nor and seafood remain banned but chinese officials have indicated they're not ready to go along with further penalties against the north should the talks or the denuclearization remain deadlocked adrian brown al-jazeera beijing several top u.n. officials are in pakistan's push our province for talks about the treatment of afghan refugees from the program indian mob local car among those visiting a camp which operates with un funding pakistan hosts around one point four million afghan refugees unfortunately very long protracted refugee situations are more difficult to support a more difficult to find resources for so we are unfortunately in that situation now but i think we should not forget that in due course of these four decades there were moments when the situation in afghanistan was better was more stable when people went back voluntarily in large numbers now unfortunately we are at that difficult phase elections are coming in afghanistan we've seen in any crazy

violence and i think that we need to help afghanistan overcome this difficult period restore stability and with stability we've come a lot of other things and opposition movement in sri lanka is using the country's economic issues as a political weapon against the governing party the government is struggling to deal with a mountain of debt inherited from the previous administration wainaina from columbus . it's in the small markets that macroeconomic changes can often be felt most prices of sri lankan food staples like coconuts have been fluctuating at the moment buyers are enjoying a slight reprieve but in the markets of the capital colombo prices have increased about seven percent from a year ago and then in the in the limited and it's very difficult the moment because things have become so expensive we find it difficult to manage because prices keep going up you let. the government says at three point four percent

general inflation is not a problem but it is trending upwards and is one of the economic issues opposition groups are seizing upon as they try to force the government out but some experts believe by sowing political instability the opposition is in fact undermining the economy at the very time that she needs more investment in this seat predictability of policies clearly to believe your political environment and the uncertain economy can political environment is. investment from march i'm sure lanka has also entered a period where it needs to find cash to pay big debts the government says it inherited an economic mess when it took over three years ago perhaps the biggest mess was debt it's now into what it calls a peak period of structured repayments over the next four years it needs to pay back seventeen billion dollars to foreign lenders among them china the previous

government took out big loans for infrastructure development like a one point three billion dollar port in the southern city. when repayments became too much the current administration leased it to a chinese state company for ninety nine years the sri lankan government says it's determined to reduce its debt burden. and never ever before to the un backed. militants that that's going. happen in the future i. guess and seriously and even me on our commitments to achieve that it says fiscal discipline is paramount and that includes slowing down the practice of taking out more loans to pay existing debts other measures have been taken to like tax increases and the removal of some farm subsidies the government says overall it's in good shape but these are uncertain economic times and in the markets people are also having to watch what

they spend when hey al-jazeera colombo. in sweden the far right group there could shape the next government security and immigration of biggest issues in sunday's general election hostility towards migrants has been rising among some voters since the country took in big numbers of refugees from the middle east in twenty fifteen john holl has more now from stockholm. is no longer quite sure what sort of country she's living in i felt. he made me feel very small born in sweden to muslim parents who've lived here for decades far came face to face with unfamiliar prejudice when a job interview was terminated after she refused on religious grounds to shake the hand of her male interviewer she won her subsequent claim to the swedish labor court if you ask me this in a few years ago my answer would be that they are very accepting but today

i am not sure i would answer the same thing because. i think that racist people in the stomach are sowing themselves more and they are encouraged to so themselves more so people are not afraid to say i hate you because you're for us therefore i hate you because you're wearing the far right party that speaks for them these call to sweden democrats with neo nazi roots and its image cleaned up to appeal more broadly now this once fringe movement is poised to play in the political landscape as sweden's second largest priority i think that what we're seeing is a sweden this is very important to kind of strive for our classical is as we say it's just values and it has to do with. equal we have a gender equality that is very very strong in comparison with other place this is about keeping sweden swedish the charity is moving sweden together i say it's a message resonating widely in what used to be one of europe's most open and free

thinking societies expert magazine sweden's leading investigative journal has long charted the rise of the far right the catalyst of the of naziism which is this weekend yeah i mean the party has been through some. changes of course but there is a sort of a core of a radical nationalism a quest for home and generosity in sweden and placing immigrants and minorities at the center of everything that's wrong in society the relentless rise of the right here the sweden democrats winning five percent of the vote in twenty ten almost thirteen percent four years later and this time perhaps one in five votes twenty percent tells the story of a country changing fast reacting in part to the huge influx of refugees since twenty fifteen of which some people nostalgic for a simpler time a more culturally montanus past

a lot of people are telling their to the swedish society but i'm worried. that so what. a question of identity that lies at the heart of this election joho al jazeera stock. shares in tesla have taken a nosedive after its chief executive courted more controversy the electric vehicle company lost up to nine percent of its value after a year long musk was seen smoking marijuana during a live broadcast on the internet as heidi joe castro now reports his recent behavior has raised concerns about his ability to lead his businesses. or its stores whether a media stunt gone bad or in film a decision and probably can't because stockholders are. i mean it's legal right it's all legal ok the video of billionaire entrepreneur musk smoking marijuana during a live interview thursday has translated to a financial hit on his company the stock value of electric car manufacturer tesla

tumbled nine percent friday morning continuing a downward trend fueled by a string of corporate resignations and its founders erratic behavior i'm going to text messages for from manager and saying what the hell are you doing smoking weed musk in early august announced with a controversial tweet he was considering taking tesla private only to take back the idea weeks later before that he had bizarrely interjected himself into the rescue effort of twelve tibe boys trapped in a flooded cave when his offer to build a mini submarine was refused must turn his angsty toward a british rescue diver accusing him without giving evidence of being a pedophile tesla has also struggled with recent production delays of its latest model. but space x. and other evil must brainchild continues its groundbreaking success its reusable

rockets and plans to return human spaceflight capability to the u.s. have upheld space x.'s status as one of the world's most valuable privately held companies asked thursday to explain his innovative genius musk said even as a child he knew he was different i think when i was five or six or something i thought i was insane why do you think you're insane because it's clear that our people do not. what their mind wasn't exploding with ideas all the time the question is whether what makes musk so different is also driving him toward recklessness and how much patience investors wish to expend castro al-jazeera washington one of china's wealthiest men jack ma has stepped down as the chief of the e-commerce giant and some are says he wants to focus on philanthropy and education the billionaire founded alibaba nearly two decades ago it's since become

one of the world's largest internet companies. recapping our top story so far today the latest attempt to search for an end to the war in yemen has failed to take off the official government delegation is leaving the swiss city of geneva after waiting two days for the goofy rebel representatives to join the u.n. brokered talks with the say they didn't fly to switzerland because of concerns about their safety but the u.n. special envoy says he does remain hopeful. we're going to. take up the issues that we will have discussed here this is what i mean by we have begun this is what i mean by we have begun. it's too early for me to say when the next round of consultations will take place or will be held that's obviously going to be high on the agenda to it so that we don't go through

a repeat of this week and i think it's important to note that. and also want to be disappointed not to be here the death penalty has been confirmed for seventy five people for their part in protests against the twenty thirty nine military coup in egypt many of them were involved in a sit in. the square in cairo which ended in the massacre of hundreds of people among the defendants is the foreign muslim brotherhood spiritual leader mohammed but i eat he has received a life sentence iran's minister for foreign affairs of some of the iraqi ambassador after protesters in iraq's southern city of basra attacked the iranian consulate a week of violent demonstrations are seen several major buildings in the city torched at least twelve people have died in iraq the parliament is holding an emergency session because of the violence. the u.s. is causing more aid to the palestinians this time twenty five million dollars meant for cancer treatments and other critical care in east jerusalem hospitals is being

slashed one of china's most senior officials has now arrived in north korea he's the he's in pyongyang to attend a key military parade on sunday as north korea celebrates its seventy a founding anniversary contrary to earlier reports the chinese president xi jinping won't be attending the festivities his absence is being seen as china's disappointment over a lack of progress on denuclearization you are right up to speed with all the top stories up next inside story by. thousands of white workers stayed in south africa under the employer is giving

company exclusively to blacks they say that's racist discriminatory and unfair but what constitutes fantasist in the post apartheid era this is inside story. hello and welcome to the program. for the first time in south africa's history thousands of white union workers have staged a strike the furious very employer one of the country's leading energy companies has introduced a new share scheme which is only available to black workers white workers say that's discriminatory and racially divisive by their bosses at sasol say the moves been backed by shareholders and beats bulls designed for black economic empowerment

part of a drive to reverse decades of exclusion for blacks and apartheid the company wouldn't give us an interview but on its website says it remains committed to engaging with all trade union partners to our guests in a moment but first for the miller report from secunda. the new shea scheme is infuriating sessoms white employees because it only benefits their black colleagues they don't say we judge you on your contribution you'll pull your black shirt no we judge you on the color of. these workers say they're being discriminated against brian fulton who's worked a tassel for thirty years agrees we bought as company working shift works and doing night shift and sixteen hour shifts and. i think it's unfair pass

what people can be disputed from from the federal system that is in afrikaans read skin color does not determine my worth but under apartheid skin color did exactly that for decades excluding non white workers from most jobs subtle says it's new she's scheme is not about what has been a fits all pay it's about empowering black workers through a she scheme that would allow them twenty five percent ownership but white workers here say the company's being racist and they want equality. critics say that since one thousand nine hundred five only an elite group of blacks have benefited from economic empowerment the world bank says south africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world with poverty persistently high among black south africans. the trade union federation cosatu says it will fight any resistance to transforming the economy where it would have a central leader and have this very same people who were previously beneficiaries

of drivers of us in them lamenting about the police are just trying to redress the imbalance of the past is beyond mr vyas and within an organisation like solidarity is a very strong it's lucullus leaders of the solidarity trade union say the share scheme will only worsen divisions between workers and the union says if sasol executives don't change their minds complaints will be made to south africa's human rights commission and the united nations. al-jazeera sikandar south africa. let's bring in our panel joining us in johannesburg dirk herman who you just saw in the piece he is the c.e.o. of the solidarity trade union and from cape town via skype. lecturer of the university of western cape and author of turn can several

save south africa also in johannesburg denis george general secretary of the federation of unions of south africa walk on to all mr herman what's wrong with suttles share scheme the house your anger and the shutdown. suttle had a previous game in the low in actually included all workers that scheme went and water and then they created a new scheme and this schemes name is an isa and he's a suddenly exclude the white workers so we sit here with a past of inclusion and then a future of exclusion and that frustrates the world workers that frustrate them so that eighty nine percent of them voted in favor of a strike action they said well in ethics and math we want our voyage to be and then they can get out in the nessus striking and sight of the world this is how we feel this is our frustrations the positive of this of course is that we are

a democracy in making so this is bringing balance again in the debate suddenly we talk again because what we say is absolute exclusion simply on the base of the race can be the future of south africa you've heard mr herman talking about the reason that prompted his trade union to such a star the the strike sorties ality insists the attempt to introduce the new show scheme is a violation of the mind charters that insists white workers should also be included in schemes yeah look the little stint as you basics odd what is happening. you know. what it is that we need to be this enough energy fix it skills that you can generally characterize as a measure in advancing the previously disadvantaged groups and from where solidity

is to it does make sense of solidarity if extra little isn't questions by saying that. such laws practice amounted to and discrimination because it clears absolute exclusion of the wide from benefitting from the scheme and i believe. so it doesn't is actually stand or not just undermining charter but i think the delegate there will have to stand or sort on the basis of section mind of the constitution that i can quality which says that no one can be unfairly discriminated against in the various inception was equality in our constitution which a section might also provide explicitly that mesh just may be taken by government to advance those who have been historically disadvantaged with the aim to actually bring them to a school where they can enjoy a guide to quality so all of these are provided for in the constitution what i think mr been done or what i think the recent ascent of these it is actually the

balance and the extent to which their message that had been taken by us us all it will inspire only there aren't any of those who are being excluded a question we could be asked as to whether there are done means that have been attempted i see a point where a number of these policy goals for dismissal can externally been undertaken that is the balance that need to be rooted out come begging us to think about the decision will go to hell but throughout the show immuno include dentist george mr george you're a present another true do you wish of the federation of unions of south africa how do you see the scheme. yeah look from our point of view our constitution is quite clear that rights can be limit from certain groups who have benefited in the past sue chapatis of asians two different kinds of advancement by the state

which have course of every good to be one of the most an equal society this in the world we also find today that many of black people you know still find themselves in questioning this situation that's the reason why we support the mission is that a sessile is taking to empower black workers and more companies should do so in diffused because workers that have been a foot in the past discrimination against black people want now to shout the same language that they must benefit they get and by that manner we never going to address the inequalities in our country and for us the situation that says so is taking it's good if you measure. it for us we believe the strace enough solid that these totally out of order and i don't wish that mr herman i mean the counter argument to a you have been saying earlier is basically what the government or what sussan is trying to do is reverse a situation that has been prevailing for decades white workers benefited from the

system in the sixty's of the seventy's millions of africans suffered under apartheid it's about high time to address that situation yet you seem to be upset. that's not in question the fact of the matter east africa imbalances because of the past the past that excluded the specific group of workers that that's beatrice and south africa are several instruments in place to address that like for instance an affirmative action program that helps with promotions and also they need appointment in the workplace in subtle as a very aggressive affirmative action program and that brought about a lot of equality in the workplace and transformation within the workplace but this goes too far but because this is about shared ownership and suddenly you say to a specific group of workers in this place your white working class people if people in blue overalls that's not rich people that's not people and each month extra exacts and an extra and you say to them you can't be part of the ownership of this

and they were a neighbor part of the ownership scheme at all in their lives what we said now in the states we set with shared ownership scheme of topics that just yesterday and it and six million rand worth of shared value options is awarded to the fifteen top people in and subtle and interesting fact is that is inclusive of all races nobody is arguing that they exclude the white workers then they bring in the black workers as well as part of owners the only group in the whole of subtle is the blue collar white workers are not part of subtle and that goes too far and that is what led to her feelings of alienation feelings that we are not onerous and feelings of frustration what's interesting times in south africa the outcry over the issue of the ownership and also the debate which is ongoing about the land reform and the

expropriation there has been advanced by the sea is this interconnected. i don't believe there leaks turtles because of the scent of these i mean let us call up where stanley is that you cannot apply a big you cannot just apply on the base is that it satisfies the majority of course the essence of politicians need to satisfy the most want to but you cannot arbitrarily. invalid that out of the minorities and the policy implementation environment in south africa is such that there are so much tensions within the police there seems to be an idea of modulatory an ism and i think those long willingness where stepped in to actually justify some of the policy prerogatives and i have to say that i mean i've looked at many of these cases involving affinity section many of these cases such as the one in such a lot there was another interesting case in the past where government and actually

shaped a pension scheme on the basis for her race as well involving members of parliament in our discuses the biggest problem is that suddenly burst what we didn't to have a conversation on affirmative action the problem is that you have to experience that those who are so nice get rid of any defection and those who are saying that you must apply it without what being what it about how it affects the minorities so this does not read in there that the principle and the spirit taught the constitution that government has to justify its policy and i have to see after looking at many cases this is the first kids that i'm seen where a tribunal before they go to court because most of these cases end up with affirmative action measures been tannins in court and i have to sit eighty percent of the time government affirmative action programs fail in court because not because of the mitigation is but because they're poor little because there is lots of again on those policies mr george i would like to ask you

a question about whether the debate i was seen in south africa sheds light about the problems that the country faces particularly when it comes to the black economic empowerment what do you think should be done now by the government to try to sort of these problems. yeah you see this been from the beginning after we're negotiated that this the good he meant and lived to slay should be met like there's been message resistance specifically but i have a sector of not implementing the employment equity targets we've also seen that many excuses have been doing and that is the reason why the thirty eight unions in a net like specifically for do so we believe it's important that we need to get over this particular matter and that we must implement their employment equity legislation and the black economic empowerment because if a person look at the situation after lead people in south africa then we will also

see that they are the most disadvantaged people in this country and it is very important parts to implement this legislation to make sure that we're that is the best of the issue of inequality in the country. so herman. workers are workers in every company all over the world but we talking about one of the most unequal societies in the world south africa and you know that there is this need to try to redress a situation and particularly the wealth imbalance in south africa so if you're not happy with the. share ownership what do you think should be the option to try to solve this problem. workers of workers you're quite correct about that in the inequalities in south africa is not between the workers in south africa and in fact is the workers on the ground floor level equal people working with good relationships and what happens yeah is the moment that you divide the workers that actually are equal as workers on both of race then you create new forms of things

and you don't the trace inequalities by dividing the workers and this issue is actually resolved in you mentioned in the beginning in the draft the mining charter or south africa and the draft mining charter we have long long long discussions and on how to deal with this issue and the issue lucian was of all row plays that at the trade unions and that was government that was big business except one was that if it comes to shared ownership scheme if it's about ownership then all workers must be included because workers are workers if you want to try to address inequalities in south africa then you must empower all workers then that will help but it doesn't help to create inequalities between workers in south africa because this is what happening here we don't talk about the topic sick and the white elite we stand for orderly blue collar workers the the need to

address the disparities the balances the racial injustice in south africa has been cardinal for the a.n.c. in particular when he took power in one nine hundred ninety four but he says that he has failed to deliver on the promises that he has been making for quite some time is it possible that the a.n.c. now and the south africa under serum a person would be able to solve this social economic problems. i don't believe the potential to fall. and the problems that we have been. inequality deep inequality i think that we will not achieve much if we through or at each other and i'm cookie policy. we cannot call it is either my way or the highway and those who are resisting some of the policies that are based on social

justice also need to understand that it is untenable for them to enjoy life in a society that is. but an equal mr george just like to include george of this particular issue which is the black economic empowerment has been going on for quite some time but many say that it has benefited or only a few portion of the affected society but what is the problem here is an issue of bureaucracy corruption or inefficiency from the from the part of the government. yeah look though the situation is this you must now understand that the total economy in south africa before ninety nine people was those thirty controlled by the white people in south africa and what the state distain to do is through they put a human instruments used to procure from black people to make sure that we make black people part of the mainstream economy of the country i mean my father and i could

do up under up our state you know we could have brought somebody from scotland or from portugal and that person would have been allowed to open up a business they'd done in the main street up at least thirty but when a black person wanted to open up a business the latest lation in discounted it prohibited for person myself was never allowed to apply for any specific job because in the at thirty's moment it specifically told you that job is for white people only and you're not even allowed to apply for a procedure and today when the democratically elected government one to affirm black people then you get lots i think a damaged and people like mr burke adamant that want to stand on the rooftops and want to shout it is unfair but unfortunately for them the partition of the republic of south africa makes provision for the empowerment and for positive discrimination

in order to and that is the injustices of the past mr herman i mean in theory if you look at the whole russia not behind the share ownership land bridges tribune it basically says that if companies meets government quotas on black ownership if we can redistribute land to the poor that could boost the economy the same way it did for countries like japan and south africa and south and south korea back in the eighty's in the seventy's so why wouldn't we implement the same model for a country like south africa. we are quite positive about the idea of empowering workers we are also positive about the idea of empowering black workers into shay's within the company we just can't understand why in that same logic you must say that white workers must be excluded to empower and include black workers or offset in the beginning

a very important work and he used the word would balance and that is what we must seek in south africa if you listen at everything that dana said of exclusion of a previous system in the answer for the new system is not exclusion again the fact of the matter is we messed have no on the protests and if you look at the constitution that it also referred to the constitution make it also very clear through the words of the human rights commission south africa that equality can't be a race only system the human rights commission of south africa said just last week in the report what we need is a new aren't approach we need to be context sensitive and we must not use race as the only critique area and the human rights commission criticised the cat interface classification that is used in south africa and what suffer yet is do do is absolutely right the pendulum swung too far in this example and the protests were

solidarity bring about balance back into the better meters of the constitution. how much of this whole debate about the. the. scheme and also learned redistribution is genuine how much of it is politically motivated because on the other. and of the debate you have people saying that serum a post is using the issue to try to prevent his wife will breakaway group the economic freedom fighters from winning the elections in the next year. us i think that this issues need to be thought about beyond detention not they'd accept elections put lead into the election do not play to make a good environment for discussion of issues such as these which are a very very delegate and i don't think mr imus us need to be thinking in

a long term as to how do you actually consult with different groups in society what it cost to polisi america i fully understand where two conflicts come from i do think however that the most important thing in south africa is a clue to lean stayed the importance of conversation as a process of producing the short term.