"jwelcome to the journal -- ournal?" on -- "journal" on dw tv. japanese voters give their backing to shinzo abe and his economic reforms. agent should legal experts start work on a new constitution. legal experts start work on a new constitution. there has been a changing of the guard in belgium. after nearly 20 years on the

throne, king albert has stepped down due to health regions and made way for his son, philippe. before leaving, the outgoing king delivered one last address, urging belgians to stick together despite deep divisions between the countries. jan french-speaking communities. philippe was then officially sworn in. huge crowds turned out to celebrate the coronation of their new canaan. -- their new king. >> it was their first kiss of king and queen, and the crowd seemed to love it. belgium's seventh royal couple, with their four children in tow, greeted the public. people waited for hours to catch the first glimpse of the old and new monarchs. philippe took over from his father, albert, who announced his abdication less than three weeks ago. albert will be keeping his title, just like his sister-in- law did before him.

>> i swear i will respect the constitution and the law of the belgian people, maintain the independence of the country, and keep the belgian territory intact. >> philippe took the oath in each of belgium's three official languages. it was a political symbol. betweentry is split flanders and ash -- >> work ceaselessly for united belgium. you will then be able to be the builders of peace. then our country will or maintenance ration -- will remain an inspiration to europe, with unity through diversity. >> and his subjects --

a monarch who will serve as an identifying figurehead. >> i hope he will bring the people together. most people think there is a deep vibe between us right now -- deep divide between us right now. >> he is so influential. >> the new royal couple enjoyed immense -- and joyce immense popularity, a rare symbol of belgian unity -- the new royal couple enjoys immense popularity , a rare symbol of belgian unity. >> what kind of challenges does king philippe face, particularly with regard to the unity of the country? emmitt king philippe has made it clear straightaway that keeping -- >> king philippe has made it clear straightaway that keeping belgium intact as a country is the priority. belgians are going to the polls next year. separatists in the north, the dutch speaking region, are expected to get big gains.

-- they complain that they are increasingly funding the south, where people speak french. the king was exhausted after trying to keep those squabbling communities at the negotiation table. -- belgium's government suffers from a lack of unity. how much of this -- how much power can an unelected monarch have? >> unlike in other countries where monarchs have largely been stripped of their political power, in belgium, the king does still have political power. people could not agree on the role of the government. -- denyingpt saying fresh elections because he feared the country would break up. he broke with the coalition.

flemish separatist parties are calling for reform of the rule. they don't want the king to have such big power. >> revelations about the extent of cooperation between german intelligence services and the u.s. are threatening to embarrass the german government. has admitted to testing spying software developed by america's nsa. that comes after a german magazine reported the two countries' security services are collaborating more close lee than previously it knowledge. -- more closely than previously acknowledged. early results in the polls for japan's upper house of parliament show that the prime minister's coalition has easily won. it puts the liberal democrats in control of both chambers of parliament and gives abe free reign to sweep ahead with economic reforms. to sweep ahead with

economic reforms. >> for the first time in six years, the japanese government no longer has to contend with a divided element. he promised quick decisions. he told the media his coalition had won the public's support for its policies and that the government would make economic reform a top priority. but he now faces the test of implementing these reforms. the results were no surprise. polls had indicated a clear victory for his party. and an end to the political stalemate. >> i am taking the long view. i want to see japan become a better country. i really hope abe can do that. >> odors have given him good marks for his economic strategy. -- voters have given him good marks for his economic strategy.

many see the economic system as broken. abe backs a stronger japanese toitary and a tough approach china and south korea, especially in territorial disputes. they support nuclear energy despite skepticism because of the fukushima disaster. in the end, voters opted for stability. now has the entire legislature backing him as he tries to end japan's political stalemate. >> in syria, kurdish militia men have clashed with islamist rebels near the turkish border. the latest round of fighting broke out in the rebel held area. observers say it began after a kurdish melissa -- militia discovered fighters from an al qaeda-linked group trying to rig one of their bases with explosives. it highlights deepening tension.

egypt,s remain high in with supporters of ousted president mohamed morsi plans to draft a new constitution. legal experts appointed by the government have been -- begun revising the constitution. that could pave the way for fresh elections in about six months. protesters have vowed to continue protesting and -- demonstrating until their deposed leader is reinstated. >> these people feel marginalized by the new regime. they are making their demands clear. their demands have not changed since the coup. they want former president mohamed morsi reinstated. when the march reached the ministry of defense, it was stopped by security forces. once again, the muslim brotherhood has failed to make headway. >> we are the ones who will see egypt. if the military is using tanks

to stop women and children, what will they do to the men? >> the government is looking to strengthen its position. it has appointed a committee of legal experts to revise the country's constitution. the changes made will go to a referendum. it is seen as a vital step on the path to new elections. the interim prime minister has urged reconciliation and an end to the unrest. >> the country is divided, but he cannot continue with these divisions. the first goal for any government in a situation like this is a return to harmony. >> differences are inevitable. stage, both sides appear to have dug their heels in. once again, the streets of egypt have become a battleground. israelirs of the government have criticized the decision of benjamin netanyahu to restart peace talks with the palestinians hugest two days

after the u.s. secretary of state john kerry announced the breakthrough, several members of the rightist coalition voiced their misgivings at the cabinet meeting. netanyahu sought to reassure them and pledged to put any accord to a national referendum. opinion polls show the majority of israelis support a two state solution. the u.s. navy says it has dropped four bombs on australia's great barrier reef. it says two fighter jets had to jettison the bombs in a training exercise on tuesday. they had been intending to drop them on a bombing range off the coast of queensland, but were not able to. the planes were running low on fuel and could not land with the bombs still on board. the navy says the bombs did not explode and were dropped away from the coral to minimize damage to the reef. to cycling now where christopher froome is poised to win this year's tour de france. he has a commanding lead and is on course to become the second consecutive british winner of

cycling's premier event. the riders should cross the finish line soon. >> christopher froome dominated the tour from the outset. no one could match his devastating speed. he showed incredible energy in the mountains, especially during a spectacular ascent. he shook off rival after rival before reaching the summit at a pace that drew unfortunate comparisons to the disgraced lance armstrong. >> i really did not see myself winning that stage today. i really cannot believe it. >> some observers have -- can hardly believe that a performance like froome's could be achievable by fair means. he was almost unbeatable in the time trials. , tonyne man surpassed him martin. overall, it was a successful tour with germany -- for germany with five stage victories.

>> i'm really happy i have had a chance to get the best sprinters in the world at the highest level and to even win in the end. >> but the 100th tour de france belonged to christopher froome. last year's runner-up confirmed his superstar status with a complete performance in a race that fans hope has finally cleaned up its act. >> in golf, phil has won his fifth major with a spectacular performance at near field -- at muirfield in the british open. he was trailing lee westwood. he went into the day five strokes off the lead, but made light of tough conditions on the back nine to win what was his 20th open. given rivalsa hav a sign of things to come in the forthcoming bundesliga season.

in the final of the telecom cup, bayern won 5-1. it was the first appearance of alcantara. football, germany's second division started again this weekend. saturday's big match -- >> the loan goalkeeper was trying to prevent the corner, but he ended up giving away far worse here it this was the unusual strike for dresden, which left him red-faced. the final score was tied at 1-1. until that point, they looked certain to kick off their season with a valuable win.

they dominated the game. but they failed to convert their chances. that was due in part to some fine goalkeeping from dresden. in the second half, they got involved in an ill-advised scuffle. he could have been sent off for this and was lucky to escape with a warning. that ratcheted up the intensity of an already hard-fought encounter. dresden fought back. then the goalkeeper had a lapse in judgment with 12 minutes remaining. dresden were rewarded with a deserved equalizer. >> at the women's european soccer championship in sweden, germany have taken another step in their campaign to win a six title in a row -- win a sixth title in a row. they beat italy, 1-0. germany will now play host to

sweden in the semifinals on wednesday. you are watching dw. you will find more online at dw.de. keep watching. >> at the start of the week, officials at the panama canal seized a north korean flight -- freighter after it was found to have -- to be carrying undeclared weapons. government claimed it was sending the weapons to north korea for repairs. later in the week, panama asked the united nations to investigate whether the transport was in violation of international sanctions against north korea.

>> mexican marines captured one of the world's most wanted drug bosses in a raid near the u.s. border. sought onorales was both sides of the border. the u.s. had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. seven arrestn has orders by federal judges and he is involved in at least 12 previous cases. he is accused of organized crime, homicide, crimes against health, torture, and money laundering. zetas are considered one of the most real gangs in mexico. for years, they have been engaged in turf wars with other drug cartels. it is estimated that mexico's drug wars have claimed over 60,000 lives in the past years -- past six years. officials in moscow said nsa

whistleblower edward snowden applied for temporary asylum in russia. his legal advisor, who is close to the russian government, said snowden made the application on humanitarian grounds because he feared torture or execution in the u.s. the remarks were made on russian state tv. >> i have asked russian immigration authorities to come to the transit area of the airport, which mr. snowden cannot leave at present. >> if russia approves the request, snowden would be able to stay in the country for up to 12 months or depart for a safe haven, venezuelan, nicaragua and bolivia have offered him asylum. >> germany's interior minister was questioned by a parliamentary committee about the nsa's spying program. he met with officials in washington but learned little about u.s. snooping in germany. >> the intelligence agencies may

share information, but they don't vote the methods -- don't divulge the methods they used to obtain it. they reveal the results, but not their sources. >> opposition parliament -- politicians criticized the trip as unproductive. >> the interior minister was in washington shed light on this case. in my opinion, what he had to say about it today was not very informative. he came back empty-handed. >> he faced more questions late -- he will face more questions later in the week. >> russaia blocked an attempt to create the worlds largest protected ocean ocean reserve off of antarctica -- the world's largest protected ocean reserve off of antarctica. russia question the international bodies' legal mandate to create a restricted area in the southern ocean. environmentalists said the move was a stalling tactic designed

to keep fishing grounds open. the two proposed protected areas covering 3 million square kilometers, part of the unique ecosystem home to a multitude of species. foreign policy chief catherine ash and was in cairo for talks with interim leaders -- the eu foreign-policy chief was in cairo for talks with interim leaders. she called for more see's release from detention and urged his backers to cooperate in -- for morsi's release from detention and urged his backers to operate. the visit came a day after the interim president swore in the cabinet. the 34 ministers are a patchwork of parties and religions and include three women. however, none are members of the islamist parties that won the elections that brought morsi to power last year. morsi's supporters, who say the new military-backed government

is illegitimate, continue to hold daily, mass protests. italy, the trial of the captain of the capsized costa concordia cruiseship resumed on wednesday. he faces multiple charges of manslaughter and of abandoning his vessel. 32 people died when the giant liner ran aground in 2012. the captain had scared -- steered the ship too close to the island, where it hits a rock and keeled over. he allegedly left in a lifeboat during the evacuation. the costa concordia is still lying off giglio. the salvage operation is expected to cost hundreds of millions of euros. schettino faces up to 20 years in jail.

has been-- his lawyers have asked for 3 years, 5 months as part of a plea deal. >> at least 22 people died when eating food with pesticide. the government has been criticized for its free lunch program. these are images of the cosmic drama at the heart of the milky way. astronomists spied a gas cloud close to being devoured by a supernova. it is a process known as spaghettification. russian court sentenced a tominent opposition activist

five years in jail in proceedings widely described as a show trial. 400as accused of embezzling thousand euros as a consultant for a state-run timber company-- 400,000 euros as a consultant for a state-run timber company. >> the state finds him guilty under part three of article 33 of russia's criminal code. >> he had made powerful enemies. he exposed corruption in high circles and was a leading figure behind antigovernment rallies in 2011. just hours after he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, there were protests on the streets of russian cities, like here in moscow, where thousands rallied, although the demonstration was not given a permit. today, we have one more political prisoner. i cannot agree with these kinds of policies. >> i am a businessman. this case has me scared.

>> the following morning, then came the surprise twist. the prosecution requested his release. the court allowed him to walk free, albeit temporarily and subject to travel restrictions. he said he would appeal the conviction. ministery's finance was in greece on thursday. he praised greece's progress in dealing with the economic crisis but rejected a further that right off for the country -- further debt write off for the country. in each of us must do what we agreed upon. only if we stick to what we agreed upon and carry it through step-by-step can we build the basis of reliability. reliability leads to trust. trust leads to sustainable growth. he is unpopular in greece, where people hold him responsible for punitive austerity measures inflicted on the country. a day before the visit, the

greek parliament bowed to german pressure and agreed to further cuts, including the decision to lay off 15,000 workers. >> ring me back my smile, my hopes, my dreams. you took them away from me just like that. i want them back. not just for myself, but my children and grandchildren. ray of hope from economic experts who said the greek economy might have got over the worst by the en dof -- the end of 2013. he also announced that germany will contribute 100 million euros to a fund designed to give much-needed cash credit to small businesses increase. >> the u.s. city of detroit filed for bankruptcy in the largest case of its kind in the country's history. the mayor tried to look on the bright side. >> this is very difficult for all of us. but if it is going to make the

citizens better off, then this is a new start for us. >> but the one-time world carmaking capital may be more than 15 billion euros in debt. a third of its citizens live below the poverty line. on thursday, south africans celebrated nelson mandela's 95th birthday. the country's first black president was being treated for a lung infection in a pretoria hospital, but was said to be improving. >> lord, we thank you for his life. we thank you that you have pulled him up. i think he is going to reach 100. >> mandela is a role model in many parts of the world. in the u.s., people also marked mandela day, honoring the nobel peace laureate. >> german chancellor angela merkel held her traditional last press conference before the

summer break. this year, the big topic on the agenda was data security and the u.s. surveillance operation. facing a barrage of questions from journalists, merkel sought to distance herself from her country's partner across the atlantic. country, which operates under the rule of law, all our security efforts serve one goal -- to protect the individual. germany is not a surveillance state. it is a land of freedom. >> in view of the massive amounts of data collected by u.s. intelligence agencies, the chancellor called for a global data protection convention. honor guard in havana after unesco agreed to place the life and works of urgency now- born revolutionary che guevara in its memory of the 0-- works o revolutionary che

guevara in its memory halls. his widow and two of his his widow and two of his children

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