premier wanted to present in brussels next week to show the country is on track to meet budget limits. the dutch had been one of germany's chief partners in the push to cut budget deficits in the eurozone. now, dutch papers are writing that chancellor merkel is losing an ally. lee told parliament that the netherlands was also losing an opportunity. >> a deadlock is not good for the netherlands. our economy wil improve only if we stop taking on new debt. he still needs opposition support for spending cuts, but he's not impressed. with fresh elections looming, he has found a way to praise -- placed the blame. the dutch should stop babbling to the dictators in brussels, he said on monday. >> the government is doing anything that can and deteriorating conditions for seniors. >> the eu commission rejected the portrayal of the situation. >> this is basically because it is good for the dutch citizens, and decisions, by the way, have not been taken by brussels. >> the dutch finance minister, for his part, attempted to calm markets ahead of tuesday's bond sale, saying holland could stil

17 afghan villagers. in brussels, nato members decided wednesday to stick to the planned withdrawal of international troops by the end of 2014. >> let me stress that there is no change whatsoever. it is in the interest of the whole international community to see strong and highly capable afghan security forces take full responsibility for its security by the end of 2014. >> reporter: that statement by the nato security general came the same day that afghan defense ministries say the country will need at least $4.1 billion a year from the international community to maintain security after foreign troops leave. nato is due to discuss long-term aid for afghanistan at a meeting in the united states next month. but many members of the alliance says financial difficulties of their own. for them the afghan mission looks increasingly hard. nhk world, kabul. >> multiple attacks in kabul on sunday and monday were among the worst violence afghanistan has seen in weeks. the taliban has now released a video of militants it says played a role in the offensive. the footage was apparently performed

new german president, jaochim gauck, wrapped up his first visit to brussels in his new capacity. >> to visit nato headquarters in brussels and met with eu leaders. he called for more european integration and said the union heads germany's full support. >> jaochim gauck's visit to brussels was the celebration of the european project at the headquarters of democratic europe. he received a warm welcome from the eu parliament's president. >> it is an honor and a joy for me personally. many thanks for this symbolic visit. >> jaochim gauck also met with the eu commission president who spoke about what europe means to people who grew up under non- democratic regimes. >> i was 18 years of age when democracy came to my country. i remember. i remember when it was not possible to read the books i wanted, to listen to radio, or to watch what i wanted. for my generation, europe is freedom. >> europe and freedom. for both of them, the concepts and hand-in-hand. >> it has been a long journey from eastern europe to europe. i am also deeply moved by president barack so's recollections of his youth in a

us from brussels. can you tell us why the new tensions are such a source of concern were you are? >> it is little known fact that in the recently agreed lisbon treaty on european union, strangely enough there was a reference to the falklands. the declaration of the treaty says that the falklands along to the united kingdom, and therefore, of course, that means that 27 nations, including the u.k., have subscribed to that belief. officially. now, if you talk to european commission felt here, they will say, look, it has nothing to do with us. this is a foreign policy matter for argentina and for the united kingdom. so we do not want to get involved. but in fact, if there's any by is one where the other, because of the treaty reference, the express instructions of the british foreign office, then the official opposition for the european union is malvinas are the falklands and belonged to britain. >> latin america is pretty much united behind argentina on this. in spite of this treaty, what else is happening with the eu? is it as united as latin america is behind britain? >> latin-ame

violence. >> syria was also topping the agenda at nato in brussels. they called on russia, one of syria's few remaining allies, to use its influence to end the bloodshed. >> the russian foreign minister cyndi lauper of -- sergei lavrov said the alliance was down to bring this agreements. be appealed to russia to bring more pressure to its -- they appealed to russia to bring more pressure to its ally, syria. >> we have to end the violence, to make sure the annan plan has every chance to succeed. the assad regime must know it cannot rely on russia. >> the un-brokered cease-fire has been in force for a week, but there is fresh shelling in homs on thursday. >> if the cease-fire does not work, i think it will be understandable who was responsible for that. the assad regime. it looks to russia to pressure the regime to comply. >> but russia says the other countries should give the peace plan a chance to work and not condemn it to failure. >> the syrian government should ensure the human-rights and security of its citizens. >> discussions will continue at the friends of syria conference, taking

in brussels drawing up directives. once they are agreed on, they have to be translated into law. we expect our citizens to follow the law, and we expect no less from the justice minister. >> dispute is part of wider jostling in the coalition. the fdp is playing down the threat from brussels and says the eu directive puts basic freedoms at risk. >> to brazil now where the laws protecting the world's largest rain forests may soon lose some of their teeth. >> congress has adopted controversial legislation that eases the rules on the amount of forest farmers have to preserve on their land. and the german president is expected to veto the bill, which could ignite a fight with congress. amities members are among the last. it is estimated only about 450 of the hunter-gatherer's remain in brazil's amazon rain forest. human rights campaigners say their home is being destroyed at an alarming rate to make way for farming. now the process looks set to decelerate after deputies in the lower house voted to ease land- use regulations. the new legislation would reduce the amount of forest that farm

reactors with public funds. for that, they need the green light from brussels. sales of nuclear generated electricity would also be subsidized, just like wind and solar energy are today. the demands come from countries that want to expand their own nuclear industries. in france, nuclear energy accounts for 78% of total energy production. it is europe's nuclear power leader. the czech republic currently gets a third of its energy needs for nuclear reactors. in britain, that figure is 17%. pauling currently has no nuclear power plants. -- poland currently has no nuclear power plants. coal is their chief source of energy. poland is planning to build six new reactors. the british are looking at 40 nuclear plants. whether taxpayers will help pay for them as an issue eu leaders will have to decide that their next summit in june. >> the eurozone's sovereign debt woes coupled with disappointing first quarter for the chinese economy as traders on edge. >> new figures showed china's economic performance was worse than expected, starting worries about the health of the global economy. >> europe's on

deficit spending cuts ordered by brussels was too great. new elections will be held, possibly in june. >> it was shortly after 4:00 p.m. when prime minister mark rutte left the royal palace after handing the queen his cabinet's resignation. his government is set to continue its official duties. the premier drove away from the scene without a word to reporters. the cabinet met on monday to draw up its resignation. the minority government has been in crisis since it lost support for is badly-needed budget cuts. -- for its badly-needed budget cuts. >> and a few decades, the netherlands have showed fiscal, solid budgetary policy and this will not change. >> negotiations came to an abrupt halt this weekend after an attack by it are right mean populist leader. he accuses them of doing the bidding of brussels. >> this is basically for the dutch citizens and the decisions, but the way, have not been taken by brussels. >> to the middle east now. in the coming days pending the arrival of next week's it monitors for the truce brokered by kofi annan. >> it is said that dialogue is the only way ou

. >> transportation workers in brussels or are in -- are on strike after the brutal death of a colleague. police have arrested a suspect. transport police have refused to call off the strike before measures are discussed concerning their safety. the nobel peace prize winning german author has been banned from travelling to israel. his poem published last week caused outrage in the jewish state. the poem also caused controversy here in germany. he said the country was "a threat to world peace." >> at first, few israelis seemed interested in the pelham, but the interior minister -- in the poem, but the interior minister's decision to declare him persona non grata has excited the controversy. >> he says things we cannot accept people in >> opposition leaders say that the government of prime minister benjamin netanyahu is trying to position itself as the protector of national interest. the former ambassador to germany described the travel ban as over the top and slightly hysterical. >> this is just domestic politics. it is wrong. i do not believe he is anti- semitic, not at all. >>

in 2010. officials tried to limit the damage. u.s. defense secretary leon panetta in brussels had a meeting and denounced the actions of the soldiers. >> i strongly condemn what we see in those photos as has general allen. that behavior that was depicted in those photos absolutely violates both our regulations and more importantly our core values. >> reporter: as a string of incidents of u.s. troop in afghanistan has strengthened anti-u.s. american sentiment. they have been accused of burning copies of the koran and in one case killing villagers. in brussels, they decided on wednesday to stick to the planned withdrawal of troops by the end of 2014. >> let me stress that there is no change whatsoever. it is in the interest of the whole international community to see strong and highly capable afghan security forces take full responsibility for security by the end of 2014. >> reporter: that statement by the nato execusecurity general the same day that they say the country will need at least $4.1 billion a year from international community to maintain security after foreign troops leave

earned praise from brussels for its attempts to cut debt and get its economy going again. a new report by the european union, the european central bank, and the international monetary fund makes that -- things that unlike raese, the country will not need a second rescue package. the report also stressed the need for further economic reforms, including privatization of state assets. >> the united states has put a 10 million-dollar bounty on a pakistani islamist leaders suspected of planning imam by terrorist attack in 2010. >> the reward for the capture was posted on the state department's website today. the founder of the militant group lives openly in pakistan where he runs a charity, but the united nations says that charity is a front. to the u.s. now where police in oakland, california, say the former student who killed seven and wounded four was a 43-year- old south korean national bent on righting perceived slights by students and administrators. >> the suspect gave himself up to police in a nearby supermarket. uthorities say the killer opened fire in the middle of a nursin

, we're joined by our brussels correspondent jeff mead. they said this is not violate the fundamental right to the protection of family life. tell us more. >> they said that this was a guarantee to the right of private and family life. in europe, where the majority of countries do and, they said it was too early to change that moral code, and a german court said it plans to protect the family on the basis that and blurs family. the judgments themselves are blurred. the court saw no reason to change the overall position in europe and it allows those countries that do allow between consenting adults to go ahead and do that. for the vast majority, they will retain what has been a longstanding legal, as well as moral taboo against. >> you did mention the other countries. do you think this german decision will influence other countries? >> i doubt it very much. i think those that changed their laws -- the most recent is france -- i do not think they are going to change. there is still a moral feeling about, whatever the lot is, and in many of those european countries where they officially

brussels set up a post box for collecting haiku on thursday. the first of its kind outside japan. the move is part of efforts to promote cultural exchanges. the box is shaped like an old hot spring building in matsuyama city. the best writer wins a trip to the city. at the ceremony, japan's u.n. ambassador kojiro shiojiri said he hoped to get exchanges between the people of japan and the eu. herman van rompuy also attended. he recited his favorite english haiku and dropped it in the box. >> flowering orchards, born again every year, i welcome the blossoms. >> van rompuy said his -- said the poems suit his character as he loves nature and the seasons. he hopes the post box will help increase the number of haiku lovers and deepen ties between japan and the eu. >>> a curator of an art museum in hiroshima solved the mystery. a portrait by the acclaimed dutch painter vincent van gogh hangs on their walls. it has been restored twice and that gives rise to the puzzle. >> reporter: here she sits, the peasant woman, unaware of the mystery that surrounded her. it dealt with the picture's appear