it's power. india votes twenty nine. warnings from iran's president after the u.s. declared his country's revolutionary guard a terrorist organization. you're watching al-jazeera life from a headquarters and. also ahead. antigovernment protesters run for cover and sudan's capital where security forces have been seen exchanging gunfire with soldier. israel votes and the election the close race between the four time prime minister and a retired military chief. hong kong activists faced seven years in prison after

being convicted over their leading role in pro-democracy demonstrations. hello iran's president has come out with a strong response and threats after the u.s. decision to label its revolutionary guards a terrorist organization. it's a mistake and may even see this country consider developing more advanced nuclear technology the parliament has been meeting in an open session in teheran we'll have more from iran's capital shortly but first jordan reports from washington on the u.s. decision. iran's islamic revolutionary guard corps i r g c one hundred twenty five thousand troops strong is joining sixty seven others on the u.s. says foreign terrorist organization list the secretary of state says the i.r.g.c.

is a fundamental threat to u.s. national security the masquerade as a legitimate military organization but none of us should be formed. it regularly violates the laws of armed conflict it plans organize and executes terror campaigns all around the world the i.r.g.c. is already a specially designated global terrorist organization but this is the first time the us has put a government agency on its foreign terrorist organization list the top administration says the i.r.g.c. actively destabilizes other middle eastern countries from supporting the syrian government in its civil war to helping hezbollah undermine lebanon's government to sending advisors guns and money to who the fighters in yemen the question for the trumpet ministration why do this now we're taking an entirely new approach to this of significant sort of sustained maximum economic pressure to deny the i.r.g.c. and the iranian regime of the revenue that it needs to conduct its foreign policy

the trumpet ministration says there are other reasons to put the i.r.g.c. on the list it plots attacks on opponents and other countries and uses money from both state run and private businesses to fund its operations and give safe haven to al qaeda operatives a former u.s. official says targeting the i.r.g.c. is understandable but could backfire on the trumpet ministration iran as it's not doing well. and there is significant unrest within the country you know but the ayatollah and his government can make a credible claim that that this hardship is the fault of the united states and the early reaction from town it's now declaring the u.s. military in the middle east a terrorist organization and the iranian foreign minister says donald trump is trying to throw tuesday's parliamentary elections in israel quote another misguided

election eve gift to netanyahu another dangerous u.s. misadventure in the region u.s. officials say it's important to hold onto a cow. for its human rights abuses at home and its disruptive behavior abroad but it's not clear that other countries are going to join in with the u.s. as it steps up its efforts to isolate iran. jordan al-jazeera the state department well in iran's politicians opened a session of parliament chanting death to america. more on how iran's government is reacting. almost immediately after the american move to designate iran's islamic revolutionary guard corps a terrorist organization iran's government replied in kind the supreme national security council of iran decided to designate u.s. forces in the region as well as the headquarters of the u.s. central command as terrorist organizations as well and the foreign minister of iran zarif also said that it considers now the iranian government considers now the

american government as a state sponsor of terrorism now the i.r.g.c. is an enormous organization with influence over iranian politics the economy and domestic and foreign security the implications of labeling it a terrorist group could have far reaching effects putting still more pressure on remaining international business links that iran still has and further squeezing iran's finances even more but more than that iranians will tell you the latest move to isolate them and to isolate their country goes too far it's worth remembering many iranians have lost their lives in attacks by armed fighters and dissident groups so for many iranians being placed in the same category as groups like al qaida or the islam and state will be seen as a major escalation whether or not these designations change the rules of engagement for iranian and american forces on the ground remains an open question but iranians are more likely now to support a more aggressive approach by their own government when dealing with the united

states and that means that dialogue or peaceful negotiations to resolve ongoing tensions that's something that is starting to seem more and more unlikely to so don where there has been more gunfire in the capital hard to him security forces have been trying to break up a mass sit in that's been going on for four days outside the army headquarters soldiers though have stepped in to protect the crowds victoria gate and the reports . say for now protesters shelter in a military headquarters in the capital. so. opened the gates after sudanese security forces started firing on protesters. in another part of the capital protest is carried the body of a man wrapped in a sudanese flag he was reportedly killed by the security forces. was overnight thousands of sudanese once again gathered outside the army's headquarters in khartoum that calling on president bashir to resign and want the

military's help in forming a transitional government. during the last four days of demonstrations security forces have fired shots in the air until the demonstrators in an attempt to disperse them. some sudanese soldiers have shielded protesters from harm others have handed out water and six was the area showing was sidney's from different religious backgrounds have joined for months of protests to demand change in scenes reminiscent of the arab spring demonstrations eight years ago in sudan's neighbor egypt the government's imposed a state of emergency since february after that crackdown failed to stop the largest outcry during al bashir his thirty year rule us he's asked the ruling national congress party to help restore stability was. the government says change can

come through the ballot box but protest is on the streets insist they want change now victoria gates and bay al-jazeera the arab. the air. well millions of israelis are voting in crucial parliamentary elections that will decide a prime minister benjamin netanyahu will get a fifth term in office final poll suggested his main challenger former military chief benny gantz has been slightly ahead but may struggle to form a government and gans cast his ballot in the city of in he's a projecting himself as an alternative to netanyahu so if we take a look at the numbers there are one hundred twenty seats in the israeli parliament or the knesset and to make it in a party needs to win at least three point two five percent of the total votes that's about four seats so sixty one seats are needed to form

a government no party has ever achieved an outright majority so the battle for power really begins after the election the president will choose the candidates he thinks has the best chance of forming a coalition they'll then have forty days two days to do that and if they can't the leader with the second best chance gets twenty eight days to try failing that it can even go to a third candidates if no one's able to cobble together a coalition that new elections will have to be called within ninety days live to stephanie decker she's joining us from occupied east jerusalem three hours in stephanie since the polls have open talk us through what you've been seeing and what we expect to see today. for inside opponents days when there's been a steady trickle of voters throughout the day different opinions from people that we've been talking about some of them staunchly behind my minister netanyahu going this far as to signal a green with the attic sation of the occupied west bank all the people will tell

you that the corruption charges over and the indictment charges on the three cases of corruption have made a difference and have affected their vote other people talking about the economy the cost of living these are things that they're looking at they say security which of course is something that most of the politicians here campaigned on is always an issue it's the backbone really of when it comes to the concerns here but there are so many other issues that need to be addressed the bottom line very as this is really a referendum on benjamin netanyahu never in the last decade of his power has he had such a challenge from someone who's of course but he gets now the interesting thing is in these elections is that guns is being portrayed by netanyahu is as a leftist which has become almost a dirty word a four letter word when it comes to israeli politics he's a former military chief of staff tards of the army during the gaza war so it was a concern about the whole shift here when it comes to the critics to the right of that now as you mentioned it's a political game it's complicated when it comes to numbers even if the biggest

party wins doesn't mean they will necessarily be the prime minister and also in the media today saying that this is the most impossible election to call in twenty three years so i think we're going to have to wait and see how the day unfolds what numbers will come out that's around ten pm local time when the polls close when they'll start to get those predictions and stephanie for the minority of palestinian israelis who are eligible to vote there had been some calling for a boycott of the israeli election do we expect them to come out and vote. well or have to wait and see we were talking to them about announcer us about and some people say that they're going to boycott the polls indicate around a fifty percent turnout but the bigger issue is history is that they feel that the privacy of israelis who make up a fifth of the population of israel they hold israeli citizenship if they feel a racially discriminated against not just for me but also in what is now essentially a basic rule in this part of the constitution or the nation state building they

think whatever way they vote and that's not going to change those who disappointed with their own course would say we're going to have to wait and see if they come out but certainly the message from that is that this country is moving in a very dangerous director we've seen it in the campaigning in the polls with the videos with the with the advertising that's coming out and i think we will tell you that the question the dangers of what kind of a government will be formed how right wing it is and what kind of deals benjamin netanyahu makes some people say to me to ensure his own survival because he will be dependent on smaller parties that have a form of form a right wing agenda that he does he may be held to account on other issues again all of this is up for question the i think is a very very interesting election here in israel jerry we're going to have to wait and see how things unfold as certain as the important to know that both men either what the prime minister netanyahu gets it again or better benny gantz it's still not clear who will be the prime minister ok got it especially dr will speak to a little later on thank you from occupied east jerusalem still ahead on al-jazeera

an airstrike damages the only operational airport in tripoli prompting more pleas for the fighting in libya to stop. now as big nurse and springlike can feel the cut. it is northern europe netherlands germany for example and also the baltic states france but to changes the winters down to a northerly that further says you can see this cloud is not moving very much these things are not going to change very much i think falling out of that cloud from slovenia down to greece is going to keep falling things actually if area settled still in western europe showers likely in spain temporary thirty in madrid struck france two seems sherry's well the tension berlin is still maintained at twelve on

tuesday but it is the green with a bit of whites in it for snow still some of the probably a townie of outs for this time but the green extends all the way down through the adriatic to the igi and even affecting western turkey and move and overnight tuesday wednesday picture stow forty rather more vigorously but only on the mountains brain rather more likely down to single figures by the time we get to wednesday woodridge up to sixteen northern spain southern france so pretty showery could well be thunderstorms now some of the payoff from that is going to be a northerly breeze into morocco bringing clouds with it i don't think many shower was only nineteen rebound and although it's a little warmer further east twenty two in tripoli really it's not like war. for the nomadic jack outright survival is about reaching their destination or if we don't hurry will never be able to get a top up in the storm we follow the mongolian herdsmen on

a treacherous migration. and it's dangerous to the ices of them as they strive to preserve their traditional way of life illegitimately are sometimes luser cattle in the air with cold or because of the storm risking you don't go via on al-jazeera. the top story on al jazeera this hour iran's president has threatened to develop more advanced nuclear technology to the u.s. . its revolutionary guard a terrorist organization. it's a mistake and it will unite the iranian people. on

a number of government protesters were injured in confrontations with the president on. trying to break up a mass sit in front of army headquarters that's been continuing for four days the army has allowed some protestors to enter the headquarters to protect them from gunfire and tear gas. millions of israelis are voting in crucial parliamentary elections that will decide if prime minister benjamin netanyahu will get a fifth term in office final poll suggested his main challenger a former military chief. has been slightly ahead but may struggle to form a government. in hong kong pro-democracy campaigners have been found guilty for their part. they were charged separately under a colonial era laws of conspiring causing and instigating public nuisance three of them are facing seven years in prison twenty four movements or hundreds of thousands of people protests main roads in the central business district were

blocked for two months amid calls for open elections for the city's leader sarah clarke has more details on the verdict from hong kong. you associated with the occupy movement back in twenty four to have been found guilty of the charges at least one of the charges for their role in these protests the most high profile of the three found. guilty of one charge conspiracy to commit public. as long argued that this group played a key role in committing or inciting public nuisance by creating the strict blockade would shut down parts of central hong kong for around seventy nine days back in twenty fourteen through twenty fifteen it's certainly not good news for the pro-democracy movement we've had a number of other student leaders who associated with the demonstrations they've already served jail time including joshua one night in law and alex child we've

also had a number of pro-democracy law makers would be disqualified for their association with this group we're seeing tougher penalties imposed on activists and this will certainly incite will trigger accusations that this is yet another step by beijing encroaching on hong kong's simular thomas status and certainly restricting hong kong to civil liberties and freedom of expression let's say for joseph chang he's a political analyst and a former professor at city university of hong kong is joining us from there thanks for speaking to us on al-jazeera so was this verdict expected or are you surprised by it thank you this is very much expected although. both parties one after the outcome are expected to continue to appeal until until the case goes to the court of final appeal however it is expected after the announcement of the sentences to be found

dozens who are likely to go to jail while pending appeal and how much of a defeat is this for pro-democracy activists in hong kong. well. this trial as well as other active and sibby of prosecutions for your friend a crackdown as well as increasing the heart of our retiring there's some on the part of the city in pain in beijing it also demonstrates that chinese leaders are saying that hong kong's contribution to to the modernization process in being in china has been has been declining and chinese leaders and increasingly intolerant of the demands on the part of hong kong people for. democratic reforms so we expect this kind of attitude this kind of position will be maintained for some time to come to the extent of affecting the rule of law in the territory so what does

this mean then for free expression in hong kong what effect is it going to have and what does it mean for the broader umbrella movement as it was known self-censorship has been a phenomenon in hong kong among hong kong's media in the past decade and more although this phenomenon has been exec's abating certainly the whole the localism movement and advocacy of hong kong independence has been much deterred. and a good indicator is that in some diversity in the territory there are no student unions because of is the fear and worry among students so much so that nobody is willing to stand for good actions right joseph chang we thank you for joining us from hong

kong. the head of the united nations is calling for an immediate halt to fighting in libya and when you've got terrorists talks are needed to prevent or his warning follows an airstrike on libya's main airport. flights are suspended airport in tripoli and fighting has forced many living nearby from their homes here the libya correspondent. libya's main airport. east of the city attacked by were plays on the orders of the warlords only for have to. libya's old port on the southern edge of the capital tripoli is also under attack forces allied to the u.s. and the government have to repeal have to reset vance. we can't accept military rule in libya that's why we've come to tripoli to defend the city. here in the city's disused airport forces loyal to the u. n.

backed government say that they are in full control and have to his forces have pulled back but as the clashes are still ongoing the fear is rising that civil other neighborhoods will be affected. the u.n. is repeating calls for a truce it says thousands of civilians have fled the area i think the first message we need to pass united states is the full implementation of the my italian troops to allow the civilians and the wounded to be evacuated from. the city and to avoid any further military action and if either military escalation and the return to the political negotiations and the political track. strikes were launched by both the us and back to government and have to these forces at the weekend the u.s. has joined demands from other g seven countries for hafter to hold his own. but analysts doubt the u.s. demand this statement from the secretary of state where we.

try to see the capital we call a hot drink and. action behind this statement if you will drew of u.s. forces or relocation of us from tripoli to go elsewhere this does not look like an administration that is committed to the protection of searches government. libya has been divided between two competing governments for the past five years the administration in tripoli is bad by the united nations the other in the eastern city of tobruk by have to end them in miami usually at the store one of the libyan army's task is to protect libyan constitution which guarantees and protects the nation's institutions and the citizens libyan army is moving towards tripoli with one goal which is to free it from the armed militias. have to his forces. the fighting continues to groups in the capital but then offensive is also about money

and controls libya's central bank and its own companies based in the capital. well let's get now or let's get more from. he is joining us on the phone from tripoli because we're hearing about more air strikes hitting the disused tripoli international airport mahmud what more can you tell us when we were getting news from tripoli international that they diffused. functioning since twenty four team has just been released by have to as warplanes again remember green this is the same but there was also yesterday. alongside the. airport which is the only functioning. ports in the in the city. places where the government according.

to the international airport in the southern outskirts of the police say that. they came on the. air strikes again from have to his forces from happened. workings but no casualties have been reported so far we know yesterday that as it were planes. were the only functioning in forth in the capital city and addition has been suspended temporarily and in the south of the tripoli civilians who live nearby what are the clashes are going gone off to see if actually i mean while the ministry of health has just put hospital medical center and the capital city on high it seems that neither one did i use the factions listening to the

international calls the last goal was from to give him a greenie that she ever before him policy at the at the opinion she called for him a teddy and truce and. she asked also the right length actions to go back to the negotiation paths about father i believe the factions is killing things has to be forces continued uprooting. the individuals who. worked under the former regime of the money to get daffy why the government forces continue receiving support and military units from civil cities in the west of the country all right i mean without that was with an update from tripoli thank you. the british prime minister to resign may will meet the french and german leaders later arguing for another delay back in london her ministers will keep negotiating

with the opposition labor party to break the deadlock but leaders could still refuse to grant a delay currently the u.k. could break away from the block with no deal as soon as friday bernard smith has the latest from westminster talks to continue between the conservative government of the labor opposition to try and find some way the two sides can agree on a way forward with the braggs it is but the opposition leader jeremy corbyn has not been particularly forthcoming more confident about how those talks are progressing the problem is that the government doesn't seem to be moving off the original red lines i've put the case forward for the customs union with the european union for market access and particularly for protection of rights to consumers environment and those that work and those have to be dynamic and guaranteed in the future so far we haven't have those and taking it on tuesday to resume

a meets the german chancellor and the french president and other european leaders on wednesday and she needs to give them some sort of reason why they should grant the united kingdom an extension to bragg's it and to resume is hoping to be able to say look i'm getting forward with these talks with the labor party we hope we can come to some sort of agreement although the indications so far from the labor party as we've heard are that those talks are not going that well but to reason may needs to give something to those european leaders so they can give her the extension that she wants. brazil's president says he's working with the u.s. government to sow dissent in venezuela's army. visited donald trump at the white house last month they were among the first to throw their support behind venezuelan opposition leader. and his efforts to oust president nicolas maduro called for the military's backing but the top brass remains loyal to. the u.s.

city of chicago saw a spike in gun violence over the weekend with five murders and twenty four shootings one of them at a baby shower john hendren has the latest from downtown chicago. it was a violent weekend in chicago twenty four people were shot three of them killed over a twenty four hour period that began at four am on saturday police say most of the shootings happened on the south and west sides of chicago those are the violent areas where gangs operate where most of the violence happens in the city one of those shootings happened outside of a baby shower in the englewood neighborhood where six people were shot hitting children ages eight and ten this was the weekend of the year and police say that is when the violence tends to happen because after all people come out and elder each other chicago's gangs were largely decapitated over the past decade when police

arrested the heads of those gangs that means in some neighborhoods every corner is really a battle area where people are fighting for turf and these are the times on these warm weekends when that violence increases but to put it into perspective last year five hundred thirty people were killed in chicago that's actually a decline from seven hundred eighty one two years earlier so far this year ninety seven people have been killed in this city and that is twenty seven less than were killed the year before. the headlines on al jazeera iran's president has threatened to develop more advanced nuclear technology after the u.s. this isn't a label it's revolutionary guard a terrorist organization hassan rouhani says it's a mistake and it will unite the iranian people. as more from to run. immediately after the american move to designate iran's islamic revolutionary guard corps

a terrorist organization iran's government replied in kind the supreme national security council of iran decided to designate u.s. forces in the region as well as the headquarters of the u.s. central command as terrorist organizations as well and the foreign minister of iran . also said that it considers now the iranian government considers now the american government as a state sponsor of terrorism ensued a number of anti-government protesters were injured in confrontations with president. they've been trying to break up a mass sit in in front of army headquarters that's been continuing for four days the army has allowed some protestors to enter the headquarters to protect them from gunfire and tear gas millions of israelis are voting in a crucial parliamentary elections that will decide a prime minister benjamin netanyahu will get a fifth term in office his main challenger former military chief benny gantz is slightly ahead but would struggle to form

a government and the head of the united nations is calling for an immediate halt to fighting in libya. talks are needed to prevent all out war his warning follows an airstrike on libya's main airport by warlords. in hong kong nine pro-democracy campaigners have been found guilty for their part in mass protests in twenty four they were charged separately under colonial era laws of conspiring and causing an instigating public nuisance three of them are facing seven years in prison the twenty four movements or hundreds of thousands of people protest main roads in the central business district were blocked for two months and made calls for open elections but the city's leader those are the headlines inside stories coming up next. you stand the differences. and the similarities of cultures across the world.

yes al jazeera. what's keeping sudan's president empowered omar al bashir refuses to resign despite four months of mass protests and for the first time soldiers have intervened to protect a protest and so is military support for the president wavering this is inside story. hello and welcome to the program i'm martine dennis though is anger at the price of bread and feel that sparked mass protests in sudan that was last december for months on the rallies of evolved into demolish.