the great media debate this week on d w ah, ah, this is d, they'll be a news life from berlin. china has a new 2nd in command. the national people's congress approved lee chung as premier . he was nominated by hitting ping and is a staunch ally of the presidents. also coming up japan marks the anniversary of the fukushima disaster the nuclear meltdown triggered by the deadly earthquake answer. an army is still making waves with china's government and to japanese fishermen denouncing plans to release radio,

active water into the sea. iran and saudi arabia agreed to restore ties and re open diplomatic missions. the surprise agreement which we in the long term rivals, was broken by china. ah, monica jones, welcome to the program. in china, lee chung has been appointed, asked premier, the nation's 2nd highest post. it follows his nomination by president judging. ping . lee is now tasked with running the government and managing the economy is new role was confirmed during the annual parliamentary session. it's the 1st time the rubber stamp body has met without any corona, virus restrictions in 3 years after being scaled back during the pandemic. early i talked to angel small as senior seller at the german marshall fund. he told

us about china's newly appointed premier. he chung as you suggested in your introduction, his most important qualification is his loyalty. he's one of an a number of officials of the top of the party now who primarily other roles to their personal relationships with seating thing at different stages of his career. lee chung had a role in a job that's often called his chief of staff, bucking back and jeered young am off to that point. he was all equal helicopters into a number of other roles and primarily around that cluster of provinces on china's coasts, am in john sou, joe young, and then latterly as potty certainty of shanghai. he hasn't held positions in beijing in the central lead. the ship running the country before and he seems relatively business friendly, relatively reform minded. but the most important thing is he's demonstrated his loyalty. he's not a fake of, it's come from, for instance,

another faction. he's not someone who has really independent standing. his standing comes from his thighs to see where it is just mentioned. reforms are over the past few years president, she has been shifting the power of the premier to partly institutions. will the premier role that lee is now a go into phil allow him to make any meaningful reforms. but the other thing about li chung is not just who he is, but who the it isn't leeker chung leeker chung had a very specific and distinct role as premier because he was genuinely arrival to she didn't think he's the man who could have had at she's job and so although powell was taken away from the state and continues to be taken away from the state to the party, it was also an important degree to which leeker chung was sidelined by houston ping . and he was, in a sense, the head, the remaining head of the youth leak faction, amply chunk doesn't have that. and the question in this is whether he will be

trusted somewhat more by she can ping to actually do the job of running the economy in the last few years. she didn't ping, it wasn't just the, the role of the party, the at an increase. he personally had been making most of these decisions. the question is whether the town might at least be given a bit more space to do some of these things himself. right. and it, do you think that the chunks appointment is going to attract or deter investors primary foreign investors? short answer please. i don't think it was going to be a huge difference. frankly. i think this is still seen as, as huge in things government. i don't think early chung is seen as the kind of independent figure in this and so i think it's not going to make a significant difference iep, even though they last international businesses like him get on with him relatively well. i think the question said at issue now m for the chinese economy law of far greater than anything like that, lee jones gonna decide about, okay, andrew,

small in berlin, thank you so much for your time and for sharing your insights. thank you. in japan, a nation wide minute of silence marked the 12th anniversary of the deadly earthquake and san army that triggered a nuclear meltdown. it was one of the worst natural disasters and the nation's history. over 20000 people died or went missing. entire towns were devastated by giant waves and many nuclear plants were shut down around the country. but aside from remembrance, the day was also marked by protests. japan will begin releasing waste water from the damage fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, raising fairs in japan and neighboring countries of long term health effects and damage to commercial fishing. how will pacific ocean fish be affected by waste water from fukushima, nuclear plant? more than a 1000000 tons of it is set to be released into the ocean. the japanese government

says it poses no risk, but local fishermen are concerned. while mother wasn't on her theory, we're worried that the reputation of our pro useful suffering even more damage. still, the government has decided to allow the water release. we really cannot accept this why we feel so helpless. ever since this, an army in 2011 water has been used to cool the 3 nuclear reactors, devastated by meltdowns. this produces around a 100000 liters of waste water every day. the energy from tapco runs the water through a treatment system, but it's still contains tritium, a radioactive element, which in large quantities can cause cancer. but tapco says the low levels of tritium mean, it's not much different to see water and as run test to show that fish can live in it. still many a concerned about the long term effects. if you had just something with

a beta emitter, like a tuna, or an oyster that has radionuclides in it, your internal cells have no protection whatsoever. you don't see these right away. um, it takes years, sometimes decades for these numbers to show up. other expense, say the tritium is so diluted that it's not a problem. so you care about the same amount in the fish as in the water. and that means that radioactive dose is quite low. and the other factor about tritium is that it's got a very weak radioactive emission, but the fukushima plans aren't popular in the wider region, either. china's south korea in the pacific islands of all cold for rethink. despite the opposition, japan says the release will begin in the coming months and continue for the next 30 years. let's take a look now at some of the other news making headlines around the world. demonstrate as in france, have taken to the streets for a 7th consecutive day to protest against present emmanuel michaels pension reform

plants. police are expecting up to a 1000000 people to attend rallies, nation wide unions hope they can still force makram to back down. parliament is debating the draft law ahead of a vote expected within the next few weeks. climate activists from extinction. rebellion have been protesting in the hague, in the netherlands. they're angry about what they call state support for fossil fuel companies. of far away pharmacy staged their own protests against government plans to reduce nitrate emissions, which the pharmacy threatened their livelihoods. iran and saudi arabia have agreed in re, is to re establish diplomatic relations and re open embassies within 2 months. after years of tensions. a surprise agreement was broken by china, which held it as a victory for dialogue and peace. the restoration of ties office hope apiece in yemen, where saudi arabia has led a coalition against the iranian backed hoodies. after years or still,

it is saudi arabia and iran announced their re establishing diplomatic and economic toys. the breakthrough was mediated by china. the communique was signed in beijing . i'm out of money. we hope to this new chapter will end the stalemate in relations of the last 7 years and lead to greater stability and safety in the region at government, as well as to more development and prosperity for the people. tensions between the regional powers have threatened stability in the persian gulf. in 2016 relations were severed when suny led saudi arabia executed, revered shiite cleric, protesters and she, i let iran then attack saudi diplomatic missions. the conflict has spilled over into other countries. the saudis and iranians are vying the influence in syria,

iraq, and lebanon. where terror on backs has bella militants. in yemen, both sides have been locked in a proxy war for years. now, observers say the deal brings a chance to end the civil war is that there will be at least moves towards a permanent cessation of hostilities in yemen and a peace deal within your mentor. to maintain that honor on a more permanent basis with washington has welcome the saudi iranian reproach more as a step towards lowering tensions in the region. the 2 sides are set to reopen embassies . in the coming weeks, i spoke earlier with simon maybon, a professor of international politics, the said, his sectarian conflict at lancaster university in the united kingdom. and i asked him what prompted the 2 adversaries to soften their stance. i don't think this is a dramatic change. i think this is something that's been in the works for a number of years now. we know that the 2 states have been talking back channel

dialogue in a number of different arenas. and i think it points to broader concerns about regional security and further escalation of tensions. but it also points to domestic challenges that the 2 states are facing with a need to work towards more pragmatic engagement that will allow for economic transformation states. and how do you see china's role in this has never cont, is china's role in reaching this agreement. and why is china taking on the role of piece, or at least in this case, deal maker? i think it's hugely symbolic. we know that the u. s. has long been the mediator is long, played this type of role internationally. and for china to step up to the plate here, i think it shows how important the persian gulf is to china, who's got long relations with the ran and now has deepest economic ties. and saudi arabia, so it, china doesn't want to see a conflict. it really realizes that it needs to try and improve relations. and it

also senses an opportunity to, to position itself globally as an actor that can facilitate mediation and bring about reconciliation. you just mentioned the u. s. l formally being in their particular role. so what does this new development now mean for western powers in particular, the west and it's relation to the region. it raises a lot of questions, i think, and these questions have been brewing for some time. we know that the saudis and the u. s. a long had a positive relationship, but in recent years that's become more fractures. the iranian u. s. relationship has long been fractious, so i think in the past the us would have occupied this mediate role. but now it sort of raises questions about the extent to which the u. s. can take on this type of media to roll and the extent to which the us wants to take on this mediate role . i think those are questions that will come to light in the coming months and just a briefly, if you would, what could this deal mean for the region itself? is it really a step towards stability?

i think it's a positive step because the saudis, in the writings have been embroiled in a rivalry there has taken on fractious components across the region. but, and this is a really important point. i think it doesn't bring an end to all of the other points of conflict and division across the region. there are still local drivers of conflict in lebanon in yemen, in syria. and these will not be addressed by the broader diplomatic reproach. moments when we run. i'd simon maiden, professor of international politics at lancaster university's richardson institute . thank you so much for your time. thank you. and germans sucker. now. basil dot, one to me to local rival, shall count saturday. one of the biggest rivalries in the bundis league this year dot mont are challenging for the leak title. i'll shall kit are fighting relegation numbers are all in favor of a victory for don't mind when if he's chalka in the viet darby,

don't mind unbeaten in the last 8 league matches. and if scored a whopping $22.00 goals, if that isn't enough, the 2nd place team is taking on the 17th in the bernezi table. but does any of that matter? not according to the document coach. get us an inch view. as always, this will be a match, shaped by emotion and intensity time, where you rank on the table has no meaning and it's really just about those 90 minutes. even wooden chalka also aren't the same shaneka. they've only conceded one goal in the last 6 games. and as a new found sense of team spirit and been, and if dorman gives a 100 percent and so to weep and it will be very difficult. it's our job to prevent them from reaching that 100 percent. that means what sets us apart. unmatched a is our mentality. it chalka will be happy that brought one to replay without

several key players, including you some poor court who's what the game winner against than the last time around. whatever the outcome, this rivalry is about more than just points. pride and bragging rights are also on the line as offer now up next, how demand for electric cars is damaging the environment that's coming up next, and doc films, dirty capa? i'm monica jones from me that in thanks for watching them or flying rivers formed by waterfalls. perspiring trees or sea evaporation during forest fires. i don't get the answer. and humble go away by invisible river that flows through the sky starts march 23rd on dw.