watch us next time. venezuela's u.s. relations deteriorate. top documents recalled after washington declares venezuela a national security threat. >> welcome to al jazeera, live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead, the regional coalition against boko haram makes way. soldiers recapture two towns. iraqi forces closer to tikrit, driving out i.s.i.l. republican senators in the u.s. write a

letter to iran saying the nuclear deal with iran will not last long. the united states declares venezuela a national security threat and imposes sanctions on seven venezuelan officials. it's a sharp down tush. last month the venezuelan president announced measures to limit the numbers of u.s. diplomats there. rosalind jordan has more from washington d.c. demonstrations against the worsening matter in venezuela and mad -- nicolas maduro, and the security forces. in light of arrests of some of nicolas maduro's political opponents, and protesters, one just 13, president obama ordered sanctions.

no travel to the u.s. assets seized of seven individuals. >> there were sanctions against individuals. separately we put out informs about what will be required to travel to venezuela in terms of visas, given the restrictions put in place. there is a couple of things happening at one. >> nicolas maduro accused them of abusing his government. with the price of oil falling and the economy collapsing, many are questioning nicolas maduro's effective licence as president. clashes between them and the government forces alarmed washington. the u.s. senator that wrote the law prayed obama:

. >> they have been fighting over diplomats. they want motest of them to leave. >> washington argued that diplomats - most built business and personal ties with the u.s. >> president nicolas maduro responded by appointing one of those officials placed under sanctions. me says the u.s. is trying to topple his government. president barack obama decided to put himself into a box with no way out and decided he wants to be remembered like richard nixon and george w. bush. he'll be remembered in the future for his decision today, and aggression against the venezuela people. president obama, you don't have a right to attack venezuelan nor clairdeclare it's a threat to the people of united states. you are the threat. to finance, and kill terrorism

in the world. troops in chad and niger against boko haram has retaken two towns. he recaptured the towns, killing hundreds of boko haram fighters. niger and chad's vehicles were seen crossing the border into borneo state into north-eastern nigeria. on friday the african union approved the ree sayings of a regional -- regional force of 8,000 soldiers with continge ents from cameroon and niger. >> reporter: the recapture of this town is a huge victory for forces especially chad and niger, countries targeted. the coalition forces reclaimed more than 30 towns and village. for chad and niger, defeating boko haram is crucial. five years of violence it is

africa's biggest economy. there's the fear that the group, will expand on area of control and become a bigger threat to the entire region. nigeria, which was unable to clush boko haram says it now has hardware for a military victory. our government has ensured that the equipment arrived. by the time it did, we are facing more challenges vut of the approach we -- as a result of the approach we have the equipment. >> the military asked for six weeks to clear the way for boko haram fighters. the offensive against boko haram, forced the group to resort to old tactics of suicide bombing, over the weekend attacks killed more than 50, and injured 100. the group's leader pledged allegiance to i.s.i.l. and this

is causing serious concern in the region especially in nigeria. >> this was a peaceful country. to that extent. yes, to the extent that my country is taken over by a group of people the nature that we are talking about, i am not worried. >> many want a quick victory before groups like i.s.i.l. come in. on friday they endorsed a creation of regional force. this is expected to strengthen the effort of multinational task force taking on boko haram to libya, where former general khalifa haftar has been sworn in by the army chief by the internationally recognised government based in tab ruk. the ceremony marked his preps.

>> reporter: to the liddian government he is the head of the arm yip. to the rival government with the backing of the courts he is a war criminal. khalifa haftar has been leading a fight against what is called the revolutionaries in benghazi since last year, and as he was sworn in khalifa haftar pledged to continue battling what he calls terrorism. >> translation: we will continue fighting terrorism all over the country until it eliminated so people can live in piece. >> reporter: while libyan rivals are trying to form a nags at unity government and forces are relying on him to set up institutions, many believe the promotion will lead to bloodshed. >> translation: the appointment of khalifa haftar and promoting

him to a brig deer general will add to a roll on keeping the military crisis tense on all battle fronts. >> khalifa haftar's air crafts continued their attacks. the latest target battles are continuing between the forces and the council of revolutionaries, a conflict last may, under the name of operation dignity, developing into a civil war. it has taken its toll on its troops. >> most of our fighters are wasted by the war. we are not an army we are the remains of an army. >> many questions were raised about khalifa haftar's appointment as chief of the army. after continuing the war, fear is rising that this can turn into a military escalation, that could hurt international efforts to help the libyan crisis. >> iraqi forces are facing

strong resistance as they retake the northern city of tikrit from islamic state of iraq and levant. the battle is crucial in the move aquans mosul, the second-last city that has been under control since june. this video is from a town 18km from tikrit. iraqi forces say they have taken obvious the area which was under i.s.i.l. control. i.s.i.l. fighters set fire to some oil fields to try to divert the attention of government forces. [ gunfire ] meanwhile kurdish forces are attacking i.s.i.l. positions around kirkuk in northern iraq. the kurds have been advancing from several areas to the west of the city, seizing villages as they go. the city is under kurdish control, but i.s.i.l. controls areas around it. in baghdad, u.s. and iraqi commanders discussed joint

effort to destroy i.s.i.l. also known as daesh in arabic. >> daesh will be defeated when supply lines are cut, leaders are attacked and it fails to hold on to terrain. that is happening now. a sacrifice by iraqi security forces and coalition members. >> translation: we are convinced that mosul is the last stronghold for the terrorists. there'll be pierce resistance in this province. >> barrel bombs have killed many. civilians have died, many injured in alhab ib and idlib. it's one of many targeted by barrel bombs, despite a resist use banning them. also four people inside a

refugee camp has been hit by shelling four killed, 20 injured. >> those loyal to abd-rabbu mansour hadi managed to retake a city from al qaeda. three were killed in the fight, al qaeda tighters seized control hours earlier, after an assault on an army base. >> saudi arabia accepted a request by president harley to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in yemen. it's not clear if the houthis who control the capital, will take part in the talks. a top houthi leader accused the saudis of trying to destabilize yemen. still to come - thousands displaced in the philippines as government forces hunt down an armed group in the country's south. plus hounded for standing up for women's right. more from african artists forced

to go into hiding.

>> weeknights on al jazeera america. >> join me as we bring you an in-depth look at the most important issues of the day. breaking it down. getting you the facts. it's the only place you'll find... the inside story. >> ray suarez hosts "inside story". weeknights, 11:30 eastern. on al jazeera america. it's good to have you with us i'm elizabeth prarn in doha. the united states has declared venezuela as a national security threat and imposed sanctions. venezuela's officials say

president obama is trying to topple his government. soldiers have retaken two towns in in north-eastern nigeria from boko haram. the armed group has control of the town since november. the iraqi forces have taken over a town 18km from tikrit. they are facing resistance from other areas. >> republicans in the united states have taken a scuttling of bones nuclear deal with iran and are doing it in an usual way. the white house correspondent patty culhane has the story. >> first the lower house tried to scuttle nuclear conversations with iran. in a mood. now, the upper house has given it a go. releasing this open letter. 47 republican senators giving a civics lesson telling iran that they are only making a deal with the current president. writing:

it warns that the next president can kill the deal with the stroke of a pen and future congresses could monitor the terms. president obama accused the opposition party of trying to kill the team. >> it's ironic to see some members of congress wanting to make common cause with the hard liners in iran. it's an unusual coalition, what we are focussed on now is whether we can get a deal. republicans made it clear they don't a deal if it leaves iran with nuclear capability. >> one day they say they are not trying to build a bomb, i think they are lying. >> the obama administration believes that it can make a deal give relief without the

approval of congress, some in congress push a bill to change that iran has responded to their open letter in a statement. iranian foreign minister and chief negotiator said that it's interesting that while negotiations are still in progress, and while no agreement has been reached. some political pressure groups are afraid of the prospect of an agreement that they resort to unconventional methods. >> the retrial of former egyptian president and two sons started in april. the court of kesation overturned and ordered that he and his sons be tried again. a lower court sentenced hosni mubarak to three years gaol and sons to four years, for embezzling 16 million. egypt

egypt counts on foreign countries to inject money. a newly released report accuses egypt of putting foreign investors about the interests of its people. >> egypt is hoping foreign invest juniors will pop money into a struggling economy. the ministry produced a promotional video for an economic conference that begins on friday. >> we are welcoming. >> a new report from the egyptian center for economic and social rites says egypt's guest is violating human rights damaging countries and allowing them to get away with death and tax. new laws give companies an immunity shielding them from prosecution in the courts when

allegations arrive. the egyptian center for economic rights says egypt allows foreign companies to crush rights. whether stopping efforts to unionize or failing to adhere to health regulations. the government message is despite turmoil, the country is a safe wet. >> the country is stable. >> bombings are app increasing threat for egyptians. once confined to targetting police station stations, armed groups are attacking commercial areas, killing and injuring americans. egypt implemented foreign reforms. they have to pay a 25% tax on profits. the country must tip the balance in favour of citizens. they can reap more of the wen fits of foreign investment

education minister has ordered a closure of a school in cairo after a student died after allegedly being beaten by a teacher. the victim, in the fifth grade was taken to hospital on nurse unconscious and suffering from a brain hemmerage. he died three days later. a teacher has been questioned by police. >> a stockpile of weapons has been found in south-eastern tunisia near the border. ammunition rocket propelled grenades and assault rifles were discovered. the interior minister says it's the second cash of weapons found in as many days, it's im perative for people to remain vigilant french police detained four people including a police woman over links to the paris attacks. they are suspected of having ties to brent coulombe, the hostage taker at a jewish supermarket that killed five

people. there's no word on connection to the coa che brothers who killed 12 people at "charlie hebdo" magazine the conflict in eastern ukraine is making it difficult for people to afford two meals a day. prices have tripled and doubled. banks are in shambles. we have this report from donetsk. >> reporter: in separatist east ukraine, a price of independence is expensive. prices going all around ukraine. it's impossible to find new suppliers, there's a future, living one day at a time. this grocery chain, you can buy meat and fish, but the choices are slim. what is left is you can buy if you afford it. since january, eggs have doubled in price, tea has tripled.

the price has doubled, tripled. >> translation: prices have increased. salaries and pensions haven't. cooking oil costs, now it's 32. things are getting worse it won't get better. you shouldn't kill your own people. the official case in ukraine is an annual rate. here in separatist donetsk, it's higher. and that is for those that have access to their money. pensioners. unemployed, and government workers that remain here have to travel outside separatist territory to collect their money, it is prohibitively expensive and can take days. with inflation and no banking system, everyone here is poor. that has turned bustling centers like this into ghost towns, full of shops. donetsk's minister of economic

development says all knew republics go through birth plains. >> does that mean things will get better here. >> of course it will get better, much more better. it will be two changes. first of all maybes a range of goods. and the second is it will be changing in price. >> before the economy can stablilize. it's likely the fighting will stop. borders between ukraine and separatist neighbours will have to settle. despite the ceasefire, neither has appeared within reach greece is under pressure to come up with a details proposal and bailout talks in brussels we have a deadline for wednesday to protect the plan. we have extended a bailout in june, but the president said the reform plans are far from

complete. there can be no forms of early dispersements. i would be open at one point if we have agreement on the whole thing. and the implementation is off the ground. i will be open to consider having the dispersement cut into parts, which we have done before the programs. it would have to be on an agreement on the whole thing, first, implementation, well off the ground second. >> olympic boxer alexis vastine died in a helicopter crash in north western argentina, sports starts among 10 killed when two helicopter collided midair filming a reality show. police say weather conditions at the time were good and the cause of the crash is being investigated. floods in central peru killed six people. heavy rains triggered land

slides damaging homes and wiping out roads. emergency crews are still searching for several missing people. >> the philippine military says the operation in the south will continue. fighting has lead to more than 20,000 people being displaced. we have more. >> this man hails from a long line of families for generations they have been refugees seeking shelter in homes every time fighting breaks out in the villages in the southern philippines. it's a story of displacement. people living their life on the ground. they have been living this life for so long. every year we lose our homes, we rebuild obvious again, and we want to stay leap in our beds,

tend to our farms. this is tiring. >> over a million people have been displaced since armed rebellion began in the 1960s. violence plagued the region and more than 120,000 people have been killed. there has been calm over the last few years because of ongoing negotiations between the philippine government and south-eastern government the mora islamic freedom movement. it is a known group believed to be harbouring this man, a known bomber. >> the army general says such operations are crucial in weeding out rebels into the area. but admits that it can put strain on communities. >> it's very hard in a sense,

that we are trying to balance the military objective. we need to resolve this issue. >> more than 50,000 people are displaced alone. they are living in evacuation camps like this one, with food and decent shelter. they have long accepted this to be their lafife, a vicious cycle of fear. they cannot accept that their children may have to suffer the same fate too now, an artist in afghanistan has gone into hiding after a daring protest against sexual harassment. he walked through the capital with app iron suit with a naked woman, the process was one of several promoting women's rites. we have more.

kubra was four years old when she was molested by a stranger. it was on the street and the first of many such attacks. she remembers wishing her underwear was made of iron. 20 years later, she's making a point in the most public way possible. walking through a part of kabul where she says she was sexually harassed as within adult. many were outraged by the protest. >> somebody was saying weird words saying are you ashamed that a motorbike, are you ashamed of your sexual parts. >> reporter: some in the crowd threw storages the artist in hiding said many endured a lifetime of being painted and prodded by strangers. according to the united nations, abuse in afghanistan is common. it says eight out of ten afghan

women experience physical and psychological adduce. women's rights scr improved but not quickly enough for some. like this group xo donned pushingas to demand an end to sex crimes. >> don't accuse them or trade them. they don't have to hide. kubra on the other hand has received death threats. and they are reported to have left her home out of fear. a wedding ring belonging to a pilot who was killed in world war ii was handed over. it was presented to his sister and received a box of pieces of his plane that crashed in albania, a local man found

artefacts at the sinai mountain and before he died he asked his son to find the owner's family just a reminder you can keep up to date with all the news on the website at aljazeera.com. >> we're driving to a crime scene in a suburb outside of columbia, south carolina... we've come because more women are killed by men here than any other state in the country... around 10:30 in the morning, a family of four, including two children, were found here. they were shot dead. the handgun was right next to