11/03/2018 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today.

Our top stories...

China approves the removal of term

limits for its leader effect of

allowing the president to remain in

power indefinitely. What has

happened here today is highly

significant. A choreographed

compliant rubber-stamp parliament

has removed the last limitation on

his power.

Colombians vote in landmark

congressional elections,

with the former FARC rebel group

fielding candidates

for the first time.

Wash everything you had with you -

the message to English drinkers

and diners in the area

where a former Russian spy

was poisoned by a nerve agent.

Success for the superhero film

with a largely black cast ,

Black Panther takes more

than a billion US dollars

at cinemas worldwide.

Hello and welcome

to World News Today.

In an historic move

the National People's Congress

in China has abolished

presidential term limits.

The vote allows the current

president, Xi Jinping,

to stay in office beyond the end

of his second term in 2023.

As expected the amendment

was passed overwhelmingly.

Out of nearly 3000 delegates only

two people voted against.

Critics argue the move gives one

person too much power and moves

China away from a democratic path.

Our correspondent John Sudworth

reports from Beijing.

Xi Jinping was the first

to cast his vote for a change

which could if he wants make him

president for life.

The applause proof, if anyone

needed, that the result

was a foregone conclusion.

Out of almost 3000 delegates,

only two voted against.

Passed, the announcer says.

This man's hold on power is now

complete and indefinite.

The cost of opposition

to his rule can be high.

This woman shows the papers left

behind by her husband,

a lawyer who recently wrote an open

letter calling for

democratic elections.

He is now been detained

on subversion charges.

TRANSLATION:

He did everything

within the boundaries of the law

and yet it is not allowed

here and now many people

are afraid of speaking out.

As China enacts its most profound

political change in decades,

all public discussion

is being tightly

controlled.

The 2-term limit solve a problem

facing all undemocratic

authoritarian states.

It helps China ensure orderly

and regular leadership succession,

what's happened here today

is highly significant.

A choreographed, complex,

rubber-stamp parliament has

removed the last limitation

on Xi Jinping's power.

The director of the CIA has defended

President Trump's decision to meet

the North Korean leader,

saying that he appreciated

the risks involved.

Speaking on American television,

Mike Pompeo, said the President had

agreed to sit down with Kim Jong Un

to try to solve a problem,

not as a piece of theatre.

What will turn out is not about what

is someone said, this eyes has --

have their eyes wide open and the

whole conversation the pressure will

continue to mount on North Korea.

There is no relief in sight until

the president gets the objectively

has set forth consistently during

his entire time in office. Rest

assured when the president enters

that room if Kim Jong Un lives up to

the four commitments, those major

concessions the president will be

fully prepared for his conversation

with Kim Jong Un.

The polls have closed in an historic

legislative election in Colombia.

For the first time ever,

candidates from the former

rebel group, the FARC,

have run for Congress.

As part of a peace accord

agreed in 2016, Farc,

now a left-wing political party,

is guaranteed ten of

the two-hundred-and-eighty seats.

Live now to Bogota. I understand

with the people of Colombia some

very mixed feelings even though this

is a real historic day.

That's

right, these the first elections to

be held in peace after the peace

process back in 2016. The feeling is

that the government has been

lenient, a lot of these people,

these former soldiers should not be

running for office yet but speak to

others and they think they should be

a role these soldiers should be

playing in the future of Colombia.

It is a very divided country as we

have seen. These elections are a

first Colombia, this country has

worked hard to change direction, the

focus now is on the vote not

violence. It is a day of first after

more than 30 years fighting in the

jungle, the politician is hoping to

win a seat in Congress. It is also

the first time in his life he has

been able to vote. He is a free man

now no longer pursued by the law

come he wants to play a part in

Colombia's future.

It is the ideal

we fought for, he tells me try to

take part in politics in a legal and

civilised way in a democratic way.

Many Colombians feel the government

has been too lenient and they wanted

the fight is to pay for their crimes

before standing for office. Colombia

is divided.

I don't support the far

at all, people do not change

overnight.

It is the ride they have

been given as Colombians to be

reintegrated into society.

The

challenge they face as it is so

bound up in the country is conflict,

nearly everybody here in Colombia

has spent most of their lives living

in the shadow of violence, it is

hard to take them seriously as

politicians, so accepting the FARC

will take time. They started life as

a Marxist inspired movements

demanding land rights over half a

century of fighting some more than

200,000 people killed and millions

displaced when the peace deal was

signed in 20 16,000 of soldiers lay

down their weapons but their memory

looms large.

This man was held

hostage by the FARC to seven years,

the six the former senator was

chained to a tree by his neck. He

did not speak to anyone in the

tee-macro years, despite that he

thinks a peace deal was the right

decision.

The war can never be won,

I agree with finding a way that

enables people to lay down arms I do

not doubt that but I don't like the

attitude of FARC, they have not

apologised to their victims.

That is

a feeling echoed by many Colombians

by the architect of the deal says

there is no going back.

We're having

the first time in nearly 50 years a

peaceful election and this is

exactly what a peace project is

about, changing the bullets for

votes. Changing the violence of

arguments.

These elections may not

alter the political landscape

immediately but they are in an

important first step towards

legitimising the fighters and

finding a way forward after decades

of war. The right wing parties are

expected to do very well in these

elections, a feeling they are

punishing the current government for

this peace deal that many people

feel is too lenient. It is not plain

sailing for FARC, this is the

beginning and speaking to people

they feel it will take generations

to change, new politicians coming

forward to a less associated with

the conflict and less blood on the

hands.

Hundreds of people in the English

city of Salisbury, who visited

the same restaurant and pub

as a poisoned former Russian spy

and his daughter, are being advised

to wash their clothes

and possessions, as a precaution.

Traces of the nerve agent have been

found in both locations.

But England's Chief Medical Officer

says she's confident there's been no

harm to the health of any members

of the public.

Daniel Sandford reports

from Salisbury.

Wearing gas masks and protective

clothing, military personnel

were spending Mother's Day

in Salisbury loading potentially

contaminated cars onto trucks.

Two Vauxhall vehicles had been

parked behind a church not far

from the city centre.

Bizarre and extraordinary

scenes once again.

This time in a pay and

display car park in this

historic cathedral city.

It was the attack on Sergei Skripal

that led to the operation.

Police confirmed traces of the nerve

agent were found in the Mill pub as

well as this easy restaurant where

the BBC understands a table used by

the power was so contaminated it had

to be destroyed. The Chief Medical

Officer gave his advice to those in

the pub and restaurant on Sunday

afternoon and Monday.

Wash clothes, ideally

in the washing machine,

any items that cannot be washed

and normally would be dry cleaned

should be double bagged

in plastic until further

information is available.

Wipe personal items with baby wipes

and dispose of them in the bins.

Wash hard items that cannot go

in the washing machine in warm

water and detergent.

Steve Cooper was in the pub

on Sunday at exactly the same time.

He said he is getting worried.

They haven't revealed what the nerve

agent was and what the effect

long-term on anyone's

health could be.

I'd like to know more about that.

I'd like to know what precautions

I personally can take.

Rather than just washing my clothes,

having potentially already been

exposed, what precautions can me

and my wife tape.

I don't think washing my phone

and my watch with baby

wipes is going to get rid

of a nerve agent.

Did the emergency services

respond quickly enough?

Are you satisfied that you escalated

this incident quickly enough

at the beginning of last week?

The machinery, the support,

the national advice, the capability

and expertise was mobilised.

For this ancient medieval city

it has been a surreal

and frightening seven days.

If the suspicions proved right,

what happened here, the use

of a chemical weapon,

nerve agent, to attack to people

is likely to have huge

implications with Britain's

relations with Russia.

Daniel Sandford reporting there.

More details on the BBC News website

regarding that story. Still to

come... Black Panther is breaking

records, the superhero snaps up over

$1 billion in ticket sales.

The numbers of dead and wounded

defied belief, this is the worst

terrorist atrocity on European soil

in modern times. In less than 24

hours the soviet Union lost an

elderly Sikh leader and replaced him

with a dynamic figure 20 years his

junior. We heard gunshots, he fired

and it was petrifying. James Earl

Ray aged 41 sentenced to 99 years

and you for parole when 90 travelled

to Nashville State prison in an

eight car convoy. What is it fear

like to be narrowed at last? Fine,

thank you. Will it change your life

much? I don't know, really, I have

never been married before.

This is BBC World News. The main

story on the programme, China has

removed presidential term limits

from its constitution allowing the

current leader to remain in power

indefinitely. More on this, joining

me is an associate professor at Yale

Law School. Thank you for joining us

on the BBC. I think we know why

President Xie Jin Ping would like to

remain in power indefinitely, he

wants to keep clinging on to power

but why now, why has this been voted

through now?

Well, there are a few

different layers to that question.

The timing is one thing. Probably

the best reason for the timing is

that I would imagine it caused most

people off guard. If you're going to

consolidate power against the status

quo and entrenched status quo you

don't want to give the opposition

warning about this. The fact this

came as a surprise to all outside

observers suggest it likely was in

January when it came as a surprise

to most insiders as well. Plus,

honestly, he has enough power and if

you can do it right now, why wait

five more years?

I will ask you

about international relations and

what it means that but before that,

I want to show you our viewers how

President Donald Trump reacted to

the news before it was

rubber-stamped and voted through.

President for life. That was another

one, he is president of life, it

happened two days ago. And I was

joking, I was at a railway station

but I was joking and said, president

of life, that sounds good, maybe we

will have to try that.

Some

Americans might be pleased about

that idea, others won't be. He was

joking, he was criticised as saying

that but Donald Trump said I was

just joking. Is that not an issue,

that the rest of the world may now

look at China that was becoming

increasingly democratic and

increasingly co-operative with the

outside world as going backwards

rather than forwards?

I have no

doubt this is soft power. It arouses

suspicion especially amongst western

European and American societies,

that said over the short to medium

term I think foreign countries may

find that China will become a more

stable and more predictable global

player. The reason for this is that

now he has consolidated power he has

less incentive to play international

tensions for domestic political

game.

Will not put President Trump

and Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron

in a difficult position when it

comes to doing business with China

that effectively has in the eyes of

some, if you look at social media, a

dictator in charge now?

To be honest

it is not like Western countries do

not have lots of experiences dealing

with dictatorships. And China was

not much of a democracy in the first

place, it was an autocracy. Even if

you do away with the regular

tournaments, it is still the quality

of the same autocracy was before.

I'm not sure this would add any

massive domestic political issues

for western countries. You guys are

used to dealing with bad countries.

So business as usual but with the

same person for a lot longer. Many

thanks for speaking to us. Now, the

sport. Harry Kane ankle injury is a

concern that on a manager Mauricio

Pochettino after he was taken off

during their 4-1 win away to

Bournemouth. The England striker was

injured in a first-half collision

with the Bournemouth keeper but did

not stop this time coming from a

goal down to move up to place.

Arsenal with a 31 win over Watford.

The new signings go on the score

sheet as they begin their mini

revival.

It was important for us to

win today after Milan. And it was a

difficult game like you get in the

Premier League and we had to battle

and we did. We had maybe jaded legs

at some stage but overall the desire

and spirit in the team was good.

In

Italy, Cerri AA, Fiorentina return

to play after the sudden death of

their captain. The game was stopped

on the 13th minute to pay tribute to

the former Italian international who

wore the number 13. The man who took

the place scored the game is only

goal in the 25th minute as the home

side won 1-0. That win took

Fiorentina up to ninth in the table.

Athletico Madrid cut the lead on

Barcelona to eight points after a

win over Celta Vigo.

Today it was all about the Super G

in the Alpine skiing and it was a

second gold for Henrietta from

Slovakia beating the Britain. These

games will know the name very well,

she is a French star and she has a

number of titles to her name and

today she won her second gold of

these Paralympics and seems

unbeatable as it stands. There was

an interesting race unfolding as

curt oak-wood from Canada denied

America Andrew Kirk from winning his

second gold. He finished eighth

yesterday in the downhill but

thrived on the Super G course. There

was also Nordic skiing taking place

and it was the 12.5 kilometre

cross-country race and this was the

race that saw North Korea competing

in its first Paralympic games. An

historic moment for them but also

the race that South Korea won their

first medal of these games. The

bronze so they'll be over the moon

to be finally on the medals table. A

busy day and more still to come in

Pyeongchang. The hosts started

strongly and despite seat

sin-binning is an being reduced to

13 players at one point Warren

Gatland Er... Site had too much and

reserve the Italians who have lost

16 in a row. Novak Djokovic is

uncorked in Indian Wells. He has

lost a first set. Some of the

stories coming in, we are hearing

the Syrian government assault on the

rebel held on clove of East and

Ginter is continuing as our strikes

and fierce fighting on the ground

and the Red Cross say conditions the

civilians are dire with the bodies

of the dead left to rot under the

rubble as the army tightens its grip

on the region. A private Turkish

plane flying from United Arab

Emirates to Istanbul bus crashed

near the Arabian city. All eight

passengers and three crew on board

have been killed. Turkish media are

reporting the passengers were a

group of friends returning from a

hen party in Dubai. The French far

right leader Marine Le Pen has

proposed a new name for our National

front party as she seeks to distance

it from its racist past. She wants

to change it to national you in.

Party members have agreed by a slim

margin to ditch the name.

The superhero film Black Panther has

now taken more than a billion US

dollars at cinemas worldwide.

The Marvel Film by Disney has been

widely praised as game-changing -

including by Michelle Obama -

for having a largely black cast

and a black director.

The film stars Chadwick Boseman,

who plays the crime-fighting ruler

of a fictional African nation

with the most advanced

technology on earth.

The film became a sensation

on social media, with

fans using the hashtag

'What Black Panther Means to Me'

to highlight its significance

for black audiences.

To talk about the huge

impact it's had I've been

speaking to Sylvia Obell,

Buzzfeed's entertainment

reporter from New York.

She first told me why it's

considered to be so ground breaking.

It definitely broken into the top

ten domestic gross, global grossing

films period. It is one of 16 Disney

films to break a billion. It is one

of the four from Marvel, so it has

really done well beyond the fact of

just the category of movies with

predominantly large black casts.

Why

do you think though this has caused

such a huge following, is it because

it is a good film or is it because

it is breakthrough particularly

because it has a predominantly black

cast involves weighing less

traditionally find black actors and

actresses?

At its core it is a good

movie, it is a great movie. Whether

it is a black cast or any other race

of caste, the movie is well made, he

did an amazing job directing the

movie. Everybody brought their

A-game and it has universal truths

that go beyond the black race. It is

really just about a great superhero

movie with a lot of universal truth

that connects with people across the

world and everybody did a great job

and that is what the point is that

these movies can hold their own just

like most other superhero movies

regardless of what race the main

characters are.

The issue is that

the kind of roles the black actors

tend to get our victims and

gangsters and small roles as well

and that is why so many people are

excited about this film but do you

think this is just a one-off or do

think we will see films that don't

actually require a black cast having

a mainly black cast?

Only time can

tell for sure. I think this movie

absolutely should show that these

are the kind of black characters and

actors can play bigger wider

selection of roles like any other

actor and definitely it should lead

to more superhero films, especially

more Black Panther films.

Let's hope

so. Thank you for watching and don't

forget you can keep up-to-date with

the latest developments on all our

stories online on the BBC News

website. From me and the team, thank

you for joining us.