>> from berlin, this is the journal. our headlines this hour. left-wing parties are set to take power in the czech republic where voting has just ended in a snap election. brazil and germany draft u.n. resolution that aims to restrain spying. and soccer, nuremberg's draw against stutegard.

we begin in the czech republic where voting has just ended in parliamentary elections. corruption scandals dogged the previous center right government and votes are expected to punish them and turn left. the pro european social emocrats are tipped to win the most by fall short of the majority. they're expected to achieve its best result from falling from power in the 1989 revolution. for more on that election, i'm joined live by our correspondent. why have the commurenists seen a resurgence in popularity now? >> partly as you mentioned, the right wing parties, series of right wing governments have been rulling for the past 7 years and they've been mired in one corruption scandal after another.

they also have imposed par sh austerity measures. but on a technical sense, the communists are not really more popular now than they have in the past. they've consistently polled about 10-15% over the years. the difference now is that more voters are shifting to the left which should propel the social democrats to the next government. >> give us some kind of idea the role the communists could be playing. >> the conventional wisdom is, it has to be taken with a grain of salt, but the social democrats will form a minority government with the support of the communists. however, it is also possible depending on the numbers, that is if the social democrats don't do as well as expected and perhaps the communist doss better, they could even be invited to be a junior member in a governing coalition. >> now, there's also

potentially a third force here. a new pop list party. tell us more about that. >> the party is a right wing party. they are capitalizing on voter discontent with the establishment, these particularly the right wing establishment parties. nd they are potentially in a position to be the vote getter. promising to fix government. he is a wealthy entrepreneur. he has a business empire worth an ease mated $2 billion u.s. he is considered the second wealthiest man in the country but doesn't have any political background. that's what he is promoting. and that he can run the country like he runs his businesses. and people are looking for change who don't want to go to the left are giving him seniors conversation. -- serious conversation.

>> following the latest developments. on to some other news. iran has excuted 16 people officials described as terrorists in retaliation for the death of at least 14 border guards in overnight clashes. iranian media say bandits or rebels have been -- of the unnamed group ambushed the guards. also seized at least three soldiers and took them across the border into pakistan. at least one woman in saudi arabia has reportedly taken to the wheel today to demonstrate against the kingdom's ban on women motorists. she said she drove to the grocery store without being harassed. activists have called on saudi women to get behind the wheel today following the example of other whose posted videos of themselves driving. authorities have warned against going ahead with the campaign. saudi arabia is the only country that does not issue

drivers license to women. the fallout over the latest u.s. spy allegations continues. germany and brazil are drafting a u.n. general assembly resolution to curb excessive spying and invasion of privacy. this comes after allegations that the u.s. listened in on the chancellor's private cell phone calls. germany plans to send a delegation to washington next week to seek answers from the white house which is already attempting damage control. >> state department spokesperson chose her words carefully saying the u.s. will closely review u.s. surveillance activities. nonetheless security conversations remain paramount. going forward we will of course continue to gather the information we need to keep ourselves and our allies safe. >> the revelations have created tensions with a number of allies. the white house is busy with damage control. in light of the number of

recent disclosures washington is bracing for further leaks. european leaders have called u.s. spying activities unacceptable. berlin wants more assurances going forward. >> there are serious holes in security regarding cyber espionage. we have to defend ourselves against this threat even from allied nations. >> in this situation it is clear that we need new binding agreements about what is permissible and what is not permissible. >> the chancellor will send another dell zpwation to washington in the coming days. it will be her second attempt on shedding light on u.s. surveillance activities. the chancellor and french president are demanding a new framework for security cooperation with the united states. >> in italy, she has relaunch

the party that first brought him to power and dissolved the freedom of people party. but the announcement revealed dissent within his center right movement with his ministers staying away from the leadership meaning. a three-time former prime minister is on the verge of losing his senate seat for tax fraud. he was once one of the richest men in russia. on friday he marked his tenth year in jail. his supporters believe he is in prison for so long as punishment for challenging putin. they read public readings of his letters from prison. >> i'm ashamed about how some people i used to respect justify the lawlessness in our country. they've exchanged our conscience and reputation for a privileged life within the

system. >> this is an excerpt from letters writen by cort cough ski. but few gathered here to mark the anniversary. >> i would like our society to be more courageous and offer more resistance. >> he could have taken his money and left the country. but he chose this honest and more difficult path. on october 25, 2003, special forces stormed his plane and arrestd him for alleged tax evasion. at the time he was russia's richest man and he used his wealth to push political reform. he support it had opposition and criticized rampant corruption under the putin regime. the former oil tie coon supporters are convinced that he was punished for challenging putin. his oil company was sold off in pieces. he was found guilty in two trials and sentenced to 11

years behind bars. human rights acted vists and many western governments riticized the proceedings. >> there are obvious political issues and motivations at play here. otherwise, i simply can't explain why the criminal proceedings weren't carried out in accordance with the russian law. >> people also gathered in berlin to mark the tenth anniversary of his arrest. and read some of his prison letters. >> i don't want to die here but if it is necessary i won't hesitate. my faith is worth more to me than my life. he is set to be released in august next year but supporters fear that russian authorities are already preparing new charges to keep him behind bars. >> sports news now. at the grand prix in deli,

former defending champion has taken poll position in qualifying for sunday's race. it's the seventh time this season that the driver has taken pole. all he needs to do now to win his fourth title in a row is to finish the race no lower than fifth place. his closest rival starts back in 8th position on the grid. starting in second spot, making the first run an all-german affair. this weekend's action got under way on friday evening. nuremberg was still looking for their first win of the season when they traveled to stutes gard. >> just three minutes in they offered up a gift. he fouled inside the box. , converted the penalty. 1-0 for the home side. but they shook off the penalty and a few minutes later things

were even again. and that was the final score with all of 6 minutes gone in the second half threatened again but they expertly defended. so it wasn't a win. but they take home a point in his debut as nuremberg coach. >> meanwhile, there are two matches to look out for on saturday. lead leaders at home. and an absolute classic of erman soccer, the derby, hosting the bitter rival. >> supporters have a case of dar by fever hoping stars will lead the way to victory. for die-hard fans the encounter is the match of the season. >> it's everything. it's about honor. we want to go to work and look straight into the eyes of those

who root for the wrong team. simply have to experience this. there's so much excitement already. no way to explain it. >> despite their 3-0 loss to chelsea, and some questions about some players, the royal blues are convinced they can defeat their arch rival. they're second and fifth. >> it was the same last year. they came here after performing very well and we still won. so it's always special. and you never know what will happen. >> last season they won both matches by a score of 2-1. so it is clear they're eager to regain some pride. >> the loss cast a cloud over us. that's for sure. >> fans hope their team can epeat last year's magic. >> that's certainly going to be

a great match. in second division arks cologne increased their lead in the standings but it was not an easy win. their goal keeper had to work hard through the first half. the lone goal of the game came in the 80th minute. scoring from close range, 1-0 final result. they're still undefeated and this was their fourth away win. germany's most important literary honor was awarded this weekend. it's often seen as an indicator for potential future noble praise winners writing in german. four honorees have gone on to win a noble. this year's winner was recognized for her narrative fantasy. >> she is a literary late bloomer.

her first volume was published when she was 40. while it was highly political, a revolutionary is more philosophical. >> i think it is best to maintain some restraint when discussing issues like germany or greater europe. >> in her books, she explores the line between reality and delusion. her breakthrough novel describes the life of an eccentric loner and the faptssy world he lives in. in her latest book, a lion visits an introspective flots if i professor. >> i'm not crazy but i have a sense of how easy it is to cross the line how one can fall into one's own thoughts. >> she puts together text and colladge to create her parallel world. they're the soul of her work. marked by a refreshing

lightness and humor. >> for more news and information about our top stories you can check out our website. >> a classic converitible is one of the best ways to see the sites of havana. we want to find out what's new in cuba. an island that's famous for not having changed much in 50 years. these people on the prada boulevard are selling houses. until recently unthinkable. but the reforms introduced by castro have made it possible. selling a house is easy now this man says. we've got more freedom with stuff like that now. suddenly we're a lot freer. if one of you germans wants to

buy my house, you should come. ♪ 8:00 a.m. when it's only 30 dells celsius is the best time to work out training three times a week here in this havana suburb, she and her friends share a passion for sports and have a shared dream. >> i'm hoping to get a visa to the u.s. so i can finally travel. i have family there and i would like to know the country. >> i'm interested in foreign countries and cultures. all cubans want to travel. at least i do. she tells us to drive to one of the foreign embassies if you want to see the long lines of

people who want to travel. around a year ago cuba finally started to allow its citizens to travel abroad but cubans need a visa and not everyone gets one. >> i wanted to go to spain. i first came to the spanish embassy two months ago. they wanted a lot of documents from me but they rejected my application. now i'm trying again. >> i've heard it's not that easy to travel despite the restrictions being lifted. that's right. now that cuba has made traveling easier the other countries are making it difficult. they want to make sure we are just visiting. in fact, since castro's reforms, a lot of cubans live ago broad have begun to come back to and some noncubans have been finding ways to earn money in the socialist caribbean state. havana queens is a new privately run dance review that wouldn't have been possible a few years ago.

when he fell in love with a dancer in cuba he gave up his career as a banker and invested his money in 50 dancers who now perform one of the best shows on the island. it's just sort of developed from nowhere. i'm the kind of person whose willing to take a risk. but i also see chances, big chances. and i said, ok. that's what i'm going to do. and it's a lot of fun. not everyone is quite so relaxed but tomorrow is the premier. they've invited tour operators in the hope that they will bring large tourist groups. communism still holds way but castro has surprised people. recently he called on the cuban press to be more critical even of the inaldds politicians. until now art was one of the safer avenues. he speaks his mind but he

doesn't attack his country. he prefers to help. he is not just an artist. he is also a social worker. that gives him a degree of protection. a major theme of his art is migration. boat ownership was strictly regulated because of the danger people would use them to flee. he loves his country but acknowledges its laws. >> i do speech bubbles. boats speak. cuba needs speech bubbles because news spreads here by word of mouth. it's all speech bubbles. he sees this piano made out of a raft built by a cuban to sail to florida as an indictment of the united states. it has a law to offer asylum to every cuban who sets foot on soil. the artist doesn't voice it but he doesn't deny it.

two brand new pass ports for herself and her boyfriend. they study tourism but hasn't found any work yet. when president castro granted the right to travel she started to dream. now she's man curing her last customer before her last foreign holiday of her life. relatives in the bahamas have given her a plane ticket. >> i'll learn a lot about international tourism in the bahamas that i can use for my areer in cuba. how do they deal with guests from different countries? and how do you react properly to their preferences and dislikes? she has an invitation from abroad but she is still here. she would like to fly to the united states with her daughter and granddaughter. her son is married to an american and live there but

they don't have a visa. despite the new travel freedoms not every cuban is allowed to leave. they first have to submit to questions about their lives, jobs, and reason for their journey. >> i'm 54 years old and i've never been abrd. i only know cuba. in november i've got my next interview. if they turn me down again i'll probably never get to see the u.s.a. >> here on the beach at the resort is the closest point on the island to florida. this may look like another luxury hotel but it is more than that. cuba has just built the largest cht harbor in all of the area. so far only 10 are in use. cubans still aren't allowed on boats. the harbor director is open

about the fact that cuba is reckoning with u.s. tourist whose are currently not allowed to come here. he says the 53-year-old embargo makes it illegal. of course we're hoping to get boats from the whole caribbean region. we're open to guests from every country including from the united states. if they take the necessary steps, they're welcomed. cuba seems to be waking from a long slumber and preparing for a time after the hated trade embargo. at the same time, the number of bookings from foreign holiday makers is stagnating. castro is betting on americans being allowed to come soon. and filling up the new hotels. we want to talk to a politician from the cuban government about the relationship between cuba and the united states. our interview partner is a friend of castro's.

the 87 from the national association. our president doesn't miss any opportunity to talk to the u.s. about all sorts of things. as an equal, he says. but the u.s. still accuses of of human rights violations. but they have even bigger problems with human rights. they don't respect human rights. not in their own country and not abroad. our next stop is a restaurant located at the end of a picturesque alley owned by a man who used to be castro's personal chef. these days he calls himself erasmo and cooks for groups of tourists around the world. he spent 52 years catering to world leaders. he said fidel was like a father to him but he is still much happier with his life now. >> our state is good to us. sometimes it gives us even more

than is good for us and that is why people have gotten lazy and aren't working enough. they should be working a lot. for cuba. and do you have to work harder too and think more about your own business? of course. i have to think a lot. but afterwards i can count my essos. it was good with fidel, he says. he is a lovely perp. you have to like him. if you do your work well, you don't have any problems with him. but if not, he also has another side to him. in cuba if you've done well, you're expected to share your good for tunes. he often invites the whole street to dinner. on the menu is a kind of stew

being prepared. he calls it socialism with a small s and he quotes a u.s. president of all people. kennedy said don't ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. that's true. i create things, work, and look for solutions. but i can help others. i'm not a state but a politician, artist and human being and i can achieve the most while enjoying myself at the same time. his neighbors were also enjoying it. he really seems to have found a balance between art and politics in cuba. but i can never be sure who i'm talking to. the artist, the politician, or he neighbor. it's make or break it time for the dancers. after 1-1/2 years of preparation, it's time to show the tour operators.

if their dance routines have gone down well, buses full of tourists will arrive and they'll be rewarded. >> the idea to do it ourselves came to me quickly. now thanks to the new openness it became possible. we were able to register the dance group, the company. it's a 100% cuban company. everything's in my wife's name and it's all worked out really well. the premier has gone well and the future for the group looks to be secured. for the new company director, t's double relief. it's one thing when you're dancing. i used to do it with all my heart. but when it's your own show, everything is possible.

then it's your baby and it's bigger and better than anything else. cubans may not yet be completely free but suddenly a lot of things once impossible have become possible.

[soft exotic flute music] ♪ captioning and audio description provided by the u.s. department of education >> bokara: i'm bokara legendre. join me and my guests: scholars and scientists, spiritual teachers, and philosophers, as we explore the boundaries of religion and metaphysics, of science and spirituality. join me and some really fascinating people as we try to figure out what life's all about and how it can have meaning for each one of us.