>> a warm welcome to the "journal." >> here's what's coming up in the next half hour -- >> the four men convicted of raping and killing a young woman in delhi are sentenced to death by hanging. >> the american and russian foreign ministers say they are working hard to find common ground at their talks on serbia in geneva. >> tragedy in russia as 37 people are killed in a fire at a psychiatric hospital.

>> well, it is a case that has shocked the collective conscience of a nation. that's how an indian nation described crimes as he sentenced for men to death for the rape and murder of a student in delhi. >> they were convicted of luring a student into a bus last december and then of gang raping her. >> the sentence has been welcomed in many corners. >> "hang the rapists," the demonstrators chant as the men arrived to hear their sentence. activist say they believe the death penalty will act as a deterrent to others. many here including top politicians believe justice has been served. >> the sentence will give justice to that girl and her family. the judge has set an example to such antisocial elements by saying that if someone commits

such a crime that this is the only punishment or it. >> four men were found guilty of luring the victim onto a us and raping her repeatedly. the attackers tortured her with a metal bar, causing injuries that led to her death. the death penalty is rare in india, but the uproar sparked by the case spurred the government to introduce the possibility of a death sentence for rape cases leading to death. some doubt it will work as a deterrent. the men's defense lawyer laid out his position in no unclear terms. >> if by hanging the rapists, rape comes to a stop, we will not appeal to the high court, but if a rape happens within two months, then all the talk about giving a message is wrong and unjust. >> the four men can appeal their case all the way to the supreme court. lawyers say that process could take years. >> for more, we now go live to delhi. i have on the line jason from

"the guardian" newspaper. tell us why in this case the judge has opted for capital punishment when the death penalty is really rare. >> a supreme court ruling from 1983 says the death penalty should be employed in cases that can be defined as the rarest of the rare. the judge, and a very comprehensive judgment said that he felt this case, because of the brutality, because of the premeditation of some of the acts, because of the public outcry as well meant -- met those conditions, that the case was one of the rarest of the rare and that the death sentence was justified. >> what is the legal process now? >> the death sentence will automatically be referred to a higher court, which in this case is the high court in delhi. it was then almost certainly be appealed to the supreme court.

finally, the president has a right of pardon in india. once all that is exhausted, then the convict will be hanged, but that whole process can take several years. >> is there a sense that this case has changed anything in indian society? >> there is a great sense of relief at the moment, relief that a conviction was obtained and that a sentence most people wanted to see was obtained as well. but what ordinary people are saying is that yes, this isa good thing, but we know there is a deep need for systemic reform, deep institutional reform, changes in mindset, and culture, and police behavior and lawyers, and none of that seems to be happening very fast. >> thank you very much.

>> talks on syria's chemical weapons entering a second day in geneva. the first session was described as positive, but officials say they are still far apart on a number of issues. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerry and his russian counterpart said talks in geneva could open the door to wider peace efforts if they succeed. >> there's a lot riding on the talks in geneva. john kerry and his russian counterpart agreed that a breakthrough here could be a big step forward. kerry said both sides are ground. >> i will say on behalf of the united states that president obama is deeply committed to a negotiated solution with respect to syria, and we know that russia is likewise. >> but last night, kerry once again made it clear the united states still reserves the right to launch a military attack on syria if the regime impedes the

instruction of its chemical weapons. russia rejects such a threat of force. president vladimir putin has urged washington to focus on negotiations. should there be positive results in geneva, that would be an important step towards a solution to the conflict in syria. but doubts are already emerging about assad's willingness to destroy his chemical weapons. media reports suggest damascus has been moving its arsenal to different places in syria, presumably to hide them from western intelligence agencies. something else that may have to be discussed in geneva. >> for more, we are joined by our correspondent who joins us from geneva. what progress has been made so far, both on the chemical weapons issue and on potential peace talks? >> they are supposed to split

those into two, as you have done in your question, and surprisingly, it seems there has been real progress on the bigger issue, the issue of the wider conflict in syria. we know the russian foreign minister and his u.s. counterpart met with lakhdar brahimi at the united nations in geneva this morning. following that, we know there will be talks between the u.s. and russians on september 28. the hope is that at those talks, they will be able to come up with another date for the so- called geneva to negotiations. they are the negotiations that look at the wider question of the syrian conflict, so we have had progress on that front not so much yet on the issue of chemical weapons. >> what exactly are the points of disagreement? what is holding up a breakthrough? >> well, look, i suppose it is worth remembering that even the people are talking now about there being more diplomatic momentum than there has been before, the sides are very, very far apart.

they can agree that chemical weapons were used in serbia. the u.s. say was the assad regime. the russians disagree. we know that over the past few minutes, kofi annan, the former united nations secretary- general, was involved in the talks as he has just left. bear in mind, if there's a deal done, the americans would like to stitch it into the text of the united nations resolution. what they like to keep on the table because of oars in the event of the rio noncompliance with the deal? if that were the case, that would be a huge stone they've dropped. but on the positive front, they are still in geneva, and they are still talking. >> thank you very much for that update. the war in syria is already having a knock on effect in neighboring countries. jordan and lebanon are taking in thousands of refugees every day. >> many fear the conflict could have implications for their national security. our correspondent sent us this report.

>> the syrian crisis is the story that has been making all the headlines in israel for weeks. public opinion in jerusalem is split between those who favor a diplomatic solution and those calling for military intervention in serbia -- syria. >> i oppose the way obama is handling the situation. his hesitancy will provoke an even worse response in the future. >> this is a very serious situation. i never for a moment thought the solution would be a military strike on syria. i think it would lead to an escalation, even if they just bomb it once or twice, so i think a diplomatic solution to remove the syrian chemical weapons would be more effect if -- effective. >> long lines have been forming a gas mask his true mission centers like this one in tel aviv. -- long lines have been forming

at gas mask distribution centers like this one in tel aviv. even though many are not overly concerned, they want to be ready for whatever happens. >> i'm not worried. i have faith in the strength of the israeli army, but i do want to be prepared just like everyone else here in tel aviv and israel. >> for weeks, israeli media have been analyzing a wide range of possible scenarios. some analysts welcomed the proposal to place syria's chemical weapons under that could prevent them from all and into the hands of islamist extremists. >> if we could see the russians taking a responsible role in syria, taking the chemical weapons out of syria and ending this crisis without an american strike, i think that would be a good outcome and would set a great king example for the iranian case as well. >> although the threat of an imminent u.s.-israeli strike is

still present, it has been put aside for now. >> in germany, angela merkel's main election rival has caused a bit of a stink after being shown on the cover of a magazine making a rude gesture with his middle finger. >> social democrat challenger pere steinberg made the gesture after being asked to respond to criticism of his campaign -- social democrat challenger pere steinberg -- peer steinbrueck. >> this is a message to those who do not think he is good enough to be chancellor. many people think the opposition candidate's attempt at humor was misguided, and this gesture has triggered a storm. even the government is flummoxed. >> the overall situation gives me no cause for concern. regarding the concrete matter you are addressing, i can only say i have no words. >> many voters are saying

steinberg has gone too far -- steinberg -- steinberg -- stein brueck has gone too far. >> for someone who is trying to become chancellor, it is too far. >> and experienced diplomat like him should choose another gesture. >> if he wants to become chancellor, he cannot go around acting like another berlusconi. >> it does not bother me. for me, other factors count more. i do not think that is really him. he's just being portrayed like that. >> before the controversial photo opportunity, he had appeared to gain ground, but his party continues to lag in the polls. the latest survey puts chancellor angela merkel's party slightly down. the spd is up slightly with 28%. the greens remain at 10%. the left party is eight percent,

and the ftp has five percent, just enough to scrape into parliament. that gives chancellor merkel's coalition with the ftp 45%, not enough or a majority. the three opposition parties combined have a slight lead, but steinberg has ruled out any coalition involving the left party. with many voters undecided, it's likely to be a close call on election day. >> now for some analysis, let's bring in our political correspondent. how damaging is this episode? he won some support in recent days, hadn't he? >> yes, he was gaining ground in opinion polls to some degree. his personal pops up -- popularity was rising, but i do not think he has done himself or his party any favors with this photo op you are referring to. the gesture he is seen to be

making there is considered rude if not obscene, and german voters simply do not want to see their chancellor candidates making that kind of gesture. many are shocked. the overwhelming reaction is negative. >> as we head into the final week of campaigning, what do you make of those poll numbers we saw in our report? >> i think there's no doubt now that the chancellor's conservative faction will emerge as the strongest grouping on september 22, but the question is -- will the chancellor's current coalition party, the free democrats, do well enough to continue the current governing coalition? if they get enough seats in the bundestag, more than the current opposition, we will see a continuation of the coalition. if not, we could see a return to the so-called grand coalition, but i do not think we will see peer steinbrueck a lot.

>> thank you for that assessment. we are going to take a short it now, but when we him back, we will have more news, including business news. business news. >> in the latest from the world

>> welcome back to the show. at least 37 people have been killed in a fire at a psychiatric hospital in northwestern russia. investigations are underway into the cause of that fire. >> the building was due to be closed after it failed a safety check earlier this year, but the hospital. authorities to give it permission to stay open until next year. >> the blaze tore through the hospital before dawn, destroying an entire ward. rescue efforts were hampered by foggy conditions. it apparently took firefighters 45 minutes to arrive on the scene. officials say it had previously

been ordered to improve its fire security. >> about 300 firefighters are on the scene. we have now got doctors, psychologists, and rescue planes at the site. if necessary, injured people can be evacuated by air. >> some 60 people were reportedly in the building when the fire broke out. staff said yves actuate in them was difficult as many patients had been bedridden or sedated. recommendations that the hospital move to safer premises had gone unheeded. it's the second deadly blaze to hit a russian psychiatric clinic this year. in april, a fire at a hospital near moscow killed 30 people. >> two roadside bombs have gone off in iraq, killing at least 30 people and wounding 24. the blast struck outside a sunni mosque. >> the bombs exploded as people

were leaving friday prayers. there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. taliban militants have attacked the u.s. consulate in western afghanistan. police say insurgents donated a car bomb and fired on police guard. >> at least five militants and an afghan security guard were killed in the firefight. the u.s. consulate said all its employees inside the building were unharmed. thousands of people in turkey have taken to the streets in protest against the government. >> there have been clashes across the country, but particularly in istanbul. police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters. the latest demonstrations were sparked by the death of a protester on monday. demonstrators claimed he was killed by police. officers say he fell from a rooftop. the country saw a massive wave of anti-government back in june. there's a big takeover in the health-care industry in germany. >> the clinic is set to sell most of its hospitals to its

rival. if the deal were to go through, it would create a health-care giant. >> the deal turns it into the largest private hospital operator the country. until now, the private hospital market in germany was dominated by a handful of almost equally big groups, but if regulators approve the takeover, this will be the clear market leader with turnover of around 5.5 alien euros. many hospitals in germany are struggling with too many empty beds. a study suggests every fourth clinic is threatened with bankruptcy. private clinics, however, have been gaining ground. in general, only privately owned hospitals are able to generate a good income. the number of nonprofit hospitals such as those run by churches, has decreased significantly over the past 10 years, and public hospitals are particularly hard hit with their number falling to less than 1/3 of the total.

after numerous acquisitions over the years, it has grown into a global health-care company and now looks set to strengthen its position in germany. >> shareholders in germany's largest cable tv provider have approved a deal that should see mobile phone giant vodafone by the company. >> the 7.7 billion euro acquisition would allow the company to offer a combination of tv, internet, mobile phone, and landline services in germany. only one obstacle now stands in the way -- european union regulators still have to give the sale a green light. conrad, lots of deals today. what do investors make of it all? >> the stock rises up all the companies involved are gaining nicely, so quite obviously, investors are quite happy about the news. people now are asking what is next.

despite the fact that many shares here have gained considerably in recent weeks and have reached a relatively high level, especially some of the midsized and smaller sized companies are considered to be interesting takeover targets. >> stocks at a pretty high level, but we have actually seen both today and yesterday, they are kind of not really doing a whole lot. why is that? >> yes, today, for example, the dax has been struggling all day after having gained 2.5% over the course of the week. it looks like investors -- some of them at least -- cannot wait to take some of these profits with them into the weekend. of course, events of next week are also sort of moving at least the talk on the trading floors. the open market committee of the fed will meet and will decide on interest rates and especially on monetary easing. that will have an impact on the market and quite apparently has some impact on the market already today.

the dax at the moment slightly lower as well as the euro stoxx 50 index. in new york, the dow jones industrial average as trading slightly on the upside while the euro is trading at $1.33. >> thanks so much. >> complacency is a lecture he we cannot afford -- that's the message coming out of a meeting of european union finance ministers. >> the ministers are urging european leaders to keep up the pace of her form, despite signs that the block is on the road to recovery, but even so, the cautious optimism in some quarters, the mood and bailed out countries such as greece remains bleak. >> as we report, many young people there are not waiting for things to turn around. they are heading abroad to stronger countries such as germany. >> cuckoo clocks help alexia concentrate on her exam revision. the teenager spent months poring

over her books in preparation for university entrances and -- eggs insurance exams -- entrance exams. she ended up with the best results in the hold country. when it became known that greece's top student was landing to study abroad, there was a media outcry. she believes the reaction is unjustified. >> i don't think it's very unusual. lots of students from all over the world study abroad. it's no big deal these days, especially within europe. germany has some really good universities for studying law, so it was a logical move. >> alexia begins her law degree at the end of september and heidelberg. she will specialize in international law. youth unemployment increase is as high as 60%, so many locals sympathize with her decision to leave.

>> yes, if my friend would not find a good job here, what else can i do? >> i studied social work, but nobody cares about that here. i'm having to work as a waitress. i would have had more opportunities abroad. >> alexia won a scholarship for high achievers. her parents backed her decision to study in germany, but since the case became a hot topic, they do not want to comment on it in public. the issue still elicits strong emotions on the streets of athens. >> most greeks who study abroad come from wealthy families. everyone else has to put up with a dilapidated university system here and make the best of it. >> alexia is surprised her decision has caused so much debate. she has received tons of e-mails containing both praise and

criticism. now she is just looking forward to starting a new chapter of her life in germany. >> life will probably be a little strange in the beginning. but i think i will manage to adapt. but i do not think i will stay there in the long term anyway. >> at the moment, alexia is planning to return home after completing her degree. she hopes in a few years time, opportunities in greece for well-educated graduates will have improved. >> a new exhibition in berlin looks at our visions of tomorrow 's world and what they tell us about the world we live in today. it's very deep. >> it takes its cue from a german artist and his installation, "the end of the 20th century. a >> the waiters race by this british pop artists. the winner has to balance his tray all the way to the finish

line. their faces depict well-known contemporaries of munro. it's a metaphor for the art world, and the artist as a servant to society. >> few people in germany are familiar with nicolas maduro. we have come across one of his sensational major works, and we are making it accessible to the public for the first time in years. >> unfolding in 10 sections, the exhibition explores the 20th century and its visions of the future, pitching progress against disappointments, fears against hopes. this sunbathing doll provides a criticism of consumerism and its excesses. andy warhol's work "ambulance disaster" points to the failure and victims of 20th century political utopias. every 20 minutes, frank sinatra's song "the best is yet to come" sounds through the space. a light touch of irony to an

otherwise heavy eggs edition. the show runs until the end of march. >> finally, some sailing. it was billed as a duel between giants, but now the world's largest tailing regatta looks like it could be a walkover. >> at the america's cup in san francisco, challenger team new zealand has claimed its fifth and six the victories against the defending champion. in the second race of the day, the kiwis came and a full minute ahead. new zealand is now beating oracle 6-1 and needs only four more wins to claim the cup. >> that's it on this edition of the "journal." great to have you with us. >> thanks for watching. have a good weekend. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

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