>> hello and welcome to the journal, coming to you live from berlin. >> here is what is coming up on the show. >> u.s. president barack obama says the credibility of the international community is on the line if the syrian regime goes unpunished. >> the presidents of france and germany remember the big ends of a not s massacre that wiped out the entire -- of a nazi-era massacre that wiped out an entire village. >> and a report on global competitiveness.

>> world leaders are gearing up for a big g-20 summit tomorrow which promises to be dominated by disagreement over one topic, whether to intervene in syria. >> host nation russia continues to stand behind the syrian regime and support bashar assad. the u.s. president, barack obama, continues to argue in favor of unit of action against the regime. he said his -- in favor of unity of action -- of punitive action against the regime. he said his campaign was not personal. >> president obama looked confident as he arrived at stockholm's international airport. uses it to sweden had been expected to focus on economic issues. -- his visit to sweden had been expected to focus on economic issues. >> we believe with high

confidence that chemical weapons were used and that mr. assad was the source. and we want to join with the international community in an effective response that deters such use in the future. >> sweden condemns the use of chemical weapons in syria in the strongest possible terms. it is a clear violation of international law. those responsible should be held accountable. sweden believes that syria's matters -- serious matters concerning international peace and security should be handled by the united nations. >> the prime minister reminded obama that his country had taken in thousands of people who had fled the conflict in syria. so far, russia has blocked any un security council decision on syria and warned the west against taking action. president vladimir putin called the assertion that government -- that the government had used

chemical weapons ludicrous. he indicated on wednesday that he may support an intervention if it is proved that damascus used staring gas on the people -- used staring gas -- used sarin gas on the people. >> i would not rule out military action, but i would draw your attention to one key fact. according to international law, only the un security council can sanction action against a state. >> president obama is intent on military action, even without u.n. approval. the senate will vote on legi slation that would limit any action to under 90 days and prevent troops from being put in the country on the ground. >> let's bring in a guest,

joining us from moscow. these latest comments by putin -- is he softening his stance towards military action in syria? what do you here in moscow? >> we hear nothing like that. those close to the kremlin are saying putin's comments, which he made in an hour-long interview, only underline russia's position on the syria question. he said he would be willing to reconsider russia's position if there was strong evidence. it makes you wonder where the evidence would come from. putin said the victims were not enough, neither were information collected by electronic services. russia knows that the u.n. have no mandate to say who is to blame for the attack. the russian foreign ministry published a report.

the report suggests the makeshift weapon used is known to be used by rebels, not by the assad regime. it does not really look -- the report says the west was turning a blind eye to these findings. it does not look as if russia is going anywhere and is still firmly standing on assad's side. >> we know obama and putin canceled their official meeting surrounding the g-20. are there any other opportunities for them to cross paths? >> officially, no meeting between vladimir putin and barack obama has been planned, not according to the kremlin, who have published a list of putin's official meetings. he was hoping to get a chance to talk with his american colleague. there have been strange and provocative comments coming out from the kremlin on that question.

he said -- let me quote this to you. president putin will greet president obama, shake his hand, but what happens next, we will see, as if to suggest -- there is a sense they will talk about this. it needs to be solved, they know that. >> thanks for the update. >> let's take a closer look at this. the relationship with putin and obama was never on very firm footing. lately, they cannot agree on anything. >> the contrast in their approaches are profound. let's get a look at how things have developed. >> brack obama and vladimir putin's body language when they see each other -- barak obama -- barack obama and vladimir putin's body language when they see each other is clear. relations between the two world powers have not been so tense

since the cold war. since putin's returned to the kremlin in 2011, there has been a series of tit-for-tat slights. the kremlin incensed the white house when it refused to extradite former intelligence officer edward snowden, who spent weeks in the transit zone of moscow's international airport. washington want him to stand trial for espionage. instead, putin gave him a passport and granted him asylum for a year. obama retaliated by canceling a planned meeting with putin. >> the president of the united states has signaled his interest in russia is declining. if you are russia, that is not a good thing. it is clearly not a good thing for the united states either. putin is definitely offended by this decision. i think it is unlikely to send a signal to his bureaucracy that they should work better, that they should play nice with the americans. >> and this toughness has also been apparent in efforts of the

u.s. -- the un security council to act against bashar al-assad in syria, which russia has persistently vetoed. assad's alleged use of chemical weapons has -- international community's desire to act. u.s. president obama is competent that assad ordered the attack. even as -- u.s. president obama is confident that assad ordered the attack. >> i assure you nobody ends up being more war weary than me. frankly, part of the challenge that we end up with year is that a lot of -- end up with here is that a lot of people think something should be done but nobody wants to do it. that is not an unusual situation. >> president putin has warned obama bentz -- against taking one-sided action.

>> i am talking to him here not as a colleague or as a u.s. president, but as a nobel peace prize laureate. things have not calmed down. p>> the conflict has put the un security council in a bind. there can be no resolution on syria if the u.s. and russia do not find a compromise. >> there will always be the same model of opposing views unless there are serious talks here there has to be a discussion of how to work together, instead of forcing russia to accept certain conditions. >> it would be easier to have such a discussion if relations between obama and putin thought -- thawed. but the standoff looks to continue.

a are not scheduled to meet one- on-one on the sidelines of the -- they are not scheduled to meet one-on-one on the sidelines of the g-20 summit. them a only -- >> only three nations can beat germany when it comes to competitiveness according to the world economic forum. >> germany comes in behind switzerland, singapore, and finland. >> germany's strongest point was its infrastructure. the country's roads, rail network, and other public transport services were rated first-class. experts within germany same or maintenance work is needed on those facilities -- seymore maintenance work is needed -- experts within germany say more maintenance work is needed on those facilities. >> it is easier for businesses to obtain finance in this year as opposed to previous years did we see improvements over the longer term in labor market flexibility. traditionally, that has been an

era -- area of weakness for germany. >> term and companies are among the worlds most innovative, thanks to strong investment in research and development. -- among the world's most innovative, thanks to strong investment in research and development. singapore stayed at number two thanks to high productivity and a strong financial sector. finland's highly ranked education system kept it in third place. but there is a competitive divide within the eurozone. struggling euro economies perform badly. portugal is in position 51. greece is further down the rankings, in 90 first place -- in 91st place. >> onto wednesday's market action. european shares moved slightly higher in the midweek session. our correspondence sent us this summary of the trading in frankfurt. -- our correspondent sent us this summary of the trading in frankfurt. >> although there have been small plus signs in the dax

toward the end of the session, the market has been trading very low. very nervous. high volatility. especially because of the fact that the war in syria is worrying investors, and the probable steps made by the u.s.a . weigh on the markets heavily. this trading day, lufthansa shares went down sharply because of the very volatile oil prices. the german economy in general seems to be very stable. >> let's check out wednesday's numbers in a bit more detail. the dax up by about 2/10 of 1%. the euro stoxx 50 performing at about the same level. the dow is looking even. the euro is trading stronger against the greenback.

japan's government says it will be able to contain the radioactive leaks at fukushima and have the situation completely within kroll -- within control in the next seven years. >> the olympic committee will decide who will post those games. japan has been reassuring the committee that the country is safe. >> tokyo 2020 -- >> tokyo wants to host the olympics in seven years' time. there is a decision -- as the decision approaches, organizers have been keen to stress that the plant is 250 kilometers away. they say it poses no danger to athletes or spectators. the government says it is acting decisively. >> we are aware of concerns over the issue of contaminated water leaks at fukushima. the government is taking charge and will definitely resolve this problem. >> but the problems at the plant appear to be growing by the day. readings near tanks holding

contaminated water as high as 2200 millis eberts -- 2200 millis eberts -- millisieverts. and still no answers from the plant owner. >> were continuing to investigate the cause of the rise -- we are continuing to investigate the cause of the rise. >> the government is moving to try and fix the situation. it is to fund a huge underground ice wall to contain the water leaks. despite the ongoing problems, japan wants to stick with nuclear power. japan has a total of 17 nuclear reactors. only one of them is operating at the moment. the others will have to pass stringent safety inspections before they are allowed to restart. for now, and japan is hoping the

news from fukushima will not he rail its bid for the olympics -- for now, japan is hoping the news from tokushima -- fukushima will not derail its bid for the olympics.

>> welcome back. we begin the second half of the show with an emotional commemoration. it was this historic moment of reconciliation. >> president joachim gauck became the first turman president to visit the site where ss troops massacred -- the first german president to visit the site where ss troops massacred -- >> it was a solemn occasion, german president joachim gauck, wrench president francois hollande, and an eyewitness -- french president francois

hollande, and an eyewitness. many him and said -- many innocent women and children were murdered. for doubt, -- forgot -- for g auck, it was a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed. >> this was the work of courageous visionary people, ready for reconciliation. especially being here, i would like to remind you that the offer of reconciliation came from the french side at a very early stage. during the german occupation, the battalion attacked the village. they massacred 642 people and burned much of the village to the ground. today, the ruins symbolize the appalling crimes committed by the nazis in france. it is very important that the presidents of old germany and france are here to tell the truth -- of both germany and

france are here to tell the truth. the truth is the only way to reconciliation. demagogue -- >> gauck is the first german president to come to oradour. >> has it put the ghosts of the past to rest? we put the question to our correspondent. >> the mood was very emotional. you could see that gauck was very touched when he was in the church where more than 400 women and children were killed. a very symbolic place for the village, which was totally erased by the ss massacre. you could see that him a when he took the hands of the survivor and of poland -- see that, when he took the hands of the survivor end of hollande, he was overwhelmed. he thanked the french people for the gesture of reconciliation, for inviting him to this place. they also stressed that it is

not about burying the past. it is about keeping it alive. the message of oradour is that we should fight for freedom and peace. >> what have locals been saying about this visit? >> for many decades, locals have been very critical about germany. they were angry because they said that germany does not hold the people responsibility -- responsibility who did -- does not hold the people responsible who did this massacre. the tone and gestures of his speech were highly appreciated. >> thank you very much. >> last year, a scandal over organ transplants shook germany. a doctor in gottingen was accused of manipulating his patients' records so that they received organs more quickly. >> a committee tasked with investigating this has announced their findings. their conclusion, trust in transplant procedures needs to

be restored. organ donations are at a 10-year low. >> the committee found that 20 of the 24 transplant clinics had acted professionally, despite minor irregularities at some. but at four clinics, there had been serious violations of the procedures for liver transplant operations. medical records were manipulated to move certain patience of the waiting list. -- patients up the waiting list. >> it was not primarily material motives that led to the irregularities. it was not the private patients were favored. it was more that there were structural incentives to do with hospital financing and certain hospitals competing with each other, and to do with the pursuit of fame and honor. >> now transplants of other organs are also to be investigated. germany has some of the strictest regulations in the world for such procedures, but the scandal has had drastic consequences. organ donations have dropped significantly. >> i think the people who have

decided not to donate their organs because of the gottingen case perhaps want to punish the doctor who is on trial. they are not punishing the doctor. instead, they are punishing the 11,000 people on waiting lists, who urgently need organs. >> it is a problem with fatal consequences. 3 people waiting for an organ transplant diet every day -- die every day. >> we will get a check up on the old paperback book. they still exist. >> but first, a look at some other stories making the headlines. wikileaks' founder julian assange has filed a criminal complaint in germany, alleging he was spied on in the country by an american intelligent agent. he says the incident occurred while he was attending a congress in berlin in 2009. german prosecutors mace -- must check whether german laws were violated. >> the soldier behind the largest intelligence leak in u.s. history has requested a

pardon. chelsea manning is facing 35 years in jail. rights groups are urging president obama to take a sympathetic stance. >> the cleveland kidnapper, ariel castro, has been found dead. officials at a prison in ohio say castro appears to have hanged himself in his cell. castro was jailed for life without parole last month for holding three young women captive for years and subjecting them to rape and beatings. he had been separated from the jail's general population. >> bad luck if you live on one of the 83 islands that make up then walk to -- up vanuatu. >> the united nations says that the islands that live on the so- called ring of fire are at the greatest risk of natural disaster. >> that's because of a large number of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and he islands are also located on a cyclone belt.

-- and islands are also located on a cyclone belt. >> germany placed 146. >> natural disasters can often have very different impacts. when parts of germany were hit by devastating floods earlier this year, eight people were killed. when floods hit pakistan in 2010, 1700 people lost their lives. 2 million homes were destroyed. thousands were displaced. two disasters in two countries. but according to the new world risk report, it's not just the geographic location of the country that determines the severity of the outcome. >> you have to look at the response structures. germany has many more doctors than pakistan. so, if something happens, more people can be treated. germany also has more hospital beds. so, again, more people can be looked at if there is a natural disaster. >> the new report weighs out the

potential damage that natural disasters could cause in 173 countries. it found that pacific islands and parts of africa and central america face the biggest risks. >> countries can work on many things to minimize their vulnerability and the associated risk. >> they include the political situation, health care provisions, and drinking water supply. small changes, the report's authors say, can often have a big impact. >> let's shift to some good news. the print book is not dead. >> the popularity of you readers -- of e-readers has grown in recent years, leading many to fear that the old, bind the paper could be on the endangered list. >> but it is far from gone. case in point, brazil. >> half of the population is made up of book readers. some of them will be among the 600,000 visitors at the book i annual -- the book biennial in rio de janeiro.

>> it is one of the most famous bookstores in downtown rio. at lunchtime, it fills up with book rooms -- bookworms hung the -- hungry for new prose. the store specializes in books on architecture and he arts as well as the classics of world literature -- and the arts, as well as the classics of world literature. >> we are seeing a new type of customer, looking for lighter fiction or erotic novels to help them escape everyday life. >> this is where those new readers come from, the rapidly transforming for debt -- favelas on the outskirts of rio. malls like this have sprung up to cater to brazil's emerging middle class. people who have managed to haul their families out of poverty during the economic boom. and increasingly, they are discovering the joys of reading. >> when i have the money, i buy my daughter as many books as she wants. one thing is for sure, she is a bookworm.

>> this is the man who brought books to the area. he owns eight stores in the suburbs of rio. he says many people were surprised that his success. -- surprised at his success. >> business is good him a and we are growing quickly. we are already planning more stores -- business is good, and we are growing quickly. we are already planning more stores. >> brazil's new readers are hungry for blockbusters. that is what sells best. >> we love books on mythology and vampires, anything to do with dark and magical worlds. >> i love books from american tv shows, like "dexter" and "house." >> i liked down brown -- dan brown. >> brazilian authors have a strong presence at the international literature festival just beginning in berlin. >> to peru now, where locals are

keeping a close eye on this volcano. it has erupted at least five times over the past few days. geologists at the scene have captured these dramatic pictures. >> check this out. they are showing the exact moment the volcano started spewing ashes from its 500 meter wide crater. geologists say the eruptions are only minor and there is little danger to the public. they explain they are caused by an infiltration of slow. peru is experiencing its heaviest snowfall in 10 years. how would you like to be the guy shooting that video? >> don't get too close. >> thanks for watching. see you next time. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--