this fun stuff building is called a vocational center in china critics say it's more like a prison one of many detention camps run by the government. the target they say are ethnic and religious minorities mostly wigger muslims in the northwest region of chink young activists say at least 1000000 people are detained in similar camps where extreme surveillance force assimilation and abuse are common the camps have long sparked international criticism in an unprecedented move 22 nations signed a letter to the un human rights council condemning disturbing reports australia canada and japan are among the signatories along with britain france and germany they call on china to stop the mass detentions respect religious freedom and grant independent experts meaningful access to the region. countries that did not sign the document raised just as much interest out of the 22 nations assigned as none of

them were muslim majority nations which is really quite telling because china is using their pocketbook to gain influence in many of these nations as well. china defends the practice the government says it's not about eliminating people's identity but about teaching employment skills and pushing out what it calls extremism year far surely by seizing up locational education and training centers in accordance with the law we aim to education save those who were influenced by religious extremism and committed to mine it legal or fix it. the letter is not tied to a vote or a resolution but it will be published as an official document of the un's human rights council activists say it's a good sign but china's government has long stood defiant against foreign criticism katia locus of the young al-jazeera. is in beijing to tell us how the chinese are

reacting. china's ministry of foreign affairs has responded to the letter signed by 22 countries regarding the situation in shin jang province and predictably i guess it was dismissive of this letter saying that this was an attempt to politicize the issue of human rights and that this was a domestic affair for the government in china to deal with and it wasn't up to anyone outside china to comment on the situation there it also pointed out that there has been no terrorist attack in the region for the past 2 years evidence it says that this program is working remembering that the government maintains that these are not detention centers in jang province they are vocational schools with one of the main aims being to prevent terrorism and extremism and also responded to a request in the latest sign by these countries that inspectors experts be allowed

meaningful access to the area the government saying that it has already organized trips involving media and so-called experts diplomats to the region and what they reported when they returned was quite different to what has been put trade in the western media the important word to emphasize here is meaningful in those trips in the past those trips have been very much controlled by the government controlled by the security forces and the government really only showing the people on those trips to shin jang exactly what it wants the outside world to see. well still ahead here on the al-jazeera news hour why academics in israel are being targeted in so-called witch hunts by rightwing nationalists. and in sport the u.s. women's national football team can add another trophy to their name after sweeping the b.s.p. why award show. has that story coming up. at

least 14 people have died in a train crash in northeastern pakistan while the passenger train rammed into a stationary freight train in a car in the southern punjab region dozens of injured people are being treated in nearby hospitals emergency crews say the number of casualties could rise as a rescue operation continues benjamin netanyahu has reiterated his pledge not to discriminate or even the most remote jewish settlement in the occupied west bank where there have been speculation that the israeli prime minister may offer concessions on illegal settlements and a yet to be announced u.s. peace proposal that those concessions it was reported could have been in return for valuable political prizes from donald trump such as recognizing jerusalem as israel's capital but speaking on wednesday netanyahu declared all settlements off

limits in any peace plan. is an international criminal law expert joining me now live from beirut via skype good to have you with us live on al-jazeera before we start getting into the nitty gritty of the legal issues around this story i mean the statement is perhaps nothing new but in the lead up to perhaps a general election that we're going to see in israel in september netanyahu seems of concern continue to perhaps to rubber stamp his position clearly when it comes to illegal settlements. yes this is very much expected before the last time usually promises for these do not effect from the new settlements will be very much in favor of right wing running for election but in same time this is more and this is we as swing yes sure thing sorry the position of the netanyahu government that they are not on line with international

law on the fronts of their the west bank settlements in the west bank are illegal in the end there. ready are hundreds of palestinians from. on west bank are also so when they when they are not done if anyone whether arab or it means those who are already in it will not back their bent if that is the scenario that in keeping that in mind how much of this statement is about pulling the rug from under lease underneath us feet after the recent bahrain conference of the unveiling of christian sort of economic plan for a solution to the israeli palestinian conflict i mean they the us has given israel the capital they wanted in jerusalem they've approved the annexation of the golan heights is it preempting one of the many issues that may vex a long term peace plan giving land back to the palestinians. obviously no peace process will will will be achieved without dealing with the settlements

issue so it's as if netanya how is claiming that there is open and his government is open and sponsor actually is open to it in the same time they are ruling out the one main foundations for the balance means for such a process to take place so there is a lot of controversy and anybody who sit by me say in this moment if it is business as usual for netanyahu and israel and if he had paps has pulled the rug from underneath the political feet of those in the us that are making policy like jerod cushion at the moment do you think the u.s. will respond to this statement right now will they wait till the election is over and see how the dust settles in tel aviv. well historically in the united states politicians were very much in favor of the right wing when it comes to the.

elections at the base and we've seen this before when it was a congress that if a few years ago and you don't expect to see something against this. practice now especially at the big fan of jerusalem as the capital. or for the moment we will leave it there and see what the reaction is washington when they wake up later that ideology how to thank so much for joining us from beirut well palestinians say at least one and a half $1000.00 trees have been set on fire in beer in south of nablus by illegal israeli settlers according to the u.n. the illegal settlers have destroyed more than $4000.00 olive trees since the start of 29 team in the same year recorded 178 incidents of settler related damage to palestinian properties. well still in israel the government has reportedly enlisted its intelligence agency to counteract the palestinian led campaign against israeli oppression and some academics who backed the boycott divestment and sanctions

movement say they're not being targeted by rightwing nationalists hari forsett occupied east jerusalem. in january this video of a university professor arguing with a student over her decision to were army uniform to class turned into a major controversy for the hebrew university in jerusalem. a lot of the professor carol he'll finish can be heard telling the students she's naive if she thinks she can wear the uniform and expect to be treated as a civilian university apologized taking out advertisement encouraging students on mandatory national service to attend in uniform professor who preach maintained at the student to deliberately initiated the confrontation she later decided to stop teaching following hate mail and reported death threats the video was released by a right wing prosiness organization called interred sue it has long campaigned against what it calls attempts to undermine the state of israel from within in

recent weeks it's launched a website publicly naming dozens of leftwing academics who made accuses of doing exactly that the website new york professor lists 85 academics of public institutions nationwide who have among other things advocated boycotting israel or refusing to serve in the army the site encourages interred souse thousands of student members and others to suggest further names to be added to the list israel's council of university presidents has called the project a witch hunt carried out by political extremists loss of the professor and a matar is one of those named she says as a known far left activist with a permanent job or tell of university she doesn't feel under pressure but there's a broader threat there were 3 young faculty. all the. i know it affects the way they think their way they react they were the right even though their choices of topics for writing to the surprise of many of these same

tactics are being applied within israel itself into 2 denies it's created a blacklist or that it seeking the sacking of individual professors it says it student members have been threatened with unfair treatment by leftist academics what's not completely acceptable or desirable is to say i believe my country should be boycotted on the world stage i believe my country should be viewed as an apartheid state as a pariah state that's not to my way of thinking acceptable especially when the state is paying your paycheck interred sue says it's in gauging the continual fight to preserve the zionist state its critics say that by naming and shaming individual professors is threatening something vital to the health of that state freedom of expression for israeli academics how it will sit out to syria occupied east jerusalem. by governments and media organizations are proposing the creation of a global fund to support journalists in danger zones it's one of the goals of

a global media freedom conference being held in london the fund would provide training legal support and other resources it would be administered by unesco the united nations cultural and scientific agency it says $99.00 media workers were killed in 2018 of charlie angela is following events at the conference force from london joins me now what seems to be the sort of the direction of the conference and sort of the tangible results that may emerge once it's all over. the host say they were really keen that this summit wasn't just a talking shop and in the last 30 minutes the canadian foreign minister chrystia freeland i know it's a 10000000 dollars fund to help them for no democracy in this information and you know it's a $1000000.00. take global media defense fund which the u.k. kick started with a $4000000.00 contribution yesterday so they are putting their money where their mouth is at the moment that global media defense fund will help support journalists

training them in safety and also give them legal support if they find themselves facing any trumped up charges from the government trying to expose in addition to that yesterday the u.k. foreign secretary jeremy hunt announce a 15 ringback 1000000 dollars fund for developing countries to help them. develop their independent media and pursue media freedom and that's starting that fund with investment in bangladesh sierra leone and ethiopia so there's a 2 big tangible results we've seen so far we're also seeing a promise from jeremy hunt a formation of a coalition of willing governments who would be able to lobby a government if they have seen to suppress media freedom a kind of rapid response unit is unclear what kind of measures they would consider whether it would be sanctions or. we'll have to see but those are the tangible results that we've seen so far and that's what john is here asking for charlie

governments often use the tools of really to silence journalists whether they are domestic or visiting journalists to tell the story as it is i mean how is this someone suggesting the bank can be combative because you cover as much diplomacy going on between capitals but at the end of the day it's a journalist or media. battleplan stuck in a position that they can't get out of and really need that help on the ground. again and again we're hearing of how governments are using criminal law westernizing from. trying to make journalism. charges case you know we were just speaking to. investigative reporter maria race that he's been trying to make human. rights violations as president due to the last few decades she is now facing 11 separate charges taking her away from her main

save people like hoping welcoming that announcement of the global media defense fund who are we heard from the human rights what amounts to me she's going to be heading up a pile of experts who will look at how to strengthen protection for journalists but she said what is so paramount is that judges do comply with the own rules and the international community must find ways to make them do that she did say also that they were going to find a way to consult with john is to find out exactly what they need to keep him safe because the bottom line is that 90 percent of crimes against journalists do go unpunished but the lawyers to admit that they really are writing the rule book from scratch but at least they are starting to feel about your doubts we've got a final communique thanks very much charlie. well i have to say with the whether it's time to still on al-jazeera why people of brazil are upset about big changes too and should know. we have a pool georgia where protesters are standing against russia in order. to support

new zealand talking to the cricket world cup final days. to the very latest for us right. well we got some good old fashioned sun the storm was rumbling away across many parts of europe particular down towards the southeast where we're seeing similar lively and fun to read down holes and pushing their way through but i will now make their way from west to a set things a good deal more little area of high pressure just around the house but not a significant one not enough to block things off and bring us back to those particularly high temperatures that we still not too long ago so we are going to say some wetter weather just around the balkans peninsula pushing across towards

the black sea through bug area remain live the showers here still some heat to the south $27.00 celsius there for athens in the thirty's for right that he $839.00 for madrid is fresh a further north of where these 2 meet that's where we are seeing those lively storms as we go on through the next 24 hours or so we are going to see some more that weather just pushing its way into germany into austria want to cause come back in behind that little area showers down towards the southeast that's in the process of making its way further research so we'll quieten down just around the both has been in just right by the side of the a triac we are going to see the west of weather gradually making its way further race was brought skies come back a bit high but some really massive storms possibly some flooding for the end of the week. sponsored by town and.

what went wrong in society that opened up the space. station is the european parliament it's not accountable and it's impossible for the people to bear the full eileen's up our people don't want to take them or. leave them to fall from a stronger man our song you're getting the growth of protectionism of this world because the model doesn't work europe's forbidden colony episode 2 on al-jazeera.

welcome back to the al-jazeera news hour with me it's the whole ramadan reminder of our top stories the u.k. says iranian boats have tried to obstruct a british oil tanker in the strait of hormuz one of the walls most important oil shipping channels to harassment denies there was any confrontation it follows the seizure of a rainy an oil tanker by british marines in the waters near gibraltar last week. also ambassadors from 22 countries have condemned china's treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in an unprecedented move they sent a letter to the un human rights council calling for the detention of weak and muslims to stop. benjamin netanyahu has reiterated his pledge not to dismantle even

the most remote jewish settlement in the occupied west bank there had been speculation that the israeli prime minister may offer concessions on illegal settlements yet to be announced in the u.s. peace proposals. european council president alters because arrived in georgia for the international conference on e.u. eastern european relations meanwhile demonstrators are continuing to rally outside the parliament building demanding an end to what they call pro russian policies hundreds of people have been injured in clashes with riot police since protests started 21 days ago and recent reports. the numbers of people turning out every evening to rally in front of parliament becoming smaller yet the message remains persistently strong. hundreds were injured by police in demonstrations after a russian m.p. addressed the georgian parliament an event which protesters say shows how the

government is becoming pro russian it's this violence that gave momentum to the protests some police officers were suspended for their actions this protest is an historian who ended up detained for 3 days along with more than 300 others he says he was one of many who did nothing wrong along with a polish man just cut my browser and wanted to he came at the head with a stick and i managed to block hand saying to beat him and suddenly and as a polish man jess hit me in the face and i just during some 2nd lost my mind lights and it took 45 tension with russia became worse when the presenter for the opposition t.v. channel attacked the russian president vladimir putin with offensive remarks and obscenity is directed at his late mother and father but since then president putin has ordered the law parliament not to pursue further sanctions against georgia even

though the ban on direct flights from russia remains that's having a big impact on tourism and it's the backbone of georgia's economy could what's happening here be a storm of the tick up a minority of people trying to take on the government accusing it of being too lenient on russia or is it the start of something much bigger a movement that will take on the state machinery accusing it of being influenced or even more than that controlled manipulated by russia what's known as soft power. a former georgian ambassador to the united states believes putin intends to take could. gloria i think is on the crossroads where there will be yet another. oligarchic your pick which a name you want to attach to it country or european. largely depends on what is happening now. choice is western integration you think integration and up to

80 percent of. the demonstrators are using this gesture as a mark of respect to 3 demonstrators blinded by police rubber coated bullets they say the protests will continue until the interior minister is sacked and any pro russian policies are reversed. well andrew symonds is live for us and joins me now gadhafi with a real suspicion doesn't have any involvement of russian officials or politicians in and out of georgian daily life suspicion that sovereignty as you mentioned will possibly be undermined. lot of smoke and mirrors in international politics and georgia is no exception it has to be said that must be a level of pragmatism. in governing a country like georgia when you have this history with russia alongside it on the

war and years ago in which 70 people died and georgia lost the point being made on a regular basis the 20 percent of what they see as that country is under russian occupation i'm looking here at a couple of remarks made a short time ago. in the european integration project for georgia. and she says that suggests a russian sentiment exists in the government she spent in the line that you'd expect the european union is seen as a main aspect to the future of georgia and of course later on this day $53000000.00 worth of deals 2 deals would be made between the georgia the european council president was quite diplomatic in his remarks he

clearly blames russia for this says that however that democracy should develop in the country and not cool civil conflict or war he talked about democracy and human rights effectively he said that it was important proportional representation introduced by the government this is one of the aspects. that the protest is wanted change so they see that as a political victory happening what's happening in georgia now is certainly a dynamic that hasn't been seen for a long time that's the use moving. a more democracy to mom doing. move away from these sort of hear no evil see no evil and of course the possible corruption that's going on at a high level involving russia that soft power referred to earlier or for the moment we'll leave it there and of course and follow events through the day with

a thank you or france has passed a controversial tax bill gates's large tech firms which the u.s. says unfairly targets american companies the tax is the 1st from a major economy to be imposed on companies like google apple and facebook as well as amazon and it affects any digital company with revenue of at least $844000000.00 of which at least 28000000 is made in france u.s. president paul trump has ordered an investigation into its effects well french finance minister he said france and the u.s. should find a way to solve their differences without threats. for i'd like to remind you that it is the 1st time in the east of us france relations that the us administration decides to launch an investigation within section 3016 i believe that between allies we can and we should tackle are differences in another way than threatening each other france is a sovereign state and it decides its own tax policies and will continue doing so in

all sovereignty. joins us now from paris and i do wonder natasha whether we are heading towards another trade war the us does seem to like this 1st with china possibly with france. this was something that of course france would like to avoid and you heard there the french finance minister bruno lemaire speaking a short while ago in france's senate and i mean the message was very clear that france certainly doesn't take very kindly to being threatened by the united states at the same time bruno is saying we are living in a new era he's calling this a new economy the digital age and companies that deal in darts are a new commodity if you like need to be taxed accordingly he also said that you know some of these big tech firms like facebook and google well their economic clout and power is almost the same as a small states nowadays and he is saying though that that comes with none of the

responsibilities that you should normally have when you are that economically powerful and that needs to change and bring in america is very adamant that this is something very important that needs to be imposed on these take firms they have to be more accountable they need to pay more and he is saying that he intends to take up this issue when he meets is american counterparts at the g. 7 finance ministers ministers meeting in france next week for the moment we'll leave it there thanks very much international let's stay in europe because italy's deputy prime minister has denied reports that he's not millions of dollars in funding from russian investors buzz feed news obtained what it says the recording of a conversation that took place in moscow between close aides to salvini and 5 other men it allegedly shows russia trying to funnel money to the italian legal party led by solving the. a u.s. congressional committee is looking into worsening conditions and detention said the

southern border with mexico during an emotionally charged hearing a mother told politicians how incident daughter died while in the custody of u.s. border patrol 100 possible from washington d.c. let me add the tearful mother's visible pain captured members of congress make it better but it's likely more out a piece of my heart like they pour out my thought yasmin juarez says her 19 month old daughter court of viral lung infection at a u.s. immigration detention site after neglecting mistreatment during their 20 day maximum stay at the holding center she says she and little mary a were released days later died look at the only horrible thought but i i wanted to have a better life for her and a better future and work hard at like so that she could keep growing the way that she was. warrens has filed a wrongful death suit against the u.s. government i am so very sorry that we have failed you her case is not unique

several immigrant children have died in u.s. custody is 2 year old 105 fever listless like a rag doll i looked at her and immediately called our ambulance from our children's hospital to pick her up and she ended up having bilateral pneumonia the democrats who run the house oversight and titled the hearing kids in cages inhumane treatment at the border that's an indictment of the trumpet ministrations family separation policy everyone seems to agree there's a crisis at the border with republicans saying it's the pressure of immigrants coming to the us and democrats saying it's the detention policy itself. the name also expresses the outrage over what democrats described as jails for children we are creating the generation of children they'll never forget we did say that this type of trauma can wait some republicans push back i am frustrated with the title

of the hearing it is a hearing entitled kids in cages what we say and i personally will use matters i've been to the border many times in this day i've never seen a kid in a cage just a former immigration and customs enforcement chief says it is unfair to blame immigration agencies coping with this surge of central american immigrants fleeing violence and poverty if you don't reduce the flow you're going to continue to get the same thing that we've seen for the last 78 months it's bad it's getting worse arrests at the border fell 28 percent in june but with the trumpet ministrations saying it plans raids on undocumented families living in the u.s. fairly soon the crisis at the border and in detention centers continues john hendren al jazeera washington. this christmas the reports from new york there are growing calls to stop criminalizing people who cross u.s. baldness. in cities like new york president donald trump's policy of prosecuting asylum seekers who cross the border illegally

separating them from their children and holding them in overcrowded facilities has served as a rallying cry for immigration activists and faith groups no more deportations no more detentions no more reads no more threats and raise your head if you think it should be a civil offense rather than a crime to cross the border calls to decriminalize border crossings making them a civil rather going to criminal offense have gone from the fringe to mainstream supported by leading contenders for the democratic presidential nomination in recent debates democrats went as far as supporting health insurance for the undocumented for term supporters cracking down on illegal immigration has been a top issue but opponents say the u.s. administration's treatment of migrants the search of a better life does not fit their own much time while the focus of the immigration debate has been at the us mexico border the trumpet ministration strict

interpretation of immigration law has been playing out a courthouses like this one all around the country this is where the undocumented who have been living and working in the community some for more than a decade have been rounded up for deportation experts say decriminalizing border crossings has appeal for free market republicans as well as democrats but promising the undocumented health insurance could be a step too far not imprisoning them not taking their kids away from them these are things that you know are commonsense to normal everyday americans we don't treat people that way but the idea that you're going to start giving medicare to people who don't even have a legal status in the united states that's where you start to lose people with growing evidence that migrants are being held in inhumane conditions activists say decriminalizing border crossings would eliminate the legal justification as well as the high cost for doing so while freeing up resources to prosecute those who are

a real through.