>> welcome to the "journal," coming to you live from dw here in berlin. >> here is what is coming up in the next half-hour. >> at the white house, leaders of the u.s. and britain back to nomadic efforts to end the civil war -- backed diplomatic efforts to end the civil war in syria. >> a bombing near the syrian border. >> in search of a coalition partner -- gary a's in a right party gains the most votes in elections, but -- bulgaria's

party gains the most votes in elections -- we begin in washington where the leaders of the u.s. and britain are pledging to push ahead with a major diplomatic effort to end the war in syria. it is prime minister david cameron says the west has found common ground with russia, the key ally of the syrian leader, bashar al-assad. >> this follows talks with u.s. president barack obama at the white house and came just days after hammering met with russian president vladimir putin to discuss solutions -- after cameron met with russian president vladimir putin to discuss solutions. >> 80,000 dead, 5 million people forced from their homes -- syria's history is being written in the blood of her people, and it is happening on our watch. the world urgently needs to come together to bring the killing to an end. none of us have any interest in

seeing more lives lost, in seeing chemical weapons used, or extremist violence spreading even further. so, we welcome president putin's efforts -- agreements to join in efforts to reach a political solution. we have an urgent window of opportunity before the worst fears are realized. there is no more urgent international task than this. >> that was david cameron speaking a short while ago. that go live to our washington correspondent for more. -- let's go live to our washington correspondent for more. president obama is under pressure to provide support for the rebels. does he think diplomacy alone will push the path forward for syria? >> it is the only path he is suggesting at the moment, but there does not seem to be any illusion here that anything will work diplomatically without the russians. obama made that pretty clear between the lines on monday. the russians are the only one who seem to have some kind of influence over the assad regime,

at least used to have some kind of influence over the assad regime. right now, it's not only about what he thinks will work, but also about what he is willing to do. let's not forget, a large majority of americans is against any form of military intervention in syria, especially boots on the ground. it was about 10 years ago, arch -- march, when a different prime minister from the uk and a different president here in the u.s. stood in front of the press in the white house, explaining why they were intervening in iraq, said it was going to be a rapid intervention. then there was afghanistan. americans are very wary. they have war fatigue. >> americans might be leery of a new military strategy against syria in some form, but politicians in washington are also very suspicious of vladimir

putin. is this initiative finding support in the capital? >> exactly. the consensus, nevertheless, here in washington is that the new initiative is better than nothing, but, like you said, there is suspicion. the russians have not done anything significant in the last two years and why would they change that now? even if there were some kind of decision, who would enforce it? you would need some kind of military on the ground. the most vocal politicians here are the republicans, at least some parts of the republicans. they are calling for military action, not just -- not boots on the ground. but no fly zones, arming the rebels, attacking air defense systems in syria. but it seems like obama is very much unwilling to do anything in that direction at the moment. >> thanks so very much. serial will also top the agenda when the turkish prime minister

-- syria will also top the agenda when the turkish prime minister meets with obama at the white house on thursday. >> thousands of turks have taken to the streets. they warn the decision has provoked reprisals against turkey, including the weekend's bombings that cared -- killed nearly 50 people. >> they are trying to get to the bottom of who was responsible. >> the explosive force of the bomb was devastating. investigators are combing the scene centimeter by centimeter for clues. she is convinced that turkish groups carried out the attack. police have arrested members of an extremist group. speaking ahead of a trip to the united states, prime minister recep --recep tayyip erdogan said the investigation was

ongoing, but there are clear indications the syrian regime was behind the attacks. the assad regime had collaborators inside turkey, he said. he made it clear that syrian opposition forces had no connection to the attack. the acting president of the opposition syrian national council directly accused the syrian government of involvement. everybody can see that fingers of the syrian regime in what happened two days ago. not only in turkey, but also in lebanon and some other places. >> he said the asad regime was trying to pull turkey into the conflict in the same way it had done with iran and hezbollah. on monday, rescue workers found three more bodies in the rubble of a destroyed post office building. many residents are angry that the conflict is spilling over into their region.

some are calling for the resignation of prime minister erdogan. >> we are on the line with our correspondent joining us from istanbul. what is known so far about this radical, leftist, splinter group? >> we know it is a left radical group that was created in turkey in the 1970's. a leadership of group fled from turkey into syria after than that -- that coup. the leader is supposed to be married to a relative of president assad. there is a clear connection between them according to the turkish government. the turkish opposition has started to raise other views. they say it is a big lie. they say the bombing was perpetuated by syrian groups fighting assad. they say the rebels want to drag

turkey into the war, fighting with the rebels. if you had to put this into context, how great is the danger that turkey could become directly involved in serious civil war -- syria possible war? >> i think or do want -- syria's civil war. >> we are talking about this no- fly zone. the turks are hoping that the western allies of turkey i -- turkey will get a little more active and they are hoping the russians will change their mind on syria and pile the pressure on assad, but i don't think the turks will do anything unilateral in syria at the moment. >> let's take a look at some business news. euro zone finance ministers have had their hands full today at a meeting in brussels. they came together to discuss developments in several euro zone countries struggling to cope with the debt crisis,

including slovenia. that country is trying to avert an international bailout through a new austerity plan. greece is also on the agenda. the finance ministers now approving the release of the next tranche of much-needed rescue cash. cyprus also receiving its first installment of an international bailout. >> time for a look at how the markets kicked off the week. our correspondent sent us this report from frankfurt. >> for three weeks now, shares only knew one direction. that's headed for an all-time high -- the dax headed for an all-time high, mainly driven by the very low interest rates in the euro area. after three weeks in gains around 10% for the dax, some profit taking started off this monday. investors said that it would be good to take a break after this rally. in the end, there has been new

economic data coming in from the u.s.. retail sales have been higher than expected. this led to the fact that the dax ended up in positive territory, which means another record. >> let's get a closer look at the market numbers for you. in europe, traders took a positive monday following what has been a stellar rally. the dax closed monday's session basically flat on the day, but it was still a record. the euro stoxx 50 lost a little bit of ground. the dow jones is settling slightly in negative territory. the euro dollar is trading lower. in the week -- wake of the bangladesh textile factory tragedy, some of the world's largest clothing retailers have agreed to a plan to improve conditions for workers there. the company say they have accepted a deal under which they will help pay for factory safety improvements. the death toll from the collapse of the building is now more than

1100 people. the bangladeshi army says it has stopped the search for further victims. hundreds of other factories remain closed after workers walked out in protest over their poor conditions. a german news magazine has revealed that western pharmaceutical companies tested experimental drugs on citizens in communist east germany on a much bigger scale and previously thought. >> -- scale than previously thought. >> perpetrators included well- known brands. some that were tested died. others are still suffering from the side effects. >> these pills were going to save his life, at least that's what doctors told him. it was 1989. he was being treated for a chronic heart problem. the doctors failed to tell him that the medication had not yet in officially approved.

>> we did not know that back in the days of communist east germany. there were no indications of that. no information. >> the pills were produced in a west german factory. many firms tested new drugs in the former east. some 50,000 people were involved in the tests. the east german government was paid hard currency for its participation, but western companies profited, too. >> i see the biggest failures in the formation of an unholy alliance between drug companies that, without public knowledge, conducted studies, some of which could not well have been done in west germany. today, big drug companies often prefer to conduct medical trials in developing countries and emerging economies. tricks of the pharmaceutical industry say the system is highly problematic. >> patient protection and

decorations of consent, which are required here and set the bar quite high are less established their, meaning -- there, meaning the testing can be conducted more easily. >> it seems the situation was similar in former east germany, though the drug industry says the trials were done by the book. some politicians are calling for compensation for patients. >> staying in germany, the closely followed trial of 38- year-old beate zschape is set to resume tomorrow in munich. she stands accused of being at the heart of a neo-nazi group alleged to be responsible for 10 racially motivated murders. >> zschape denies the charges. her lawyers have largely criticize the media covering of the proceedings, saying there defendant -- their client has artie been convicted by major news outlets. >> yet a zschape -- has already been convicted by major news outlets. >> beate zschape --

in berlin, members of the parliamentary committee investigating the neo-nazi gang called for patientce. they said the defendants are entitled to make full use of their rights, even if that is difficult for the victims' families to understand. >> convictions can be overturned because of procedural errors. i cannot be in the interest of -- that cannot be in the interest of the victims' families. >> some lawyers are holding back with demands, opposition lawmakers in berlin support. -- a position lawmakers in berlin support. >> it is proper that defendants make use of their rights, so would be good for people to hold back with criticism. >> public interest in the case remains huge, but insiders say

people should not expect too much. they are expecting a long and painstaking trial. >> we are going to a short break. when we come back, more on the annual german-brazilian meeting. >> there was an election in bulgaria over the weekend. now the country is struggling to form a government. we will have the latest.

>> thanks so much for staying with us. >> a brazilian boost is what many german companies are hoping for from brazil's thriving economy. >> rozelle's dilma rousseff -- brazil's dilma rousseff and germany's joachim gauck have opened the meeting. >> protectionism is one of the problems which can spoil the party for some. >> brazil is world-famous for its carnaval.

it is becoming even more well known for its economic might. the country's economy is now the sixth largest in the world, larger than britain's. german companies like volkswagen have profited from the growth. the car manufacturer, like many other german firms, runs its own operations here. >> for a long time, almost 100 years, brazil has been a place where german companies love to live and to produce. são paulo and its surroundings, for example, have a high concentration of german companies. 800 of them have operations there. >> economic ties between germany and brazil are good, but tensions have risen over the past few years as brazil's economic growth has slowed down. >> unfortunately, brazilian politicians responded with the

wrong kinds of measures. they have taken a more protectionist stance, raising terrorists that make brazil less -- raising tariffs that make brazil less attractive. >> luxury cars are more expensive and a tougher sale. at the technology fair, chancellor merkel and brazilian president dilma rousseff said barriers to trade would soon be a thing of the past. both support a brazil-eu trade pact, but that is a long way from approval. there are powerful interests at play, like the meat industry. brazil's low prices have made it the lowest -- largest meat exporter in the world. they are facing steep opposition from the european farm lobby. but the upcoming fee for world cup and summer olympics in brazil could push these -- fifa world cup and summer olympics in brazil could push these

disputes into the background -- at least for a while. >> businesses and the brazilian people have the big sporting events, the world cup and the 2016 olympics, insight. that creates a better environment. it gives a boost to the brazilian economy, which will return to growth. >> the country is planning to invest around 40 billion euros, above all in transportation infrastructure. a big opportunity for german companies. in just a moment, we're taking a look at a court case that is attracting a lot of attention in germany. >> first, some other headlines this hour. a car from -- bomb has exploded outside a libyan hospital in the city of benghazi. one official said at least 15 were killed. the government has struggled to control militias in the port city in eastern libya. >> carlos the jackal, once the

world's most wanted terrorist, is appealing his imprisonment. ilich ramirez sanchez was captured in 1994 and has been convicted of multiple murders, including those related to a series of bombings in the 1970's and 1980's in france. >> north korean leader kim jong has made a change in his government. state media says -- leader kim jong-un has made a change in his government. analysts see the move as -- see it as a move to consolidate his power. >> now to the court case involving a 20 road berliner who was trying to break up a fight when a band of youths -- 20-year-old berliner who was trying to break up a fight was killed. >> the case took on an international dimension when two of the accused fled to turkey. >> it is not an easy day for tina, the sister of the victim and a co-plaintiff in the trial.

for half a year, she has kept the memory of her dead brother alive and given a face to her family's suffering. >> i hope to get to the testimony quickly and that the boys really say what happened and stop blaming each other or denying it. that's the only thing i hope for. >> six young men are standing trial, accused of grievous bodily harm resulting in death. the case of johnny -- jonny k. has shocked many across germany. he was attacked on alexanderplatz in central berlin last october. he was reportedly helping an intoxicated friend at the time. his attackers were so violent that he died of his injuries a short while later. two of the suspects left for turkey to chancellor merkel got involved -- for turkey. chancellor merkel got involved, appealing to prime minister recep tayyip erdogan to search for them. they soon turned up again in berlin. today, there is a tent set up to remember jonny k.

school classes come here to remember the crime that still touches many in berlin. >> the brutality that they showed -- you can see i'm still upset. it still disturbs me. >> it makes you afraid to help someone when something happens on the street after seeing the consequences for this particular person. >> the exact circumstances of his death are still not clear. a local district court is set to shed light on the case in the coming months. >> for more on this, we talk to our political correspondent, peter craven, and asked him why this case has attracted so very much attention here in germany. >> aside from the awful brutality of this case, the focus has very much been on the young man who is the main suspect. he is 19-year-old onur u., a young man of german-turkish origin, who disappeared to turkey medially after the

incident itself. that -- to turkey immediately after the incident itself. that triggered this tug-of-war that chancellor merkel got involved in. the turkish authorities made it clear they were going to press charges against him on premeditated murder. he realized his better option would be to come back to germany and face lesser charges here am a charges of bodily harm with fatal consequences -- here, charges of bodily harm with fatal consequences. earlier today, he insisted he was not guilty. he said, "i did not hit the victim or kick him." this story is also about violent youth crime in germany. youth crime is falling, but it is becoming more violent at the same time. that is what unsettles people. >> missing ballots and charges of vote rigging in bulgaria are raising questions about that country's democratic credentials just months before it is set to join the elite group of the e.u.

>> the governoing, center-right third-party -- gerb party won the most votes. >> many people are wondering whether the election was honest. >> scandals and the recent discovery of additional ballot papers without rubber explanation undermine people's faith in the political system -- without proper explanation undermine people's faith in the political system. >> suspicion has fallen on the party of former prime minister boris point -- former prime minister boiko borisov. the fake ballots were found in the office of a political ally. borisov's center-right gerb finished first in sunday's election, but opposition parties have ruled out working with the winner. the second-place socialists hope to form a coalition.

>> they have to form a government quickly, no matter with what kind of coalition. it would be bad to have more and more elections that only cost more money. >> and money is in short supply in europe's poorest country. 25% of bulgarians live below the official poverty line, and experts fear political infighting could dash all hopes of an economic recovery. >> germany elections are just four months away. campaigning has moved up a gear. >> the main opposition social democrats have been lagging behind chancellor angela merkel's party in the polls. >> peer steinbrueck has brought in a new team to help things -- help turn things around. i'm a peer steinbruck -- >> peer steinbrueck, the man challenging -- preparing to challenge angela merkel in the general election, is surrounding himself with new faces.

he hopes his new team will help him reach out to new voters. >> they are organized labor. secondly, liberal, progressive, voters who believe in civil rights and participatory politics. they are innovative intellectuals. >> one such intellectual is design professor -- is a design professor, responsible for communication and internet policy. he is taking charge of justice and home affairs. up till now, he has been the social democrats' party manager. the big surprise is the union boss. in the past, he has been extremely critical of parties backed by spd reformers like peer steinbrueck. his job is to represent the views of the workers. >> what they say is not good enough -- what chancellor merkel or van der leyen says is

not good enough. they should be creating good work. >> peer steinbrueck france introduce further members of his campaign team over the next few weeks -- plans to introduce further members of his campaign team over the next few weeks. >> tens of thousands of manchester united fans celebrated their team's 20th english premier league title. there it is. the players proudly showed off the trophy to supporters. >> it was also an emotional ending to a spectacular career for alex ferguson, who is retiring after 26 years. a nice send off. >> thanks so much for joining us. stay with us. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--