but, most of all, you have greek's own politicians. >> what is going on in brussels? what is the general mood among greeks? is there hope that these talks will actually improve people's lives? >> i think most greeks are expecting another shoe to fall, because the full details of these new austerity measures from of the last week have not been fully revealed to greeks. so i think they are preparing themselves for more austerity, even above what they're dealing with at the moment. >> ok, thank you so much for that update from athens. >> more consequences from the standoff in the persian gulf. the price of crude oil has surged to a new nine-month high after iran's move to shut off deliveries to france and britain. a barrel of benchmark north sea crude now cost $120. tehran is threatening to cut off oil to the entire european union and less economic sanctions are lifted. a europe -- european oil companies say they will be able to make up for any halt in iranian supplies. iran currently supplies of around 20% of the eu's crude oil needs, some 600,000 barrels per day. >> fa

let's cross over to brussels and find out more from jeff. another round of talks. what proposal laurell the table? >> same as ever, i'm afraid. greece immediately needs a 31.5 billion euro payout. they are overdue for the payment. the recession is worsening in the debt crisis in greece is getting worse even though they are implementing more austerity measures. we have a three quarter circus in the year. european central bank, the imf, and the eu cannot agree whether and how to pay are the latest rancho funding when greece clearly cannot meet the targets for debt reduction. of that is the issue. it has kept the ministers of late once before and it may well again. there's no clear hint whether they will actually reach an agreement. greece's cyanamid they are bankrupt. >> is there any sign an agreement will be reached? >> not really. technically, they were bankrupt last friday but they survived it. on saturday, the head of the euro group and prime minister of luxembourg have a long talk with angela merkel and came out suggesting they cleared away most of the difficult

. >> it came as a surprise to many in brussels on rent for its historic role in honoring the continent. >> they have helped to transform most of europe from a continental or continental peace. >> the president of the european parliament's interrupted the business to to vienna to respond. >> for me, this is also a personal thing. everything i have worked for, all the energy into pushing this forward has been honored today. >> there was a last-minute change to the schedule. currently in finland ahead of the european council summit, the finnish prime minister played down the importance of the eu's achievement. >> we had the two world wars. the we had european civil wars. >> the three main figureheads will accept the prize when it is awarded in oslo in december. >> our european affairs correspondent joins us from brussels. what was your response? >> generally, surprise and amazement. this came out of left field. politics and seeming to going to the trenches, as it were, so it sounded like a joke. if you ask me for my initial reaction, i now know at the end of this long day of celebration a

thank you for that update from brussels. and you can stay up to date on our website, www.dw-world.de, for all new information. especially what is coming out of the brussels summit at this hour. thank you. play funky space-rock] ♪ ♪ (jane joyce) wetlands are among the most productive and useful ecosystems on earth. wetlands filter and cleanse water of harmful chemicals, act as storage basins to control flooding and recharge groundwater, and support thousands of species of animals and plants. in the northern great plains, wetland basins called "prairie potholes" are important breeding areas for waterfowl in north america, producing as much as 80% of the continent's total duck population alone. but much of this valuable wildlife habitat has been drained and converted for farms, homes, and roads. today, less than half of the original wetlands in the united states remain. when we convert these rich natural systems to agriculture we lose a lot of biodiversity. we may be down to hundreds instead of many thousands of species. (j

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 still meet that target next year, despite the failure of earlier talks. >> for more on this, we asked our brussels correspondent about the reaction there to the political crisis in the netherlands. >> there is certainly dismay at what is happening and dismay at what is clearly the perception in some capitals, particularly in the netherlands, the governments are being dictated to by brussels. whatever the spokesman said just now, there is a perception, and that he is the same in france as they go through the presidential election, that voters are now casting votes on the basis of largely economic matters, austerity mea

rabbis have been in brussels studying the decision. they call it the greatest affront to german jewry since the holocaust. >> they want to continue performing circumcision. they see it as a cornerstone of the identity of jewish children that makes jewish children -- >> the procedures have stopped. most circumcisions in germany are performed a muslim boys. doctors say the ruling is disturbing. >> we have advised alaric colleagues not to perform circumcisions until the courts -- our colleagues not to perform circumcisions until the courts to rule on their legality. otherwise they could face problems. >> it is a legal resolution to a fundamental religious issue. >> for more story, i am joined by the president of the conference of european rabbis. thank you. the court ruled that the child's body is permanently and irreparably changed by the circumcision and this change is counter to the interest of the child. what is your answer to that argument? >> it is in the interests of the child to be totally alienated from the culture of his parents

we're joined now with more from our brussels correspondent. ys it taking so long or eu finance ministers to agree on releasing the next tranche of funds f greece? >> the terms of the deal have to be renegotiated. the troika as recommended more time to take up paying off the debt of some of the more time ans more money. now there are intense discussions going on among the people who will have to come up with that money and the proper ways that, unless the group comes up with a sustainable road map to talk about hate they will have financing in greece, the ecb is not willing to step in and help out with temporary mechanisms unless the ecb steps in, we all know that it looks really bad for greece this week. >> , having trouble with the draft agreement being discussed in brussels and including the idea that greece should be given an extra two years to meet debt reduction targets. how would the additional two years be financed? >> that's the big questions. there are lots of ideas. the imf, for instance, say it is just a hair cut. they're suggesting

the powers that be in brussels are human like the rest of us. there comes a point in the specially educated people in politics say, frankly, we have not much more clue than you what to do. everyone is looking at the time table for a new election and what happens, if the new vote does throw up an even more determined anti-austerity result. because that would be the democratic results of an eu state. ken russell said, i am sorry, we don't care -- can brussels say, i am sorry, we don't care what the voters said? >> what about that money? what happens to the international bailout? >> right now, greece has not acted on its threats. the austerity measures are technically ok. there is no reason to doubt that money. when there's a new anti- austerity government in power, big trouble. the money will stop flowing. greece will be in serious trouble, but also will the european union. >> thank you for the analysis. >> the new french president francois blonde is in berlin a few hours after being sworn into office -- francois hogan's is in berlin a few hours a

but angela merkel defended the brussels accord. she said funding recipients would be subject to strict and, long-term, that would help stabilize the euro. >> there is a legal connection here between sound policy and solidarity. that is a very important. we back the euro. we want it as our stable currency. we believe we can run our economy better with it, that our living standard will be higher, and that is why i am is seeking agreement from you all. >> while many in the opposition are wary of handing over more power to brussels, the general consensus in parliament is that the common currency must be saved. >> and voting has just begun after that debate. let's go to john who is following things from our parliamentary studios. is the government going to get its two-thirds majority? >> i think that is very likely. i just returned from the chamber. and just to clear up a possible misunderstanding, because i think in the international media, this is often being and accurately reported. this debate, of course, the chamber today is not ab

european leaders opening a two-day summit in brussels on thursday. they're discussing ways to contain the ongoing european debt crisis. the leaders of the 27 nation european union are aiming to agree on the introduction of a banking union which will oversee commercial banks. the leaders will try to agree on providing all necessary measures by the end of this year to create the banking union. an integrated system for banking supervision would end a cycle of poor bank management and national budget problems. the introduction of a euro zone budget and closer oversight of eu members have been put forward as possible longer term solutions. the leaders will also be informed of the progress made on the talks between greek and eu representatives about greece's austerity measures. no financial decision is expected to be made at this summit. >> checking in on the markets. u.s. stock prices closed yesterday as mixed corporate earnings. for more details let's going to ching lee. can you tell us more about the volatilities in the market. >> reporter: u.s. markets

meanwhile, finance ministers have been holding talks in brussels. no surprise, greece is at the top of the agenda there. >> the trouble is, no one knows what would be the fallout if greece decided to leave and the stakes are high. >> some say a departure by greece would mean the end of the single currency. >> european finance ministers have been sticking to a hard- line approach, saying greece must stick to the term of the bailout, or the money will stop flowing. >> greece must toe the line. >> it is not now a question of how generous we should be towards greece. it is simply a case of what makes economic sense, and what is plausible. >> many colleagues agree. greece must make the cuts or do without the money. regardless of who was in power. >> we did not agree to a deal with the government. we agreed to a deal with greece as a country. if the country needs financial aid from outside, it has to fulfil the conditions. >> the alternative would be for greece to leave the eurozone. that option is no longer taboo, but it would have far-reaching consequen

what more does brussels what? >> eu economic affairs chief said it as well -- they want concrete action such as legislation. in the past, the greeks have met a lot of promises, but some things were just never fulfilled, partly because the right structures were not in place, and greek interior politics also plays a crucial role. we are dealing with a government under prime minister papademos, and the europeans want a signature that no matter who the greek prime minister is, that they will all stick to what is being agreed, so these factors are factored in. another crucial factor is that the troika report is still missing. europeans want a clear sign from the international monetary fund as well regarding the question -- has greece complied with all actions needed in order for the funds to be released? >> there is a long list of things that brussels still wants. can even begin to expect a concrete agreement tonight? >> tonight is definitely an important step, but we are not expecting a concrete deal. the greek parlia

brussels says one law gives the government too much authority over the appointment of judges. the other concerns the independence of the country's data protection authority. >> it would be a lot easier for hungary as well as for the european union if these problems were eliminated. because these are not just minor violations. they are about fundamental european rights and the values on which our union is based. >> in brussels on tuesday, the prime minister did agree to your demands to improve the independence of his country's central bank, a condition set by the european commission in order for hungary to resume negotiations over financial aid that the country badly needs. hungary sees that as a success. >> only a very limited number of issues will continue in this legal procedure and go probably to the european court of justice, but it is also part of the game. bonn this basis, i guess now we can really say babbitt there is a very positive results -- on thisasis. begin,rlnthess giatioit tal minute, the latesli nle titicionakgo vo bti tloipetens . wldpar. lave ih hinueedhehnoe

. >> our correspondent has been following nato talks in brussels. we asked what nato's decision to deploy missiles at the turkish border means. >> sending these patriot missiles to turkey is more a political signal than a military necessity. nato wants to support its ally, turkey, and nato wants to reassure all those in the country who fear there might be direct entry into the civil war. in general, nato tries to deal escalate the situation -- d escalate the situation -- de- escalate the situation. the augmentation of the turkish air defense comes amid rumors that syria might use weapons against its own people in the civil war or against neighboring countries. >> thank you for that. while diplomats in brussels talk about the situation in syria, there was another day of fighting in the country itself. >> these images are said to show rockets being fired on the capital damascus from a ledge of government positions at a military airport on the outskirts of the capital. this internet video appears to show destruction after heavy fighting in damascus sub

french president sarkozy made the announcement on the sidelines of brussels. one was with it last week in a rocket attack that killed an american-born journalist. >> the people of iran are going to the polls today to elect a new parliament, but opposition groups say voters are not getting a free choice and are calling for a boycott on the planned protest of the dissension and many of their leaders. >> voters are left to pick between two hard-line conservative camps, groupings involved in a power struggle right at the top of the tehran regime. iran's state television showed long lines of voters at the polling stations. the government is hoping for a strong turnout, which would signal broad popular support for the country's clerical establishment. "i am is citizen of this country, and i want to vote. the fate of my country is very important to me. it is my duty to be here today. all iranians should care about what happens to their country." there are no real opposition parties in iran, so the election is essentially a popularity contest between two conservative

but she has been pushing for more political integration that would meet in brussels would give more power and that is not something the dutch want at all. the european union as awful will take a course in the future, but it is unknown. >> we will have a look at how the national debt of different countries around the world stacks up in comparison. >> first come here is some of the other news from around the world. in and, at least 11 people died in a car bombing in the capital. the blast was directed at a convoy from the defense minister. he survived. it comes after the military claimed responsibility for killing a top al qaeda leaders. >> of fresh attacks in kenya left at least three police officers dead. the comes just hours after the president imposed a dusk to dawn curfew after ethnic clashes on monday left dozens dead. >> in eastern france, a bus swerved off a motorway, killing at least two people. some 70 people were on board the bus. 30 were reported injured. as we mentioned earlier, moody's has threatened to downgrade the u.s. if it does not lower its debt by next year. >> debt has

the move delegates a large degree of fiscal policy-making to brussels. that unleashed a flood of lawsuits. the citizens' initiative presented thousands of complaints to germany's constitutional court, arguing that the voting rights of ordinary people were being undermined. >> people have a right to vote for a parliament that has policy-making capabilities, especially on key issues such as budget law. that involves how our money is being spent and our country's fiscal and economic development. >> the initiative says the delegation of key policy-making powers to brussels should require a citizen's referendum. one conservative member of parliament has also filed suit and says the move damages his rights as a parliamentarian. >> in my opinion, it is no longer justifiable for parliament to approve such transfers of rights without a referendum. it should require live generation by our sovereign power and ask the people. >> some legal experts say germany's constitution is in danger. a group calling itself the free voters is backing the constitution. >> germany'

-- as people digested the bad news from brussels. >> i do not know if i to make a difference to our everyday lives. the measures that have been taken thus far have already left us in poverty. all i had to say is that the people are very disappointed. >> the government says it has done all it can to comply with the demands of international creditors, and the eurozone countries and imf must keep their part of the bargain. with state bankruptcy looming, athens has issued treasury bills with shorter maturity as a way of raising cash quickly. the opposition in greece blame the prime minister but added that germany and in particular chancellor merkel were also at fault. >> mr. samaras has become an inseparable part of ms. merkel's election campaign. she cannot admit to the german people in the run-up to elections that she made a mistake, that she is responsible for the coming recession and that the greek debts must be cut. >> the german finance minister continues to reject that option. he says he was confident that an agreement would be reached when eurozone ministers meet next week. >> c

let's bring in our brussels correspondent. we just heard from the european commission president. is this the ruling he and other officials wanted to see? >> of course. the ruling did not come completely unexpected. there is still a great sense of relief in brussels because people were secretly thinking what are we going to do if they say no to the esm? fortunately, they did a support of the esm and germany as the last country to sign the treaty. now people in brussels are relieved it because business can continue as usual, as usual as as possible in these chaotic times. parliamentarians in particular showed their relief and said it was a great sign and they say -- the say the representatives have and the rescue is strengthened by this ruling. >> they not only expressed relief about the past but looks to the future -- they want to give the european central banks sweeping new powers. what can you tell us? >> the idea of that commission is to make a step toward the banking union. in a first step today, the commissioner present his proposals for a supervisory board for banks in all o

it released brussels -- it reached in brussels on saturday. spain will seek favorable conditions like those awarded to greece, ireland, and portugal. that would include 15 years to repay the loan. the low-interest rate under 4% with no repayment required in the first five years. >> this will be decisive step towards but improving credit worthiness. we will do everything we can to restore confidence in the euro. >> the spanish banks are weighted down by bad debts following the collapse of the real-estate market. it is designed to prevent a banking crisis. >> and just how worried are officials in brussels? nina joins us from brussels. the weakness in spanish banks haven't been going and many have seen this bring on the horizon. what about cyprus? did officials of view this as being a threat as well? >> it has been known for very long time that's price -- that cyprus is a concern. it was the massive write-down of greek bonds earlier this year in helping greece with the hair cut that pushed cyprus's banks so hard that now they need some help. anal

. >> that is from the heart of the eu in brussels. we saw in that report, german exporters have no reason to mourn the deutsche mark. is that true in brussels? >> it depends on who you talk to. there are people who feel this problem has gone far too long and are worried about currency stability. a lot of people would like to get back to their national currencies. if you talk to people behind the eurozone, and they will tell you nothing could be further from the truth. the eurozone is a zone of stability. it did not create the economic crisis. furthermore it is helping to maintain stability. unless you are an economic wizard, it is hard to pick between those two years. some are worried about the collapse of the row and the fact that yes, we may be looking at going back to one or other of the national currencies. >> and what would be the euro's greatest accomplishment in the last 10 years? >> remember, it is now just an economic concept. it is a political one, too. it has brought a at a unity to europe, according to some. that was the a

about -- with brussel'' red tape. brussels has limited their working week to a maximum of 48 hours. >> workers' rights need to be protected, but it seems we have gone a little bit too far in some places. what we have done is restricted our competitiveness in the market. at the end of the day, if you look towards asia and china, they have not got such strict laws. >> a lot of britain's employers complain about eu regulations. among them is oakland international, also located near birmingham, but oakland does not deny that the advantages of e membership far outweigh the disadvantages. it used to be hard to find warehouse workers, for instance. now, polish immigrants happily fill those vacancies. they say they want politicians to make it an easier place to do business. >> it is very important that europe sees itself as competing against the rest of the world rather than competing against each other. we should not be into a battle between what the uk is doing against, what -- u.k. is doing against ireland against what ita

ambassadors for the alliance member states held an emergenc meeting in brussels. cutyf temr state have beenhrted ic i the emergency meetin but the solutions are not s easy to come by. rasmussen spoke after the srarfointernationaaho norms and peace. >> we consider this act to be unacceptable aonmn it in the strongest terms. >> rasmusss the alliance will consider whether further acons necessary. but he didn't mention any military options. nato members have ereed concern about the detiorating situation in syria, b t osct of using military force presents too many risks, given the curren diplomatic approach to the syrian conflict. th aiaeil be forced to adopt a cautious stance for now. takashi icno, nhworld, brussels. >>> meanwhile, turkish prime minister tayyi erdogan for the fit me cmeedn the incident. he issued a tough warning against nassirian miany semohe tuish border. the rules for endangerment for turkish armed forces changed and ylent fm syria that poses a security risk or danger will be treated as a military target. the syrian government officials y was the tu

a hearst got to be carrying his body arrived at brussels airport. a government spokesman says an acting prime minister has been appointed. he took power in 1991, transforming ethiopia into a staunch u.s. ally. >> sweden said it would not extradite julian assange if he were to face the death penalty. he is wanted for questioning about allegations of sexual misconduct. he is currently in the ecuadorean embassy in london where he has taken refuge. >> firefighters are battling numerous blazes across italy. italy has suffered dozens of wildfires in recent days. rain is not expected until thursday at the earliest. >> it is being called a jobs miracle by some and an environmental disaster by others. >> in the u.s. state of north dakota, energy companies are looking for thousands of workers to " oil deposits under the ground using fracking, which is a process that pollutes water supplies and can cause long- lasting ecological damage -- workers to cull oil deposits. that at the center of the boom, the attraction of a steady, well paying job is triumphing all

nina, what are people saying in brussels? do they share the growing sentiment that the european project is going wrong? >> no. well, here in brussels, the message is it is not the project itself that is going wrong. which is made some very bad mistakes when we first started, and we are paying a high price for it, but we are trying to fix these mistakes. problem was that when the euro was born, there was simply no consequences whenever countries did not stick to their old rules. so over the years, the treaty was amended. there have been changes made to the treaty, but it is only now in the current crisis that europeans really seem to have understood that what they need is stricter rules and more rigorous budgetary discipline and, above all, more political unity. in a way, they are only just getting started with the project. >> people in greece and elsewhere getting started with their protests as well. we are seeing and mounting of anti-e u sentiment. can brussels turn this around? >> the eu is trying, but of course, it is taki

with brussels joining the u.s. and tightening sanctions on syria, another biting round of sanctions targeting the central bank. >> it is hoped that this will get president bashar al-assad to end the fighting, and an increasing number people in opposition stronghold need medical attention. >> a bedroom service as an operating room here. a syrian doctor is treating the wounded in his makeshift clinic. it is ill-equipped and medications are running out. eu foreign ministers meeting in brussels have vowed to protect the people from the government violence. >> we suggest working with the international red cross to bring food into syria. >> the eu ministers strategy involves sanctions to target the central bank and freeze assets of syrian officials. most of all, the new u.n. special pointed on boy, wachovia non--- envoy, kofi annan. he is the first representative of the eu and the arab league. minister's hope that annan will get russia on board, which is seen as a prerequisite for successful security council resolution o

. >> at a meeting in brussels, the head of imf and -- the heads of the imf and eurozone clashed over when greece should reduce its debt. >> but they did at least agree on a few things -- above all the grece could have at least two years to cut deficit. >> it is a question of how much progress greece can realistically be expected to make in a particular amount of time. >> greece's international lenders were playing down their differences the morning after the clash over athens' debts. the imf wants greece to achieve its lower ratio by 2020 while the eu foreign ministers want to allow the country two more years. >> there's no disagreement between the imf and the euro group, but the way forward is difficult. even if we agree on a target date, we have to figure out how to get there. >> the group's help long negotiations of the matter, but the head of the imf remains adamant that greece should stick to the original timetable -- the groups held long negotiations over the matter. >> there is a more or less good probability that we will move the target. i was trying to express myself in such

summit has ended without any agreement on the union's next seven-year budget, but top officials in brussels say they are confident a deal will be reached early next year. >> hours of talks failed to bridge big gaps between richer countries and those that rely most on eu funding. be contributors like britain, the netherlands, and sweden want spending bold back across the board -- rolled back across the board. >> european leaders were skeptical going into negotiations, so it was no surprise when ministers called off talks without a working budget. >> everyone brought their own goals to the table, and you know germany's position, but we are still focused on working toward a budget everyone can agree to. >> that means winning over england. prime minister david cameron has promised to veto any deal that fails to cut spending, and he has found a supporter in the dutch leader, who wants to slash the budget under the $1 trillion mark. >> we are cutting spending in the netherlands and the rest of europe as well. the eu also has to demonstrate that it is willing to tighten its belt. >> balancing the

. >> the steps are intended to allow madrid to return to stability without further help from brussels. >> the u.s. ratings agency fitch has downgraded argentinian debt. the agency says a default by the latin american nation is probable. >> buenos aires is in trouble. in argentina does not pay its debt, which it says it will not, it will be technically in default. >> argentina owes money to creditors who refuse to take part in a debt by down after it defaulted on government bonds a decade ago. a u.s. federal court has ordered repayment by december 15. the government has appealed against the ruling. argentina is already struggling with recession, which the fitch report partly blamed on government intervention. fitch also highlighted allegations of corruption and pointed to a wave of protests, some of which have been violent. the court ruled that argentina must repay the $1.3 billion in debt, and if it is forced to pay in full, other holders of debt totaling $11 billion are expected to demand immediate payment as well. argentina says that if the court order same place, it may have diffic

it does entail handing over budgetary sovereignty in very large measure to brussels. when we are talking about paris and madrid, i dread to think about what the reaction would be from the united kingdom, a euro-sceptic country. >> schaeuble has also talked about austerity, there being no option to cut the budgets right now, leading to riots in greece, spain, and recently, portugal. does he have any alternative? >> the core message is austerity, more austerity, financial reform -- continue on that track. we have also recently had a comment -- "there will be no state bankruptcy in greece," which has been widely interpreted as an easing up on the pressure on athens. >> thanks so much from our parliamentary studios. the european union health commissioner has quit after being implemented midget -- implicated in a fraud probe surrounding a new eu tobacco regulation. a swedish company claimed that in the soviet offer to help legalized the sale of its tobacco products in exchange for cash. officials say no bribes were made. the head of one of the world's largest banks has res

that is not going down well with brussels. turkey is still denying that a genocide actually happened with armenia. there are a number of domestic issues like freedom of the press. reporters without borders are saying there are more journalists in present at the moment in turkey then in china. some people in brussels are saying that the chances of turkey to join the eu are today slimmer than there were 25 years ago. >> so there are more misconceptions -- there are misconceptions, rather, on both sides. how all -- how long you think turkey will have to wait? >> well, it is not going to happen anytime soon, that is clear. in brussels, people have been saying that everybody knew that 2012 was going to be a particularly difficult year in terms of turkey and eu relationships with the french presidential elections and with cyprus, as i mentioned, taking over presidency of the european union. so far, the consensus seems to be, ok, it is a good thing that we're in talks that all and let's not worsen our situation. so there is a big ent

is brussels prepare for government in greece that will want to renegotiate the bailout deal? >> the greek sovereign decision if they want to negotiate, they have in a solidarity from the northern countries is going to require a commitment to consolidation. if the greek government in a sovereign decision decides it wants to go the other way, it will have to do so probably without the transfers that have been coming forth so far. that will be a dramatic change of the situation. >> the designated french president francois hollande has mentioned he wants to renegotiate the fiscal pac. is angela merkel looking at being the lonely chancellor? >> i do not think so. it has the signatures of 25 countries. procedures in parliaments have started. i do not think anyone will reopen it. a think what we will see is an additional treaty, an additional agreement to stimulate growth. that then it will depend on what kind of growth you're talking about. is it one financed by debt? or based on competitiveness? >> thank you. >> thank you. >> well, ukraine says it is canceling a regional political

european leaders in brussels. >> stay with us. we will be back in 1 minutes time. -- we will have another check on the health of the eurozone. >> join the global community by going social. find us on facebook, twitter, and youtube. key word -- mhz worldview. >> you decide what you want to watch. all the images. all the programs. the whole package. dw on the internet. the media center on www.dw.de. >> welcome back. as we reported earlier, it is some time again in brussels. in the past month, that usually meant a lot of frayed nerves and late night talks trying to prevent a total breakdown in the eurozone. >> today, a europe leaders said they are a little bit more confident that things are getting back under control. they point to agreements like a new fiscal package meant to stop governments getting into too much debt. >> critics are not so sure. they say the fiscal pact might only make the eurozone's problems worse. >> there is an ill wind blowing in the eu right now. the block consists of countries at very different stages of eco

let's go over to brussels now for the reaction. we've been hearing from spain. many other countries are joining today's protest. how worried is brussels about this massive pressure coming from the streets today? >> talking to commission officials, of course, they are taking note, watching with interest, watching with concern that a series of strikes could turn into serious rebellion on the streets. we have already seen this in athens to an extent, but this kind of concerted union action could turn very nasty indeed. having said that, the message is -- what are we to do? if we do not impose austerity on those we are helping to bail out, how do we guarantee that we can finance greece, may be spain, may be portugal again, may be italy -- maybe greece, maybe spain, maybe portugal again, maybe italy? both firms saying there is no alternative, and they must impose restrictions and cutbacks if they are expected to provide billions in bailouts to countries such as greece. >> where is the debate then on member states? angela merkel is the leader who is most associated wi

for some analysis, let's bring in nina in brussels. is this package enough to save greece from default? >> the greek finance minister hailed the deal is probably the most in portland in the country's post-war history and said that the nightmare scenario had been avoided. what is true is that this deal has bought greece sometime. in default as been averted. greece can pay back its debts on march 20. but of course, the greek problem as such has not been resolved, and it will still take some time. >> the fact that it has not been resolved and that greece will remain exposed to default for quite awhile now, how much of a concern is that in brussels? >> welcome to it is a fact that this deal has put the country back on the right track towards growth. that is what the head of the imf, christine lagarde, said. but there were also some words of caution here. the european commission said that the greek economy is not expected to grow again until 2014, and unemployment is still going to be at some 15% in 2015. so these are very disappointing fig

she is on the story in brussels. what are you hearing there? two other eurozone countries a truly trust that greece will the with the promises when it comes to cutting spending in the budget? >> well, it is true that we have heard a lot of commons of mistrust over the last few days. i believe what is happening is that we're reaching a climax in the greek debate. patience has been running then. time is running out. there is a level of mistrust that after the elections, any new party will also stick to what has been agreed. that is the big worry that the europeans are still not sure about. because they know that the public mood in his getting even more angry. they are worried that with the new elections, some extreme parties might come to part. >> the greek finance minister has also spoken of forces that are trying to push at the end of a the eurozone. is brussels now seriously contemplating that outcome? >> well, no, not officially, at least. on monday, the finance ministers of the eurozone are getting together again in brussels. they will have

. >> for more, we spoke earlier to our brussels correspondent and ask what exactly germany was asking for and what, if anything, had been decided at% the meeting. >> the issue of growing concern is about sudden influx is, particularly during summertime, of illegal immigrants from the western balkans, very sensitive because the european commission and member states agreed to lift visa restrictions on a group of countries in western boffins in 2009 as a prelude to the enlargement of the european union to take in such countries at some time in the future, the european commission saying this is a crucial prerequisite. not so for germany and other countries. germany has actually about 7000 illegal migrants, who say they want to impose these controls. the european union says no way, but it does agree there should be some kind of sick calls, meaning you could reinstate basic controls on a temporary basis when there is a high influx of illegal migrants, not genuine asylum seekers, but even then, the concern would have to apply to brussels for the permissions necessary to reimpose visas. it is

policy makers in brussels will have to hammer out a plan that balances commercial interests and brings fish stocks back on track. >> returning to the dutch port after a week of fishing in the north sea. he is only licensed to catch one kind of fish. eu ministers responsible for fisheries say quotas are necessary to protect fish stocks. >> for us, it is about sustainable fishing policy, which is based on the maximum sustainable catch. >> it sounds environmentally friendly, but it results in edible fish being thrown overboard. fisherman dump the unwanted fish that get caught in nets. it does not make much ecological or economic sense. millions of euros are thrown out every year. environmentalists are calling for brussels to enact a throwback band. >> a fisherman has to bring what he catches into port. that would put pressure on the fishing industry because they only want to bring back the valuable kinds. >> in short, throwing good fischbach to see is cheaper than buying new nets like this one. the special design only catches the place. >> it means fishing less foot fishing more sustainab

. >> joining us now for more on this story is our brussels correspondent. what is driving the courage to get out of afghanistan sooner than later? >> growing discontent amongst the public's eye in most parts of europe and indeed, across the atlantic in america. remember, this war has been waged now for 10 years. there is a genuine sense that people are fed up with it. it sounds a bit cynical, but it has been a long and costly war for all concerned, and any sign of slippage in combat troops is bound to be seen as a sign of discontent and a sign that publics will not tolerate it anymore. and remember, america is suggesting reducing its troop numbers there. so it is france. but election years in those countries. >> why do you think nato has chosen germany is the new base for its missile defense shield? >> part because it is as close as it dares to russia without triggering too much of an attack from the russians, but of course, they were ready to get out of this. there will also be the missile shield much closer to russia in poland. i think unless the american

have opinion future -- how much power can brussels have in future? >> and anti-western german state of westphalia, -- in the western german state of westphalia, they are monitoring a group of fundamentalists on the high streets. >> the action has been criticized by politicians of most major parties and many ordinary muslims to see this as a misuse of their holy book. >> free translations of the koran. they give away copies in germany. the handouts have garnered criticism and put the group on the radar of german authorities. >> distributing the koran is not the problem. the problem is the group. it is an extremely dangerous one. >> :-based preacher is one of the -- the cologne-based preacher is one of those trying to convert people to the state. many see this as an this use of their holy book by the movement. >> this is a very fundamentalist movement and then is some. it is very backward-looking. they seek to establish a a social system that is antiquated. their view does not respond to that of most moslems. -- muslims. >> following the outcry, printe

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 out of the crisis. the violence in the country continues. >> plumes of smoke rising to the sky in central syria. this video hints at the region's continued instability. 23 people reported killed and in the midst of heavy shelling. just a day earlier, u.n. observers visited the city. they were hoping to check the status of the cease-fire. just after this after they left, the shelling began again. the u.n. observers are now back in damascus. the plans are to bring in reinforcements that will bring the total number of monitors to 300. germany will offer technical and logistical support. talks of already begun in new york. the u.n. hopes a more pronounced presence on the ground will bring an end to the pronounced human rights violations in syria. >> u.s. president barack obama has pledged for an end to the violence in sudan and south sudan. >>

the european commission in brussels key to maintaining that there is no agreement yet with the greek government. similar messages kept coming from berlin as well, until the german finance minister got fed up and said people should stop speculating about what a potential agreement could bring because there is no such agreement yet, but it is no surprise that there is speculation because the negotiations between the greek government and its international creditors are entering a very crucial phase, and people are pwondering -- will the creditors give greece more time? lately in the past couple of days and weeks, the number of positive comments on greek progress has been rising. lots of people are now saying the greeks are actually implementing the reforms that have been missing for such a long time, and that was the missing building block, so it is looking very likely that greece could get more time, but under which conditions, that will only be revealed after the troika report has been published. >> german business confidence fell for a sixth straight month in october, hitting its low

brussels as saying that will not be happening. if the private bondholders have lost apple but there are road, that is technically a default by the debt for. it does that mean anything. -- a default by the debtor. nothing is going to make the markets go negative on this deal. >> let's get a check on the markets right now. in frankfurt, tehe dax and little changed on the day. investors are largely waiting for some u.s. jobs data came in -- coming in later this hour. it has been described as inexplicable. he is referring to britain's failure to notify about the freeing of hostages. ithe two hostages were killed in a british raid by their nigerian and doctors. david cameron has taken responsibility to authorize white freeing the two that were taken hostage in may. from "the daily telegraph," would you say in was left out of the libor is this just in case some crossed wires? >> it seems in was left out of the live, at least to begin with. the italians are not at all happy. they are very angry about how they are being treated by london.

for that, let's cross over to our correspondent in brussels, nina houser. following the elections in greece and france, isn't there a concern that voters are now looking for national solutions to economic problems and that there is an erosion in european solidarity and faith in brussels? >> our economies in europe are so intertwined. there are no national solutions to economic problems anymore. and the single market, especially our common currency for cut -- for some countries within the european union, are a vital binding elements. but what we have seen is that out of fear, voters have been voting for detroit -- more nationally-oriented parties. that should make european leaders thing, because it has not just happen in greece and france but also in other countries across europe. this is something where we need to act, and the message of these elections that we have seen in greece and france was clear that the days of austerity-only are over. it is time to act and create jobs. that is what the european voters want. >> with the strong message sent by these t

. >> our correspondent is at the summit and joins us now from brussels. just how big are the differences right now between germany and france? are they really that significant? or are they being played out? >> it is not unusual for positions to be fairly extreme lethal -- fairly extremely far. you have some leeway during negotiations and the media focus very much on this german franco axis because it used to be -- traditionally, it has always been the engine -- the motor that has been keeping the european union going, and usually, the french and german chancellor and president would meet in the run-up to summits. they only did that today as a sort of last-minute meeting that happened before the summit, so relationships between angela merkel and francois hollande are clearly tense, but they also agree on a lot of things despite all the difference is that we hear about. they both want banking union. in fact, they agreed to that at the summit in june, so there's no doubt about that. >> this desire for agreement you are talking about -- will it lead to anythi

finance chiefs from 17 eurozone nations are meeting in brussels about how to use a bailout fund to directly inject money into struggling banks. they're also discussing how to utilize the fund to stabilize bond markets for debt strapped countries facing high borrowing costs. the ministers are addressing the scale and conditions of financial support for spain. they're also weighing the greek government's request to relax the conditions for austerity measures. the eu imposed the measures in return for financial support but discussioned with spain are already behind schedule, and talks with the greek government have yet to begin in earnest. some observers speculate the finance ministers may have to meet again soon -- possibly next week. but one european politician has had enough. he feels leaders aren't discussing the right topics to begin with. what's the story? >> as that finance minister's meeting is going on in brussels, there is a heated debate of its own kinden in athens. they're talking about how hard the country should push to relax the austerity measures. a senior greek government offi

we asked our brussels correspondent, why the delay? >> well, partly because the greeks, spanish, and the italians have, as we know, deep economic problems. they will lose a series opening for their oil. they get a lot of their oil from iran. if those sections were to apply immediately on the them, they would find it very tough, and europe is trying to shore up the economies of those countries already. but there was a big split. germany, france, the u.k., and other countries wanted more immediate sanctions. a nod to the great problem, they delayed it. but no new contracts from today on oil from iran into the european union, and july 1 is the date by which existing contracts have to end. >> the eu foreign minister has tightened sanctions against syria, imposing travel bans and banning trade. in syria itself, the violence continues. new footage of loaded onto the internet appears to show security forces storming a school in the city of homs. damascus has rejected a new plan from the arab league, calling on president assad to hand over pow

a growing number of the eu diplomats meeting in brussels say assad's time is running out. he is fighting to survive, but he certainly cannot win anymore. that is why we're working to increase the pressure on assad. and the pressure is growing. on monday, eu foreign ministers agreed to fresh sanctions on damascus and more aid for refugees. >> we can agree a further round of european union's sanctions on the assad regime, including entities involved in its financing. we now have to step up our humanitarian assistance. >> ministers also hope to convince more syrian government officials to turn their backs on the assad regime. >> we will make every effort to encourage it deserters to leave to help ease the transition of power. >> but further action by the international community may be hampered. russia and china are still blocking a resolution by the u.n. security council. >> our correspondent has been covering the meeting of eu foreign ministers. we asked him at the 17th round of sanctions now in more than a year against damascus is expected to really change anything. >> well

. >> our correspondent nina is in brussels with more. the finance ministers are looking at bailout conditions and what the deficit put-off point is. but did they make progress today? >> discussions are still ongoing, but the spanish economy minister has already said that the control and the transparency of the banks will be reinforced. he has also said that the country is going to raise the value-added tax earlier than planned that was planned for 2013. that is coming sooner now. these things that spain is willing to give in return for rescue, for help from european partners, and these are things, when you look at the deficit- reduction, spain will probably get more time, but this will have to be decided by all 27 finance ministers. it will happen at their meeting on tuesday. we expect spain to get more time because nobody wants to risk that the recession in spain gets worse. >> any news on who is going to be juncker's successor? >> it looks like the successor of jean-claude juncker is going to be jean-claude juncker, and that has to do

it is almost as important in brussels, isn't it? how closely watched is this presidential race where you are? >> i am sure i am not the only one in brussels watching this television debate and watching the outcome of the elections on sunday. it is something that interests everybody here at the european union institutions, of course, european leaders. largest economy of germany. france and germany have been a key driving engines in trying to resolve the current crisis. there is plenty of interest. >> a lot riding on this debate, not just for friends but for europe as a whole. how is the debate going so far? >> in the first 15 minutes, it was a bit of -- sort of a very careful, a polite way of addressing each other. both candidates are trying to give the impression of being very calm and police. they exchanged polite words, of course. now they are reaching the topic of a plymouth, something where people really want to know where the candidates stand and what they can expect from each of them. but you have to keep in mind, it is a deba