>> north korea's leader holds an emergency meeting as thousands rally by pyongyang in a show of strength. hello and welcome to al jazeera live from doha. also on the program, iran, syria and north korea block a new u.n. create they to regular threat arms trade. why? well, we'll go live to teheran to find out why. the cripryian president tells his people economic turmoil has been contained. and -- i'm in the egyptian style? delta. find out of the why this area, once a football pitch is now ompletely submerged.

north korea's leader has orders his army to prepare for a rocket attack on u.s. military bases in the pacific. it scuggetted he approved an order with his late night meeting with his generals. harry force et reports from seoul. >> in the center of pyongyang thousands turned out in a show shouted to him and death to the u.s. imperialists. pyongyang signed off on his long range missiles to attack the mainland and bases in the pacific. in statements attributed to him he said the time has come to

settle klts with the u.s. imperialists adding the u.s. hostilities have entered the phase of threats and blackmail and the late-night meeting was seeing the b 2 stealth bombers the blufrpbltest of figures against pyongyang and the u.n. sent an order that his rockets and were on the highest state of combat readiness. >> u.s. intelligence officials are closely looking at mini movement of the short-mid, and long-range missiles. >> the ministry wouldn't confirm or deny a report that the agency quoted an unnamed official saying increased movements had been detected and given their state of heightened combat readiness that a launch

was necessary. >> whether lit become practical military measures as has been threatened several times in week. the u.s. is take rhetoric seriously and deny its own actions have fueled the situation. >> well, i don't think we're doing anything extraordinary or provocative or out of the orbit of what nations do to protect their own interests. >> and that is what has always been the key to calculations about north korea's own intentions that its interests would not be served by inviting a war they would be near certain to lose. and the return of a two-letter word saying it would strike the u.s. if provoked. a slight but possible downgrading of the language used in the past several days. the author of "cri i've the impossible country" says he is not surprised by the recent escalation.

>> the way with north korea has always been push things to the brink, try and get concessions and bring back six-party talks and get something from the americans and south korea and in the past five years or so, south korea and the u.s. have tried to change this dynamic. and now with kim jong ill, he or whoever is behind this is still pushing this line, and i thought what is dangerous is now the other side they view the u.s. and south korea are not playing this game anymore and now he is an untested leader for sure. that's where i suppose this extra tension can come from, but ultimately right now we can just call it rhetoric. >> north korea is one of three cuvens that blocked the u.n.'s attempt of the selling of weapons around the world.

our james reports from the u.n. in new york. >> the rules of these proceedings call for consensus. everyone had to agree. but three nations, all of them used to international condemnation, voice their objections. >> iran. due to many legal flaws and loopholes. >> then north korea and then syria. the australian chairing the meeting was not going to give up there. he left the rest of the delegates behind and took the three ambassadors in the room did they really want to block is a treaty that had been years in the making? the meeting reconvened. > the conference a/comp/213/03. >> it was soon clear the three countries were unmoved. >> the islamic republic of iran

objects to the adoption of the draft decision. >> campaigners and diplomats were angry. >> it's been blocked by three deeply crinkle countries, the democratic republic of korea and seer jay and iran and those try in their records of human rights in their countries are just appalling. >> the fact that those three isolated themselves said something about their attitude towards the united nations. >> in just a few hours while hopes and then great disappointment. but optimism remains. >> the president of the scomps forwarding the draft to the assembly where a majority is all that's needed for to it pass. >> despite the move, there's hope that vote in the general assembly could take place within a week. james, al jazeera at the united nations. >> mohammed mirror randy is a

professor at the university of teheran. he joins us live now from teheran. thank you for speaking with us. iran claims the treaty is unfair. why is that? >> obviously international law itself is very eurocentric. it is colonial in both language and history and how it's .pplied and the iranians are very we'rey of the lop holes that would benefit countries like the united states and western powers and in fact it benefits exporters of weapons and out of the top 5 countries 11 are european or north american. >> let me just cut in and what you're saying is fair enough, but how much is iran's subjegs to the treaty have anything to do with the fact that iran and

syria are iran partners and that iran arms hezbollah. >> in fact the point you made is very interesting. because iran -- believes in the sovereignty of syria, while the united states and european countries along with some of their regional allies or clinchte states. they are funding terrorist organizations that carry out facts. there's a terrorist organization funded by outside players and therefore these countries are pushing for civil war and have a lot of blood on their hands. that's how iranians see them. the geneva agreement, these countries want to push syria into foote bloodshed, and one of the flaws -- >> i'm sorry. let me get into syria. >> is a major power from

funding non-government groups. >> is it a mere coincidence that two countries iran and syria that happen to be political allies were the two countries that blocked this draft and two countries that have an arms trade agreement together? >> no. if you look carefully, you will see that india objected. they had strong reservations, pakistan. >> they objected but it's iran and syria and north korea that has blocked -- >> if you would allow me to speak, i would continue and say iran has a lot of history with international law. the u.s. security council with he iran-iraq war blocked saddam hussein as even being named as those in the west. but they provided him with chemical weapons to slaughter iranians. and while iran is abiding by

international law, the pressure is on iran from the international atomic agency because the countries there are duns of power and in the west so the iranians are saying anything international has to be fair. if it is fair the iranians are fine with it but western countries which provide saudi arabia with weapons to up a bahrain and bomb our people, then the united states really and the europeans don't have much to say about human rights. >> well, can you confirm are snipers going to syria to prop up the government that is is there, yes, or no? >> i think that you that if you compare what iran and syria is doing, it's comparable to what the west is doing. the iranians are supporting the non-plan and the iranian's

supported the geneva talks and elections d fair though u.s. likes to take advantage of -- >> but the question is simple. are iranians not just going into syria to prop up the government, yes or no? >> the irans i do not know any secret information about what iran does with syria, but i'm sure what iran dwuzz seera are what two legally recognized countries, the relationship they have with one another, but the countries supporting non- -- closing their eyes to al qaeda affiliates in syria and then bombing them with dones in yemen. the same people who are the hip

transits here. a little analyst from the university of teheran. now, as we talked about, iran's ally, the syrian government was another country to oppose the treaty. more from bay root in neighboring lebanon. >> the syrian government used some of the arguments it has been naming for years, one is the united states is an organization manipulated by the superpowers to join their own -- when it comes to this treat questiony, the they said what about the small arms that are being smuggled into their area and in the government these are used to create kay yoss in the country. >> rebels in syria say they ave taken domestic side.

this amateur video says it shows them taking over a check point and they say they have aptured several armored syrian soldiers vand captured penalty at bag dat. there's lee people killed -- four mosques in neighborhoods were targeted. >> meanwhile, demonstraters say they were the target of criminal investigation and thousands of sunnis have rallied in recent weeks calling for the government to resign. now former member of the bosnian-serbian house of military advises.

he was charged with committing crimes against humanity during the 1992-1995 war. he is found guilty of murder and remain and torture of non-civil glance for for war crimes in the past. >> and fighting rebels in the democratic republic of congo. and in the footsteps of jesus

only on link tv. >> and welcome back a reminder of our top stories. north korea is chanting death to the u.s. imperialists. pyongyang decide prepare for a rocket attack on u.s. bases. iran, north korea and syria

have blocked attempts by the united nations to regular threat multiarms trade. it's been in the works for early a decade but the countries couldn't be convinced to change their mind. >> at least three people were lled and 47 injured in a kirkuk explosion. the president of cyprus says they will not be leaving the currency. nicholas says the situation is now contained afternoon a tough bailout deal with the e.u. banks have resumed normal -- ng hours but restrixes restrictions are proving. more.

>> here people are still worried. they are somewhat reassured by yesterday's reopening of the banks but it at least gives the impression that all is not lost. but there are analytical voices from around the world saying the erm, the outlook for financial substitution today said there's a real possibility cyprus leaving the euro and medium term because island enjoys none of the benefits but all the costs in order to bring back and boost development here. and the general view is between the european commission and institutions like the i.a.f., but there's going to be a massive recession over here. as much as 20% over the past two years, so you get how

ifficult the in the democratic republic of congo. and to protect civilians. it's the first time the 2 1/2-thousand strong force has been able to respond defensively without force. the central africa projects correct i have care and joins me life from nairobi. thank you for your time. i guess they are moving, the u.n. is moving from peace keeping to peace enforcing in a way. does this mean we are about to see the militarizeization of u.n. soldiers? >> yes. definitely. one must understand actually that the resolution 2090 a that created that new force is actually a dire consequence of the fact that the two at least two approaches against armed

gloups eastern congo are found. the first was that the congolese army would be able to fight the armed groups and the would be the i.d. able to fight back. >> let me just cut in here, thierry. now the congolese government has actually welcomed the move. but this opens up a whole different can of political worms, as well, because you're asking african troops to fire upon african rebels. what does this mean in the long run? >> yes. i think it's a sign that the peacekeeping mission is being africanized. and we see in line with the idea that africa must manage its own crisis. of course, this is not welcome by the usual contributors while in pakistan within the u.n.

n but now some countries who become a troop contributor and will be involved on the ground and that can make a difference in the short term. the problem is that the military approach might not be enough against the armed groups. >> what do you think then would be enough to try and resolve this problem with the m 23 rebels? >> well, the armed groups in eastern congo and that includes others but also the armed groups are not only a security problem, they are also a development problem and political problem. so the u.n. actually should have comprehensive strategy to also address the problem of the and the political problem. but if it only relies on the military approach, this is going to maybe assure them but

will not solve that issue on the active run. he is speaking to us from nairobi. south africa's government says nelson mandela is responding well to a treatment for a lung infection. he was taken into the hospital on wednesday. this is the third time the 94-year-old has been in the hospital in preent months for a re-occurring illness. tanya, do you have the latest on mandela's health report? >> well, the south african presidency which is the official voice on all matters relating to the former president says if his conditions change they will let us know but for now it remains the same and he is continuing to respond positively to the treatment and under close bservation from him.

i agree with the hospital dation increases they are getting used to the fact that how many of them would want him to live forever, one day unimportant to they will have to stay goodbye. he does have are history of lung problems and infections because he contracted you are the berk lois sis while he was prison. they say it's in pretoria, and that's really a deliberate strategy to preserve his privacy not only his but that of his family as well. >> johannesburg. at least 0 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in northern pakistan and 13 others were injured in a security check point in pa issue aaway. they say he was on a motor bike and targeted security forces. >> judges in pack tan have

further bail when he arrived in court he narrowly avoided being hit by a shoe thrown by a lawyer. the bail extension is related to three cases including the assassination of former prime minister ben tear bhutto. egypt has been struggling with social and other problems since the death of a leader. now how farmers are coming up with creative ways to protect their livelylyhood. >> it's hard to believe this was once lush agricultural land but the rise in sea level has killed all the crops and the farmers who used to work this land have been forced to leave. >> in the last five to 10 years the saltal water has mixed with the fresh water in the underwater aquifer.

the sea level rices and the extremely vulnerable to climate change, the cultural cities were built below sea level and the rising sea waters are putting many people at risk. years ago in front of this building there was a football pitch. now it looks more like a swimming pool. this area is around three kilometers from the sea and the water is still spreading further inland. it's forced people to think creatively. >> for the farmers who can fford it, one way to avoid the flooding so elevate the land using sand. this is an expensive lution and difficult for everybody to find

each other? afford to this one pay for -- >> for the young farmers who buy or inat their land from their parents, it's particularly hard. they don't have money to elevate it because they are not getting any income from the land so they abandoned it or sell it for nothing. >> scientists complain excessive governments have ignored the dangers of climate change and warn around 10% of land in the delta could be ruined in the next 10 years if nothing is done to protect low-lying areas. the environment may not be the government's priority. but for those who rely on the land, the problem is only getting closer. al jazeera in the nile delta. >> the president is due begin a new round of talks in forming a

coalition government. he hasn't give up after failing to reach a consensus. he won the majority election but not in the senate. thousands of christians from across the globe have gathered to mark good friday and have come to retrace route it's believed jesus took to his crucifixion years ago. some carried crosses on their pope ers as they -- and francis will recite the story on the last hour of jesus' life in the basilica. later he will go to the coliseum of the stations of the cross. that's a re-enactment of the stops he made on his way to crucifixion. and pope francis has already

reated a new easter tradition. >> aa ritual that re-enacts the last supper of jesus christ and the apostles. among them, two girls, a first in the history of the church. one of them is of muslim descent. >> we had one criteria only that the 12 would represent all those in here. so it is normal to have muslims and girls. the chaplain told us they are usually involved in all events. >> it was behind this gate that pope francis chose to celebrate away from the grandeur of st. peter's basilica on the grounds of a juvenile detention center housing those between the ages of 14-21. the fact that the pope decided

to breakaway from tradition is plan geared towards the poor. he told some over in lose hope. it resonated to those looking forward to the pope's visit. >> i'm here and visit my -- and miss my family a lot. i see them only once every six months. having him here is like family. >> his was a visit the young inmates