what. do you mean no no here's what we're going to do to you and how the last 2 years german chancellor i want to bring you back or if you've never. surprised to so with what the disposable congressmen are cool really what moves. on top. of way mara's and critics who joined us from athens lock stock. you're watching d.w. news asia coming up on the program china's annual national people's congress gets underway we'll take a closer look at the plans the leadership from dealing with the economy to dealing with hong kong. after losing the last mayor to scandal and suicide so voters get set to elect a new city leader and they could make history in the process by choosing

a woman. plus the man who found his life's purpose caring for animals much restricted zone his mission of kindness hasn't gone down well with other locals. i'm melissa chan welcome to news asia china kicks off its annual meeting of the national people's congress a rubberstamp legislature of the communist party it's important not because of how the votes go that's a foregone conclusion in an authoritarian state but because the leadership takes this opportunity to roll out some of its most important new laws. red flags are flying on tiananmen square head of the most important event on china's political calendar this year's national people's congress takes on a special significance as a coincides with the centenary of the founding of the communist party and in the

end. it's been a big year for china the only major economy to grow during the pandemic delegates are expected to approve its 5 year plan a blueprint to expand the middle class which already counts $400000000.00 people it's a quick rebound from the coronavirus means china couldn't see america as the world's largest economy by 2030 so sort of economic nerds are going to be looking much for us where the economy is in terms of momentum through 2020 what wrote the year over year. but it's going to be you know it's good growth. that will get around 7 or 8 percent would be my guess. president xi jinping will aim to keep the focus on national pride innovation and self-sufficiency. in the run up to the congress he launched a major propaganda campaign to claim poverty and rural china with over. the

congress will also move to quash any criticism of the communist party china wants to tighten its grip further in hong kong the high profile trials of hong kong democracy activists has brought attention to beijing's crackdown in the territory it wants to ensure hong kong is firmly under the control of what the party calls chinese patriots. we've already seen some very difficult days recently on kong and over the past few months use in a again and again and see beijing commenter basically set the rules and on kong change the laws if they don't action and i think it will be very all eyes will be there to see is the n.p.c. yet there is something going to be getting more laws which are going to direct him and on call and reducing the role of hong kong's of her own people wanting all call to congress also gives an insight into china's defense budget last year military spending fell to its lowest in 3 decades. rising international tensions especially

over taiwan but also over the south china sea could see the congress approving more money for the armed forces this year joining us is journalist reinhold kilpatrick right here currently in taiwan but we reached out to you because you do a lot of reporting from hong kong and there are a lot of expectations that aging will make some announcements at this year's congress that will tighten its grip on hong kong what are you hearing. the national people's congress is expected to pass the package of reforms that would drastically overhaul the way elections are run in hong kong the director of the hong kong macao affairs office south all signalled as much just days ago to central government it's always you know when he calls for a system of patriots ruling on kong and this is immediately backed up by the government there and effects are security eric johnson said to quote what used to be the quiet out loud when he clarified that patriots meant people who love the communist party so it can be any number of things such as eliminating the role of

district council as last year because there was a landslide victory for pro-democracy condit in the district council elections or. making any candidate for legislative council as they are passed through a vetting process through the committee that is already stacked with probation or less but could become even more so as beijing makes it clear that it will through absolutely no dissent in the political process and hometown that china undershot jinking has really pumped up the nationalism and as the report mentions the countries had a relatively good 12 months compared to many other parts of the world give us a sense of the tone of the communist party going into this congress. china is certainly riding a wave at the moment. the nationalism is reaching a paved fever pitch of course 2021 marks 100th anniversary of the founding of the

chinese communist party and they have a set of the 10 or 8 goals that they want to meet this year including at least limiting poverty nationwide which you think is claimed to have just done recently and i know so retaking taiwan unifying it with the mainland had a view this current juncture in world politics a sort of a turning of the tide changing things that just recently and you know the speech to the east is rising while the west is folding the view this as a strategic moment to seize the momentum had to realize these goals are increasing in military spending yet again. if the past gas last year is increased the 6.6 percent in spite of the economic damage done by the coronavirus pandemic of course i want to look at this route and has increased its military budget again this year for the 2nd time after a decade of decline so we're seeing an arms race in

a sense southeast asia intensify as china increases its nationalist and aggressive military fostering find help kilpatrick thank you so much for joining us. voters in seoul south korea white elected their 1st ever female mayor ample election is turning into a battle over women's rights what a difference a few months make after the $2820.00 suicide of may or park one soon a man who had been accused of sexual harassment the current field has several women including a political veteran and a progressive chris satre vying against men for the city's top job and the election has the chance to make history. what will it shock to the south koreans everywhere last july when the mayor of salt took his own life park one soon committed suicide just hours after his secretary had accused him of sexual harassment now voters are

getting ready to choose an interim mayor to run the city for the next 14 months with women vying for the job some see change on the horizon. or sit down to oh if a woman becomes the mayor of souls it was as a foundation for gender equality in korea and around the world because women are no longer just baby making machines. it didn't was this narrow where women must be respected as human beings and they are all because i'm interested. shinji is one of those trying to bring about such change the candidate from the basic income party argues that gender inequality in south korea needs to be dealt with now. many women and i twenty's and thirty's say they can no longer stand living in a patriarchal world of gender inequality the political sphere has now been compelled to talk about feminism. but the ruling party has not made any proposals on gender

equality and so even though that's why we're having this by election. gong you know within the couple you know front runner park young son of the democratic party in the same party as the former mayor has. avoided mentioning the issue altogether her main rival conservative and chills who blames the democrats for having enabled the late mayor's mistreatment of women. candidate sharon has the support of union leaders who pointed out that south korean women have long suffered discrimination in the jobs market. with a woman mad problems that are usually overlooked may be resolved however i'm a bit worried that these elections will just focus on the economy and we will miss such an opportunity. because there's 2 in the. shin for her part may only be a minor candidate but she's been seeking to stay above the fray and focus on what

really matters to her. a fundamental solution cannot exist with politics that exploits sexual violence in order to weight political battles many women including myself believe that gender equality should become the new standard we are actually the driving force that can transform society into one with gender equality ones are going to that it has thought all. sporty back to $500.00 universal basic income to mirror the country's gap between rich and poor but for her and other women the rule that women can and should play in so we in the future takes on particular importance. we are coming to the 10th anniversary of the fukushima dai tsunami and nuclear disaster in japan that's next weekend d.w. will be dedicating air time to look back at what happened and where things stand

today for now we have the story of one man who as his neighbors fled decided to stay behind in the restricted zone to save abandoned cats. this is such a cottle's house deep inside fukushima's restricted zone. carter lives happily here with his 41 stray cats but you know. there have been some frustrations in the past 10 years that made me wonder why why i was doing such things for you where you are that if humans have trouble making a living society will take care of them and provide them with social aid among them with her going on in that if these kids are in trouble and no one is taking care of them and what the more they will die that a government you know we're going to have. there when carter's family and neighbors fled 10 years ago cattle stayed on to care for the abandoned pets and the other

animals he was arrested recently suspected of freeing wild boar course in government traps. you don't see them or not there are some people don't like wild bulls. they say they're vermin the. point but these bores them and they've been coming here they go in front of the garage dozens they were little babies at this and they've been getting bigger and bigger and now they're also bringing their children here with them and so to me it's like them my children or my so-called this good or the police have asked kut-o. to evacuate many times and his family unhappy because he's used his savings to care for the animals more than 620000 euros in the last 10 years but all cattle wants is to live long enough to care for his cats until the last one dies.

we're leaving today with images of emma a white rhino training for the journey of a lifetime she's being moved from taiwan to a zoo in japan keepers hope she'll become a mother they're part of a part program to diversify the gene pool of her species will be back to long to see you then and good bye. what secrets lie behind small. discover new adventures in 360 degree. and explore fascinating world heritage sites. world heritage 360 starts now. this is something tyson

and i o's came from jurors are dealing with a new unit that i killed many civilians. come including my father while the president i was a student because i wanted to build a life for myself that these totally sudden my life became alice she took on sob. providing cites global news that matters w. for mines. welcome to arts and culture 5050 by 2020 was a bold ambition of the film industry to rectify a chronic lack of gender parity kicked off by the swedish film institute in cannes back in 2016 oberlin film festival signed on to the pledge in 2019 and we'll see how things look for gender equality at this year's edition also coming up. women

get all the air time on today's program as we continue with our series on female artists who championed women's causes this time in kenya with right heard so kids rather than are. well since 2019 the belly not a has been on course to showcase more films by female directors and to achieve more diversity in general all this year with a vastly reduced program due to covert to the tally comes in at just over a 3rd for films held by women and here are 2 examples from iran and from germany. you can talk. about. he's extremely polite but a bit stiff and somehow uncanny but that's no wonder since tom is

a robot he's meant to be a partner for almost as finnish and i very soon that's why i think this idea is very much of the moment in a world that doesn't fact have humanoid robots. but at the same time it presents questions for which we maybe don't yet have any answers for life and for. trying to step in and escape. from. passing mention of ash to what i knew she had thought of. elmo is meant to write a report for an ethics commission about whether tom the robot is suitable as a companion or not. and tom does everything he can to make life for almah a heaven on earth but i'm a is a really interested in romantic gestures like strawberries and champagne in a candlelit bath it soon becomes clear that from a human perspective tom is simply too perfect. thank you this is in fishy and i

think there are moments in this film that hold up and mirror to the viewer lets you see yourself as a human being through tom's eyes and simply have to admit that humanity is sometimes very strange indeed that food is the pissing off it abandoned in the machine so it's perhaps inevitable that the human android pair end up in couples therapy i'm your man is cleverly funny and it avoids the overly broad humor that usually characterizes german romantic comedies but like its humanoid lead tom the film is a bit too predictable the basically inventive story could have used some unusual twists. before like come i'm talking. from a german romantic comedy to an iranian drama in ballad of a white cow menas husband has been convicted of murder and executed now it's emerged that he was in fact innocent and there's been

a miscarriage of justice hollister we're here to. tell us just. now mina is on her own caring for her hearing impaired daughter with very little money the film by director and lead actress mariam is a cry for help it was streets poignantly how hard women have to struggle against injustice and inequality and not just in iran. putting a spotlight on films by female directors at this year's barely nala and let's go over to my colleague scott roxboro in bonn to talk about a few more high scots incredible range of really interesting female voices this year and there's one that's been hotly awaited of course because. who and press us all with portrait of a lady on fire she's back with

a new film tell us about it. yeah this this film is called patina mom and it's premiered here in berlin online this week it's very interesting for people who know her work because this is a time travel movie it's about a 8 year old girl who's visiting her mother's old childhood home and she's outside in the back in the woods and then she meets another little girl who's the same age as her but has the same name as her mother and she sure realizes this is her mother it's her mother from the past and they became become friends and the girl has an opportunity to get to know her mother in a different way and maybe develop a new relationship with her ok so this is fascinating because this is a i mean it's such a different take on a time travel movie than than a male director would technically do want to thank you. definitely i mean this isn't back to the future or this isn't a christian olden time travel movie i mean you know flux capacitor is or time machine gizmos here none of the sort of mechanics of time travel that you see in

a lot of these male directed movies you know here it's all about emotion it's all about the connection between this daughter and her mother and and about their relationship and i was talking to the directors and she earlier and she said that for her the real time travel machine is within us it's in our memories it's in our imagination and and that's what you want to bring out with this film really fascinating perspective now there's another film that's kind of similar in a way because it's also about a mother daughter connection tell us about the film entitled memory box. yeah this is also interesting it's a it's a french lebanese production and in some ways it's very similar in theme to. though a very different story it's a young girl in in montreal your old hometown a lebanese a daughter of a lebanese immigrant and she discovers a memory box a box of old letters and photos from her mother that she wrote during the when she

was her age during the lebanese civil war the 1980 s. and as the daughter is going through these images and these these letters she started to try to imagine what her mother must have been like when she was a teenager and she was her age the film also uses a really interesting visual trick because the daughter scans the photos with her her cell phone and animates them so that in a way she's literally communicating back and forth with with her mother in the past i talked with directors of this movie and they said it was based on a real story because they had that kind of memory box from the mother and their daughter discovered it and she started going through it and started reading what her mother was like when she was her age and started questioning what the stories of you've been telling me it was very much is fired by real life what a brilliant technique now thought one question we're still a long way from 5050 but would you say these efforts to achieve gender balance at festivals are generally having an impact on what you can see. i think there are definitely having an impact i mean. a lot more films are being made by women and

more importantly law films being made by women are getting seen and recognized i mean we saw just this past weekend that. became only the 2nd woman to win best director at the golden globes a lot of the front runners for this year's oscars are women as you said we're still a long way from parity just 38 percent of the films in the bell and all over direct about women but progress is being made and it's so good to see and certainly amazing to get these new perspectives thanks so much scott we'll speak to tomorrow after we hear who has won the golden bear. looking forward to well revel girls and women in the world certainly needs more of them not fly in honor of international women's day we asked our correspondents around the globe to profile some women artists that they feel are making a difference and this time we're in africa where 2 kids well vonna a winner of the good to madonna last year in 2020 does just that. i needed the money coming to you from kenya's capital nairobi and despite the fact that the

person we're about to meet was not actually born here she does thrive in creative institutes such as the one that we're standing next to but it's actually had a literature that she hopes will be able to cut across boundaries reaching young girls across the continent and challenging young women such as myself. that. gets my goat. when i get referred to as black africa moment right that i would like. why must i have business or what you call it work or what i did i want to be a good writer. suki's well vanna is unafraid to speak her mind born in zambia and now based in kenya the south african is a novelist children's book writer journalist and publisher she also founded

interior did a pan african online literature festival in response to the covert 1000 lockdown she's prolific and multi-talented and her energy seems inexhaustible how does she juggle her many interests with very little sleep. i think if you love something you always make time for it her writing almost always has a political subtext her debut novel the madams was published in 2006 it's the story of 3 well off middle class women in post apartheid south africa torn between career and family traditional and modern female roles in today's world i'm essentially prof. who very proffer pen i'm very pro women and i think generally comes out in my books what's the 3 or have in common is about identity. i'm writing for readers but more importantly i'm writing for

people with or reading is boring and i'll fair i've got a book for you finish once i finish one page and told me if that's boring. then it's writing its opinion and entries not afraid to take a stance supporting young readers and writers is something especially close to her heart. i don't want my generation to be the last generation of writers you know i always to myself to be able to hold on and bring younger generation of writers and give them voice and give them the platform. in 2020 cities where vanno became the 1st african woman to win the go to medal making her a role model for aspiring writers or when you're an artist you want to be on just speaking to one people it means a lot where it can resonate with with somebody in berlin or with somebody in munich

with somebody in brazil and as a publisher one of her top priorities is amplifying african voices but maybe we need more voices that are more visible a lot of african countries are only going to 60 years from colonialism we're still growing we are still young. for more than a year now kenya has been struggling with the pandemic here 2 women in particular who bear the brunt of it so it is what the owner has a special message for them for international women's day. this is a message we all love the sky. may we get the recognition we deserve for all that some leave that we do and may we and our allies and learn the purchase the habits that allow us to celebrate mediocre contributions by men or excellent contributions by women i wish your

a reflective and pollen 365 days this woman city. words to resonate on international women's day coming up on march the 8th that's next monday and i'm not empowering notes it is time for me to sign off to visit our website in the meantime we have more on from about suitcase of honor there and we hope to see you next time on tell that it didn't go well and just from us here in berlin with the feet of the.

she's marching the street for her countrymen. we cannot justify a new movie have to keep fighting because it's not only about abortion early days graphic artist on the crew is standing up for more freedom nor is something terminations norm right. with me. today on arts and culture on d w o. the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. the rate of infection in developing. what measures are being taken. what does the latest research. information and context.

the coronavirus of data the coded special monday to friday. on t.w. . they were forced into a nameless mass of. their bodies near tools. the history of the slave trade is africa's history. it describes how to make for power and profit plummeted and entire continent into chaos and violence. the slave system created the greatest planned accumulation of wealth the world had ever seen up to that moment in time this is the journey back into the history of slavery . i think it will truly be making progress when we all accept the history of slavery as all of our history. our

documentary series slavery routes starts march 10th on t w. this is dave w. news live from but i learned germany's lockdown extended by 3 weeks chancellor merkel did announce plans to move towards a gradual reopening and to return to a version of normality also on the program thousands turned out to me and now for the funerals of protesters killed by security forces on the bloodiest day since the military curve despite this demonstrates his return to the streets as the general

stepped up that crackdown. by police in washington d.c. act on a tip off the.