>> a warm welcome to "the journal please stand by -- a warm welcome to "the journal." >> chancellor angela merkel delivers video---this defends her decision to deliver weapons to the kurds. >> government troops are forced to retreat from key areas. >> in pakistan, clashes between police and protesters who want the government to step down. >> postwar germany has never sent weapons to a region and conflict, so addressing parliament today, german

chancellor angela merkel took special care to make the case for doing so even though there was no formal need for parliamentary backing. >> over the weekend, the government announced it would send 70 million euros worth of arms and munitions to kurdish forces in iraq. they have been fighting invading state militants for several months now. >> mindful of its past, germany has been reluctant to contribute to military operations but she cited evidence of ethnic cleansing by islamic state fighters to justify her decision. >> a minute of silence was observed in the german parliament in memory of the victims of conflicts around the world. then, chancellor merkel gave a speech explaining her cabinet's decision to send weapons to kurdish fighters in northern iraq. >> immense suffering of so many people cries out to us. our own security interests are threatened. the current situation weighs

heavier on us than the prospect of what might happen. we have the chance to help stop this inhumane terrorist group now and halt its expansion. >> germany plans to send the weapons this month. the shipment will include assault rifles and antitank rockets, equipment worth 70 million euros. the leader of the opposition says the move is a mistake. >> if iraq has enough of anything, it is weapons. i will say this now so you'll know how it happened. it is not rare for the fighters to hand over weapons to the islamic state without a fight. >> the green party also fears the weapons could fall into the wrong hands. they say the risks associated with sending ordinance to the region are incalculable. >> it is wrong to stand aside

and make deals without an able to foresee and take responsibility for the consequences of those deals. lawmakers ignored those concerns. parliament overwhelmingly backed the government decision. >> strong backing for chancellor merkel's decision despite political criticism. our correspondent has been giving us a taste of the debate in parliament. >> i found it interesting to hear how the chancellor pointed out today that the debate coincided with ceremonies taking place to mark the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the second world war. she said what germany had learned from that terrible conflict was cooperation in foreign policy is always better than confrontation. however, she hastily said there have been two exceptions to that golden rule so far. that has been germany's involvement in kosovo and

afghanistan. she said the time has come for a third exception because of the brutality of the islamic state and the threat it poses in military and humanitarian terms. she argues germany has no alternative to joining its european and international allies in sending weapons to the kurds in northern iraq. >> exceptions not everyone supports. peter also caught up with a veteran member of the opposition of the green party. with many strongly opposed, he asked whether this decision is a significant shift in german foreign policy. >> it is the first time we deliver weapons to a non-governmental institution. this is new. it is not new that germany is fueling conflicts and wars with weapons. this happened in last years.

we delivered tanks and vessels to saudi arabia and qatar hoping they will help us in the fight against iran. it is not a new thing we deliver weapons into foreign conflicts. it is a new thing that we deliver weapons to a nongovernmental organization. >> what should the german government do to help combat islamic state? >> they should cut off the financing mechanisms, and they need a new strategy for the whole region. you won't solve the conflict without consensus between saudi arabia and iran. this is where we failed in the last years to prolong gate this failure. the answer is not to send weapons. >> thank you very much. >> in other news, the human

rights council has ordered an investigation into atrocities committed by islamic state militants in iraq. it says there are strong evidence of murder, sexual abuse, and torture. >> this comes as the prime minister visited the northern town on monday, the day after iraqi troops claimed a strategic victory there against the insurgency. it has been under siege by the jihadist militants for two months. battles have erupted between syrian government troops and islamist rebels in the golan heights. >> the fighting near the israeli border saw syrian soldiers attacked the front. the kidnapped 44 u.n. peacekeepers from fiji. negotiations are underway for their release. with european officials discussing a new package of sanctions on russia, it has been a day of setbacks for the

government of president portia go. >> ukraine's military says it has pulled back from a vital airport. it says its forces have been fighting a russian battalion. >> they are good shooting in the capital of belarus. the president portia bingo says his country is inching closer to full scale war with russia. >> separatists proudly show off their weaponry which they say will help them retake the city airport from the ukrainian army. kiev appeared close to crushing the insurgency. now it blames moscow for tipping the balance on the battlefield. the separatists have forced ukrainian troops to pull back on vital areas in the east. kiev says it has withdrawn forces from the airport after they came under attack by russian tanks. >> a neighboring country has

launched direct and open aggression against us. this has changed the situation in a radical way. >> russian president vladimir putin has rejected allegations his troops are helping separatists. during a visit to siberia, he blamed ukrainian leaders for the continuing conflict. >> the militia's activities were triggered by the fact ukrainian troops circled cities and fire directly on residential areas. unfortunately, this is something many natures -- nations prefer to ignore. >> in nearby belarus, delegates sat down for their first talks with the separatists. the rebel delegation is demanding the government end its military operation and grant political autonomy to disputed eastern ukraine. >> in response to the ukraine crisis, nato is increasing its involvement in eastern europe. >> the western military alliance

wants to set up a reaction force that can be deployed at short notice in the east. the secretary-general said nato leaders would sign off on the force at the summit this week. some eastern european countries such as poland are concerned over what many consider russian aggression in ukraine and it might turn next on them. earlier in the program, we reported on the defense of her decision to deliver weapons to kurds with germans still mindful of the nazi past. angela merkel mentioned the ceremonies been held in poland to mark the start of the war. >> the first shots were fired on the peninsula. ceremonies today marked the roughly 60 million people who lost their lives in the conflict. >> the polish president walked shoulder to shoulder with his german counterpart 75 years

after the german invasion that set off world war ii. the leaders came together to remember the 60 million people who died in the conflict. they also warned peace and stability in europe are once again under threat as the unrest in eastern ukraine continues. the german president called on russia to respect international law saying germany would defend european values. commemoration ceremonies began at dawn. poland's prime minister urged the international community to be vigilant. >> looking at the tragedy of ukraine at war, we know september of 1939 must not be repeated. >> following russia's annexation of crimea, poland has called for a stronger nato presence in the region. >> a colleague terry martin has been following events in poland. he joins us live from the peninsula.

thanks for joining us. give us a feel for what has been happening, how emotional and event has this been? >> as you can imagine, the eveveveveveveveveveveveveveveveh anniversary of the outbreak of the second world war in poland have been profoundly emotional. we heard today from the polish president saying 6 million pols did die during the war, one out of every five was killed . many suffering horrible deaths, often in concentration camps. he said the weapons of war have still not healed -- the wounds of war have still not healed. there's also a sense of hope and accomplishment as well. we heard both prime ministers, rather presidents, looking to the future, praising the sense of reconciliation achieved over the years, of overcoming

animosities between the two countries, and achieving a sense of peace in europe. >> the crisis in ukraine seems to be permeating into everything at the moment. did it play a role during the commemoration today? >> absolutely. it was very clear in the speeches of the representatives of germany and poland that both countries are profoundly worried about what is going on in ukraine. in a clear reference to russia's annexation of crimea, both the polish and german presidents warned of making concessions. the german president saying making territorial concessions to an aggressor often makes -- increases that aggressor's appetite. we also heard from the polish prime minister saying the lesson that needs to be learned from world war ii is that europe cannot afford to be naïvely

optimistic. >> thank you for that update. terry martin reporting for us from the peninsula in poland. >> we turn our attention to pakistan where antigovernment protests appear to be gaining momentum. >> in islamabad, demonstrators stormed the state to be in -- t.v. building monday forcing the channel off air. >> demonstrations have been going on for weeks with calls for the prime minister to resign. >> an ambulance makes its way through protesters in pakistan's capital after another day of clashes with police. the demand remains the same. the prime minister must step down. earlier in the day, hundreds of protesters stormed have to stand state t.v. headquarters. soldiers turned up and escorted them out. the defense minister warned of

tougher action against protesters. >> the selective use of force can be done today. but we will still be careful that the situation does not aggravate. >> that is a fine line to tread. weeks of protests turned violent saturday. three people were killed. the opposition accused sharif of electoral fraud and abuse of office. he has so far refused to resign. >> we are calling on nellis sharif -- now was sharif to step down now because people are taking to the streets today in protest. the pakistani people will suffer losses and so will their property. all because of you. you have no moral ground to continue as prime minister. >> some observers worry the military could intervene and take over as it has in the past.

sharif is determined to show he is still in charge. he is planning to address parliament on tuesday. >> we are going to take a short break. ♪ ♪

>> welcome back to "the journal." on this date 10 years ago, an attack on the school and the north caucus region of russia shocked the world. they stormed the school and took more than 1000 hostage. >> the new school year turned into a crisis that lasted three days and cost the lives of more than 300 hostages. >> the crisis may be a distant memory for some russians. but for the victims of the school attack, time has not healed all wounds. >> what was once a gymnasium is now a memorial. this is the room where armed separatists held most of the hostages. children, parents, and teachers,

on the first day of school. she tells me her memories of the day are still vivid. they were forced to crowd cheer for almost three days on the she says. >> we still get very scared and are overly vigilant. when we are somewhere, we take a close look at the people around us. if someone gets onto the bus carrying a large bag, i get off. >> over 1000 people were held hostage by the separatists. their demand? recognition of chechen independence. after three days, an explosion led to a gun battle and russian special forces storming the school. 334 hostages died and over 700 were injured. it is still not clear how the bloodbath occurred. this woman's daughter was one of the injured. she blames the russian forces. she says they shot at the school

indiscriminately and she says they have not been held accountable. >> estate governors who committed this crime are still in power today and committing further crimes. they are dangerous and unpredictable people who opened fire at living hostages are not so sane. >> the man i talked to next also thinks the deaths could have been avoided. he lost his wife in the siege. russian authorities say most of those who died were killed by bombs set off by the terrorists, but no independent assessment has been made. >> when you have to bear not having been able to help your children because you were not there, and then the lack of truth for 10 years, no objective reports, that really hurts. >> the question of what really

happened in this one -- beslan still haunts victims and their families. many have turned to the european court of human rights in their search for an answer. >> it has been two months since afghan elections. the country still lacks a head of state. two rival president of candidates are still at loggerheads over who really won the elections. the political vacuum is creating serious instabilities as international forces prepare to leave the country. >> nato leaders are meant to reaffirm the alliance's commitment to security in afghanistan. the current situation is leaving little hope for the future. >> construction equipment stands idle on the busy road from kabul . there's not much demand for at the moment. the uncertainty surrounding the stalled presidential election process has caused investment in building projects to dry up.

it is hitting construction workers hard. >> lots of people have been out of work since the elections. every day we just stand around and wait for something to turn up. >> 8 million afghans voted in the runoff election on the 14th of june. their hopes for change are dwindling. the politicians are not paying attention to us. even though the people are ready for democracy, politicians are preventing it from developing. they say they're working for the people. but they are only thinking of themselves. >> without a president, we cannot progress like other countries. we are just going backwards. >> are used to work as an engineer in the shopping center. now i am a salesman. my hair has gone gray from worry. >> with afghanistan facing political and economic stagnation, some observers say there are few reasons to be

optimistic about the short-term future. >> the financial transition as foreign troops leave and all that were money leaves the economy, it is going to be quite difficult. the world bank has been predicting since 2011 we were going to face a serious shortfall in government revenues. that has been getting closer and closer. >> whether afghanistan's new president is one of the other, his first major task will be to sign a bilateral security agreement with the u.s. otherwise, foreign troops could pull out by the end of the year bringing more uncertainty. >> everything is on hold right now in afghanistan. the people are eagerly waiting for a new president to sign the security agreement so they will have a future and the deadlock will end. >> italian officials say they have rescued 4000 migrants in the mediterranean trying to make it to europe. >> the massive operation

involving ships and helicopters was part of the new italian humanitarian effort. the operation was set up after the boat disaster nearly one year ago. 100,000 migrants have come ashore in italy this year alone. >> to brazil where the economy is in recession according to new government data. >> results are a serious blow to the president who faces an increasingly tough reelection campaign in october. >> some analysts attribute the was too gun shy investors waiting to see how the upcoming election changes the economic winds. the government has a plan to help improve the week transport infrastructure. >> many stadiums were built for the soccer war cup/world cup in cities all over brazil. despite the new facilities, brazil's transport infrastructure is a source of concern.

investors want reliable roads and public transportation. the brazilian government says it plans to invest more. >> the biggest challenge is infrastructure. what we would most like to address now is logistics. various transport hubs and connections, ports, roads, railways, and waterways. that will help brazil work more closely with the private sector to make these projects a reality. >> private investors are currently holding back. industrial output is falling. the brazilian economy has slumped. compared to last year, investment has fallen by about 11%. >> we just have to deal with this slump in the market at the moment.

no company likes to see a drop in turnover, but we are seeing it this year and it will probably be the same next year. but the long-term outlook is good. infrastructure investment is already underway. >> harbors and airports will receive the lion's share of new investment. the transport hubs are often congested due to long lines and poor connections. >> brazil is in recession. on the other end of the financial spectrum, germany has posted its biggest budget surplus since reunification. 16.1 billion euros. that underscores how strong the country's finances are at a time when many of its european neighbors are facing economic crises. with deep pockets come deep responsibilities. >> germany's surplus is not only due to a strong economy and an austere financial government. the surplus is also due to the historically low interest rates,

which are so low because of the very generous accommodating monetary policy by the european central bank. never before the finance minister was able to take on debts so cheaply. all this due to the economic crises in other euro zone countries. that is what pressure will be rising on the government in berlin, pressure to do more to boost the economy in the whole eurozone. >> we stay in frankfurt for a moment at a look --for a look at the market numbers. the dax gained on monday. in new york, there is no trading because the markets are closed for the labor day holiday. but the euro is currently trading at $1.31. >> time for some bundesliga action. they remain unbeaten after two games. >> the home side came close in the first half. the midfielder headed wide from

the cross. the striker twice went flying in the box after battles with the defender. but the referee waved away both appeals for a penalty. hanover almost broke the deadlockin the second half. but again peter doubt -- petered out. they held them to a drop. >> the hosts passed up an opportunity to win in the 63rd minute. they got a penalty after this. he blasted the ball to throw away his side's chance for the first win of the season. >> that has the tables starting to take shape after two weeks back on the pitch. >> they enjoy the top spot at the moment. they are the only team to have won both of their opening matches.

they are an unlikely second the others up to fourth. further down, stu card and hamburg will be redefined themselves in the bottom three already. they are the only team yet to get a point on the board. you are up-to-date on the latest world news. we will have more of the top of the hour. stay with us. ♪

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>> we've got some stories for you this week in our quest to this fascinating continent. welcome to the "european journal ." romania -- the politics of corruption. france -- paris tries to polish its image for service. and austria -- royal march through the outs. corruption in romania is like a black hole. it seems to suck in everyone in the country. the police, business people, politicians. even the language is proof of that. there are up to 30 synonyms for