>> this is dw's "journal." >> thanks so much for being with us. these are the headlines -- a possible breakthrough in negotiations over iran's nuclear program. we'll be getting the latest from our regional analyst. >> heavy fighting continues as the president of central african republic resigns. >> germany's policy on unemployment benefits for immigrants comes under fire in brussels.

in what looks like a major move forward on iran's nuclear program, the united states says that technical talks have made " could progress." >> european union negotiators have been meeting in geneva when iran to discuss tehran's nuclear activities. >> a united nations spokesperson says reports that a deal had been finalized were, however, an accurate. outstanding issues include timeline and verification. the european union deals directly with iran on behalf of the u.s. and other major world powers. for more, we're joined live in the studio by our middle east analyst. welcome to the program. first off, has there been progress on the nuclear program in iran? can you fill us in also on what is likely to have been agreed on ? >> i think there has been progress. i believe the american and european statements today, but as it seems their hand was

forced by the iranians. it was the foreign minister in tehran who came up with the news , and i think that is quite problematic, to talk about negotiations while they are still going on. >> what about the timing of this? could we soon see something that looks like a deal, something that could at least be signed? >> at least the iranians believe in it. i do not believe in the final agreement right now, after this history of nearly 35 years of hostilities between the americans and iranians, who are the main players. it's not the europeans and not the russians. i rather believe that we will see several interim agreement in the coming years, while both parts win trust, and after perhaps changes in governments on both sides.

>> you are not sounding very positive now. along with this type of perspective, there's also pressure from inside the u.s. senate from hardliners, from the israeli government. could the deal that is now being made actually at some point be derail the? >> yes, very much so. i think this development today was already a little bit problematic because you should not in such problematic negotiations come up with news about the success before the foreign ministers have appeared together and committed to such a result of the negotiations. and you forgot about the saudi's -- saudis, who are also a power who might want to derail such a process. >> to other news now, the united nation secretary has called on the african union to speedily provide promised troops to halt the worsening crisis in the central african republic.

>> he says the resignation of the president and his prime minister meant speedy action was needed to restore order. >> francis sent 1600 troops to central african republic to support the african union force, which is meant to have about 6000 troops but only has about 3500 right now. he said events in the country had gone from bad to worse. >> cheering broke out in this refugee camp in the capital of the central african republic tom away residents heard that the country's president had stepped down. across the country, people had been criticizing him for failing to end the violence. leaders of several neighboring states met in chad to discuss the worsening situation. they put pressure on the president and his prime minister to step down. he took power in a coup in march last year as the head of a mostly muslim alliance in a country whose population is 80%

christian. since then, conflict between muslim and christian armed groups has escalated. nearly one million people, a quarter of the country's population, have fled the violence. france sent troops, and united nations organized an international mission, but the violence has not ended. now people are hoping for a new start, but although many are happy to be rid of their president, they know their country still has big problems. >> the rebels are still on the prowl with their weapons, and if civilians are not protected, there will be more victims. >> it is not clear yet who will take power. a transitional parliament will need to discuss possible solutions during the next few days. >> more people have died in the bloody unrest in south sudan than was previously known. the international crisis group estimates that 10,000 people were killed there since the end

of december. >> earlier, it was thought about 1000 had died. peace talks were suspended on wednesday after rebels demanded the release of all rebel prisoners before negotiations could continue. the government insists it will release rebels only after a peace deal was agreed. the european commission has sought to play down reports that it considers german policies on social benefits for immigrants from other eu member states illegal. >> the controversy was sparked by a report in a leading german newspaper. the issue is now feeding into a national debate and one in the governing coalition, over immigration from eastern europe. >> is germany obliged to pay new immigrants from other eu countries social welfare benefits? german legal experts say no. the european court of justice in luxembourg has asked the european commission for its position on this question, and the commission ross answer is less definite, but it says

reports suggesting brussels will pressure germany to give benefits to all new immigrants is simply wrong. >> to get social benefits in another eu country, and eu national has to beat either a worker, a direct family member, or, indeed, a habitually resident, in that country. >> that will not satisfy senior figures in bavaria's conservative party, part of chancellor merkel's coalition government. for weeks, politicians have been warning that migrants from bulgaria and romania may flood into germany to claim that if it's. >> national -- to claim benefits. >> national social security systems are not a self-service draw for all who come to germany. "her's in europe are -- open borders in europe are capital requirements. >> germany's government is taking a more relaxed view of the situation.

>> this is a legal proceeding in which different views of the law are colliding. that has been clear since the release of the european commission's opinion, and that is a normal part of any legal proceeding. at the moment, we do not see any reason to change our legal opinion. >> the german government's opinion is that immigrants from other eu countries are only entitled to benefits in germany after they have found work here. for example, if their wages are not enough to live on. but if the european court of justice decides to take a few more in line with the eu commission's, germany will have to change its social benefits regulations. >> the latest news from brussels reignited in immigration debate in germany that had calm the bit -- calmed a bit. could you boil this down for us? which eu migrants in germany are eligible for what benefits? >> in general, citizens from other eu member states who come

to germany are not a legible for social welfare benefits during their first three months in the country. after that, they do become eligible or social well there benefits if they have a job, for example if they are working but do not earn quite enough to live on. the government might give them some supplements, and once they have been working in germany for a while and paying into the system, their social welfare benefits accrue. different rules apply for children. children of immigrants from other eu member states become eligible for social welfare benefits right away, but that's not what we're talking about here. the current debate is about unemployed adults from other eu member states. the commission seems to be saying that you cannot make a blanket decision to exclude them all from benefits, that decisions need to be made on a case-by-case basis, and that makes things very complicated. >> is the csu happy with that? they had been one of the moving forces on this. >> that's right here he the

bavarian conservatives have expresed concerns that the eu rights of bulgarians and romanians to finally move about europe freely could result in them coming here to germany and putting demands on the social welfare system. they seem to express -- they seem to be concerned that it will place a burden on germany's social welfare system. the csu has taken issue with what the commission said. they said the european commission should not be meddling in german welfare policies. that's a national interest, and they should not be any of the eu's business. >> thanks for that. on to greece now, and that country is getting a pat on the back for its economic reports. the german foreign minister has been complementing -- compl

imenting athens on his trip this week. >> this recent talk that the country could need a third bailout from the eu. >> but as the nation took over the eu presidency this week, officials have been focusing on the positive. >> the streets of athens were calm. there were none of the mass protests that have greeted earlier high-level german delegations, and this major newspaper's cover quoted steinmeyer saying greece was on the right path. many expect the greek economy to return to growth this year for the first time since 2008. the economy was high on the agenda when steinmeyer met his greek counterpart. athens wants debt relief in the form of lower interest rates and longer payback terms for its existing debt. steinmeyer also met the prime

minister to express his support for the reforms the government has pushed through. he says it is critical that athens finish the project that it has started. >> i took the opportunity to come to greece early in my term in office, partly to show that we appreciate the difficulties that still lie ahead for greece, and also to show our support for athens as it takes over the eu presidency, which is an important office. >> steinmeyer is seeking support for the idea of a euro zone banking union to avert further crises. he would like to see the issue decided before the upcoming european parliamentary elections. >> let's go live now to athens and our correspondent who joins us now on the line. first off, how are these comments going down in athens? does the greek public share the german war and minister's positive sentiment about the economy? >> this is not the first time

that greeks have heard such upbeat remarks and words of praise only to be clobbered weeks and months later with added austerity measures. greeks have grown very wary and apprehensive and cynical of such remarks. while they are being received very well by the government, this is -- the noise that it wants to be hearing from senior officials, like mr. steinmeyer, on a grassroots level, they hardly polish up the battered image of germany here. >> greece is hardly out of the woods right now. more cuts are likely. is the greek public resigned to austerity at this point? >> oddly enough, it is. while greeks do not like austerity, while they are finding it almost impossible for them to cope with rising taxes, brutal budget and pay cuts for years into this crisis, and

overwhelming majority has silently resigned itself to austerity, and this is because no political force in either old or new has managed to articulate a viable, credible alternative to these very strict fiscal policies. there are opposition parties, for example, saying, "let's tear up this bailout and austerity agreement with international lenders," but the overwhelming majority of greeks fear that this could spell more pain and suffering and could even lead greece out of the euro if not the european union altogether. >> what about a bright side amidst all this gloom? foreign investment is slowly returning to the tourism sector right now. >> yes, that is a positive development. tourism is having probably its most promising year and the last

few years, yes. >> we have to leave it there. thanks so much for now. >> cheers. >> we're going to a short break. we'll be right back. >> welcome back. a french president having an affair with an actress -- not really a headline you would think would cause waves in a nation known for its laws a fair attitude towards liaisons -- a nation known for its laissaez- faire attitude towards liaisons. >> that is unless you are francois hollande. according to polls, he is the most unpopular president in france's history and is reported to be having a secret affair with a popular actress. >> earlier today, the magazine took the story off its website after the actress threatened legal action, but magazine sales will not be affected. >> the president's secret love

-- this magazine claims these images show francois hollande at the apartment of his secret lover. his face isn't scared, but in its seven-page spread, the magazine claims to have spotted the president's bodyguard at the same residence shortly after the helmeted figure arrived. the actress at the center of the allegations is an established film and tv star who appeared in a commercial for mr. hollande. she has not commented on the allegations, but she has threatened legal action, as has the president, who has lashed out at the media for invading his privacy. he is not married, but he does have an official partner. despite his angry response, he has not denied the reports. this is not the first time a french president has been accused of an affair, and parisians appear as tolerant as ever of their leader's alleged infidelities.

>> is his private life. at the same time, i think it distracts us from focusing on the problems french people have. >> he is not married. he can do what he wants. >> he is the president. politicians have sex appeal, charisma, so they use it. >> francois hollande's popularity is at please stand by erence kicks off or syria, but that is not stopping the fighting in the country. >> was his loyal to the president have been making gains while the rebel is its own worst enemy. >> it has been seriously hurt by infighting. al qaeda leaders have struck tactic is to rival secular leaders -- struck back against rival secular leaders.

>> it's got some 500 people have been killed this week alone. across the north and east of the country, a jihadist group linked to al qaeda has been battling rival groups. in aleppo, both sides are accused of massacres. this town has been wrested from the jihadist after nine months in their hands. the islamic front has taken control here of the courts and of various checkpoints, he says. for international aid organizations, the conflict present in norman's challenges. the head of the international committee of the red cross is visiting the syrian capital. he says they want to help refugees, detainees, and those stuck in the fighting. >> the purpose of the visit is to get a first-hand impression of the reality of the conflict, so to go to the field and get a sense of what is going on in the field, and then to meet with

officials here in damascus to discuss issues related to access , particularly access to besieged areas, and to revisit the possibility of the icrc visiting detainees in syria. >> around damascus itself, government troops continue to block supply lines. that has left many in the region without access to food. >> moving on to some business news now, china has officially become the world's biggest trading nation. >> that's right. last year, the country's volume of goods traded past the $4 trillion mark for the first time ever. >> here's a breakdown of the figures. >> growth in chinese exports slowed in december from the previous month. compared year by year, they were up just four percent as compared to 30% in november. analysts say chinese companies

are worried about the unstable global economy. a surgeon you on and higher labor costs. but the outlook is generally upbeat. >> worried about the unstable global economy, a surge in the yuan, and higher labor costs. >> by the same year on year comparison, imports to china grew by eight percent. economists hailed that development as a sign that domestic demand is growing. last year, the government spent more on infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy. some analysts see a more substantial shift under way in chinese foreign trade policy. if the government loosens its grip and imports keep rising, more people could and if it from chinese prosperity. -- more people could and if it -- more people could benefit

from chinese prosperity. >> shares of look on the left over eight percent after the company announced a big increase in passengers. >> analysts increasingly believe left anza will emerge as a winner from the airline industry's ongoing consolidation -- analysts increasingly believe lufthansa will emerge as a winner. the company also says its fuel bill will shrink in 2014. 80% of the seats were filled on an average flight, and cargo volumes. >> european shares finished up the week strongly despite a letdown when he came to the latest jobs data out of the united eight. one of the best performers of the day was germany's main carrier, which we just mentioned before. here is our frankfurt correspondent. >> optimism at left anza, and investors have been delighted. shares went up by more than eight percent today. the market in general focused more on new job data coming from

the u.s. unemployment with down to 6.7%, which is nearly a level we have seen before the financial crisis, but the numbers also spilled some water into the wind because u.s. companies have not been able to create as many jobs as people predicted before, so these numbers have been a mixed bag, but german analysts were saying that the u.s. economy might get back on track. >> let's take a look at the closing numbers for you, starting here in europe with the dax up by over .5%. euro stoxx 50 following in line. over to new york, where the dow is bucking the trend. it's down this hour. the euro is up against the u.s., $1.3672. personal computers have suffered their worst fall in sales in history. the market shrank by 10% in the

past year. >> there's no guessing what is taking over -- tablets and smartphones. it's all a matter of having the latest technology and getting in at the best price. >> for many people, pc's are now old-fashioned desk-bound vices. smartphones and tablets have long offered many of the functions of computers, including internet access, sending and receiving e-mails, playing games, and lots more. newer tablets and smartphones are also much more affordable. that helps explain their popularity in china and india, and that's cutting even further into pc makers' market share. worldwide sales in pc's and laptops declined, and in the same time, tablet sales went from 148 million to 200 27 million, and smartphones sales toward both categories, topping the one billion mark in 2013. analysts expect sales from traditional computers to

continue their decline. in recent years, many pc users have not replaced their worn-out computers. they have switched to mobile devices instead. >> now to the u.s. where the obama administration is embarking on a big bush to perform surveillance by the national security agency. >> no one knows where this is going right now, but a presidential commission is recommending giving a secret intelligence court greater control over the nsa and its interop in, but u.s. security agencies are resisting any and all curbs on their powers. obama has held up at meetings with u.s. lawmakers, internet corporations, and the heads of u.s. intelligence agencies, and he says he will announce changes in a speech set for next week. diplomatic tensions between the u.s. and india have deepened. the state department is saying that an american diplomat will be leaving after the indian government asked washington to withdraw the official. >> it's the latest retaliation

following a highly controversial arrest and strip search of an indian diplomat in new york last month. >> that indian diplomat was flown home on friday after being granted full diplomatic immunity, something not usually offered to consular officials. >> a diplomatic solution to a deepening crisis. >> i am not at liberty to talk about it at this point of time. let me just content myself to say that i'm glad my officer is finally coming home. >> the row began last month and opened up a huge rift between india and the u.s. he faced charges of -- she faced charges of visa fraud and underpaying her housekeeper. she was let off in handcuffs and strip-searched after the arrest. in india, protests followed against what was seen as rough

justice and humiliation at the hands of the world's superpower. there are tit-for-tat recriminations, including a removal of security barriers from the u.s. embassy in delhi. demands to see contract details for staff employed by the mission, and a stop on imports of duty-free alcohol. in the end, it was washington that gave way. the dispute does now appear to be reaching a conclusion, but the u.s. and india have expressed an interest in moving on. >> that's it for now here on dw. >> remember, there's more news at our website, dw.de. bye-bye. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

>> it is 9 p.m. here in the

french capital, live from paris. the headlines, stepping down amidst chaos and central africa, the president caves to mounting pressure and announces his resignation. plans for more settlements after a fresh push for peace talks, israel building hundreds of more settler homes in east jerusalem. one,he show will not go another band from a controversy all french comedian.