council meeting for saturday. russia is now putting its full weight behind warning washington against intervention in minutes weyler while offering to barter negotiations to end the conflict. but the opposition says the time for talking is over. on the colombian side of the border venezuelans returned home with supplies nervous about what lies ahead because venezuelans know that the crisis in their country is entering into unchartered waters a confrontation between president maduro and his opponents between mughal and the united states and between the united states and russia and the only thing at this hour that they seem to be certain of is that there is total uncertainty about how all this will unfold. the u.n. high commissioner for human rights warns that the situation could quickly spiral out of control with catastrophic consequences you see in human al-jazeera.

still ahead here on al-jazeera why the european commission has reported that saudi arabia to a list of countries that pose a threat to the block. roleplay with a purpose and a group gives. three different realities. hello there we're still seeing quite a bit of wintery weather over parts of japan the satellite picture is showing plenty of cloud with us at the moment and there's plenty more following behind it giving us quite a bit of snow and some pretty strong winds as well things easy for action for us on sunday but on monday we'll see the clouds over to a more rain and snow for many of us here towards the west where it's a little bit milder than it has been we're looking at around six in beijing as we head through the next few days over for the towards the south and for many of us here it's quiet as it should be this time of year temperatures in shanghai around

ten we're looking at around twenty for us in hong kong no major changes really as we head through monday just a degree or higher for us in luzon it should also be a fine unsettled day the showers in the philippines are a bit further south and that's the way they're going to be as we head through the day on sunday as well so more showers expected hair for monday though we'll see what a weather over parts of java need to bali looks fairly so good for some of us here and some of the showers around singapore are also likely to be rather lively over towards the west and here we're still seeing a bit of cloud just make its way northward save a parson a pool that will of course be giving us some snow this is breaking up there as we had three sunday and then the showers are generally a bit for the south. the battle over the minimum wage heated up across the country today thousands of fast food workers walked off the job desperate for

a better way to choose if you give your average worker a little more money they're probably going to be able to pay maybe to spend a little bit more fifty right now to fifty k. pain. to survive in twenty first century america this weekend not. on al-jazeera. and again you're watching al-jazeera a reminder of our top stories this hour and the results of monday's referendum on a muslim dominated island in the southern philippines has overwhelmingly approved. eighty five percent of voters and in fact the formation of

a new autonomous region called tangs more following decades find. at least nine people have been killed. near a mine in brazil hundreds are still missing feared dead after the accident triggered the huge months. to come skated through nearby houses and. donald trump has backed down and agreed to temporarily and the government shutdown without getting the money he wants for a border war the us president signed a bill that will fund the government for three weeks. a long time ally of donald trump is back in court on tuesday charged with seven crimes that are linked to the investigation into russian meddling in the two thousand and sixteen presidential election stone is accused of being a conduit between troubles campaign and wiki leaks and lying about it how to call him reports now from washington d.c. . walking out of the federal courthouse in florida roger stone seems to be channeling his first political boss former president richard nixon the gesture of

a disgraced man who when faced with impeachment was forced to resign the presidency for stone his legal challenges are just beginning but he's vowing he won't testify against his long time friend us president donald trump as i have said previously there is no circumstance whatsoever under which i will bear false witness against the president nor will i make up lies to ease the pressure on myself i look forward to her calling and indicated special counsel robert muller says stone was talking to both the trump campaign and julian assange founder of wiki leaks about hacked e-mails from hillary clinton's campaign when asked about it by a congressional committee stole her allegedly lie we had a very frank exchange and then when a person promised to tell the committee the truth the indictment says stone sent an e-mail to him saying he should prepare to die and his dog would be killed as well it's very interesting to see the kind of people that the president of united states

have surrounded himself with in this connection to the integrity of our elections is obviously something we have to get to treat a bad wiki leaks has denied doing anything wrong and the president reacted in a tweet again calling it a witch hunt and that there was no collusion but this is the first indictment to clearly link the hacked e-mails with the trump campaign and bruce fein says more charges are still possible you can issue what's called superseding indictment and add counts that aren't there necessarily in the first grand jury allegations so you can say you hold it to ratchet it up say all right if you don't cooperate we're going to bring in more indictments against you so that's certainly a possibility roger stone has been known for decades as a man who ran. will simply dirty political tricks who doesn't back down sending that message by tattooing nixon's face on his back netflix even made

a documentary about him i revel in your hatred because if i were ineffective you would name me he's about to find out if he's crossed the line from controversial to criminal. behavior al-jazeera washington. more protests are expected in sudan after the leader of the largest opposition party called on president and i'll brush it to listen to people's demands and quit rights groups say at least fifty protesters have been killed in protests now in the sixth week and what began as an outcry against the rising price of bread and fuel has grown into the biggest challenge against precious thirty year rule reuters news agency is reporting the european commission has added saudi arabia to a draft list of countries that pose a threat to the european union the list includes countries seen as having a lax controls against terrorism financing and money laundering saudi arabia is already under international pressure over the murder of journalist to marcus o.-g. other countries already on the list include iran iraq syria yemen and north korea

the provisional decision needs to be endorsed by the twenty eight e.u. states before being formally adopted such as he reported on the israeli software used to spy on murdered saudi journalist american soldiers say they're being investigated in targeted by international undercover agents two men who work for citizen kind of based internet watchdog group have been limited to attend fake investor meetings over the past two months and the research is believed they were being secretly recorded as they discuss details of their work and personal lives it's unclear who the agents are working for thousands of people including indigenous australians have protested demanding that the national day be moved to a different date. it's not a filler brushing to die it's more of a it's a more of a morning for s.s. is that what floored it is a strain a day on january twenty sixth celebrates the anniversary of the british first fleet

arriving on the east coast back in seven hundred eighty eight but many denounced the events as invasion day where the colonists began massacring and marginalizing the country's first inhabitants success is a strain governments have refused to move the national there. have been keen to keep the plight of refugees on the agenda at the world economic forum in switzerland one aid group gave delegates a taste of what it's like to flee their home and risk their lives looking for safety. reports now from the us. it's a long way from the champagne and kind of plays that define the set. but even some of the world's most powerful people have been humbled by this experience of life as a refugee. when a soldier is yelling at you and there's no one else around you you become like everyone else you're just human why are we here at the world economic forum it's

the same goal to improve it's committed to improving the state of this world and our world and he's changing sixty eight million displaced people. who sits in this forum they are the people who can shape this world now living a very different experience of reality is real life refugee mohammed has a son muhammad here with the world economic forum's young global leaders program mohammed is a citizen of nowhere having spent twenty years living in kakuma camp outside nairobi the platform that the world economic forum provides i mean i it's tremendous and it has the potential to solve these problems and send a flavor to the camp and i don't know how things will be from there on but i hope that i'm a minister who has inspired enough people to act in bring tangible results to the coming we don't want to be there forgotten people forever so for all the talk about davos damp squib this year with headlining world leaders largely absent this is

still a place with three thousand of the world's most powerful most influential people meet each year most are not here to make headlines they're here to make deals and while it may be true as some critics of the world economic forum suggest that the global elite gathered here in davos has had a hand in breaking the global system that doesn't mean that they can't be involved in fixing it oxfam's executive director believes dabbles has an important role to play trump is no it. is not. may's not dealing with public i'm going to be our country's they've got to sort out the issues why didn't the other countries but this is a place for influence and there are big businesses here politicians and you would have media and then us who work with ordinary people i hear we're here to talk to each other and give each other frank miss it and find solutions. in the basement beneath her feet the refugee experience moved some to tears there's nothing like

a screaming soldier to make one seek an unlimited in the dark journal how al-jazeera davos switzerland. nigerians may not. position party has halted election campaigning for three days in protest at president muhammadu buhari suspending the chief justice. accused of failing to declare assets the opposition people's democratic parties say the allegations are politically motivated chief justice would like to rule on any disputed results in next month's general election if he's reinstated. kenya's serene beaches and pleasant climate of being a magnet for terrorists especially from europe but attacks in kidnappings by the own group al-shabaab in recent years have scant visits as a way how to day reports now from lima and about the impact on people whose lives depend on holiday make. the war on sunday because of can us long island tell the stories of its troubles in good times this bitch will be full of

tourists bringing much needed income for beach boys into a guides but holiday makers have shown that enormous results home after a spate of attacks by al-shabaab fights his people olivia say visit does a static through ton i would find it very peaceful and trying to. not notice it was lovely and i took us a picture. we sent them back and people say happy to say yeah that's a lovely first impression. i lent itself has largely been peaceful its proximity to somalia has worked against it. has been walking he has a beach boy for thirty years so we used to get it. done in the summer. don't change your i.q. but everything now becomes very tight and. it's hard for us organize

a long trip because people are still. about it's the kidnapping of a french tourist from this mode in two thousand and eleven which prompted the kenyan government to send its troops to somalia and more than eighty is the only the open ocean leaned into or portion protect the country still born in somalia and is slowly recovering from the effects of talks al-shabaab says it's a tox in kenya in response to the presence of kenyan troops in southern somalia. mohamed is an official of the la tour guides association he says there's been a decline in the number of visitors every time they talk anyway in case. reports by the media that the gunman who carried out the recent attack in nairobi passthrough lamu have affected us any attack anywhere in kenya some of the progress

we've made. was the government's warnings to their nationals against travel to the kenyan coast. every morning at the young men. it's these young men but what it does most. they say they're now planning and mumble festivals and cultural activities to attract more visitors to the island and hopefully help it regain its glorious past. believe its main city is facing a waste disposal crisis after a landslide that's rubbish dump cracks in the landfill exposed to dark liquid which community leaders say is dangerous for those living nearby streets are now piling up with garbage well thousands of kilometers away malays here is fast becoming the top destination for plastic waste were around the world people have been trying to

cash in on china's decision to stop buying discarded plastics for recycling and as far as louis reports this has created big environmental problems. punching him and his friends became environmental activists by accident the businessman and former village chief was spurred on by what was happening near his home state the number of plastic recycling factories had increased many of them illegally so. the smoke and the smell from the factories was too much for us to bear even in the middle of the night there was no response it's all told chung enforcement officials have since shut down thirty factories in the quality. of but authorities say there are hundreds more scattered across the country the industry is field by beijing's ban on plastic waste imports into china that came into effect this year and opened

up a gap in the market between january and july malaysia imported more than four hundred fifty thousand tons of plastic waste forty percent more than for the whole of two thousand and seventeen. so. countries the western countries the u.k. . why. why do. the countries being a country i think financially they are more comparable to treat this. not all plastic waste that ends up here can be recycled malaysia is now stuck with tons of plastic waste that will end up in landfills at huge financial and environmental costs that's not the only has a plastic waste poses this is a common practice by an regulated plastic recycling factory here rather than pay for waste collection they dump and burn whatever can't be recycled the stench here is unbearable. the plastic processing industry could end malaysia eight hundred

fourteen million dollars this year making the government of iraq tend to put a complete ban on imports of plastic waste for now but it is taking steps to limit imports of plastic waste but a plan to phase them out entirely within three years florence. state malaysia a french composer and three time oscar winner has died at the age of eighty six the girls correspond more than five decades the first one to be awarded nine hundred sixty nine for the song the windmills of your mind in the film the thomas crown affair. so this is a top stories and voters in muslim dominated parts of southern and in ireland in the philippines of overwhelmingly approved self rule eighty five percent of voters backed the formation of a new autonomous region called bangsamoro and monday's referendum was held after

agreement signed five years ago between rebel leaders and the government at least nine people have been killed and many more are feared dead after a near a mine in brazil but in water cascaded through nearby houses and farms. donald trump has backed down and has agreed to temporarily the government shutdown without getting the money he wants for mexico border war united states president signed a bill that will fund the government for three weeks the u.n. security council is set to meet later on saturday to discuss the political crisis in venezuela the us facts opposition leader. who's declared himself interim president that russia and china they supported it was with her. but as news agency is reporting the e.u. has added saudi arabia to a draft list of countries that pose a threat to the blog the list includes countries seen as having lax controls against terrorism financing and money laundering saudi arabia is already under

international pressure over the murder of the journalist democracy and provisional decision needs to be endorsed by the twenty eight e.u. states before being formally adopted researches he reported on the israeli software used to spy on murdered saudi journalist marcos would you say they're being targeted by international undercover agents two men who work for citizen canada based internet watchdog group have been lured to attend a fake investor meetings over the past few months researches believe they were being secretly recorded as they discussed details of their work and personal life it was unclear who these agents were working for nigeria's main opposition party has halted election campaigning for three days in protest at president mohammed who bihari suspending the chief justice will to on again is accused of failing to declare assets the opposition people's democratic party says the allegations are politically motivated designed to rail next month's general election. state with

the headline turn out to stop its inside story. campaigning begins in thailand it's the country's first elections in. two thousand and fourteen but will be free and. this is inside story.

welcome to the program. when thailand's last held an election five years ago it ended with mass protests and a coup several delays the military government has finally announced a general election for march twenty fourth campaigning is well underway three of the main players vying for seats into the democrat party the military and the posse of former prime ministers tax and. gas and just a moment but first this report from wayne hay in bangkok. the leaders of thailand's political parties are in full stride towards an election. after so many delays the announcement of a date was welcomed at the headquarters of the largest party who a time i. could not cooperate by it is time to set the future of our nation by voting for the right people to work for her country five years under military rule is longer than any democratic government we have had in the past eighty years by

the time i was in power when the military staged a coup in two thousand and fourteen it was the second time the army had removed a government led by the shin and what clan who have still had parties to every election win since two thousand and one. sibling's taksin and both former prime ministers are in exile avoiding jail terms for corruption and negligence the leaders of this party are worried the campaign and the election itself won't be free and fair enough particularly concerned that the courts could be used against them something that had plenty of experience with two previous versions of the party would dissolved by the courts for electoral fraud now there's a next hanging over her thai again three leaders with charged with sedition for violating the military's ban on political activities last year a guilty verdict could result in dissolution again as a safety net a back up party has been registered on monday we must believe in the judicial system and in democracy are we concerned yes we are but there's nothing we can do

about it what is best for now is to move forward and deliver our work most experts believe her thai will be the most popular party again but it may not get enough support to form a governing coalition and that could lead to more political instability after the election if the party that get more swarms in the house cannot form the government . and it's going to be the other way around then people might find that. there warts and not respect it whatever the outcome the ultimate power will remain with the military which will hand-pick the upper house he may also be an unelected prime minister. for the moment most thais have got what they've been asking for but the wrist still uncertain times ahead wayne hay al jazeera bangkok. well thailand has had twenty one attempted and successful military coups since one nine hundred thirty two the most recent was in two thousand and fourteen when the army took

power after a constitutional court invalidated an election result in two thousand and seventeen the new king signed a military draft constitution paving the way for a return to democracy then last month the government lifted its ban on political activities and earlier this week thailand's election commission announced the vote would be held on the last twenty four. for those bring in our guest today and joining us via skype from con ken in thailand is historian david struck first in bangkok the. pro-democracy election activists and those of us got from her in japan pavane charles pomponne associate professor at the center of the southeast asian studies at kyoto university a very warm welcome to all of you pavane if i could start with you the minute she has postponed these elections a number of times are they definitely going to take place now on march twenty

fourth. yeah i just hope that this time you know it will not force one once again i think that the current government has to be and extreme pressure from domestic audiences also from the international community to know as you said that it has on for forty five hattrick or here at this time. i think the government has shown that it had become rather effective you know in the past two years and with all this pressure i think. it's very difficult now for the government to to make any kind of course borman sole ok david did do you agree with that do you think that it's the pressure from inside not outside of thailand that force the military now after five years to finally bring about this vote well it's hard to say because of pressure within the country's premier league and of the free summary . so it's possible that the powers played

a role in this because the new king it was said wanted to have a no what action before he went to require nation ceremony. to tour or crowned in a democrat more democratic so there might have been factors well ok that's how democratic do you think this thailand's going to be i mean let's start with the election itself how free and fair is that likely to be. it's very unlikely first of all the government has refused to you know change is state us to become the caretaker government and by being the government with full authority it can do everything that the normal government before the election cannot for example it can pass any bill with the parliament without any opposition it can use the but debt freely including a budget that will oblige the next government it can morph around

and transferred to a government office or the way it like and it still has the article forty four with which enable the leader of the n.c.p. or the prime minister himself into to issue any order without any accountability so this is the context and the free and fair election is fairly very unlikely the media is still very much censored and with the special order to be able to ban any media any time or you've been shut down media it didn't see any time so this is this what we are before the election ok so probably if we look at the lay of the law and if we think that there is going to if we assume that is going to be no intervention from the military if we look at the poor thai party the democrat party of thailand's oldest policy in the country and the party that seems to be

aligned with the military the poland per shot policy which one is the most popular at the moment. well i mean if there has to be the. you know the after. four or five years in locking laps in a lot now running away from kind of country to be so highly but we have seen himself being overthrown in two thousand and six has been living in dubai mainly still again has has remained so popular for example he just has feast. day talk you know with the thai people from oversea and had that proved to be again you know a mash attracted you know by he supporter you know in the not in a not east region saw exactly because the government has become so ineffective and has failed so many policies that kind of make people realize that you know kasim will be the answer you know to what thailand needs during the past like years saw.

i had to guess then i think that i would still you know hole where the money warts and all saw as if that rape were and still want to you know by his support but then we cannot really and i'm under estimate all sort of broken that have the like you know with all the conditions set up in order to allow this party you know to win mall would as well and we haven't even talked about the constitution so i mean he could be a close call but i still think that should that should be election be whole be held free and fair to play tight my you know happy chance to we want any party david you think the military well let's quit i thought he went well i mean the bankers. and the military that represented the bank. have attempted over the last ten years or twelve years to try to. get taksin and more democratic leaning

groups. out of the sea and so the two thousand and six constitution set up a system in which they hope the good guy wouldn't win the put taiwan. in and i think that probably probyn is right that the tie is show it seems like here in the northeast. of the red shirt supporters of the good high had just gone into hibernation and now they're right back where they were that's and think people firsthand knowledge of the scene on the grounds of course that's a very texan friendly area should know what fundie area i mean they transfer the loyalty to you not when she also took the prime ministership how fall what inroads of the minute she managed to make into those rural areas because it has been giving out cash handouts rural subsidies. how far has it managed to win support over to

the side i don't think it appears to be very much i don't think anyone's mind was changed after this five years of somehow the coup was a good idea people still feel grief and then agreement comes from the from having their franchise. in the in the elections taken away so you know i think probably a good time will win but the constitution. that this new constitution sort of ensures that the that the election result will be meaningless because a even a coalition will not allow the the popular will of the majority to be expressed just expand a little bit on us all but for us this we call the new constitution that the military has thrown off and how that manages to consolidate its power even beyond the election. that's right. they will continue to i mean the

senate is already in the hands of that the military it will it take one quarter of the elected parliament to be able to elect a non earth is elected not elected member of parliament presumably the head of the military right now ok another there's also this twenty year national strategy isn't that that's a i've been reading about which again is drawn up by the military and the military says any new government must follow it what does that involve. the national strategy will play it its role after the new government is in place the implication is that because the content is draft that in a very vague manner and that's the rule that if the government in charge has issued any policy that is in conflict with the national strategy it can go.