this is deja vu news live from berlin it was one of the world's most repressive countries now who's in pakistan says it has changed its ways as the country's president visits germany we talk to him whose back journalist who says he was tortured in prison and asks if the country really has changed direction also coming out. trying to break the pressure that law of the british prime minister presents her plan b. today before leaving the european union but will it be enough to satisfy

a deeply divided parliament. and is being called the super blood wolf moon the moon turned this mesmerizing shade of red today we'll have an expert tell us more about a spectacular lunar eclipse. and hopes for an end to nearly fifty years of on rest muslims in the southern philippines vote in a referendum on autonomy we talk with rebels who have been fighting all their lives . i'm brian thomas thanks so much for joining us the president of pakistan is in berlin for talks today president chavez caught years ago yaffe wants to deepen ties with berlin his trip comes at a time of change for this central asian country once known for its repressive regime it's now opening its doors to the rest of the world and. liberal reforms in

a moment we'll be talking to a human rights campaigner but first we have this report from the respect capital from your ear shout out he spoke to a journalist who spent nearly two decades in prison. so let us down after nineteen years behind bars yusuf who seem around of it's enjoying every moment of his newfound freedom. but the fifty five year old journalist was jailed in the late ninety's for supporting a new position political. regime the rod of is one of hundreds of who had to pay for their political views with their freedom. i was tortured in prison. they always found reasons to punish me and came up with new ways to physically torture us political prisoners. we had to unload hot bricks from railway wagons yes the bricks had just come out of the oven and we had to load them into

cars if there. is one of the sixteen so-called political prisoners who have been released from prison his political commitment his will to personally stand up in behalf of the prisoners. that the government's human rights envoy has also praised president shafqat museo he's promoted that his country is opening up he says that thanks to the president finally have an opportunity to defend their rights. to the rubbish as to what. we used to receive two hundred complaints a year most last year we got nine hundred today we don't have a single political prisoner in our jails because the president personally monitors the situation we have changed as a country and i know. a lot has changed in news because down in the. last two

years the country is gradually opening up to the outside world but with people still detained on political charges in the country's prisons the rule of law still seems a long way off here in whose biggest human rights watch says there are still nearly a dozen incarcerated for their political views including priests soldiers and journalists but unlike the human rights organization the country's government doesn't consider them political prisoners. and yet change is tangible in as big a star corrupt police are being openly criticised powerful intelligence officials ousted and travel regulations for citizens are being relaxed after four i hope there will be real reform and concrete results i want is back is done to finally become a true democracy because the. other reforms are also taking place in the biggest and now not just in human rights. central asia country seems to want to put an

end to eat three terry and passed. thanks so where are these reforms headed to talk about that i'm joined by hugh williams and director of the europe and central asia division of human rights watch thanks for coming in you have here what do you make of this has been to improve its human rights record is it a sign the country wants to deepen its relations with europe with the united states it certainly is i mean this is a country with a deeply troubled human rights record for decades has never been free elections and was because on the never been opportunities for people to speak out two years ago as we heard in the report a new president came along the old president died and he seems to be keen to make a difference he recognized i think that to improve economic ties foreign investment they needed to improve their human rights record and he's made some small but significant steps allowing some political prisoners out of prison now a little bit more media freedom changing a few laws on n.g.o.s and so on it's

a step in the right direction but as we heard it's a deeply authoritarian country still so it's only a small step and much more needs to be done ok. here you have the presidents in berlin today how does this all fit in with this visit. well if it's in the sense that president wants to have closer ties with germany it's the most important partner within the e.u. they held a large business conference last week and they they hope they'll be some big german companies investing in the country germany has a troubled relationship with us back in the past a decade ago there were even european union sanctions on us but it's time because of the human rights record germany was one of the countries which was trying to lift those sanctions most quickly because it had security ties with was pakistan over afghanistan so germany has some homework to do itself but it's going in the right direction it also wants a support system is a yo yo so it's about human rights and it's about economic. and business ties ok so

both are mixing in together there what does berlin want out of this is it will be putting pressure on his back to stand on the president to open up more for for example to push for a free press we saw that journalist released after almost twenty years in prison you know is that going to play a role in these discussions stability is very important in this region we certainly hope so germany's please with a spec is that partly because it won't close relationship among countries in within central asia as pakistan has been saying we want that too but we certainly think germany needs to prioritise human rights free press free movement of people. release of political prisoners more space for civil society those things need to be going hand in hand with all the other elements of security and business ties they need to be saying human rights is high on the agenda if you want further support from germany ok briefly are you hopeful that while i'm hopeful and hopeful that

chancellor merkel president will raise those issues and the germany will be a part know with us pakistan in moving towards a better human rights record you wombs and director of the european central asia division of human rights watch thanks very much thanks for having me. now for some of the other stories making the news today israel's military says it has struck a rainy and military targets inside syria the israel defense forces announcing the operation on twitter pictures from within syria claim to show the country's air defenses repelling that attack it's highly unusual for israel to admit attacking targets inside syria. greek nationalist and patriotic groups have clashed with police in the capital athens tens of thousands took to the streets sunday to protest the deal in that settling a nearly three decade old name dispute with macedonia it would allow greece's northern neighbor to rename itself the republic of north macedonia. police in northern ireland arrested two more suspects in connection with

a car bomb attack in the city of london there that brings the total number of arrests to four the bomb exploded outside that city's courthouse on saturday there were no casualties police said the attack may have been carried out by dissident republican group the new ira. well the british prime minister treason may is set to announce her plan b. for today to keep britain from crashing out of the e.u. without an agreement on march twenty ninth now this comes after lawmakers rejected her deal with the e.u. last week it's unclear how and if the prime minister can end the stalemate. in the deadlock breck said battle paula mendez teresa mayes biggest opponent her deal was overwhelmingly rejected by both remain and leave m.p.'s. the nose to the left four hundred and thirty two. and frustration the u.k.

is building. unfortunately i think we're a bit we're looking a bit late across right now as a nation because we don't know how to sort out selves out of this problem i think the politicians of cause the confusion because most of the politicians in that building want to remain the two parties are far to consider joining together individuals are putting their own needs first and they're not thinking about what the country wanted. but for burke's it to happen may must get a deal approved by bitterly divided lawmakers now she's hoping her so-called plan b. will have more success. so will she try to piece the heartbreak city is within her own party and the day you which props up her government perhaps by sticking with her deal but addressing their main complaint. the irish back step designed to avoid a hard border between northern ireland and the republic of ireland. or will she try

and win over remainders and go for a softer backs and that could mean backing down on some of her so-called red lines such as staying in the customs union but it's not easy to convince m.p.'s would rather take matters into their own hands and an opposition party who wants to resign made to rule out exiting without a deal referendum parliament has not got the right to hijack the brics a process because parliament said to the people of this country we will make a we make a contract with you you will make a decision and we will all of it but unless theresa may comes up with a plan they can get through parliament nothing can be ruled out including postponing the march twenty nine breaks a deadline or even another referendum. it's to the philippines now and muslims in the southern philippines are voted in a referendum that could grab the more autonomy it's the culmination of a peace process aimed at ending decades of separatist violence some two point eight million people in the volatile mindanao region were asked of

a backup plan by muslim separatists and by the government to create a new self administered area there our correspondent boston hartley's traveled to the region. seized by the god bon has been a muslim rebel for half his life. for him like for so many other men in this part of the country not becoming a fighter was never an option yet i have been in there look and. joined the rebels because of my religion but it's more than that i also saw the injustices and the oppression against my community that's why i decided to join. he and his comrades are part of an armed struggle between muslim insurgents and the philippine army that has marred this part of the country for fifty years.

as in many areas of southern mindanao here in the village of two can only powell the majority of the population is muslim in a country that otherwise is almost completely catholic. the main reason for the conflict is oppression we're defending our rights our land we feel that we're being occupied by outsiders nothing is ours and they're taking away what's ours and they're not giving it back we always lose out this is our home and we have nothing. now many here have real hope that could finally change. in a referendum the people of muslim in the now are voting to ratify a law that would grant them more autonomy in return the rebels have

to give up their fight like these two gentlemen here many in this rebel camp have been fighters for all their lives often it's the only thing they learned how to do but if the autonomy law gets passed they'll have to take off their uniforms lay down their arms and start a new life as civilians the deal has been in the making for decades but in the end it took this man to make it happen. internationally president or a tree go to tear it is notorious for his draconian war on drugs and his verbal outbreaks but he has been pushing hard for enhanced autonomy for the country's muslims. of the. to many here in mindanao he's a beacon of hope for this is. taken by his word we trust him on television we see how he handles the drug problem in the philippines offenders are either killed or in prison that shows that he really means what he

says. football men and women but success is not only in the hands of the president the new law for scenes that muslim mindanao will be governed by the rebel leadership but feuds between powerful family clans rampant corruption and islamic terrorist groups could undermine the fragile peace deal. a peace many of abdul's comrades have sacrificed their lives for. yeah i don't want my children to experience what i've been through all i want for them is to get a good education to learn to read and write for fighters like me there is only violence and war i want my children to have a peaceful future. but abdul is also wary if the agreement fails he says everyone here is ready to go back to war.

earlier i talked to the correspondent who filed that report osteen hardy's joined us from colorado city i asked if this referendum would lead to an autonomy muslim region for mindanao. ryan the chances of this referendum turning out positive for this law being ratified through this referendum are in general really really really great what you see behind me here is a bit of a commotion that's been going on in front of one of the polling stations here in quote about the city for the last fifteen minutes or so the people around me here are in favor of this autonomy law but they are suspecting this vote to be very suspect your voter fraud and that because they're so how high the tension and how high the trust and the suspicion is here around this referendum but nonetheless it's very likely to be accepted because it's only being held in the

muslim dominated areas here in southern lebanon now and in western mindanao. and so the question really is brian what not if this is going to be accepted but if what happens after that is the new leadership is going to be able. to administer this region well and if they're going to be able to take care of the problems in this region for example corruption for example the influence of extremist groups like i would say off as we've seen in the past brian ok what about the tensions between the catholics and the muslims if if there is autonomy would those tensions i mean we're going to leave corruption everything else aside for a moment would those tensions be reduced. if. there is a chance of that brian it depends a bit where you look here in court about the city there's a sizable christian population and we spoke to some of those christians just the

other day and some of them told us that they're of for. that maybe if this autonomy law passes that they might be discriminated against so that they that they might face problems but in most of the other regions where this referendum is being held those are predominantly muslims there aren't many christians there now if this is autonomy then the gap between the muslim population and the rest of the country will become smaller and that will lead to a decrease or that is what people hope at least not a monster he's so that's how these tensions could be reduced if everything goes well but we'll have to wait and see brian boston hard for us and could have auto city in the philippines thanks so much for your interview and for your report today boston. well millions of stargazers got a treat just a short while ago that thanks to a rare lunar eclipse it's being called the super blood wolf moon the lunar treat was visible in north and south america across the atlantic and western and northern europe as you can see here the moon appeared to turn the stunning shade of red and

if you missed it while you have a way to head here in europe it will be twenty twenty nine until we see another total lunar eclipse. ok let's get some insights on this from anna greene she's a planetarium manager in st louis in the u.s. right now though she's with the zeiss major planetarium here in berlin good morning and thanks so much for being with us and a stunning pictures there of that. blood. yeah yeah it's always a beautiful thing to say it's truly stunning all eclipses are amazing to experience i always always recommend trying to get out and see one if possible can you walk just through a what exactly we were seeing blood moon sure so all of blood moon is when we have a total lunar eclipse so the moon appears a little to a lot red depending on what our atmosphere is like at the time and this is just because the moon is passing through the earth's shadow so what we have is one of my

favorite words which is the straight body alignment of three celestial objects on this case the sun the earth and the moon and when the moon passes through the earth's we call the darkest part of their shadow that's when we get the total lunar eclipse ok so songer summoned all lining up what about the super blood. recall that were just the wolf come from sure so the wolf part comes from there's a little bit of argument whether it's from native american culture anglo-saxon culture but typically the beginning of the year january february wolves are in their mating season they're a lot more vocal so because of that it takes on the name of the wolf ok what about this red cockroach glow does there come from sure so that's caused actually by earth's atmosphere so different. wavelengths of light coming from our sun have different likes to them the blue light tends to scatter through earth's

atmosphere but the red has a little bit longer wavelength and it passes through and that's what winds up hitting the moon reflecting back to us ok like some said sometimes the red sun so exactly. yeah that's also caused by the same a similar phenomenon. in case some of our viewers or weren't able to view this and here in berlin unfortunately when i wasn't there i went out looking for this morning good to find it but are there any other events stargazers can look forward to if they happen to miss the super blood will flow sure well first of all i'd like to just say that here in berlin we're very fortunate because we have two observatories and three planetariums that you can visit so we would be happy to talk to everybody about that of course we're always excited but we have meteor showers throughout the course of the entire year that we can enjoy. and there's always different planetary alignments and we have the transit of mercury coming up as well as sounds good dresses for us that should be pretty exciting green from

berlin's ice major planetarium thanks for coming thank you. china's growth rate has slipped to its lowest point in almost three decades fuelling concerns over a knock on effect on the global economy according to the chinese national bureau of statistics the economic growth rate cooled to six point six percent last year the latest figures come as the country struggles to boost a mystic consumption and to resolve its trade dispute with the united states growth in the world's second largest economy has been slowing for years but it is the pace of that decline that's worrying investors a decade ago chinese economic growth was hovering around ten percent in the years since then it has slowed steadily. and in germany's financial capital frankfurt booze in standing by for us conrad shares interestingly off in china over hopes that the government that would step in with a stimulus plan so i guess the question is how all the german markets digesting

this. well. the market reaction here in germany is also much more relaxed than what one might have expected given that this china and chinese data are matching levels last seen in early two thousand and nine and this was remember helena the time immediately after the lehman collapsed this was the high times of the global financial crisis but unlike last time this time the measures that the government in beijing has introduced in order to tackle the economic slowdown are more diverse you know we're not talking about large infrastructure projects but it's the private sector that the government in beijing is expected to boost with more generous credit conditions and this gives a lot of hope that you know the crisis and the slowdown can be dealt with conrad do you stay with us i want to get your take on this now because earlier actually i

spoke to dr marcus there he's a senior economist he's a trade specialist as well at the university of st gala and i asked him whether the slowdown in chinese economic growth would have a knock on effect on an export led economy germany's take a company such as volkswagen that i think is up to forty percent of its revenues being directly and indirectly depending from from china even siemens wrong ten percent of this so it's very important for a country such as germany but since the quality and the way how the chinese economy shell develop in the next ten years will be changing it will open up advantages and challenges for countries such as germany so conrad which is it opportunity for better business or a risk. well of course the opportunities are definitely there given the mere size of the country the hundreds of millions of people joining the middle class every

year definitely this means business opportunities also for german companies but i have to say business is getting more difficult as well you know german car makers european aircraft makers train makers are facing more and more sophisticated competition in china. you know the trade dispute the dispute around chinese trade practices the dispute around who are way for example also have been showing that the competition with china as a country or with chinese companies is more and more happening at eye level our financial correspondent connoted brews in a in frankfurt thanks a lot gets tricky. and you believe it is minted every two days while the poor just keep getting poorer that is according to a new report published by oxfam the nonprofit organization says that the fortunes of the world's wealthiest rose by twelve percent last year while the poorest half of humanity three point eight billion people so wealth declined by eleven percent

oxfam accuses governments of exacerbating income down by on the tax in corporations and the wealthy while underfunding public services now the study is controversial some economists claim its methodology is flawed they say that the charity and was evidence that the number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide has actually been falling for years. ousted car executive can a school has once again said he's not guilty of financial misconduct and vowed to remain in japan if granted bail he's also promised to wear an electronic tracking bracelet or the tokyo district court will consider goans latest petition but has already rejected previous applications or has been jailed over the past two months he's lost his chairmanships at nissan and mitsubishi motors and i know is expected to meet later this week to discuss removing corn as chairman and c.e.o. . well you're watching the news from by day we've got plenty more coming up for you

at the top of the hour of course you can always get the latest news and information around the clock on our web site that money dot com on having a home frame but and thanks for your company i see the very same.

move. to try to. give folks some work. there's nothing. until two engineers from germany said there has to be a more efficient place i'm going. to get with. arms exports to trouble spots can be a lucrative business for the german weapons industry. and a rather shady one too. such exports are against german law but there are gray areas. and the arms makers are sure to use them. bombs for the.

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