now there's going to keen sense of expectation here i mean these thirteen representatives thirteen delegations represent very disparate views seven of the eight european union countries supporting the interim president one way door countries in latin america specifically bolivia still giving their support to legalism adored all while europe y. and mexico are very neutral on this hoping they can bring these disparate disparate views together to come to some kind of agreement about the way forward what will be much much harder will will be whether that agreement which will put to the united nations will then be acceptable to the two very polarized views in venezuela itself as you mentioned nicolas maduro has said he does support the talks. right bill has said that that is merely a delaying tactic by the president to try and manipulate the situation so that he can stay in power so you're far more skeptical but this is what is happening this is the big international push to try and find some kind of solution to this is what this problem although it's going to be very difficult this is what there is this is

possibly the best hope that venezuela has of finding some kind of way forward they've given themselves i believe don't you you are saying a ninety day timeline. i suspect they may need all the bans actually because you've got to almost a movable objects in the form of with the murderers the boy though. well i mean the very fact they've been given themselves ninety days seems to indicate some kind of pessimism on the part of the negotiators saying they will disband this organization at the end of those ninety days if they can't reach an agreement so yes a great deal of skepticism pessimism on all sides but as i've said they have to be seen to be doing something this is the best hope they have of finding a way forward. ok. missing in montevideo hoping for some word from those european and latin american leaders. but while the talks

are happening venezuelan people are becoming increasingly desperate inflation's up ten million percent now there is a dire need for food and medicine to rise above has more on that we're here at this hospital in the city of venice to learn a mixtape the fans who are they get this is about four hours away from the capital god i guess there's all of those long lines of people with children waiting to be treated the reason why is because most of them are suffering from body vomiting and diarrhea the main course we're being told is that a pipeline broken contaminated the drinking water you can see the amount of children that are just waiting here for them to get treatment we were able to go inside the hospital and there is at least three children in each one of those beds the doctors are telling us that they simply do not have a syringe is by all takes and many of the other thing they need in order to be able to treat them so far fourteen children have already died here because of this issue

two of them died last night all of this is happening as president. appeared on state television. saying that venezuela is getting ready to fulfill its own need well of pharmaceutical among other things is also saying that we won't allow humanitarian aid into the country the request by the united nations and n.g.o.s is that both sides the government and the opposition not politicize the current situation the humanitarian crisis that exists here and that the main object it should be to help those who are in the. and serve a look at what's coming up for you on this news not in step with everything in iran we're looking at the powerful role played by the revolutionary guards are dozens of refugees stranded in cyprus for more than twenty years are finally getting their british passports. on paul recent stock home where the government's refusal to fund a winter games bid could put the city at the forefront of

a new cheaper olympic movement. to the stalemate over brags that now and to resume a heading back to london after talks with the leaders in brussels she met the european commission president john could younger e.u. leaders still holding firm on their stance not to make any changes to the deal that's already on the table before leaving the british prime minister spoke to reporters vowing to deliver briggs it on time that means leaving the european union on march twenty ninth we've had robust discussions but they've been constructive what i've said hodges are clear position that we must secure legally binding changes to the withdrawal agreement to deal with the concerns that parliament has over the backstop and taking that changes to the backstop together with the other work that we're doing on workers' rights and other issues will deliver a stable majority in parliament and that's what i will continue to push for now

it's not going to be easy but crucially president and i have agreed that talks will now start to find a way through this to find a way to get this over the line. more on this with nave barker he's reporting from brussels. this is the first last ditch attempt by the british government to try and salvage a deal you between the u.k. and the european union treason may was forced pretty much to come back here to the e.u. to try and rework withdrawal agreement after it was resoundingly defeated in a vote of the british parliament in the middle of january m.p.'s then table to see these amendments one of them had the backing of parliament calling for her to come back here to try and find alternative arrangements to the so-called backstop just to remind you that's the insurance policy to avoid the return of a hard border between northern ireland and the republic of ireland that's a backstop would at the end of a two year transition period if no alternative arrangement is in place mean that

the u.k. remains are aligned in a trade sense with the european union that's very unpopular amongst hardline breck cities who want to make a clean break from e.u. membership there's also you know time limits on the backstop and there's no way of the u.k. being able to leave it you know laterally despite hopes of being able to send a clear message to the e.u. here in brussels that a battle for britain is to reason may put it the e.u. have been very firm and very clear they will not open the withdrawal agreement they will not renegotiate the backstop but they have given the slimmest of possible lifelines the possibility of restoring or reiterating the political commitment to making sure that the aims of having a backstop are tall only temporary are only an insurance policy to break cities and kryten want more than promises from the e.u. they want things to be legally binding john johnson with us now politics reporter

for the news website politics home in london nice to have you with us john. the e.u. is just not really giving an inch i mean just talking about maybe the idea of a little self but they're not giving an inch i just wonder the almost the point in theresa may going to brussels should be going back there again they do not look like they're going to move at all no they don't but after the votes in parliament last month on the on the brady amendment and in terms of ditching the irish backstop she she had to go back it's the only way she's going to be able to get the support of her own party is to get some kind of changes on this process but as you say the e.u. are just not interested in shifting they have been very clear that the withdrawal agreement the legal text will not be reopened and therefore it's hard to see a way through for either side in order to get a deal at the moment ok let's switch then to westminster and what series

a may has to achieve there her opposite jeremy corbin the labor leader has started talking today about softer brags that can you explain to us the significance of that sort of move and if it makes to resume his life a bit easier. well you know this is a move from jeremy corbyn you know fifty days away from the u.k.'s exit dates originally labor had what they called their six tests through which they viewed any breakfast deal the prime minister's last deal did not meet those six tests and therefore they did not support it but in this quite surprising intervention today he's written this letter to the prime minister saying that he would be willing to back a breakfast deal if it contained certain demands which he's put forward now the main one there is a. u.k. wide customs union that keeps us aligned with the e.u. he said if if to resume a would would move on that he would then put his party behind it but it's seems

very unlikely to resume is going to pivot to that kind of that kind of deal at this stage because to use an old phrase briggs it means briggs that doesn't that that's what she says and to commit to anything which sort of doesn't mean brags that all commits to keeping the u.k. as you say more aligned with the you is not something which i've you know she personally composite but a lot of her party can't correct and if she moved in that way it would split her party entirely which i think is is part of jeremy corbin's thinking he's been accused of blocking breck said by kind of saying there was no circumstance in which he would back a deal so he's put forward this seeming compromise that appeals certainly to the e.u. in some regards appeals to some of the moderates than the tory party but like you said it would cause a major splits in the conservative but benches have to reason they moved in that direction what's your feeling about march twenty ninth then i mean it is it's just coming up so quickly do you think anything can be achieved in the next what did you

say fifty days. well yeah it's fifty days today where we're certainly racing towards that. i think it's unlikely that jeremy corbyn is deal will really get a look ken we never know when it gets to the final stage between a new deal bret said and a softer brett said m.p.'s me just jump in that direction what is clear from this today is that jeremy corbyn is increasingly moving away from the possibility of a second referendum which many people thought held a possible opportunity i know an exit door for us to get out of this process but that seems increasingly unlikely now good in the store at john johnston from politics home good talking to you thank you m.p.'s in sudan the condemned the killing of protesters by police they called on security forces to release all detained demonstrators and to stop the use of excessive force police have used tear gas and live bullets to disperse the protesters human rights activists say at least

forty five people have been killed since the demonstrations began in december after a rise in the price of bread the protesters are demanding the resignation of president bashir more from him and he's in culture. protests broke out once again here in the sudanese capital khartoum and arrests have been made by the police security forces and that's particularly in the center of the copt of khartoum where protesters gathered several times and they were dispersed by the police using tear gas many arrests were recorded by activists and the president over the night met with the chief editors of the local newspapers and to the need for launching a national dialogue an order to get the country out of the crisis today also he's meeting with their percentage of several parties that are within the ruling coalition it's the high committee for coordination for the national dialogue and sudanese say that observers here say that usually when this committee nice meets

with the president it means that probably some serious decisions are going to be taken and the general public is impatient to see the government delivering on the promises of opening the dialogue and listening to the demands of the protesters the united states says it is cutting some military age to cameroon because of allegations of human rights violations that's after video circulated online or just said to show security forces shooting and killing civilians cameroon corporately quote of. the group boko haram we have got out and they are queer with us now deputy director for advocacy and government relations at amnesty international usa joining us from washington d.c. first of all just put it into context first how important was the u.s. cameron relationship and what sort of scale of aid and military support was the u.s. giving. well the relationship is absolutely important boko haram

has destabilized the lake chad basin area which includes cameroon chad each year and nigeria and as the nigerian counter insurgency began to have success boko haram moved its forces and operations and activities further east and began to destabilize more of cameroon so an effective partner is essential for trying to sort of i finally kind of end the insurgency in terms of the assistance of the united states had security trainers that had advisors there was also a joint military initiative with all of the countries that are impacted by boko haram and cameroon was a part of that. so it in terms of what was was cut some excessive excess military supplies some additional equipment. for planes

perhaps not absolutely critical but certainly important and perhaps even more importantly the message that it's attached to about human rights violations well this is what is going to ask you because it seems that the u.s. is moving fairly quickly and decisively with regards to cameroon and human rights violations but you could argue there are any number of other countries where it should be making or could be making the same steps and isms. that is absolutely true consistency is one of the most frustrating things. that we're in terms of human rights and the positive steps on cameroon unfortunately are not being mirrored by equal pressure on one jury a which is who security forces are equally complicit in torture as well as egregious human rights violations one could look at the u.s. military support that's been provided to countries like egypt or to countries like

saudi arabia so in some ways this this development is extreme it is positive i think it is a result of both the internal deliberations in the state department and a steady increasing expressions of concern and anger from congress and hopefully it will lead to a reorientation in the trumpet ministration to be more consistent in haste placing human rights in the center of its foreign policy you talked about the fight against boko haram and now important this relationship was does this effectively help boko haram at this point. no i think what it does is it sends a message to the cameroon security forces that business as usual is no longer acceptable and that they need to change and initiate and serious reforms the abuses that we're talking about not only terrorized the population and the people that the security forces are supposed to protect but it potentially also radicalize certain people it

created grievances and it certainly cut off any kind of cooperation with the security forces in counterinsurgency efforts all of those i think would have aided boko haram more than what is going on here and the relationship is not ended it's just basically been suspended certain parts of it so it's i think an or an opportunity for cameroon and for the other countries in the alliance to sort of revisit their obligations to comply with human rights how to teo acquire from amnesty international good to talk to you thank you. thank you iran's revolutionary guard it was a stab in the wake of the islamic revolution forty years ago to protect its ideals since then its role has expanded making it a powerful institution one which the united states calls a terrorist organization and then to the reports now from beirut as we approach this forty year anniversary of the revolution its influence extends beyond the

country's borders. they call them the guardians of iran what began as a voluntary force is now an organized military institution with influence in the corridors of power the revolutionary guard was founded to protect the islamic revolution. fourteen years later it is not just a more than one hundred thousand strong land sea and air force this commander acknowledges a role in politics and the economy but says it is not driven by interests. that those who joined the revolutionary guards did so to provide security they should be politically but that doesn't mean they should join any party they are also involved in the economy not to make profit in times of peace they should help the poor who are facing tough conditions. others see their role differently they

say the guards empowered by the supreme leader have interfered in iranian politics the besiege voluntary unit was used to crush protests in two thousand and nine former guards have entered political life fielding candidates in elections as well as occupying top positions like the presidency guard commanders have also spoken out against president hassan rouhani for negotiating the two thousand and fifty nuclear deal with world powers including the united states the guards is also an economic player it was heavily involved in reconstruction at the end of the war with iraq decades ago now it runs construction. police and their businesses the revolutionary guards is not just a powerful institution in iran it exported the revolution and expanded iran's influence beyond its borders states mainly armed actors in lebanon syria iraq and gaza received arms and training it was one of the reasons why the us doesn't

need the guards a terrorist organization. could force is the branch that operates abroad it's commander us and so many is portrayed as a national hero here his forces helped ensure syrian president bashar assad survival and hezbollah's dominance in lebanon's parliament has given iran's influence through legitimate channels. it's no longer a secret that hezbollah is creation and went on was under the auspices and support of the revolutionary guard training camps were established in syria and then lebanon hezbollah was one of their greatest accomplishment back home the guards often display their military might it oversees the controversial ballistic missile weapons program which the west wants curbed iran's position has been one of defiance a position echoed by guard commanders who have made their political stance clear there will be no negotiations they say in a message that could be directed not just to their enemies abroad.

we've got it with us now the dean of middle east studies at johns hopkins school of advanced international studies author of the book the dispensable nation nice to have you with us listening to his report there in the detail she provided it makes me wonder and i'd like your opinion is there are more important and more significant or more powerful force in iran than the revolutionary guards you know the the supreme leader is that the supreme leader still incredibly powerful. well it's not unique to iran the number of countries in which the military dominates the economic sector dominates the political sector and defines the country's foreign policy and the revolutionary guards for an effective purposes or iran's military force and over the years they have become much more influential in deciding the direction of iran's politics the influence decisions on social

issues on foreign policy issues on the economic issues and their footprint in the iranian economy has grown so it is a very powerful force and its and its position comes from the fact that it has tentacles in every aspect of iranian life so you use the word influence which is correct but does it turn into interference at some stage does it does that power almost get too much well. in any country the military should not be interfering in the civilian sector saw eggs or size of influence on this of ilion sector at some level is interference i mean that's basically parsing words so much like many other third world militaries the revolutionary guard does not observateur. of civil military relations it actually sees itself as having a say on varieties of issues that are beyond just military and security considerations the more about the revolutionary guards influence outside of iran

again mention didn't report she talked about places like syria iraq lebanon and gaza again i wonder is there a you know. a more influential force in in the middle east itself. probably not i don't think there is any single military unit from within the region that has the expansive footprint of the revolutionary guards and he's capable of carrying out operations in a vast area a variety of countries from iraq syria lebanon and yemen and the reason for that is that iran has a particular strategic doctrine visa video region it sees its interest in the region reflected in having a footprint in the arab countries and the revolutionary guards and particularly the courts brigades are essentially the units that are charged by iran's rulers in order to implement those strategic objectives to make sure that iran is

present in key arab countries that this interests are protected and that they further iran's position support iran's allies counter iran's enemies in those indows territory would you anticipate its role changing any further mean the reason we're having this discussion is because it is forty years on from the revolution and the gods have changed so much in that time how do you see it evolving well the main evolution that's been happening in the gars that they have they have been sort of reinventing themselves more as a national force rather than an islamic force their will created if you would as the as the guardians of the islamic revolution and now increasingly in the popular mind set in iran they are casting themselves as as the military force that defends iran as the as the defenders of the national sovereignty but in terms of influence in economics influence in the region influence in iranian politics in terms of

growing at them as a military force there's no sort of right now brake on the path of the momentum they have for growth something has to happen to push the guards out of one of these arenas and right now that's not happening since been really interesting talking to you about this thank you for joining us. thank you thank you now in egypt constitutional changes are being proposed to extend president out the father l.c.c. stay in power the opposition in parliament has rejected this but they still largely to pass after which would go to a referendum as more. its supporters say it's a crucial step to ensure stability opponents though their country is moving to a talk or see egypt seems divided over a package of amendments introduced and approved by a pro-government bloc in parliament that changes extend presidential term limits to

six years instead of four specifically mentioning the current leader of the fatah has sisi but they have to be approved by parliament and put to a referendum if the amendments get a yes vote it could pave the way for president sisi to stay in power until twenty thirty four. almost in one thousand nine hundred ninety six and president mohamed and what i'll say that amended the one nine hundred seventy one constitution to the war we're going through a war that is more intense the warning sign i on the wars we are facing by other countries that i would like not to name. but the opposition is trying to rally support to block the changes president sisi who came to power in a military coup is serving his second and last a spur of the two thousand and fourteen constitution which clearly states that he

cannot run for office after his term and in two thousand and twenty two there with . the transfer of power the moral principle which was created by the revolutions of the twenty fifth of january and the thirtieth of june it's not allowed to tamper with this moral principle or else will be in a position that will cause people to remain with no morals or preservation of the principles. sissy's supporters have also introduced new changes creating the post of vice president reintroducing a second chamber of parliament and giving minorities a bigger say the changes are likely to be approved by the path. element supporters have an absolute majority but it's the referendum that will be a test of the president's popularity human rights groups are concerned about what they say is a widespread crackdown on dissent and arbitrary mass trials of president cc's opponents of. the palestinian authority has stopped paying salaries to

thousands of employees in the gaza strip it affects employees who are loyal to. jihad and those close to the former fatah leader mohamed badie land decision also impacts families of prisoners and wounded palestinians wages have become a symbol of a bitter power struggle between hamas and gaza and a palestinian authority in ramallah it's been a turbulent few days in the u.s. state of virginia the three top elected officials are now embroiled in scandals involving race and sexual violence protesters and senior politicians and are pressuring the governor to resign natasha going to a much more. even with protesters outside his mansion the loss of allies within his party and presidential candidates attacking him virginia governor rouse northam is refusing to resign the embattled democrat is hoping the political storm will pass and he can continue to lead i cannot in good conscience choose the path that would

be easier for me in an effort to duck my responsibility to reconcile. i took an oath to uphold this office and serve the people of this commonwealth to the best of my ability the scandal began with this leaked medical school photo in northam see your book from one nine hundred eighty four two men one in black face and the other wearing a clue klux klan robe and hood neither recognizable initially northam admitted he was in the photo though never specified which man he was he apologized then the next day he changed his story and said he wasn't in the photo but it was too late many in the state were angry and began looking at who would succeed northam if he stepped down as the spotlight shifted to lieutenant governor justin fairfax the highest ranking african-american politician in virginia days later

a woman came forward saying fairfax sexually assaulted her in two thousand and four this is one of the most blatant to be. seen over something it's complete with operatives to support the reason isn't operating this is not true. on wednesday the third ranking elected official in the state attorney general mark herring released a statement saying he wore black face at a college party in less than a week's time all three constitutional officers of one state have been implicated in three separate scandals so i think that that is and that the. touchstones in american society so both dealing with racism. against women all three of the politicians are democrats if the men were to resign next in line would be the virginia speaker of the house of delegates

a republican natasha going to aim. the rescue teams and. thirteen survivors from the rubble of a building that collapsed in. the evening and at least ten people are confirmed dead it is believed still trapped france has denounced a meeting between the deputy prime minister and the yellow vest protesters french ambassador has been recalled from rome foreign ministry in paris as the meeting with the anti-government group on tuesday was unacceptable interference just another spat between the two countries last month than my own accused emanuel micron's government of fueling the migrant influx to europe by continuing to colonize africa six refugee families stranded on a british military base in cyprus for more than twenty years have won a legal battle to settle in the u.k. the asylum seekers that arrived in a fishing boat operated by smugglers have been living in disused military housing on the island ever since and support from david chase her. it was

more than twenty years ago when a smugglers fishing boat founded in these waters with more than seventy refugees on board the waves were driving them towards cliffs below a british military base in cyprus helicopters were scrambled to lift them out. was just three years old at the time he's lived here at number ten new ever since in the sovereign territory of the united kingdom an iraqi kurd his british passport is about to arrive at last. actually gets to some point where. you don't have hope anymore like. you just get used to waiting and he's just that without any answer or. outcome. the only glimpse he can get of his future home is on a computer with patchy internet to stay the news was all about the weather. i think

i'm good with the cold weather i would just waver. so i get home with cold with tony blair was the prime minister when he first came ashore saying things could only get better the iraqi president saddam hussein was still persecuting his fellow kurds to reason may is now u.k. leader but as home secretary she fought to keep them out. a whole new generation has now grown up here in hearts which wants house british soldiers that are riddled with asbestos reggie who say jada i mean i'm fourteen month old jaylen live in number eighteen clarendon avenue they are syrian kurds they too have been given clearance to enter the united kingdom. with her daughter translating what she had told me life for refugee is always like this we have to learn how to be patient so we can cope with the situation she said

. i want to be a english teacher of i also like to be a journalist and also like today because you know. what all these families share here in richmond village is the hope and the belief that they will reach the united kingdom but they don't believe that dream will be realized until they actually have a passport in the hands. as a much beloved companion of the children here be heartbroken. united nations officials have promised she will get passport but. she still waiting. to al-jazeera.