the presence of foreign aid workers and their country is not acceptable. -- in their country is not acceptable.

>> the u.n.3 says its workers ae there to help and any attack on them would be an attack on the people of pakistan. the aid group care germany is involved in the humanitarian effort in that -- in pakistan. >> aidrganizations are deali with the security threats all over the world. with the extremists now marseille it is nothing really new, but we are -- what the extremists are now saying is nothing really new, but we're taking precautions. we have information from the united nations and other partners on the ground.

we really take care of our international staff over there and are working with many reliable partners on the ground war from pakistan, not internional aff or ornizations, so i am very convinced, after listening to the new security threat, that we will be able to achieve our goals and help the people who desperately need it. >> that was a representative from care germany. reports from afghanistan say six children were killed in a nato air strike. the children were on a mountain when aircraft dropped bombs. that confied the airtrik saying that four taliban militants were killed, but they were investigating reports that children have also died. a u.s. citizen imprisoned in north korea since january has been reignited with his family. jimmy carter secure the release

of the man, who was sentenced to eight years of hard labor for illegally entering the communist country. çwashington welcomed the success of carter's mission, although it was not officially sanctioned. the president of kenya has signed a new constitution into law. the document which was overwhelmingly approved a referendum this month dissolves authority to local leaders. it is part of the deal to avoid a repeat of violence that followed the elections in 2007. at the ceremony was also attended by a man who had an international warrant out for his arrest. the german government has been analyzing reports onhe untry'energy sector. this is part of the plan to finalize a new energy policy next month. chancellor merkel's coalition wants to reverse the decision

by a previous administration to phase out nuclear power by 2022, but it is a controversial plan and not without problems. >> it is the final day of chancellor merkel's energy tore through germany, visiting a hydroelectric plant near the swiss border, but she attempted% to brush off questions about a government commission study. according to leaked information, the research concluded that germany does not need to keep its nuclear power plants operating. >> we will inform you about our energy concept as soon as we can, and is much detail as possible. the cabinet will examine the issue on september 28, which is an acceptable time to wait. >> the study would be a blow for merkel. the concludes energy shortfalls could be overcome by importing power. it could also strengthen the case of german states opposed to maintaing cleapowe plants. they have complained that berlin

is ignoring them. >> if the government tries to circumvent the rules, then the state and other states will launch legal proceedings. >> resistance is growing at the state level. merkel says a final decision will be made by the end of september. we will take an in-depth look at germany's energy policy and future plans later in this half hour. first, germaprosutor investigatinthe aths of three newborns at a clinic say hospital staff were not to blame. the babies' deaths have been linked to. feeds infected with intestinal bacteria. investigators say it is likely the infusion bottles were contaminated before reaching the hospital. they're still trying to establish how and when that occurred. the findings mean that staff at the hospital and its pharmacy have been cleared of suspected negligence. steve, things are not good in america?

>> that is right, the picture is not clear. shar boued bk in the s. on friday after the release of better than expected u.s. growth figures/, annualised gdp at 1.6. but higher unemployment and a weak housing market are casting a shadow on the economy and the u.s. federal reserve has vowed to step in with additional measures if necessary. >> federal reserve chairman ben bernanke did not let the figures dampen his spirits at the meeting of the world's central bankererin jackson hole. he remains convinced the u.s. economy is recovering. but he stressed the fed will take any necessary steps to prevent a slide back into recession. after a drawn-out and steep fall in output, the u.s. economy began picking up again in mid 2009, but early this year the recovery lost steam. annual gdp growth stands at 1.6%.

that is because federal stimulus programs introduced during the global financial crisis are coming to an end. widespread unemployment and problems on the real-estate market e ao keepi the brakes on growth. >> britain's economy grew at its fastest pace in nine years in the second quarter. the office for national statistics said gdp grew 1.2%, topping the preliminary estimate. output was especially strong, reporting its strongest growth in 28 years. britain's economic recovery accelerated sharply in the first half, but economists warn a weakening global economy and government spending cuts could slow growth ne year. the u.s. economy was mainly on the minds of investors mosos of the week, but we have this round of friday's trading in frankfurt. >> nobody really seemed satisfied at the end of this week. there was a lot of focus on the

u.s. economy and the threat of it falling back into recession. there was some good news from the united states, but the majority of the news suggests there is a likelihood it will fall back into recession. the the dax lost abo 1% this week. some investors fled into german government bonds as a safe n. people are first-rate, but there is importance laid on america at the moment. on the other hand, we know that germany does not live in a bubble. the strong economy here cannot go on forever without other customers like america's flourishing. looking at some of the numbers, the blue chips in frankfurt, the dax index finished at 5951, 20% higher. euro stoxx 50 at 2630. the dow industrials higher, 10,151. and the euro $1.2734.

new york sed jeweler tiffany is ringing up big sales and the company boosted profits by 20% in the second quarter, making $67 million. customers in europe and asia are buying more expensive items. business especially good in china, where the company has 12 outlets. its test sre oned recently in shanghai. bahn has completed its acquisition of arriva, who has some 42,000 employees in europe. i>> london's hallmark double decker buses are now driving the deutsche bahn. so are these trains, which is part of the takeover. that is costing the national rail operator 2.8 billion euros, a hefty price tag considering

ar-15 billion in the red. but arriva promises access to new markets. one of the biggest transport companies, they operate truss at -- train and bus services, but that will have to divest their operations after ruling by competition regulators. they said it will boost their position on european market, but observers think there may be another reason behind the takeover. with its portis acquisition, the german rail operator may have its sights on the u.s. or india, where the british have a store clique had close ties -- with its acquisition of the british company. the price of oil and gas in germany is going up because import costs are higher than ever before. it is about 10% higher than last month. companies are expected to pass on the prices to customers. will and gas prices have

increased 30%. it-- oil and gas prices have increased 30%. new video of the chilean miners shows they are in good spirits and hell's the -- and healthy. this is the first footage to show their conditions since there were trapped underground three weeks ago. there are concerns that the euphoria could turn into despair. >> this huge drilling machine will be used to dig the shaft as an escape route for the miners, but it will only be 66 centimeters wide. the trapped m have been told to keep exercising in order to stay slim and to maintain their physical and mental fitness over the coming months until the rescue. so far, they seem to be in high spirits, sending messages to their families and putting on a brave face.

experts believe as time goes on, their fears may grow and panic could break out. at the moment, the miners are getting suppli throug smal town all created by a probe drill. a food and water is what they've need most. some of them have already lost up to 10 kilos. digging a second tunnel large enough for them to escape through could take up to four months or longer. meantime, friends and relatives only wait and hope that everything works out as planned. >> god gave us the strength to stay here even when we did not know if they were alive, so now we have more strength and reason to stay here. >> 700 meters below the surface, the-past time playing dominoes and praying. praying that they will get through the ordeal, trapped in the dark. russian president dmitry medvedev has suspended an unpopular program to build a

toll motorway through the of forced on the edge of moscow, that he was time for more discussion. the project which was greeted by his predecessor is opposed by local activists -- which was approved by his predecess is opsed loc activists, but some say it may signify a political rift between former president clinton and his handpicked successor. >> these trees were chopped down to make way for the new motorway. environmental activists are celebrating it as a success. >> we're very pleased. it was the right decision. it is a victory for civil society and the people who fought for this forest. >> just weeks ago, the activists barely received any attention at all. but the forest fires have provoked growing criticism of the kremlin's and farm policies. public -- environmental policies. a public confidence is at an

all-time low and the president is taking action. >> i am ordering my government to stop the construction of this motorway. >> his order overturned the previous decision made by vladimir putin, who approved the plans. putin is playing down the matter. >> there is always a conflict between environmental considerations and infrastructure projects. but this road needs to be built. >> medvedev but said he will also review the four separate law, which is blamed in part for the rapid spread of fires this summer, but the president has avoided openly criticizing the plan, and most believe medvedev is continuing the previous policies with only minimal differences. to time formula one racing champion had the fastest time at

the belgian grand prix perry -- at the belgian grand prix. the second-best time was also turned in. and lois hamilton was third i© his mclaren mercedes. a german soccer star has been told he will not play for the national team until he is completely fit. the midfielder missed the world cup for injuries which gave the defender a chance to wear the captains are banned. he says he is eager to hold on to the post. he will not play in germany's first to qualifier matches. brazilian midfielder diego is returning to the bundesliga. it will pay an estimated 4 million euros per year. there are reportedly paying 15 million euros transfer fee per it -- transfer free.

i and depth is up next. stick around.

the german government is set to outline a new energy policy next month. at stake are billions of euros and the country's energy security. the government is considering reversing the landmark policy by the previous red-green administration to phase out nuclear power over the next decade or so. the issue has sparked fierce debates and has pitted the big energy companies against the german chancellor. >> the four giants of the german energy sector. eon, rwe, and others. they share 80% of the german market and one-quarter of their energy comes from nuclear plants.

>> they run the german nuclear plants and obviously they have an interest in keeping these plants on line for as long as possible. that is because they're cost- effective and ensure profitable futures for the companies. >> thenergy giants are calling for a longer life spans of at least 15 years for the plants, and what to keep as much of their profits as possible. that is why i have been putting pressure on the government in pursuit of their interests. they even went so far as to place full-page ads in newspapers, with ford executives signing an open letter opposing the nuclear project with executive signing an open letter opposing the nuclear projects. meanwhile, the opposition says the government is divided and accessibleo lobbying. >> the chancellor sent along signal. -- the chancellor sent the wrong signal. she tried to mediate instead of

indicating which way to go, and the executive saw that as an indication to exert political pressure. >> now the chancellor is trying to rein in the companies. on a visit to the plant, angela merkel stressed such nuclear power stations would b bsubject to a fuel tax amounting to 2.3 billion euros, and that may not be all. >> i believe in dition to that, we need to look at which way the energy sector can contribute to renewable energies, and i am specifically not talking about this. >> it is the advocates of renewable energies toward the other players in the struggle for money and power. just like the public utilities that have built new gas and coal plants, they are banking on a new energy provision model and are now afraid of losing influence. >> of course it is about inrest financial interests.

and it is about investments and market position. it makes it difficult to get a balanced concept on the table. >> angela merkel has made energy policy a central issue for chancellor ship. if she is seen to be making too many concessions, it could look like a political defeat. the big challenge for the chancellor is how to meet the country's energy needs without damaging the environment. alternative energy sources could provide part of the answer. germany is a world leader in wind power and pvide centives tcompanies to switch to clean sources of energy. at the moment, only 16% of the country's energy comes from renewables. the government would like to increase that number, but it now has to decide what is the right energy mix for the future. >> germany is a highly industrialized, densely populated country with 80 million people and some of the world's most ambitious emissions reductions targets.

the environment ministers the difficult task is to ensure a secure energy supply and stable prices and protect the environment. >> we need a modern energy policies that aim to develop renewable energy sources, in part because webelieve they are an important part of the country's economic modernization. >> germany currently generates almost half of its electricity from coal burning power plants. another 20% comes from the nuclear plants. renewable energy sources like wind and sun account for 16%. the rest comes from othehe sources, including natural gas. nuclear power is sure to remain part of that makes for some time. the question is, how long? germany wants to encourage renewables as fast as possible and keep using coal as well. in addition to electricity,

nuclear reactors also produce radioactive waste that must be safely stored. while the german government like to reverse the decision to phase out nuclear power plants, it acknowledges they are not permanent solution perry -- they're not a permanent solution. >> the issue with nuclear energy is the necessity of expanding the plant's operation, but we have to move beyond it and get there safely. >> looking beyond nuclear energy means when the power. they made that clear when they started up the offshore wind park. >> this is the future. the future has to become reality. it is feasible, technically feasible, and that is why it is so iorta. >> that leaves cold. it also delivers reliable, cheap electricity, but the resulting co2 emissions are blamed for climate change. nuclear power, wind power, and coal. all three are pillars of the

energy security, and the government wants to decide and the exact picture by the end of september. -- the exact mixture by the end of september. of them are political correspondent has been following this story and told us more about the main challenges facing the government as it prepares to make some majo decions about germany's energy policy. >> it may sound astonishing for a highly industrialized society like germany, but we have never had a national energy plan. there have been several attempts to formulate one, they have always failed in the negotiations with the power companies. so when angela merkel's present coalition government into power, in the coalition agreement they decided to commission an independent study on germany's energy needs, with recommendations f the future, and they commissioned it for an institute in germany and an independent institution in switzerland.

today, the report consisting of several other pages has been handed over to the government. the question asks, the future of nuclear energy in germany is only one small part of this complex process in which there are more questions than there are answers. it but a previous german government, a coalition of social democrats and gens, decid phase out nuclear energy by 2022. and now appears that target cannot be reached because germany at the moment draws on a 16% of its energy needs from renewables, so it seems necessary to expand the life span of the nuclear reactors. the question is, how long? >> there appears to be public mudslinging between the big four energy companies and the german chancellor. it tells us more. >> that is right, theuclear power companies argue they have

only just finished paying off the building costs of their most efficient reactors and were looking forward to reaping the financial rewards. but the german states, like all industrialized states, our cash strapped at the moment because of the financial crisis last year. they have turned their hungry eyes on the nuclear industry. they say if we're going to expand the life span of the nuclear reactors, we want money. it is quite a lot of money, in terms of 2.3 billion euros per year in taxes. the nuclear energy companies are absolutely furious because they had seen the german conservative government as their natural political allies and have been furious about it, but angela merkel as chancellor has remained firm and says she will not back down, and i think he generally has the support of the german public, who are basically -- who are not basically in favor of nuclear

power as part of the energy mix. >> that has en the i depth. thank you for watching. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--