. >> 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. >> since the

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

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

. >> 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 different time -- president barraso's recollections. "tough

. >> brussels has been waiting for years for berlin to enforce the rules. when the government initially implemented, germany's court halted the process. its 2010 decision said the law needed stronger data protection. in this latest row, chancellor merkel made clear she expects the just a minute -- the justice minister to forge a compromise. >> if we cannot reach an agreement on political matters such as this, there is an option for discussions with the chancellor. i am not implying that will happen in this case. >> the eu commission has set another deadline for next week. if germany does not comply by then, legal action and possible fines may result. >> hang up your phones. we have more news coming up after the break. stay with us. >> welcome everyone. muammar gaddafi did not last long enough to face justice, but that is not the case for his son. on wednesday, the chief prosecutor at the international criminal court arrived in the libyan capital, partly to talk about the fate of men who already faces trial in libya. the chief prosecutor is already stopping

. >> 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 th

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

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

. >> a lot of time spent 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

. >> how worried is brussels about the situation in spain it? but but the question to our foreign affairs correspondent, jeff meade. >> very worried and they have been for long time. this is one of the biggest economies. there's no question that europe could afford the scale of a bailout required. officially, today, all is calm on the surface. the commission is saying, yes, there has been a downgrade of spain but that has not triggered a market fall. the official line from brussels is that the commission is supporting the spanish economic reform austerity program. they will meet their target in 2013 reducing their deficit to no more than 3% of national wealth, which is the highest allowed commitment under a you stability lot. -- e.u. stability law. that will not happen, largely because of the scale of the spanish economy in the spanish prime minister telling the president of the commission that we will need to recapitalize banks and we will not meet our deficit targets on time. that is the official commission. spain is on course and we are suppo