>> you are watching the "journal" coming to you live from berlin. >> here's what's coming up in the program -- amidst mounting tensions on the korean peninsula, p'yongyang says it is restarting a nuclear reactor tied to its nuclear weapons program. >> the united nations assembly passes a landmark treaty controlling the global arms trade. >> the cypriot finance minister resigns as the investigation begins into the collapse of the nation's major banks.

a call for restraint from the united nations today. secretary-general ban ki-moon once the korean peninsula crisis could spiral out of control. he made the comments after p'yongyang announced it was restarting its nuclear program. >> washington has condemned the move as extremely alarming and is calling on russia and china to do more to rein in the unpredictable regime. >> in 2008, the north koreans blow up the cooling tower a year after the nuclear facility was shut down, but the government in p'yongyang plans to restart the plutonium plant as soon as possible. the reactor is capable of producing just 5 megawatts of power compared to state of the art plants capable of churning out 1,000 megawatts. analysts say north korea already possesses enough nuclear material to produce eight

nuclear bombs. with it back on line, the material could multiplied in the years ahead. the united nations secretary general warned against further escalation on the korean peninsula. >> nuclear threats are not a game. aggressive rhetoric and military posturing only serve to grow fair and instability. >> if these reports are true, then this is very regrettable. north korea should honor agreements and promises made in the past and continue with the de-neutralization of the korean

peninsula. our government is closely monitoring the situation. >> south korea's main ally, the u.s., has deployed a homage to the area, but it is also downplaying the aggressive rhetoric, saying it has not observed any large-scale military buildup in north korea. >> let's crossover to the u.s. where our washington bureau chief is standing by. the white house spokesman has been speaking about the situation. he is calling on china to do more to rein in its allies in p'yongyang. what does the white house specifically want them to do? >> well, it is very clear. they want china to use their influence and put more pressure on north korea. a spokesperson from the state department just a couple of minutes ago said china has the most leverage, given their trade relationship with north korea,

and the u.s. knows that china and russia are north korea's traditional allies, so they want china to but much more pressure on north korea. it is interesting when you talk to the representatives here of china and washington, when you talk to them about north korea, what they are saying. they are frustrated, saying that their influence has limits. when we say, "north korea, you should do this or that," it is not for sure they will do that. >> ban ki-moon appears also to be speaking out in a message very much aimed p'yongyang, but is there also a little bit if there for the u.s. as well? >> yes, he called on north korea to lower its aggressive rhetoric. it might invite firm response, he said. where this firm response will come from -- it will come from the u.s. and its allies, meaning south korea and japan.

every country wants now to show strength, and the results might be more and not less tension, so for that reason, he is talking to all the countries, to north korea, china, and the u.s. >> thanks. stay there. we will be coming back to you in just a moment on our next story because the united nations general assembly in new york has adopted the first-ever treaty to regulate the multi-billion dollar global arms trade. 154 members of the assembly voted in favor of the treaty would just three countries voting against -- syria, iran, north korea. there were 23 abstentions. the treaty went to the assembly after the three opponents blocked it at a negotiation last week. all countries that now ratify the treaty will be required to establish national regulations aimed at keeping weapons out of the hands of terrorists and organized criminals. let's look at the u.s. point of view because of course, the key

word there is "ratify." can we expect this measure to face a lot of resistance in congress? >> i do not think so. i think they will ratify it in the end. you are right -- there is, for example, the national rifle association. they had concerns because they do not want stricter gun control, but i think they do not understand the main goal of the treaty. it is about import and export of guns like not only rifles but tanks, so i think the goal is that, for example, you can monitor what sort of weapons are sold or taken to syria, the conflict area, so i do not think we will see huge concerns in the senate and the house. i think in the end, america is going to verify this treaty.

>> thanks very much. to cypress now where the finance minister has announced his resignation over after just over a month on the job. >> he has been under intense fire for his handling of negotiations with the country's creditors at the international monetary fund and the european union. his replacement is a man who has never served in government. this comes as a special commission takes up a criminal investigation into the collapse of leading cypriot banks. >> michalis sarris lasted just over a week in a troubled job. >> i believe that in order to facilitate the work of the investigators, the right thing is to hand in my resignation to the president of the republic, which is what i have done. >> sarris' resignation came on

an already and full day for the president. just a few hours before, he launched an investigation into the banking collapse and placed himself under scrutiny, telling the panel to look into allegations that business leaders and politicians move money out of the country before bank accounts were frozen. >> because these days even i am under judgment, i -- i ask you to make it a priority, and do not limit yourself to just my relatives, but widened their search to the legal office where i was a partner. >> the president hardly had a choice, like the austerity measures he accepted, which, through the media report, will be harsh. they put it that state employees will have their pay cut by up to 12.5%. pensions will be cut by 3%. corporate tax and sales tax will go up, and money will also be

raised through privatizations. cyprus has many challenges ahead. the greatest is to meet the terms set out by the eu and imf. only then will it receive the 10 billion euros it needs. >> how many cypriot officials might be swept up in this new criminal investigation? for more, we are joined now live on the line by correspondent nathan morley in nicosia. how far could this investigation go? there have been rumors implicating not only the finance minister but the president as well. >> indeed. difficult question to answer how many people will be swept up, but sarris is a key figure in these bailout talks. as we reported last week, he was the chairman of the failed bank, so he also has questions to answer.

the president as well, i'm afraid. the investigation committee looking into a relative of his who spirited away 10 billion euros just before the bailout. we are looking at proposals coming from the state tonight about reductions in civil interested in who is to blame and who is involved. i know the minister. he is smart and keen, but he is stepping into the shoes, which are pretty big, so it remains to be seen what he will present to the troika. very difficult situation. >> thursday is the key deadline for meeting the troika's demands. how is this resignation affecting them? >> i think it is really all about numbers. not many people are talking about it. detroit a working group on thursday will take nicosia's proposals back to brussels. they are going to need to focus on how he managed to meet this

5.8 billion benchmark, which was set by the year a group. we have seen lots of proposals coming out of nicosia tonight, but we have not seen any figures. that is what worries people. have we made up this number? are we going to be able to get away with this? a lot of people are scratching their heads saying that nobody is saying anything and they do not know. >> thank you so much. italy is also causing a lot of jitters in the eurozone after an election result that left its politics more tangled than ever. >> that's absolutely right. the three-way split left no clear path to forming a government. now the president has called in a bunch of so-called wise men to try to sort things out. >> president napolitano has given these men in suits 10 days to solve italy's political gridlock. the teams of experts have been asked to propose a set of

economic and social reforms that italy's quarreling parties can agree on. they will even examine the country's voting laws. already, the clock is ticking for napolitano's so-called wise men. italy has been in recession since mid-2011. public debt is soaring, and voters cannot understand why their leaders keep blocking attempts to form a government. >> i would have expected the big parties to show some responsibility by now because the worst is yet to come. family needs more than stability. we need economic, political, and social certainty. -- italy needs more than stability. what we ordinary citizens are hoping for is that politicians will have the common sense to show some responsibility. napolitano's advisers have been charged with restoring trust in italy's democracy. many believe it is an impossible task and that fresh elections

will have to come sooner or later. >> despite all that uncertainty in italy and the situation in cyprus, the markets put on some pretty solid gains. the dax, as we can see, has closed for the day at 7943. euro stoxx 50 up more than 2%. in the states, the dow jones is still trading. the euro shedding a little bit against the dollar. shares might be moving higher today, but that will not be any consolation to the growing army of unemployed people in the eurozone. the latest figures out today showed that -- show yet another grim record. >> gramm is right. unemployment hit 12% in february, meaning 19 million europeans are out of work. the commissioner for jobs says it is a tragedy for all of europe. >> the pain is not equally spread. the hardest hit by the young living in the south. >> the queues outside spain's unemployment centers are getting longer.

although people scour the newspapers for work, there simply is not enough. some refuse to to allow the bleak prospects to get them down. >> the situation in this country is very bad. i am better off because i took early retirement, but things are not good. >> there is still hope. we cannot lose hope. as the pope said, "do not take hope away from us." >> however, the latest figures do not offer much cause for hope. the rate of unemployment reached a record high of 12% across the eurozone in february. austria, germany, and luxembourg still had levels of around 5% on average, but the situation was very different in the crisis-hit states. for to go had a rate of 17.5%. you're a presence of the

suffering the most. the hardest hit our young people, especially those under 25. for them, the unemployment rate is well over 50% in both spain and greece. >> we are going to a short break. stay with us. we will be right back.

>> welcome back. the european union has kicked off a training mission in mali to bring the military up to snuff and provide logistical support. >> the country has been battling insurgents since last year. france began assistance in january. the joint force have been able to press back the rebel fighters and beginning key cities in the north. >> about an hour's drive from capitol, cup -- bamako. 40 instructors and 40 medical

personnel from germany are part of the european force. on a recent visit, the german defense minister said it was essential to contain the islamists in the north. >> they pose a threat to the entire region. mali is just one border away from the mediterranean, so it is in the european interest to stop terrorism from spreading mali. >> the european mission willllll stress this is not a combat mission and its duration is limited, but it might take longer than planned. >> the european union's plan is set at 15 months. the millions are also determined to keep it as short as possible -- the malians are also determined. if 15 months will be long enough -- we will just have to see if progress is made.

>> the government is hoping the european mission will deliver fast results. >> i believe it will allow our security forces to walk more quickly and effectively in recapturing in securing territory. and pave the way for negotiations. >> talks with opposition groups are another initiative being pushed by the european union. >> this all needs to be part of the political process of reconciliation with the north as well as within the various groups across the country. another aspect is elections, which should take place in july. >> germany will be the second biggest contributor to the european mission behind france with up to 330 soldiers. it has also sent an air tanker for refueling emissions and three cargo planes, stationed in neighboring senegal. >> britain is moving dangerously away from its own tradition of personal liberty and privacy

protections enjoyed by the rest of the european union. that is the assessment of rights groups after the government announced plans to expand internet and cell phones surveillance. new measures would include monitoring your social media habits. >> this would authorize private companies such as internet service providers to collect and store the data for the entire population. the government says it is a cost-effective way to promote national security. >> britain leads the world when it comes to monitoring its own citizens. 2 million cameras keep a watchful eye on them. that number is set to double in the next few years. if the government's communications data bill goes through, internet connectivity will also come under greater scrutiny, and not just for those suspected of crime or terrorism. civil liberties groups are ringing the alarm bells. >> and a history of which websites we visit, which can be

incredibly revealing. it can tell you a lot about an individual's political affiliations and religious beliefs, their sexuality -- all sorts of very personal information. >> critics fear the data will be easily accessible, not just by police and intelligence services, but by health authorities and employment centers. >> it can be local councils, lots of different organizations who do not really have a law enforcement role or do not have a very large law enforcement role at all. they might be used to having the sort of powers. >> it is cases such as this one that worry activists. her local education authorities spied on her. she was suspected of lying about her address so she could get her children into a popular school. >> the agent, the person following us, came by two or

three times a day. he would know if flights war on or off, if he saw the targets getting into the car or out of the car. >> court approval is now needed before that kind of monitoring can take place, but still, the authorities have a great deal of leg room when it comes to surveillance. the council has installed cameras to prevent illegal rubbish dumps. local authorities favor more monitoring of internet activity and phone calls. this council leader says that could help prevent welfare fraud or illegal street trading. >> it would be quite normal to observe people where they go, who they speak to, who they meet with and things like that. of course if you also know to whom they are talking on their mobile phone, that helps you to

build a more correct picture of what they are doing. >> if the government gets its way, local authorities would have the power to find out who people are connected to on twitter or facebook. >> in this country, we are moving in a very different direction to the rest of europe and placing ourselves on a spectrum with more authoritarian regimes like you might find in parts of the world like zimbabwe or china. >> the government is now redrafting the legislation in response to protests. civil liberties groups have not given up hope of avery think. >> in a moment, spain's biggest of a doping scandal comes to an end. >> and justin bieber gets told, "come and get your monkey." reports suggest 6 european countries will be taking legal action against google to force it to comply with privacy laws. it was ordered to get its

privacy policy into line with european law, but france and others are among those who say it has ignored those warnings and could face consequences. >> dozens of militants have attacked a power grid station in northwest pakistan, killing several people. another four are missing. electricity was cut off in large parts of the city of pashawar. >> thousands of teachers protested after being locked out of their schools on tuesday. over 50,000 schoolteachers were barred from their workplaces after the teachers union refused to accept a government proposal to make their working hours longer and more flexible. almost 1 million schoolchildren got the day off. >> a story about spain now -- the doctor at the center of spain's biggest ever doping scandal has defended his record as his two-month trial draws to a close. >> eufemiano fuentes has been

answering charges along with four co-defendants in a case that has been disrupting spain and the entire world. >> eufemiano fuentes insists he is innocent. the spanish doctors accused of being at the center of a major blood doping racket. some 50 professional cyclists have already been implicated in the case, but he refuses to name names and says he would never put anyone's health in danger. >> i cannot make any comments. for now it is not prudent. >> it has taken almost seven years for the closely followed duping trial to begin. in may 2006, police raided establishments where he worked. they found over 200 bags of blood and plasma. they also sees performance enhancing steroids including epo, a human growth hormone. he was arrested, but because doping was not illegal at the time, he has only been charged

with endangering public health. he rejects the allegations but does not dispute that he provided transfusions. if found guilty, he faces up to two and a half years in jail. >> leaders of kosovo and serbia are in their eighth round of talks. >> the countries are under pressure to reach agreement on issues including the rights of minority serbs in kosovo's north. the country's prime minister called the meeting a decisive moment for the region, raising hopes of breakthrough five years after kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. serbia does not recognize the country's sovereignty. >> finally, it has been quite a comedown for mally the monkey. one minute, he is living it up with the world's biggest pop star, and the next, he is locked up with just a soft toy for company. >> that's the reality for justin bieber's pet monkey, seized at

munich airport when the canadian singer led it without the proper paperwork. >> he has been given four weeks to come up with the paperwork. >> after all that excitement, it might be for the best anyway. >> the now world-famous captain monkey is being kept at this war -- at this animal shelter in munich. he made headlines when he was confiscated from his famous owner. shelter workers said they were asked by customs officers to care for the primate, but it took them four days to find out the animal belonged to a pop star. authorities have given bieber four weeks to find the proper documentation for his pet. >> if he has not gotten in touch with us by then, the customs office will probably release the monkey into our care and definitely. then we will find it a good home, but it will not be someone's house where the animal is kept alone.

it will be some place that is appropriate for the species. >> for now, mally has this step animal to keep him company. bieber reportedly received the monkey as a birthday present. workers at the shelter say the monkey was separated from his mother far too young and that uses the stuffed animal as a surrogate. >> what will happen now? it is not get the paperwork, he could end up with a new pet like a giraffe or something. >> thanks so much for joining us. remember, there's more news at the top of the hour. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--