>> this is the "journal" coming to you from dw in berlin. >> thanks for joining us. the u.n. chief demands access to syria for officials. >> where to put the waste -- german mp's the data refresh search for a nuclear dump site in germany. >> and let's dance -- the carnival of cultures right here in berlin. we begin with the crisis in syria. the united nations refugee agency says more than 1.5

million people have fled the country since the conflict began over two years ago. >> the international community is also concerned about the threat of chemical weapons being used in the conflict as well as the continued sale of arms to syria by russia. m at the united nations general secretary on a visit to russia is demanding that a conference backed by moscow and washington be held as soon as possible. >> ban ki-moon has been to russia three times, but this is probably his most difficult mission. he is looking to get moscow and russia on the same page on the issue of syria. >> we have to end the violence as soon as possible and transition to a new future with the syrian people have peace, freedom, dignity, and justice. a negotiated political solution is the only way to end the

crisis. >> so far, moscow has succeeded in blocking tougher international sanctions. moscow has rejected criticism surrounding its sale of weapons to the assad regime. >> we have not made a secret the fact that we supply syria with arms in accordance with contracts signed long ago. we have not violated any international treaties, and these are primarily defensive systems. >> for now, it appears to rush it is sticking by assad, an alliance that could further frustrate diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in syria. >> syria was also on the agenda in israel on thursday when the german foreign minister met with the israeli prime minister. >> one of the big concerns in israel is that the syrian conflict could spill over its borders.

>> he also mention support for reviving the middle east peace process. >> the german foreign minister started off his late visit -- his latest visit to israel with words of friendship. in a news conference with israel's prime minister, he urged israel and the palestinians to restart peace talks. >> germany fully supports the latest initiative by our u.s. partners for direct talks. we believe that the middle east peace process and the work on the two-state solutions should be revised now. >> the situation in neighboring syria was also on the agenda. israel has boosted its troop presence along the border. it also reportedly bombed syrian targets. netanyahu says the region is facing major of people. >> i will travel to wherever needed.

i will meet with whoever is needed. and i'm doing whatever is needed to protect the security of the citizens of israel. >> he is also meeting with the israeli president. his message -- germany will always stand on the side of israel. >> our dw correspondent joins us on the line from jerusalem. let's start with syria. what is israel's current attitude regarding its neighbor? >> it was a situation in serious certainly a very big concern for israel right now. very tense after the military strikes allegedly by israeli warplanes two weeks ago. for israel, the main concern is that advanced weapons systems could be falling into the hands of groups olike hezbollah, and t

has made clear it will act on the so-called red lines it has set itself. israel is concerned that the situation might further deteriorate. >> what role can germany play in reviving the middle east peace process? >> you can say that germany is seen as a reliable and trustworthy partner for both sides and could play a kind of supporting role in efforts to relaunch new peace talks, but at this stage, it is clearly the american administration, not the eu or other countries, who are leading the efforts to get both sides back to the negotiation table. the american foreign secretary is expected to be back in the region next week. it will be his fourth visit in two months, and there are expectations that his shattered diplomacy might result in some kind of announcement beginning in june. several rumors floating around

in the local media of possibility of restarting talks. having said that, the officials i've been talking to have been cautious in their statements. there's a lot of diplomacy behind closed doors, but it is unclear at this stage what progress has been made. >> thank you very much for that. the turkish prime minister says responsibility lies with the united nations security council when it comes to deciding weather to set a no-fly zone over syria. speaking in washington, he warned that the decision cannot be made by the united states and turkey alone and said the issue could be broached at the planned international conference on syria. he also said any transition in syria could not take place with the shock of -- bashar al assad and power. here's a story that might leave a bad taste in your mouth -- the european commission says eu consumers may have paid more than they had to for sugar for years. >> that's because some sugar producers could have bnfixi.

the commission has been trying to get to the bottom of all of this. they had just admitted that they raided a number of key you sugar producers about a month ago. >> a one-kilo package of sugar cost up to one europe. the european commission believes that without price-fixing, the sugar would be cheaper. large producers in europe are accused of artificially inflating prices. the difference could be just a few since, but it would add up to millions of extra revenue. european sugar producers already control most of the eu market. according to eu quotas, 85% must come from european production. that leaves only 15% to other regions where sugar cane is harvested like africa, latin america, and asia. the confectionery industry claims that it has to pay inflated prices for sugar, which is a key ingredient in its products. world market prices for sugar

are considerably lower than those in europe. >> car sales in europe have increased for the first time in 18 months, giving rise to hopes that the state of the battered auto industry may be improving. the european automate this association says new car registration rose by 1.7% in april despite a slumping economy and growing unemployment. sales are up in germany while the drop in france and in italy. moving on to equities, stocks in europe have surged by about 10% over the past month. >> that is due in part to the european central bank's recent rate cut, and investors are jumping on every debt trying to make up for the losses of the past. >> private investors are fighting for a piece of the action in frankfurt. for two weeks, the dax has sailed from one all-time high to the next, fuelled by private investors eager to get their share of returns. it has taken time for small

investors to find their pluck again. many lost savings in the financial crisis. in 2008, the dax followed the dow, plummeting after lehman brothers went bankrupt. then came europe's debt crisis, but since ecb chief mario drug he pledged last year to save the euro, there has been a rebound in institutional investment -- since ecb chief mario draghi pledged last year to save the year. a small investors were slow on the uptake missing out on those gains. one investment company has announced selling off some stock and taking the profits. >> now time for a closer look at this week's trading, and what a week it has been -- a string of record highs on the trading floor. we have more from frankfurt. >> the trading week at five days, and the dax marked 5 records this week, so the rally continues with new record highs, although investors fear that the stock market and the

economy could go different paces, so they are, of course, very grateful to hear that some of the businesses in the euro area seemed to bottom out, like the car business. numbers of car registrations went up in april, and they gained for the first time since september 2011. of course, car shares benefit most from that. >> let's get a closer look at those market numbers for you now. the dax closing at yet another fresh record high. the euro toxx -- stoxx 50 was also higher. trading is still under way across the atlantic and the positive momentum continues. euro-dollar, however, is trading lower. >> it is the time of year when europe is highlighted by a

musical extravaganza. >> denmark's entry is tipped as the clear favorite with germany making the top 10. sweden is this year's host, and in typical song contest fashion, it is giving its all for a great show. >> the swedish city is playing host to saturday's eurovision song contest, which pits acts from 26 countries against each other in the world's biggest music competition. the street performers are not the big show, but they are helping fans get in the spirit. excitement is in the air. everyone hopes their countries act will bring home the crown. fans are in the mood for some friendly competition. >> i'm very sure that denmark will win.

>> of course we want finland to win. we will not kill ourselves if it does not. we believe we will be in the top 10. >> we are the netherlands. we came to support our contestant. we are very happy she made it to the finals saturday. >> a dance pop group will be representing germany with their song "glorious." bookmakers say they are one of the top 10 favorite to win. everything is ready for saturday. more than 100 million viewers are expected to tune in to the finals at the song contest to see which group will sing their way into pop history. >> sports news now. bayern munich have already wrapped up the bundesliga title, but there will still be plenty to play for on the final day of the season.

one will go straight down. one will play off against kaiser and the second division, and one will escape by the skin of their teeth. >> the chances for survival are slim, but their coach is not going to let that affect their approach to the game. >> providing delegation is not private -- my top priority. we want to define ourselves by how we play. that is how we will move forward. >> they have been improving, but it might be too little too late. even if they beat portland, they need other results to go their way to avoid the drop. >> it is going to be really hard, but we do have a chance. >> things are looking a little better. they have performed much better in the second half of the season, and their final match is at home. >> everything is on the line on the final day. it is a big day for us and the

fans. we are fighting to stay in this league. >> duesseldorf are the best place of the teams fighting delegation, but their recent form has been poor. >> it is an appeal to the team. they should give it everything they've got. >> they've managed just three points in the last three months, and they are only about elsevier on gold difference. they will need to do something special to get a win away from hanover. >> to france now where the latest plot to make waves at the cannes film festival is not even a movie script. this time it is in real life at a nearby hotel. piece of jewelry and watches worth 750,000 euros. >> a to was meant to be worn by stars on the red carpet. luckily, the robbers did not get the festival's famed prize. do not go away. we will be back after the break. we will be back after the break. withs.

withs.

>> thanks for staying with us. here in germany, parliament has been debating the contentious issue of nuclear waste disposal. >> germany's environmental minister has put forward a proposal on waste storage, but there are still many questions that need to be answered. >> the country needs a new long- term facility after the site previously chosen to store radioactive waste was deemed unsuitable. >> it is been at the center of controversy for years. it is where germany planned to build a long-term nuclear waste storage facility deep in the earth. but there was strong opposition. recently, germany's environment minister gained agreement from all political parties to start a new search for a final repository for the waste. on friday, his plan was debated. not belong to my party spoke of

>> some of the delegates who do an historic breakthrough. i've got nothing to add to that. >> but the opposition says questions remain. up until now, germany has also stored nuclear west the two nuclear waste on an interim basis. where will the new deliveries go? some run by the christian democrats have refused. >> the environment minister also has to answer the question of where to put the next dry cask containers. to use a term quite common in the coalition, minister, you must deliver. >> he has until july to find a solution. that is when parliament is due to approve the law on nuclear waste storage. >> for more on germany's controversial search for a radioactive waste disposal site country, our political correspondent has more. >> the breakthrough today is

that the opposition and the government had agreed to look for an alternative site in lower saxony. it has been a site that has been very controversial. most experts think that it is not suited even as a temporary storage site, so this is an important development. it may not look very much, but even in international comparison, actually, it is quite a big step forward. there were some 31 countries in the world which produce nuclear waste, and none of them has a permanent waste storage site. the most advanced probably technologically of sweden and finland, and even they only have temporary storage sites. it is as if they are all putting their hopes finally in technologies being developed in future centuries that will then deal with this problem. >> gays and lesbians have steadily gained more and more rights in europe in recent years, but that is not the case

in the arab world where practicing homosexuality is usually illegal. >> some have started a social media campaign in morocco calling for the government to overturn its laws against homosexuality. we met three gay men who told us more about life in a socially conservative country. >> we are not calling these three men by their real names, and we have agreed not to show their faces. nevertheless, this is very courageous of them, to agree to be filmed here. all three men are gay, and homosexuality is against the law in morocco, punishable by jail or a fine. >> gay people are oppressed in morocco. in the name of the law and religion and because it is the tradition. that is why we have begun and into the campaign. -- and internet campaign. we want people to listen, to pay attention to us. we want the same rights as all

moroccans -- we want respect for who we are and not to be pariahs in this society. >> the men's facebook page is called love for everyone. it functions as a contact site for gay people. there are many anonymous messages. "i'm a lesbian. so what?" "i'm gay and feeling good." it is much easier to be open on the internet than in real life. moroccans and not the only ones who post here. messages come from across the arab world. the only ones who speak on camera back the status quo. >> we moroccans reject such initiatives because they go against our religion. homosexuality is abnormal.

moroccan society rejects it. we cannot accept it. >> we think homosexuals are psychologically ill. we have pity for them. >> back at the cafe, they are concerned they are being watched. we go to a park to continue talking. the men show us a newspaper report on france legalizing same-sex marriage. they can only dream of having the same rights as gays and lesbians in europe. >> we would be happy if moroccan society just stopped excluding us. if we were accepted and could live as gays without being suppressed. >> he says it is already progress that the papers are reporting on same-sex marriage, but as for the same rights to love for everyone, that is still a long way off in morocco.

>> iran's first-ever oscar winner premiered his latest family trauma on friday. critics say he is now in contention for the film festival's top price. >> after a four-year separation, and then returns from tehran to his wife in paris. she wants a divorce -- a man returns from tehran to his wife in paris. she wants a divorce. a mother's new partner and her son are further sources of conflict. once again, this director takes on the troubles of family life and uncovers a web of lies, fear, and guilt. today, the iranian director enjoys global recognition, and his films win international

acclaim. his latest work is the first filmed outside his home country in france. >> unfortunately, my country is a place where millions of people live in exile. many of them, and voluntarily. i was thinking of this when i wrote the script. >> at the 2011 berlin film festival, he won the golden bear for "a separation," the first in a series of top awards that culminated in the oscar for best foreign-language film. the film tells a story of a couple in iran that once divorce, an impressive domestic an entire country are reflected. his latest film is another story of a divorce. but he also tells the story of relationships and being uprooted without a home. the past is a film that stairs

straight into the souls of its protagonists. -- stares straight into the souls of its protagonists. >> let's have a look at some of the other stories making news around the world. in iraq, at least 41 people have been killed by twin explosions outside a sunni mosque north of baghdad. in the capital, a roadside bomb killed at least eight people in a city funeral procession. sectarian violence in iraq has been on the rise since the beginning of this year. >> u.s. president barack obama has called for action over sexual abuse in the military. obama met with military leaders at the white house to discuss the problem. figures show that sexual assaults within the defense forces are on the rise. last year, 3300 incidents were reported. planning to lower the hurdle for german parties to enter the

european parliament according to media reports. previously, parties needed at least 5% of the vote, but the constitutional court has ruled against that, now 83% threshold is at the polls. >> a former argentine dictator has died in prison at the age of 87. he was serving a life sentence for murder, torture, and kidnapping. he was the first president to leave the country's military dictatorship that killed thousands of dissidents from 1976 to 1983. in what became known as the country's 30 war. >> berliners are gearing up for a nice, long holiday weekend. one of the events to look forward to is the annual carnival of cultures. >> it is a huge multicultural festival with lots of music and dancing, and this year, a special guest. >> these performers are chomping themselves there

dancing devils of venezuela even though most of them have lived in berlin for years. >> we are really proud of this tradition, which has been around for a long time in our country. and we are extremely proud that our embassy has asked us to perform this traditional venezuelan dance. the countdown is under way for the big parade on sunday, but not everything is ready yet. parts of the venezuelan embassy still resembles a gigantic workshop, if it is customs or masks, participants are aiming for perfection. time to dance on this magical and spiritual occasion. in venezuela, the celebration is an annual ritual for the catholic corpus christi holiday. people take to the streets in a battle between good and evil. the celebration blintz catholic beliefs with indian traditions and african rhythms. >> and charlie decided to have

the chance to present our culture to you. last year, ionesco granted special ritual heritage status -- unesco granted them special ritual heritage status. at the end, good comes out ahead. >> there will be celebrations all this weekend in berlin, so if you are here, you have to check it out. >> you can check out more of our information on our website, dw.de. thanks for watching. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. a japanese envoy visiting north korea has received some praise. the north's second highest ranking official said they he appreciates the efforts by an officer to the prime minister shinzo abe. this is being seen that the mission is held in high regard. ijima held talks with the president of the supreme people's assembly leader. the state-run korean central news agency released a short video clip of the meeting on its website. >> translator: we know that