>> live from the dw studios here in berlin, this is the "journal." >> here's what's coming up in the next half-hour -- washington confirms and defense years of secret surveillance at home and abroad. >> united nations turned down an offer from moscow for unit -- russian troops to be stationed at golan heights. >> forecasters tell more areas in germany to prepare for the highest blood levels in german history.

-- flood levels lane german history. >> is the united states the first modern surveillance state, into the country's domestic surveillance programs put the country on par with former east germany? >> that is exactly what major american newspapers and civil liberties groups are asking to get after it and -- emerged that the obama administration has been secretly collecting phone and e-mail records of some citizens. >> the practice involves e-mail chat collection by internet giants like google, facebook, an apple and a massive sweep of domestic telephone calls. the government has defended the warrantless searches, saying they are necessary for fighting terrorism. >> for years, millions of people have been unknowingly under the watchful eye of the national security agency or the fbi. the "washington post" says the government has collected information that matters private details of people's lives. the secret program directly taps the servers of leading internet

providers and extracts to information from e-mails, chats, and collection log. the program was launched in 2007 under former president george w. bush and expanded under the obama administration. the president has defended the practice. >> you cannot have 100% security and also then have 100% privacy and zero inconvenience. we are going to have to make some choices. >> experts find it hard to believe that only non-u.s. citizens have been targeted since online services like google and facebook are used by millions of americans as well. germany's i.t. association is calling for an investigation. >> we estimate that about 50% of all wiretaping is targeted u.s. citizens, while the other half was aimed at foreigners. we can assume that include

germans. >> it is unclear weather some leading online services will fully assisted the u.s. government. companies like microsoft, apple, skype, and internet giant yahoo! claim they have never even heard about the program, but according to the "washington post," 98% of production is based on yahoo!, google, and microsoft. the top-secret document was leaked to the newspaper by a career intelligence officer who said he wanted to expose what he called a gross intrusion on privacy, saying they quite literally can watch your ideas form as you type. >> has a fundamental right been lost in the united states? for more, let's bring in the executive director of european digital rights. welcome. it is not just individuals who are threatened by this type of surveillance, is it? it is businesses as well. how can the obama administration possibly defend these practices?

>> the response is going to be very predictable -- the data are extremely important, and therefore, it is perfectly reasonable to gain access to them in any way that the u.s. sees fit. the problem is that either the data are very important, in which case it should be possible to get a legal basis, or they are not, in which case, this should not be happening. >> legal basis meaning warrants, right? the second question would be what about here in europe? given these developments in the united states, how safe is our data? how private is it really? >> currently, if the data are stored with an american company, the american company will fall under u.s. jurisdiction, and the fis that act in the u.s. in particular gives pretty much unlimited access to the united states to access the data -- the fisa act. >> that means google, yahoo,

using services like that, you have no expectation of privacy? >> unfortunately, the way the law is written in the united states, the possibility is always there, and it is pretty much unlimited. >> what about civil society? what about governments? what can they do to rein in intelligence agencies that have no respect for the rule of law? >> intelligence services to what they are told. they are not renegade bodies. the trick is to have rules that are clear, unequivocal, and make sure that the agencies in question are fully accountable for what they do. >> thank you very much. he is the executive director of the european digital rights organization. >> the united nations says that russia's offer to send peacekeepers to the golan heights simply is not possible. >> in the past weeks, conflict in syria has threatened to spill over to the golan heights bordering with israel, so much

so that austria has pulled out its peacekeepers because of security concerns. >> a united nations spokesperson says that russia cannot replace those austrian troops because it is one of five permanent members of united nations security council. >> the view from the golan heights is a popular tourist attraction. united nations peacekeepers have been stationed there since the 1970's, but the conflict between syrian government forces and rebels have said -- has surged near the area where syrian borders the region. this week, two united nations soldiers were caught up in the fighting and injured. israel has occupied the golan heights since the six-day war in 1967. the peacekeepers are based in a demilitarized zone between israel and syria. austrian troops have been the cornerstone of that mission for years. but after the injuries this week, the and announced it was pulling soldiers out, saying dangers had risen to an unacceptable level -- vienna

announced it was pulling its soldiers out. that cut the number of troops by 1/3. then the surprise offer from russian president vladimir putin. >> as you all know, the united nations secretary general recently visited russia. he asked us to increase our participation in peacekeeping operations. given the complicated situation in the golan heights, we could replace the leading austrian contingent on the border between israeli troops and the syrian army. >> putin stressed that this was only a proposal. he said a formal request had to come from the united nations and that both israel and syria must agree to the deployment. russia is a close ally of syria and a major arms supplier to the assad regime, but moscow also has cordial relations with israel. >> the turkish prime minister

has fired back at western critics who say he made a heavy- handed police respond in -- response to a week of demonstrations, saying europe has a double standard in the case the same way. >> today in the "new york times," a democracy movement bought ad space to air their grievances. here is more. >> members of turkey's state opera and ballet performed on the capital, but it was not their usual material. they were joining the anti- government protests that have raged for the last week. >> our only aim is to show our protest by dancing. the ground is our stage, and it is the only place that we can express ourselves. >> back from an overseas trip,

the prime minister was forced to defend his government's handling of the demonstrations. turkish security forces have been accused of using excessive force against protesters. at a conference in istanbul, the eu enlargement commissioner said that member states have to protect certain freedoms. >> the freedom to express one's opinion, freedom to assemble peacefully, and freedom of media to report on what is happening as it is happening. >> but he hit back. he points into the handling of protests in europe and america. >> these people who want to tell us how to act -- what do they have to say about the protests on wall street? teargas was used there, too. similar protests have taken place in britain, france, germany, and greece. what was the reaction there? >> he says his government is

open to democratic demands, but he wants to bring an immediate end to the demonstrations in turkey. here in on growth, police continued to clear protest camps, but demonstrators say they are determined to carry on -- here in ankara. >> meanwhile, parts of northern germany are bracing for what looks to be the worst flooding in known history. >> the waters, which devastated massive areas of central europe earlier this week, are now moving downstream. forecasters predict the river to crest this weekend, but not before they reach levels never before recorded. >> this lake is threatening to overflow and swamp in nearby town. soldiers have tried to mend the breach by helicopter, but it is unclear if it will hold the water back. the situation in dresden is less critical, but the water is now moving toward the state of saxony. some parts of this town resemble

a ghost town. thousands of residents happen or did -- ordered to evacuate their homes. authorities warned residents to be a public address system to expect a seven-meter-high floodway, should the dam burst. the wave is what they are most concerned about. >> we urgently advised people to leave the evacuation zone. it remains a very dangerous situation. uncontrolled breach.hance of an- >> it is a similar story downstream. everything is being done to enforce dikes. flood levels are already 20 centimeters higher than the last devastating flood of 2002, and still, the water keeps on rising. german army helicopters are flying nonstop to strengthen defense systems. germany's defense minister paid a visit to see for himself. he is confident the army's efforts will prove to be effective.

>> coordination efforts turned out very well. it is obvious that we have learned a lot from the heavy damage sustained in the 2002 floods. >> authorities are not expecting the water to crest here until sunday. >> in hungary, people are also bracing for the flood surges. the danube is set to reach record levels this weekend. the hungarian government is urgently preparing for a worst- case scenario in areas bordering the danube. thousands of volunteers have been filling sand that -- sandbags and erecting protective barriers. authorities say that as many as 55,000 people may have to be evacuated in the capital budapest by monday. >> it is romantically termed the blue danube, but as we are about to see, there is nothing romantic or blue about it right now, particularly in bavaria. >> a farm drowning in the dark, muddy flood waters.

the outlook in this district is bleak. the danube river has already burst through two dikes. the remaining flood barriers are sought in and still under threat -- are sodden and still under threat. residents across the region evacuate their homes days ago. farmers have returned to take stock of the damage. farmers gathering debris take stock of their medals. >> everything needs to dry out first. then we can start clearing the debris. that is not something a farmer can manage on his own. we definitely need support. >> help for small farm operations is unlikely to come from insurance companies.

compensation for flood damage is limited. with the high waters have subsided, residents have also begun cleaning up. piles of rubbish and soaked- through furniture line the streets. unlike farms, many households are covered against flood damage, and there is hope that compensation is on the way. >> it is extremely important to document the damage. that means taking photos. how high the water was in the cellar or outside the building. of course, clients are obliged to minimize damage. they need to make sure they limit the damage as much as possible. maybe try things out themselves. all these things help us to limit their losses. >> local town halls are providing much of the assistance. they are handing out 1500 euros to each affected household as part of an emergency aid package

passed by the state government. >> stay with us. we'll be back after a short break with the latest unemployment figures in the u.s. >> and the latest sports news and white grease is saying "i told you so >> thanks so much for staying with us. >> welcome back. the tunisian prime minister was faced with some naked facts during his state visit to berlin on friday. >> in their latest public protest, feminist activists disrupted the chancellor in berlin. >> they pushed for the release of activists currently jailed in geneva. they were arrested last week for holding a naked protests in solidarity with a tunisian feminist. >> protesters from the radical feminist group demonstrated in front of the chancellery in berlin ahead of the chancellor's

meeting with her tunisian counterpart. activists were also on the leaders' agenda. they could face prison sentences for carrying out a peaceful demonstration. >> i reported to him that we had also experienced this type of protest. the german foreign minister explain just how we dealt with it, so, yes, we talked with it together. >> germany is calling on tunisian to show more leniency in dealing with peaceful demonstrators. in contrast, both countries agree that a hard line is called for when it comes to another shared challenge -- how to deal with islamist terrorists. >> we do not talk to or negotiate with terrorists. we fight terrorism and do so in the framework of the law. >> the chancellor praised tunisia's commitment to fighting extremists, and she pledged to improve cooperation between the

country's police forces. >> in the increasingly orthodox russia of today, the announcement that russian president vladimir putin and his wife are separated after 30 years of marriage has been met with a mixed reaction. >> many agree with the honesty and dignity of the public appearance, but others think they should remain together for as long as putin is president for the good of the nation. here is more. >> the russian president was asked if the rumors of the separation with his wife were true. he seemed uncharacteristically at a loss for words. but then he answered with a yes, saying his wife never like life in the public eye. >> some people like it. some people do not. but there are people who absolutely cannot stand it, and she has kept the watch for eight years -- nine, actually.

>> i agree with what he is saying. it was really a joint decision. our marriage is over. >> the couple made their announcement after a surprise visit to a ballet performance. their first public appearance in over a year. footage showing them happily together at home is more than two years old, but there had been rumors. >> meaning he has a mistress, but it is not proper for a president to get a divorce. >> his family life was always a secret. his wife was usually out of the spotlight. >> the russian public seems to be taking the news in stride. kremlin first lady's generally are not in the spotlight much. >> in a minute, we will be having some business news. >> first, a look at other headlines around the world. >> after months of strained relations, north and south korea will be holding talks on sunday. they are now negotiating on a

location for the meeting. the talks will include issues such as reopening a jointly run industrial complex. p'yongyang has also installed a cross-border hot line. >> a u.s. drones strike has killed at least seven suspected militants in pakistan's northwestern state of waziristan near the afghan border. this is the first drone attacks since pakistan's newly elected prime minister was sworn in. days ago, he called on the u.s. to stop such attacks in this country. >> police in bosnia have broken up a siege by thousands of protesters linked in a human chain around sarajevo's parliament building. they are demanding government action on a new i.d. law. many guests were stuck inside the building for 14 hours. they were eventually evacuated by the police force. >> 91-year-old prince philip,

husband of the british queen, is said to be progressing satisfactorily in hospital after undergoing exploratory surgery. his help was in the spotlight last summer when he spent almost a week in a hospital with a bladder infection. >> the u.s. economy added 175,000 jobs in the month of may according to government data released on friday. numbers are better than forecasters had expected but not enough to make a dent in the unemployment rate, which rose slightly to 7.6%. reports suggest that the federal reserve will continue its stimulus program. >> analysts said growing demand

beyond europe was the main factor for the rise in imports. the world goods were also exported in the european union. but it is not all good news. our correspondent explains why from the frankfurt stock exchange. >> the strong german exports in april did not cause enthusiasm at the exchange because since april, several hints already have come in, which make investors believe that exports are not going to continue to be as strong as in april. recent updates of factory orders, for example, have come in rather weakly. the german reserve bank is also not very enthusiastic. it lowered its projection for the economy once more. a cost -- what caused the market to drain from the downside to the upside in the course of trading in freddie was good news for the american labor market, which makes people here believe that the markets can continue to

rely on the generous american monetary policy. >> that the u.s. jobs data sent markets soaring on friday. jobs got a nice bump heading into the weekend. the dow over in new york is still trading, and that is currently about 1% higher. the euro-dollar, however, is trading lower. >> there is a lot of "we told you so quarter made going around greece right now aimed at the international monetary fund. and the imf admitted the impact spending cuts and tax hikes would have on the greek economy as part of a massive bailout three years ago. the result -- one of the worst economic collapse is seen ever in peacetime. that incomes have dropped by 1/3. unemployment has hit 25%. suicides have soared. protesting has not stopped. >> a unique alliance outside the health ministry in downtown

athens. greek doctors and health care workers were joined by colleagues from portugal and belgium in a loud protest against crippling austerity cuts. >> we know that the situation in greece is catastrophic compared to ours, but back home, health care is also beginning to be privatized, so we want to show solidarity and stand up for a continent that takes care of its citizens. we stand by the nurses, doctors, and health-care workers of greece. >> the international monetary fund has admitted to notable failures in the handling of greece's bailout, saying it has worsened the country's economic plight. some say the cuts will lead to the collapse of the creek health system -- greek health system. >> we as health workers cannot take much more -- the wage cuts, lack of staff, increase in work -- we cannot take it anymore that we cannot treat of the

uninsured. >> hopes i increase that the imf report will prompt brussels to loosen the austerity throttle the eu commission and european central bank, which manage the bailout with the imf, reject criticism of the austerity regime. >> some sports news now -- the libyan national soccer team is gearing up for its first home match in more than two years. libya will play the democratic republic of congo in a world cup qualifier. the national squad has been undergoing final training ahead of tonight's match. since the 2011 war that toppled muammar gaddafi, libya has been unable to post international matches because of security concerns, but in april, soccer's world governing body lifted the ban. authorities have promised beefed up security around the stadium. formula one fans will be steering their attention this weekend to montreal for the canadian grand prix. >> the german team mercedes is hoping to add to the momentum

from a win in monaco, despite controversy surrounding a tire tests conducted before the race. >> nikko is in top form after securing three positions in a row, he finally managed to win last month's monaco grand prix. until now, mercedes had more where on the back tires than any other formula one car, but this time, it fare better. >> i was trying to limit myself to one pit stop. that was decisive for victory, so i knew i had to drive a little slower to preserve my tires. >> but mercedes has since been summoned to an international tribunal of formula one's governing body and allegations that a test carried out with a tire maker before the monocoque race broke competition rules. a ruling is likely to take weeks. the travises the test gave mercedes no advantage and put the monaco victory down to other factors.

>> it has a better design. mercedes has lots of great ideas that you see coming in to the season would have gone with their design direction. >> mercedes has certainly improved rear wheel suspension, which reduces where on the tires. that may have helped on its lower course like monaco, but it is not cle how mercedes will fail on the high-speed track in montreal this weekend or how well drivers will be able to focus on the race with all the furor going on around them. >> that's all we have time for right now. thanks for joining us. >> we will see you next time. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

>> the white house defends its rights to collect the phone records of millions of its citizens. how widespread is the u.s. government surveillance? you are watching "inside story americas" from washington. .ello autopsy could court order has revealed that the national security agency is collecting the phone records of millions of cell phone users in the u.s. , obtained by "