>> hello and a very warm welcome to the "journal" here on dw. >> thanks for joining us. coming up -- >> clashes escalate between police and protesters in istanbul. our correspondent says he's never seen anything like it before. >> levels are stabilizing in germany, but the battle to protect people's votes continues. >> has the european central bank overstepped its mandate? germany's highest court takes up the matter. well, we begin in turkey, and

there have in the last hour also been scenes of troubling and intends violence between protesters and demonstrations of security forces at istanbul's square, which has for two weeks been the epicenter of a nationwide protest movement. >> earlier today, hundreds of police stormed in and largely cleared the square. we will get a report from our correspondent in just a moment, but first, this report. >> police reentered tompkins square on tuesday evening in the latest standoff with demonstrators there. once again, police fired tear gas and water cannon in a bid to clear the area. >> we were scared out of our minds. i am being honest -- we are paying for the mistakes of our elders. look at what this country has become. we even have to cover our faces. >> the prime minister extended the olive branch on monday, promising to meet with demonstrators, but the clashes have hurt people's trust, and the protesters say they will not give up. >> no matter how many police

come, we will continue to struggle and continue to fight. we will not withdraw. >> the prime minister is standing firm. in a speech but " -- before parliament, he called the protesters thugs and terrorists. his message was well received by the country's politicians. >> one thing is certain -- we will not give the demonstrators any chance to erode our society. >> the prime minister's strong response has further stoked attention. his critics accuse him of trying to take away democratic freedoms, and that has inspired a growing number of demonstrators to join the protest movement. >> dramatic developments, so let's go straight to our correspondent to find out what is going on right now. >> it is absolute mayhem.

huge amounts of gas, fires are burning while protesters are throwing stones. a few hours ago, there were thousands of people gathering at taksim square. no one was wearing their gas masks. then, without any provocation or warning -- i was standing just a few meters from a line of armored vans -- they unleashed gas into the thousands of people in the square. many people fell. you could see nothing. people were drowning in the gas. i saw dozens of people in may were taking the most seriously to nearby hospitals. there was huge anger among the

protesters. there was disbelief that such a restless thing could be done to such a restless crowd. the governor is saying that this is a terror threat promising more. the people of the stemple are reacting here. i passed thousands of marching towards the square charging that this is a fascist state regarding the prime minister. what's when you talk about the prime minister, one moment it looks as though he may be able to compromise, but the next he is on his hard-line approach. >> many said that this is out right and outrageous. the evidence of the speech he made today refusing to be involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the government. >> dorian jones, thanks so much for keeping us up-to-date to their in istanbul.

>> a suicide bomber has struck outside of afghanistan possibly in court killing 17 and wounding dozens of others. a vehicle packed with explosives outside of the back entrance to the courtroom in couple. police believe that the supreme court employees were the intended targets -- entrance to a courtroom in kabul. >> two explosions have killed at least 14 people and wounding more than 30 in the syrian capital of damascus. mingling cars and damaging buildings. at least one blew himself up inside a police station killing several officers. they have blamed the rebels for the attack. opposition groups do frequently target damascus.

>> they ban what they termed to be homosexual propaganda and when they were simply providing information about homosexuality. >> they voted in favor of the bill while outside, dozens of people who turned out to protest were arrested. activists condemn the law. they think it will be to go after anyone offering support of the gay and lesbian community. >> gay rights activists under assault in the russian capital. members of the crowd shout. all the activists want is equal treatment under the law. >> we support freedom for all. everyone should have the kind of relationship they desire. >> sexual minorities and heterosexuals is at fault.

everyone should enjoy equal rights. >> that looks unlikely now that the bill on gay rights has been passed on parliament. they say protect the russian children. anyone who discusses same-sex relationships could be fined 25,000 euros or jailed for 90 days. >> this is a weapon against anyone who puts trash on the internet to undermine the morals of our children. >> it's important so that our children gain an understanding of how to live the right way and lead a proper family life. >> many russians view gays and lesbians as perverse. they think the bill will mean they will face more violence rather than less. >> floodwater levels along large sections of the river elba have been following or stabilizing today.

click solvents riverbanks and dikes are still threatening to burst. that is what happened in saxony anhalt. there are working around-the- clock to keep to keep more floods at bay. >> this aerial footage shows the extent of the flooding in northeastern germany. entire communities in saxony anhalt have been inundated and thousands have left their homes. early on monday, the river alba burst through a dyke in the town of fishbeck. they left houses and streets underwater. the german army joined the effort to close the breach throwing sandbags out of helicopters. further down, preparations were in place before the waters hit. they set up hundreds of thousands of sandbags.

in brandenburg, people had been shoring up the town's defenses for one week now. some of those hard at work or people who can't get home because of the floods. >> i work here, but it's underwater. i cannot get there, so why am here shoveling. >> it peaked around 7.8 meters, five higher than normal. some are predicting the water level would rise even further. it let so much out of the river that the flooding was that much more severe. in lower saxony, a new problem. sandbags are in short supply. the army was forced to bring in some from neighboring countries. >> i spoke to our correspondent terry martin who has been keeping an eye on the floodwaters across the river elba from fishbeck aware -- where teh dike broke.

>> the situation up and down the elbow remains serious, but it seems the level of water is receding -- down the elba remains serious. this is where it finally feeds out into the water. this is indeed the break of the levee at fishbeck. when it broke, and alleviated pressure and water continues to stream into the land behind it. square kilometers have been inundated. it has relieved the pressure on much of the rest of the elba. for the most part, i'm told it is stable. tremendous damage has already been done. ensures are saying 12 billion euros worth of damage has been done so far and it's not over yet. in levels are expected to remain high for the next couple of

days which will continue keeping pressure on the dikes. they are already saturated. they are fearing that another one could give way, so they are doing everything they can. they are mobilizing everything germany has so that we will not have another one break like the one behind me. >> terry martin speaking to us earlier. staying in germany, the interior minister says the country has learned its lesson on white ring extremism. the government has come under fire that a neo-nazi group went on a decade-long killing spree undetected than that and fellow -- intelligence officials bungled the investigation. >> they will be working closer together to clamp down on the right wing. they will keep a lockdown on domestic threats and also warning of the rise of extremism at home. >> the report contains a lot of details about the neo-nazi

scenes. the number of right wing extremist is estimated to have fallen to their committing 6% more crimes, especially violent ones. the report also notes a drop in the number of radical islamists next year to almost 5000. the interior minister expresses concern over an escalation between islamist groups and far right groups such as the pro- nrw. >> you can clearly see that growth -- both are using confrontations to convince some of them to further radicalize the violence and they have done it before. >> in a standoff between the two groups, it developed into a riot. the police were caught off guard.

one officer was badly injured. they announced they had blocked this to bar the political leader. >> let's talk about the far right. this talks about a lot and it does loo like the domestic intelligence survey has been learning some lessons. >> yes, richard. intelligence services have had a new man, hans. like many, a proverbial new broom has been sweeping vigorously, it seems. one of the most significant things is that he is reorganize the way in which controversial informants have been recruited and maintained in the neo-nazi circles in germany. the most significant, and a very unusual, thing is he is actively seeking contact with

the media. i think his intention has been to regain public confidence by providing as much transparency as possible. >> what about the other issue? how big of a threat is the radical islamicists? >> they are worried about that. they say that there are more young men, young islamists, in germany you are prepared to use violence, but he made a very important distinction. islamists are not all violence. the vast majority are opposed to violence. >> china has launched what is said to be its longest man the space mission ever sending three astronauts into orbit as it moves towards a permanent space station. >> and includes a second female astronaut and they blasted off or may facility in the gobi

desert. they will spend 15 days in space. the state to be carrying blanket coverage of the launched an president jean ping was on hand. don't go away. -- jinping awas on hand.

>> when mario draghi, the president of the ecb, about that the ecb would do "whatever it takes" to take the currency, he was widely praised and it had a calming effect. click there are many who say the job of the ecb is to fight inflation and the bottom line program that promised is outside of its official mandate. today, the constitutional court of germany began investigating the rights and wrongs of the whole manner. >> wolfgang schauble attending the meeting, a sign of how serious they are taking the

issue. european governments are also keeping a close watch since the judges decision could impact the entire eurozone. >> we have to clarify whether the european central bank is taking on responsibilities and have not been assigned and those which should not be assigned under the constitution. >> the ecb mandate is to ensure a stable euro. what it is not allowed to do is meddle in public finances which means it cannot rescue ailing states. the bank is accused of overstepping its bounds. if crisis hit countries cannot sell enough bonds to meet their needs, they said that they would buy unlimited amounts. mario draghi promised last year. the plaintiffs argue the fund stays in the back door and it could send bond rates downwards. >> imagine they lose value. who's responsible? 27% as with the german taxpayers. nobody asked them. >> but the government in berlin

is standing behind the ecb on the matter. >> we are convinced that the ecb's measures up until now, and we can only assess the measures taken, do not violate the ecb mandate and that is why we believe this case is not valid. >> the matter now lies with the court. a decision is not expected for several months after germany hold elections in the fall. xml a star saying a ruling against the ecb could theoretically force germany to leave the eurozone. earlier, we asked our correspondent in brussels for more on the possible scenarios. >> it is very radical that it is at the extreme end of the options. yes, it is just as much political as it is judicial. if they said it was a step too far for the european central bank coming yes, it could ultimately do that. i'm not sure that's what's going to happen.

or likely, it will do what it has done before. it will rapidly european central central bank over the knuckles saying, you can do when you are doing. you can launch these unlimited bond buyouts, but you will be subject to more control from the german parliament, the bundestag. it is a serious two-day debate in the court and it could potentially upset the apple cart as well as the remedies for the currency are concerned. as your report said, just saying that they're going to use these bond buyouts has conned of the markets. it's ironic that they be stirring them up again -- they have already used the bond buyouts to calm the markets. >> it will take a long time until the supreme court will make its decision. nevertheless, this case less to

a lot of discussions also here on the frankfurt floor. traders refuse the whole discussion to one -- reduced it to one question -- will money remain cheap or not? it was cheap money that kept the relief going, but this trading day, traders took their profits out of the market shares and it went significantly down because of the discussion of if the ecb measures could and someday. this also shows how nervous the markets are. >> let's have a look at the numbers and see how nervous the markets really work. one percent down was the closing number, a greater fall on the euro stoxx 50. they are still trading in new york. the dow is currently 0.4% down and the euro is up just above one dollar dirty three cents.

the german industrial state has been holding its annual get- together, a powerfulng in what is an election year. angela merkel and her main challengers were there to prove they have pro industry credentials. >> and they were on the receiving end on a bit of a lecture on taxation and spending. the main message -- don't mess with our success. >> all the top politicians were there and everyone is hoping to be in charge. it was a chance to tell the politicians what it is that they are worried about. >> we don't need a new debate about distribution. we don't need any election giveaways to weaken our international competitiveness. in the election campaign, the parties are being too quick to come up with proposals for tax increases and various giveaways for voters. >> german industry is in good

shape and its products are in global demand making at the back out of the german economy. over the past 10 years, industry's share of gdp has risen to 22 point 22 point six percent. in france and britain, it has fallen to 1/10 service industries have grown out for chance of that sector. chancellor angela merkel stressed how important industry is to the economy. >> that is why we eat, and i'm talking about my party, will not be increasing any chances. instead, are going to keep going with the same approach as we will get more taxes coming in if we make sure we do not cause problems for business. >> the other parties agree that industry has a vital role to play in getting germany through the eurozone crisis. >> at midnight tonight, the greek government will be

flipping the switch on the countries state broadcaster closing down state run radio and television services, one of the most drastic measures to cut public spending in an effort to meet bailout requirements. >> they broadcast the announcement that they would be closing. there are plans to reopen a slimmed down body in the future, but a date has not yet been set. upon hearing the news, staff gathered outside of the head office in athens vowing to fight the move and they have called on other media outlets in greece to strike in solidarity. it's been a rough day for air travelers in france. half of all flights were canceled at airports across the country as air traffic controllers went on strike. >> protesting against eu plans to reform the european airspace management as part of the single european sky program. the unions are crying foul.

>> grounded out charles de gaulle. and any given day, one of the the busiest airports. today, near a standstill. air traffic controllers fear the european union's plans will lead to job cuts and poor working conditions. >> the main reason air traffic controllers are on strike today is because of plans by the european commission. they want to cut costs and the fees that finance air-traffic control and france. >> most of the disruption is too short and medium hauling flights. many passengers have little other options than to sit it out and hope they will take off later in the day. >> i had a 10:00 flight to geneva and i have been rescheduled onto an 8:00 p.m.

flight this evening. >> the delays could be lengthening. air-traffic controllers in 10 other countries want to join the protest against the plans to centralize monitoring of the regions airspace. >> following ii world war, many germans left where they had -- >> following world war ii, many germans left after suffering at the hands of the nazis. >> a new center is being built in berlin to commemorate this troubled chapter in german history. >> the unveiling marks the start of construction for the controversial documentation center. after much debate, they finally got the go-ahead. german chancellor angela was on hand for the ceremony. the goal of the exhibition is to put the stories of germans

expelled from eastern european countries after world war ii into a historical context. >> commemorating the flight and expulsions of germans means never forgetting the flight and expulsion of up to 14 million germany and -- germans would not have happened without national socialism. >> well into the 1950's, germans fled from russia, poland, and former czechoslovakia were they were considered to have been nazi collaborators. the exhibition will also tell the stories of other groups who were forcibly expelled. >> we europeans were divided quite often throughout our history. our hope is this remembrance will connect us. >> the building in central berlin is said to be completely rebuilt. construction is expected to be finished in three years time. >> staying on the historical theme.

a german bomber plane from the second world war has been raised from the bottom of the english channel, believed to be the only intact example of the plane in the world. >> it was shot down more than 70 years ago during the battle of britain and it will now undergo restoration work they expect will take about two years and then it will go on display at the royal air force museum in london. >> do stay with us because we will have much more on the situation in istanbul we covered up the top of the show. ññuqñuuññññña

hello and welcome to nhk world "newsline." it's wednesday, june 12th. i'm catherine kobiyashi in tokyo. turkey's prime minister says he will not yield to protesters. erred juan has demanded an immediate end to almost two weeks of demonstrations. but protesters entered istanbul's thaksin square once again under a cloud of discontent. police sent them scattering under clouds of tear gas. riot police stormed the square at the heart of central istanbul. they fired volleys of tear gas into the crowds. they targeted some protesters with the force of their water cannon.