>> hello, and a very warm welcome to you here on "the journal." i am in berlin. our headlines this hour. pope francis celebrates his first easter sunday mass. in syria, fierce fighting continues, as rebels reportedly have taken control of positions near colombo airport. and northern europe, much of it shivers its way through the easter period. hundreds of thousands of pilgrims passed st. peter's square to hear pope francis give his fourth traditional easter

blessing. a blessing to the people of rome and to the world. he made a special plea for peace in syria and called for recon rosily asian -- for reconciliation on the korean peninsula. he has already set his mark on the catholic church, with a much less formal note on the proceedings. pope francis was cheered by tens of thousands of the faithful as he went across st. peter's square in the popemobile. the new pope brought a very personal approach, kissing babies, waving to the crowd, and blessing the disabled. the pontiff, his down to earth approaches, has caught on. as the firm's latin american and first jazz a good leader for them, he has put emphasis on the poor and the suffering at the heart of the vatican. he is sending a clear message to the world's 1.2 billion catholics.

after years of scandal and in- fighting, change has come to the holy see. he broke with his predecessors, speaking only in italian, not in 60 languages as had become customary. >> brothers and sisters, happy easter. in his first easter sunday message, the pope delivered a plea for peace in the world's troubled regions and called for an end to greed and selfishness. the traditional blessing concluded mass. >> [speaking foreign language] >> many worshipers brought a flood of argentina to st. peter's square. pope francis is the first head

of the catholic church to come from outside europe and over 1000 years. alsotian believers gathered at the garden tomb in jerusalem outside the wall of the old city. many believe this to be the place where jesus is buried and rose again. the service here was more informal, with the emphasis on bible teachings, and the meeting attracted people from many different nations. christians in iraq also celebrated easter despite security concerns. in baghdad, hundreds attended holiday mass at a church, where the patriot carl -- called for reconciliation between different groups. bakeries in the capital stock to traditional easter cakes, and they estimate around 500,000 christians live in iraq. meanwhile, clashes continued across syria over the weekend. rebels have a uploaded video on

to the internet, which claims to show them taking up positions around the airport in aleppo. elsewhere, the government continues airstrikes here and in the northwest of the country. years into atwo civil war, and the conflict is being felt across the middle east. in countries like lebanon, where our next story comes from, it is fueling some very lucrative weapons trafficking. >> this man says he is not a real arms dealer. he started selling arms to syria because he has no work in lebanon, and he wants to help the syrian rebels. he is willing to talk about this only on the condition that his identity and location will not be revealed. >> this one is made in iran and is a brand new. we get lots of them from hezbollah. >> he says the rifles cost about $1,500 apiece. >> we by most of the weapons from hezbollah.

also, from the governing party of syria. they do not sell the weapons to us because they like us. it is business. it is about money, and they are making a lot of it. >> the city in tripoli and northern lebanon. it mirrors the conflict across the border. most people here support one side or the other in the syrian conflict. the city's hospital treat lots of wounded serious, many of them fighters. in room 103, a rebel fighter is being treated for wounds he got in an ambush from hezbollah troops. he says he and his fellow rebels did not have enough weapons. four of them were killed, 11 wounded. he says he has no faith that diplomacy can end the conflict in syria. >> the only solution that is left is a military solution. if somebody kills my mother or my sister or my father right in front of me, then i have to avenge their deaths. >> meanwhile, business is

booming for the small-time weapons dealer. there is yet another client on the telephone. demand is huge, and the syrian war means big money for soldiers in lebanon, and other countries, too. a protest against government plans to reform the country's massive subsidies and pension systems. led by the nation's two largest labour unions, demonstrators called on the prime minister to step down. they say the whirling development party has done too little to curb high unemployment, inflation, and the growing gap between rich and poor. broken up in an ancient city of timbuktu on am -- mali, and the was a suicide bomb overnight. forces backed by the french were engaged in heavy fighting on

sunday, trying to drive out the insurgents. two rebels are reported dead, four soldiers wounded. it is the first major attack since the country was the british by french forces in january. russian police have arrested a known activist and an unauthorized protest in moscow. hundreds of people showed up to demonstrate for the right to assembly. for the past several years, opposition groups have planned protests on the last day of every month for the past so many days, and that is in reference to article 31 of the russian constitution, which guarantees the right to assemble in public, for the past 31 days. in soccer, the last-place team could not hang onto their early me. frankfurt. 3-2. the winning goal was courtesy of the striker from frankfurt. it was his 13th goal of the season. the victory comes just days after a frankfurt coach extended

his contract with the club. in nirenberg play become a totally blowing the lead. going into halftime, the other team was ahead 2-0, but it was tied up for the final 2-2 score. this leaves both teams in the middle of the standings. munichurday's matches, put on a display for the fans. they may not have clinched the title just yet, but they destroyed the visitors. the match was a great warmup for the quarterfinal against an italian team on tuesday. yet be the new german champions, but they still have reason to celebrate, especially the way they tore apart their visitors. >> i scored up for your goals myself. altogether, we scored nine, a real team effort. i do not think i have

experienced a 9-2 game before. it was a real treat for the fans and for us, too. we showed our class, and we were already leading at halftime. >> an avalanche was started in the fifth. justn the 30th, the goals kept coming. before the half, this left one goalkeeper looking helpless. in the second, again. teammate made a it 7-0. finally, they got on the scoreboard, making it 8-1. even a substitute got on the scoreboard to make it 9-2. and an impressive performance, it was.

an away game in should part prevented them from winning the title with seven rounds to go. except easy.ng the match was pretty rough, and it took the best score of the league to finally secure the three points. the tough tack inning game certainly left its marks. one player broke his nose and had to be substituted. >> bombs on heads and bruised ribs. we have got it all -- bumps on heads. in defense of my team, but there was the endangered species protection order. >> that got on the board in the 29th minute. 1-0, visitors. the end to an action continued in the second half, with stuttgart actually controlling the plate.

they were able to prevent him from getting the equalizer. that lasted until the 63rd minute, this tied things up at 1-1. it was the first goal for the remaining international, who only joined them during the winter break. another got his second. they were then down to 10 men, and that is when the super striker made his mark in the 82nd minute with the winning goal. two-one. the 20th goal for one player. and a lifeline for his team. >> all right then, let's have a look at all of this weekend's results. here is the outcome of sunday's and here they are --

and this is how the standings look with an almost insurmountable lead. next week, they get another chance to clinch the title, earlier than has ever been done before. in the lower half, the last- place team, pretty well doomed to relegation. for their losses for some teams. now, to the classic. the easter race between cambridge university and oxford university. the event attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators. oxford. seen here in the white and dark tops, winning it by almost two entire boat lengths.

a bit of revenge for them after losing a very chaotic raised last year to cambridge. a win for the second time in one racers career. he had crashed out of last year's race, and this time, he took a one-day, 250 6 kilometer competition in style. he surged to the front, beating the second place cyclist from slovakia and a player from belgium. of german experience of one the warmest christmas seasons in recent memory, now, they are trying to cope with one of the coldest times of easter. the pressure zone over scandinavia is pushing warmer air farther south. we have more on this wintry easter sunday. berlin, on the last day of the coldest march in 130 years.

the snow on the ground is cold and icy. but it is the cold that is keeping people away. for a quickhe chill cigarette. children seem the least bothered by the winter weather, and there are colorful a superior and -- colorful eggs. >> the kids do not mind. they are having a blast. >> this note has been cleared around the brandenburg gate, which is as crowded as ever of tourists looking for snapshots of europe's best known landmarks. make big goingud 30 and treacherous, and forecasters say this weather is likely to continue for at least another week. all weright, that is have time for. thanks so much for being with

us. stay with us for more news and updates.

>> cyprus and the european union reached a deal on a 10 million euro -- 10 billion euro plan to avoid bankruptcy. for the first time, bank accounts are being tapped to supplement the euro zone lifeline. depositors with savings of more than 100,000 euros could lose up to 60%. the second-largest bank there is also being shut down. demanded by eu partners, including germany. >> cyprus is in a tough crisis. it needs help, and they will get it. europe is for solidarity and will continue to be for that. but we can only do this in

cyprus stock of the problems that led to this crisis in the first place. >> with anger growing over what is considered to be a german- denominated austerity. to victory in the 2004 championships. >> we are connected with friendship and culture, and i think the media are exaggerating the situation. i think what ever happens, greece will remain our friends. >> banks in cyprus reopened only on thursday after a nearly two- week closure. withdrawals were limited as part of an effort to prevent them from emptying their accounts. >> anyone who has any money in the bank is nervous, whether you have a little or a lot, and when your friends are worried, you worry, too. >> but with the financial crisis averted, cyprus looks set to remain in the euro zone.

a central african republic rebel leader declared himself the country's new president on monday. he announced he was suspending the constitution and dissolving parliament. fighting continued in the capital, prompting most people to stay off of the streets. there were reports of looting. >> the rebels have blocked our telephone networks. they are killing -- killing and plundering. they have taken the city hostage. >> the situation was reminiscent of 10 years ago when the president himself was swept to power in a rebel coup. he is now in a neighboring cameroon. he is seeking asylum elsewhere. accused of mismanaging the economy, they have pledged to restore order to the fledgling country. for many in europe, the first week of spring -- brought more winter weather. transport ground to a halt in

the ukraine. the german weather service says it what the arab coldest march since records began in 1881. many parts of the country, including the capital, berlin, have been covered in white since the beginning of the month. >> the arab league invited the syrian opposition to take a seat at the organization summit in qatar. the syrian delegation leader praised the arab league decision, allowing members to provide military aid to rebels, while expressing disappointment at the west for holding back. >> in the name of our oppressed people, we are calling for full support, especially in the right of self-defense, a seat at the international organizations, and the return of funds stolen from the syrian people. they must be kept for building and reconstruction. oppositionsyrian

remains divided between the national council and rival groups. many western nations are watching with concern, as radical islamic militia's gain power in parts of syria and in the outskirts of the capital of damascus. opens in social forum tunisia. it is the first time the gathering was held in an arab country. the focus of this year's conference was women's rights. the host nation became one of the first arab countries to guarantee gender equality half a century ago. but the islam that led government of teenager wants to roll back protections for women in the new constitution currently being drafted. russian authorities raided the offices of german and other two think tanks with close ties to the german

parties of some. they say this is part of an effort to intimidate groups critical of the government. the foreign ministry called the rays unacceptable and said they could hurt the berlin relations with russia. the highest court in italy ordered a retrial in one of the most highly publicized murder cases in recent years. american student amanda knox and her italian boyfriend were acquitted on appeal two years ago after allegedly sexually assaulting and murdering another student. it is not sure if she will return for proceedings, and it may be blocked, the extradition, due to u.s. laws preventing double jeopardy. and they chines and over the court's handling of media interest in a neo-nazi murder trial next month. turkish journalists are not among those with a guaranteed access.

>> the government is very well aware of a high-level interest in this case in the turkish media. it is logical, given that most victims had turkish roots. we can only hope for a sensitive reaction to that media interest. >> the 50 seats in the munich court room reserved for journalists covering the trial were awarded on a first-, , first-serve basis. none went to turkish organizations, even though eight of the 10 victims of the new nazi killings were of turkish descent. later in the week, the court -- the court permitted some outlets to voluntarily give up seats for turkish colleagues. it is due to get underway on april 17. earthquakenitude jolted taiwan. one person was killed, others injured, and not everyone managed to rush out doors when the ground started shaking. >> i was so scared.

nobody else was at home. i could not run because i was so scared that my legs started trembling. >> the damage was mostly limited to cracked walls and fallen roof tiles, but it went across the islands, which are prone to seismic activity given its location at the junction of two tectonic plates. >> there was an outcry in berlin after construction workers remove pieces of the longest-remaining stretch of the berlin wall. the cranes moved in in the middle of the night after a property developer decided to go ahead with building work. protestors opposing the project were caught off guard and only showed up hours later. whichortion of the wall divided the city. it needs to remain authentic. you just cannot take out a chunk. >> the kilometer-long stretch of the wall, known as the east side gallery because of its mural, is

a memorial. it is popular with tourists from all over. the developer who removed the segments of the wall to allow access to the building site says they will be put back in place when construction is finished. in italy, the center-left leader conceded he was unable to form a government on thursday, saying demands made by potential coalition partners were unacceptable. his alliance emerged from february elections with a majority in the lower house but not the senate. they're entering into a grand coalition with the center-right bloc of cilia berlusconi, and attention has now turned to george nicole itano to find a way to break the deadlock. -- eorge nicole itano it napolitano. after blasting off from

kazakhstan, a capsule carrying two russians and american astronauts made it to the international space station in just under six hours, thanks to new control systems. in the past, they needed 48 hours to complete the voyage. south africans woke up to news that nelson mandela was admitted to the hospital again for a long infection. he was last treated for the ailment in december. the government sought to calm worries. >> former president nelson mandela is responding president -- responding well to the treatment he is receiving for the lung infection. he remains under treatment and observation in the hospital. >> he won a nobel peace prize for his struggle against the apartheid regime. he has grown increasingly frail since withdrawn from public life.

officials acknowledge the public interest in his condition but have asked the medical staff be allowed to focus on their work. >> north korea announced on friday it was readying its military for attacks on u.s. bases in south korea and the pacific. one day later, p'yongyang declared a state of war. the escalation comes after the u.s. lose the bombers over the peninsula. the response of kim jong-un among sparked alarm, and china, their ally, urged restraint. >> this serves the common interests of all parties and also responsibilities. we hope that relevant parties will work together in pushing for a turnaround of a tense situation. >> the north korean war talk has especially unsettled people in the south, but some see it as a bluff. taking akorea is

strong stance, but i do not think they will get anywhere with this behavior. i think they have to come to the negotiation table for talks. doubt northexperts korea has the capability to hit targets on the u.s. mainland or pacific territories, but u.s. bases in south korea are within range. >> good friday ceremonies in rom where held for the first time by pope francis. they were joining him for the way of the cross which will, commemorating the final hours of jesus between his sentencing and crucifixion. many of the prayers focused on the plight of christians in the middle east and expressed hopes of peace. at st. peter's basilica, pope francis reminded worshipers of the suffering of christ. he underscored the message with

a gesture, prostrate himself for several