>> welcome to the "journal" coming to you live from dw. a change of policy in the u.s. -- president obama promises to send military aid to the syrian rebels. >> iranians go to the polls to vote for a new president. could there be change in the islamic republic? >> commemorating the communist uprising in east germany and why it still carries a powerful message today. the united states has toughened its stance on syria, charging

damascus with using chemical weapons. it has also promised military aid to the opposition and has not ruled out a no-fly zone over syria. >> russia has called the white house findings unconvincing and warned that direct military aid to rebels would undermine peace efforts. ., for its part, has refuted what it's called applications and lies. >> homes has -- homs has again become a flashpoint. the opposition is hoping u.s. arms may turn the tide. in a conference call with journalists, a u.s. national security spokesman would not specify what weapons the united states will provide. >> i cannot detail for you all of the types of that support for a variety of reasons, but again, suffice it to say this is going to be different in both scope and scale in terms of what we are providing from what we

have provided before. >> president barack obama said the use of chemical weapons was a red line that would trigger u.s. intervention. >> we have been very clear to the asad regime and also to other players on the ground -- to the assad regime and two other players on the ground that if we see chemical weapons on the ground moving around, we will be mobilized. >> however, germany says it will not be providing legal aid to the rebels. a government spokesman said berlin has little choice in the matter. >> aside from any political considerations, we are prohibited by law from doing that. germany is not allowed to provide arms to a country undergoing civil war. that is our clear message. >> the opposition social democrats echoing the view of the government, saying that more arms are not the answer. >> we must pay special

attention to the question of whether weapons could all into the wrong hands, and i believe there's no shortage of weapons in the region. rather, there's a shortage of diplomacy. >> but. -- seriously rebels have welcomed u.s. policy. they are under pressure after lee's rigid -- after losing a key city, and that could be extremely difficult to reverse. >> our washington correspondent toys us live for more on the story. first off, what new evidence does the u.s. have that-- seriod chemical weapons? >> washington has acquired blood and hair samples from rebels who were involved in the firefight with government forces. according to the cia, the samples show the rebels were exposed to chemical weapons, so

the conclusion in washington is the regime has used chemical weapons. >> washington has been tightlipped about the type of support it will give, but doe have any idea about the type of aid we are talking about here? >> acting president obama has not made up his mind yet. he will first talk to his european allies -- i think president obama has not made up his mind yet. he will first talk to his european allies. former president candidate mccain said the president needs to understand that just supplying weapons to the rebels is not enough and will not change the situation on the ground. he would like to see more substantial measures such as imposing a no-fly zone in syria. >> what about public opinion?

how much appetite is therefore getting more involved in the serious and civil war -- syrian civil war? >> i think there is little appetite for a new conflict. i looked up recent polls, and only a minority of americans think that the u.s. should take responsibility for serious -- syria. >> thanks so very much. as we just heard in our report, according to german politicians, there's not a shortage of weapons in syria but of diplomacy. we turn now to a representative of the german institute for international security affairs. criticism from friends and allies raining down on washington right now for this decision. would more diplomacy be preferable right now to more weapons from the u.s.? >> i think we have a lot of

diplomatic maneuvers with the special envoy of the united nations. we have efforts by the u.s., by germany, by the european union, so there's a lot of diplomatic efforts going on. the most important one being the geneva council, which should take place in july. given that, i would read the u.s. decision more as a diplomatic move than as a military move. >> what about the fears that sophisticated american weaponry could fall into the hands of terrorists and be a threat then to the west? are those threats justified? >> it is justified. he has seen examples before, the prime example being afghanistan. the delivery of sophisticated weapons to the mujahedin which were used against the u.s. and afghanistan, but what would be the alternative? to do nothing?

i think the combination of military pressure and diplomatic moves is the right play here. >> this has nonetheless been an about-face in washington. president obama has been reticent to make this move. does it mean an end to the scheduled peace talks? >> absolutely not. it is one of the efforts to help the peace process starting, and i think it is an important element to put pressure not only on the regime to show up in geneva and to offer some political compromises but also to show the, so deuce b, return of the u.s. to the conflict. -- the, so to speak, return of the u.s. to the conflict. >> millions of iranians have been casting their ballot for the country's president. he voters have a choice among six to replace mahmoud

ahmadinejad. >> none is seen as challenging the islamic republic's system of clerical rule. >> polls across iran opened at 8:00 in the morning. from early on, lines formed outside many polling stations like is one in tehran. >> it's the first time my friend and i are eligible to vote. we've been looking forward to coming and seeing the elections and having a say in managing our >> the election has been widely criticized in the west as a rands guardian council strictly controls which candidates are able to run -- iran's guardian council. that ensures only establishment figures can contend. iran's supreme leader hit back at u.s. criticism in particular. >> recently, i heard that someone from america's national

security council said "we do not consider iran's elections to be valid." well, we don't give a dam. -- damn. leading candidates include a former prime minister and iran's one candidate is seen as slightly more moderate. he advocates a less confrontational policy towards the west. he has also promised media reforms and the release of all political prisoners if he wins. record numbers of iranians voted in the last election in 2009, followed by left -- mass protest over a ledge and vote rigging and a brutal crackdown. this year, members appear to have blanket control with access to foreign media severely restricted. >> onto some business news now -- supporters are billing it as 11 of the biggest trade deals in history.

the proposed free trade deal between the european union and the united states. >> european ministers meeting at this hour to discuss plans. talks are supposed to start formally in july, but they appear to have hit a snag. france is reported to be refusing to play ball because it says the deal could written its. >> our brussels correspondent is following the story. tell us more about france's objections. >> this goes back an awfully long way. france has always been a guardian of the french language and has been jealous of the impact of the english language, and that means present-day american product -- cinema and tv -- on the french nation, and they impose quotas years ago on the amount of american product or english language product that could be shown on french television. what we have now is this has come into play big-time. it's a minor part of a massive trade and partnership deal

being negotiated with the u.s., but france alone at these talks is saying, "we do not want cultural matters to be included ." in other words, they want to retain strict limits on the access of english-language entertainment, culture, films and tv in this deal. already, american cinema product has 60% of the market. france has traditionally been jealously guarding its rights to the french language. this could have a big impact on what, as you said, is one of the biggest local trade deals in the offing. we are waiting for some compromise in which franch the need to accept some cultural access for america in addition to what they already have, and this could be a major deal worth 120 billion euros a year to the european nations.

>> i think we will have to leave it there. thank you very much. european airplane maker airbus has successfully carried out the first test flight of its new long-haul jet. the plane touched down safely after taking off this morning. >> this does set the stage for increased competition between airbus and its u.s. archrival, boeing. >> a perfect take off -- the new airbus a-350 climbed into the skies without a hitch. the aircraft's maiden flight lasted around for hours, watched by plane spotters on the ground below -- around 4 hours. the passenger deck remained empty, but there's room for 300 people on board. the plane's aerodynamic design will save airlines around 20% in fuel. airbus says the 80 -- 350 is the future of flying. >> we will set new standards, not just for comfort and

performance but for environmental friendliness. people living by airports will not even know we are taking off. >> you might not be able to hear the plane, but you sure can hear its fans. they came in the thousands to see the new model. if all goes to plan, airbus will start delivering the new a-352 buyers around the world next year. >> over to the frankfurt stock exchange now. the airbus story -- how is it affecting shares? >> shares are up slightly today. if you look at shares since the beginning of this year, you see that this paper really is a high flyer. shares went up by more than 41% so far this year. mainly, of course, because of the projection set forth. management is optimistic.

it is a recovery because of the heavy losses we have seen not only yesterday but also sometimes this week so far. it is a technical reaction to these losses. investors waited for new numbers to come from the u.s., and the economic numbers have been worse than expected. consumer confidence went down. industrial production -- we have seen stagnation there, so the numbers have not been that good, but shares rose anyway. the dax is up i nearly one percent now. dow jones is flatlining, and the euro is rather weak tom up it stays above $1.33 -- the euro is rather weak, but it stays above one dollar and $.33.

>> there's a compromise in sight to end weeks of violence in turkey. >> stay with us.

>> thanks for staying with us. >> welcome back erie plenty of people in central europe hope the worst is behind them as floodwaters in the region begin to recede. although those waters are falling back, there are still dikes in germany that could give way, keeping emergency personnel on high alert. >> the cleanup, a huge effort, which has led the government in germany to start setting up a fund for the victims, worth up to about eight alien euros and all. here's the latest. >> finally, supporters arrived -- support has arrived. i have been fighting the flood for days. children and the elderly have been evacuated, but everyone else has stayed behind. >> we organized ourselves here in the village. we were left to our own devices,

so when the announcement came that we should evacuate, we decided we should rescue our village. >> the soldiers who have been sent here have already been working solidly for nearly a or night to help flood victims. >> most of my soldiers have been in action since monday of last week. we get short break now and then, but not long enough to really rest. the tiredness and separation from their families is not easy for the troops either. >> there's frustration at times, too. in a neighboring village, the wall of sandbags collapsed on thursday as workers were taking a break, and night all brought more heavy rain. >> i can only hope it will stop soon. >> in some areas, water levels would only need to rise a few centimeters to flood entire villages. some 200 square kilometers are submerged.

that's the equivalent of some 28,000 soccer pitches. >> natural catastrophes can play a big heart and the chances of politicians at the polls. elections will take place in exactly 100 days from now. >> chancellor angela merkel is leading in opinion polls, and even critics acknowledge her ability to student nation -- steer the nation through difficult times. >> the german chancellor with a listening ear, touring areas hit by floods. many have accused her of using the disaster to campaign for votes. in front of the cameras, she pledged millions of euros to help flood victims. >> on a day like this, i'm here to be with the people, and those that i've met here so far are not thinking about the election. they are thinking about how they can just get through this.

>> 100 days before the election, the floods are not helping the opposition candidate at all. >> it's my conviction that the people who have lost everything in the floods need many things, but they do not need political toryism. they need the army. they need technical assistance, the fire brigade, but they do not need hurray steinberg -- peer steinbrueck. >> conservative opponent was originally ahead in the polls. he visited the flood victims as well but was unable to capitalize on the disaster. steinberg like would likely there no better. >> the problem is the opposition can visit these areas, but if stein grew upward to do that right now, he's not in any kind of office. -- if stein grew a quirk to do

that right now, he's not in any ind of office and cannot offery any kind of help. >> few are really sure what needs to be done, but many believe merkel is a good crisis manager. the opposition barely has a look in. >> when it comes to the euro crisis, the important thing is who do voters believe is most capable of dealing with the crisis and leading germany through it well? who will best represent german interests in europe? there once again, angela merkel hs clear advantage over her challenger. > but it's not clear if merkel's junior coalition partner will gain enough votes to enter parliament. if not, it would be the social democrats who would be most likely to join merkel's cabinet and a grand coalition of the two biggest parties. and 100 days before the election, polls show that would be voters' preferred outcome.

>> turkey's prime minister has called on protesters occupying a part of istanbul to leave, saying the message has been heard. he has agreed to suspend plans to build on a park until a court ruling is held. >> some activists are welcoming the move, which follows the worst unrest in turkey in years, but others they they are still considering the government's proposal. >> the turkish prime minister met with a number of hand-picked activists for a 4-hour emergency meeting late thursday night. hours later, turkey announced it would suspend plans to bulldoze the park until the court has ruled on the project. >> we will not take any steps until the judiciary process is over. if the court rules in favor of the government, we will hold a referendum to determine what residents want done with the park.

>> the protest group welcomes the development, but they say it's not up to them to dictate whether protests continue. >> the people can decide how they want to react to this positive outcome. we will be watching the protest and pledges made by the prime minister. >> protester reactions have been cautious. a number of activists say they are not going anywhere. >> we are staying here. we have friends who are in jail. some people have died. it's a shame that it has come to this. >> in spite of threats to clear the park, the government allowed protesters to stay through the night, but a heavy police presence remains in the area. >> still to come, heroes from the east -- remembering those who died standing up to the east german regime 60 years ago. >> but first, these stories and

brief. >> u.s. officials have recovered a long-lost diary from the home of an academic in new york. he was one of adolf hitler's top aides. his diary disappeared after the nuremberg trials in 1946. >> nicaragua's national assemble he has given the go- ahead for a multibillion-dollar canal crossing the entire country. supporters say it will rival the panama canal and generate a new source of much-needed income, but many criticize the plan as it gives a hong kong -- based company the sole right to build and operate the waterway. >> former south african president nelson mandela appears to be recovering after undergoing treatment for a severe lung infection. government officials say the anti-apartheid leader is still in serious condition and will remain in hospital for a seventh day.

it is his fourth hospitalization since december. >> in greece, workers are protesting for a fourth they against the government's decision to shut down the public broadcaster. it's prime minister's latest attempt to cut state spending. he's pledged to relaunch the station, but hundreds of workers are set to lose their jobs. tanks on the streets, mass arrests, dozens killed and wounded -- that was the official response to mass demonstrations that swept the country six years ago. >> the german parliament today on of the heroism of east germans and remembered those killed by soviet troops and german police. >> it also underscored that the german uprisings still hold an important message for people today. >> east berlin, 1953. a group of workers took to the

streets to demonstrate against east germany's communist regime. soon after that, protests broke out around the country. russian tanks were called in to break up the crowds. 60 years on, those who fought for freedom take their seats in the german parliament to remember the uprising. the german president grew up in east germany. he was 13 when the protests broke out. >> people rose up in anger of the million in justices they had to endure everyday. blue-collar workers, students, farmers, and housewives -- they all stood together in protest. >> he drew comparisons to other democratic movements across europe. he said germans often do not appreciate the current east german protesters showed on that day. >> if i could wish for one thing, it would be for all germans to learn about what happened on june 17 so that the gets the recognition it deserves.

>> thursday's commemoration was not just about the past. the parliamentary president compared the east german uprising to current freedom movements around the world. >> in serious, and ran, or belarus. >> the lessons of history can be used as lessons for today. >> finally, it's not your everyday picnic in the park. paris' dinner and white has a very strict dress code and a very strict seating plan. >> it does indeed. men sit on one side of the table with women on the other. the guest find out their location just hours before the annual event. this time, the popular outdoor feast took place at two spots. parisians came out in thousands to take part in the tradition which was started back in 1988 by a small group of friends.

let's recap our top story right now -- the u.s. says it has conclusive evidence that the syrian military has used chemical weapons against rebel forces. >> washington announces it will supply rebels with arms after previously refusing to do so. rebels have welcomed the announcement, but some fear weapons could fall into the hands of radical islamist fighters. >> that's all we have time for now. thanks so much for joining us. >> see you again soon. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

>> welcome to "skyweek." let's see what's happening in the sky from monday, june 10th to sunday, june 16th.

a beautifully thin crescent moon forms a triangle with mercury and venus low in the west after sunset on monday. the moon is upper left of the planets on tuesday, and it moves rapidly away from them as the week progresses. meanwhile, venus appears a little higher each evening and mercury a little lower. mercury is easy to see on monday, but by the end of the week, it's considerably fainter and getting tricky to spot. this is tony flanders from sky & telescope magazine, wishing you clear skies and great views. >> brought to you by meade instruments corporation, manufacturers of telescopes and binoculars.

hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo with the stories at this hour. ballot counting is under way in iran after millions of people voted for the new president. they're picking a successor to outgoing leader mahmoud ahmadinejad who's been in office eight years. so many people showed up they extended the voting. they include the mayor and the country's top nuclear