all broadcast times online. dw-tv at the heart of europe. >> welcome to the journal. i am brian thomas. the results of the latest stress tests on european banks. the rebels in libya are recognized as the country's legitimate government. rupert murdoch's top executive resigned after resigned -- after hacking allegations and the investigation deepens.

the european union and the european central bank officials have welcomed the release of a new round of stressed chess as a step to repair the crisis- -- tests as a step to repair the crisis-battled banks. those banks failed to meet the european banking authority's new capital requirements. >> in the end, the number of failures was smaller than expected. the european banking authority gave most of the bank good marks. the tests tested where banks had enough capital to deal with all kinds of economic developments. eight banks failed the test. one german bank would have been on the list, but the bank pulled out in a dispute over the

methodology. the test stimulates a deep economic recession in the european union. the banks had to have enough capital reserves to cover bad loans. share prices tumbled and unemployment tumbles. the institutions need to tap into their reserves. banks have to have a reserve cushion of at least 5% of their capital. below 5% means they fail. the banks that did not pass now have until the end of the year to increase their capitalization. they include institutions in spain, greece, and austria. how significant are the results of the stress tests. we spoke to our correspondent. >> the european commission will be relieved that so many so-- so -- so few banks failed the

capital requirements. the message from the european commission is that this is an early warning system, no need to panic. this is a warning to banks to get more capital injected so they can survive the long term. it is all about transparency. it is not about the imminent collapse of any bank. it is one part of the jigsaw in getting the year rose on and the european economy back on a good footing. the judgement is not bad. >> what does this mean to the bank? we put this to a financial expert in munich. >> for the banks, it means that the banks now passing the test are in danger if there were to be a financial crisis. they have to get more equity by

shareholders or by the taxpayers. that would be a good result. or they have to be less risky. they can sell assets. there are some ways to get a better future. it has to be taken seriously. for me, the test is not ambitious enough. we need a strong protest. perhaps without publicity. it can be accepted that once again the taxpayer is asked to take the risks of a bank. >> the european union president says eu nations will hold a summit next thursday to discuss eighaid for greece.

italy is facing a $28 billion austerity program. the program includes a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. the government needed to avoid a full-scale financial crisis. >> prime minister silvio british colony says he slept at his head over night. -- the italian prime minister says he slipped on his head over night. there is a package that includes tax hikes. some wages will be frozen and health care costs are set to decline. italians have mixed views about the measure. >> there are so many big problems, especially in my age group. we have to rethink the entire system. >> with this austerity program, when is our economy going to grow again? this economy will never grow again.

>> some economists say the measures will dampen growth. something had to be done. it today's overall debt is among the highest in europe. markets will keep a close eye on the country until the austerity measures start showing results. >> european stocks slid on a friday and posted their biggest weekly loss in four months. the german benchmark index closed in positive territory. across the atlantic, the dow jones industrial managed to close the day in positive territory. the euro is trading with $1 at $1.46. barack obama has warned that time is running out on raising the a limit the -- raising the

limit on the amount of debt the u.s. can have. a decision is needed to avoid a possible default in early august. billy could mean a rise in interest rates in- -- failure could mean a rise in interest rates. more news with brian thomas. >> western and regional powers have given a boost to the rebels in libya. 30 countries and killing -- 30 countries including the u.s., france, and britain has recognized -- have recognized the rebels. with gaddafi still firmly entrenched despite months of bombing, the anti-government forces have stepped up their offenses in western libya. >> heavy fighting continues in

western libya. the rebels have waged a five- month campaign aimed at capturing tripoli. gaddafi forces have proved a formidable opponent. the government has received support from the global community. the international contact group has given its full support to libya's transitional council, recommended the formation of an interim government. they have also asked that gaddafi relinquished power. -- gaddafi relinquish power. >> there are no other options. >> it is an important diplomatic milestone for the libyan opposition, especially now that the u.s. has officially recognized the rebel movement. >> we still have to work through various legal issues. we expect this recognition will enable the tnc to access

additional sources of funding. >> there has been much to service demands for political and financial support. even with those added resources, the quest to remove gaddafi remains a daunting task. >> at least 19 people have been killed in protests after friday prayers. security forces opened fire on demonstrators in a number of cities. this which shows a mass rally in opposition territory. the president of the country -- seven people were reportedly killed as armed protesters slashed with yemeni protesters in a southern city. top security officials were among the casualties. in the capital of sanaa, many

demanded the resignation of the president. thousands of his supporters held counter demonstrations. the president is recovering from an assassination attempt. officials have denied rumors that the president would return to him and this weekend. to britain where the head of news international has resigned over the surveillance scandal that has engulfed the company's newspapers. rebekah brooks said she felt a deep sense of responsibility for the people who have been hurt. she was the editor of "the news of the world's," where some of the most egregious allegations were made. rupert murdoch has apologized to the thousands of victims of the hacking scandals.

the apology will be carried in all of the rupert murdoch newspapers. the company has already lost millions in advertising revenues. more losses are expected. >> rupert murdoch came to london last weekend to take charge of the scandal. he has been since to -- he has been forced to abandon a bid for bskyb. he has been summoned to testify before a parliamentary inquiry. his empire has been shaken by more revelations. the markets have reacted nervously. news corp.'s share prices have plummeted as the loan scandal widened. the scandal is moving closer to report murdoch's base in the

u.s. the fbi is investigating reports that a news corp. journalist tried to obtain full information on 9/11 victims. rupert murdoch owns the fox news channel. any damaging revelations here could hit them hard. the investigation into the death of a russian contradicts the government's investigation. she was a well-known human rights activist. she was kidnapped two years ago and later found dead. >> she was barely 51 years old when she died. she knew she was in danger. her relentless reporting revealed chairman rights violations in chechnya stage by

the security forces. she was a folk hero. her body was dumped on a road. >> we have evidence to support the suspicion that militants kidnapped her and killed her. we have opened up a criminal probe. >> officials refused to reveal any official evidence to back up their suspicions. they say it would endanger the ongoing investigation. of the investigation is false. they point the finger at security forces in chechnya. >> the security forces person of the bands have been fabricated. we believe somebody planted evidence. >> they believe her research was to plant incriminating and that forces loyal to the chechnya leader carried out the murder.

they also admit the truth may never come to light. >> germany and thailand could become embroiled in a dispute by the airplane used by the thailand plant. there were debts are paid by the thailand government. >> this 737 airplane will not be going anywhere anytime soon. german authorities seized the plane on tuesday. administrators say the thailand government has refused to pay its debt to a german construction company. a firm declared bankruptcy in 2005 and sued the thailand government. bangkok was ordered to pay 40 million euros in damages and legal costs. the foreign minister has traveled to berlin for emergency talks. he maintains that the airplane is private property and the seizure is a mistake.

german officials say the incident is out of their jurisdiction. >> we must respect the independence of the german legal authorities. as a spokesman for the foreign office and the german government, i cannot comment on the decision to in ponte the plane. >> the row over outstanding debts and a confiscated airplane could escalate into a diplomatic crisis between berlin and bangkok. >> to the tour de france. two frenchmen were defeated in a finale today. there are too would have killed meters left. -- 2.5 kilometers left. >> a norwegian claim to dethe n

inth tour de france stage. he risked it all on the dissent, breaking away on a solo run. less than three kilometers before the finish line, the norwegian caught the frenchman and left them behind. >> this is the best moment of my career. when alone in a hard day. the rainbow jersey. i think it is incredible. he is the first world champion since 2002 to win a stake in the -- a stage in the tour day frantz -- tour de france.

the showdown will be one of the highlights of the tour 2011. >> more sports. stay with us for that. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

>> the vandenberg file. in august on dw-tv. >> welcome back. this sunday is the final of the 2011 wittman's soccer world cup. -- women's world cup. japan has been ranked number 4. training and preparation were disrupted by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in japan earlier this year. in the quarter finals, they knocked out germany. in the semifinals, they put on a stunning performance to defeat sweden. now they have their eyes set on the title. they are up against a fierce

competitor. the u.s. is equally keen to lift the trophy. >> the u.s. women have proven their talent again and again in the world cup. they have a striker who comes up big when needed, and an excellent goalkeeper. they have earned the right to challenge for a third world cup title. >> it is always an honor and a privilege. you never get there with one player. you never get there with one save. it has been a collective effort by everybody involved. >> the americans proved their fighting spirit in their semifinal against france. then their fearless goalkeeper made a crucial save that allowed them to advance.

the outspoken 29-year-old almost saw her career ended due to a serious shoulder injury. after months of rehab, she managed to fulfil her dream of playing in the world cup in germany. japan has also made a dream come true. after defeating germany in the quarter finals, they outclassed germany in the semifinals. the japanese are thrilled with their performance. >> they passed really well and had many chances to score. they use the opportunities well. >> the japanese played well. i was not expecting it because

we did was the favorite. >> japanese soccer stars are playing for their disaster stricken country. that is the motivation to claim the title. >> germany's defeat by japan was a huge disappointment for the team. they wanted to make it a third time on home ground. organizers believe this trend -- this tournament has been a great success. millions have watched on television around the world. we caught up with some american fans who will be rooting for their team's success on sunday. >> usa, usa. >> usa fans have made this berlin bar their headquarters. for a few weeks now, this woman and her american compatriots

have been partying. >> we love soccer. it is an exciting game. >> world cup fever, american- style. this woman is another devoted that and of the-- this man is another devoted fan of the team. for expatriate watching their home team play on their adopted turf is proving an unforgettable experience. >> it is world cup. i am in berlin. it is a great opportunity to come here and experience the spirit. i like to come here and hang out with my friends. it is really fun. >> many of the patrons are u.s. a chance to the court. but they also share in the ups and downs of the german team. the early german exit from the tournament came as a shock. >> it was a shame that germany

did not make it further. when of germany. now we can fully support the u.s. without feeling guilty. >> and that makes the world cup even more enjoyable. the americans have played some of the most exciting soccer of the tournament. after heart-fought wins against brazil and france, the fans believe the u.s. they can go all the way against japan. >> we definitely have a good chance in the finals. i cannot say anything about the finals. >> it is going to be great. we are expecting a fantastic experience and we hope the u.s. wins its next match. >> if they do, the celebrations for the usa will be a little louder. >> the 2006 men's world cup

finals in germany were seen as a milestone in the history of the tournament. it also boosted the way germany was perceived by the rest of the planet. what are people saying about the 2011 women's world cup? we ask this question in our checkpoint world cup. ♪ >> the world cup as any event has been a total success. the stadiums are 80% fall. >> seeing women playing on television was progress. >> i took a look now and then. but i did not watch every game. >> women are getting attention all of the sudden. that is nice, especially for the players. >> they are athletic.

as far as their buildup here is concerned, they can definitely compete with the men. >> it is really exciting, all of the cackling and the end to end the stuff. -- t and getack -- tacking end to end. you do not get that in the men's game. it is like the men's game, only in slow motion. >> and what about the german coach? >> they should not knock her like that. she did a great job for years. >> wrong profession. >> she should keep on. i think she is great. >> there is a great atmosphere.

it is the world cup. we are showing the whole world with great hosts we are. >> it is great that germany is offering this event. thank you. i love japan and i love germany. >> it does not compare to the men's world cup. it is disappointing. >> it is incredible that it is always so full. the mood was great. i did not expect it. >> this event has made the most of what is possible in the area of women's soccer. ♪ >> in two days, the world will know the answer to the question period is the u.s. or japan the world's best soccer team? nellie the elephant thinks she knows already. her instincts have been right 100%. if this baby is to be believed,

put your money on japan this sunday. there you have it. thank you for joining us. stay with us if you can.