♪ >> welcome to the "journal" here on dw. the dutch prime minister faces parliament as the crisis in the netherlands brings new pressures to the eurozone. >> south sudan accuses sudan of declaring war as khartoum's warplanes continue bombing the south. >> it is official -- german birth rates are the lowest in the eu as population numbers drop. the political crisis in the

netherlands is quickly becoming a crisis for the entire eurozone. the biggest opposition parties in europe's fifth largest economy, the netherlands, have come out against budget cuts just days after it lost the support of its main ally and collapsed. >> a key part of keeping the euro stable, the netherlands must show it can meet deficit limits. if not, a key risks creating new turmoil in and into markets. elections are expected to be held in the autumn. >> the freedom party backed the dutch minority government for a year-and-a-half. yet, builders and other opposition parties now reject the deep spending cuts that the premier wanted to present in brussels next week to show the country is on track to meet budget limits. the dutch had been one of germany's chief partners in the push to cut budget deficits in the eurozone.

now, dutch papers are writing that chancellor merkel is losing an ally. lee told parliament that the netherlands was also losing an opportunity. >> a deadlock is not good for the netherlands. our economy wil improve only if we stop taking on new debt. he still needs opposition support for spending cuts, but he's not impressed. with fresh elections looming, he has found a way to praise -- placed the blame. 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 measures, economic growth, and that ultimately refers back to brussels because brussels is laying down the ball on the austerity measures, which is why the netherlands is in this mess. although the commission is saying they are dismayed to see this is the way things are going, particularly in northern europe, which is considered more stable economically and politically, we did not take blame because what we are imposing is good for the dutch. the dutch people might say they will decide what is good for them, their government will, not brussels, and that is the creeping perception amongst the population, and that is what is worrying the european commission. am i and other news today, south sudan's president has accused neighboring sudan of having declared war on his country amidst escalating tensions. as a center of this feat, an oilfield on the border of the two countries produces half of more than sudan's oil.

parts of the region are claimed by both. >> cell sudan's president is currently on a state visit to china. he is trying to win the thing's favor. >> during his state visit to china, south sedan's president was hoping to gain support from beijing for a new oil pipeline in his country, but the border conflict with sudan has taken center stage. china is pushing for a peaceful resolution. it has economic interests in the region, but so far, international support has failed pyridoxine withdrew troops, but sudan has rejected peace talks. khartoum says it has regained control of the region after deploying warplanes and soldiers. military leaders insist there will be no negotiations, and they will let their weapons speak. this army major-general said they killed and destroyed them. there was a total of 1200 dead bodies. in beijing, the president

condemned the attacks. he said khartoum had declared war against the republic of south sudan. reiterated that his country wanted to avoid a military conflict, but a growing number of his compatriots are calling from -- for retaliation. >> in a minute, we wil be looking at volkswagen's expansion in china. >> first, other stories making news around the world. >> at least three people had been injured in a car bomb attack in the syrian capital of damascus. state media are blaming what it is calling armed terrorists -- that is the term used for rebels fighting president assad's forces year despite the presence of united nations monitors, government forces are continuing their crack down. activists say 13 people were killed on tuesday. >> an israeli court has legalized 3 unsanctioned west bank settler outpost, drawing

condemnation from palestinian officials and international rights groups. the move fuels suspicion is systematically legalizing the settlements. palestinian officials have refused to continue peace talks until construction works stop. >> an unseasonable snow storm has hit the northeastern united. pennsylvania was covered in more than 20 centimeters of snow, and new york got almost as much with the late fees the winter. snowstorms their knocked out power lines, leaving some 25,000 people without electricity. ukraine's jailed ex-premier is continuing her five-day-old hunger strike to protest her treatment and demand an end to political repression. >> the revolution leader was jailed for seven years for negotiating a gas deal wih russia. the new administration says harmed national interests. >> supporters have maintained a

vigil outside her prison for weeks. the protesters say she is being kept in deplorable conditions, and her lawyer agrees. he also says he saw bruises on her body after he visited her on tuesday. he then read out a statement. >> i have been on hunger strikes since friday. my reason is this -- the democratic world should see what is happening right in the middle of europe in this country called ukraine. >> this is secretly filmed video from her cell. on friday, she was taken to hospital for treatment against her will. this is file footage of her trial last year. the 51-year-old suffers from severe back pain, but she says she does not trust ukrainian doctors. doctors from berlin recently examined her and confirmed she

is very ill, but ukrainian authorities will not let her see treatment abroad. >> james murdock says he was kept in the dock about the scale of the phone hacking scandal that brought down his "news of the world" tabloid." e former news international chairman claimed he was misled by subordinates. murdoch announced the closure of the newspaper last year after reporters were found to have had the mobile phones of the victims of violent crimes, including the parents of a murdered girl as well as politicians and celebrities. in germany, for your men have been given compensation in a landmark ruling over preventive detention -- four men. >> prisoners can have their sentences extended if they are still considered a danger to society. his manner convicted of sex crimes and attempted murder and ended up spending an extra 18 to 22 years in jail here last

year, germany's highest court ruled preventive detention is unconstitutional in its current form. >> the german engineering association today says companies are planning to create thousands of new jobs in the sector this year. >> the announcement was made at the hanover trade fair, the world's largest industrial fair, a place where firms traditionally showcase their products and introduce cutting edge technologies. >> this woman is playing a specially designed ball game using only the power of her thoughts. it might look like science fiction, but it is reality at the hanover industrial fair. >> the idea is that we will be controlling machines with our thoughts in the future, and that might free up our hands for our work. look also find applications that go beyond just engineering, perhaps in medicine. similar to the voice activated

technology of 30 years ago when people first started experimenting. >> there are already uses for this robotic hand. the user wearing a special glove uses his own hand to control movements. robots equipped with this technology could be used in dangerously radioactive areas like those around japan's contaminated nuclear power plant. the user could even sends through the club if the robotic hand is gripping something too tightly. a leader in this technology will new communication approaches between man and machine could be the future for industry. >> to the markets now, and a terrible performance on monday, there was some relief on the stock exchanges on tuesday. the dax ended the day 1% higher at 6590, and there were even bigger gains for the euro stocks at 50, up that 20 to 84. across the atlantic, the dow jones trading at 2999, and the

euro is currently trading for $1.3183. german carmaker volkswagen is to open a new factory in west china with multibillion euro investments over the next four years. >> china is, of course, volkswagen's biggest market, but competition is increasing with other car makers keen to get a slice of the chinese market. they are all at the beijing motor show to win over customers. >> the unveiling of the new lamborghini s tv -- but despite the new releases, the bustling crowd, and the big-name presentations, these are nervous times for car makers in china. after years of growth, the chinese auto market contracted in the first quarter. german brands are determined to stay on top. >> they will add 10 new vehicles to our portfolio, and as the chinese customer reacts to a great new product, we are very confident to grow faster than

our competitors. >> back in germany, one competitor was graced by a high- level visit. chancellor merkel and chinese prime minister toward volkswagen headquarters, a reflection of the industry's importance to bilateral business ties. china is very important to volkswagen. the largest investment program in chinese automotive history shows how serious we are. by 2016, volkswagen and its partners will invest 14 billion euros in china. volkswagen will soon open its 11th production plant in china, even though some analysts warn it already has a 30% overcapacity. german car makers have a lot riding on it. >>nesses to testify at a trial had described the bombing attack in the norwegian capital, oslo.

>> the bombing last july killed eight people. on monday, apologized for claiming innocent lives in the attack but showed no remorse for his 69 victims, most of them the children of leading social democrat party members. >> bulldozers are destroying the safe house that served as the secret hiding place for members of the neo-nazi terrorist group. a trio of right-wing extremists live in the house. >> the leaders of the terrorist cell are responsible for the murders -- at the end of may, was left of the safe house will be removed. the city wants to keep right wing extremists from turning the ruins into a pilgrimage site. after the break, we will have more news, including a look at the challenges facing germany and other countries as a result of the aging population. >> new numbers are out from the eu on that issue, so join us in

one minute for more. >> don't go away. >> april 1, 1992, the launch of deutsche abela -- deutsche welle's 24-hour service. 20 years of topical satellite television, a continuing success story here on dw.

>> thanks so much for staying with us. a parliamentary symbol of the council of -- assembly of the council of europe is calling for a complete overhaul of how undocumented migrants are treated when they tried to cross the mediterranean. this follows an incident last year in which dozens of africans died at sea despite desperate appeals for help. >> pace said that nato in particular failed to react to distress calls from the vote carrying the refugees. thousands of people fled the fighting in libya in 2011. many of them did so in unseaworthy vessels. >> the people in this vote were lucky. they were rescued, but an estimated 1500 people died trying to cross the mediterranean to europe last

year. the council of europe has weighed in on the case of 72 refugees from libya was vote ran out of fuel. survivors reported that passing naval vessels did not help them. the refugees used a cell phone to call this priest. >> i hope that with the help of this report by the council of europe, we can find those responsible. whether it is a state or individuals who were on board this helicopter and had command of the ship, who saw the refugees and did not help them. >> survivors claim that a military helicopter dropped biscuits and water down to the vote but did not rescue them. the vote was adrift for nearly two weeks. only nine passengers survived. >> that is a disgrace for europe, and i should also think also other member states also

have their borders, there external borders at the southern member state, so we share this common responsibility for what happens at this border. this has happened very close to europe, and we all should take this very seriously. >> the council of europe is calling on nato to investigate, and demanding that more be done to prevent a repeat of such incidents. >> when the council of europe has no legal authority to punish those response will for the death of migrants at sea, it does serve as a moral authority here in its capacity of conscience of europe, it can 90 to members to maintain human rights, and its report is also promoting a new debate on european refugee policy. >> as we have seen in the netherlands and france, anti- immigration sentiment is drawing voters too conservative and far right parties. >> but immigrants will remain important, demographers say, as long as europeans continue to

have no -- no children or just one or two. population will continue to shrink. the problem is especially severe in germany. and that a baby girl born today in germany will have a life expectancy of 82 years. baby boys come in five years shorter at 77. in 2010, around 678,000 children were born in germany -- that is the lowest birthrate in the eu. in the same time, nearly 200,000 more people died and were born in what statisticians grimly named the death surplus. in plain terms, it means germany's population is shrinking, despite the arrival of new migrants. today, almost one in five people living here have a non-german background. germany has a population of just under 82 million. in the year 2030, that figure is expected to drop to 78 million

and hit 71,000,020 years later, and those estimates are conservative. the population is not just getting smaller. it is also growing older. in 2013, when germany's baby boomers will have all retired, a huge challenges for government and society will have become reality. >> we are looking at a longer life expectancy and a falling birth rate. that raises a range of issues from how to finance the engines for more people when fewer people are working and how to pay for health care for people who get sick more often as they get older. >> it is an important issue. the german chancellor met today on it with a panel of experts to discuss a strategy to deal with what some are now calling a demographic crisis. in proportion, more old people live in this eastern german city than in any other european city.

the demise germany's aging population and its low birth rate, but seniors are also healthier and more active these days. the government wants to meet their needs. >> everyone can count on living longer, but many ask -- who will take care of me in my old age? the question is -- where will the skilled care givers come from? the question is how do we insure stability in our social welfare system? >> seniors say they want to remain in their homes and avoid nursing facilities. lawmakers have to figure out how to make that feasible. people living in the countryside could remain in their homes as well if they can access adequate public transportation and healt+ care. and people will have to work longer. the retirement age has already been raised two years to 67. german firms are expected to use that resource.

>> if there are no older people in the company, that company, of course, lacks experience. how many specialists have been brought back into the car industry when it was noticed that problems were cropping up and nobody knew why? things that perhaps do not go as quickly when you are older -- that might be lack of routine. >> the government is planning a new strategy for confronting the problem with new offers that would meet the needs of older people themselves. our political correspondent has been following the demographic discussion for us. germany as an aging society is certainly not a new insight. why this government initiative right now? >> well, the idea is to cool the research that has been done, as you say, in all sorts of areas for decades. it is an extremely complex question, of course. it covers all kinds of things

-- education, health care, pensions, integration, immigration, and although there is a huge amount of data out there, it has not been coordinated in a way that the government feels it can use the data sensibly, and that was chancellor merkel's intention. >> we continue to look at older societies not only in germany but elsewhere as a problem. in fact, smaller and older populations actually had a number of redeeming qualities, do they not? >> indeed they do. one of the obvious things is that older people nowadays are not simply older than the previous generations. they are also more active, generally more prosperous, and they are healthier, and that means that, among other things, they actually are a new market for the economy. we are already seeing the in advertising. advertising has discovered them. then, of course, there's the fact that older people who

withdraw from the workforce leave gaps and opportunities for other people who otherwise might have been discriminated against and not given a fair chance -- women, for example, in society. also, it encourages immigration. that is a very positive aspect. >> why has the political response been so slow to a development that has been coming for decades? >> i did not know that it has been slow. as i say, there are many aspects. education, for example, is one. germany has one of the highest standards of education in the world. pensions are, of course, a problem. the government has been trying to tackle that problem. raising the age, for example, of people going on retirement, as you mentioned, and also encouraging slowly trying to introduce the idea that people will have to make their own pension plans. >> thank you so much. >> football is something that

excites both young and old, and if you are traveling to the european soccer championships this summer, be prepared for checkpoints on the polish border. poland belongs to the passport- free zone, but for security reasons, it is planning temporary border controls for the duration of the tournament. >> polish police will be getting help from their german counterparts after plenty of planning and coordination. they began joint border patrols earlier this week. and they have been fighting crime for nearly 10 years. they used to police the border crossing the frankfurt, but now, they are constantly on the move as part of a joint german/polish effort to crack down on cross- border crime. >> we are on the lookout for weapons and drugs. we usually pull the cards over a service stations so that we can search the more fairly. -- more thoroughly. >> since the open border policy

was extended to poland, car theft has risen considerably on the german-polish border. two tractors used to be parked at this yard, but now they are gone. that is a loss of 80,000 euros for their former owner. dam it to 3/4 of an hour. one did not have enough fuel in the tank, so they siphoned some out of the other -- >> it took 3/4 of an hour. >> the perpetrators are still at large, and it was not the first time thieves have targeted this small town on the border. >> we all benefit from the open border. with a% of my customers are foolish, but why can the area not be controlled for 14 days every now and then, or even just two days? >> they have joined forces to do just that. for the next year, they will work this same beat together to help fight cross border crime. >> a group of human rights

activists in south korea has come up with a creative way to draw attention to human rights violations in north korea. >> activists gathered near the border to launch massive balloons carrying suites and leaflets to their northern neighbors. these guys filled with two dozen balloons, carrying 150 kilograms of chocolate highs. the initiative was meant to call attention. >> that is all we have time for now, but we will be back with more news at the top of the hour. >> do not forget, you can find more on our website, www.dw.de. >> see you again next time. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--