♪ >> hello, everyone. welcome to the "journal." i am meggin leigh with the news. >> i am steve chaid at the business desk. >> our top stories at this hour. thousands of egyptian protesters took to the street and an open challenge to president mubarak. protest in lebanon over the appointment of a hezbollah- backed prime minister. and russian leaders pledged strong action to find those responsible for monday's deadly airport bombing in moscow. >> thousands of egyptians have taken into the streets of cairo in protests against president mubarak. protesters said they were inspired by the recent demonstrations in tunisia, which led to the president there being overthrown.

unconfirmed reports say a policeman died in the disturbances in cairo. two demonstrators were reported killed in suez. the united states, a close ally of egypt, called for restraint from all sides. washington says it still regards the mubarak government as stable. >> the center of cairo in the hands of demonstrators. in unprecedented scenes, several thousand people were out to show their rejection of the government of president hosni mubarak. the police, who up to now have always been quick to put down smaller opposition rallies, appeared to be overwhelmed for the first time. as i antony's the, the people in the egyptian capital are unhappy about corruption, and employment, and surging food prices. -- as in geneva. and as i indonesia, here, too, calls are going to change the government, for president mubarak to leave.

>> every side denver -- every time i see the two nations on television, i think that is how it is for us. we should be demonstrating, too. >> people will not stop protesting. we're stronger than the regime and its military. >> people are hungry. prices are rising. it is not fair. we cannot stand it any longer. >> we want regime change. >> the police finally resorted to force, using a water cannon and tear gas to disperse demonstrators. but the protesters remained resolute, with more rallies planned in the coming days. >> for the latest situation, we're now joined by our correspondent in the capital cairo. bring us up-to-date on what is happening now on the streets. >> i am just coming from the main square in downtown cairo. the police mpletely whdra fr t inn part of e cy there, and there is a big, big party basically going on.

there are people coming from all over and gathering there. mainly the youngsters are planning to stay overnight. people are bringing food in bringing something to drink for people to stay there overnight. the security is just watching the whole thing from far away. it is interesting, because all kinds of artists and intellectuals, very known people, you can find their at the square. for example, i found in egyptian novelist there. i asked him what his sense was of the whole day, and he said to me, this is a historic day. he says, after this date, there will be no return. >> so the protests, you would say, were pretty serious? >> well, they were pretty serious in the afternoon when there was clashes with the police. the interesting thing is that the people really lost their fear. i saw scenes or people were chasing the police, not the other way around. even when the police used tear

gas, people were just standing. they did not move. so police basically gave up and withdrew. it is a completely new atmosphere in cairo compared to the days before. >> how dangerous are these protests for president hosni boom -- hosni mubarak? >> i think they're very, very seriously. it is the tunisian scenario repeating itself. we have the same mixture of problems. unemployment and poverty, which is even much worse in egypt. massive corruption and the political leadership that has a monopoly of the political life for three decades. anyone is but today the demonstration, there were a lot of young people. it was always the same answer. i met some 20-year-old student, and he said, you know, i am 20 years old. i know nothing else that mubarak, and that is enough. this is why i came out. it is the first time in my life i went to the demonstration. there were lots of people like that there today.

>> we thank you very much for that update from cairo. after weeks of political uncertainty, lebanon has a new prime minister-designate, a wealthy businessman. he is supported by hezbollah. the news that his appointment was met by large protests by supporters of the outgoing president. they feel that the iran-backed hezbollah will have to much influence on the new government. >> smoke rises above the lebanese capital as anti- government protests descend into violence and unrest. police used tear gas as they tried to break up the demotrations. th are directed at this man, lebanon's new prime minister. although he himself is regarded as a moderate, he was appointed with the support of the radical hezbollah group. >> i assured the p psident that there will be complete

cooperation between us to form a government that the lebanese want. a government that protects its unity and sovereignty and create solidarity between its people and protects coexistence. >> but supporters of t outgoing prime minister say the new prime minister iserely a mouthpiece for hezbollah. in in northern city, harry himself called on the protesters to remain -- hariri called on the protesters to remain calm. >> i a understand your anger, but it is not right to express it by going against our values, our upbringing, and our understanding of democracy. >> the new appointment has led to rising political tensions in lebanon, and they're likely to t fir test of manthe new primminister will have to deal with. >> russian officials have vowed revenge from it is a suicide bomb attack in moscow's main airport, which kilild 35 people.

there have been tough words from president dmitry medvedev, who held an emergency meeting at the kremlin today. a criminal investigation is now under way to look into the security lapses, which led to the airport bombing. >> anyone wanting to enter domodedovo airport must now pass through metal detector, even those who just want to lay flowers at the side of the explosion. >> this is such a tragic event. we should all honor t memory of the victims. these are ordinary people who died so suddenly. >> it was nervous leaving. i left houston yesterday. we ran late. in houston, there were a lot of bomb-sniffing dogs. pretty nervous. >> the suicide bomber blew himself up at four o'clock 30 2:00 p.m. local time on monday. sources close to the investigation said the july close leads to the crisis-

ridden northern caucuses region, just as with earlier attacks. >> i think it is obvious to everyone in this room that everything must be done to find and bring to court the bandits who committed this crime. and the nests of these bandits, however deep they have dug in must be liquidated. >> authorities have designated wednesday as an official day of mourning for the victims of the bombing. >> theremleems unable to stop terrorist attacks from alleged it militants from the north caucusus, despite spending billions and taking a tough line. now they're trying to bring the region under control without provoking more violence. >> the new man in charge of investigating incidents in the german army has accused some officers of a series o obreaches of duty. in a report from tuesday, there was a call for improvements in both discipline and training. the annual report on the side of

the german military comes as the defense minister had to fend off criticism over his handling of controversial incidents, including the death of a female cadet all aboard a navy training vessel. i will have more on that story coming up later. now over to steve with a story on -- germans seem to be spending more than they are sitting. >> more people have jobs and more expendable income. the clear, healthy sign. german consumer confidence is on track not to hit a three-year high. as europe's biggest economy built on last year's strg than expeed recovery and accomplished a strong start to dozen 11. a report by marketing institute said its forward-looking confidence indicator will come in next month at levels not seen since before the global economic crisis. in another strong sign, they say germany's future economic growth now rests on broader foundations with domestic consumption

playing an increasingly important role. >> business at department stores is booming, with german spending at the same rate in january as in the lead to the holidays. and their readiness to part with cash has improved substantially compared to the same time last year. in a janua5y 2010, the german index for consumer confidence stood at 3.4. since then, it has been climbing steadily, now totaling 5.5 points. germans are also buying more big-ticket items. the main reason is the airbus labor market, which makes people feel their jobs are safer. as a result, they're spending more and saving less. analysts expect the consumer confidence index to keep rising in february. >> in consumer confidence in the world's biggest economy, the united states, is also on the rise. climbing in january to its highest level in eight months. the highest reading came in above expectations. u.s. government is expected to

report on friday that the economy grew at a solid 3.5% annualized rate in the fourth quarter of last year. earlier i spoke to our correspondent at the new york stock exchange and asked him how the market had reacted to the rise in consumer confidence. >> well, it journalists are positive that consumer confidence reached the highest level since may of last year, but we also got word from the real-estate market that prices are still falling and also, we got word on tuesday that in the 20 states in the u.s., the unemployment rate increased in the past month. some kind of mixed news that we got here from the private sector. >> on the corporate front, we have seen earnings at. did any figures are in the market reactions standout? >> yes, we saw some disappointments, especially from companies listed in the dow

jones industrial average. american express missing wall street estimates by two pennies. that stock trading lower. dupont reporting profits dropping 50%. johnson and johnson reporting a profit and revenue drop. and also, 3m out with profits dropping. most of those shares are putting pressure on stocks here. >> let's take a closer look at the market numbers, starting off in frankfurt. the dax finished slightly lower. 7559. the euro stoxx 50 fell by 0.7% in finished the session at 2957. on wall street, the dow jones average finishing about 0.5% lower, 11,000 and had 23 points. on currency markets, the you're treading in the belly of $1.3669. ropean comssio predent is meeting with the german

chancellor tuesday evening at the government retrieved outside berlin. they will discuss it does -- response to the eurozone debt crisis. the meeting is that of an eu summit in brussels next week amid calls from economic and monetary affairs commissioner for the eurozone's bailout fund to be enlarged. germany had opposed an increase in the fund is now indicating it would support lower interest rates on bailout loans in return for commitments from recipients to tackle debt and boost competitiveness. >> will be 440 billion your offense save the euro, or will the eu have to find more bailout funding? this is the top issue during talks between european union monetary affairs commissioner and the german governing coalition partner, the ftp, who reject more risky packages. they fear taxpayers in germany would have to foot more badly- managed debt by eu countries.

rain favors the bier sety twork wh toher conditions for it debtors. >> the most important thing is that eu member states budget properly. and implement structural reforms to foster growth. >> there has been no agreement on many issues. at chancellor merkel's meeting with the president of the eu commission on tuesday, the billions of years in asia are likely also to be a sticking point. >> the european financial stabity facity has conducted a first 5 billion eurobond cell to help fund ireland's a bailout. in a success, says the issue was more than nine times oversubscribed. the bailout fund will disburse money to ireland on february 1, for which will pay an interest rate of about 6%. investors in asia report by buying 40% of the issue, while those in the u.k. picked up 15%.

german buyers secure 12%. the bonds have a aaa ranking and are backed by eurozone members. the british pound has fallen against the u.s. dollar andhe reau of their the release of data showing britain's economy unexpectedly contracted at the end of last year. british gdp lost 0.5% in the fourth quarter, despite previous government forecasts predicting growth, albeit week. part of the reason was the unusually severe early winter weather in the u.k., which paralyzed construction, retail, and public transportation sectors. economists are predicting that the british government will have to revise its full-year forecasts downward. that is your business update. back over to meggin leigh lee. >> whavead news for the gean hdball team. geany has lost its final game at the handball world championships in sweden. germany went down by 35 points to 25 against him bottom of the group norway. but it is another blow to

germany's hopes of qualifying for the 2012 olympics. one of germany's most successful film producers has died following a heart attack in los angeles. he was 61 years old. he was responsible for producing worlide hitsuch as "the never ending story," "downfall," and "the name of the rose." he was a film lover and made movies that people want to see, such as the oscar-winning " nowhere in africa." and "perfume stage did. i will be back after a short break with "in depth." we will look at the criticism of events within the german armed forces and how they are being handled. so do not go away. ♪

>> fatal accidents in the rman armed forces have prompted an

investigation into soldier training practices. in in december, a german soldier was killed in an accidental shooting in afghanistan last november, a female cadet died after falling from reading of a training ship during a drill. two years ago, another female candidate drowned on the same ship after falling overboard. the ship's captain has been suspended pending an investigation. army officials will defend a certain trading practices as necessary to becoming a good soldier. but when does milary trning cross e line and become inappropriate conduct? we had this report. >> german soldiers to train for deployment to afghanistan. simulating a scenarios they may experience in the field. it is a drill that pushes the troops to their limit. that is exactly what is attempted. the soldiers learn how to respond quickly and correctly and to follow the commands of their superiors.

>> training is like a good life insurance policy. it can make the difference between life and death. >> discipline and obedience are fundamental in the army, and it is the first thing that new recruits learn when they joined up. their entire life in uniform is governed by orders, for how the walk to how they make their bed. this has little in common with democratic values, a dilemma that any army in an open society has to live with. >> each individual has to leave it themselves. that is why we talk about the principle of a citizensn uniform. soldiers at the be aware of themselves and also aware of their responsibility. >> in other words, sololers are expected to obey orders but not to stop thinking. even in the heat of battle, they're expected to know what is right in what is wrong. soldiers are allowed to refuse to follow orders of those orders are be legal. but in general, their role is to

obey. >> if you look specifically at the issue of trading, having the right to self-determination and being a citizen in uniform, does not mean that officers should handle the soldiers with kid gloves. >> it is that balance between the need for obedience in each individual's own world compass that seems to have come undone on a training vessel. the cadets on board were being trained to become officers, but it seems the training techniques were often particularly harsh. there are even reports of abuse. >> in an organization this size with some two hundred 50,000 soldiers, you can never completely exclude the possibility that some people will behave inappropriatel that will so be thease any other organization of that size. what is the important is to address deficiencies and take the steps to resolve them. >> germany's armed forces of change in recent years, especially to the large number of deployments abroad.

such missions are tough and psychological effects on those involved. many young gerern soldiers now have firsthand experience of war. and it is an experience that takes its toll. >> germany's defense minister normally eoys enormous popularity here in germany, and he is quick to deflect any criticism. but lately, he's been under fire for the way he has handled mishaps in the army since he took over just over a year ago. the opposition has accused him of cover-ups and reversing course to suit his own agenda. he has the support of the chancellor angela merkel, but observers are wondering how well he will weather the current storm. >> the minister regularly tops popularity fold is keen to reform the german army from the bottom-up. while visiting troops in afghanistan in december with his wife, for the first time, he admitted the mission was part of a war and promised more honesty to the visit got a lot of tv

coverage here in germany. critics say he is playing up to the media. but the most serious allegation is that he has been making too many mistakes. in september 2009, a german commander ordered an air strike on a convoy of road tankers hijacked by the taliban. many civilians died. his predecessor had to step down as a consequence. he took over, promising to clarify the events there early. but he reached a quick conclusion. >> the military strikes, in view of the overall threat, were inappropriate in military terms. -- were inappropriate in military terms. >> a month later, it was a surprise when he revised his verdict in parliament. >> from today's standpoint and in view of all the documents that were withheld from me, it

was appropriate -- it was not appropriate in military terms. >> they probably remove the bundeswehr's top general and his own it secretary. an inquiry has been trying to find that ever since whahahe knew and when. parliamentarians are also questioning the case of a soldier killed in afghanistan by a comrades weapon before christmas. shortly before, they he was due to arrive there with angela merkel. in this and other cases, their suspicions of a cover-up. but he has gone on the offensive. >> that will definitely have consequences. and stopping it will have the necessary consequences. >> but many wonder whether the consequences will be the right ones. it seems a merkel's most popular minister has become vulnerable. >> our political correspondent

joins me now in the studio to discuss the latest situation on the german defense minister. as you just heard, he has become vulnerable. how vulnerable the thing he has become? >> i think the defense minister is weathering a storm of scandals and accusations at the moment. it has made it quite difficult for him. what is striking is there a different problems in many different parts of the german military. you have this case on a training ship, where this kid that was killed. it appears to have been a very cruel training exercise. apparently, she was forced to climb the reing. a the we ve t soldier killed in afghanistan in what is claimed to be a game involving loaded weapons. but there are also a allegations of sexual harassment and wild and drunkenness, and even claims that its soldiers posed has been opened illegally. so a lot of different things. i think he is unfortunate that these things seem to have come

along rather at once. but he is floundering at the moment. some are calling him the self defense minister. >> ok. in light of that, how well do think is handng these latest scandals? >> i think he is struggling to get his message up. some have said the problem is the internal communication within the defense ministry is too slow, and it has left the minister seeming slow to react. with the ship case, for instance, he first said it that a full investigation should be carried out before conclusions could be drawn. but then he appeared to go back on it that by suspending the captain. he said that is normal procedure. but it looks bad. think one of the problems is that this is coming at a time when he is trying to transform germany's military. from a largely conscription force to being fully

professional armed services with commitments around the globe. they need to recruit good people if they are going to do that successfully. and if this affects public confidence, which has grown in the german military in the last few years, that could make it harder to recruit those good people. >> it seems that some of s lies have peared unsympathetic to his current misfortunes. i read one thing that someone said it warning shot like this would do him good. what does this mean? do you think they're jealous? >> well, he is glamorous and has built up this extraordinarily popular image in recent years. he is a dynamic aristocrat with a popular touch. some see him as a future leader of the country even. obviously, there will be those that are envious of that image. we will have to wait and see whether he is able to emerge from this still okingood. >> absolutely. thank you. that wraps up the "journal" at this hour. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

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ow! of course. thank you. i'd call her honeydew goodbody, not lisa. the very fact that she is called lisa proves that she exists.