egyptians have begun voting in a three day referendum that could open the door to president abdel fattah el-sisi staying in office until twenty thirty voters are also deciding on whether to allow the president to appoint top judges and to expand the role of the military fifty five million people are legible to take part voting will continue on sunday and monday but rights groups fear the referendum won't be free or fair. well the proposed changes to the constitution are widely being described as a step towards more talk recy under c.c. . president i'll deliver to has c.c. was sworn in last year after winning his second term in office the vote was marred by claims of irregularities a crackdown on activists and potential challengers a few months earlier sisi had said he would not seek a third term but the egyptian leader seems to have changed his mind beginning on saturday voters will take part in

a referendum that could extend cc's term in office by two years and allow him to stand for another six year mandate effectively keeping him in office until twenty thirty the movie's a departure from the two thousand and eleven constitutional declaration that limits presidents to two four year terms egypt has completely eliminated opposition it's an environment of repression and fear people are terrified to to to vote to express dissent just in this in the lead up to this vote more than one hundred twenty people have been arrested for campaigning for the for the no vote sisi rose to prominence after the two thousand and eleven uprising in two thousand and twelve he was appointed minister of defense by egypt's first democratically elected president mohamed morsi a year later sisi deposed morsi in a military coup and eventually became president while consider dating his grip on

power his government has a rusted thousands of activists and opponents many facing death penalties the trials were widely condemned by human rights groups as a travesty. over the last few years a predominantly loyal parliament has introduced a series of reforms expanding the militarist influence the referendum is also asking people to vote for a provision that declares the military the guardian and protector of the state the opposition is calling for boycott our dream and hope to have a president elected once every two turns i can to an end but since his will is not without challenges he faces armed groups in the sinai peninsula who have launched attacks against security forces and international calls for political reforms but the general turned politician seems defiant he's launching mega projects across the

country and hoping to be able to fix an economy in tatters and win the trust of the people. time for a short break here not just iraq when we come back. more clashes on the streets of paris as the vest anger is filled by big business donations to rebuild the not to dock the drill and rebuilding iraq after months of heavy rain flood victims say they left without food and shelter on the stay with us. ok the story weather is just about gone now the last of the cold front thunderstorms left florida still exist in the bahamas and what you're looking at here is a satellite picture really is showing the end of saturday's are we talk about the

dark hours by the time you get to dawn on sunday it's all gone offshore but it rains still to come through east and prosecute and in the back where showers are more or less gone as well so you're left with fine looking weather from the north to the south and quite a long way west as well texas up to twenty seven lance's warmed up nice is twenty one now all this gray green in and white you are familiar with outbreaks of rain or snow dipping on the height and he were from northern california through montana towards the northern plains states that's going to exist for a day or two dropping more snow for those who want it and dropping a bit of rain whether or not you like it shouldn't be stormy had a thing is not particularly cold seven in denver thirteen in minneapolis and still is twenty seven in dallas it's just as well when oklahoma as well so you know what's happening down here still in potential in the bahamas breaking out slowly suggesting maybe something of a damp or two in cuba or in jamaica and that tails off in honduras to the front is

right here the showers will continue. counting the cost it's been called. a horse while russian banks moved to. the end of the runway. counting the cost. of the committee to understand the very different way. we don't leave.

the top stories here on al-jazeera the u.s. government in libya has closed. intense fighting has been reported by forces loyal to warlord threatening to push further into the capital they began an offensive to take tripoli three weeks ago. members of saddam's former ruling reported to have been arrested meanwhile the public prosecutor has announced an investigation into. the money laundering. and egyptians are voting in a three day referendum that could allow president. to stay in office until twenty thirty groups are expressing concerns the referendum won't be free. but more than ten million people have been hit by flooding in iran thousands are homeless after the deluge and there are fears of more heavy rain to come. from paul dr products. everyone we meet invites us inside their homes they want

people to understand what they were going through when the first floods came a month ago. says there was no government warning. just talk of the possibility of floods when it happened they read and they may have to run again. to the. water came up two or two and a half meters were worried because there is no dam here after more rain water will come up when there is any rain we just run away shop owner mike i pray to god not to that to happen again but there's nothing left for us to lose now just our lives . upstream rivers are picking up pace. these waters are headed for iran's western city of pulled. there's been more rain in this part of the country in the last few days and that is meant that water is once more rusting down the river it's an unwelcome thing for communities that had barely begun to recover. as

people watch the skies on the ground there seems to be no end in sight to the work that needs to be done. many people in this neighborhood say the same thing supply trucks only stop at main roads never making it as far as the back alleys where they live. everyone else they say is getting more help than them. everyone gives to their own people i'm saying this because it's not fat. that people cannot complain if they. taken away there is frustration here for those who've lost all their possessions their. lives up the road we meet military units doing the work of getting people back on their feet. members of the islamic revolutionary guard corps hand in hand with the regular army. they hand out ration cards clear debris even wash windows. no one was authorized to speak on

camera but one soldier says it can be thankless work the need is great and no matter how much they help he says it doesn't seem to be enough. where modern structures were torn down the river spared monuments of the past. for many people the flood has been the worst experience of their lives and as they prepare for the possibility of more rain in this ancient place there are signs that life moves on the same bus pulled dr in lauriston province iran at least seven people have been killed in a gunfight in the afghan capital kabul attackers stormed a heavily guarded government ministry after detonating a bomb of the entrance that's been relatively calm in kabul in recent weeks coinciding with talks between the u.s. and taliban officials the group has denied responsibility for the attack. two teenagers have been arrested in northern ireland off the killing of a journalist police are warning of what they call a new breed of terrorist threatening the region politicians meanwhile are calling

for calm thursday's shooting out into concerns about the stability of the region's twenty one year old peace deal with has more now from london that. the murder of larry mckay has been a shocking reminder here of what life was like during thirty years of violence between irish republican and pro british communities but while the signing of the good friday agreement twenty one years ago brought peace there is still a lot of frustration in what remains the poorest part of northern ireland whereas in music that doesn't going to get us anywhere killing well as some people think it is anyway and. it's just to play senseless. can justify even if you don't agree with a agreement nason justifies technically or mickey's i say oh it wasn't. riots began almost pro irish estate in london derry on thursday as police raided homes looking they say the patch will bombs and other weapons the might be used in

a march planned for easter monday lire was hit by someone who fired a gun apparently randomly towards a crowd of onlookers the twenty nine year old journalist had been named as one of the thirty under thirty in media by forbes magazine and had signed a two book deal to write about the conflict in northern ireland it has shocked people who thought they were on shock about a local politician a man mccown lives in an area with the highest unemployment in the u.k. almost half of working age adults in derry don't have a job you know people who are living a poor circumstances and they're not getting any better they can't see any future in which there's a decent job for they are angry at the situation and worse than that growing up and it's understandable and the inevitable that some of them are going to see an outlet for their anger and frustrations and. the costs were behind the syria historically and worst of they see it has been abandoned by their elders police

officers here say they've noticed a palpable change in the community as people of a cooperation following the murder. the police also say they're dealing with what they're calling a new breed of terrorist two years ago in northern ireland power sharing administration between pro british and pro irish parties broke down and that's left a power vacuum which groups opposed to peace could be trying to take advantage of bernard smith al-jazeera dairy. in serbia to government protesters once again filled the streets of the capital belgrade on saturday march as complaints include unemployment and nepotism and they want the government to resign alexander held his own rally on friday when the differences should be settled at the ballot box. more than a hundred twenty people have been arrested at the latest yellow vest protest in paris some protesters voiced anger over the nearly one billion dollars donated by france's wealthiest families to repair the not cathedral so again.

a saturday of fire and fury for the twenty third week in a row yellow vest protesters came out in paris as well as other cities across the country. this was one of the most intense day of confrontations between the crowds and riot police in weeks it was driven by outrage over the nearly one billion dollars donated by some of france's wealthiest families and corporations to repair the north for their. days after a blaze nearly destroyed the famous building but the message here fronts has bigger problems to solve. it's about decency these their nations could help french people but it's so short sighted instead all this money is going to save the prevalence and it's not right something's not right. it's shocking given the current situation whoever is giving to that may be

a good thing to do but perhaps it's not a moment to do this kind of thing be inclusion of groups such as black bloc have led authorities to place paris and other major cities on a state of high alert throughout the day protesters lit fires on blocked off streets destroying vehicles parked in the vicinity others attempted to break into buildings. police responded by firing tear gas at the crowds. and using water cannon to disperse them. if the government had hoped that protest is would take a break over this holiday weekend it was not the case. the el of us movement that began last november a ritually over fuel price hikes and the high cost of living has not gone away the said spread into a broader movement against president it might well back home in his attempt to reform the economy merkel is expected to announce

a series of measures in the coming week that includes tax cuts for poor households the protest as anger at the wealthy has flourished in recent days partly stoked by the not to the fire but also himself who is seen by them as a president of the rich in a deeply divided society sunny i have zero zero thirteen people have been shot dead at a family party in mexico's vera cruz state seven men five women a child died in the attack the motive isn't yet known it's one of the worst attacks this year in mexico where murder rates are at a record level. a remembrance ceremony has been held twenty years since the columbine high school shooting in the u.s. people gathered nearby in denver to honor the victims of the attack on offer support to the survivors columbine became synonymous with things in the u.s. after two teenagers killed twelve students and a teacher and wounded more than twenty others. this is to weaken the

falls on the first anniversary of mass protests in the country and people rallied for social security reforms but it became a broader movement against the government of president daniel ortega as it was john home and reports. it's in the specially somber easter weekend. those here are remembering not just the events of two millennia past but those more recent far more local. in this town a bastion of the opposition during the first months of naked i was crisis street barricades went up and running battles with security forces were regular sight some are still struggling to come to terms with the human cost of it all in. a hard to speak about this. is about what the people of nicaragua have gone through even the love of life is leaking away because of so much pain so much barbarity. easter week this year whose exactly on the first anniversary of protests against

naked i was long term president daniel ortega he labeled those against him as violent inciting terrorists pointing to the death of a policeman and his response was brutal concepcion portals may says her brother darwin was killed by a sniper's bullet that she says was just the start of her family's troubles me in the ten months since he's been called we've had death threats been falling harassed and i don't see any change from the government. there's been an ongoing crackdown against human rights groups journalists activists and even demonstrations since the crisis began the government's effectively banned street protests in the kid i was so religious procession slight this one a one of the only ways that people can come out and express what they feel about the situation. here that meant a call for peace. yes this will become oh we plead with mr than

a lot of data mrs reciter mody you and her brother souldiers stop their oppression stop the gross addiction and killing over naked i want people you have mothers and children to you have wives and family that you love it's never too late it's time to free yourself from days. before looking to the future though it was time to remember the day it was not. the. there with us responded those gathered here john home and. messiah. part of a quick check of the headlines here on al-jazeera the un recognized government in libya has closed tripoli's only functioning airport it follows more fighting there by forces loyal to warlord who have to threaten to push further into the capital he began an offensive to take tripoli three weeks ago. and has more now from the

capital. rehabilitation authorities in a mighty good able would say that they have to really assess tended ideation idea it would use for security to a city city and precocious reasons that a decision has been made. a war plane. some some sources say a work lee who's really made to get you on the sword long lying over may to be able they tried to tell did with wood and. fire but they did not get it in sudan and several top members of the former ruling party are reported to have been arrested thousands of demonstrators are keeping up the pressure on the ruling military transitional council they want inquiries into abuses by the regime the public prosecutor has announced that former president omar al bashir is being investigated from north. to south his soldiers have been killed by who feel rebels

near the border with yemen that's according to saudi reports who the media is also reporting the attack but it says the number of casualties was higher and in another incident the rebels say they fired missiles towards a border crossing in products at least seven people have been killed in a gunfight in the afghan capital kabul the attackers stormed a heavily guarded government ministry other detonating a bomb at the entrance the taliban has denied responsibility for the attack. egyptians have voted in the first day of a referendum that could open the door to president abdel fattah el-sisi staying in office until twenty thirty voters are also deciding on whether to allow the president to appoint top judges and to expand the role of the military fifty five million people arledge of overtake cart. french universe protesters have rallied for the twenty third consecutive week more than twenty thousand people marched towards a central square in paris demonstrations were also held in at least three other cities. all right so those were the headlines the news continues here on al-jazeera

after counting the cost of them so much and by for that. the right to adequate policy was adequate who decides who she is as a housing is not just about four walls and a roof it's about living in a place where you have peace security and most importantly dignity un special rapporteur. talks to al-jazeera. and has a seeker this is counting the cost on al-jazeera your weekly look at the world of business and economics this week russia's international investment banker is moving it to hungary it's been called putin's frozen horse and find out what all one's thinking and why the west is concerned. also this week as the global economy slows populous governments are threatening the independence of central banks. india's

second largest airline runs out of money off does jet airways have a future. on money looking for a route out of russia and into the european union appears to have found a crack in the banking system tens of billions of dollars has been laundered through mostly baltic nations swamping the outposts of nordic banks it's been an ongoing headache for european regulators and now a different issue entirely has raised the anxiety levels in european capitals russia plans to move the headquarters of its development bank to hungary we'll get into that in a moment but first let's get to grips with the scale of this money laundering problem and some of the numbers behind it around one trillion dollars has been moved out of russia over the last twenty five years by individuals and companies not all illicit but that's money that has not returned to the country other sources

of the money include moldova and as a by john. the money has been moved via malta cyprus estonia latvia and lithuania in the biggest money laundering case two hundred thirty billion dollars was transferred through the dansko bank's estonian branch between two thousand and seven and twenty fifteen where did that money go into london's property market britain's offshore tax havens villas in the south of france and spain as the investigation has continued its strong in banks across europe now having failed to stem the money laundering europe has another dilemma how does it respond to viktor orban is decision to allow moscow to move its development bank to budapest while the bank is in its infancy and hungry has a minority stake it has no say in the way the bank is run it would effectively have diplomatic immunity so regulators would not be able to monitor it for joining me

via skype from bratislava in slovakia is julius horvath economics professor at the central european university in budapest thanks very much for being with us so why does viktor orbán want this bank in his country that it's. this question of is it going to these to be going. because really if an exe change . and this happens also. maybe. and definitely in. and hungary in the last three four years actually is. emphasizing the vagueness of us that you are all for of albany who was the least improving gross and should be is the more dynamic part of the world and things like that and this is why i'm

a love of love so it's improving relation of usage which is already on for a couple of years the russian mother mika their jeep on the roster come. in through contact affordability in the actors in hungary and this is one of those continuation of this table for police it's curious though because this bank would be the seventeenth largest in hungary it doesn't appear to have the money for big projects does it yes i think there you go it's all this is about him which was founded in a. you know kind of you know were laid out in the sixty's early seventy's. so it's tries to run or other way to modernize and actually the bank was to support competition for loans or things like that to each was very difficult to implement in the plumbing system but the been sort of lived in one thousand nine hundred eighty s. it was not the last it's kind of people who lost interest it was

a bank was a small small volume of topicality and if a remember correctly even one hundred billion left of these banks doing that kind of playfulness there's first. in the late that in the eighty's but then you know who are doing the business would you be going to village of an eighty's in. maybe maybe ten years ago or if you get to be more seen internationally. in burgess law you specially it's opening two thousand and fifty in that original orpheus it increases their membership to will i be. nine counties. but definitely it provides loans. in the world of twenty those people and they're also low dose which on the global scale or even a business case is not a substantial when we're going. so basically what is the purpose of this

bank is it like china's development bank yes it is to have a good relation. to help russia or maybe to ease some of the same because maybe some people can come to the bank who put it where you. had the. reach of would be difficult to do so so was this noble fergus i sing you need a political gesture for them and it has also we're going to be in. the small and it is in that you may be you know because of the political impact but it's difficult to see. you know from the from the university or from some. but most likely this this is the fact the opposition is calling this putin's trojan horse if you like because it gives it gives the russians this unprecedented opportunity to

enter the you through this route and the argument goes that this this creates a serious national security concern is that a legitimate concern you think. oh you know that's. typically already done. the loss of disclosure so. impair you've already lost darkly you know they know a lot of these two zero two moves across borders. do. you know where the elegant hoped to go to. the going to go government is very friendly to the russian economy be interesting but on your hands it is a member of nato it is member of european and it's a huge german interest for example so i don't think you said this is. the changes you know or bruticus political picture. it's it's

a some small size zero two more strengthening. because the eastern countries especially those most hideous horvath good to speak with you. thank you very much. still to come on counting the cost sixteen thousand jobs on the line as jet airways grounds flights. the neo liberal economies love to talk up independent central banks free of political interference these banks have been able to raise and lower rates to curb inflation and boost growth but a populist trend has emerged that threatens their freehand president trump who has regularly attacked his pick for u.s. fed chairman jerome powell said the stock market would be five thousand to ten thousand points higher if the central bank had done its job properly breaks it is of rubbish the bank of england and its canadian governor mark carney prediction on

the economic impact of britain's decision to leave the european union president to when of turkey triggered short selling of the lira after the central bank started propping up the currency and. of elections and more doubts a been cast on india's economic data the central bank has lowered interest rates just before elections there all this at a time when the international monetary fund has lowered projections for growth to three point three percent the lowest growth since two thousand and nine well joining us here in doha to talk more about this is aqua khan senior director of asset management and welcome so about the independence of the central banks it seems that the they're there under threat from several leaders in the words of president trump and in turkey modi in india and so on what do you make of that. so when it's very easy for a politician to want to use the resources of the state to help them get reelected

it would only be natural central bankers have spent many decades in trying to extricate themselves in particular many of the advanced economies from that oversight from politicians so they can actually do what's best for the long term of the country rather than short term populist measures however the politics in a number of countries you've mentioned and a few others we just had an election in an easier than other country where you've seen some populist policies the politics of a lot of countries have now meant that you have leaders that are more focused on these more short term measures and that has put a lot of pressure on central bankers to try and maintain that independence president trump has repeatedly tweeted about how much he dislikes frankly the federal reserve which doesn't help them in in doing what they're what they're trying to do so i guess that the question is to what extent can central bankers withstand that pressure. and continue to do what they're doing or as in some central bankers have found particularly india they get fired but there has always been discussion hasn't there about the job that central banks do i mean during the

financial crisis of more than a decade ago the question was should they be should they have been spending so much . to rescue these banks that were in trouble i mean are they are they clear enough in their guidance what's what's acceptable and what isn't so central bankers generally work with inflation targets so they particularly in more danced economies they said inflation targets which is an effectively a target for economic growth after we had the crisis a decade ago growth collapsed and if your target as a central bankers to bring inflation up to a certain level that means you have to get growth up to a certain level which led them to effectively throw the rule book out and try and hold. a ray of things which hadn't been done before to try and get growth back up so you could call it populist you could also call it them trying to meet their. aim which is to have a certain stable level of growth so you could you could probably criticize them of

having not done enough prior to the crisis which actually led the crisis to happen so they probably allowed too much growth to happen in the preceding years which which led to the problem and as far as the in the implications of the global economy we have the i.m.f. warning of slowing growth what are what are the main areas of concern for you sure so the i.m.f. has just announced this this very recently but actually the world economy has been slowing for so several months or several quarters depending on depending on where you look at so europe is probably the part of the world which which is seeing some of the deeper slowdown germany is struggling and the manufacturing economy within that the automotive sector which as supply chains globally has has been struggling france is slower italy is.