for the president of the united states is wrong all want a north korea not going to give up nuclear weapons and iran not actually violating its nuclear agreement and i still i says will continue to be a threat not really defeated and the southern border not mentioned not a crisis the president was not happy and he took to twitter to call his own officials extremely passive and naive and in another tweet suggested perhaps intelligent should go back to school the president of the united states for two years this is a president who is mostly gone unchallenged by his cabinet by his party in congress but with seems to be changing now product line al-jazeera washington meanwhile u.s. and chinese officials have kicked off a pivotal round of trade talks in washington it's hoped the two day meeting will produce a way out of a months long trade war president jump and chinese president xi jinping agreed a ninety day truce in december but if no deal is reached the trees will come to an

end in march and the u.s. will increase tariffs on chinese goods you know with al-jazeera live from london more still ahead for you on the program the united arab emirates is accused of using spyware attack the i phones of rival diplomats in linda's and britain's prime minister meets the opposition leader to try to agree a new bracks is approach but you need is a saying no new deal will be offered. we've got further flooding rains coming into northern queensland over the next couple of days nasty system this continuing here could see another two hundred fifty millimeters of rain for townsville as we go on through the next day or two so staying particularly wet for the flash flooding who's likely to be on the cards who

seem to be useful rainfall rather welcome rain coming down in the southeastern corner breaking the hates. the bush fires still burning across parts of tasmania but hopefully the the weather should help out here twenty two celsius for melbourne so well doubt the sort of values that we was seeing a little earlier on in the way the temperatures they are starting to rise over tools west thirty seven celsius there for perth that hate will roll through the by adelaide goes from twenty five to about thirty one as we go on into friday further north where the continuing across a good part of central and northern queensland we will gradually see some rain making its way into new zealand as well as we go through the next couple days and more cloud just starting in here but for the time being stick an absolutely fabulous and warm summer sunshine twenty four twenty five celsius across a good part of the country to see how the rain making its way towards south out of that will be as we go on into friday the temperatures still doing quite nicely.

the plundering of armenia's natural riches has uprooted residence and desecrated the habitat of some of europe's most endangered species. but a remarkable campaign by local residents is challenging the mike to the country's investors and putting high hopes on its newly elected prime minister people in power investigates armenia mining out the left. on a. back the top stories this hour that is while a self to guide interim president on thousands of supporters has been rallying

today. calling for the military to stop supporting the elected leader president nicolas maduro a saudi led coalition in yemen says they have attacked ten who see rebel training camps outside the port city of data the coalition has been attempting to retake the key strategic ports since june and the bodies of at least fifty two migrants and refugees have been found after two boats capsized off djibouti the boats were carrying at least one hundred thirty people and many a still missing. well the stories we're following closely at least eight people have died as a poet of vortex brings a once in a generation deep freeze to a large swathe of the united states and canada it's been colder in some parts of the midwest the northeast and us than than in antarctica. john hendren reports now from michigan. in arctic freezing envelops the american midwest bringing dangerous cold in record low temperatures this is an event unlike any we've seen in

a generation i think it's really important that we protect people the arctic air of the polar vortex is sweeping the region driving temperatures down to thirty below zero celsius that you've got those o'hare airport with wind chills in the suburbs making it feel like minus forty eight the predicted low of minus thirty three at o'hare on thursday would be chicago's lowest temperature in recorded history the weather system stretches across a huge swath from the dakotas in the north that minus thirty degrees celsius to maine in the east and as far south as alabama. to prevent freezing chicago sets the train tracks on fire schools police offices and businesses are closed even a few minutes exposure to temperatures this low can cause frostbite one local forecaster is warning if you shut your eyes for too long they can freeze closed it's that kind of cold. the frigid air that forms the polar vortex once spun around

the stratosphere over the north pole but its current now disrupted is pushing down into the u.s. the arctic blast leaves a mess of crashed cars and broken pipes with days to go before the cleanup begins john hendren al-jazeera willis michigan. hundreds of schools have been closed in the thai capital as toxic smaug chokes the city a thick haze is hung over bangkok for weeks now increasing fears about the health of residents on wednesday students were sent home from school as the authorities try to manage the situation there blaming the problem on traffic themes construction crop burning and pollution from factories. the u.a.e. has been accused of using spying software tax the i phones of activists diplomats and rival foreign leaders voices news agency investigation found the u.a.e. used a tool known as comets and want to see hundreds of people in two thousand and sixteen and seventeen among the targets castle's amir a senior turkish official and human rights activists the hackers stole photos

emails text messages location information and pos words well two of the reuters journalists involved in the investigation christopher ping and joel shechtman have been speaking to al-jazeera about what they on covet they gave more details of how the hacking happened and the tools that we used. q. finding was the existence of project raven which is a cyber mercenary unit in the united arab emirates that was largely staffed by former us intelligence operatives country hired these people over to a contractor to essentially run their own office of cyber program so this included surveillance of dissidents journalists rivals in the region and as we found out in our story it also eventually included the law americans karma was a was a cyber weapon that was used by project or even to infiltrate and to hack into the i phones of opponents or enemies of the u.a.e. and what made it really unusual was that like with most of these types of exploits

or hacking tools you know will send somebody an e-mail or send somebody a text message and they have to kind of trick them into clicking on that link right and that's usually the trick here what was really unusual is that all you needed was the person's phone number or email address and it would automatically send a text message to that person then you have to click on it they need to interact with it all he would just automatically begin to infiltrate the person's i phone all they need to do is receive the message and then from there or the the tool could begin to just download all the person's photographs all of their e-mails all their location data. and you know all their i messages there is a great interesting to tar obviously because that is a kind of a regional rival of the u.a.e. specifically they went after a lot of members of the royal family including the emir of qatar himself they were able to hack into his i phone and or at least an i phone at least we know it to be an i phone that was used by him and the i phones of many of his family members and

you know people associated with the royal court. so news from sudan the deputy head of one of the country's main opposition parties has been questioned by security forces. on the family say she was arrested at home in the capital of khartoum along with several other party members before being released hours later her father is the former prime minister's sadik on the day his return from exile last month coincided with the start of protests against president bashir his government well the arrest came hours after the intelligence chief ordered the release of protesters who'd been detained here but morgan has more on that from our tim in the safety of her home sabra which is not her real name recounts the details of what happened to her nearly two weeks ago she says she was taking part in anti-government protests in her tombs eastern district of buttery when security forces started firing tear gas and live ammunition which forced her and more than

twenty others to seek shelter in a home. armed men broke the door and stormed into the house they treated us like war criminals not like unarmed protesters they arrested us and told us to walk in front of them as we walked the men started touching the girls including me on our private parts and called us demeaning names they took us to an open square. and some were brutally beating the boys. anti-government demonstrations started in mid december over rising bread prices they quickly morphed into demands that president obama and his thirty year in security forces have been accused of using excessive force with bullets and tear gas used to disperse armed protesters the government says twenty nine people have been killed since protests began but rights groups say that number is at least fifty and over a thousand arrested. on tuesday sudan's intelligence chief announced that arrested

will be really nice the ruling national congress party says it understands the grievances of the youth and will try to make reforms. we've embarked on a youth to youth dialogue to accommodate the dreams and aspirations of young people that have not been met by political parties we understand now that the political reforms have addressed the grievances of politicians but not everyone in sudan these youth are aware and are connected to the issues facing the nation even if they're not politically allied with the protests have become the biggest challenge to president bush here and his ruling party since he came to power and in a country that has seen two uprising which led to new governments this is the longest wave of anti-government protests some analysts say that attempts by the government to appease those protesting won't end the demonstrations. or the government releasing the prisoners is an attempt to show those protesting that the government is serious about wanting dialogue with the youth but hours later they arrested opposition figures this will agitate the protesters more and the fact that the protesters have lost lives during demonstrations and have seen the brutality by

security forces all of which have been recorded and distributed on social media wiped any attempt by the government to end the crisis. sada says that despite the abuse she faced she and many others are still determined to continue protesting against the government and. what they did affected us emotionally we have experienced what was heard and read on social media about how they were dealing with the protesters it's her ific but we will continue to protest until the government goes away. protesters have called from one to man's creations in the coming weeks to continue demanding that president bashir step down but if he remains defiant there are concerns of more arrests and violence to come people morgan argues their own. well here british prime minister to resign may is met with the opposition leader jeremy corbyn to try to find some common ground on a deal for leaving the european union parliament has given her a two week deadline to renegotiate the agreement with the e.u.

want but isn't a deal barba now reports the new appears to be holding firm. westminster one day closer to breaks it down and whisper it signs of cross party efforts to find a way forward jeremy corbett leader of the opposition labor party finally held direct talks with prime minister to resume a he previously refused until she ruled out a no deal bricks it was very pleased that the house voted yesterday to take no deal off the table the promise assurance that we were not back into the territory or threatening no deal as a way of getting support failed deal which is obviously got very limited support in home and the prime minister the parliament also voted to pass to reserve raise bricks that deal if she can negotiate changes to the so-called irish backstop the house did vote to reject no deal but that cannot be the end of the story the only way the rise of a genuine. i think i think that's the first time he's actually accepted that you

can't just vote to reject no deal you have to vote for a deal was. well that prospect may be looming large or at least that's what the head of the european commission told the parliament in brussels from time to time i have to push and. some hope that the twenty six other countries. at the last minute but this is. the e.u.'s chief negotiator. it was also resolute calling the withdrawal agreements the best and only means of avoiding a hard irish border that could threaten the historic good friday agreement. the backstop is not being dogmatic it is a realistic solution throughout the negotiations under your control since we sought solutions to the problems created by brics itself in particular but not only in ireland and while islands clearly worried about

a new deal brics it dublin says some considerations trump economic interests we need a backstop or insurance mechanism based on legal certainty and not just wishful thinking for now we're left with mixed messages from the politicians here m.p.'s have said no to no deal without any clarity or consensus on how to stop it just a green light for reason made to try once again to tweak that deal that she reached with brussels well she's now said she realizes it won't be a breeze that could well be an understatement but the barber al-jazeera london french police could face legal action over their use of force training yellow vests protest or than two thousand people both protesters and police have been injured since the demonstrations started in november over economic issues in france the government has defended the use of force by police but rights groups are now seeking about a lease of rubber bullets which are blamed for many of the injuries. now thousands

of forma service members have gathered in new delhi to demand the money promised to them through a school called one rank one pension it's the first of many planned rallies by various groups who are fed up with india's wessling social economic conditions mohammed jam jim has mall. demonstrators in new delhi former indian army officials gathered to express their mounting frustration ahead of elections in the coming months army men are very angry with. all men because they're not fulfilling the promise read them a letter the soldier. whenever he makes a promise even if yes to sacrifice is like he's ready to do that we don't thinking what would happen to his family what will happen boozed children and everyone to find out. that unfulfilled promise is a scheme known as the one ring one pension the program was supposed to provide an equal amount of attention paid to defense personnel retiring in the same room and

with the same length of service regardless of their date of retirement over two million x. servicemen and hundreds of thousands of war widows stand to be the immediate beneficiaries. really not asking so drew is really not asking for the. it is a little late which this should not have been a does food old easy is this gathering marks the beginning of nine days of planned protests near parliament to highlight what participants say is the worsening socio economic conditions under the government of prime minister narendra modi who came to power in two thousand and fourteen at the time one of the main promises he made was to implement the equal pension plan demonstrators say it still hasn't happened . maybe he had promised the man one rank one pension in his twenty's the election rally if they supported him in the twenty fourteen elections the army men fulfilled their promise and supported ninety and helped him become the pm but he has forgotten his promise government if. say they've begun implementing the policy but

these demonstrators say that's not the case now in the run up to this year's general election many will continue to ask when or if this long standing demand of the indian armed forces and veterans will be met. as. finally hundreds of dehydration baby flamingos of being nursed back to health after being rescued from a drought in south africa the chicks were transported eight hundred kilometers to a bird sanctuary in cape town from their home confidante one of only three flamingo breeding grounds in southern africa more than five hundred chicks have been abandoned by their parents after the dam ran dry after four months i'll be released back into the wild on a adorable. just

a quick recap of the top stories this hour venezuela's self declared interim president has joined thousands of supporters rallying in caracas they are calling for the military to stop supporting the elected leader president nicolas maduro but during a signal he is willing to negotiate as international pressure turns still. president grows the doors close ally russia says it wants to help facilitate talks with the opposition. if this mediation sees any attempt to include any kind of preconditions the next kind of mediation is unlikely to be fruitful or useful it is unlikely to be supported we call upon the opposition to use refuse ultimatums into work to cuba independently god is only by the interests of the scene as well and people that you. the saudi led coalition in yemen says they've attacked ten who see rebel training camps outside the port city of data the u.a.e. foreign minister and margaret said the coalition would use what he called

calibrated force to push through these out of the data the coalition has been attempting to retake the key strategic port since june. and our other headlines the bodies of at least fifty two migrants and refugees have been found after two boats capsized off djibouti the boats were carrying at least one hundred thirty people sixteen were rescued but many others still missing thousands of migrants from the horn of africa trying to cross from the arabian peninsula where they hope to find work in the gulf. the u.s. and chinese officials have kicked off a pivotal round of trade talks in washington it's hoped the two day meeting will produce a way out of a months long trade war presidents trump and payne agreed a ninety day truce in december but if no deal is reached the trees will come to an end in march and the u.s. will increase tariffs on chinese goods. and the hundreds of schools have been closed in the thai capital as toxic small chokes the city a thick haze is hung over bangkok for weeks increasing fears about the health of

its residents on wednesday students were sent home from school as the authorities try to manage the situation. well that's it for myself and the team here in london that will be more news at the top of the next hour from doha our time now for people in power stay with us. from sunrise to sunset across asia. the pacific explore untold and fascinating story one o one it's on al-jazeera. a new government came to power in armenia amid widespread optimism that its leader they coped with in decades of corruption and economic mismanagement but now his administration faces a major dilemma whether to proceed with a huge be defined mining project but some are warning will cause enormous

environmental damage and one of the world's rarest animal species. the former soviet republic of armenia has witnessed dramatic changes in the last twelve months. a bloodless revolution led by journalist turned politician nicole pushing and promised an end to decades of corrupt rule this. is just one a snap election and for the first time in years there is hope to ms m o first priority is to continue. to call it was and to make

a real difference to see not minion because. all mania has enjoyed years of blockades imposed by its neighbors turkey and azerbaijan the country's economy never really recovering from the collapse of the u.s.s.r. . previous governments resorted to leasing its mineral rich benton's to foreign mining concerns it was driven by need for revenue but it also cools and momus and won a mental damage even worse say some of the economic benefits were only ever enjoyed by a few new army of polish will probably a lot. there's still no room go to next to the world notion. of cool loss of slumbers in the who she said beautiful show but it will let the police. have the latest of these mining projects is proving hugely divisive

supported by the previous government and poised to begin work it is said to exploit a massive gold deposits in the south of the country but it is being blockaded by activists who believe that profits are less important than amin is unique environment you can't drink gold or you can't eat gault you can't just bury gold you need pure environment for life. what happens next for the mine goes ahead all the activists win the battle lies in the hands of the new prime minister nicole pushing in. it's a decision that could affect the future of his administration and threaten the ecosystem and even the fate of one of the world's most imperiled animal species. tiny landlocked all mean year is the oldest christian country in the world. blessed with rich soils it is also considered to be the birthplace of wine and even

today agriculture forms the mainstay of the economy. the magnificent mind ararat where many believe the remains of noah's ark will one day be found is the national symbol. today the mountains of armenia like the fabled on remain a refuge for many endangered animals the hunting ground of the world's rarest big cat the koch asian leopard of which there are estimated to be only ten left in the country. this unique footage was captured by trial cameras. alexander more caution a rule authority on the reclusive animal has been charting the leopard's battle for survival for over twenty years as an awful events and outdated dodig what it.

was shelagh the birds so show up short i missed it. and as such i'm not going to be a lot of color loaf. around our not where the boston is i'd say. what you're not going of course up to get rid of. but the fate of this magnificent beast hangs in the balance with the new mind ready and waiting to get into production. yes there are lots of players that many of. them where you are but it was enough to go. deep within the karabakh ridge a mountain called amel saw which translates as the barren place is ironically the side of a massive gold deposit discovered by anglo-american mining company lydian international who intend to extract the precious metal by means of a controversial he pleasing process. may be an international is

a biggest for any western culture during the last for been years we invested about five hundred billion over this project is very important for the economy or. we designed the project to be. environmentally. safe first of all he pleased ethnology doesn't have to face down there is no issues with water no issues with the health of community. but local see things differently and fearful that their lives are about to change forever. the tourism in the free trade which have always been their main source of income will be destroyed if the mind goes ahead. spurred on by the recent revolution for the last six months protesters have blocked all roads to the

mountain stopping for the mine construction. first we leave out the our cars then we bring and now we bring temporary hall was this really this is the place we are living now. this is our scene well that's we must save on the side we thought our mom i know we're almost sorry and on we must save eat right home i kill him not going to while we're on last night where we jump are you going to tell your son john i would get your rights your borders are loved you document your for to conquer go to see i born or two or none of them made her michael jordan got all boards with. many. have come to this remote sports to support the book and he does. people like annie from the capital yerevan he was a seven year old son and. every time i go to. his

us can need to stay with him and i just explain him that if i don't go. who who can go so i feel it's some moral duty to go there and to stand with them anyway it's a little bit difficult because i'm a girl and they're all boys but i can say that during this months we became just like family. let us know when there's just this sort of this nice woman ya got so she'll bastardo here sure sure just leave it like what it. would do but wrench with. the blockade has proved from markedly effective. the machinery and trucks lie idle the project is literally frozen. which is. it's about hollywood or but now it's more because we're lost people. professionals we

have a mean eight hundred thousand two hundred seventy contracts. the blockade is making some people jittery because of the wider implications. for not coming one day close all the mines because they will have basically you will be destroyed a big part of your budget thousands and thousands of people will be out of the job armenia's titular head of state president sarkozy and used to be on the board of lydian the blockaders believe he's just one of many power brokers backing the mind his role was more of brokering this potential big investment into into the country as opposed to anything else. on my side has been a fixer for this mining project and we wanted to. we actually

asked him directly questions of what was his role and asked him to disclose information that is particularly important at the moment. he denied to disclose information when you join a board you sign of the shallot. my cautious is absolutely clear what i did absolutely clear. non the less the blockade is a wary of the president preferred to put their faith in armenia's new prime minister nicole pushing him on his shoulders the future of the minaya rests a political ad side and in a fired man of the people last spring the shinya was swept into office on an unprecedented wave of popular support. he promised to end the endemic corruption that had dogged his country under the decade long rule of former

president says sykes sound of the republican party his attempt to stay in power by becoming prime minister had set off a political earthquake. the legitimacy i mean social. psychological edge over a public good port was there they were not popular even ten years ago with this except to get the truth. pushing in a former political prisoner began a long march from the west of the country to the capital yerevan much of the time with his wife at his side in her right at the. heart of it sent up well i thought what. we had a good hour to get it behind our back to someone else almost and like the slumlord yes at home in christiane's us that's a bargain that's the good knots i levels most economists that. with hundreds of thousands of supporters on the streets demanding he become prime minister instead

of socks in pushing an issue in power in a velvet revolution. he immediately set about tackling corruption with high profile cases like the mayor of yerevan his numerous mansions were filmed by a drain the video of which went viral on the internet. people who are incensed love the options to push you know the. nearest available well those are. those that still can look up you. know to see you sprouted leaves a perfume in the in your bus almost of them a bit of a culture of corruption came from the soviet era and it wasn't it wasn't fought within the early stages of army as independence just like it was the case on other in.