>> this is "the journal" live in berlin. welcome. i'm is a brone a. here's what's coming up over the next 15 minutes -- nelson mandela is in hospital after the recurrence of a lung infection. there's still a serious threat of dikes breaking at the river elba with thousands of people being evacuated. and at the french open in paris, title defender rafael nadal has again reached the inals.

>> former south african president nelson mandela has been rushed to a pretoria hospital. doctors say mandela is in a serious but stable condition. it's the third time the 94-year-old mandela has been in hospital since december. this time doctors are treating him for a lung infection. mandela was south africa's first black president in the 1990's. he's a hero for many around the world because he led the struggle against white rule in south africa. and for more, i can now speak to our correspondent, who is in johannesburg. what's the latest you can tell us about nelson mandela's health status? >> we've got early this very brief statement by the spokesperson of the government, which stated, as you mentioned it before, serious but stable is his condition, but the word "serious," that worries people here in south africa, because it's the first time that the spokesperson uses this term. plus he's been hospitalized three times in the last month, so that shows that he's very

old and he's very fragile, and if you remember the last pictures we've seen of nelson mandela, which was in may, he looked very, very weak and very old, and he was hardly responding to his guests, so i'm not very positive when i look at the news coming out of south africa. >> and how have south africans been reacting to the news? >> there's been amazing calmness in the country, an anxious calmness, i would say. nobody wants mandela, the father of the nation, to go, so the only thing people can do is send the best wishes and pray for him, and that's basic what will we get all the time. people say too early for him to go, we want him to recover, and we wish him a speedy recovery. the normal person on the street says that as well. >> that's our report from johannesburg. thanks very much. >> and here in germany, large parts of the country are still threatened by massive flooding as the floodwaters work their way down stream. levels of the river elba are

expected to rise even further this weekend, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. tens of thousands of firemen and soldiers are already on duty to prevent further damage and save as many lives and houses as possible. >> early morning in the city in saxony, residents are preparing for a tough day ahead. while the water has receded in dresden, saxony is bracing themselves for more flooding. water levels here surged to 7.3 meters, a new record. people are doing what they can to prevent more damage. many will have to leave their homes. in some parts of the town, electricity had to be turned off. a few kilometers upriver, the army has been working round the clock to shore up dikes. germany's defense minister visited the village to assess the situation. he appeared confident that the right measures were in place.

>> coordination especially has improved significantly. we can really say we learned from the great damage inflicted by the flood in 2002. >> in the bavarian town on the danube, the water is slowly receding, paving the way for a big clean-up. some people are being allowed back into their homes. despite that, the situation here remains critical. parts of the town are still underwater. many dams are in danger of bursting, and there's more rain orecast for the weekend. >> german foreign minister has made an unannounced visit to afghanistan far talks. he met with afghan president hamid karzai. he urged karzai to hold free and fair elections next year, and he demanded greater efforts to fight corruption on karzai's part.

germany would pull out troops from afghanistan next year despite what he called a very difficult security situation. u.s. president barack obama has promised americans that the government isn't listening to their phone calls. obama has rejected criticism of u.s. anti-terrorist programs, and he says the programs are modest in scope. u.s. spiers have direct access to the internet service of big american communications companies. it includes facebook, apple, and google. the firms have denied working with the government though. u.s. president barack obama and china's new president, xi jinping, are holding an informal summit at a retreat outside of los angeles this weekend. the two leaders are expected to address the increasingly fraught issue of hacking and cybersecurity, but north korea

is also on the agenda. >> they're arguably the most powerful leaders on earth, and this weekend, they're trying to make up. china and the u.s. have been rowing. now it's hoped an informal meeting between obama and xi will ease the tensions. this is their first encounter since xi became china's president. the leaders began their summit by pledging cooperation. >> we believe that a peaceful and stable and prosperous china is not only good for chinese, but also good for the world and for the united states. >> the two sides must work together on a night model of mutual respect. the world is look fog the u.s. nd china to deliver. >> still, there are tough topics on the agenda, like cyberwar and military cooperation. so far, xi and obama haven't agreed on anything much, but both sides are promising more dialogue.

>> staying in california, as many as six people have been killed and several injured in a shooting rampage in santa monica. police say the killing happened at a house and then headed to nearby santa monica college, opening fire several times along the way. witnesses say he was dressed in black and armed with an assault-style rifle. officers cornered him in the school library, where he was shot and killed. the second suspect was taken into custody. to turkey now, where anti-government protests have entered their ninth day, and thousands of people are still occupying istanbul's central square. at a conference on friday, prime minister erdogan had fired back at western critics of the brutal police response to a week of protests. he says europe and the u.s. are guilty of double standards as they treat their demonstrators just the same way. across turkey, the protest movement continues to grow with organizers calling for an end

to the erosion of civil rights and the release of government critics from prison. >> it was another night of clashes in turkey's main city, istanbul. riot police used armored vehicles and tear gas to try to disperse demonstrators. they responded with rocks and fireworks. they're angry at the increasingly authoritarian rule. >> we're not going to accept a single idea, single point of view. the turkish people deserve better than this. >> turkish security forces have been accused of using excessive force against protesters. at a conference in istanbul, e.u. enlargement commissioner said that member states have to protect certain freedoms. >> this includes the freedom to express one's opinion, the freedom to assemble peacefully, and freedom to report on what is happening, as it is happening.

>> but erdogan has rejected accusations of repressive leadership. >> we have no qualms or questions about freedom, independence, the rule of law, or the democratic experience. today the turkish republic is closer to e.u. membership than it he has ever been. >> more freedom, more independence, that's exactly what these people say they're demonstrating for. >> a court in peru has sentenced the last of the original leaders of the shining path rebel group to life in prison. florence yo was found guilty of terrorism, drug trafficking, and money larneding. he was also ordered to pay nearly 140 million euros in damages. the shining path guerrillas were actors in the 1980's, inspeared by maoist philosophy. they tried to overthrow the government and establish a communist state. nearly 70,000 people were killed or disappeared in the conflict.

>> to sports now, and we start with tennis. expectations for the french open semifinal between rafa nadal and novak djokovic were amazingly high, and spectators weren't disappointed. it was a thrilling game, and the king of clay emerged as the winner after a titanic struggle. >> djokovic was looking for his first french open title, but he was on the back foot for most of his match against rafael nadal. he managed to force a fifth set after twice fighting back from a set down. nadal continued to exert control in the final set. his aggressive play was simply too much for the world number one. somehow djokovic stayed in the match, holding on despite exquisite shots like this from the seven-time winner at row roland garros. finally, after over 4 1/2

hours, the match came to an end when he sent a forehand long. nadal won the final set 9-7. he moves on to send's final, where he'll take on fellow spaniard, david ferrer. >> so, as we just heard, in the final, nadal will meet david ferrer. sunday's all-spanish class will be ferrer's first grand slam final. ferrer advanced to the final by downing local hero, judge will fried tsonga. to formula one season, it's made its way to montreal this weekend for the canadian grand prix, and so far it's looking good for ferrari. former world champion fernando posted the fastest lap time in the second practice session. the spaniard went quickest in the afternoon after the first session was hit by wet conditions. he'll battle for pole position

with louis hamilton. and to football now. we're just one year away from what many think is the greatest show on earth, the world cup. next year, brazz sill hosting the tournament and they're also hosting a world cup curtain raiser. the confederations cup, which begins a week from now. azil goes into that cup an underdog. if things don't improve before next summer, sporting history might repeat itself. >> this moment still haunts brazilians decades later. in a massive upset, brazil loses 2-1 to uruguay, the hosts were out of the 1950 world cup. a film brazil's football museum tharls down day. now the brazilian team has a chance to make good. they'll host the world cup next year. >> brazil has the best team in the world. >> they're going to win the cup. >> fans are ecstatic before a friendly against chili in

april, but then in the stands after kickoff, brazil looked tired, as so often of late. louis fill hee hasn't won against a top team since 2009. he finished 2-2. next year's world cup could be another debacle. >> it makes us sad, but that's football. >> d.w. if brazil can really beat top european sides right now. >> yes, we can hold our own against any side. >> this is brazil's top performer right now by a mile. the bantamweight forward is a rising star. they've just been performed to f.c. barcelona for 57 million euros. brazilians hope he'll save their side. along with defensive midfielder, he's tipped to be one of brazil's up and comers next year. >> i know that the pressure from the fans is pretty huge. but nothing would be better than winning the world cup at

home. >> for brazil, 2014's world cup is a chance to overcome past demons, and the squad's current slump. >> and finally, to gold now. holland's team holds a narrow lead going into the third round. open in austria. he had birdie after birdie, including this one on the seventh hole. he finished the second round with a four under 68. he's just ahead of callen, the scot. he bashed out some impressive drives to finish the second round with an impressive 65. he's level with two rivals going into the third round. and just a quick reminder of our main news story -- former south african president nelson mandela has been rushed to a pretoria hospital, where doctors are treating him for a lung infection. they say mandela is in a serious but stable condition.

it's the third time the 94-year-old mandela has been in hospital since december. back with more news at the top of the hour. please stay with us. >> this city is locate where two major rivers merge and now experiencing its worst flood disaster in centuries. the waters have begun receding, leaving behind debris and mud, but residents are cleaning up and determined to get back to ife as normal. rubber boots are essential equipment here. helpers have to trudge through water and mud. those without boots create make-shift ones. this volunteer has turned a sturdy plastic bag into protective gear. she says all you need to do is

tie it around your foot, then around your leg, and that will eep the mud out. >> i asked if it works. he says yesterday it held for three or four hours, but today he's tied the bags a little tighter. at this office in university, carolina is coordinating student volunteer efforts. the students are organized and doing what they can. it's nice, she says, that residents see that we're not all lazy students. we also roll up our sleeves. we're residents too. we want life to get back to normal. students have proven ready to lend a hand, 2,000 to 3,000 are helping out every day. one of the volunteers sent to he banks of the river is a man

who's studying to become a teacher. we're lucky our own living quarters aren't effective. now that the water is gone, it's unbelievable how wrecked and full of mud everything is, but it's uplifting to see everyone helping out. but it isn't free of the floodwaters just yet. as i see when i join authorities on patrol, normal you would be able to stroll along with promenade here. now you couldn't even stand on the spot. they're incredulous. he says it's shocking what nature is capable of when you realize how vulnerable you are in spite of technology and flood defenses. there's been a lot of investments here, but in the end, mother nature was a meter higher than expected.

the location means it's prone to flooding, but never before has it been this bad. the water has even crept up to places previously considered safe. that's been the case for this man. he wants to get into his apartment and see just how bad it is. ut he can't access it yet. you can't even see the house, he says. it's located down a side street, almost the last house before the spot where the rivers meet. he waves over the water police, but they can't dock. the murder underneath is too deep and current are dangerous. the most direct way is blocked by piles of sand and mud. this law student ought to be studying for her bar exam, but she says there are more important things at the moment.

they've been wheeling one load of mud after another out of flooded businesses. shems the zaster is weighing on everyone's minds. van aand his wife are worried about their home, but they're trying to look on the bright side. disasters always have a positive side, hannah says, with people showing solidarity and stand together. that goes a little way towards helping reduce the devastation. other student volunteers have been assigned to help clean out this spa that was completely submerged. all that's left is mud, and it's everywhere. the owner hadn't even been in business for a year when the lood struck. a firefighter once told him you have to fight water with water.

the worst part, the mud, is best cleared with more water. the bar was hit hope for the future. he investd all his savings and took out a loan. he says without government assistance, he won't be able to pay back the money he still ohs the bank, a normal salary wouldn't be enough. without help, he says he'll be uined for the next 10 years. the 28-year-old doesn't even want to think about that prospect right now. at the moment, he says he's just grateful that he's not left all alone with the clean-up work. student volunteer says they're tight-knit. steading here and taking advantage of the city's offerings, it's only right to show solidarity and help out. this man and his wife want to take stock and get to work. they're still hopeful of getting a ride from the water

police. but they're told the mud is nearly two meters deep, to the couple's disbleefment authorities say it could take another two days until they're able to reach their home. he says apparently it's impossible until the mud has been cleared, all one neither nd 80 centimeters of it. the couple are now afraid their house could be covered in mud too. he says that the houses further down towards the river were built for floods with living quarters elevated above ground level. but theirs is not. they never thought that water could rise so high, so fast. hey simple weren't prepared. sandbags weren't enough to hold back the water with flood levels reaching a peak of 12

meters 80. back at the university, carolina is taking calls coming in by the minute via the emergency hotline. she asks what people need. residents have also been using facebook to announce what help they're looking for or are in a osition to give. corolina says a student just called to ask for help from an elderly neighbor who lost everything. five volunteers are being dispatched to help her gather her belongings and to calm her erves. the students' crisis response as proven effective. they've even put together care packages with food for the olunteers.

students say they packed cheese and sausage sandwiches, fruit and sweets and that it's hopefully enough for the aid workers. the food has been donated by businesses. the care packages are distributed to crews in the city center. a firefighter expresses surprise at the quality of the students' goodies and adds that everyone is thankful for them. even the helpers say thanks. and there's even dessert. this ice cream vendor is giving out free chocolate ice cream to volunteers. he says ice cream makes people happy, especially chocolate flavor. it boosts hormone levels and makes you sleep. that way people's faces shine again like the sun. people are happy when they can eat ice cream, and there's no

ore rain over there anymore. ice cream always helps. water police continue to patrol and current remain dangerous. they've been a member of the volunteer water police brigade for 20 years, and this is his irst major test. it's fun to help, he says, and he gained useful experience. he says it's a good way to spend his will he sure time. another reason everyone's eager to help is that they depend on tourism and it's hoped that visitors will want to return soon. hannah wants to get into her home at last. she asks if this is the way. her husband has already managed to gain entry, supposedly by passing through this house. she can't believe the scenes

around her. the water is waist high, but luckily she gets some assistance, and she's grateful for it. > it's unbelievable, she says. finally she reaches her address. the floors are bending, she exclaims. again, she simply can't comprehend how high the waters were. but she's relieved that all of her patient files and cabinets above are secure. she has a psychiatry practice upstairs. the floor is ruined, but at least her files have been pared. the damage could have been worse. e