>> hello and welcome to the "journal" here on two on -- on dw. the former german president faces corruption charges. >> the u.s. secretary of state visits seoul to ease tensions on the korean peninsula. >> and the draw for the champions league semifinals. we have the parings. >> germany's constitutional

court has ruled that the international press must be given reserve seats at the trial of a woman charged over a series of racially motivated murders. >> the decision came in response to a complaint filed by a turkish newspaper. the trial of alleged neo-nazis is set to begin next week in unit. >> the journalists from the turkish newspaper now have a second chance to get seats at the upcoming trial. >> we are very pleased with the decision. the last few days have been very intense and difficult. >> germany's constitutional court has ordered the regional court in munich to ensure that foreign media with a special connection to the victims have seats. the court did not exclude the possibility that rules of fairness had not been observed. >> there would be severe consequences if foreign media with a connection to the victims were excluded to the proceedings. >> the previous rules for seats in the court -- 54 the media, 54

others. now 3 could be reserved for foreign media in the court room, and they might be seats for the others. additional seats can either be lottery off or given out on a first-come first-served basis. the journalists still do not have a guarantee they will get a seat. the justices could also completely redo the accreditation process for the trial. >> our correspondent has more on the background to the story. >> this ruling from germany's supreme court certainly is not entirely unexpected. there has, after all, been so much criticism with the way the trial has been organized so far, criticism from government and opposition, from the media, from within germany and outside germany, and of course, it is focused on the fact that where the trial is due to be staged really does not have enough space for their requirements. there are only 250 or so seats.

remember that this is a trial that addresses the terrible story. there are supposed to be many in the chamber with also the parents of the victims and the lawyers as well. the result is there are only 50 seats for the press. they were allocated on a first- come, first-served basis on the internet. the turkish media missed out, which led to headlines like this one. it really captured the mood. now that we have had this call for change from the german supreme court, i'm not sure that over the weekend and into the beginning of the week, there will not be a call for further changes before the trial gets under way in the middle of next week. >> for the very first time, a former german president is facing corruption charges. christian wulff stands accused

of accepting favors during his time in office. he denies the allegations and says he will fight to clear his name. >> christian wulff now looks certain to face charges over accepting a bribe in exchange for a political favor. wulff stepped down from the largely ceremonial post last year amid a wave of allegations, including that he received a cheap home loan from its businessmen friend. the charges are focusing on a trip he took to the munich oktoberfest while he was the state premier of lower saxony and the film he helped to market. the film's producer paid over 700 euros in hotel bills for wulff. prosecutors argue he returned the favor by asking the company siemens for money to promote the film. >> we believe mr. wulff was

aware he was writing to siemens as payment for the trip he was taking to munich and that he was ok with that. >> for state prosecutors, the action was tantamount to bribery. they reject allegations that they are acting over zealously by charging wulff over a relatively small sum of money. >> we can only say the law obligates us to be as methodical as possible in our obligations. the public expects that from us. >> hannover's regional court will now have to decide if it will hear the case. >> with support for the european union at all-time lows in britain, prime minister david cameron is in germany for talks expected to focus on what he called a new relationship with europe. >> chancellor angela merkel invited the prime minister and his family to a rare get together at a palace outside the

capital. the leaders are set to discuss iran's nuclear program and the civil war in syria. the u.s. secretary of state has made washington's position on north korea crystal clear, telling p'yongyang that test firing missiles would be a huge mistake. >> in south korea for talks, john kerry also said it was up to china, north korea's major ally, to press pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons. >> the talks in seoul are a kind of tight rope walk for u.s. secretary of state john kerry. he wants to show washington's firm support for south korea without further enraging an already belligerent north. the meetings come after a u.s. intelligence agency reported that north korea could have the capability to attach a nuclear warhead to a missile, although washington has downplayed the report. the u.s. does not see war as a minute, despite threats from p'yongyang. preparations in north korea are

currently under way for celebrations on monday, marking the birth of the country's founder. international observers fear north korea could use the occasion to test a mid-range missiles. in a joint press conference with a south korean counterpart, john carey warned that a missile tests by p'yongyang could increase the tensions. >> it would really be one more unnecessary, unfortunate, and wanted -- unwanted contribution to an already volatile, potentially dangerous situation. >> kerry said that the u.s. was prepared to defend itself and its allies against attack, but he said the ultimate goal was a peaceful solution beginning with fresh talks. conditions would be north korea 's commitment to denuclearization. in the next few days, kerry is scheduled to meet leaders in china and japan to discuss new ways to get china back to the

table. >> the european commission says new amendments to hundred's constitution are in violation of european law and that actions will be taken to overturn them. the commission president informed the hungarian prime minister of that decision in a letter. >> in march, the party press constitutional amendments through parliament that reduced the influence of brussels and affect hungary's post-communist institutions. the amendments affect the press and curb the independence of the central bank and justice system. eurozone finance ministers have approved a bailout for cyprus. ministers meeting in dublin signed off on a 10 billion euro package for the island country. >> 9 billion euros will be coming from the european union. 1 billion from the international monetary fund. at the same time, the ministers rejected reports that cyprus would be granted additional aid. the bailout still needs approval of eurozone member states.

our brussels reporter sent us this wrap up of the finance ministers' meeting in dublin. >> i think the biggest news is that cyprus is ready. there were rumors that they might need more money and that there might be new negotiations, which would have caused a lot of chaos for the eurozone again, but this is obviously not the case, and they managed to calm down the situation, but the finance ministers also made clear that the share which the eurozone and imf is playing is like the red line, and for the rest, the cypriots are responsible to come up with the money. that might be bailing out banks. that might be privatization for also hire taxis, but there was also other good news for ireland -- privatization or higher

taxes. it is a reward for ireland and portugal, a reward for their hard austerity measures. >> some worries about cyprus' bailout weighed on the markets on friday. we have this report from frankfurt. >> the rescue package for cyprus led to irritations, also here on the frankfurt floor, especially the discussions about the fact that maybe the money will not be enough to avoid bankruptcy of cyprus. it dragged down the mood on the frankfurt floor. the dax started nosediving, but the negative trend has been backed by new economic data from the u.s. consumer confidence and retail sales went down significantly, and this has been a bad surprise.

maybe it is because of the fact that unemployment data in march has been weak. >> now for a closer look at those market numbers, we say in frankfurt where the dax closed the day sharply in the red, more than 1.5% lower. so much for the rally we have seen in the past few days. the downward trend continues in new york where trading is still under way, and some weak retail sales and consumer debt -- consumer sentiment data weighed on investors' minds. the euro-dollar is currently lower. >> the hanover trade fair has again lived up to its reputation as a place where deals are done on a global scale. >> of 4 to 6500 exhibitors from dozens of nations have been forging contacts and contracts for a week now. among them, visitors from the arab world. >> arab hospitality in the middle of the hanover trade fair. it is the perfect spot for

germany's economics minister and his counterparts from saudi arabia to hold high-level business talks. >> saudi arabia wants to invest in renewable energies. we have a lot to offer. it is the same case in the mechanical engineering sector. saudi arabia wants to modernize its industrial core. that would provide german firms with a lot of work. we are also open to saudi investments in germany. >> the saudi industry minister seemed to like what he saw. he says he will be back for more next year. >> we would like to have another meeting next year. not only that, but we will also explore other options. >> germany and saudi arabia want to intensify their cooperation. one clear winner is the hanover trade fair itself. >> sudan's president says he wants peace and normalize relations with south sudan. he made the comments during a trip to south sudan where he was welcomed by the president.

this is bashir's first visit since the south gained independence after decades of civil war that cost some 2 million lives. last month, the nations agreed to resume pumping oil from pipelines from the south to the north. >> the masters tournament has just begun in augusta, georgia. all eyes are on the world number one, tiger woods. he came out at two strokes under par and is now in 13th place. he is still the clear favorite, even though garcia shares the lead with liegeman from austria after an opening round of six under par, and 14-year-old chinese sensation, who is the youngest player ever to appear at a master's, approved that he is well up for the challenge, finishing with a one over par 73. all right, soccer now, and it

could be an all-german or all spanish final in the champions league. the drop for the semifinals was announced. >> and it pits bayern munich against barcelona, and real madrid will take on dortmund. >> it was the moment football fans had been waiting for. bayern will play the first leg at home in munich against -- >> barcelona. >> against barcelona. >> i am very happy with the drop. very happy. barcelona sets the standard in europe. they have won the champions league three times in recent years. >> if there is any such thing as an outsider at this stage, the distinction would go to dortmund. they will play real madrid at

home on april 24. no all-german or all-spanish semis, but that might happen in the final. >> we are going to a short break. stay with us.

>> thanks for staying with us. >> welcome back. former egyptian president hosni mubarak is is to be back in court on saturday for a retrial in connection with the deaths of more than 800 people in the protest to oust him in 2011. >> last year, the 84 year-old was sentenced to life but only on charges that he had failed in his duty to prevent the deaths. the prosecution wanted to be convicted of murder and one the right to retrial. >> families of victims also felt that mubarak had gotten off too lightly and some of them want the death penalty. >> for many, tahrir square in central cairo is the symbol for a new egypt, but some will never

be at ease here. this is the place they lost their son. he was shot dead on the third day of the revolution by mubarak regime snipers. >> he died in his own land, killed by egyptians. it has been terrible. i miss him so much it tears me apart. it hurts. it hurts so much. >> they can vividly recall the fateful day two years ago. there were rumors that the egyptian museum was coming under attack. their son, a 37-year-old artist wanted to protect it with a group of friends. shots were fired. he never returned home. >> it was terrific. we looked everywhere, everywhere

every day. no one helped us. it took us 43 days to find him. his body was completely disfigured. we had to do a dna test to verify it was our son. >> his parents are determined to see their son's killers brought to justice. that is why they have joined other victims' families to participate in the mubarak trial. their attorney is briefing them on the retrial. >> he represents more than 300 families, but he does not have high hopes for the outcome. he says it is not just possible but also probable that mubarak will get off scot-free. >> a lot of the evidence has been destroyed. police and security force reports are gone. there was an important cd that disappeared. it would have proven if there was an order to allow the use of live ammunition and who gave

that order. it has been destroyed. >> it is a huge setback for the parents. on the journey home, they try to understand what that could mean for the trial. his mother shows us his room. she keeps all her son's artwork and the posters he designed. she says being among his belongings helps her to keep the faith that mubarak might be brought to account. >> and not guilty verdict would be a huge shock to me. why should mubarak get away with it? he ran down our country for 30 years. in the end, he resorted to killing. i will never accept a not guilty verdict. never.

>> street clashes and the rest of opposition activists still dominate the news. they're hugely disappointed with egypt post-revolution. >> sometimes i really despair, but i have to force myself to think positively and to believe that god will help us to make egypt better, and that would mean his death was not in vain. >> they last saw their son alive from their balconies. he was heading to tahrir square to fight for democracy. his parents say the fact that his killers might not be brought to justice shows how far egypt is from that goal. >> to italy now, and coast guards say they have rescued hundreds of migrants found heading for european shores. more than 200 people were aboard two large denise -- dinghies

more and more refugees are headed for europe. more than 600 people have landed on the island in the past three days. >> a study by one of germany's leading pro-immigration think tanks has come out with the report underscoring the benefits of opening of the country to more migrants. >> at the same time, it is saying that work needs to be done to help those who want to integrate into german society learn how to do more, especially when it comes to language skills. >> here is more on this report. >> these immigrants are taking part in a course to help them integrate into german society. the majority of migrants coming into the country are from other eu states. many are younger and better educated than the average german. according to the report, the fear that busloads of unemployed migrants are putting pressure on germany's social services is

false. >> people think that all immigrants from bulgaria or romania are going to be a burden on the system, that is not the case. 1/5 of immigrants from bulgaria and romania have a university degree. for the most part, they are working people, so you really cannot say they are coming just to get benefits. >> the council of experts presented their report to the president with the message that immigration is key to easing germany's shortage of skilled labor. he warned against hysteria over immigration. >> when one considers that for a long time, this country refused to see itself as a destination for immigrants, there are various groups who have actually quite successfully become integrated. that is a point that deserves to be made in this hysterical debate.

>> but the council of experts has also warned that the country's integration policy is far from perfect. it is calling for a specialized ministry of integration. >> all right, if you think your neighborhood has a litter problem, wait until you see the great pacific garbage patch. it is a huge swirl of trash circling around the pacific ocean. most of it is plastic, and it is so big you could never clear it all up. >> because it is out at sea, most countries say, "well, it is not our problem tech conference is under way in berlin to change that. it wants to alert the world and to the problems affecting all of the planets oceans. anaplastic where it does not belong -- in the sea. there's increasingly more of it. nearly 150 million tons of plastic a floating in the oceans. some of it has washed up on the beaches. a small percentage is from cargo

vessels or fishermen's plastic nets. 80% of it is from landfills and fed into the ocean by rivers. politicians want to curb the pollution. >> we need a worldwide surveillance system that can tell us where the rubbish is coming from and makes clear what options there are to avoid it and what the chain of events is that leads up to it. that is what we will push for, and i am sure that we will make progress. >> conservationists say that water pulverizes the plastic until the pieces that remain are small enough to be swallowed by animals, and that has deadly consequences for sea life. fish. bits of plastic clawed their intestinal tracts. environmentalists in germany want a general levy on plastic bags. >> that led to a 90% reduction in the use of plastic bags, and that made a difference in the environment that was immediately noticeable. >> around the world and here in

papua new guinea, environmentalists gathered trash that washes up on the beaches, but it is like fighting a losing battle as long as the ocean is still being used as a dumpster. >> in our next report, which all the english channel and find something even more disturbing than all that plastic and a lack of fish. >> for years, the channel was used as a dump for low-level radioactive waste. greenpeace says barrels lying in an underwater ballet are linking -- leaking contaminated foods and destroying the area. our reporters went to investigate. >> we are in the english channel. on the hunt for nuclear waste. up until 1963, belgium regularly sang steel drums full of radioactive waste. the international atomic energy agency says 28,500 barrels were simply dropped overboard. it was common practice at the

time and considered a safe method of waste disposal. we wanted to know what became of those barrels, so we headed straight to the experts of the ocean laboratories of the iaea. scientists are exploring how radioactivity accumulates in fish. they told us the english channel barrels would have resolved a long time ago. >> we are constantly examining the sea floor. we would have found some of the drums if there were any there. >> but then, we find this. a rusty drum. its radioactive contents have been dispersed into the sea amid this untouched barrel of nuclear waste. proof that there are still in tact containers of nuclear waste at the bottom of the english channel. we pay a visit to the channel island with a british scientist. his gamma ray spectrometer reveals increased levels of

radiation. >> 198. 184. >> there was a lot of uranium. they dumped enormous amounts of enriched uranium. >> our geiger counter confirms the radiation is twice as high as normal. this nuclear waste is in a fishing zone, and the barrels continue to rust in silence. >> remember, you can find out more about these and many more stories at our website, dw.de. >> thanks very much for joining us. we will see you next time. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

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