0:00:05 > 0:00:07This is BBC World News Today.
0:00:07 > 0:00:14Our top stories...
0:00:14 > 0:00:17China approves the removal of term limits for its leader effect of
0:00:17 > 0:00:22allowing the president to remain in power indefinitely. What has
0:00:22 > 0:00:28happened here today is highly significant. A choreographed
0:00:28 > 0:00:30compliant rubber-stamp parliament has removed the last limitation on
0:00:30 > 0:00:32his power.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Colombians vote in landmark congressional elections,
0:00:34 > 0:00:35with the former FARC rebel group fielding candidates
0:00:35 > 0:00:38for the first time.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Wash everything you had with you - the message to English drinkers
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and diners in the area where a former Russian spy
0:00:44 > 0:00:47was poisoned by a nerve agent.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Success for the superhero film with a largely black cast ,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Black Panther takes more than a billion US dollars
0:00:53 > 0:00:56at cinemas worldwide.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Hello and welcome to World News Today.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14In an historic move the National People's Congress
0:01:14 > 0:01:18in China has abolished presidential term limits.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21The vote allows the current president, Xi Jinping,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25to stay in office beyond the end of his second term in 2023.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28As expected the amendment was passed overwhelmingly.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33Out of nearly 3000 delegates only two people voted against.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Critics argue the move gives one person too much power and moves
0:01:36 > 0:01:38China away from a democratic path.
0:01:38 > 0:01:46Our correspondent John Sudworth reports from Beijing.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Xi Jinping was the first to cast his vote for a change
0:01:49 > 0:01:59which could if he wants make him president for life.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01The applause proof, if anyone needed, that the result
0:02:01 > 0:02:06was a foregone conclusion.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11Out of almost 3000 delegates, only two voted against.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Passed, the announcer says.
0:02:14 > 0:02:21This man's hold on power is now complete and indefinite.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26The cost of opposition to his rule can be high.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29This woman shows the papers left behind by her husband,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32a lawyer who recently wrote an open letter calling for
0:02:32 > 0:02:35democratic elections.
0:02:35 > 0:02:41He is now been detained on subversion charges.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45TRANSLATION:He did everything within the boundaries of the law
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and yet it is not allowed here and now many people
0:02:48 > 0:02:52are afraid of speaking out.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56As China enacts its most profound political change in decades,
0:02:56 > 0:03:02all public discussion is being tightly
0:03:02 > 0:03:03controlled.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05The 2-term limit solve a problem facing all undemocratic
0:03:05 > 0:03:07authoritarian states.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11It helps China ensure orderly and regular leadership succession,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14what's happened here today is highly significant.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16A choreographed, complex, rubber-stamp parliament has
0:03:16 > 0:03:26removed the last limitation on Xi Jinping's power.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33The director of the CIA has defended President Trump's decision to meet
0:03:33 > 0:03:34the North Korean leader, saying that he appreciated
0:03:34 > 0:03:37the risks involved.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Speaking on American television, Mike Pompeo, said the President had
0:03:40 > 0:03:44agreed to sit down with Kim Jong Un to try to solve a problem,
0:03:44 > 0:03:51not as a piece of theatre.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57What will turn out is not about what is someone said, this eyes has --
0:03:57 > 0:04:00have their eyes wide open and the whole conversation the pressure will
0:04:00 > 0:04:05continue to mount on North Korea. There is no relief in sight until
0:04:05 > 0:04:08the president gets the objectively has set forth consistently during
0:04:08 > 0:04:11his entire time in office. Rest assured when the president enters
0:04:11 > 0:04:17that room if Kim Jong Un lives up to the four commitments, those major
0:04:17 > 0:04:20concessions the president will be fully prepared for his conversation
0:04:20 > 0:04:21with Kim Jong Un.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24The polls have closed in an historic legislative election in Colombia.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26For the first time ever, candidates from the former
0:04:26 > 0:04:29rebel group, the FARC, have run for Congress.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33As part of a peace accord agreed in 2016, Farc,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36now a left-wing political party, is guaranteed ten of
0:04:36 > 0:04:42the two-hundred-and-eighty seats.
0:04:42 > 0:04:52Live now to Bogota. I understand with the people of Colombia some
0:04:52 > 0:04:58very mixed feelings even though this is a real historic day.That's
0:04:58 > 0:05:04right, these the first elections to be held in peace after the peace
0:05:04 > 0:05:09process back in 2016. The feeling is that the government has been
0:05:09 > 0:05:14lenient, a lot of these people, these former soldiers should not be
0:05:14 > 0:05:17running for office yet but speak to others and they think they should be
0:05:17 > 0:05:23a role these soldiers should be playing in the future of Colombia.
0:05:23 > 0:05:32It is a very divided country as we have seen. These elections are a
0:05:32 > 0:05:35first Colombia, this country has worked hard to change direction, the
0:05:35 > 0:05:41focus now is on the vote not violence. It is a day of first after
0:05:41 > 0:05:46more than 30 years fighting in the jungle, the politician is hoping to
0:05:46 > 0:05:50win a seat in Congress. It is also the first time in his life he has
0:05:50 > 0:05:54been able to vote. He is a free man now no longer pursued by the law
0:05:54 > 0:05:59come he wants to play a part in Colombia's future.It is the ideal
0:05:59 > 0:06:05we fought for, he tells me try to take part in politics in a legal and
0:06:05 > 0:06:09civilised way in a democratic way. Many Colombians feel the government
0:06:09 > 0:06:12has been too lenient and they wanted the fight is to pay for their crimes
0:06:12 > 0:06:19before standing for office. Colombia is divided.I don't support the far
0:06:19 > 0:06:25at all, people do not change overnight.It is the ride they have
0:06:25 > 0:06:28been given as Colombians to be reintegrated into society.The
0:06:28 > 0:06:32challenge they face as it is so bound up in the country is conflict,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36nearly everybody here in Colombia has spent most of their lives living
0:06:36 > 0:06:41in the shadow of violence, it is hard to take them seriously as
0:06:41 > 0:06:45politicians, so accepting the FARC will take time. They started life as
0:06:45 > 0:06:49a Marxist inspired movements demanding land rights over half a
0:06:49 > 0:06:59century of fighting some more than 200,000 people killed and millions
0:06:59 > 0:07:02displaced when the peace deal was signed in 20 16,000 of soldiers lay
0:07:02 > 0:07:05down their weapons but their memory looms large.This man was held
0:07:05 > 0:07:09hostage by the FARC to seven years, the six the former senator was
0:07:09 > 0:07:13chained to a tree by his neck. He did not speak to anyone in the
0:07:13 > 0:07:16tee-macro years, despite that he thinks a peace deal was the right
0:07:16 > 0:07:23decision.The war can never be won, I agree with finding a way that
0:07:23 > 0:07:28enables people to lay down arms I do not doubt that but I don't like the
0:07:28 > 0:07:32attitude of FARC, they have not apologised to their victims.That is
0:07:32 > 0:07:36a feeling echoed by many Colombians by the architect of the deal says
0:07:36 > 0:07:41there is no going back.We're having the first time in nearly 50 years a
0:07:41 > 0:07:46peaceful election and this is exactly what a peace project is
0:07:46 > 0:07:51about, changing the bullets for votes. Changing the violence of
0:07:51 > 0:07:55arguments.These elections may not alter the political landscape
0:07:55 > 0:07:58immediately but they are in an important first step towards
0:07:58 > 0:08:01legitimising the fighters and finding a way forward after decades
0:08:01 > 0:08:08of war. The right wing parties are expected to do very well in these
0:08:08 > 0:08:11elections, a feeling they are punishing the current government for
0:08:11 > 0:08:16this peace deal that many people feel is too lenient. It is not plain
0:08:16 > 0:08:20sailing for FARC, this is the beginning and speaking to people
0:08:20 > 0:08:24they feel it will take generations to change, new politicians coming
0:08:24 > 0:08:27forward to a less associated with the conflict and less blood on the
0:08:27 > 0:08:36hands.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Hundreds of people in the English city of Salisbury, who visited
0:08:38 > 0:08:41the same restaurant and pub as a poisoned former Russian spy
0:08:41 > 0:08:43and his daughter, are being advised to wash their clothes
0:08:43 > 0:08:45and possessions, as a precaution.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Traces of the nerve agent have been found in both locations.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50But England's Chief Medical Officer says she's confident there's been no
0:08:50 > 0:08:52harm to the health of any members of the public.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57Daniel Sandford reports from Salisbury.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Wearing gas masks and protective clothing, military personnel
0:09:01 > 0:09:03were spending Mother's Day in Salisbury loading potentially
0:09:03 > 0:09:08contaminated cars onto trucks.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Two Vauxhall vehicles had been parked behind a church not far
0:09:10 > 0:09:13from the city centre.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Bizarre and extraordinary scenes once again.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20This time in a pay and display car park in this
0:09:20 > 0:09:26historic cathedral city.
0:09:26 > 0:09:36It was the attack on Sergei Skripal that led to the operation.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Police confirmed traces of the nerve agent were found in the Mill pub as
0:09:39 > 0:09:44well as this easy restaurant where the BBC understands a table used by
0:09:44 > 0:09:50the power was so contaminated it had to be destroyed. The Chief Medical
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Officer gave his advice to those in the pub and restaurant on Sunday
0:09:52 > 0:09:54afternoon and Monday.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Wash clothes, ideally in the washing machine,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00any items that cannot be washed and normally would be dry cleaned
0:10:00 > 0:10:02should be double bagged in plastic until further
0:10:02 > 0:10:07information is available.
0:10:07 > 0:10:14Wipe personal items with baby wipes and dispose of them in the bins.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Wash hard items that cannot go in the washing machine in warm
0:10:18 > 0:10:24water and detergent.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Steve Cooper was in the pub on Sunday at exactly the same time.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30He said he is getting worried.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34They haven't revealed what the nerve agent was and what the effect
0:10:34 > 0:10:37long-term on anyone's health could be.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I'd like to know more about that.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43I'd like to know what precautions I personally can take.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Rather than just washing my clothes, having potentially already been
0:10:46 > 0:10:51exposed, what precautions can me and my wife tape.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54I don't think washing my phone and my watch with baby
0:10:54 > 0:10:58wipes is going to get rid of a nerve agent.
0:10:58 > 0:11:04Did the emergency services respond quickly enough?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Are you satisfied that you escalated this incident quickly enough
0:11:07 > 0:11:12at the beginning of last week?
0:11:12 > 0:11:14The machinery, the support, the national advice, the capability
0:11:14 > 0:11:19and expertise was mobilised.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22For this ancient medieval city it has been a surreal
0:11:22 > 0:11:26and frightening seven days.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29If the suspicions proved right, what happened here, the use
0:11:29 > 0:11:31of a chemical weapon, nerve agent, to attack to people
0:11:31 > 0:11:33is likely to have huge implications with Britain's
0:11:33 > 0:11:39relations with Russia.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Daniel Sandford reporting there.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48More details on the BBC News website regarding that story. Still to
0:11:48 > 0:11:55come... Black Panther is breaking records, the superhero snaps up over
0:11:55 > 0:12:03$1 billion in ticket sales.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12The numbers of dead and wounded defied belief, this is the worst
0:12:12 > 0:12:20terrorist atrocity on European soil in modern times. In less than 24
0:12:20 > 0:12:24hours the soviet Union lost an elderly Sikh leader and replaced him
0:12:24 > 0:12:33with a dynamic figure 20 years his junior. We heard gunshots, he fired
0:12:33 > 0:12:41and it was petrifying. James Earl Ray aged 41 sentenced to 99 years
0:12:41 > 0:12:46and you for parole when 90 travelled to Nashville State prison in an
0:12:46 > 0:12:53eight car convoy. What is it fear like to be narrowed at last? Fine,
0:12:53 > 0:12:58thank you. Will it change your life much? I don't know, really, I have
0:12:58 > 0:13:03never been married before.
0:13:14 > 0:13:20This is BBC World News. The main story on the programme, China has
0:13:20 > 0:13:24removed presidential term limits from its constitution allowing the
0:13:24 > 0:13:37current leader to remain in power indefinitely. More on this, joining
0:13:37 > 0:13:42me is an associate professor at Yale Law School. Thank you for joining us
0:13:42 > 0:13:47on the BBC. I think we know why President Xie Jin Ping would like to
0:13:47 > 0:13:52remain in power indefinitely, he wants to keep clinging on to power
0:13:52 > 0:13:58but why now, why has this been voted through now?Well, there are a few
0:13:58 > 0:14:02different layers to that question. The timing is one thing. Probably
0:14:02 > 0:14:07the best reason for the timing is that I would imagine it caused most
0:14:07 > 0:14:13people off guard. If you're going to consolidate power against the status
0:14:13 > 0:14:18quo and entrenched status quo you don't want to give the opposition
0:14:18 > 0:14:22warning about this. The fact this came as a surprise to all outside
0:14:22 > 0:14:28observers suggest it likely was in January when it came as a surprise
0:14:28 > 0:14:37to most insiders as well. Plus, honestly, he has enough power and if
0:14:37 > 0:14:45you can do it right now, why wait five more years?I will ask you
0:14:45 > 0:14:48about international relations and what it means that but before that,
0:14:48 > 0:14:54I want to show you our viewers how President Donald Trump reacted to
0:14:54 > 0:15:00the news before it was rubber-stamped and voted through.
0:15:00 > 0:15:06President for life. That was another one, he is president of life, it
0:15:06 > 0:15:11happened two days ago. And I was joking, I was at a railway station
0:15:11 > 0:15:17but I was joking and said, president of life, that sounds good, maybe we
0:15:17 > 0:15:22will have to try that.Some Americans might be pleased about
0:15:22 > 0:15:26that idea, others won't be. He was joking, he was criticised as saying
0:15:26 > 0:15:30that but Donald Trump said I was just joking. Is that not an issue,
0:15:30 > 0:15:36that the rest of the world may now look at China that was becoming
0:15:36 > 0:15:38increasingly democratic and increasingly co-operative with the
0:15:38 > 0:15:44outside world as going backwards rather than forwards?I have no
0:15:44 > 0:15:53doubt this is soft power. It arouses suspicion especially amongst western
0:15:53 > 0:15:56European and American societies, that said over the short to medium
0:15:56 > 0:16:02term I think foreign countries may find that China will become a more
0:16:02 > 0:16:06stable and more predictable global player. The reason for this is that
0:16:06 > 0:16:14now he has consolidated power he has less incentive to play international
0:16:14 > 0:16:16tensions for domestic political game.Will not put President Trump
0:16:16 > 0:16:22and Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron in a difficult position when it
0:16:22 > 0:16:26comes to doing business with China that effectively has in the eyes of
0:16:26 > 0:16:33some, if you look at social media, a dictator in charge now?To be honest
0:16:33 > 0:16:38it is not like Western countries do not have lots of experiences dealing
0:16:38 > 0:16:41with dictatorships. And China was not much of a democracy in the first
0:16:41 > 0:16:51place, it was an autocracy. Even if you do away with the regular
0:16:51 > 0:16:54tournaments, it is still the quality of the same autocracy was before.
0:16:54 > 0:17:01I'm not sure this would add any massive domestic political issues
0:17:01 > 0:17:07for western countries. You guys are used to dealing with bad countries.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10So business as usual but with the same person for a lot longer. Many
0:17:10 > 0:17:24thanks for speaking to us. Now, the sport. Harry Kane ankle injury is a
0:17:24 > 0:17:27concern that on a manager Mauricio Pochettino after he was taken off
0:17:27 > 0:17:31during their 4-1 win away to Bournemouth. The England striker was
0:17:31 > 0:17:35injured in a first-half collision with the Bournemouth keeper but did
0:17:35 > 0:17:48not stop this time coming from a goal down to move up to place.
0:17:48 > 0:18:01Arsenal with a 31 win over Watford. The new signings go on the score
0:18:01 > 0:18:05sheet as they begin their mini revival.It was important for us to
0:18:05 > 0:18:11win today after Milan. And it was a difficult game like you get in the
0:18:11 > 0:18:18Premier League and we had to battle and we did. We had maybe jaded legs
0:18:18 > 0:18:24at some stage but overall the desire and spirit in the team was good.In
0:18:24 > 0:18:32Italy, Cerri AA, Fiorentina return to play after the sudden death of
0:18:32 > 0:18:35their captain. The game was stopped on the 13th minute to pay tribute to
0:18:35 > 0:18:41the former Italian international who wore the number 13. The man who took
0:18:41 > 0:18:48the place scored the game is only goal in the 25th minute as the home
0:18:48 > 0:19:06side won 1-0. That win took Fiorentina up to ninth in the table.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20Athletico Madrid cut the lead on Barcelona to eight points after a
0:19:20 > 0:19:23win over Celta Vigo.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Today it was all about the Super G in the Alpine skiing and it was a
0:19:54 > 0:20:01second gold for Henrietta from Slovakia beating the Britain. These
0:20:01 > 0:20:06games will know the name very well, she is a French star and she has a
0:20:06 > 0:20:12number of titles to her name and today she won her second gold of
0:20:12 > 0:20:15these Paralympics and seems unbeatable as it stands. There was
0:20:15 > 0:20:21an interesting race unfolding as curt oak-wood from Canada denied
0:20:21 > 0:20:27America Andrew Kirk from winning his second gold. He finished eighth
0:20:27 > 0:20:30yesterday in the downhill but thrived on the Super G course. There
0:20:30 > 0:20:35was also Nordic skiing taking place and it was the 12.5 kilometre
0:20:35 > 0:20:39cross-country race and this was the race that saw North Korea competing
0:20:39 > 0:20:43in its first Paralympic games. An historic moment for them but also
0:20:43 > 0:20:48the race that South Korea won their first medal of these games. The
0:20:48 > 0:20:53bronze so they'll be over the moon to be finally on the medals table. A
0:20:53 > 0:21:07busy day and more still to come in Pyeongchang. The hosts started
0:21:07 > 0:21:10strongly and despite seat sin-binning is an being reduced to
0:21:10 > 0:21:1413 players at one point Warren Gatland Er... Site had too much and
0:21:14 > 0:21:24reserve the Italians who have lost 16 in a row. Novak Djokovic is
0:21:24 > 0:21:34uncorked in Indian Wells. He has lost a first set. Some of the
0:21:34 > 0:21:39stories coming in, we are hearing the Syrian government assault on the
0:21:39 > 0:21:43rebel held on clove of East and Ginter is continuing as our strikes
0:21:43 > 0:21:49and fierce fighting on the ground and the Red Cross say conditions the
0:21:49 > 0:21:52civilians are dire with the bodies of the dead left to rot under the
0:21:52 > 0:21:57rubble as the army tightens its grip on the region. A private Turkish
0:21:57 > 0:22:03plane flying from United Arab Emirates to Istanbul bus crashed
0:22:03 > 0:22:09near the Arabian city. All eight passengers and three crew on board
0:22:09 > 0:22:12have been killed. Turkish media are reporting the passengers were a
0:22:12 > 0:22:22group of friends returning from a hen party in Dubai. The French far
0:22:22 > 0:22:26right leader Marine Le Pen has proposed a new name for our National
0:22:26 > 0:22:30front party as she seeks to distance it from its racist past. She wants
0:22:30 > 0:22:39to change it to national you in. Party members have agreed by a slim
0:22:39 > 0:22:43margin to ditch the name.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46The superhero film Black Panther has now taken more than a billion US
0:22:47 > 0:22:49dollars at cinemas worldwide.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53The Marvel Film by Disney has been widely praised as game-changing -
0:22:53 > 0:22:56including by Michelle Obama - for having a largely black cast
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and a black director.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02The film stars Chadwick Boseman, who plays the crime-fighting ruler
0:23:02 > 0:23:05of a fictional African nation with the most advanced
0:23:05 > 0:23:07technology on earth.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10The film became a sensation on social media, with
0:23:10 > 0:23:13fans using the hashtag 'What Black Panther Means to Me'
0:23:13 > 0:23:17to highlight its significance for black audiences.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20To talk about the huge impact it's had I've been
0:23:20 > 0:23:21speaking to Sylvia Obell, Buzzfeed's entertainment
0:23:21 > 0:23:24reporter from New York.
0:23:24 > 0:23:33She first told me why it's considered to be so ground breaking.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39It definitely broken into the top ten domestic gross, global grossing
0:23:39 > 0:23:46films period. It is one of 16 Disney films to break a billion. It is one
0:23:46 > 0:23:54of the four from Marvel, so it has really done well beyond the fact of
0:23:54 > 0:24:01just the category of movies with predominantly large black casts.Why
0:24:01 > 0:24:04do you think though this has caused such a huge following, is it because
0:24:04 > 0:24:08it is a good film or is it because it is breakthrough particularly
0:24:08 > 0:24:12because it has a predominantly black cast involves weighing less
0:24:12 > 0:24:17traditionally find black actors and actresses?At its core it is a good
0:24:17 > 0:24:22movie, it is a great movie. Whether it is a black cast or any other race
0:24:22 > 0:24:28of caste, the movie is well made, he did an amazing job directing the
0:24:28 > 0:24:35movie. Everybody brought their A-game and it has universal truths
0:24:35 > 0:24:43that go beyond the black race. It is really just about a great superhero
0:24:43 > 0:24:46movie with a lot of universal truth that connects with people across the
0:24:46 > 0:24:51world and everybody did a great job and that is what the point is that
0:24:51 > 0:24:56these movies can hold their own just like most other superhero movies
0:24:56 > 0:25:01regardless of what race the main characters are.The issue is that
0:25:01 > 0:25:08the kind of roles the black actors tend to get our victims and
0:25:08 > 0:25:12gangsters and small roles as well and that is why so many people are
0:25:12 > 0:25:16excited about this film but do you think this is just a one-off or do
0:25:16 > 0:25:20think we will see films that don't actually require a black cast having
0:25:20 > 0:25:29a mainly black cast?Only time can tell for sure. I think this movie
0:25:29 > 0:25:32absolutely should show that these are the kind of black characters and
0:25:32 > 0:25:37actors can play bigger wider selection of roles like any other
0:25:37 > 0:25:44actor and definitely it should lead to more superhero films, especially
0:25:44 > 0:25:48more Black Panther films.Let's hope so. Thank you for watching and don't
0:25:48 > 0:25:51forget you can keep up-to-date with the latest developments on all our
0:25:51 > 0:25:56stories online on the BBC News website. From me and the team, thank
0:25:56 > 0:26:04you for joining us.