♪ >> you are watching dw's "journal" live from berlin. new york is close to business as super storms sandy wreaks havoc in the u.s. and canada. >> swiss banking giant ubs announces plans to fire more than 10,000 employees and a treatment from investment banking. >> the man due to challenge angela merkel in next year's german elections denies neglecting his duties as a lawmaker by moonlighting.

>> new york is closed for business in the aftermath of super storm sandy, which left at least 30 people dead. >> damages are likely to surpass those of last year's hurricane irene. sandy has move left much flooding in its wake, paralyzing new york's mass transit system and leaving millions in the dark -- sandy has left much flooding in its wake. >> here is more from america's most populous city. >> the storm has moved on, but the water remains. many of the city's road and subway tunnels are still flooded. public transport will be out of action for days to come. the effects of sandy can be seen on the streets -- residents are relieved that the worst is now behind them. >> well, last night, we could

look down this street here, and we saw the river coming toward us. it actually look like something out of a movie. it was unbelievable. >> near central park, a crane dangles from a construction site over the street below. the storm caused it to partially collapsed. there are still strong winds, but nothing like those of monday night, which saw gusts of up to 130 kilometers per hour. there were record levels of flood water. emergency services are working around the clock. firefighters were called to a large blaze in the borough of queens. over 80 houses burned down. residents managed to escape. >> there are numerous trapped civilians. we cannot get any apparatus down the block due to chest-high water, but we had a boat with us, and i went down there.

>> one of the biggest problems is a lack of electricity. this substation exploded. it could be more than a week before power is restored to the whole city. mayor michael bloomberg said sandy may be the worst storm ever to have hit new york. >> in addition to the lives we lost, the damage we suffered across the city is clearly extensive, and it will not be repaired overnight. the two biggest challenges facing our city going forward are getting our mass transit said it -- system up and running and restoring power. >> it is not just new york that is affected. 10 u.s. states have declared a state of emergency. many areas, including parts of washington, d.c., are under water. experts say damages could run into the tens of billions of dollars. >> it does look like it is out of a movie. we are joined now from new york

to get up-to-date on the latest. what did you experience, and what is the situation like right now? >> right now, winds have died down to about 50 kilometers an hour, which is half as much as it was at 1:00 this morning when i went out with my dog, who was insisting on going to central park. trees were down. the park was closed, but the winds were so high that the barriers closing of the park had been knocked over. lots of construction debris floating around, but nothing like downtown manhattan where they lost power, as your report stated, and that everything is flooded.pplus, our neighbors in connecticut and in new jersey where many in the new york -- especially manhattan -- who have weakened houses have been getting hammered even harder. >> we heard power is down, but there must be a sense that the worst is over. >> unless you are trying to leave town or come back into new york. laguardia airport, which

services domestic flights, is apparently severely damaged because some of its runways were under water. i think, canada will be opening soon, but look korea, not so sure, according to the governor, and school has been cancelled again -- laguardia, not so sure. >> lots of challenges ahead. i hope for your dog as central park opens soon. >> so do we. >> for more on this super storm, we go to washington, where we are joined by our correspondent. we just had a glimpse of what actually happened in new york, but there's millions of other people out there affected. what is the bigger picture like? >> the bigger picture still looks bad, but the situation is going to improve step-by-step. 7.3 million other people -- others say 7.9 million people -- do not have power right now. this will take a while until the situation is going to improve here. we have 1 million people that

have been evacuated. they will probably but a couple of hours, may be days, to go back to their apartments and their homes. >> apologies for that. we seem to be having problems with the line. we will go back later. a top air force general has been assassinated in syrian capital damascus. the news c c aces strongholds to the east of the capital. >> activists say dozens of people were killed in violence across the country on tuesday, following the weekend's unsuccessful temporary cease- fire that was repeatedly broken by both sides. the african union has started talks about intervening in the crisis in mali. the european union is also reported to be considering to send military advisers to help

train the country's army. >> government forces are up against a radical islamist movement who has taken control of more than half of the country. they've exploited the power vacuum after the country saw a military coup in march. there are new fears the country could become a new haven for militant radicals. >> in europe, germany and france say they want to find a " complete solution" for greece to stop it going bust and keep it in the europe. the countries' finance ministers say the issue must be settled in november to end the uncertainty. >> meanwhile, german chancellor angela merkel has been meeting the bosses of international financial organizations in berlin. they agreed the world recovery is highly fragile. the imf's christine lagarde said both businesses and governments need to make more of an effort to generate growth. swiss bank ubs is gearing up to cut about 15% of its workforce over the next three years.

it is hoping for a radical restructuring that will help it return to profitability after what was a disappointing third quarter. >> that's right. the lion's share of the layoffs will be in the company's struggling investment banking unit, which has been hit by a series of costly blunders in recent years. >> swiss bank ubs is deep in the red. bad investments have cost the bank more than 36 billion euros. they are hoping cutting 10,000 jobs and their investment business will help them return to profitability. >> the majority of the layoffs are from the investment division. but it is not just the people involved in investing. people in related divisions will be affected as well. we also need to focus on becoming more efficient. 2500 jobs will be cut in switzerland. >> after the swiss bank's

investment branch lost 1.7 billion euros in the third quarter of last year, it racked up 2.4 billion euros in losses in the same quarter this year. the investment branch of german deutsche bank was able to post modest gains in the same time frame last year of 70 million. this year, their profits climbed higher to 660 million euros, but deutsche bank is also turning to layoffs to save money. they will hand out 2000 pink slips by year's end, but they are holding onto their investment banking division for the time being. >> the job cutting at ubs did not seem to worry investors. time for the markets now, and our correspondent sent us this report from the frankfurt stock exchange. >> investors at the financial markets normally appreciate job cutting programs if they make sense.

if they look up ubs, they might think that these job cuts makes sense because the numbers show that ubs has got to do something. the restructuring plans led to a rally of ubs shares. they have been the big gainer in zurich and also here in frankfurt, where financial shares set the mood after deutsche bank reported numbers that have been better than expected. also, allianz shares rallied. the insurer has been able to raise its forecast. >> let's take a quick look at some market numbers. the dax ended the day up over 1%. you're a s -- euro stoxx 50 closed 1.5% up. wall street is closed today because of hurricane sandy. the euro is trading for $1.2961. >> oil giant bp posted around $50 llion in profits, beating analysts' predictions. the profit jump came despite a

drop in production compared to 2011. >> revenues also sank to 72 billion euros. bp expects to boost production in the fourth quarter, but is being cautious with its earnings projections. the company is still paying for cleanup operations from its 2009 oil spill in the gulf of mexico. >> a boost for japan's nuclear industry. hitachi has won the right to build up to six nuclear power plants in britain. it has taken over a british nuclear company. >> they set up the horizon project three years ago, but they decided to sell after germany announced it was getting out of nuclear power. well, he is the man who will challenge angela merkel in the next german election next year, but he is under pressure to explain his personal finances. >> that is after it was revealed he had earned a huge pay packet, giving speeches to big companies. he denies the allegations, but

some say it could damage his campaign to become chancellor. >> peer steinbrueck has earned 1.2 million euros in outside speaking fees since 2009. most of that money comes from the financial sector. critics attacked him for not revealing the exact amounts he charge for talks. steinbrueck now says he wants to set the record straight. >> several people have tried to hang the stone around my neck, saying i have not been transparent enough. i will try to turn that stone into a boomerang and throw it right back at them. >> steinbrueck has revealed he was compensated for a total of 90 speeches, but 270 other talks were pro bono since they were at nonprofit organizations, but his critics say he preferred making money with speeches to his duties in parliament. >> he gave just five speeches in the bundestag during this time,

and we assume he neglected his parliamentary duties while giving these speeches. >> the debate is far from over. some are calling steinbrueck's credibility as the social democratic candidate for chancellor into question. >> spain's economy has fallen deeper into the recession and has shrunk for a fifth successive quarter. >> spain's gdp fell 0.3%, but growth is slow in comparison to previous quarter. averaged out over the year, the economy is predicted to shrink by 1.6%. it has been a tough year for winegrowers, especially in france. cold and wet conditions damage to vineyards during flowering. graves in burgundy were destroyed during hailstones and a heat wave in august. >> vineyards were also damaged by mildews and funguses. champagne was the worst affected, but luckily for wine

lovers, it is not all bad news. >> grapevines are very sensitive. they do not like winter to be too cold or summer to be too dry, but too much moisture can damage them as well. this year has been tough for winegrowers, with several unfavorable weather conditions all coming together. french wine makers have been particularly hard hit. wine production has fallen by almost 20% there compared to last year. that is the sharpest fall in production in four years. france is not the only country suffering. in argentina, production dropped by 24%. in hungary, output is down this year by 35%. italian wine makers have done better. this year, italy will produce more wine than any other country in the world, but production will still be slightly down. experts say the poor harvests do have a silver lining -- low quantity means the quality of the wine is going to be good.

>> we will have to do further research -- i will have to do further research on that report myself. >> do not forget, you can check out more information on our website. we will be back right after this break. do not go away. >> stick around.

>> welcome back. it is just over a year now since to lesions went to the polls to elect their new government. >> hopes were high that the arabs bring protesters' demands would lead to change, but many activists accuse the government of failing on factors like security, the economy, and civil rights. >> also the rights of women especially remain in question. the problem has been highlighted by a recent rate case -- rape case. >> the case has attracted intense scrutiny in tunisia. a young woman has accused two

policemen of rape. they are under investigation, and her complaint led to a countercharge. the state prosecutor has accused her of indecent behavior. for many here, the case is a backward step for women's rights in post-revolution tunisia. this case is important for all tunisian women, and things are especially bad for women who are victims of violence. many will be too scared to press charges. this woman provides advice to victims of domestic violence at the office of tunisian association of democratic women. she says more and more women are coming to her since the revolution. women are developing the courage to seek help, but she says many men are abusing their newfound freedoms. >> women tell us what their

husbands are saying to them. the men say they can do what they want and as soon they will have the right to have four wives. >> tunisian is changing -- mosques in many poor areas now host conservative preachers. the sec wants to establish a theocracy in tunisia, and he campaigns against the increase in clothing worn by western tourists -- the sect. he also calls for polygamy to be illegalize. he calls it an entitlement for men. >> in islam, it is possible for a man to have several wives. i think lawmakers need to recognize the legality of this practice. >> in another development, the parliament is currently discussing changing the constitution. the governing islamic party

wants to revise it to say that men and women are no longer equal. under the change, a woman would complement a man. a woman is behind the proposed amendment. she says her intentions are misunderstood. >> the debate over weather women are complementary to men is only happening because of a misinterpretation. we are asking weather the roles of men and women in the family should complement one another. >> once again, people are demonstrating in the streets. the revolution is over, but many feel the quality is now in danger. but tunisian women will not give up without a fight. >> earlier, we spoke to a representative from the german institution of security and international affairs and started by asking if women are the losers of the revolution in tunisia. >> yes, i think so. tunisia had the most liberal

family status lock in the arab world since 1956, and after the revolution, is long -- to asia had the most liberal family status law in the arab world since 1956, and after the revolution, islamists tried to change that, and it seems they've had at least partial success. >> who is responsible for this radical turn? >> the country is a lot more democratic, but nobody should have expected that everything would work smoothly, and tunisia would be a western-style democracy in a couple of years. tunisian society is highly divided, and we only saw the relatively liberal in the capital, but most of the population is extremely conservative. they have voted the islamists into office with about 35% of the vote, and now, they are under pressure of it even more conservative and radical

elements. >> how much power to the religious extremists have in tunisia, and what's the danger the power could fall into their hands? >> they are not a strong -- as strong as in egypt. the islamists are strong, and they're right wing is relatively close in its opposite -- close in its positions on this issue to the extremists, but in general, the country is divided, but most of the larger political forces still stick to the democratic political system. i do not think there is a danger of tunisia turning into a theocracy in the coming years. >> the u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton has warned that the bosnian serb leaders ending talks of secession -- and talks of secessions are just unacceptable.

she was speaking on her trip to the balkans with her eu counterparts. she said balkan membership in the eu and nato would be the best way to guarantee stability and prosperity. >> clinton's next stop -- serbia and close above -- kosovo. a new report by the european court of monitors suggest the money poured into kosovo has not had the desired effect. >> the eu has spent billions in kosovo. it gets more eu money per capita than anywhere else in the world, but auditors say much of that has gone to waste. >> we found that the european union's assistance to the custom sector by a large has been successful, but that unfortunately, payment to police and judiciary has been less successful because levels of crime and corruption remain high. >> the eu has sent 2000 staff to try to improve the justice

system, but the auditors say kosovo's politicians interfere too much with the judiciary, and they say levels of corruption and organized crime remain high. the eu admits it is a difficult process and says it is putting pressure on kosovo to improve. >> we are pushing them to deliver as soon as possible because the policy of the european commission, as we said, is to put the rule of law at the center of the process, so we will not tolerate shortcomings. we will not tolerate not enforcing this area. >> there has not been enough coordination either between the european bodies or with the rest of the international community. >> now to a very different subject altogether -- these are an undervalued but key factor in keeping the plant and crop world alive -- bees. the agricultural industry

should cherish these insects, but something strange has been happening to the world's honeybees. >> they are disappearing in fast and highly disturbing numbers, but why? a new film out in germany highlights the crops of the honeybee and why we should be wary. it is a must see for the public and beekeepers alike. >> this is a royal birth. this queen will be at the center of a community of more than 50,000 bees. with the help of her drones, she will produce 2000 eggs per day. bees live in highly organized societies that adapt rapidly to their environment, but they are under increasing threat from humans. this film director spent five years researching why bees were dying out. his film aims to wake people up to the problem. >> over the last six years, 30% of the population has died every year in europe, north america,

and china. in parts of switzerland, the number is 70%. sometimes in america, it is between 50% and 70%, but on average, 30% every year. if it keeps going on like that, our valleys will soon look pretty sad. >> they're dying because of mites, bacteria, and parasites, a result of large-scale beekeeping. >> >> it is like wit -- >> it is like we are capitalists. we want to grow. total global domination. >> miller looks after 15,000 hives. he moves them between plantations of apple and -- allman and apple blossom, transporting them all across the u.s. -- plantations of almond and apple blossom. >> in reality, agriculture has

to work in partnership with the bees, but when i approached agriculture department's in switzerland, they said they had nothing to do with bees. but agriculture cannot exist without them, and they are being killed by pesticides. >> that is what is happening in northern china. in some regions, bees have completely died out. the film has shocked many beekeepers. >> the pictures were absolutely harrowing. we just cannot do that to animals. it should be illegal. at least these things are being made public and people can see what is going on. >> the film shows that the problem may be quiet, but also quite serious. >> the wife of the north korean leader vanished from public view two months ago, and there were a lot of rumors about what had happened. >> now she is back, seen at a

concert with her husband on monday. spectators gave the couple a big round of applause when they arrived at the theater. there had been rumors that she was pregnant or even that she had been purged. >> good that she is all right. >> absolutely. who knows what happened? anyway, thanks for watching, and do not forget you can check out more detailed information on our website, dw.de. >> we will see you again soon. do not go away. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--