worst still to come. and in the united states a major win for president joe biden of the democrats as congress approves a landmark relief package aimed at helping the economy recover from the coronavirus crisis. i'm assuming so much conduct's good to have you with us japan is marking the 10th anniversary of the massive earthquake and tsunami that destroyed towns and triggered the fukushima nuclear disaster. minute's silence was observed across the country at 2 46 pm local time the exact moment of magnitude 9 quake struck and set off the deadly way and bernardo hito and prime minister yoshihiko led an official ceremony in tokyo to pay tribute to some 18000 people who lost their lives nearly half a 1000000 people were displaced and towns around the fukushima daiichi power plant remain an inhabitable. the effects of the disaster are still being felt especially at the site of the fukushima nuclear plant specialists there are still working around the clock to keep the damage in check in a moment we'll have more on the impact on atomic energy in the aftermath of the catastrophe in japan but 1st a look at how events unfolded 10 years ago today. much 11th 2011. japan's east coast is rocked by the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the country shortly afterwards a tsunami ripped through fukushima prefecture taking everything with it. the tsunami also cripples the fukushima nuclear power plant meeting 2 explosions and meltdowns at 3 reactors. frights over thanks of kilometer. thousands of people lost their lives as a result of the disaster tens of thousands were forced to evacuate their homes. at a press conference just 9 months later japan's prime minister at the time yoshihiko noda maintained the situation was under control. but the battle wasn't over the fukushima meltdown would count as the most severe nuclear accident since the chernobyl disaster in 1906. to this day there is still only restricted access to 1600 square kilometers of land around the disabled 2 noble nuclear power plant at around 230 square kilometers from the contamination zone is much smaller but it will remain uninhabitable for decades to come. and now we are 10 years. out of the accident and we have still 70000 people that. but back to their oh so well in fact it's a human tragedy. the fukushima nuclear disaster continues to contaminate the air and the ground moved to this day bags a radioactive contaminated soil life scattered throughout the province it's still unclear where the waste should be stored in the long term the city of tokyo was saved by a stroke of luck wind pushed the radioactive cloud away from the city and out to sea previous release of. janie red you have to reach in the ocean and in the past but not at this level shortly after the catastrophe radiation levels in a large number of marine animals measured much higher than the limit value is considered safe in japan today those levels are down significantly but the fishing industry in japan is only recovering slowly in order to keep you close in the reactors from melting tons of water a used each day to cool them at a 1000000 tons of contaminated water from the cooling pipes is stored in hundreds of tanks not a power plant but because storage space is limited and the tanks will soon reach capacity the japanese government is considering discharging the contaminated water into the sea in 2022. we do not expect in the arm for you are off. them. that. you are with a friend it's a problem of image that's the main point for. residents fisherman and environmental a say that plan offers no solution to an ongoing disaster. let's get some perspective on the story now with alex rosen he's done extensive research on the fukushima disaster and he's with the organization international physicians for the prevention of nuclear war he's vice president of the german affiliate alex how has this disaster affected the nuclear industry in japan and worldwide. well the nuclear industry took quite a hit because for the 1st time it became clear that this possibility off nuclear meltdown it's not something that could be attributed just to the soviet union in the eighty's that even in a modern state a very modern technological state like japan this was possible and this led to many countries including my country germany to phase out of nuclear energy ok so that was the immediate impact what do you think the lessons we are that we have learned from this disaster. well the lessons that countries like germany have learned is that this danger cannot be contained and it's not worth having these nuclear power plants around the lesson that japan has learned is apparently not as clear if you look at the fact that they are now talking about discharging radioactive water into the pacific that they're talking about burning radioactive soil and that they are organizing it bizarre olympia show in the middle of the radioactive zone in fukushima but why do you think that is i mean why is nuclear power still in use in a place like japan. in the end it's not an issue of health or science in the end it's an issue of power and of money there's a very influential nuclear industry in japan the nuclear village which still yields a very high influence on government and you can see that they're calling in the international atomic energy agency to run the scientific examinations on children styron it's so obviously there's still until this day of a lot of could lucian's just what the japanese parliament criticized in 2012 and its report on the fukushima disaster where called it an entirely manmade disaster made in japan but proponents of nuclear power say that we actually need this energy to be able to achieve climate goals globally so what's your answer to that. this is entirely false and i think it's very clear that nuclear power cannot achieve the goals in the 21st century that we need to combat climate catastrophe countries that invest in nuclear energy right now are doing this soley to support their military nuclear industry or to keep the option for a military nuclear industry open alex what is your biggest message to governments around the world right now what we need to learn from fukushima and why nuclear energy is not the solution going forward. i think the take home message is that in no country on earth is this technology entirely safe and the dangers are just too big. but republican area of tokyo was spared from nuclear destruction and contamination just by a stroke of luck if the wind had blown differently that would have been the end of and inhabitable tokyo and this danger is too big for any country to to really air put nuclear power plants in their countries. alex rosen from the international physicians for the prevention of nuclear war thank you very much for joining us here. now today marks one year since the world health organization officially declared covert 19 a pandemic the 1st coronavirus cases appeared in the chinese city of one hon officials there claimed a seafood market was the source of the outbreak the virus quickly spread across the world with europe becoming the new epicenter lockdowns and border closures that didn't stop it from moving and before long almost every part of the world became affected by the pandemic let's get some perspective on the story now we have a bitch with us he's a spokesperson for the w.h.o. the world health organization in geneva tara thank you for joining us now as we said there it's been one year since your organization declared covert 19 a pandemic so if you look right now at where the world is in combating the virus are we where we need to be well thank you very much everybody you know who just wanted to clarify something very big even under international hold government shore 'd is good clearing the public how to emergency of international concern so this is the highest level of alert that the bridge sure can be clear and this has been done january 30th 2020. 000 or. and of for january and when we do this this is exactly one countries that the particular public health advance has been that big potential what we have sat at the year ago is that unfortunately virus has already spread so much the situation to be characterized as a pandemic but we have been providing advice to countries to see in these 2 day one and around the alarm bell on january 30th now where we are unfortunately we have seen the this pandemic has taken some credible toll on all societies around the world not only in terms of climbs and suffering people but also on the konami and social level what we are really needing to do right now collectively is is to continue to put in place public health. measures to try to suppress the spread of the virus and we also have to individually a doc behavior that will reduce the risk of infection and we have to use tools that we have developed over the past 12 months most notably vaccines that will be a very important tool to try really to bring down the number of hospitalization and so so i'm fortunate lee the virus is still among us is great they think life is to thinking through all of us but we are having more tools to fight it you mentioned vaccines and i want to ask you about the question of how to distribute vaccines fairly because we know that the world health organization is trying to address this with the kovacs initiative but we also know that it's not enough so if we look one year down the road are you worried that we're going to see wealthy countries pretty much vaccinated at that point but developing countries that are still left behind. but we hope that every country in the world will understand that we cannot beat this and only country by country that the only way forward is acceptable access to work seen saw the marks made the most vulnerable group in each country in the same in the same time and this is because let me give you an example you may vaccinate all of your nation and we understand politicians who feel that they should protect their people but if you let a virus circulating in other countries the virus will have more chance to meet its to change and we have seen that the merge is a hurry and and then those mutations me a may be affective to respect people who have been vaccinated already so this is why i think it is important to fear it's not morally right and the canonically right to share extremes and try to get this pandemic down assume it generously on a global level and attack if in fact the nations are now ramping up globally do you think that there is a light at the end of the tanner or tunnel or will we be dealing with a covered $100.00 for years to come. my wrist will certainly be among us poor for a longer period of time but what we can do collectible is reduce the number of course the television and that and that would then how parts gradually open economies gradually open our societies because we will not have that psychosis any more of our loved ones being brought to hospitals and none will leave their terrace cesaria fetched spokesperson for the w h l in geneva thank you for joining us. thank you. now to some other stories making news around the world china's parliament has backed the communist party's plan to tighten control of hong kong by overhauling the city's electoral system the changes grant beijing veto powers over candidates critics are calling it one of the final nails in the coffin of hong kong's democracy movements. a spokesperson for the me and maher military is that the hunter will only be in control of the country for a certain period before elections are held that news comes amid fresh violence that a protest against the military coup in the central town of my young security forces shot and killed 6 people the reuters news agency says another protester was killed in young gone. and u.n. secretary general antonio has called syria a living nightmare after 10 years of conflict. syrians had endured a shocking atrocities their suffering is now being compounded by economic collapse and soaring poverty fueled by corruption sanctions and the cold at 19 pandemic us president joe biden is preparing to address the nation today to deliver what he is calling a message of hope it comes after congress passed a major relief package worth nearly 2 trillion dollars to try to defeat the pandemic and help the economy recover the american rescue plan as it's being called includes one off payments to most americans and also increases funds for coping $1000.00 vaccinations. and standing ovation from one of the biggest financial aid packages in u.s. history. promising to bring relief for millions of americans hit hard by the pandemic help is on the way half of america's children who are in property will not be in poverty because of this bill hale is are on their way back. you know when you know back. house speaker nancy pelosi couldn't quite hide her excitement as the bill k.-et its final hurdle of the motion is adopted. it passed congress 22220911 despite republicans unanimously opposing the bell south carolina them this was the 1st major victory for joe biden 7 weeks into his presidency i want to thank speaker pelosi the house of representatives today for passing the bill will be signed into law shortly this bill represents historic historic victory for the american people. this sweeping relief packages aimed at defeating the pandemic and nursing the economy back to health $65000000000.00 will be spent on expanding testing and contact tracing and on speeding up the vaccine program at the same time hundreds of billions will be allocated to state and local governments and to schools to help get children back into plastering safely. businesses will also get support. we can employment benefits of $300.00 will be extended into september. and the measure that will be felt most immediately a one off payment of $1400.00 will be received by most americans. it will benefit slightly but i think it needs to be more done i think we should get a monthly payment which will help out the economy a lot better that is a lot of people that are back up in bills from months prior and me i'm one of the people that never got any stimulus yet so. it's beneficial but it's a tease and amid a crisis right now. polls show that a majority of americans support the bill yet republicans have criticized it for burdening the country with far too much debt and some economists have warned it could spur economic growth that might lead to debilitating inflation. let's get more on the story now with jessica berlin she's a us political analyst who worked in the senate during the obama administration she's now based in berlin just why would you say this package is such a big deal. thanks good morning this legislation is more than a big deal this is transformative we have to remember this is not only a rescue package the american rescue plan represents arguably the largest progressive legislation in u.s. history since the new deal under f.d.r. so we have to look at this not only in the concept in the context of code relief but also as a massive and bold step toward a new progressive agenda under the abided ministration as well as also laying the groundwork for potentially for a new american safety net and social security that cove it and the impacts of cove it have shown are simply lacking in the existing set up of the staff is worth nearly 2 trillion dollars jessica i mean how does this compare to coronavirus aid that's being offered for example to people here in europe. yes that's an important question and we have to remember despite that huge huge price tag almost $2.00 trillion dollars a lot of the protections and the funding in this plan that are going to the american people in europe you would find these kinds of services for example tax cuts and benefits to families with children support to schools expansion of health insurance and health care these are things that in many european countries the prime already exist they are part of normal social services and the normal social democratic safety net so we have to remember although this program and this plan dwarfed many european recovery packages it's also because the european recovery packages are focusing on purely the economic impact support for businesses in the unemployed to get through this crisis whereas the social safety net is already there in most european countries and therefore in america right now to really help the neediest families people who have lost their jobs they are right now out there on their own and so this package is providing benefits that in europe are already in place jessica what about what critics say here so the republicans say this deal is just too expensive it racks up too much debt economists say that it could lead to inflation what's your response to that. any kind of massive injection of capital into the economy inferi yes could lead to inflation but in this case in practice not so much it's very unlikely and there's a simple reason for that this is a recovery package already in the past year on top billions have been lost in consumer spending in household savings in economic loss so 1st and foremost this is a recovery to help families that have already lost so much to just stay afloat this is not going to lead to some massive spending spree this is truly about survival and recovery and let's remember even under president trump he passed tax cuts that brought in the $1.00 trillion dollars into the economy for the wealthiest citizens as well for big businesses so that also did not cause massive inflation and it's very unlikely in practice that this bill will do so us political analyst jessica yellin thank you so much thanks very much now one state in the u.s. is moving ahead as if the pandemic is already over in texas the governor has loosened restrictions in response to failing a falling infection rates now all businesses are being allowed to reopen and a statewide mask mandate has been lifted some cities concerned at the prospect of a new surge are continuing to require people to wear face coverings in public but many are already celebrating what they see as a return of their freedom. a different kind of texas barbecue on the day they have all been waiting for the mask mandate is history and members of the w.t.f. biker club burn what they think is a symbol of suppression c c. it is an extremely happy day for us we are elated out here we put this event together and invited the community to come out and it's been a great turnout and we are all celebrating you know our freedom and that's really what this is about. at the university of texas in austin vaccination is under way but with new variant spreading many here think that it's still too early to drop the mask mandate we are nowhere near herd immunity so. myself again i'm going to wear the mask it certainly doesn't mean the pandemic over and i think it could like we went into another spike i honestly think it wasn't a smart decision made by i know that for his next 2 months march and april are very important and crucial in the country like being able to be more cold and i met a mask or no mask the topic remains highly controversial in texas and it could end up in the courts. the city of austin has issued its own mask mandate and that has led to a new dispute the state of texas threatened to sue the city of the mayor doesn't drop his mask mandate the question of wearing a mask continues to be a highly divisive topic here in texas and across the united states bar owner taylor ziebart has reopened his brewery but continues to demand masks for his customers he says the state left him and the hospitality industry alone with the pandemic with an ass mandate it gave us a little bit of power to enforce these rules and it's the onus is on us now too. p. for people safe and keep the public safe and we don't really have a you know a last line of defense there and within the state friends will hold for now the w.t.f. club members they've given their masks the bullets. now mexico's lower house of congress has voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana use the legislation which still needs final approval by the upper house is partly aimed at curbing drug related violence that claims thousands of lives every year in mexico. mexico's marijuana smokers have every reason to be high their long running campaign to legalize the plant is almost our reality after lawmakers inside the lower house of congress approved a bill that permits require use and introduces farming licenses campaigners say the legislation is a step in the right direction. this law will allow cultivation both self cultivation of a number of plants pear parish an unpaired property and also associates of cultivation community cultivation through cooperatives associations and finally the national production. last year mexican police seized more than 200000000 tons of the plant supporters hope the changes will alleviate the plague of violence wrought by the illegal drug trade the analysts are skeptical among those pushing for a change is a former president turned cannabis lobbyist and. i'm driving the group of the market to take it away from criminals and that is fundamental it will reduce violence. there is no doubt that while this plant produces benefits people patients and those who are willing to buy these medicines. the bill is expected to sail through the upper house of congress before the end of april making mexico the largest legal pot market in the world. ok just one sports item for you in champions league football in the round of 16 liverpool have beaten bundesliga team rb leipzig 2 nil to advance to the quarterfinals after also winning the 1st leg mohamed salah scored liverpool's 1st goal in the 78th minute and saudia monday netted another 4 minutes later also on wednesday parsons or mon drew one all with barcelona but go through to the quarter finals on aggregate after having won their 1st encounter. coming up next business with chris call burst. good. black snow in southern siberia above me for environmental activist science further proof of the consequences of an air pollution injury samosa. their commanding the relocation of endangered present. but for many. that's responsible is also a major source of reliable income focused on europe. 60 minutes on d w. 2 cups. one problem and when you're in on it as she. denied it a little deeper you can do they feel it was me. how will climate change affect us and our children my. p.w. dot com slash water. it's this. the sense the platform for his students to teach issues. you know where this. has happened. because. young people clearly have the phoenicians. 77 percent and it really came to. us thanks. an earthquake that shook the world 10th anniversary of the secretions nuclear disaster in japan this morning we take a look at the relationship of the world's 3rd largest economy hast with. also on the show me visiting offspring are rebuilding the businesses family ran for generations children says she struck. the program on this day 10 years ago a tsunami and an earthquake hits japan.