we're ready to develop a progressive suit on the protest us walk compt outside the military told us even before bush it will soon move from the interests of all the transitional military council has given in to some of them to be amongst the protesters last till digging in for a fight under a fusing to discuss the feeling here is that the council is simply bite i'm hoping the protesters won't be disappointed and then go home despite international support for the protest as the ten member micha council has so far resisted calls for a transition to a civilian administration they argue any small vacuum could propel sudan into a civil war three council members submitted there is initials on wednesday under pressure from protest leaders who say they have presented the interest of all bushie to the old regime. among the protesters who mostyn that tens of thousands for what organizers hoped would be a million strong march in the past few days the numbers have been bolstered with

many people arriving from other parts of sudan to join the sit in. the tom sedan and mohammad hall has more from khartoum as well. the first meeting between members of the joint committee the military and civilian committee made up of twelve members from the protesters side and an equal number from the military side is to be held today on sort of the difficult negotiations are expected of this committee staff with smoothing the path and solving all the problems between the two sides to lead up to a transition period in so that the protesters are asking for a fully civilian majority civilian presidential council with only a limited military representation the military are asking for the opposite also the protesters want the transition period to be four years in which

a parliament with from the just that it powers and the government made up of. technocrats ruling the country they think that's the necessary time the need for full implementation of reformist and they want to get rid of all that eminence of the former regime they want to transition to justice to be to be implemented during these four years of the military are asking for only two years transition and these are just some of the issues some of the major issues of that are going to discuss and as i said difficult discussions are expected and very unlikely that they will solve all those problems in one day so head on al-jazeera a major pushback could come soon against the forces of libya warlord clear thoughts are. trying to weaken it may require a major new humanitarian operation the war in serious flight risk in mozambique from a new storm just weeks after another caused devastation. hello

there it's very stormy across the northwest in parts of europe at the moment the satellite picture is showing the very intense area of low pressure that's made its way across ireland and is now making its way across britain it has given us very very strong winds and left thousands of people without power over islands and is now battering parts of britain so we are likely to see some wind damage here during the day today elsewhere across europe and it's turning cooler for many of us you can see the already cool paris on my sometimes only twelve degrees but that cool weather is now pushing further east towards butlins temperatures are dropping nineteen zero maximum on saturday and fifteen for sunday and warsaw will only be fourteen so much cooler for many of us here the southeast will still be pretty warm and they could be

a few rather lively thunderstorms in that heat for the other side of the mediterranean well here it's largely fine and dry now it is getting caught for us in cairo all maximum will be thirty three degrees the further west is still cool without is only topping out at around nineteen the temperature in a is will rise a little bit as we head into sunday probably just getting over twenty or twenty one for the central both of africa lots of showers here particularly i propose of kenya and into uganda and we're also seeing lots of showers over west africa at the moment two more to come for sunday. sponsored town and. my main city every week going to a series of breaking stories and then of course there's donald trump told through the eyes of the world's journalists that's right out of a hamas group that calls for the in aisle ation of israel that is not what that phrase in the joint the listening post as we turned the cameras on the media focus on how they were told on the stories that matter the manics to embed is

a free palestine a listening host on al-jazeera. take a look at the top stories now on al-jazeera military commanders in sri lanka say the bodies of believed fifteen people had been found after a shootout connected to the easter sunday bombings trouble raids were carried out around the city police discovered explosives a suicide vest and a nice old flag several former ministers from sudan's alstead ruling party have been released from prison camps as protesters continue to rally outside military headquarters in khartoum are demanding the army mediately hand power to

a civilian authority. inter-ministerial of libya's un recognized government says its forces will launch a counterattack against warlord khalifa haftar within days only three hundred people have been killed and more than twelve hundred injured since half tars forces launched an offensive to take control of the city over three weeks ago on friday the united nations said rockets and mortar shells hit residential neighborhoods in the capital only thirty nine thousand people have been displaced since fighting began. apart because of the. now the ministry of interior had to assign a large force of coast guards to secure our coasts and shores against the invading groups he was sent by the world half dot to invade us as it was said they want to stick to the way of refinery to destroy it and this is a terrorist act that is very similar to al qaida and eisel we will deal with strictness and force with anyone who may threaten our safety and security either in tripoli or any other city to support the government home thousands are protesting

in the libyan cities in tripoli in misrata against the warlord clay for half tarsa salt on the capitol. hill we have reports from tripoli. here in the main square in the libyan capital libyans have come out to condemn what they call the military aggression by half that its forces on the capital tripoli also in other cities on the west of libya including the city of misrata libyans have taken to the streets to condemn the military escalation this is the third friday in a row since their military escalation is started on april fourth the protesters here say that they are calling on the international community including the united nations and they reappear in union to put pressure on have to stop the military escalation on the southern outskirts of the libyan capital the protesters

here today are also condemning targeting get his attention areas especially after the u.n. or the kidneys the government accused have the forces of committing war crimes by authorities think it is attention areas and killing innocent civilians including women and children the now denouncing what they call the military rule they say that have to want to impose the military rule in the west. of the country here there are portraits of international leaders and the protesters here today are blaming these leaders for what they call supporting the military campaign led by the world cup fever have the protesters here today say that they will continue protesting here every friday until have those forces move back to the east of the country damage is being assessed after the most powerful ever cycle over northern

mozambique cyclon kennett dispersed in the indian ocean hours after ripping off roofs and downing power lines and rural areas that the un has warned of a flooding risk now another cycle of devastated more populated areas in southern mozambique just a couple of months ago it's the first time in recent history two storms have hit mozambique and one cycle and season. there will be an urgent need for shelter clean water sanitation and hygiene kits food and non-food items power generation until communication equipment so i can can if may require a major new humanitarian operation at the same time that the ongoing cycle response targeting three million people in three countries remain critically on the funding human rights activists are unhappy about a visit to china by the head of the united nations and turning to terror is being accused of ignoring what activists say is the persecution of

a weaker muslim minority a diplomatic editor james based reports. the u.n. secretary general in beijing for a summit marking china's belt and road initiative an ambitious global network of infrastructure and trading projects all linked to china something that in itself is far from uncontroversial and tonio good terrorists did make a public speech in china but there was no mention of the we go community inching zhang a glaring omission according to human rights groups who claim as many as one million we get as could be being held in detention in an article for the washington post the executive director of human rights watch kenneth roth detects a pattern he writes could terrorists should show that he can fulfill the full scope of his responsibilities as un secretary general he's excessively quark diplomacy is selling short his position and the promise of the united nations the secretary general has only once publicly spoken about the we get issue this year and that was

to decline to answer a question i know that there is a dialogue between the office of their commission human rights and the people's republic of china in that regard i am not in a position to give any details at the present moment and probably if a would be talking about it i would make it more difficult for him to succeed china has considerable clout at the un as one of the five permanent members of the un security council is that why the secretary general is pulling his punches the secretary general has been anything but quiet on his defense of human rights globally i would refer you to a number of speeches he's delivered of the human rights. council in the way also that he has really mainstream the role of human rights in all of the un's work does he make a different calculation on speaking out on human rights issues that involve human rights abuses by permanent members no i don't think there is that calculation his

goal is to. promote human rights he will do it differently at different times the u.n. says the circuitry general brought up relevant issues when he was in beijing they say they'll give more details in the coming days i can tell you no one here is expecting that to include a full some denunciation of china's human rights record james zero at the united nations japan's prime minister is in washington with trade china north korea and a game of golf all on the agenda with donald trump after pulling out of the trans-pacific partnership trade deal that you as president says a new bilateral world lateral that is agreement could be signed as early as next month. that would give american farmers more access to japan and stall the u.s. tariffs on japanese cars a russian woman has been jailed for eighteen months and the united states for conspiring to infiltrate the national rifle association prosecutors say marina

between a use the gun rights group which is closely allied with the american conservative politicians to try and shape washington's policy towards moscow the thirty year old who backed the charge for mercy will be deported after completing her sentence. donald trump says he'll pull the u.s. out of yet another international agreement speaking at the annual convention of the national rifle association trump announced he would withdraw america from the global arms pact known as the u.n. arms trade treaty white house correspondent kimberly halcomb reports. tearing up another treaty this time with the stroke of a pen in front of hundreds of national rifle association supporters donald trump made the announcement many had been anticipating i will sign right now. in front of a lot of witnesses. a message asking the senate to discontinue the treaty ratification brussels and to return the now rejected treaty right back to me in the oval

office where i will dispose of it. the united nations arms trade treaty was signed in two thousand and thirteen by the united states under president barack obama it sets international rules for global arms transfers and seeks to halt illicit weapon sales. that fuel international conflicts. more than one hundred countries are signatories more than twenty like russia china and syria are not. for years members of the national rifle association and others have criticized the u.n. arms trade treaty arguing it cedes u.s. sovereignty to a global body they believe that threatens the second amendment or the right to bear arms and shrine in the us constitution we will never allow a foreigner approach. to trample on your second amendment freedom trumps latest

announcement further entrenches his america first platform he's been in acting since taking office already withdrawing the united states from unesco the paris climate accord as well as the joint comprehensive plan of action to limit. iran's nuclear program the president feels that the international system is biased against the united states and we don't need it so therefore we shouldn't be bound by the street because they heard us war that other countries democratic members of congress are criticizing president trump's decision to withdraw from the treaty they accuse him of kowtow to america's powerful gun lobby or putting lives at risk around the world kimberly hellcat al jazeera the white house spent twenty five years since the end of apartheid in south africa but progress has been made since nelson mandela's revolution to end white role but not nearly enough said critics of the ruling african national congress is campaigning intensifies for next month's

general election is accused of ignoring corruption and chronic poverty has more from johannesburg. motm an e.c.g. members the feeling of euphoria in one thousand nine hundred four when a potato ended and nelson mandela became south africa's first black president she believed in the white minority rule would mean a better life for the poor black majority to decades of oppression since then she's been waiting for the government to provide her with a decent home and she hasn't managed to find work in years if she was hunter's. opened up my cupboards you see i have nothing no food i have to go outside and house in order to eat something before going to beat so why should i take my id and go out there to vote when i'm suffering. in soweto township we meet siblings he said he was a member of the football club founded in the one nine hundred eighty s. by nelson mandela's wife winnie a group that was politically active during apartheid twenty five years after the

end of racial segregation he says he's angry and disappointed with the african national congress led government. jobs. we are hungary is because of those guys not the. thing for the people to protest over poverty poor public services and unemployment happen almost daily there's a general election on may eighth and the a.n.c. is facing mounting public anger over its failure to improve the lives of millions of black people we have not looked at people even no real knowledge we have while the successes not just of challenges. and all over the road to accuse us. but everything must be done within the law the legacy of apartheid where black people were considered inferior to whites and not given the same opportunities is partly why africa remains one of the most equal societies in

the world since one thousand nine hundred ninety four more people do have access to clean running water education and healthcare even though many say those services are poor these are some of the houses are built by the government for the poor are provided for free others are subsidised millions of been built since one thousand nine hundred ninety four but there are still housing shortages blamed in many on corruption and millions of south africans continue to live in abject poverty they won the right to vote twenty five years ago today the struggle is with economic freedom which many say still feels a long way off. how to al-jazeera jainas to. take up the headlines on al-jazeera military commanders in sri lanka say the bodies of at least fifteen people have been found after a shoot out connected to the easter sunday bombings several raids were carried out

around the city police discovered explosives a suicide vest and i saw flag points louis has more from the capital colombo relief a they have made several arrests and that's still the security situation ongoing in the east and robin of sri lanka this is where the gun battle started on friday that was several explosions that were hurt now we're finding out that they were the result of side bombs that that's where fifteen bodies were recovered now police have often been there just to leave their homes so they can conduct house to house searches several former ministers from sudan's ousted ruling party have been released from prison it comes as protesters continue to rally outside military headquarters in khartoum they're demanding the army immediately hand power over to a civilian authority. there interim minister of libya's u.n. recognized government says its forces will launch a counterattack against warlord khalifa haftar within days away three hundred

people have been killed more than twelve hundred injured since hop stars forces launched an offensive to take control of the city over three weeks ago on friday the united nations said rockets and mortar shells hit residential neighborhoods in the capital. damage is being assessed after the most powerful ever cyclon in northern mozambique cycle and kenneth has dispersed in the indian ocean after ripping off grooves and downing power lines in rural areas the un has warned of a flooding risk another cycle and more populated areas in southern areas mozambique in just two weeks two months ago that is you know warns mozambique is at risk of widespread flooding as hurricane force winds give way to a tarantula rain a russian woman has been jailed for eighteen months in the united states for conspiring to infiltrate the national rifle association prosecutors say maria bettina use the gun rights group which is closely aligned with american conservative politicians to try and shape washington's policy towards moscow thirty

year old who begged the judge for mercy will be deported after completing her sentence for the headlines keep it here on al-jazeera listening post is next and more news at the top of the hour. when you. get people killed. like when a bomb blasts happen the government shut off. because you think that at the heart of any. government. shutdown that's at best. hello i'm richard gere's bird and you're at the listening post here are some of the

media stories that we're covering this week sri lanka after the attacks the authorities pull the plug on social media but sri lankans almost immediately find a way around the blockage is france's yellow vests and the hostility they have for the news media the way their story is being reported a film star and a prime minister have a chat in front of the cameras what would you call that because apparently it wasn't political and thank you for joining us noam a british rapper manufactures some online dissent with the help of an animated noam chomsky it was carnage the worst violence in sri lanka since the end of the civil war ten years ago multiple church and hotel bombings on easter sunday that killed more than two hundred people in the immediate aftermath the government shut off access to social media facebook whatsapp instagram and fiber the rationale to stem the spread of hate speech and misinformation however there's a complex debate to be had here on the benefits of

a social media shutdown versus the costs millions of people could not contact their friends and family because in sri lanka social media platforms are the internet itself such as the online reliance on sites. like facebook and whatsapp moreover the evidence suggests that shutting off social media does little to check the spread of misinformation circumvention is all too easy and the blocks cut off authentic sources of information as well and in a country where politicians and the mainstream media have been known to deal in misinformation themselves an internet shutdown makes it harder to get to the truth or starting point this week is the sri lankan capital colombo. so the first explosion is of good around eight forty five one easter sunday morning

. we didn't mean it's the first demand started flowing through the social media and some of the first photos clearly from members of the congregation or refute the graphic we started getting you know dozens of. various groups. trying to figure out what happened and lots of speculation that didn't end up being trim around the one by a run what stopped functioning. was not loading. and also. blood phones were not working anymore. within six hours of the coordinated explosions across sri lanka allegedly by a group that had pledged allegiance to isis the social media shutdown came into effect the online information vacuum was in place there was no official warning and

the justification was slow in coming still the measures came as no surprise to outsiders social media observers and commentators around the world with misinformation and hate speech spreading across online platform. the blocks seem to make sense just not to those actually affected sri lankans my c.v. some western media what i see is someone going well you know just because of hate speech means to get its act together in reality these are not democratic decisions what happens is the sri lankan government just block someone's mean jerk reaction and you know people just have this way of information you have to sort of weigh the risks that come with social media and how it can be used to sort of incite violence and further violence which are like i seen in the past however in sri lanka you know most folks actually communicate through like what's

up and viber and when you block those makes it very hard to access information about what's going on and the fact that the news is being broken and through social media rather than through official media channels first and you know without any government statements right away i think cause people to really sort of panic. beyond the question of whether a social media blockage is in the societal interest is the question of how effective blockages are particularly in a tech savvy country like. where the use of v.p.n. virtual private networks has grown widespread. just over a year ago in march of two thousand and eighteen the government attempted its first social media block after anti muslim violence erupted in central and eastern sri lanka more than a million social media users reportedly downloaded d.p.'s which circumvent blockages by masking a user's location allowing them to go online from what appears to be another

country so when this blockage occurred many sri lankans were ready everybody has b.b.s. in the country most everybody that i know has a v.p.n. installed in this spot for no devices and computers. and so the first thing that people talk about when they get the heat the go with this try to block social media is the one you should download and that you don't get so much about the fact of the soviet block you know context to be. broadly debated to discuss. but the day after the attack tunnel bear one of the most popular v.p.n. in sri lanka was no longer accessible sri lankans who circumvent the social media blockage do not deny that online discourse can be problematic or even dangerous the fabrications misinformation and the hate speech are there for all to see however ethnic and religious divides have always existed in the country social media just

gives them a prominence across multiple platforms they've never had before we started seeing fabrications of pretty much everything the water hoax in particular. people started receiving going to say just that water was poison and homemade went in and i would. really copes going up and down the roads of these areas telling citizens not to drink their water that this had actually been poisoned there will freak when we. look at last year so you can imagine the kind of shock that must have people social media while a tool that was used and has been to incite hatred and violence in sri lanka is by no means the cause of such hatred and violence if you look at the history of since independence we've had cycles of violence and cycles of riots events and while i can see the. like facebook and even what's happened vibert have been used by

far right extremist groups to kind of propaganda narrative around the muslim community they've i know means are the sort of cause a vile. and i think blocking of those is not going to result in an end to violence against the muslim community. lankans would be less dependent on social media if they had more faith in their mainstream news outlets but they do not call it the rajapaksa fact the hindu roger packs of was the country's president from two thousand and five to two thousand and fifteen under his watch journalists faced heavy government pressure and some paid for their work with their lives in two thousand and nine reporters without borders directly blamed the president and state owned media for inciting hatred and violence against journalists rajapaksa was voted out of office in two thousand and fifteen providing news outlets with some

breathing space however late last year his successor tried to bring him back as prime minister and. that led to a legal standoff lasting fifty one days over what came to be known as sri lanka's soft coup most mainstream news outlets supported the return of rajapaksa. with us so they're. hoping this is. a look at a. venture only the court overturned rajapaksa appointment rulings that it was unconstitutional that made us realize that our media is no longer serving the public interest. review and television with a few honorable exceptions are all kept. much that is not right here but the social media. the last left for us to verify

and ask to find out and ask to express social media also played an important role again in trying to be very critical of how the coup is being conducted and exposing the kind. bribery and hands that were being made by sort of new forms of government social media was really important in all of that i shudder to think what could have happened if there was north. block building that fifty one because of that crisis who could have succeeded and that's the problem media is compromised media is corrupt and they have abdicated their public interest rate me. sad but realistic assessment of traditional means tree media. sri lanka social media blockage was supposed to have ended by now but on friday president my three pala siddhis santa said there is still too much misinformation

out there and if the platforms fail to control it they may be banned permanently under the declared state of emergency the government also has the power to censor mainstream news outlets far from seeing the end of misinformation sri lankans have been left with a lack of information. but discussing other media stories that are on our radar this week with one of our producers in auction ravi mena india is now halfway through its general election process which lasts for a month and there is this strange story about a nonpolitical interaction with the country's leading politician prime minister narendra modi so what was that about this was clearly an attempt by the to get a boost from bollywood through an interview conducted by the phone star much. political questions it was broadcast online by asian news international and i it's

a private news agency that benefits from close access to not in the movie and his party the b j p of course many mainstream channels then picked up the interview and run into this entire to go. the tone was beyond informal it was phoning and this interview has been physician quite carefully to avoid falling afoul of election commission rules now conventional broadcast interviews are banned while voting is under way and so this interview was labeled a nonpolitical interaction so this is mostly in the b j p spotting a loophole in the election rules and just taking advantage of it absolutely me using the bollywood card to do that you see there are many mainstream outlets that are openly aligned with the b.g.p. but the prime minister is not taking any chances bollywood actors have posed for selfies with him they've tweeted in support of him in fact there was even a film by o p.