tv Deutsche Welle Journal LINKTV July 17, 2013 2:00pm-2:31pm PDT
2:00 pm
>> hello and welcome to the "journal" coming to you live from dw in berlin. >> thanks for joining us. coming up in the show -- >> road test and greece as lawmakers get set to vote on thousands of job cuts -- protests in greece. >> tragedy in india. a school meal kills 20 children. >> and charges of a massive bribe in germany. there are just hours to go until
2:01 pm
a crucial vote in greece's parliament. lawmakers are debating whether to go ahead with government plans to cut thousands of jobs in the public sector. >> those cuts have been demanded by greece's international lenders in return for the next batch of bailout money. the threat is that that money will not be forthcoming if lawmakers are unable to get to the plan, and that could mean a new process. >> we will go live to athens and just a moment, but first, this report on another day's protests in greece. >> they are not ready to give up hope or stop fighting for their jobs. police officers paraded through athens to protest the proposals. they were joined by thousands of other public service workers including schoolteachers, transport workers, and even dozens of city mayors.
2:02 pm
>> for the rights of the people that work for the municipalities. >> up to 15,000 government employees could lose their jobs by the end of next year. another 12,500 would face job transfers and uncertain futures. the cuts are a condition for greece to receive the next 6.8 billion euros installment of financial aid from international creditors. the moves are deeply unpopular. >> even now at the last minute, we are hopeful that there are those who will vote for the country, for the citizens. we are not numbers. otherwise, they will have to live with the consequences. >> most observers expect the legislation to pass, even though the government has only a thin majority of parliament. if it does not pass, it could spell the end of greece's coalition and throw the eurozone into turmoil yet again. >> we can crossover live to athens now.
2:03 pm
would you agree then that this vote is likely to pass with a small majority? >> yes. short of any major surprise, the government is expected to pass this controversial till. it needs 151 votes. it controls 155. as we speak, there is a mad scramble, and a lot of arm twisting to get some of these dissenters on board so that there can be a full 150 i've- vote approval. >> this vote is about public sector workers. we are seeing live pictures of protest of those workers outside parliament right now. how much sympathy do they have in the wider population? after all, it has been the private sector that has been hurting most in this crisis. >> given that there are about 1000 people a day who are losing their jobs in the private sector, there is a silent sympathy out there for these
2:04 pm
production plans in the public sector. one opinion poll showed this week about 62% supported this reduction plan. that's up from 40% just a year ago. that said, however, even those sympathizers are opposed to the manner with which the government is going ahead with this reduction plan, and they say that they should have gone ahead with it much earlier to easy pain of these cuts now. >> thanks very much for joining us. >> america's central banker has been clarifying his position on the question that has been haunting the markets -- when will the federal reserve and its massive stimulus programs? >> fed chairman ben bernanke said that the timeline is not set in stone, adding that the bank's policies will remain growth oriented for what he called the foreseeable future. since the financial crisis broke out, the fed has poured trillions of dollars into the economy in the effort to
2:05 pm
stimulate road. recent comments by bernanke have raised fears that that could soon be gone. those fears have been easing on the markets today in the wake of her 19's new comment, and the positive impact from those comments has also eased worries about greece. >> rumors greece might need more money or that there will be another haircut. traders are shrugging it off. the markets have become almost accustomed to the greek problems . the impairments of the fed chairman before the house was a much more interest. bernanke underscored once again that the central bank is going to keep up its monetary policy soothing the markets. there was also positive reaction on the very good numbers of bank of america, raising its profits by 63%, but on the other side, 30,000 employees have to pay for
2:06 pm
this performance with their jobs. >> let's check out the market numbers. starting off in frankfurt where the dax closed at 8254. similar picture on the euro stoxx 50. in new york, trading is still under way. the dow jones pretty much flat. the euro trading at $1.3141 at this hour. >> the eu has drawn up draft legislation which limits charges on consumers using credit and debit cards. the bill is due out next week, and financial institutions are lobbying against it. the likes of american express, visa, and mastercard could ace huge losses. >> the measure falls in line with demands from the commission's antitrust regulators who are trying to rein in the sector. >> if a log gets put through, european consumers and retailers
2:07 pm
could see lower costs as early as next year. here is more. >> whether it is in restaurants, supermarkets, or booking a flight, paying by credit card is easy and convenient. but that convenience comes at a cost -- at least for business owners. credit card issuers can charge hefty fees that are often hard to spot. now, the eu is planning to impose limits. currently, businesses pay between .7% and five percent of the purchase price. the fees are set by card issuers. american express charge more than mastercard, and that is one reason why some businesses only accept certain plastic. and rates vary sector to sector. grocery stores pay less than airlines. another factor is the cardholder's nationality. transactions are tourists from the u.s. cost businesses more. transactions are now to be
2:08 pm
limited to .3% of the bill. it would apply first to cross border chargers in the extended to all payments. the only businesses who will not be happy our credit card providers, who take in an annual 5.7 billion euros in transaction fees. analysts expect those earnings to be nearly have -- halved. >> the captain accused of causing the costa concordia shipwreck wasn't court today -- was in court today. proceedings have been delayed due to a strike. >> he's accused of abandoning his vessel. prosecutors are expected to demand a 20-year prison sentence. 32 people died when the costa concordia ran aground off the coast of italy in january of last year. >> the captain of the costa concordia is accused of manslaughter, of abandoning ship before his crew and passengers, and of causing the loss of the boat.
2:09 pm
he denies the charges and says he will off the vessel into a lifeboat -- he fell off the vessel into a lifeboat. >> he remained on the ship as long as possible until physics forced him to jump into the lifeboat. what could he do? >> this is a choice we can e- mail you wait -- even value weight as we like. >> on january 13, 2012, the huge cruise ship struck a rock. the impact tore a gash in the side of the ship, making a keel over. during the panicked evacuation of more than 4200 passengers and crew, the captain allegedly left in a life vote. he has been incriminated by recordings made that night of the communications with the sure. -- the shore. in one of the phone calls, and
2:10 pm
angry coast guard official repeatedly ordered him to return to his ship and take charge of the evacuation. 32 people died in the disaster. the captain, the sole defendant, faces up to 20 years in jail. his lawyers are asking for three years and five months as part of a plea bargain. >> for more on this case, we are joined by our correspondent, who has been attending the trial. he is now on the line from rome. can you give us the highlights of the proceedings so far. >> as you mentioned, his lawyers seem to be wanting to have a last-ditch attempt to ask for a plea bargain, but the prosecutor who has brought the case to trial does not want that. we now wait to see whether the judge might view it differently. i doubted very much. i think he will be standing trial and will be sentenced to
2:11 pm
the full effect of the law. that was the morning. this afternoon, the court court moved on to perhaps the real business of the trial, which is beginning to hear what exactly happened on that fateful night. there are some terrible details which came out in court about the 32 people who died. we heard talk of whirlpools created in the sea as the ship sank beneath the waves, whirlpools which sucked people to their death just as they were yards from reaching the shore. pretty grim stuff. >> absolutely. how has the defendant been holding up as he has been listening to these stories? >> he seems to be rather serene. he has often a fairly confident demeanor, almost cocky sometimes. he is very well-dressed, his hair well done and perfectly manicured. he jokes with his lawyers and smiles when he talks on the mobile phone.
2:12 pm
he is a man who seems to be really unruffled by the tragic events which are being described. he went aground because of faulty navigational charts, he says, so he has got his mind made up. >> thank you very much for that update. in just a moment, a tragic story from india. >> first, let's have a round up from around the world. >> ceu foreign-policy chief has called on egypt to quickly return to democracy. she made the comments while in cairo. earlier this month, the military deposed islamist president mohamed morsi amid growing protests. >> british lawmakers have passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in england and wales. legislation has now received official signature from the queen, and we await the first gay weddings in 2014.
2:13 pm
>> media reports say at least one person has been killed in a turkish border town by stray bullets fired from serious -- serious -- syria. the turkish military said it fired back in accordance with its rules of engagement. >> violent protests have broken out in india, where at least 22 children between the ages of eight and 11 died after eating a free school lunch that was contaminated with insecticide. over 20 others were hospitalized. >> desperate parents bring their children to the hospital. they can only hope that their en recover. >> when my son came home, we took him right to the hospital. he was vomiting and had terrible stomach cramps. >> more than 20 children have
2:14 pm
already succumbed to what doctors are calling serious chemical poisoning. >> when the children were clinically examined, we saw that there was severe congestion in the chest and their pupils were dilated. these are symptoms of organophosphate poisoning, a compound used as a pesticide for crops. it is very dangerous. >> free lunches are offered in india's state-run schools as a way to increase attendance, but children often suffer from food poisoning due to poor hygiene in kitchens and occasionally, substandard food. critics say there is too little oversight. >> our committee has been set up to investigate. a team of doctors has been organized to provide treatment to the children in anything forward before the september 22 election. dragging this out is very useful for the coalition. >> the interior minister says there is little to add until the
2:15 pm
u.s. shares more information. >> we are not dealing with across the board data storage of what people are saying to one another, like the media keeps suggesting. >> it is alleged the media has been recording contact data of internet users, including those in germany. with so many unanswered questions, problem and's intelligence oversight committee will meet again next month. >> eta protection laws here in germany are very strict. citizens are generally in control of how much they share with the public. >> last we heard, politicians and the media have been quite it tangled over the surveillance scandal. how worked up our ordinary citizens in germany? >> many people say they have nothing to hide. it seems that in this age of digital information and sharing, the idea of privacy has taken on a whole new meaning. >> the issues in a privacy and data protection in germany has burst like a dam wall.
2:16 pm
the news that phone calls and internet connections have been under surveillance has elicited a surprising reaction. >> it could be worse, and it is for our own security, so i'm ok. >> at my data could help prevent something, i would have no objections. >> i have no secrets, so i do not care. >> it's pretty crazy, all the spying, but on the other hand, it may be necessary. >> i have nothing to hide. >> why do people seem so disinterested in the spying affair? this legal expert has an explanation. >> it is hard to make it clear to people why privacy is so perhaps that is because many people cannot grasp activities that seem to be so remote. these activities do not directly affect their daily lives but are far away in a realm that you cannot see or hear.
2:17 pm
>> he is standing in front of what is to become the headquarters of germany's federal intelligence service here in berlin. he has looked closely at the issue of internet privacy, and he has come to the conclusion that the state-guaranteed right to a private sphere is being undermined. >> the problem is that basically all our everyday life is carried out via digital communication systems. that means that we are constantly transmitting data about ourselves that are being stored on servers that we cannot access, so we are losing our control over what information ends up in whose hands. >> even without guarantees for the safety of our data, we continue to help the data collectors through our traceable movements or purchasing preferences. we leave digital tracks that technology turns into personal profiles. out the rhythms can protect our
2:18 pm
next moves and whether we could be dangerous. everyone is suspect. >> this is a dramatic development. what especially bothers me is the component of surveillance without grounds of suspicion. it has been taken to a new level. a taboo has been broken. >> he is calling on policymakers to take a clear stand and protect the privacy of citizens. >> staying in germany, and the business magazine "capital" has conducted a poll of business leaders about the state of the country's economy. >> 1/3 of respondents said they thought that german economy would improve in coming months, and half thought that it would remain stable. more than 2/3 up witnesses said their companies were either doing good or very good. as for the candidates competing to be chancellor, almost 90% said that they thought highly of angela merkel. only 40% said the same about her
2:19 pm
main challenger, social democrat tom appear -- social democrat, peer steinbrueck. 90% said that they have a favorable rating of angela merkel. how much will that mean on election day a couple months from now? >> two months, of course, is a long time in politics, isn't it? currently, angela merkel enjoys very high ratings in all opinion polls, i think probably for the same reason that the business leaders seem to like her. her cautious and conservative approach to the eurozone crisis is what most germans think has shielded them from its adverse effects. the german economy is doing well, and there's good, high business confidence, as we saw in the survey, and most people, i think, just do not want to rock the vote. >> was there anything surprising
2:20 pm
in this poll? >> the surprising thing to me was the fact that the spd, social democrat politician, thought steinmeyer was rated the third most popular politician. he has been sidelined by his own party, so that is quite surprising. on the other hand, the is this in need of germany also said that they had more confidence, more respect or the left party politician than they have for the leader of the main opposition party, so what do we make of that yet to >> i'm sure he will be fascinated to hear that. thanks very much for joining us from our political studios. >> the democratic republic of congo, renewed fighting between government troops and rebels in the east of the country has forced allison's of civilians to flee their homes. >> the fighting is dangerously close to a city which is home to
2:21 pm
one million people and was briefly captured by rebels last year. >> the clashes have also raised tensions with neighboring rwanda , which congo accuses of aiding the rebels. >> congolese army troops have been battling rebels here in the resources-rich province for three days now. sometimes with support from attack helicopters. the main rebel group controls much of the territory north of the city of goma in eastern congo. >> we are chasing the enemies far from the city of goma, and i do not inc. they will ever enter goma again. >> last september, the rebels seized goma and held it for several days before withdrawing. the latest fighting has prompted tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. about 30 different rebel groups are believed to be active in the area where congo, rwanda, and
2:22 pm
uganda meet. most are interested only in the region's natural resources, not in the local population. refugees from the fighting include many older people, children, and women. >> nobody cares about us, and it is the women and children who suffer the most. many women have miscarried or given birth to babies with defects or caused by the war. >> the regular united nations peacekeepers are not allowed to intervene, and a special 3000- man unit that was authorized earlier this year to intervene militarily is not yet ready for action. >> formula one boss bernie ecclestone has been indicted. prosecutors say a 30 million euro payment he made to a german banker was a bride linked to the sale and a stake of formula one. >> for his part, eccleston insists he did nothing illegal. >> one year ago, bernie ecclestone get -- gave evidence
2:23 pm
in a trial of a former banker. at issue was the $700 million sale of the state-owned bank share in a formula one holding company. bayern lb had acquired the stake following the collapse of a media company. he failed to declare the money, and at last june's trial, he was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for bribery and tax evasion. at the time, munich prosecutors suspected that ecclestone paid the german banker the $44 million as a bride. now they have formally charged the formula one mogul. the court is expected the -- expecting the billionaire to appear in person. >> if he considers the fact that he can expect a fair trial and a reasonable judgment here in munich, then i would say the chances are good that he will face the charges.
2:24 pm
>> bernie ecclestone here talking to russia possible at amir putin denies the accusations. he testified last year that the payment was to "keep him quiet." now he has to explain to another court the difference between that and bribery. >> the british writer finished the 32-kilometer race in 51 minutes and 33 seconds. that was nine seconds faster. he maintains a 4.5-minute overall lead heading into the alps. and we are heading into the break. just a few seconds to go. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--
2:28 pm
121 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
LinkTV Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on