every week and always look into the future on d. w. dot com science and research for asia. in. the news. in. this is state of the news live from berlin a historic vote in china the country's parliament passes a constitutional amendment that scraps a presidential term limits of handing president xi jinping free reign indefinitely will this mean a return to the blount era for the asian superpower we go live to our correspondent in beijing. also on the program japan marks the seventh anniversary of the tsunami

that devastated the country's northeastern triggered the worst nuclear disaster since chernobyl but amid the commemorations there's also protest we'll tell you why . reunited after more than a year behind bars to turkish journalists return to the independent newspaper junhui yet after being released on bail but their battle is far from over. for all . of them welcome my name's christopher spring eight good to have you with us. she jinping is already the most powerful chinese president in a generation and now he has the right to remain in office indefinitely that south to china's parliament passed a constitutional amendment scrapping the presidential term and that the presidency had previously been limited to two five year plans. the change means that she's

personal political philosophy has now also been written into the constitution there were just two no votes cast and three abstentions among almost three thousand delegates. let's get some analysis now on all of these developments from our correspondent in beijing the burning of materials good to have you with us was there any criticism atoll of these moves these constitutional amendments. yes there was the party media of course makers want to believe that there has the masses have enthusiast sickly supported this but there has been a discount. there has been this concern there have been people criticizing very few people have dared to do so publicly and i need this content on the internet has been censored even the most creative ways of voicing this continent have been

hunted down by the census. but here's you know president xi already had a very firm grip on power so the question is why did he scrap term limits why does he need an even tighter grip on power. i think he just sees the opportunity to do this now he's at the hague of the power he wants to stay in office that's something not uncommon of course for people with such an appetite for power i think he has also reason to believe that after quitting power some people might take revenge on him because he has purged quite a few people in this party the party is justifying this move by saying it would make policies more efficient and the party has a greater say in politics even greater say than it had before. it that it would help you a more long time long term oriented policies and materials what does this tell us

about the direction that china is now tracking i think we can expect that the direction that she is in pain has been taking that means centralizing power and quick cracking down on dissent that this policy will continue i think china will face. a period of even tighter control what it will mean for the efficiency of policies is another question there are reasons to believe that one of the one of the strength of china's political system that it was able to adjust policies despite being sought for a tarion that this might change in the future and people some people expect china to be sure to make more mistakes politics to make more mistakes economically and politically ok much as building a man in beijing many thanks for helping us to understand developments that.

now turning to japan it's been a day of somber commemoration there as people mark the moment seven years ago when a magnitude nine earthquake struck just off the country's northeastern coast the quake triggered a devastating tsunami you remember a tsunami that also led to the worst nuclear disaster since chernobyl within an hour of the tremor water came rushing inland along the northeastern coast line washing away entire neighborhoods and leaving over eighteen thousand people dead or missing. at a commemorations ceremony in tokyo prime minister shinzo baser japan was dedicated to ongoing reconstruction the government is still working to contain radioactive material released by the partial meltdowns of nuclear reactors in fukushima. such eco writes a letter oh most every day sometimes love letters sometimes letters full of anger

but her husband macaco never responds because he's no longer alive. to be out there . recently on t.v. i saw that three dead people who were identified by said where can you be. they last saw each other on the day of the tsunami. here in rikuzentakata in northern japan. company. if i put away all of the photos i was losing hope so i won't be doing that for a long time but. only in the ruins of yuichi even assad as store remain he can only enter with a hard hat he knew immediately that his parents and brother were no longer alive after seeing the damage caused by the giant waves he fled to the roof during the disaster. this is how i held on with my feet firmly on the

ground the water came closer and closer luckily it only reached this white line. a day later he was rescued by helicopter kara loan the tsunami killed around twenty four hundred people each he refuses to tear down the devastated house the ruins serve as a reminder. today rikuzentakata is one big construction site they've taken soil from a mountain and used it to raise the center of the town twelve meters higher japan has earmarked eight hundred thirty million euros for the project but it still wouldn't be enough of a powerful tsunami struck again. yuichi has built a new house on top of the mountain far from the sea his daughter tyler was born just a few weeks before the tsunami her grandparents spent only a few days with her. not me no money did he not explain

to her that her grandparents were swallowed by the waves and she understands the meaning of death. such eco says she hates the sea she suspects what happened but she refuses to say that her husband is dead. turning now to some of the other stories making news around the world british authorities investigating the poisoning of a russian spy and his daughter say they found traces of a read of agent at the pub and restaurant the pav visited shortly before they collapsed sergei screwball and his daughter u.d.r. remain in critical condition we come off the folding hill the russian defense ministry says it's to successfully tested a new hypersonic missile designed to penetrate defense systems it released this footage purportedly showing a test of the high speed missile the weapon was one of several unveiled by

president vladimir putin during a recent speech defense analysts have reacted to the announcement with skepticism. and in france the far right fullness united party has cut its last formal ties with its found money to pay and a bullish in his post of honorary president the pens departure comes as for nothing i can see it is a number of changes and rebranding the party and broadening its appeal. now two prominent turkish journalists have been reunited with their colleagues off the spending well over a year behind bars the two men were released on bail on friday that they and sixteen other stops at the independent newspaper june hoody at all still on trial for allegedly supporting terrorism the battle for freedom and justice is far from over. the staff of turkey's gym harriet newspaper celebrate the long awaited return of editor in chief. and investigative journalist ahmed shafik the two were held in

a turkish prison for over a year at least on bail now they returned to their newsroom to greet colleagues despite the joyful mood their return doesn't signal the revival of the rule of law in turkey. to the there was no legal basis either for my arrest nor for my release it was a political move and nothing else that's how we have to see it there is no rule of law in talkie the idea that courts here are independent is the biggest talking. people. together the journalist celebrate the birthday of a key ally despite his absence he's the newspapers chairman and the only jim her employees still behind bars including at ally but all of eighteen jim her employees are on trial for allegedly supporting terrorist organizations. shortly after his release the relief felt by more at some good you and his family and colleagues is clear. but celebrating is difficult he says because nothing has changed for

journalists or press freedom in turkey. there are so many journalists local officials and attorneys currently imprisoned only after they have all been released can we begin to speak of real freedom. more than one hundred journalists are currently sitting in turkish jails after his release from high security prison ahmed shafik spoke of his hope for change. happy days will return to this land the mafia like rule here will and i guarantee it. despite international condemnation these journalists are still on trial the next hearing is set for friday. in syria government forces have made significant advances into eastern splitting the all clave into three parts it was the last major rebel stronghold in the capital damascus the syrian army has intensified its assault on the area over the past three weeks the fighting claiming the lives of over

a thousand people so far. the next strike is never far away in duma. another victim is rushed to an ambulance. or. observers say east includes his largest travel how time is now completely isolated government forces have reportedly cut off the main highway linking it to the town of harasta and to the rest of the besieged enclave meanwhile state television shows the army rolling into the center of misrata. the syrian observatory for human rights says assad's forces have night taken this rebel time as the syrian army proclaims major gains opponents and aid groups have accused the regime of using chemical weapons. they used they used. force for and they're now. i mean in just a sea days there were more than one hundred fifteen people killed most of them

children the government strongly rejects the allegation that. we are absolutely denied the existence of any chemical weapons including chlorine gas. the united nations has condemned the intensity of the government assault. in the last three weeks the shelling and astrid's have been almost constant monitors say the bombardment has not killed more than a thousand people. millions of people in somalia. precedented drought due to poor rains for four consecutive seasons repeated failed harvests have led to widespread malnutrition with farming families abandoning their homes in search of food and. the heat sets in early in the morning and dolo in southwest somalia women line up for assistance they've been here for about a year back then the drought was at its worst and the sheepherder families lost

their animals as well to get out of the well most of us survive on what relatives give us not everyone has gotten help from the aid groups ofa. aid organization seems somewhat overwhelmed with the constant influx of families donor money from germany has secured this project by unicef and the world food program. workers take care of malnourished children. and mothers are given education on issues like breast feeding or protecting their kids from disease and about nutrition in exchange for registering with the program women get a card that allows them to receive food. and now they have assistance of livelihood that move through shows. child protection serious all of that we have to have in here but droughts are becoming more common and another

issue remains the traditional way of life for livestock herders does little to guarantee one's future these days. well for me at the top of the hour in the meantime you can follow us on the facebook and on twitter. on. my endorsements shall go like think the biggest favor teams we've got all the best goals we've got all the action don't know what is legal right here comes the news is the whole of german football shared experience every match. just league of screen weekend cheer on w.