saudi saudi arabia is under intense pressure to come up with answers and to come up with credible ounces and the although you know deals and jobs are not wanting to be put on the jeopardy by sanctions make no mistake the leaders here perhaps could be prepared to impose specific sanctions against individuals who are found responsible for many thanks i was there as paul brennan live in brussels where investigative teams are sifting through evidence taken from the saudi consul general is home as well as the consulate where she was last seen more than two weeks ago i was in stratford is that. during a visit to macedonia turkey's foreign minister medvedev jova shoulder as saying that evidence that is being gathered we understand from the consulate and the consul general is now in the forward trees being examined as to exactly what that evidence is it's difficult to say according to government and prosecutors leaks to the media in the last couple of days we understand that samples that were found in

the consul general says home twenty four hours ago are matching samples that were found at the consulate there's also been reference to fingerprints a government leak to the media saying fingerprints from six members of that fifteen member team that are very much the focus of the investigation found in the consulate we also understand that there is a great focus on the use of vehicles vehicles that. were on the that were registered under the consulate there has been rumors as to whether this search now has been taken outside of istanbul certainly according to police sources that we've spoken to today there was no definitive plan to be searching these areas the longer this goes on the more pressure there is obviously on the saudi arabia to fully cooperate in this investigation turkey's justice minister yesterday

saying that turkey was being patient with saudi arabia and that it was acting according to international law took his foreign minister today during that visit of macedonia saying the results of this investigation will be released to the world as soon as it's complete. has deleted multiple accounts which have been tweeting the same pro saudi government message about the show she cased the counts were taken down for violating spam rules a u.s. broadcast network handed over a list of accounts to twitter. a weather update thanks to announce zero then how the death of a woman has led to the birth of a library in afghanistan had its saturday's elections to look at what's expected from an asian security summit in singapore.

hello there were scenes of rather unusual weather in japan recently it certainly has been very mild and for that reason we're now seeing some cherry blossom trees in bloom that normally happens about half a year from now six months time but already we're seeing a few of those blossoms on the trees now we're also seeing a couple of showers at the moment as well in the western parts but there is a fading away and i think for most of us here it should be fine and settled for us on saturday temperatures are twenty one at the moment in tokyo the showers may just catch you perhaps particularly early on during the day meanwhile towards the west it's fine for us in beijing the showers a staying out towards the west they're beginning to pull themselves together as we head through sunday a bit of a towards the south of the many of us in the eastern parts of china it's fine and dry we're looking at around twenty two there in shanghai to the west though there's a little bit more in the way of cloud that's pushing its way eastwards so if i were

on that i think we will see a few rather like the showers on sunday i mean further towards the south and for many of us in the southeastern parts of asia there's plenty of sunshine but also plenty of showers some particularly heavy downpours away this over the southern parts of vietnam and the straits in their way towards the west so this whole region is looking pretty wet actually as we head into sunday. seven years after muammar gadhafi as controversial rain came to a violent end libya is frozen in time. competing forces each running for power and influence continue to disrupt a broken state that time forgot. in the second of a two part series the big picture on asks who's to blame. lost for libya on al-jazeera.

well again the top stories here on al-jazeera this hour the u.s. president has for the first time publicly apologized but saudi journalist jamal khashoggi is likely to be dead he hasn't been seen since entering the saudi consulate in istanbul seventeen days ago donald trump says there will be severe consequences for saudi arabia if it's found to be responsible for the u.s. treasury secretary has become the latest city official to withdraw from an upcoming investment conference in saudi arabia the head of the i.m.f. and many prominent c.e.o.'s have already pulled out of the conference dubbed devil's in the desert.

people in afghanistan are set to vote in parliamentary elections on saturday but voters in the southern province of kandahar will have to wait one more week to cost a ballot that's because of an attack in the region that killed two senior officials on thursday it happened at a meeting between the most senior u.s. military officers in the country and afghan commanders among the dead is general abdul razak the taliban has claimed responsible. that is vowing to deal rael the election and to target anyone who votes no it's a crucial poll because saturday's election has already been delayed for three years due to security concerns and voter registration reforms u.s. defense secretary james mattis says the killing of the top afghan security commodity won't shake america's commitment i've met general result. it's a loss of a patriot but we remain absolutely committed. to an afghan led afghan

reconsolidation. we need to find. but right now. we are going toward the election and we will continue to defend the people lived out of the afghan capital al-jazeera has come charlotte bellus is in kabul so shall it why has the election commission decided that the best course of action is to postpone voting for a week in kandahar. the election commission recommended that it should be delayed by a wait purely for security concerns i just don't think they could guarantee people's safety to more then the palace also spoke to people in kandahar they reiterated that saying it's just not appropriate and so decision was made at the highest level to perspire in this by one week which is going to affect roughly six to seven hundred thousand verses it follows this attack in kandahar at the governor's compound. very interesting how this played out in a high level meeting with top u.s.

officials and the leadership from the entire province in this meeting the u.s. general miller who's leads the u.s. nato forces in afghanistan has come into today saying it was a close confined space but i don't think i was the target he escaped unharmed although two americans were hurt in this it does appear however that the targets were the f.k.n. officials so the governor the intelligence chief was killed and the police chief was killed and he was much loved his name was general. his his funeral has just finished down in kandahar thousand people out on the street regardless of the security concerns people across the country changing the facebook photos to show his folks instead of these because he had so fiercely fought the taliban for so long and is regarded as such a hero or president donnie just in the last hour announcing that he would appoint

generosity younger brother to dean as the new police chief to replace his older brother torch that could this attack in khandahar impact upon polling right across the country to more. security is a huge concern and the election commission and and president donnie himself trying very hard to reassure people that they have taken the necessary precautions to keep people safe all across the country we were in the election commission compound this morning as they were packing up the trucks putting the the polling materials all the biometric machines and candidates lists everything into these trucks with armed guards and they were swarming with commandos and. police trucks army trucks you name it to protect all the polling materials ahead of the voters to more or the concern is that for a lot of afghans they do feel like they're taking their lives in their hands by simply going to vote and that the fear itself will depress the turnout we talked to

one family here in kabul whiston suburb known as dusty but she which is a shia minority area they say that they are not going to vote because they've been so heavily targeted by iceland that area this year not only do they feel unsafe tomorrow they also feel disenchanted that they don't feel represented by the government so therefore what is the point of us voting has this story. here's a teenage girl's bedroom void of life this read cheer as we're seventeen year old to study she was top of her class she was killed in an icy suicide attackers who school in august along with thirty four of her classmates this watch was her brother identified her i miss to have moments this with hoping that. if lho was alive it would make her more at peace. they lives in dusty bochy it's a shia neighborhood and western kabul this year it suffered

a series of islip tex but where he was school mosques a sports club and an election richest seem to be on the one hundred eighty people who dies it's killed their belief in the government my father told me that i'm really not interested in disaffection and i myself also i'm really not interested in this election because we have lost our hope from just system from discover and from just member of parliament afghanistan shia minority has been overrepresented in parliament they hold twenty percent of seats and yet they say they feel forgotten and vulnerable some have even self creating their own militia isolates the biggest threat initially in neighborhoods prices have flooded into afghanistan after big differences in iraq. they are trying to kill as many civilians as possible as many of the shia minority here because they want to create as a tarrying rift i don't use that to their advantage. rather keep. them out of them

but cool if the general turn out specially of she is less it will show that i solicit yes there are families not voting because they lost loved ones but on the other side some people are moving and has suggested candidates to represent them but for people like him the damage is done and i cannot cry in the homes to the top rooftop i cry so person moment that a comeback. the silence echoes from her now empty room to what's become where he lives library built in the last six weeks in the top floor of the mosque a four thousand books from fellow shia they say where the government has failed them education succeeded when i came here i feel really low i was in here when she was in here but they feel she's here politically they will be silent but we're healers presence is defining. issue here.

so it's so incredibly just heartbreaking story in a lot of people in afghanistan be wondering if they also will become another healer simply by exercising their right to vote tomorrow. zero as charlotte ballasts reporting live from kabul show that many things. thousands of palestinian protesters are expected to turn out for weakling friday protests along the gaza israel border fence it comes as an egyptian delegation that both israeli and how mass officials with the hopes of mediating a lasting cease fire in the region brokered talks come after a rocket was fired from the gaza strip that destroyed a home in the city of bush on wednesday herefore city reports now from monica just east of gaza city. preparations are under way on the israeli side of the border fence here east of gaza city one of the five protest sites up and down the border

between gaza and israeli territory and we've seen soldiers laying extra lines of barbed wire we've seen bulldozers shifting earth around this coming after columns of israeli tanks have been arriving in the area in the last day or so sir very serious show of force by the israelis also a very stern message being given by them to hamas not least through egyptian negotiators saying that this really is the key test as far as the israelis are concerned or hamas is intentions they're saying that hamas needs to rein in the weekly friday border protests to key questions really for hamas what is their intention certainly we've heard from the mosques the preachers encouraging people to come come here to the border areas again and protest but they're also indications that hamas does at least intend to try to reign in those protests to prevent people from getting too close to the border or breaching the border the israelis of the soldiers have been given new rules of engagement where they're allowed apparently to fire at larger distances in order to prevent people from

getting too close to the border fence also there is talk of more forceful action being taken against those who wish to launch balloons or kites carrying incendiary materials so a lot depends on whether hamas is able to have the kind of protest here that it needs for its own political purposes within the gaza strip without letting people get too close to the fence it's so. off which according to the israelis would necessitate or at least would lead to a major military escalation on the israeli side and once that happens hamas has also promised a response so a very delicate situation here on the gaza border this friday there's concern about how an economic slowdown in china could affect the wider global economy you figures suggest that the world's second largest economy grew by six point five percent in the third quarter of this year now that's pretty good by anyone's measure but it's the weakest growth period in china since the global financial crisis of two

thousand and nine china started to come under pressure from the u.s. trade or the trumpet but astray she has put tariffs on more than two hundred fifty billion dollars worth of chinese exports. u.s. defense secretary jim masses told his chinese counterpart that remember remains concerned by what he sees as the militarization of the south china sea well mcbride reports now from singapore where a regional security summit is on the way to the meeting in singapore between u.s. defense secretary james mattis and his chinese counterpart playfully her comes i made worsening relations between china and the us it is though a sincere attempt it seems by both sides to keep open a dialogue to help diffuse any situations given the increasing contacts between chinese and american warplanes and warships in the disputed waters of the south china sea mattis says he wants a constructive relationship with china but was keen to stress that the united

states will continue to practice freedom of navigation as he calls it through waters that the chinese regard is that we are concerned about the militarization of the teacher in the south china sea. because the inhibition of free and open for all made no matter what by china claims almost all of the south china sea through which passed some of the world's busiest shipping lanes which often puts it in direct competition with some members of the association of southeast asian nations or as the hand which also claim the same waters regardless china says they can all get along don't we don't want china and as you know are an important force to maintain asia pacific peace to the silicate development and deepening cooperation. as a measure of the increasing competition as nations will for the first time hold

exercises with the chinese navy later this month next year will hold similar exercises with u.s. navy waters that are already busy with commercial shipping it seems will be busy still with the navy's not only of asia but also of the much more powerful chinese and american fleets hindu priests and protesters have blocked women from accessing a prominent pilgrimage site in india two women arrived on the police escort but were turned back by some conservatives who are defying a recent supreme court ruling that allows women to enter women between the ages of ten and fifty will by law from entering the holy sites until three weeks ago when the country's top court made the ruling based on equality. adrian fenty going to here in doha the headlines on al-jazeera the u.s.

president has for the first time publicly acknowledged that saudi journalist jamal khashoggi is likely to be dead he hasn't been seen since entering the saudi consulate in istanbul seventeen days ago donald trump says there will be severe consequences for saudi arabia if it's found to be responsible and the u.s. treasury secretary has become the latest senior official to withdraw from an upcoming investment conference in saudi arabia the head of the i.m.f. and many prominent c.e.o.'s have already pulled out of the conference dubbed davos in the deserts of france is also suspended political visits to saudi arabia. liffey . the facts we know today are mystical extremely serious and worrying we expect to throw light on this matter we have had exchanges with saudi authorities to clarify all this but in the current circumstances we have to sidestep aspersion political visits including that of our economy minister in afghanistan ahead of saturday's elections voting in the southern province of kandahar has been delayed by

a week after the taliban killed two senior officials in the city it happened just after this meeting between the most senior u.s. military officers in the country and afghan commanders the taliban says that the american general was the target thousands of palestinian protesters are expected to turn out for weekly friday protests along the gaza israel border fence later it comes as an egyptian delegation met both israeli and how massive officials in the hope of mediating a lasting cease fire in the region brokered talks come after a rocket was fired from the gaza strip that destroyed a house in the city of bush on wednesday there's concern about how an economic slowdown in china could affect the global economy new figures suggest that the world's second largest economy grew by just six point five percent in the third quarter of the year that's pretty good but it's the weakest growth period since the global financial crisis in two thousand and nine china is on the pressure from the

u.s. trade all others the headlines the news continues here on out of syria after inside story next. new evidence of the saudi crown prince's possible involvement in. the disappearance of the washington post publishes his last offical warning of threats to the media how much of a threats are journalists to our governments this is inside story. and

i welcome to the program has i'm seeking the case of missing saudi journalist jamal khashoggi has shocked and captivated the world as information trickles out over his disappearance and alleged murder inside the saudi consulate in istanbul beyond the gruesome details of the core of this story is a journalist who may have paid the ultimate price for what he wrote and reported jihad warns that saudi arabia could never be a democracy under the current crown prince mohammed bin said a man he highlighted the plight and struggles of journalists in his country he said there was no space for free speech with journalists in intellectuals often jailed for expressing their views. or the washington post published what they called. last article saying they have accepted the fact that he will not return safely it says our governments have been given free reign to continue silencing the media at an

increasing rate these governments whose very existence relies on the control of information have aggressively blocked the internet they have also arrested local reporters and pressured advertisers to harm the revenue of specific publications the arab world is facing its own version of an iron curtain imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power. words and what may have happened to him inside the saudi consulate highlight the threats to journalists and media freedom so far this year fifty seven journalists have been killed around the world according to reporters without borders the middle east is the most dangerous region in the world for journalists the world press freedom index ranks several countries in the region as having some of the worst human rights violations when it comes to censoring journalism this includes saudi arabia syria turkey iraq iran and egypt and there are at least one hundred fifty nine

journalists in prison around the world a majority of them in the middle east. well let's bring in our guests now to talk more about this joining us via skype from london is dr saad a saudi dissident who heads up the opposition group movement for islamic reform in arabia in vienna we have a director of advocacy with the international press institute and in london also on skype david hurst editor in chief of middle east i could to have you all with us david hurst if i could start with you as far as the latest we're hearing on the investigation in as much as. there is any sort of information because the turks are certainly keeping their cards close to the vest on this what do you met what do you make of of the latest developments on what they found inside the the saudi consulate and in the consul general home and what direction is this going

in. move it's going. to stumble to belgrade forest and the woodland in garcia neighborhood. the c.c.t.v. has traced the movements of a one of the vans that was registered to the consulate on diplomatic plates the wooden itself is a bit of a c.c.t.v. blackspot but they call the van the same that are coming out of the area and then are combing the forests for. his remains they've also said they found evidence from inside the consulate general itself they've been session the grounds. and also the council's house they haven't released the contents of the tapes although they've told journalists like me and

others about it but i haven't actually listened to the tapes myself. that may follow. and try to put maximum pressure on washington and also on. who are probably now in a state of panic because so many details have actually been released documented details exactly who the fifteen where the fact that they were seven of them belong to his close bodyguards special protection unit the fact that these characters had turned up in london on march the eighth. and also later in. april in france and who they were and what they were doing the details of the forensic doctor authority specialist to cut. his body up while he was still alive an awful lot detail has come out. and he.

counter narrative one is that inevitably that child walked out within twenty minutes. that has never been proved. and now another one is that yes that was a murder but it was ordered by been some man himself which anyone who knows about the place and what has actually happened since he came to power became the de facto ruler of saudi arabia is a complete nonsense what is the thinking then david behind the way turkey is handling all of this will cause it we had president trump's comments there were four to did he suggest the turks have declined to share their evidence with us intelligence agencies trump himself saying we we want to we want to hear this tape if it exists uses words does this reluctance suggest that the turkish government is

looking for some sort of accommodation with with saudi arabia and and the united states. given the fact that these are two important powers that they don't want to rupture their relationship with. well i think what turkey is doing is trying to exert the maximum amount of pressure through the media and through public opinion all in the oval office and the same americans as specifically saying the guy in charge of the white house. and the man that he chose to be really his sponsorship in the middle east. crown prince been some that's the object what he's trying to do. i think on the evidence is that the ops true they haven't released it yet but that would just be probably a matter of time there's also some degree of cooperation from. other sources it's not complete of course but it's that it but it's there and it's

got nothing to do with the turks and that is a report that was leaks to the new york times that the the american secret service says that intercepted conversations and they believe that there was a clock to kidnap or. associate that's one second one is report that has filtered through from the british intelligence services that morphine was used. after the screams were heard after jamal khashoggi is think is because of. two pacifying him. how they got that itself how they know about it i don't know that's not coming from the turks. dr saddle in fact he. the fact that the saudis have have up to this point delivered no no thought a formal explanation for this and that the trumpet ministration has hasn't really

shown any rush to to give one as as well what do you read into that specially given that this. leaking of information is continuing to trickle out through the turkish media. the saudis are known now when i say the saudis i mean the same man and his team they are not on now to be the culprits they are responsible for this crime and they wanted in liars in with trump on peel to create a story which absorbs mohammad mr nunn now he wanted to release that two days ago when he planned to admit responsibility in order to a told himself and put it on somebody else now the problem is information kept coming from the turks and nowhere which would falsify his report so he was stuck in needed he needs now to wait for the turks to finish the northern for his

falsified for his created reports to fit with the turks information about his bad luck. the information coming from the turks are encircling his neck and are approving more and more is a possibility and he is not going to do it without by waiting or by releasing a report now so that is why he is his is getting time and losing the report but the same time he is getting in trouble because he's dealing the report. as you've been hearing all of this it's pretty clear as well that we haven't heard we haven't got the to the bottom of the full facts of what happened here but we mentioned the washington post there in the introduction there and how they have published what they say his. last article so the indication there is they've drawn their own conclusions about this now as the as as far as mr fate what

message do you think that sends for press freedom. not just in in the arab world but but but as a whole. good question. what what we feel is the disappearance and alleged murder of mr jamal khashoggi is a clear message from a gene which does not tolerate any kind of criticism that with impunity they will go down and silence critics and if this happens and this is a for the says that we will see other targeted in the genes following the same path and the western world remaining silent because of the business deals they have with saudi arabia and these are targeted and regime so it's a very scary message that has come across but we also hope that because of this incident and as you correctly said in the introduction that people are looking

forward to getting more information people are eager to know and this pressure so building on saudi arabia as well as the united states which is a close ally of prince moment bin salomon. there is a hope in a hot start this will help promote press freedom that will be some reaction to this and we'll be able to build a come clean but we can ensure that press freedom is expanded things have things change in the arab world and not just in that rubble but around the world where more and more targeting regina's are using physical into. mitigation psychological intimidation and legal intimidation to silence journalists and you mentioned western governments there ravi is is the credibility of of us democracy at stake here as well given the way that they have responded to this the us democracy is a very vibrant if you see on the one hand we have the president on his coming.