy and spain, so we need quick solutions. attila merkel keeps saying we need to focus on really getting sustainable solutions -- angela merkel keeps saying we need to focus on really getting

sustainable solutions, and we need joint responsibility before we can have job reliability. >> can we expect some kind of breakthrough tonight, or at least some type of compromise? >> the growth package that you have mentioned as well has been called something -- angela merkel tried to portray it as something of a breakthrough, which it is not. it is not a new idea. there will be 130 billion euros available to foster investment, but not all of it is fresh money. the question is where your voice to go, whether we want more fiscal integration or not. >> at the eurozone debt crisis summit, thank you so much. >> it has had an impact on the

markets feared investor hopes were dashed today by different viewpoints expressed before the summit began. for more, let's turn to our correspondent, was sent us this report from the frankfurt stock exchange. >> the people here on the floor were not getting their hopes up, and that was true for equity markets around the world. share prices dropped, as did the euro. also, for example, spanish sovereign debt. the yield on the approaching the dangerous level of 7%. people who did buyent t people h declarations of intent from such summits. what they want is a clear path to a better future for the euro and some show of harmony among the leaders. hopes were not especially high, seeing as how very different the leaders were expressing themselves before the summit, how open the conflict was displayed. >> let's have a closer look at

some of the latest market numbers. we begin in frankfurt with the blue-chip dax index closed over 1% down. euro stocks 50 ended the day about 1/3 of 8% down. across the atlantic, the dow jones currently going down over 1%. in the euro trading for $1.2428. to the u.s. now where sharply divided u.s. supreme court has upheld the centerpiece of president barack obama's signature health care law, that requires most americans to get insurance by 2014 or pay a financial penalty. >> but in another part of this decision and in a blow to the white house, a different majority on the court struck down the provision of the law that requires states to dramatically expand health care for the poor. >> the battle is far from over. republicans say they will overturn the law should they win the elections in november.

dam it shaping up to be one of the major issues of the 2012 campaign. now that the supreme court has let stand the health care reform legislation, president obama was visibly relieved. >> today's decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the supreme court's decision to uphold it. >> his republican challenger vowed to repeal and replace obamacare. >> with the court did not do on its last day in session, i will do on my first day if elected president of united states, and that is i will act to repeal obamacare. >> supporters and opponents have spent weeks demonstrators -- demonstrating outside the high court in washington. surveys consistently show a majority of americans against federally mandated health care, but for now, it will remain the law of the land. >> for more on this landmark decision, we are joined now in the studio by a representative of the john f. kennedy institute

at the free university of berlin here. first off, a landmark decision -- is this a major domestic victory for barack obama? >> absolutely, and it is a victory he needed going into the election. there has to be something that he can show. he does not just talk about hope and change. there is something he has changed, something worth defending. i think this will be something, election time you are going to see many people who earlier were denied insurance -- are going to be shown that now they have insurance thanks to the affordable care act. >> is this a setback for mitt romney? he has vowed to overturn this decision. the nation is very divided by now. >> that is the -- that is right. republicans have not given up. what they will continue trying to do is have this overturned by legislative means, and, of course, just as it is constitutional to have such a law, it is constitutional to overturn the law, which makes

the stakes so much higher. >> this is not the end it all. religious groups have promised to continue litigating, especially against the prenatal care provisions. why is this so problematic for millions of americans? >> religious freedom is understood to include many such items, and the idea that someone can be taxed for an act that they find morally objectionable is at the heart of the issue. >> talking about abortion and contraception. >> yes. compromise has to be searched for, but america has a long tradition now trying to find those kinds of compromises. it is workable. it is not something that is an absolute impossible situation. >> most importantly, will this decision improve health care delivery for americans? >> what you will see is that for six americans who have been denied insurance, now they have the possibility of having insurance -- for sick americans.

>> this will help barack obama going into an import election year? >> i think this is probably one of the most important things since finding of some of the lot and for his reelection. >> thank you so very much. in a major strike in the syrian capital, rebel forces had bombed the country's main courthouse in central damascus. state television described it as a terrorist act that left three people with it. >> this comes as turkey increases its military forces on the border to syria for the second time this week. that a turkish military convoy heading to the syrian border -- it is ankara's response to syria downing one of its warships. authorities said at his precautionary but warn any further provocation will prompt military action. two bombs that -- explode out said the house of justice in damascus. syrian state tv described the bombings as terrorist attacks. ford is posted by the board is

on the internet reportedly shows fighting in the country. escalation has prompted a new plan to end the conflict. it foresees a unity government, including supporters of the regime and the opposition. the plans will be discussed in geneva on saturday. russia supports a political transition but says it will not back demands for president assad's resignation. >> the meeting in geneva was intended to support kofi annan's plan, but it must set the conditions for the end of violence and the start of an all-syrian national dialogue. not predetermine the contents of this dialogue. >> he said syria's should be able to design their own future -- decide their own future. spokesman for the syrian opposition said it would reject any proposal for a unity government i -- unless it required the syrian president to

quit. >> in a moment, we will get to all of the euro 2012 action. >> first, a look at some of the other stories making news. >> the war crimes tribunal has dropped one of two genocide charges. judges say prosecutors did not have enough evidence. he still faces 10 more charges, including genocide for the alleged involvement in the 1995 massacre. then the candidates in mexico's presidential race have wrapped up their campaigns ahead of sunday's elections. polls give a commanding lead to the pri, departed of and for most of the century. the outgoing president is not eligible for reelection appear the campaign has been overshadowed by violence. more on that later in the show. >> officials in the u.s. state of colorado say hundreds of homes have been destroyed by

out-of-control wildfire. the inferno encroaching on colorado springs is one of several barreling across the front range of the rocky mountains. 36,000 people have been displaced with record high temperatures on-set to continue. >> it is a very big night for soccer fans in germany, which means for just about the whole world. >> it certainly is. germans are battling it out as we speak in the euro 2012 semifinal against italy. >> in germany, hundreds of thousands of fans had gathered in the middle of the city. it is perfect weather for a party. we will have to wait for the results to see if they are in the mood for a party later on. let's go live to the thick of things. thanks for joining us. italy is putting a lot of pressure on germany. what is happening in the game? >> it is game on.

germany came out of the blocks looking very calm, very in control, but perhaps complacent. a thumping header that really stunned the fans and perhaps the players as well thought of all the signs italy have knocked them out of tournaments before. i hope they bounce back because everyone is desperately hoping they make it to the final. >> tell us about the lineup. there have been some changes. >> yes, quite surprising ones as well. i think it was very much in line with what love was saying, that he wanted to take the game to the italians. tony is a player who can keep the ball well, and he has been combining nicely. let's see if he has got the discipline and influence to sort of take the game now by the scruff of its neck and impose germanys will hear. they will have to battle back. >> thanks for that update.

we will come back to you later on in the show. >> the score there, as we mentioned, 1-0, for italy. more soccer after the break. >> that is right. stick around. ♪

>> thanks for staying with us. >> good to have you with us. mexico is going to the polls this weekend, and a telegenic 45-year-old former governor is widely expected to win. that puts the once dominant institutional revolutionary party on track to regain power. the campaign has been overshadowed by spiraling violence that is affecting those who have nothing to do with drugs. >> the pri is vowing to make a comeback, and chances look good. the charismatic 45-year-old

lawyer is the new face of the party that governed the country for seven decades. he has attracted supporters to young to remember the pri's authoritarian rule as well as voters disenchanted with conservatives. the outgoing president declared war on the country's drug cartels six years ago. since then, more than 50,000 people have been killed in drug- related violence in the country. despite the crackdown, the cartels have grown more powerful, and fighting them is costing huge amounts of taxpayer money. with 45% of mexicans living in poverty, the cartels have no problems recruiting couriers. given the governing conservatives' poor record on fighting crime, their candidate barely has a chance. surveys give her just 25%. the leftist prd party candidate

is also lagging in the polls and is expected to take 31%, well behind the front runner. the campaign has focused on finding -- fighting poverty rather than drug-related crime, but for many mexicans, the pri stands for relative calm in an era before the country's violent drug was. >> many voters blame the national action party for being unable to control violence, especially since reporters who cover the crime often pay with their lives. more than 80 journalists have been murdered in mexico since 2000. >> the aim of their murderers is to intimidate society and crush freedom of expression. the country's massive crime wave is not abating, and even a new government might not be able to change that. >> a memorial service in early may to honor journalists murdered in mexico. five have died in the last two months, including a married couple that had reported on the drug mafia and investigated how

government officials were involved in organized crime. >> the violence against journalists in mexico is worse than almost any other country in the world. in the last decade alone, 84 journalists were murdered according to research by reporters without borders. many of the murders are especially brutal. in northern mexico, one reporter was beheaded and dispose of in the sort. it is a threat that some reporters live with every day. she says things have not improved since president calderon declared war on organized crime. then the government that has promised to end corruption has instead furthered it. they have not just made themselves richer, but their entire families. their children, their wives. they are all entangled in this web of corruption. >> all the candidates in sunday's presidential election have made security a big issue. violent crime affects all mexicans, not just journalists,

but they do not hold much hope for change. >> the biggest problem is that there is no awareness among the mexican population about what it means to murdered journalists and to silence them. >> perez plans to remain in exile in germany for a year. she also has received death threats at home and in mexico. >> in europe, britain has announced it will tighten laws aimed at the manipulation of interest rates. >> the move comes after barclays agreed to pay a record 345 million-euro fine for attempting to manipulate the london interbank offer rate between 2005 and to assassinate. >> it is the average rate at which a large number of banks lend to one another. >> barclays was found to have deliberately reported incorrect

rates to the libor-rate-setting body, which gave their traders an advantage over rivals. during the financial crisis, false reports were used to boost their credibility, by making it appear more liquid than it actually was. >> it is deeply depressing. this particular story is both large, appalling, and shocking. what we are talking about is what appears to have been manipulation of markets. reportedly, the other banks will come into per view after this. >> as a result, barclays chief executive says he and the board will forgo bonuses this year. barclays itself has to pay a 345 million euro fine for the offenses. and aggregating factors that commercial banks are oriented on the libor rate. >> that average is what drives interest rates paid by hundreds of millions of people on their

own mortgages, small businesses on their loans, student loans, insurance products. it affects a hugely diverse range of financial transactions globally, not just in the u.k. >> barclays is only the first bank to settle. authorities are investigating other large financial institutions, including j.p. morgan, credit suisse, and deutsche bank. >> let's get back to your 2012. spain were the first to reach the final. the defending champions beat portugal on wednesday night. >> that match went all the way to penalties. >> this penalty put spain in the final of euro 2012. the match was a tough battle from both sides. spain performed evenly in the first half. portugal put one just wide of

the net after 30 minutes. spain's coach had to change tactics. portugal were holding their own. it thunderous shot just after the break. renaldo had a chance to show his dead ball skills, but they came to nothing. portugal's best chance came in the 90th minute, but rinaldo could not take advantage of the past. in extra time, portugal lost steam and spain up the tempo. a big opportunity in the 104th minute, but after 120 minutes, it was still 0-0. first, spain could not get it passed the portuguese keeper. then, portugal lost his nerve to do lost its nerve. the rest of the shots when in here with a bit of luck, an end to portugal's championship dreams.

>> your 2012 was the biggest sporting event ever held in poland and ukraine. bamako's have spent billions of euros on new stadiums and infrastructure, massive investments, but will the tournament spark the economic boost both countries are hoping for? >> our next report focuses on the polish capital. >> the newly built national stadium in warsaw towers 70 meters high and houses almost 50,000 fans. it symbolizes the dynamism of the polish capital, a city in a state of flux and modernization. journalists -- one journalist has been observing the changes of the past few years. >> the european championship provided us with the impetus to mobilize and get everything ready on time. after the championship, the infrastructure remains -- the bridges, the roads. nobody can take that away. >> in the run-up to your 2012,

the country spend 16 billion euros upgrading roads and railway lines. the rundown train station built in the 1970's was given a complete facelift, and many places that used to be accessible only by car cannot easily be reached by train. that 20 years after the fall of communism, and in our country, we finally have a rail link from the main train station to the airport. then the airport also has a brand-new terminal. 9 million passengers are projected to pass through it this year, and that number is expected to grow. warsaw wants to present itself as a modern capital by in the center of europe. the upgraded transport facilities are not the only fresh attractions in the city. just meters from the national stadium, warsaw has a new beach. >> warsaw is not italy, but i think the beach is wonderful.

>> the football championship has changed the city's image of itself. rich in history, the once drab mitropoulos has blossomed into a lively, attractive capital. >> we will cease to only come together on some occasions, but when the pope visited, your 2012 has given us a reason to celebrate -- we poles used to only come together on sad occasions. >> warsaw is set to enjoy its new stadium beyond 2012. the stadium and city sands are here to stay. >> the german-italy match, it is getting close to half time. the score is 2-0 for italy. we have just enough time to turn back to our correspondent. how's it going? give us news. >> it is not going very well at

all. fans here are shellshocked. the germans are shellshocked theory the team -- they have really just conceded a very soft goal, exactly what italy would have wanted to do. germany pushed up high and hit the long ball, and he eats those of all day. he just set them up now for what looks like a comfortable victory. germany have got to pull themselves together. they have really got a struggle on their hands now if they want to make it to the final. >> thanks so much for that update. >> we will have more on that match at the top of the hour. >> that is right. see you again soon. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--