Serious almost down to welcome to date of your news asia it is good to have you with us its been called the worlds bloodiest festival every 5 years in nepal hindu the fortys gather for the god the my festival in they paul a religious event where thousands of animals are sacrificed to a hindu goddess but it is a controversial practice and its pretty devote against Animal Rights activists who have been fighting to get the mass sacrifice stopped its a gruesome scene thousands of buffalo slaughtered in a field but the hindu pilgrims this is a gift to a goddess a sacrifice meant to bring luck and prosperity. Devoted from all over the country bring their animals for slaughter families journey here carrying along their hearts deepest desires while mother my son failed in his exams promise to offer a goat in about 4 of his grades improved. His grades are good now and i hope my son will finish 1st in his class. The centuries old tradition takes place every 5 years in the remote nepali village of the poor. Animal rights activists have long argued that its inhumane and in 2016 Nepal Supreme Court agreed calling on the government to bring an end to the practice. The Supreme Court of neighbor has already taken certain steps and the government really needs to come into play here and make sure that these steps are implemented im fortunately i dont really see much of an effort put on the ground sacrifices taking place and be added that concern the doesnt register with worshippers here who believe their sacrifice serves a higher purpose. Thats not what i do Animal Rights groups interfere i dont understand what they want they came here 5 years ago but our beliefs are stronger than those of the Animal Rights activists or the level. Officials have begun encouraging to vote hes to offer money instead of livestock but with scenes like this its hard to see that any alternative would have broad appeal with the faithful. And for more on the story we can speak as they have stressed that shes the president of the federation of Animal Welfare naipaul she joins us from kathmandu high say her in 2016 the Supreme Court there nepal directed authorities to stop the sacrifice why is it still happening. Its a near like you know like its so humid out there still is a van marked these are like its not banned. By you know but it up movies we start a slaughter but instead i had other discussions that it was like the fight davies a man from the Indian Government in very anyone. But because of lacking in senses and often what it has not come people is to me does it be parted of the work is gone from india to center this 1st of all that mean is not was happening. Ok and so have we look at the perspective of the davao teens who come to us festival they would say you know the animals here are not being tortured this is part of their tradition a very deep and rich tradition to tradition isnt it important to respect that as well it is important for us but the guard is nervous and on my spirit being he is but all are authorities but i guess that it wasnt the fight that theres the defense thank. God this is the mother of the universe and all that gives us and he was somehow kind of mother us the life its once you i dont think so ok and you know some difficulties because of the opposition have said they will stop sacrificing animals so do you hope that you can change peoples minds or do you think that authorities are going to have to step in and enforce this yes we need to stand the peoples mind because of our long being made to do this time did not simply 5 the number of sickly i descend has been dropped companies in the Previous Post will have to work on the ground and as well as government events they dont want to get stuck this kind of is the one we know a lot of the one i think ok so they have stress that president of the federation of Animal Welfare nepal thank you very much for joining us. Thank you so much. Sri lanka is heading for new elections early next year after president got the buyer rajapaksa announced he is suspending Parliament Since one thing to victory in elections last month but a fox that is looking to ride the wave of popularity has promised to make sri lanka safe again after the Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed 269 people and he has the support of the buddhists and how a majority but his critics and the countrys minorities are worried about their own safety rajapaksa is accused of being responsible for human rights abuses against opponents and minorities during sri lankas long running civil war in a country where ethnic tensions have divided communities for decades there are growing fears that the new president will rule with an iron fist. Steeped in symbolism president go to buy a rajapaksa swearing in ceremony at a revered put is trying was a clear signal of his political agenda. Rajapaksa is a member of sri lankas majority some khaled buddhist community. Hes a former military man and his defense secretary oversaw the defeat of tamil separatists that ended. 10 years ago. But he has been accused of Human Rights Violations during the crackdown and of eva seeing forced disappearances of a penance and dissidents. His reputation as a strong man gave him a boost in the polls with security a huge issue in the country especially after the Easter Sunday attacks in april this year in which militants linked his lot mixtape killed more than 250 people. I consider the foremost responsibility of my government to ensure the National Security of my country. We will rebuild the state security machinery is to secure the country from terrorism underworld activities robbers extortionists good and i get a lot. To put his nationalists from this and how a community will be choice and his victory for them its immense the majority status of the sinhalese of the other ethnic groups in the country. We dont have as we know remote and ideology that the country needs us in our leader does not bend down in front of minorities now that ideology has won. Islamic banks and courts sharia universities those all destroyed the social integrity that we have. In the. Many fear that drudge of paxs presidency will stop the flames of that hatred against minorities and especially muslims. But at the end of it honestly some of the sinhala people have misunderstood us and think that muslims are cruel and must be eliminated. So we have a fear that muslims could be attacked again using the Easter Sunday bombings as an excuse. To light would be going to end it by amity. Since winning the election president rajapaksa has surrounded himself with the highest of nationalist politicians not least his own brother who is in south president for 10 years and was sworn in as Prime Minister in november. The fact that political power now lies so firmly in the hands of sri lanka sinhalese majority will exacerbate fears that such a paxs presidency might happen up old rifts among religious and ethnic communities. And we can speak to human rights activist Ricky Fernando he joins us for more on this story rikki good to see you thank you for joining us here on d w we have seen news already of authority seeking information on sri lankans who have fled who have left the country weve also seen an opposition media outlet that had their offices raided tell us more about how the environment in sri lanka has changed since the election. The environment for minorities particularly religious minorities and also human rights activists independent minded journalist is becoming more and more fearful and uncertain and theres also fear and uncertainty about institutions whether they would be able to continue to function as they have been functioning before and theres also uncertainty of it as some of the progress made in a few cases of humorous violations like disappearance this is a nations progress as they have been progressing in the last few years so theres a green be the fear and uncertainty theres a lot of uncertainty as youre saying weve seen reports of activists actually leaving the country are you planning to stay and sri lanka and why i certainly am planning to stay here and i think there are many more activist who are planning to stay there many of us have stayed in sri lanka in very difficult and dangerous times but there is a great deal of fear there is actually on the contrary there is a couple of activists we were different from when we was a thinking that there might invite been prices in travel overseas for human rights related meetings so all those days a great deal of uncertainty and fear there are many activists who are determined to stay and continue their activism. Now president of pax and winning the election he said right away all minorities have the right to practice religion and culture that will be assured he has also been focusing on no reviving sri lankas struggling economy so are the fears that youre describing based on his reputation perhaps and not on reality is some only based on reputation and partly its that repudiation of the history of reprisals minorities and decent as it was through but also because of whats been happening in the last few weeks since his election is theres been independent journalists been summoned into it that theres been receipts by intelligence agencies or pieces of sousas idea organizations theres been suicide activists whove been someone finder a geisha and theres been a variety of intimidations that have been going on in the last few weeks so fears and uncertainty is also based on days and in terms of the fears an uncertainty is about progress being made for accountability particularly in terms of court cases pending before sri lankan courts theres also for by the transfer of a. Very important lead investigator shani of a seeker and also the fleeing the country of one of the investigator understand sube so these are all grounded on whats been happening the last few years last 2 weeks but also the historical record of the right boxes of human rights activists everybody fernando speaking to us thank you very much thank you. Well leave you now with pictures from hong kong of this weekend marks 6 months since prodemocracy demonstrators started taking to the streets to fight what they see as chinas growing influence in the territory heres a look back now at 6 months of hong kongs protests well see you next time. For information. Opinions to express to facebook and twitter up to date and in touch. The full. Moon. Travel now. Economies around the world are cooling what does that mean for the globes biggest cities those economic engines built on trade manufacturing and finance well take a look. Also on the show chinas carbon balance is a hot topic at the ongoing u. N. Climate change conference. And more worries about the safety of ride Healing Services as goober reveals thousands of sexual assaults on both passengers and drivers. This is your Business Report im Stephen Beers in berlin thanks for watching the trade wars starting to affect Economic Growth in the Worlds Largest cities thats according to a new Oxford Economics report researchers say g. D. P. Growth in 9 of the top 10 biggest Global Cities will slow in 2020 they said the trade war in a general global slowdown is having effect american high tech regions like Silicon Valley will be especially hard hit over the next few years a growth in chinas 4 largest metropolitan areas beijing shanghai and pictured here has been around 10 percent per year for the last decade but thats expected to slow to 6 percent over the next 2 years and the Fastest Growing cities in the world are in india but despite booming growth rates in places like surat and bangalore overall those cities are economic lightweights when compared to the likes of new york london and tokyo now lets bring in our financial correspondent in singapore andrea hang. So many of the Fastest Growing cities here as i just said are in india