many are in the olympic park in east london. the site has been built from scratch, and the expense that has gone into the project has made it quite controversial. this is the new olympic stadium. it will host the open and closing ceremonies as well as the track and field competition. the stadium is located next to the aquatic center with a swimming and diving -- the swimming and diving events will take place. a basketball and rita is a temporary venue that will be dismantled after the games. -- the basketball arena is a temporary venue.

i had hoped to swim my best possible rates, and i blame myself for not achieving that. >> london was supposed to be the high point of biedermann's year, even his career, but others took home the medal, and paul biedermann was left with the bitter taste of defeat. >> it is hard. you have looked forward to it so much. you put so much into it. now it is back to everyday life and another three and a half years before the olympic magic is back. i found it hard to start training again. >> but he soon recovered his bike -- bite, the willingness to test himself against the best, and he bounced back at the short course world championships in december. since he has moved in with his girlfriend, the two are trained together. paul biedermann at least in sure he wants to be on the starting blocks at the next olympics. >> my goal is definitely to start in rio in 2016. that is my wish. i hope my condition will allow it. >> by then, he will have just turned 30, almost certainly making 2016 his last chance to go for olympic gold. >> to the world of sailing now, and wild oats 11 has been celebrating i

martin has driven a taxi in london for 18 years. he would rather not give his last name because he is not sure if he is willing to remain faithful to the london taxi company. >> i really don't know, to be honest. i've got mixed feelings. >> martin loves his job, and he likes driving around london, but he is aware that things have not been going well with the london taxi company. he thinks the company must have bad management because it has been losing money for the last four years running. his own vehicle has not been as reliable as he could have hoped. at least once, it was recalled to the factory to correct a mechanical problem, and the london taxi company is again dealing with a large recall. a number of drivers suffered a loss of power steering, and lti had to recall 400 models. production of new cars had to be shut down and employees laid off until the steering boxes could all be replaced. >> we've now begun work to customer's back on the road to begin their work and their livelihood. what's left is for us to work our way throu

he has spent time in london, and i could leave the building, he will be extradited on charges of sexual assault to sweden. well, the mayan calendar's big day has dawned, and you probably heard all about the chatter about the end of the 5000-year era for the lions. there has even been talk about aliens coming and saving people from the end of the world. >> but in countries exposed to the ancient maya culture, in south america for example, a transition from one calendar cycle to another has a spiritual meeting. rituals have been held at various historical sites to mark the occasion. continue. people gathered at ancient ruins like this temple in guatemala. weather or not thursday was the last night on earth or simply the end of the mayan calendar, people here were not going to sleep through it -- weather or not -- whether or not. >> we have to decide if we want to continue in the situation we are in theory to be complete human beings, we need to respect the land, the mountains, the forest, the lakes, rivers, the oceans. >> since yesterday, there have been traditional celebrations with my a

we have centers of european as lawmakers fought in denmark, london, berlin. as long has always been some kind of hybrid process adapting to its cultural surrounding. in senegal it is different to tehran and spain. >> how different is it outside of europe in the wider arab world, the middle east? >> they are more accepted outside of europe because europe is a shocking and islamic bloc because there's a need to find a european identity, especially now in the crisis. >> where do you see this going? do you see the creation of a broader european islamic bloc? >> islam house oe been adapted to its cultural surroundings and we can see european islam coming up in a lot of centers in europe. >> his specialist in the dialogue between the islamic world and the west, thank you. onto soccer now. dortmund with another victory under their belts helping the reigning champions close in on the league leaders. their season has been punctuated by ups and downs, but on sunday and, they notched up another important victory in their title defense. >> warring on from the touch line,

although all of the figures are made in madame tussauds london studio, it's up to the staff here to take care of them. so, early in the morning, before visitors arrive, technicians like emily make the rounds. she checks the hair of heroes like civil-rights champion rosa parks, makes sure eli manning and carmelo anthony are ready for action, fixes brad pitt's tie, and -- oh, yeah -- removes all that lipstick from george clooney's cheeks. >> on a daily basis, the most popular figures, like clooney, brad pitt, johnny depp, they got kissed all over, so they got lipstick on their face. >> what are the different things you need to do to the figures? >> well, we have to check on the hair, so if the hair doesn't have the right style anymore, we have to style it again. from a wardrobe point of view, because people can touch the figures and interact with the figures, we do need to change the shirts, the suits, even polish the shoes. so, yeah, we really treat them very nice. >> when the figures need extra help, it's off with their heads and into the workshop. that's where petra is working on rock g

the kind of attacks on public transport we have seen in other european capitals like in madrid and in london, but it is rth remembering back in 2006, sued his bombs were deposited on commuter trains in germany that could have caused immense human damage. they did not because of construction errors. those devices were also built according to internet designs, and those attacks were blamed on g hottest at the time. it is no wonder, therefore, the german authorities are so vigilant in pursuing homegrown islamist militants and four and g heists -- for an -- foreign jihadists. >> the german finance minister faced questions today not about money but instead on how a german neo-nazi gang was able to carry out a 13-year murder spree. >> that is because he was the interior minister for part of that time. he denied suggestions made by parliamentary inquiry that he mishandled the situation. the group calling itselthe national socialist underground murdered 10 people, including nine immigrants. enquiries trying to establish why it took the authorities that long to track down the killers. >> he has had t

the kind of attacks on public transport we have seen in other european capitals like in madrid and in london, but it is worth remembering back in 2006, sued his bombs were deposited on commuter trains in germany that could have caused immense human damage. they did not because of construction errors. those devices were also built according to internet designs, and those attacks were blamed on g hottest at the time. it is no wonder, therefore, the german authorities are so vigilant in pursuing homegrown islamist militants and four and g heists -- for an -- foreign jihadists. >> the german finance minister faced questions today not about money but instead on how a german neo-nazi gang was able to carry out a 13-year murder spree. >> that is because he was the interior minister for part of that time. he denied suggestions made by parliamentary inquiry that he mishandled the situation. the group calling itself the national socialist underground murdered 10 people, including nine immigrants. enquiries trying to establish why it took the authorities that long to track down the killers. >> he has h

. >> westminster, central london. it far cry from the battlegrounds in syria and from the back alley of his shop in coventry where he started the syrian observatory for syria. he has been invited to talk with the foreign office. >> we talk about how we can help syria with the force of the military. we now know over [inaudible] >> he meets with officials of the british foreign office for three hours. when he gets out, he is already on the phone taking calls from syria. he wants a diplomatic solution to the syrians civil war. he says it's the only way to end the fighting. "the talk about myself. i don't talk about other people. if we continue like about, it's going to destroy the assaaad regime and it will destroy syria. >> they discuss how the meeting went. then it's time to update the web site. news agencies and journalists often turn to the observatory to find out the latest developments in the syrian war. he says he is not for one side or the other, only for human rights. a network of informants keeps him out today.

. >> the londoners' only finished third. chelsea are the first title holders to ever exit the competition at the group's stage. but it was another good night for a german club. >> bayern munich have talked their group. berlin see a finished in second place, following their 1-0 victory -- valencia. she is thousands of years old but still is ageless and beautiful as ever. the bust of the egyptian queen nefertiti was discovered by archaeologists from the royal prussian academy exactly 100 years ago today on december 6, 1912. >> a special exhibit is opening in berlin that traces the discovery of the rare find. years were dedicated digging in the desert sands before efforts were richly rewarded. >> the light falls on her face from different angles, showing the lines of time. a proud queen and a classic beauty. the bust of nefertiti is the star attraction of the museum island in berlin, drawing visitors from all over the world. >> it grabs you completely because it is so lifelike. >> she was unearthed a century ago. now, nefertiti

. >> prince william visited his wife in this london hospital after she was taken their suffering from severe morning sickness. doctors say she will remain under observation for a few days. it is not just the doctors who will be watching, but much of britain and the rest of the world as well. think she is kind of a normal person going into the royal family, and i think it is what we hope for them. we just wish her a happy pregnancy. >> the baby will be third in line to the british throne after prince charles and prince william. a new addition to the duke and duchess of cambridge's family is likely to increase the popularity of a royal couple who have already won the hearts of the nation and the people around the natihe world.e people around palace officials gave no other details of the pregnancy, and in a country where bookmakers will accept bets on anything, many are already running a book on the name of the royal offspring, how long kate will be in labor, and even weather the child will have ginger hair -- whether the child will have ginger hair. >> coming up, record employment figur

. >> prince william visited his wife in this london hospital after she was taken their suffering from severe morning sickness. doctors say she will remain under observation for a few days. it is not just the doctors who will be watching, but much of britain and the rest of the world as well. >> i am delighted because i just think she is kind of a normal person going into the royal family, and i think it is what we hope for them. we just wish her a happy pregnancy. >> the baby will be third in line to the british throne after prince charles and prince william. a new addition to the duke and duchess of cambridge's family is likely to increase the popularity of a royal couple who have already won the hearts of the nation and the people around the natihe world.e people around palace officials gave no other details of the pregnancy, and in a country where bookmakers will accept bets on anything, many are already running a book on the name of the royal offspring, how long kate will be in labor, and even weather the child will have ginger hair -- whether the child will have ginger hair. >> c

. >> the 50th anniversary, a concert arena in leave london. those who could afford it, got a great show to their own money. it featured heads like a "brown sugar" and "jumpin' jack flash." former band members. ♪ hey hey you you ♪ >> stay with us. when we come back, a report of how victims of the mexican drug wars are trial the fight back. >> violence between rival gangs and security forces have killed tens of thousands of people across mexico in recent years. the movement for peace with justice and dignity is open to get compensation for the victims' families. we will be right back. >> don't go away. what's the program for the festive season. class a culinary specialities from all over europe. with a trip to the mountains and traditional christmas markets. and, heaven on earth. yuletide customs and practices in rural bavaria. christmas time on dw. >> welcome back. >> the eu debt crisis has zapped their ability to lead the way in global climate talks which began on monday. the european union is one of the few members promising to sign up to

. >> the 50th anniversary, a concert arena in leave london. those who could afford it, got a great show to their own money. it featured heads like a "brown sugar" and "jumpin' jack flash." they have special guests and former band members. ♪ hey hey you you ♪ >> stay with us. when we come back, a report of how victims of the mexican drug wars are trial the fight back. >> violence between rival gangs and security forces have killed tens of thousands of people across mexico in recent years. the movement for peace with justice and dignity is open to get compensation for the victims' families. we will be right back. >> don't go away. what's the program for the festive season. class a culinary specialities from all over europe. with a trip to the mountains and traditional christmas markets. and, heaven on earth. yuletide customs and practices in rural bavaria. christmas time on dw. >> welcome back. >> the eu debt crisis has zapped their ability to lead the way in global climate talks which began on monday. the european union is one of the few me

what does london want exactly? >> david cameron has caused some fury here with his positions. he has already threatened to veto the budget that is on the tablend that many eu leaders have said they cannot enter negotiations with, but david cameron wants lower payments for the eu and, most importantly, he wants to hold on to the british rebate, and that is a special deal for great britain, which margaret thatcher negotiated back in the 1980's, and they are saying it is outdated, that it is possible to hold onto it. they are saying david cameron would not have to give in to one of the two issues, and that is one of the main sticking points, while we might not even have a deal by the end of the summit. >> thanks so very much. there is quiet on both sides of the israeli-gaza border at this hour. >> the cease-fe announced wednesday night appears to be holding. 24 hours of calm and then talks will begin on the essentials needed for lasting peace. and that egypt will be playing a new and central role in the process. right now, though, both the netanyahu government and hamas are claim

what does london want exactly? >> david cameron has caused some fury here with his positions. he has already threatened to veto the budget that is on the table and that many eu leaders have said they cannot enter negotiations with, but david cameron wants lower payments for the eu and, most importantly, he wants to hold on to the british rebate, and that is a special deal for great britain, which margaret thatcher negotiated back in the 1980's, and they are saying it is outdated, that it is possible to hold onto it. they are saying david cameron would not have to give in to one of the two issues, and that is one of the main sticking points, while we might not even have a deal by the end of the summit. >> thanks so very much. there is quiet on both sides of the israeli-gaza border at this hour. >> the cease-fire announced wednesday night appears to be holding. 24 hours of calm and then talks will begin on the essentials needed for lasting peace. and that egypt will be playing a new and central role in the process. right now, though, both the netanyahu government and hamas are c

the last major tennis tournament of the year came to an end last night at the world tour finals in london. >> ending the year as it began, at the top of the world rankings. he lost the top spot in july but reclaim it just last week. >> in last night's final, he got his revenge. >> the two best players in the world played out a thrilling contest. the swiss masters started in top form, winning the first nine points -- but he did not give up. he fought back and took the lead. the high-quality tennis continued. but the serb eventually triumphed, 8-6. in the second set, federer again stormed into the lead. once more, his opponent should his resilience, winning three games in a row. he took his first match point to finish the contest and confirm his second world title. >> it has been the best possible way to finish another remarkable season that i am very proud of. i want to thank my team for being with me on a daily basis. >> last week, he regained his world no. 1 ranking with victory in london. the 25-year-old underlined his status as the world's best player. >> floods in italy have claimed t

in london with prime minister david cameron, who has threatened to veto the eu's medium term budget. >> let's go to simon for more analysis. how significant is it? is chancellor merkel aiming to rework the you? >> to a point, i think this was a major speech with the chancellor calling for an ambitious road map to renew your's economic and monetary union over the next two or three years. as you said, she called on leaders to agree to a concrete timetable for doing this. she is calling for more coordination between european governments on economic policy, also saying that governments should make commitments -- specifically binding commitments -- to the european commission, including on sensitive areas such as taxation and employment policies. she is also talking about a different relationship between the various european institutions. that could involve changes to the european treaties, so a big push for more europe from the chancellor in brussels. >> we know merkel is getting set to meet up with the uk's david cameron. can we expect sparks to fly there? >> i think chancellor merkel wi

ireland based company reported a surge halfway through its fiscal year, boosted by the olympic games in london. it helped in part by a lower- than-expected fuel costs. we will be back after a short breaks to do not go away. stay with us. >> welcome back. one week after hurricane sandy cause destruction, tens of thousands of people need temporary housing. >> both the storm and the government's response to it are expected to have a significant impact on tuesday's general -- general election. while president obama's handling has given him a boost. many struggled to recover. temperatures in new york have dropped to just below freezing. in neighboring new jersey, almost 1 million households are still without electricity. >> she is back at her new jersey home for the first time since the storm, but there is not -- but there's not much left of it. >> the only thing we had was the clothes on her back. not expecting to come back. nothing. >> many houses were destroyed by the storm were burned down. homeowners are rushing to stay ahead of the flooding. her mother is 77. her house is still standing, but

cooler than average in london. 8 degrees and same in berlin. here's extended forecast. >>> and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us.

she' traveling to london next week to dcuheatr wh vicarout there arewo alomllg ass why it is solution almost certainly will be fnd thfit hathrish usofomns votes t ndg. it is merely pressure on menn s arng position of negotiations. send ayoenon iyo report, if u adsreot leo aee on audt nngo 20,he will be forced to debatendidl nu bge o psiy en monty budgets, and that is a nitmeobyan, clinth british. >> germany hasoud auery, austerity, austerity in response to theuron cris e visuestion is -- does that also app t turea unn dg? >> ceaiy,he a vio arting positions in the negotiio, ai ntne frceonhene hd, is saying no cuts, otherwise it ll vo e dg. that's because 40% of the bge isgrulra subsidies, and france benefits most from tse onhethan we've got the british, as we kno sinwe ntheudtlashed." rmy iakg middle position, saying we ought to emaseroh. rk h nerrgd tha 70 is an end to itself. shee oy coecix, as she sees it, oftilaonf ecomyn e e hand a reci dt to recover the confidence of investors on the he ll right, our political correspondent. as alway tnk you vermuch. >> u. esenbackba and his repu

. >> we have more now on the vote and the fallout beginning in london. >> when the vote was read out, it was a stunning defeat for the government. the opposition labor party is rubbing its hands in glee. 53 of david cameron is -- cameron's own party refused to toe the line, pushing through the amendment. kamen wants to freeze the eu budget over the next seven years, but these skeptics say a freeze does not go far enough. they want to see cuts in real terms. opposition labour is supporting the call. while wednesday's parliamentary vote to cut your spending is not binding, it is a significant challenge to david cameron's authority and puts him in a difficult position. the eu commission is proposing a 5% increase in the budget, a move supported by many eu member states. britain's deputy prime minister, and it clegg, a member of the democrats, is skeptical this government can single-handedly turn the tide of the use sentiment -- nick clegg is skeptical this government can single-handedly turn the tide of you sentiment. >> it is wishful thinking to suggest we could effectively give ourselv

london's police may be selling their famous new scotland yard headquarters to cut costs. they need to find over 600 million euros of savings and help the complex can fetch a large chunk of that sum. >> city police moved into the iconic building on victoria street in 1967. with staff cuts on the way, they will not need as much space. >> we will be back in one minute with more. >> stick around. we will be right back. >> welcome back. it is deja vu all over again. florida and ohio are expected to be key swing states in determining the outcome of the u.s. presidential election. >> some are saying that romney must win florida to win the race. the southern state has a high percentage of latino voters as well as senior citizens, many of home are worried about their benefits. >> polls show the candidates are neck-and-neck. >> hold on tight. irene takes me on a fast pace tour of the retirement community in her golf cart. florida is home to many retirees, and a high proportion of them vote. i asked her if they are aware of their influence. >> well, you know, we have people in here

. >> after wowing a worldwide audience in london, gabrielle douglas is going for a new kind of gold in new "super mario bros. 2" for nintendo 3ds. >> i am so excited to be here. i am such a big fan of nintendo. >> new "super mario bros. 2" is the latest mario adventure that challenges players to collect as many gold coins as they can. >> the game is so much fun. the new "super mario bros. 2" has new levels, new power-ups, and it's all about going for the gold. >> to help celebrate the recent launch of the game, gabrielle teamed up with nintendo for its "play as you are" campaign. >> i'm part of the "play as you are" campaign. and the thing is about nintendo, you don't have to be a gamer to like the 3ds. and, personally, what i like about it is it's portable and on my downtime and on my breaks where it's handy, i just pull it out and play it. and i also play with my brothers and my sisters. we get so competitive. >> with a role model like gabby, we're showing girls and women of all ages that nintendo 3ds is a great way to explore their interests and really express their individuality. >

london in particular fear of losses for its finance industry. the spanish prime minister has softened his stance on fiscal policy, saying there is a case for easing budget deficit targets set by the eu as the deficit undermines tax revenue and overall performance. spain's economy contracted for the fifth quarter in a row between july and october. >> the spanish economy, which is the eurozone's fourth largest, shrank 5.4% in the third quarter appeared to lift the country of the prolonged recession, finance minister say further spending cuts and a stern measures will be necessary, but an increasing number of spanish say they want a new approach, one more focused on growth. >> the spanish parliament continues to struggle to get its soaring public deficit under control. with the recession getting worse and tax revenues falling, the finance minister wants to drastically cut spending next year. >> we have to save more if we want to get out of this crisis. if we do not curb public spending, we will not beat this recession. >> thousands of students, par

the veteran rockers are planning to gigs and london. two more in december. >> he is the first man ever to break the speed of sound in a freefall jump. >> the 43-year-old austrian, felix baumgartner, showed that humans can survive some of the most extreme space conditions. >> he left more than 39,000 meters from the united states staying in free fall for more than 90 -- for more than four minutes. >> a short wave and then a leap of faith. free-fall from 39 kilometers up. the descent into the stratosphere was a record in its own right. he was suspended on a helium balloon and flew higher than any balloon flight before it. he was rewarded with a spectacular view. >> i said, i know the whole world is watching and i wish the world could see what i see. sometimes you have to go of really high to understand how small you are. >> his family was present at the job and watched from the ground. there was a scare when he started spinning out of control. >> when it turns around, you have to figure out what to do. i stuck my arm out and it became wor

on september 5th, david blaine entered this box that is now hanging by the tower bridge in london. he says he'll stay there for 44 days. sound easy? well, he's living there with no food -- just water, a blanket, and his journal. >> he's not doing anything, right? i mean, he's just sitting there. >> other than hunger, blaine is dealing with extreme heat, rain, and some people who think this stunt is foolish. >> i think this is the worst country to do it in, just 'cause of how the british people think of him. >> come down, you [bleep] the africans are starving, eh?! >> and they think he's an idiot. >> but whether or not he's just starving for attention, the crowd might be getting more supportive as the days go by. >> he's really wicked. we really appreciate... >> we've been here every day! he's the best! >> we appreciate the fact that he's come to england to do this. >> so, do you think you could go 44 days in a box without food? there seems to be no question. >> no. >> i don't think so. [ laughs ] >> i can't even miss my lunch, so... [ laughter ] >> david blaine will be completing t

in london. >>> let's take a look at the market figures. >>> japanese businesses have been feeling the impact of a heated political dispute with china. chinese have boycotted their products because japan nationalized a group of islands in the east china sea, but that boycott doesn't appear to be having an impact on at least one popular product. one of asia's biggest flower expeditions is underway near tokyo. many chinese businesses are participanting, despite the dispute over the senkaku islands, which japan controls and china's claim. >> translator: i admire the technology. >> translator: business relations have not been affected much. >> the flower show has attracted producers and traders from 25 countries. organizers say 45 chinese companies are participating in the fair, as initially planned. japanese companies have been trying to expand their sales in china. >>> on the road ahead this week, we're looking at the roads people have traveled since the start of japan's nuclear crisis. the fukushima daiichi forced thousands to flee the towns and cities around the plant. some foreign res

but the service between london and brussels had to be suspended. >> it has also disrupted the high-speed services between france and germany. workers are protesting plans to restructure belgium's state railway. the action is set to and within the hour. >> to iran where protesters in the capital have clashed with riot police. they are angered by the collapse of the country's currency. it plunged to record lows this week. >> demonstrators gathered and they shouted slogans against the president, mahmoud i am -- on a new job -- ' >> hundreds of protesters have gathered in cairo to demand that women's rights be protected in egypt's new constitution. >> it has caused alarm among women and the country's christian minority. it seeks to legalize female genital mutilation and limit women's rights to work and education. >> democracy activists says is it an authoritarian side of the governing muslim brotherhood and the new president. >> many ordinary egyptians had high hopes for the post revolutionary time. this glass blower believed a new president would restart -- restore calm. his son voted for m