A Major Construction project has helped ease floodwaters. Im melissa chan welcome to news asia thank you for joining us prodemocracy protesters have again defied a Government Order aimed at preventing demonstrations 20000 people gathered in the streets of bangkok on sunday for a peaceful rally where they demanded political change it comes as thailands king returns to the country after months of on rest. 4 days of defiance tired prodemocracy protesters have been maintaining the momentum despite a ban on gatherings of over 4 people. We are here to. Take a stand for what we believe in. Their constitution. And also about the government off thailand. This going to be a country for a while. But mostly student power would movement has been leading unrest in thailand since july for the last 4 days have seen an escalation. On friday police used Water Cannons unsuccessfully dispersing the demonstrators many protesters were also arrested. By arresting the protest leaders and would be deterred somehow but instead we felt even more desperate wondering how dare they treat us like this should be a negotiation with us or other peaceful means because we have different views they now say 20 nihilo to us why we need how many why not are. The movement is demanding democratic reform of thai society where the government and monarchy have dominant powers. Theyve been calling for the resignation of Prime Minister preached chant. He took power in a 2014 military coup and went on to tighten his grip on power in elections last year. That you can say that the government is trying its best to compromise were asking for a few things dont do anything wrong dont damage government or peoples property and the most important thing is to avoid conflict within the protestors. Channel she added that his government must protect the monarchy referencing the prodemocracy movements demands of change when it comes to how the royal family operates thats challenging it to do in thai society where criticizing the royal family can lead to a hefty penalties. Along corn is being criticised for his excessive lost style and for spending a lot of his time at a Luxury Resort in southern germany. Hes recently returned to thailand but as yet to comment on the protests. The protesters have vowed to continue their defiance with gatherings planned all over the country. North koreas weak legal system one thats more ruled by my not rule of law means a pretrial detention and investigation system that is arbitrary and inhumane thats no surprise but the latest Human Rights Watch report documents this in detail including with interviews with North Koreans formally detained who talk about torture and rape. Joining us is Phil RobertsonDeputy Director of Human Rights Watch is Asia Division with more information phil tell us more about your findings. Well what we found is there is a real yawning gap between what the north korean government system in terms of laws and actual criminal procedure says and what actually happens the reality is that people can be arrested for almost any reason that pretrial detention is a system where there are systematic torture and abuse people or you know for instance forced to remain sitting in a in a fixed position a stress position for as many as 7 to 8 and sometimes 13 to 16 hours a day and if they move if they do anything to shift their weight they face beatings and abuse you have a situation where the authorities can arrest people without any sort of evidence and that they then can proceed through a process that is completely without access to lawyers without access to families that ultimately results in confessions and possible prosecutions the only good outcome about the situation is that because of the changes on the ground of the Economic System and north korea where there are people now with these are sort of shadow markets these gray markets that it is possible to bribe the police and prosecutors to get out of the worst that might be in store for people held in the system many people might be listening to this and wonder is there a legal system in north korea. Well there is actually a fairly detailed legal system i mean the laws themselves fail to meet International Human rights standards in a number of key areas you know for instance theres no judicial review for detention so once the police have you they can hold you for as long as theyd like but the reality is that there is also a process where youre supposed to have warrants to arrest youre supposed to have various different permissions to investigate there are procedures to be followed but the authorities including the former officials who we interviewed who have you know left the country told us that thats really never happens so for instance. Torture through beatings kicking hitting with sticks and other abuses is Standard Operating Procedure against people who are being held in detention but the system itself says that any sort of admission any of evidence that has been coerced is completely illegal and that evidence should not stand so again you know theres a its interesting to theres been very Little Research about what the actual formal process is so supposed to be in north korea and that is one of the contributions as reported is that there is a system its just not being followed so yes indeed north korea is a totalitarian state with probably the worlds worst human rights record and we know this so why is it important to document this and what can the world really do to hold anyone accountable. Well its important to fill in the gaps of our understanding about the Human Rights Violations that are happening in north korea its important to recognize that not everybody is determined to be an enemy of the state sent on a one way ticket to the mountains and the political prison camps where very few people ever return from there is a low a lower level process of this criminal Justice System that is in fact anything but just and so its important that we fill in the gaps we give voice to what is happening to ordinary people in north korea you know people who for instance may have been caught trying to leave the country or or smuggling goods or caught with a chinese mobile phone or you know any of these day to day infractions that really lead lendu into a difficult situation but in terms of accountability this is really something that the International Community has to work on i mean we need more pressure from the u. N. We need action at the u. N. General assembly we need Action Human Rights Council we need action at the u. N. Security council and so far we have not been seeing that Phil Robertson thank you. Pakistani Customs Officials have seized 74. 00 falcons during raids against smugglers in the Southern City of karachi the birds all belonging to endangered species were illegally trafficked from afghanistan and were destined to be sold for high prices in arab countries. Dozens of endangered falcons their heads hidden under leather hoods smuggled for the status they can for police said these birds were being taken from afghanistan to arab states when pakistani Customs Officials got word they swooped down on an upscale neighborhood in the port city of karachi 2 people were arrested traffickers catch feltons in the mountainous area along pakistans border with afghanistan they sell them to rich buyers in the gulf states there the birds are trying to hunt a prestige purchase for the privileged few. There 74. 00 birds in total we estimate their value at around 200000000. 00 rupees thats well over a 1000000. 00 after the paperwork is completed the birds are supposed to be released back into their natural habitat. In japan Climate Change has brought more frequent and damaging storms increasing the risk of flooding in response engineers have built the Worlds Largest flood water diversion facility just north of tokyo its so cavernous in some parts it could submerge the statue of liberty. It looks like a cathedral or an engine temple but this majestic structure isnt everleigh just shine its an important defense against flooding in the great to take care area. In this region when we have to rental rains we often have bad flooding. Our streets and houses underwater even if it isnt a typhoon lets you said the structure was built with the aim of diverting flood water. Of could have been lost. Because okabe underground flood protection tank is the largest facility of its kind in the world supported by 500 tons pillars the Main Reservoir catches excess water from storms and typhoons which is eventually pumped into a nearby river its a true feat of engineering designed to save lives and livelihoods taking off. When we compare the situation before and after this reservoir was created if the number of houses damaged by floods has decreased by 90 percent. Japan is used to heavy rains especially during typhoon season which runs from may to look toba but experts say storms and floods are becoming more frequent and destructive because of global warming. For us to plan already has a climate which has a lot of rain and as prone to floods now we face the risk of even more flooding or because we are experiencing much heavier rains. Our. Government is preparing more underground structures are being built to protect tokyo and a giant facility similar to this one is being constructed in osaka expected date of completion 2044 just like. That play a crucial role in japans anti flooding strategy. But they wont protect everyone and with Climate Change accelerating japans impressive storm drains can only be considered one line of defense us thats it for today we leave you now with more pictures from the protests in thailand well see you tomorrow. What secrets lie behind small. Discover new adventures in the 360 degree. To explore the mating World Heritage sites the. W World Heritage 360 getting up now. 2020 u. S. Election on g. W. Here in Atlanta Georgia were looking at an issue that Voting Rights groups say is the biggest problem Voter Suppression making it harder for some people to vote and with many georgians already casting their ballots the stakes are high. We cannot story for you today on cue the music. Hello well be taking a look at the winners of germanys premier Classical Music awards all posts classic which took place over the weekend also coming up. Burlingtons world famous nightlife is struggling weve been out and about in the city to find out if you can survive. The devilish novel macthis stowe by 12 months which caused a scandal when it was written. The beautiful concept house here in berlin played host on sunday night to the annual opus classic awards germanys most prestigious Classical Music prizes perhaps the best known window was the world famous tenor your last color for his album a viennese classics earlier this year we caught up with him in vienna. Swimmers. Yes. He has the city at his feet an opera star you want to ask our man and his charities to austrias capital. Arab or god next to me visit to get about the city of vienna and the many beautiful melodies this city has inspired especially in the past centuries few fogged the variety. Of the mania almost that this form of composing took on in the 1920 s. And once again as early as the turn of the century is fascinating zte is justinian. With these songs the celebrated tenor has dipped his toes into a more lightweight genre it was created that he previously specialized in difficult and demanding areas which he sings with a deceptive ease to degenerate of his global audience. Like next to the door marked by a shock or more preaching a. Bad. Like most artists how fun has been sidelined by the pandemic his 1st regular performances after the false break have been here in vienna in verities don carlos has had covered 19 himself so hes aware of the risks that travel restrictions have changed the normally International Audience at the start for. The much pressure homesick of suddenly the unease snapped up all the tickets which usually would have been sold to people abroad good luck but there were knots of people in the city who love opera enough to come up to us and of course there are people who dont feel comfortable coming to the opera. When. They travel on the subway and i think they should consider which is risky. This performance is not just his 1st in vienna after so many months its also his 1st fully staged opera with the sex costumes and acting. Once again your nascar fan has vienna to thank hes proud to have paid tribute to the city with his musical journey i live in these everyone loves the city its been serenaded with so many different arenas and songs so i chose a few of them and thats now being honored with an award but thats of course really nice getting a german Classical Music on with you and all story an album recorded with the Vienna Philharmonic by the way you know i dont think you can get any movie and hes been that. Good energy and a sense of fun you want to ask how fun has revived an old genre playfully reawakening the opera much and i. Thank. Those pictures theyre obviously taken before at a concert before the corona pandemic began my colleague Adrian Kennedy is here to talk about other winners. The bests instrumentalists also went to a very famous musician indeed our old friend virtuous so violinist and sophie who won the prize shes actually been speaking out in support of musicians affected by the coronavirus lockdown recently she said that its countless that planes are flying around the waves 40 days while orchestras can only play so a handful of. People she says that shes considering going into the into politics to represent people in the arts sector our correspondents slease actually spoke to her conducted an interview and we have a full interview a full report tomorrow and another icon picked up a very special promise thats why emotional high point of the evening was rudolph book been getting the off oprahs classic for life time achievement hes been picking up prizes for 60 years beethoven specialist has pulled the full 32 piano sonatas of the 60 times in cycles 40 of his all of the world hes also the artistic director of the graphic festival which took place because its open records. Also its not just icons classic awards for Young Musicians as well yes the next generation one of my favorites member of the next generation the trumpet player who mourn her fella was the youngest player person in 26 years old to win a prize the rising star won for his 4th album titles stand its his 1st with a full orchestra actually very good isnt science or very very good indeed a last note but dont list the icelandic cellist and composer huge here hes had a very good year because she already won an oscar for her work on the soundtrack for the film joker as you know she won an opus classic award for her work on the soundtrack to t. V. Series channel bill about the china bill Nuclear Power plant this all star in 1980 dream thank you very much for you. Now this city berlin is famous for its nightlife especially the club scene here and always came to a grinding halt this year due to the corona pandemic the nightclubs are still closed and now the local government has tried to impose an 11 pm closing time on all bars and restaurants some bars of complained and remain open for now we be not about to see what is happening to party metropolis but then. But when once you nightlife capital has quietened down since the beginning of the pandemic there was a closed dance rules empty clubbers are not the only ones affected owners face a whole winter without business many believe the citys Cultural Landscape will be the poorer. One script i said im to hear us there are 2 priorities during respond i make or the 1st safe people 2nd safe club culture leave experience what its like to dance together to amazing music to feel free and safe within a friendly crowd. You know people often function better in a poem about miss being in a mainstream society. When you realize that club culture means an expression of houses natural could be different better because a shaft im not. Really in is known as a haven for artists and musicians in particular theyve been especially hard hit professionally and do that every day and i. Turned. The majerus have put a damper on socialising in the capital and they were a big challenge for the restaurant and bar owners they fear limits on Opening Times and alcohol sales will threaten their livelihoods once again. There are some things that we as a Hospitality Branch find out soon lee necessary upstanding social distancing wearing a mask those are really Good Measures and so is making sure the bars are not crowded but what we dont understand is why for months the gastronomy and nightlife sector has been startled with all the blame youve been treated as culprits and thats not the case here just it of a disingenuous. A lot of customers team have had to adapt some though willing to make sacrifices find images of flexing i had to think about what i was about to do more but i dont think it changed the number of people i so in this sense side dont know with these measures was so with missions now like that you would like to be inside your house if youre Close Friends like they change the laws so you get to know the People Better and you get to this thing much more time with this people for safety sake most people have accepted the restrictions on their social lives with grace but many do wonder whether they mean to have them be the same again. Indeed the book. The son of thomas mann is based on the true story of a prominent actor who basically sold his soul to the devil. So he could continue to be a star on stage during the thirtys and fortys book proved to be very controversial for my colleague David Leavitts the german actor good stuff was famous for one role in particular no one played mephistopheles the devil and good as fast as brilliantly as he did and its no wonder he himself sold his soul i think. In the 1st author cloth month tells the story of cost of corn kids his former friend and brother in law of course in the book he changes the details and the actors name to handpick her skin her skin as a talented actor who rises to great wealth fame and power by getting into bed with. You guessed it the nazis under the nazi regime he quickly becomes the director of berlins State Theatre and does all of this despite a warning from an older man that Blind Ambition and cynicism will ruin germany. The worst will happen think of me children when that day comes i have 1st seen it and predicted it our age is corrupt it stinks think of me i smelled it out i am not deceived i sense the coming catastrophe it will be like nothing that has ever happened everything that exists will fall apart when it comes down it will bury us all. Close man wrote mephisto in 1936 years before world war 2 and the holocaust both he and his father thomas mine were writing in exile about. The actor going out lived close mine by more than a decade when his adopted son went to court to have my sister banned for defamation of character and he won the book wasnt printed in west germany for years whats maybe even more amazing is that Gordon Kinzer remained a powerful figure in west germany as theater scene even after world war 2. And you can find out more about all of the other books in 100 german must read on all you chew channel d w books all those books available of course in english so thats it for this edition of stay safe and see you should. Hows the view of the world. Where i come from but all is that clear to cisco just like with chinese food doesnt matter where i am its always reminds me of home after decades of living in germany chinese food is one of the things i miss the most but better taking a step back i see things i need to look different in knowledge. Then of course 1st as a Public Relations that exist the other part of the board havent been implemented in china thats new im not a Chinese People wondering if their forties a lot of people have arrived to learn all that is this is their job a job under them how i see it and others why i love my job because i tired to do it exactly it is an hour a day by name of the uninsured and i work at it up you. All. Of the morning. Sleep because you know for years and love the. School slowly. Losing old goods will see me. No. Lolo for the wood. Doesnt know your workers are either. Oh ok good smooth. Or couldnt sleep. The be. The best. This says that every news live from berlin another ceasefire shattered in the caucasus communities torn apart as armenia and azerbaijan blink each other for more fighting over the disputed region of the cornal kind of us and we can trace meant to put an end to the recent weeks of escalating violence which has killed hundreds of people will get more from our correspondents on the ground plus on hoddle bird searching at infection is a tweet supposed to clone a virus in germany to spark a purge and call for a unified pull