♪ >> hello and welcome to the "journal." i am ben fajzullin. >> here are our top stories. demonstrations in syria as the cease-fire there largely holds. >> north korea admits its rocket launch failed, but it still draws western condemnation. >> and a new exhibition at showcasing 30 years of photographs by a german actor. ♪ plans for an observer mission to syria are firming up. the u.n. security council is set to vote on a draft resolution

authorizing the deployment of the first unarmed observers. >> the aim is to monitor the fragile cease-fire. it only came into effect on thursday, and there have already been sporadic incidents of violence, including a number of deaths. claimed these internet images showed shooting in the city of homs. the pictures suggest the cease- fire is not working. but president assad's opponents refuse to be intimidated. after friday prayers, thousands took to the streets to test the regime's commitment to the ceasefire. at least three of them were reportedly killed by president assad's troops. on the border between syria and turkey, there have been reports of heavy clashes. turkish residents report that across the border, president assad's troops were firing at refugees. they say they have seen it

tanks. the united nations wants to send an observer mission to syria as soon as possible. >> we hope we will have a security council resolution today authorizing the appointment of the advanced team. the department of peacekeeping operations is working to round the clock to find the necessary number of troops for the full observer mission evenually. >> he said of the mission is approved, the first members of a team of around 30 unarmed observers would leave for syria immediately. >> the united nations has condemned north korea's it tends to launch a rocket. it has been will be an emergency meeting on the issue. >> south korea calls pyongyang's actions provocative, and the u.s. is suspending food aid to the country. however, the rocket was not even a success. >> journalists in pyongyang

waited for the launch, but media centers green stayed blank. north korea blacked out the event. unlike a few days ago when the regime proudly displayed the rocket. it exploded over the sea just minutes after launch. state television confirmed the failure only after foreign media began reporting it. it said the rocket did not reach its intended orbit and that scientists and technicians were investigating the causes. international condemnation of the launch was swift and led by neighboring countries. >> this is a grave provocation and a serious military threat to the international community and south korea. the south korean government is seriously concerned, and we are preparing for an additional actions from north korea. >> because the test violated international resolutions, many countries want the u.n. security council to take action.

it is due to discuss the north korean issue later on friday. >> this step has further isolated north korea. we call the country to refrain from launching any more ballistic missiles, uphold its internationalcommitments, and abandon its nuclear weapons program. >> the failed rocket launch is an embarrassment to north korea's regime and its young leader, kim jong un. but that did not stop him from unveiling gigantic new statues of his father, kim jong il, and his grandfather, kim il-sung. >> british prime minister david cameron says he is backing the suspension of economic sanctions against burma. >> the comments come during his landmark trip to the country where he has met president thein sein and opposition activist aung san suu kyi. >> they have to make a decision on sanctions later this month. >> this is a historic visit. david cameron is the first

european head of state to travel to burma since the south asian country formally ended decades of military rule last year. in the capital naypyitaw, cameron met with reform-thein sein minded to support the country's process of democratization. the government has eased restrictions on ethnic minorities and freed hundreds of political prisoners. cameron also met opposition leader aung san suu kyi. the burmese president had paved the way for her return to politics. with a suu kyi at his side, the british prime minister said the government deserves careful assistance for its policies, including the suspension of sanctions. >> of course we must respond with caution, with care. we must always be skeptical and questioning, because we want to know those changes are irreversible. >> suu kyi also advised caution. >> this suspension would have

taken place because of the steps taken by the president and other reformers, and it would also may the criteria against reform that should they try to obstruct the way of the reformers, then sanctions could come back. >> the eu will decide whether to suspend sanctions on burma on april 23. at least some are expected to be lifted. >> andrea is a journalist who just got back from burma. welcome, and thanks for joining us. there has been a positive response from the international community to the recent elections. is that response deserve, do you think? >> i think it is deserve, keeping in mind that these elections were rather small. only 7% for parliamentary seats. however, they are a very important signal. because the way the elections were conducted. it was really reasonably free and fair. secondly, they send an important signal to the next elections in

2015. that will be the key thing to watch in the next three years. >> right, and the military- backed government still holds all the power there. do you ever see them giving up that power? >> that is a big question everybody is asking. nld at a very big turnout, much bigger than expected in the bi- elections. some people are not very comfortable with that now. however, there are a lot of reforms in the government, and the question really is, how much weight will the reformers out in the government in the next three years? >> so reformers, aung san suu kyi, is she right to have backed these initial moves towards democracy? >> i think she is backing reformers. she is convinced that the president is a reformer. his number two is a reformer. also the chief of the army. the key question to watch is what the reformers will be able to accomplish in the next three years. >> ok. having been to burma, what is

your own personal view their -- what is the general mood? >> the general mood is surprisingly upbeat and positive. there are a lot of people who are afraid to speak to foreigners. there are still people afraid to come out and speak out. but in general, it is very positive, very upbeat, and a lot of international business is starting to happen from neighboring countries. a lot of people are taking the changes very seriously. i think the momentum that is building at the moment, so many people want the reforms to succeed, is a very promising. >> that is so great changes taking place in burma. thank you very much, andrea. a group of european countries is pushing the eu to subsidize nuclear power. that is according to this. >> is as britain, france, poland, and the czech republic want nuclear energy to be treated like renewable. last year germany decided to phase out its nuclear reactors after the fukushima disaster.

>> if the four eu states get their way, they will soon be supporting construction of nuclear reactors with public funds. for that, they need the green light from brussels. sales of nuclear generated electricity would also be subsidized, just like wind and solar energy are today. the demands come from countries that want to expand their own nuclear industries. in france, nuclear energy accounts for 78% of total energy production. it is europe's nuclear power leader. the czech republic currently gets a third of its energy needs for nuclear reactors. in britain, that figure is 17%. pauling currently has no nuclear power plants. -- poland currently has no nuclear power plants. coal is their chief source of energy. poland is planning to build six new reactors. the british are looking at 40 nuclear plants. whether taxpayers will help pay for them as an issue eu leaders will have to decide that their next summit in june.

>> the eurozone's sovereign debt woes coupled with disappointing first quarter for the chinese economy as traders on edge. >> new figures showed china's economic performance was worse than expected, starting worries about the health of the global economy. >> europe's ongoing debt crisis is softening demand for chinese products. inflation is taking a toll on consumer spending and investment is beginning to taper off. at 8.1%, china's economic growth is the slowest in three years. still, authorities are upbeat. >> china's economy has been influenced by international and domestic changes that resulted in a slowdown in demand. but to a major extent, the slowdown was also the result of voluntary adjustments made by the chinese government. >> for example, epicene is tightening curbs on lending and investment to keep a lid on inflation. the government is also trying to cool off the overheated real-

estate market. but international markets still view the slowing of china's growth with concern, as the world's largest exporter, and helps drive global economic growth. european and u.s. stocks fell with the news of the weak data. >> to the markets now. the european debt crisis continues to cause trouble. our correspondent is at the frankfurt stock exchange. >> this post-easter week was a difficult one from the beginning. traders did not go into it with a very good feeling. indeed, there were some good pieces of news, especially from some big worldwide corporations in between, but in the course of the weekend especially at the end, the year-old sovereign debt crisis was suddenly back -- the euro sovereign debt crisis was suddenly back. the worries centered on italy and especially on spain. the bond prices of both countries went down. the yields went up. traders feel that there is a further escalation of the euro

sovereign debt crisis coming, despite all the central bank money that has been poured into the market. they feel that the austerity and the reform measures might in the end not be successful. >> and that we chinese growth data we mentioned also played a part in what was a disappointing day on global exchanges. the dax lost well over 2% on friday, closing at about 65,000 points but the -- the euro stoxx 50 closed down 2.5%. the dow jones is down by about 0.5%. the euro is trading down, $1 37 tons -- $1.3078. the german auto giant volkswagen says it sold more than two million cars in the first quarter of the year for the first time in its history. >> volkswagen says demand was especially strong in north america, russia, and china. sales have surged 50% of the

same time last year. management added that uncertainty continues on the western european market. volkswagen was to become the world's biggest carmaker by 2018. and motorsports governing body has confirmed the bahrain formula one grand prix will go ahead as planned. >> last year the event was canceled in the face of protests against the country's rulers in which 50 people were killed. >> human rights groups say the crackdown on dissent is continuing and accused formula one of helping to cover it up. >> images like these that have put pressure on motor sports officials to rethink the race in bahrain. daily clashes between anti- government protesters and security forces. some of them have entered with fatalities among the demonstrators. but formula one's organizers are sticking to their plan.

the boss insisted the race will go ahead. many of bahrain's majority shia committee are dismayed by the decision. they want the race called off. >> the country is not ready to host a formula one race. we first need to solve our own problems. only then can we stage such a race, god willing. >> how can erase be held when at the same time women are being beaten and 89 people have been killed? >> last year's bahrain grand prix was canceled amidst the political unrest. this time, bahrain's leaders have been determined to get it back on track. there is a lot of money at stake. it is estimated the race will pump four hundred million euros into the local economy, and formula one charges 30 million euros for the privilege of bringing the race to bahrain. >> time now for a short break. >> we will be coming up soon with a few more news stories, including turkey and its efforts to join the eu. stay with us for that.

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>> 25 years ago, turkey applied to join the european union, and it is still waiting. >> several members had reservations, including germany. they say turkey's human rights record is not up to european standards. >> ankara has been working to project an image of a moderate and secular country worthy of joining the eu club. >> turkish coffee in the heart of brussels. this is a lobbyist working to persuade the movers and shakers at the epicenter of the european union that turkey should be given a place in the eu. turkey, she says, already plays an important intermediary role between the eu and iran, and many arab countries. >> in turkey, we have some problems in terms of

democratization, in terms of secularism, but turkey is still a very good model of the countries in the region. >> she says the exception process and having to prove its democratic credentials are important for the development of turkey, but she warns that many in turkey are frustrated by the slow progress of talks. >> from this spending and blockage in the negotiation of chapters, it also harmed very much the image of the eu and the credibility of the eu in the eyes of turkish public. and turkish people started to feel unwanted. >> she works for turkey's biggest opposition party, the chp. but it in the majority of turks still want to join the eu despite the lengthy delays. she says the outright rejection of turkish membership by some european politicians is a mistake. >> i do not think they are

blocking turkey's way by blocking the negotiation chapters. they are blocking the way of europe's future and the interest of european existence. >> she works from her base in cental brussels to provide inform about turkey and the really could play in the eu. she says there are misconceptions on both sides. >> we need a better europe. we all need a better europe. so we're here as europeans to contradict this debate, and we try to include our country into a strong european democracy. >> it may still be some time off, but she intends to keep on working to make it happen, however long it takes. >> we're now joined by our european affairs correspondent nina in brussels. turkey is already a member of nato.

why is it taking so long for its eu membership to go through? >> the problem is that there are reservations on both sides. it is not just like the eu is only slowing things down but there is no consensus among the political elite in turkey that it is a good idea. as far as the eu is concerned, there are some issues still but rather from the start and still have not been resolved. take the issue of cyprus. the country has taken over the presidency of the european union this summer, and turkey has said it would ignore this presidency and even stop accession talks. so there's some muscle flexing going on. 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 entrepreneurial base in turkey. if they gain influence of the things may change. but turkey is not going to be a member of the european union this year or next year. >> thank you very much for that update from brussels. and it is time now for a quick look at some of the other

stories making the headlines this hour. troops in guinea-basal arrested the prime minister an interim president following a coup. reports is soldiers patrol the capital, government offices, and main roads. the coup has to stabilize the west african country which is in the midst of a contested presidential election. >> protesters have been out in force in cairo's tahrir square. the one aegis military rulers to ban members of the former regime from holding public office. the protests were sparked by the candidacy of the former intelligence chief. egypt elects a new president next month. >> mount etna on the italian island of sicily has erupted again, for the third time in four weeks. the volcano spewed ash and lava on thursday. authorities say there's no danger to residents or property.

>> for the first time in 16 years, the public has a chance to check out a tunic believed to have been warned by jesus christ. it is on display in the german city of trier, and catholic pilgrims from all over the world have begun streaming to the cathedral to see it. it was first public sheep -- publicly shown in 1512, a catholic authorities say they cannot vouch for its authenticity. >> one of germany's best known of directors whose films have won international acclaim, but his work as a photographer is showing. >> a new exhibition in hamburg is set to change that. it showcases 30 years of photographs by the artist. >> the carnival is over. the ferris wheel has stopped turning. a tilted lamppost on a street corner. by the time he trains his lens

on a subject, whatever has happened is over. he photographs things that have been forgotten, seeking out lonely places on the outskirts of town and cities, places others barely notice. every image tells a story. for him, photography provides a welcome change from filmmaking. >> the nice thing about photography is that i can do it alone. i do not need any help. no team, no system, no one else. quite the opposite. i cannot do it if i am not alone. >> he travels the world, submerging himself in his photography for weeks at a time. from america to russia and armenia. alloy's waiting until everyone else has left before he begins to shoot. >> in our family, it is my wife who takes the portraits. so i wait until i can tell stories in a different way. for me, pictures say more about people when they are not in the

frame. >> that is certainly the case in his most recent work. photographs of fukushima in 2011. he traveled the periphery of the evacuation zone. radioactivity damaged his negatives. all the more reason to put them on display at the exhibition in hamburg. >> one of the world's biggest commercial intersections could be in for a rethink of the building sits around times square in new york are plastered with massive digital advertisements. >> what about the space behind those billboards? a prime location, but it can only be used for storage. a german family company has come up with a solution. thousands of computer-controlled l.e.d. flights are embedded in the glass to display images, including advertisements. unlike other systems, this prototype digital media display

is meant to be part of the building's structure, not just stuck onto the facade. the huge images on the outsides of the buildings are almost invisible to those inside. >> this project is aimed directly at investors. they have to plan for a system like this to be integrated into the building facade. the incentive is the money they can make. at a good location, the advertising revenue could help finance a major portion of the building costs. >> only glass developed the media passat with the help from engineers from several universities. cannot produce any amount of

heat, because the glass panes will heat up too much. that could adversely affect the technology or the class could even break. very important. >> he says the facades could be used around the world. he is an expert on at the market. in germany, every single project has to be approved by the authorities to place limits on the amount of light that can be committed. as a result, the company looks abroad for much of its business. >> we rely on new growth markets for companies want to display large images and where large amounts of space are available on high-rise buildings. for example, we are active in the united arab emirates and china. >> the company is receiving inquiries from around the globe, and 20 projects from doha to

shanghai are being planned already. he looks forward to seeing the results of his efforts closer to home. a new media office audit such a lot of the parking garage of bremen airport. >> that is it from both of us for now. you're watching the "journal" coming to you from berlin. >> stay with us on dw can find out more on our website, dw.de. see you soon. ♪ captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- ♪ ♪

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