move unimpeded in great numbers into uganda if they wished. but in any event it really didn't happen and it didn't happen because a majority of scientists felt that hurtful was selling them out and that the only place for jews to move back to were at least conscious zionist jews to move back to was palestine in this i think britain began to look at the zionist movement as a possible partner in justifying a rita goshi a sions of their agreement with the french you see for britain simply to claim territory against what they'd already concluded in the green that with france could create diplomatic problems for the british but if they were to make a claim to palestine not out of self interest but in order to advance a great historic ideal of the restoration of the jewish people to the legal homeland that this could justify an adjustment of the terms of the sites because.

in a way that the french would accept the british wanted somehow and more and more increasingly they felt that the jews held the key to winning the war. and so they had to figure out how to bribe the jews to support them. mark sykes had succeeded in drawing the line he wanted from a curry in the west to kirkuk in the east but for some in government this was not enough. the british were using the jewish national movement to secure palestine for themselves is this is what high bites been is really going to find open ears and 10 downing street in the foreign office in the colonial office and it's paving the way towards that critical decision in november of 1917 and so i think you can direct you can draw a direct. action between britain the sudden acknowledgement of zionism

and the idea at ideal. and what they were dissatisfied with the term the psychs pico. fights man was a chemistry lecturer in manchester who had become a prominent member of the british zionist movement he was politically well connected and rubbed shoulders with senior figures in government so high on vitamin was russian by birth he was a chemist. and then he joined the zionist movement. he climbed in the zionist movement he moved to great britain before the war well before the war maybe 10 years before the war began he was not before the war very well known in the english zionist movement he was pretty well known in the world zionist federation

but he was by no means the most visible zionist when world war one began in great britain. vitamin later wrote in his memoirs about having been introduced to a british government minister herbert samuel. samuel was jewish but vitamin was apparently concerned that he might be anti finest. however herbert samual turned out to be extremely receptive to vitamin and went on to write an official memo in 1950 setting out in a number of different possibilities for palestine and the jewish people. and was. some. health minister. for who we are can man i love. to see us it was who were caught up with the car and for us the. roof. collapse some have. who were oh

well you know who would be. on america's most. brittany caught up with africa. sure but there's still a philosophy in badminton tell how to help them a lot them a lot and what fear only hold dear old see the. year for last. but then you suddenly had the leader who the commonwealth yannick am but he didn't find willing ears in whitehall or the colonial office for schemes that involved the establishment of a jewish state in palestine britain was really concerned with 2 things by the time that the 1st world war had broken out they wanted to win the war 1st and foremost this was an imperative for the survival of britain and its empire and secondly they

wanted to ensure that coming out of the war victorious that their empire would benefit from the victory so at this stage i invites men and herbert samuels ideas about the rights of the jews to resettle in palestine. mine did not find much sympathy in the corridors of power in london. disappointed fights munro to a friend asking whether there wasn't at least a discussion to be had about what he called the chance for the jewish people. i realize of course he went on we cannot claim anything we are much to add to my insta for it's. what the debate did do however was to throw together fights man the russian jewish immigrants searching for a homeland and refuge from persecution with herbert samuel and lord rothschild for members of the british jewish elite established in society and part of the political and capitalist class. so it isn't for the most part

of course all of the community was actually in the minority but certainly most of all within the jewish elite because it threatened the notion of them as 100 percent committed members of british society and this was complete and that for somebody like agreement you could become secretary of state for india for him zionism is his worst nightmare the idea that jews are not satisfied simply with being citizens of britain or other countries around the world they're always longing to go back to the land of israel for him he wanted to demonstrate that the jews of britain were 1st and foremost british it's important to remember that for people like rothschild zionism and actually been a threat you see the elite in british jewelry had fought for generations to gain

acceptance in british society it was only with the arrival of disraeli that i can century the jews entered parliament and could rise to become prime minister and for people of. so high finance or banking interests the really lete of the jewish community in britain their struggle to demonstrate their place in british society that zionism with its claims that jews were a people apart and should be a nationalist movement of their own right or another with their early they embody army. and even a corrupt better body or how to get. hold. of but i would be when he. meant get 50 i would probably be the old do you feel about i would be everyman german general call up you and i do have to shear. a bit of time even

for them i had a band on our bureau and sammy of the weisz who will of us out the head if mark miss you had to say you you well it's an x. vitamin vien. in much of the love in your mind of the need of mental instability. keep the interest ability your. vitamin. the fim. kids vitamin that makes the difference and i think he was probably unique in his ability to persuade the leading british figures that the jews were in fact a vast sub to raney and influence which they were not. that all jews were zionists which was far from the truth and that therefore the big key to winning jewish support was to offer them palestine vitamine talked up the degree to which the

jewish community supported zionism in order to get his message across to the governments. but for the british it seemed to be about self interest about winning the war recognizing zionism would be closely linked to gaining global juice the poor it put the objective on which should start its future resting so the british motives for supporting zionism will be we can boil it down to 2 elements of british self interest at that time not an emotional interest in silence them or a love of jews and the jewish plight and the desire for return of the jews to the holy land no for very specific self interests matters of policy they were 1st of all all of the british government agreed that they wanted to mobilize behind britain and the allies this idea of jewish power in the world. they were

like all of the different policy elites in the war believe this in the notion that jews were tremendous influence in the corridors of power around the globe if the british government appeared to support zionism they would win over world jewry to their side and all that entailed the british were convinced that zionism was really at the center of the jewish holocaust. in may 916 sir mark sykes had agreed to his to quit deal with the french psychs because you would form the basis of the future carve up of the old ottoman empire. so he immediately turned his attention to palestine still part of the ottoman empire and how to use dynasty ambitions to outmaneuver the french. formal contact between the british government and the zionist followed he immediately phoned herbert samuel and told him about

the plan and herbert samuel then phoned him vitamin and vitamin brought with him in a home sokolow this meeting took place on the 11th of april $916.00 it took place at moses castors house in maida vale. and gaster wrote in his diary afterwards how proud he was that this meeting which he thought was the most important meeting that had ever taken place in the history of zionism had taken place at his house. mark sykes the. head of. the sonoma gust of la know where canada will must send jelly hadia must by then. rise one who are in the north who are in the fight and. the most disgusting very quickly understands that sykes is looking to gain support

from suppose it jewish power in the world and gets to works with this idea and manipulates this to consolidate sykes's interest in science and we see actually the british government becomes very close already in nazi 16 of issuing a public declaration of support for zionism there in the end this doesn't happen that year the planned sikes got herbert samuels to pass on to the zionist leaders involved joint british french administration of palestine and a charter guaranteeing british support for the line of them. but his idea was rejected. they didn't want an anglo-french condominium in palestine they wanted the british to protect them not the french and that's because they thought that the french always sort of converted their colonized people into becoming frenchmen and what they wanted

was to remain as self conscious jews and they thought that the british would leave them alone and let them do that and how much she helped to live been begun by big circle of we were hurrying to share a blue team. over him wanted the berryman not to meet committee got on where you did does go to want to eat at them you would get them back to hollywood the who you deem know you to name a. matter. you know it then. is. bolstered by their newfound credibility the british zionists thought about making specific demands after the sykes meeting but events soon overtook them . on the 6th of december 1916 british prime minister asquith

resigned. in the change of government arthur balfour became foreign secretary under prime minister david lloyd george. lloyd george. as bill but i have talked to some aspect recently was iraq. december. and i'll. be here with that you know see a year to some tea and one or a bomb or. an advocate side but. it's a completely if you could only shoot at your own t. the people are saying. well for all woes of rather philosophical bent and i think he wanted to think in theological terms he wanted

to think in historical terms. and it was with that frame of mind i think that he approached the whole question seriously at the fall of. sarina. i would have a back and marsh minutes of actual sex because i received as it was i thought a comic lord george. i mean a commandment came out but a. while before those of us towards him. you know i mean it was a modern man and he and i could only david lloyd george. balfour and all of those who supported the perfect question within the british government we can absolutely categorize as being riven with anti semitic thinking and not only that but the thinking behind the balfour declaration that drove them to the balfour declaration

was from this anti semitic thought the idea of jewish power of jewish that he said this and of a unified jewish attachment to zionism above all else. whatever its basis the relationship between the british dynasty and the government would continue to grow throughout the 1917. leading to the declaration that would change the face of the middle east and ultimately determine the destinies of 2 different peoples. inmates learning from other inmates acquiring knowledge that could set them free.

through legal education classes and mock tribunals their dedication has led to staggering results even in prison in the us it's all ricin that was. teaching empowerment kenya part of the read the legislation series on al-jazeera. the most memorable moment of al-jazeera was when i was on air as hosni mubarak fell with the crowds in tahrir square talking. to us. if something happens anywhere in the world al jazeera is in place we're able to cover this like no other news organization. were able to do it properly. and that is our strength. in looks so to me it sounds ugly in scares people from america's high streets to mexico's on the world's record holder to the side and who controls the other side people in power follows the

smuggling route and test the ease of acquiring untraceable weapons on american soil the weapon that was designed for war and it took you about 5 minutes to buy a movie america's guns are arming mexico's cartels on al-jazeera congressman are you interested in stopping crime. hello i'm lauren taylor in london the top stories are now as they are brazilian federal prosecutors have begun an investigation into the recent spike in fires burning across vast areas of the amazon rain forest earlier the president jaya both sonar asked for international help saying his government lacked the resources to tackle the fires alone the world was one of them or now the amazon is bigger than europe how can you fight fires in such an area it is clearly criminal how can you

do it you need to catch them in the act otherwise there is nothing you can do now non-governmental organizations are losing money money that came from germany and norway they are unemployed now so they are trying to overthrow me. iran's foreign minister mohammad javad zarif says is countries willing to work on french proposals to salvage the nuclear deal which it signed with world powers in 2015 years president donald trump withdrew from the agreement last year and has been reimposing sanctions french president emmanuel michael says he'll either try to soften the effect of the sanctions or try to come up with a way to compensate iran. meanwhile michael has again ruled out any major changes to the brics it deal made the statement at the palace in paris where the prince president hosted british prime minister boris johnson because urged johnson to set out his proposed alternatives as soon as possible. in the media has restricted

internet access and arrested dozens of people in the papua region an effort to rein in days of violent protests the violence broke out when 43 papuans students were arrested for allegedly disrespecting the indonesian flag. one protester says students from paktia faced racism for a long time. with on the word monkey is always used to insult us the puppet students this is been going on for too long we don't have freedom to live here it's as though we're not indonesian citizens where he had to study we never create problems but people have always treated us as if we're animals a new united nations reporters found them in my military is still using sexual and gender based violence against the ringer it comes as almost 300 reading of families interviewed by the u.n. and the bangladeshi government also say they do not want to go back to me and. so the headlines out for seeds of destruction continues next on other news after you

after that. the 1st world war pitted britain france and russia against germany austria hungary and the ottoman empire the british in the shape of the diplomats or mark sykes were determined to divide autumn in territory in a way that best suited them once the war was over for their own strategic interests . by 917 the war was shifting in the allies favor and in the middle east the british were moving through sinai towards the borders of historic palestine. further north the russian revolution in february 1917 cast doubt on russia's continued involvement in the war. as britain and france tried to outmaneuver one

another the british zionist movement took on increasing political importance. sikes wants to get back in touch with scientists and think about how to incorporate zionism in british planning for palestine and at this moment we see a hugely important meeting taking place in the home of most disgusting maida vale in february 17th and this is the point in which sykes mates for the 1st time. in the home circle of. another time in this in which it's discussed what the zionists are looking for and the british interest in zionism so he had to bring the zionists along without divulging what were the secret agreements that britain and france had come to with regard to palestine which was that they would jointly administer parts of palestine at this meeting for

the british government was sykes and herbert samuel he was there on the other side there were. vitamin and sokolow and there was moses gaster and he brought a couple of his allies because he realised that vitamin was beginning to push him out of the way the other very important figure was james rothschild who attended this meeting. at the meeting it became clear to sykes that vitamin not gaster was the most important zionist. this is also the moment where most of the cast is dislodged. sykes's part on the french side because i haven't liked best guest it been insistent that this should be a jewish state and nothing less coming into being after the war and peace. clearly

wanted scientists who were much more willing to compromise with the interests of the great powers and the viceroy was certainly happy to fit that bill. the meetings between the zionists and the government seemed to give momentum to the idea of british support for a jewish homeland in palestine and their potential role in its administration. but the secret agreements between britain and france which formed the basis of the future division of the ottoman empire planned to put palestine under international administration any change would have to be negotiated with france. niamh sokolove emerged as the man to talk to the french and. the story. she gave. circolo became the acknowledged

lead diplomat for zionism and all the accounts say that he had an extremely sort of elegant bearing and wore very fine clothing and that his manners were polished and polite and smooth silky smooth so that he could talk. on an equal basis with the representatives of the german kaiser or the. british government or whatever so the day after the meeting. between sykes and the zionist leaders sykes brought socolow to meet the french diplomat pekoe what sikes wanted was for sokolow to a persuade pekoe that zionism must be taken seriously that zionism

really was the key to winning the war. and that the zionists would only help the allies win the war if britain was the main power in palestine not france for trade off because they didn't put it that good or may both. so-called off with out false. walk was. put out for duck or. reeve. and also mossad. there's not a good office a course a record of that the our home was not on there to greet them i'd tell you we the 3 of them men psychs nuff saw in a circle of you know what a w n e no our friends are or your mother had this you can associate mom or ls and

british cabinet or that often or at the station of friends so we were at before i left cabinet that includes a or look an already different so into lot of city it's hard to know how much influence sykes ultimately had over british policy making he was given more prominence in british policy making around the middle east during the war years than he ever deserved he was a relatively ill educated inexperienced man whose only connection to the art of the world had been as a tourist. so for this man to be playing such a role of the holes of power over deciding british policy towards the near east seems to us today to be anomalous indeed ridiculous. regardless of psych's role things continue to progress for the zionists and in june 1917 british foreign secretary arthur balfour asked high in vitamin to present his demands as

a declaration and promise to try and persuade his government to adopt its. the leading zionist form the political committee and drafted their demands and then submitted them to the british government. this original document was one of the 1st drafts written at the imperial hotel in london on the 17th of july 1917. it's also introduced a new term and concept the national home of the jewish people. so in the initial side this drafting of the declaration. there were protests most so honestly it is soon enough and sokol of that there is no mention of the terminology of a jewish state that is said that talking about a national home. this is a trial of what the size trying to achieve and so. was that

we mustn't go too far we have to take small steps we have to go with what is acceptable to the british government at this time and then slowly slowly we can advance our cause once we had this in hand. on the thought of civil war. and if you look at what i mean at the only knowledge i have been could be. a. certain element how can that be understood them though them suckle of a couple of those from stocks or what are. the author of thing. on the 18th of september 1917 there was a meeting of the british war cabinet the foreign secretary arthur balfour was absent. the secretary of state for india edwin montague who was jewish strongly disagreed with the declaration. he was opposed to zionism and said

i deny that palestine is today associated with the jews or properly be regarded as a fit place for them to live montague thought a french to clear ration for porting zionism in june 1917 was anti semitic and negotiated changes to the british version as it went through several drafts. so you got a battle wired can let them. clear out that really well that. we're out of the law so who me live here get all allisat adam assessment of corker c s c . you hold me in fear. to be. above the law. you will amount of your she will look forward to her both to see if your move she got most who your. daughter is but your. it's what people gonna.

do you then bill through. the well resentment of you. a few days later secretary of state for war by counts milner and the jewish politician philip magnus sent a modified version to the cabinet it incorporated some of montague's changes. including the caviar that quote nothing shall be done that might prejudice the rights and political status enjoyed by such jews who are fully contented with their existing nationality and citizenship. drafting especially by a board millner that appeared by september was closer to the language that would eventually be adopted in november of 1017 namely speaking not

about palestine as a whole. but. some sort of presence in palestine. we have of the jews which is quite different cannot call can we be wired bill for it how man for. not. only their national. a literary if what ana called me there and look at all in national where 1 may. not have been made. but no not the national home and i would not the national yanni rockland county i would be fearful of the and. the committed zionists wanted to ensure the declaration was clear that the whole of historic palestine would be a national homeland exclusively for the jewish people. the

latest draft was sent to high invites men who in turn center to the zionist movement in the united states for their feedback. there was some consultation you know during the summer of 1917 with the united states and in the early drafts there. the imprint of the zionist elements in britain would have referred to pella stone in its entirety as being for some sort of jewish and if he and those elements eventually were modified before the drafting was finalized another key part of the terminology that emerged out of the drafting was in some british redrafting was sort of for the jewish people it was written the jewish race

adventure this was taken out but i think it's very revealing that british officials wanted to use this kind of terminology because after all this was how they understood the jews of the world as being a racial group when that world it tremendous power and also could be inspired all together as one unit behind the cause of scientism supported by britain and the allies it's striking that the existing arab people in the region were not named at all they're simply called the quote existing non jewish communities in palestine the 3 point but. so you know we got rid of the idea but at this point you know ma'am are these critters are upset. the north river or ditch it meant bar owners are settled in order we've inaugurated was the rejoinder. you know part of the opportunity or cowboy opportunity.

by october 19th 17 the final draft of the balfour declaration was ready and waiting only british government final approval. there was a rumor that germany was about to issue a similar declaration supporting the rights of the jews in palestine. when belfer he rushed to get his final draft discussed at the cabinet meeting on the 31st of october 1919. so when we think about the centenary of the balfour declaration everyone considers 2nd of november 19th 17 as the moment of the day creation itself but it was actually agreed to by the british cabinet on the 31st of october and this was a hugely significant meeting and in the minutes of that meeting balfour reiterates the principle reasons for supporting zionism and highlights its expected propaganda

effects amongst jews around the world particularly in the united states and in russia the argument was was put forward most strongly by lord balfour at the meeting of october 31st and what he argued was that issuing this declaration would be extremely helpful for the british in solidifying the support of the united states and also in countering propaganda from germany the critical thing to remember about british diplomatic pronouncements is that what one individual says does not represent the views of the government as a whole and you will find many different points of view among british officials in the years 1701800 and right into the early years of the mandate but the british were very clear that they had not promised statehood to the zionist movement they had no interest in doing so the british did not support jewish nationalism they did not support arab nationalism they supported british imperialism but this is also

the meeting where lord curzon. it was a member of the walk happened it disquiet about the possible effects of supporting zionism on the palestinian arab population and the palestinian opposition is completely disregarded lord curzon wrote a paper to the cabinet asking what was quote to become of the people of this country. there were over half a 1000000 syrian arabs a mixed community with arab hebrew canaanite greek egyptian and possibly crusaders blood they and their forefathers of occupied the country for the best part of 1500 years they own the soil they profess the mohammedan faith they will not be content either to be exposed pre-dated for jewish immigrants or to act merely is he was of wood and drawers of water to the latter. but his prescient remarks fell on deaf

ears it sykes who tells highlights that at the end of the war cabinet meeting dr it's a boy as though they witnessed the birth of an agreement to create jewish national home as a baby in the middle east. the final draft of the balfour declaration was 67 words long. his majesty's government view with favor the establishment in palestine of a national home for the jewish people and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object. it being clearly understood nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non jewish communities in palestine all the rights and political status enjoyed by jews in any other country i should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to

the knowledge of the zionist federation you all sincerely are for james balfour. in terms of international law it really has very little standing in international law you know treaties between nations have significance. but governments after an issue policy statements statements of intention about what they plan to do and those who really don't have any standing as as a matter of of law for britain this was. i suppose you would say a statement of its intention as to what it would do if it were to take over belostoma which of course it had not yet done as of november of 1917 it's going to go to whether you like that and we thought. she.

should have been done you are if. you be so though because your mind. show you are fewer only 2 years after the declaration a church leader in jerusalem wrote to british prime minister lloyd george about jews in palestine trying to control holy sites. lloyd george's office had said that high invites men didn't want to do anything affecting the rights of arabs it said he simply wanted to be involved in a council to help provide refuge to jews. in russia and eastern europe. this exchange suggested that britain felt it had not promised a jewish state but simply a place for them to live alongside the arabs. when the league of nations set out the british mandate in palestine in 1923 it made britain responsible for

implementing the balfour declaration. as a result jewish immigration to palestine increased as did arab opposition to it expressed in a series of palestinian protests against britain in the 1920 s. the understood the people of palestine to be muslims and christians but did not emerge that they would constitute a national community that would seek national independence. after the war very quickly when it becomes clear that palestinian arab nationalists immobilizing against zionism. the british government a quick to see a major problem the balfour declaration had put in train a series of events that began to signal its deep flaws arab descent built to the 3 year revolt between 193619398 was a nationalist uprising against the british administration demanding arab independence and the end of jewish immigration it was in the pill commission of 937

that the british 1st recognized that instead of balancing communities they had certain motion rivalry between incompatible national jewish and palestinian arab. and it was at that point that they try to solve the problem by dividing palestine into 2 states arab and jewish through a partition plan and i think there you have the 1st recognition or admission from british officials of the failure of the balfour declaration. in maine 1939 the british government published a policy document on palestine called a white paper it abandoned the partitioning of palestine into 2 states and called instead for an independent palestine in which arabs and jews would share government . it limited jewish immigration to $75000.00 for 5 years and said that the arab majority should determine future immigration levels. it's also said that balfour

had not meant to create a jewish state at the expense of the arabs any more than the mcmahon his team correspondent 24 years before had promised an arab state to shareef hossain of mecca but the white paper met opposition and was dropped. the british government a quick to see a major problem but there is no way that they can back away from support for zionism because this becomes the basis for their justification for being in the holy land their commitment to supporting the movement in the balfour declaration which becomes in shrines in international law in the terms of the mandate for palestine so the british stuck with zionism they didn't believe that scientists wanted independent jewish state hood and after the war became very clear that actually the vast majority of scientists didn't only want statehood they expected.

i think if we're trying to assess whether or not britain's policy towards zionism in the 1st world war served british interests or not the 1st thing we have to appreciate is the key reason they supported zionism was based on an incorrect idea they believed that they could mobilize something that they saw as jewish power around the world behind the cause so 1st of all that was entirely wrong and didn't happen because the jewish power is fate is force. in september 1939 german expansionism led to the 2nd world war over 60000000 people died including between 5 and 6000000 jews the majority in nazi concentration camps. the british mandate ended at midnight on the 14th of may 1948 and immediately the formation of the state of israel was announced.

justified by the terms of the balfour declaration issued 31 years before. while israelis celebrated the birth of their nation 700000 palestinians were forced into camps and exile the family done a lot of damage you're not destroyed and because with your new argument we don't know you know it's all right there are. 4 palestinians the balfour declaration represents the moment an imperial power promised their land away to another people. this is the best weather out there which. they hold bell for responsible for their expulsion displacement and occupation.

hello there without some very wet and windy weather into the southeast few days it's on its way really across the tasman sea so clearing conditions along the east coast pushing in as you can see here into western australia that will bring some showers the winds being strong along the east coast so sydney this is just around the bay from bondi beach very high winds very big you can say looks like fun but of course that can be very dangerous it should be coming down as we go through friday and saturday 970 on friday 23 degrees in brisbane and then as we had 370 we could

see some pushing across into tasmania 15 at best few in hobart but not a bad day in perth a high there of 78 celsius in the south. but really the bulk of the rain that is going to stay in position. of a couple of days in all can touch is generally around 13 or 14 celsius and then up into japan fairly widespread rains to round out the week heavy at times clearing conditions a nice day across much the korean peninsula you can see even through the far east of russia we have got that rain in the full cost $20.00. with those shots lingering on saturday and becoming less wet across japan. millions of people across india miss out on medical but a hospital train is delivering doctors and hope to those most in need what i want

to east towards india is a lot fun explained on the al-jazeera. al-jazeera where every you. know nor and this is the al-jazeera news hour live from london coming up. brazilian prosecutors open an investigation into devastating wildfires burning across the amazon rain forest. iran's foreign minister says his government could consider french proposals to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal. in paris the u.k.

prime minister looks for flexibility on the e.u. divorce deal the french president again rules out any major changes. and i'm only a hearty and with all the day's sport 23 time grand slam tennis champion serena williams has been drawn to play a former world number one maria sharapova in the 1st round of this year's u.s. open. brazilian federal prosecutors have begun an investigation into the recent spike in the number of files burning across vast areas of the amazon rain forest earlier the president jaya bosso narrow aust for international help saying his government lacks the resources to tackle a flame. alone and a message on his facebook page also repeated his accusations that environmental charities started the fire as to make him look bad but. now the amazon is

bigger than europe how can you fight criminal fires in such an area it is clearly criminal how can you do it you need to catch them in the act otherwise there's nothing you can do now nongovernmental organizations are losing money money that came from germany and norway they are unemployed now so they are trying to overthrow me. the number of files currently burning in the amazon is the largest since records began in 2030 up 84 percent on the same time last year amazon produces 20 percent of the world's oxygen and the french president in one year manhole has described the fire as as an international emergency it really has more fires engulfing large swaths of the amazon rain forest the smoke is traveling far and wide it darkened the skies over sao paulo which is more than 2000 kilometers south of the burn area the scope of the fires is massive these satellite images

from nasa show how the smoke has covered most of the northern half of brazil which is larger than the whole of europe. the amazon produces 20 percent of the world's oxygen and is home to more than 3000000 species of plants and animals fires in the amazon are a natural occurrence often started by lightning strikes but that doesn't explain the sudden increase in fires this year which environmentalist say has been exacerbated by cattle ranchers and sorie farmers clearing forest at an increased pace enforcement of amazon burning has been scaled back under president bush the not of a long time skeptic of environmental concerns both scenarios slashed government funding to environmental agencies and on tuesday suggested the fires were being staged by n.g.o.s to embarrass his government. under the impression that it could have been set by the n.g.o.s because they had asked for money what was their

intention to bring about problems for brazil when fires burn in the amazon the area is so large there's nothing firefighters can do to put them out when these fires finally do go away environmentalists say that damage will have been done here it is really permanently wasted and in a sense that extends ages to recruit forest and you can never. know wait the amazon rain forest often called the lungs of planet earth now filled with smoke and fire and choking one of the world's most diverse ecosystems kaberle isn't though how does either marina silva was an environment minister under former president lula da silva she says what's happening in the amazon is a crime against humanity. in there are far more public that it's the 1st time i speak publicly about this since the world began watching to the for a station and fires that are out of control in yemen and rain forest it's

a situation i consider a crime against the state and a crime against humanity in brazil of history we see in this legal situations but for the 1st time we have this kind of situation that was created almost with official encouragement from the government yet even as a professor ecosystem science at the university of oxford he joins me now via skype thanks very much for being with us i understand as part of your research you traveled to the amazon every year for the last 25 years what do you think has caused the spike in fires this time well over the last 10 years brazil has made quite an effort to control the authority for a station and what we're seeing this time is a real surge of fires and i think what's going on here is the lack of clear thinking from the talk that brazil will be willing to cut in and enforce the fire controls that deforestation control that has been successful in forcing of the previous decade so clearly signaling from the top it's ok the forest you can burn

the government is not going to do anything that's leading to the surge or our fire in the forestation and what about how do you stop them i mean vote in ours appeal for help in fighting the fires is that likely be able to be forthcoming and and how much difference will it make at this stage. well tackling these fires is a challenge but brazil has been. tackling and forcing fire regulations for the past decade so it's a start that you know nothing's changed this year and turns out the ability to stop fire starting at least it's purely an act or lack of interest the problem center that's causing it to be time it is not about external help it is it's real leadership and governance from the government to brazil and what do you think the impact will be on the atmosphere when you are you you look at the in the interactions between forest ecosystems and the atmosphere what you think the impact will be well the multiple impacts on the metered local level these fires have

a huge impact on the local climates or brazil the quality of the air the levels of pollution in the cities and the arms and as it is any any dense densely industrialised world troublous it's incredibly powerful human health but it also affects rainfall intensifies the dry season in the arms and in the meantime the carbon emissions from this has contributed to global change and and that contributed to our overall right of c o 2 in the atmosphere to contributing to that and also the change in the climate over south america caused by amazon deforestation can lead to changes in weather patterns even beyond south america find out from this region. and to go back to about an hour and he made this claim which he admits was unsubstantiated that that engineers were to blame for the fire in that context how how likely is it that he's going to want to change his tackling on the environment and have to deal with the amazon in future. well one thing is

for all the noise this is acutely embarrassing for the president government and this is the early part of the fire season the fire season peaks in september so what we see could get a lot worse over the next month when the when the real dry season kicks in so there is still time to to pressurise to the government or. see this as a sort of national embarrassment for presumable. and if not this year there are. still chances that we can we can change to turn this around and change things over the subsequent. is not good news at the moment but because everything to fight for and to try and turn this tide of i as round it in a money by professor at the investor thank you very much indeed thank you. and across the border in bolivia the government is sending soldiers to contain

wildfires in the east of the country 150-0000 hectares of forest in the jacket on the area have been destroyed environmental organizations say 500 species of wildlife are at risk president ever were is has created a new environmental emergency cabinet to deal with a crisis. thank you more still ahead on this news hour including on the streets of indian administered kashmir where residents are taking desperate measures to protect themselves. at a time of rising tension in iran as president unveils a domestically produced missile defense system. and his sport messy adept dops an unusual training method in his race for fitness and here we'll have more later. iran's foreign minister jeffords or even says his government is willing to work on french proposals to salvage the nuclear deal which it signed with world powers in

2015 u.s. president donald trump withdrew from the agreement last year and has been posing sanctions the french president in one year mccaw says here are the trying to soften the effect of sanctions or try to come up with a way to compensate iran in return iran would keep complying with the deal which restricts its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief or comes as the iranian president has unveiled a new missile defense system a time of rising tension with united states president hassan rouhani says the domestically built long range system is more advanced than its russian equivalent the s. $300.00 s. have begun ports from the iranian port city of founder of us. a day of national pride for iran the unveiling of its own long range surface to air missile defense system 373 after years of sanctions that stopped iran from importing many weapons it's had to develop its own domestic arms industry and now

facing a military buildup in the region president has done rouhani is defiant. now that all enemies do not accept logic we cannot respond with logic when the enemy launches a missile against us we cannot give a speech and say mr rocket please do not hit our country and no innocent people we cannot say mr rocket launcher please hit a button and self-destruct the missile or near. the fires 373 can identify up to 100 targets at the same time iran's ballistic missile program was not part of the 2015 nuclear deal a reason cited by the united states for pulling out of the agreement last year and imposing sanctions on iran. the recent seizing of oil tankers and iranian vessels detained in the british overseas territory of gibraltar and the u.k. flag tanker detained by iran in the gulf has raised tensions further now the u.s. has put together a naval coalition it says is to protect the freedom of navigation through the gulf

strategic strait of hormuz. we're 20 percent of the world's oil posses through a narrow stretch of water that iran and oman share territorial rights to yad all but all about oh yeah how man without around there would not be any security in the region iran is a superpower ready to provide security for the region persian gulf and strait of hormuz stop pressuring us and stop encouraging your friends to be hostile towards us we are ready for friendship and defense as we are ready to fight back any invasion. the iranian tanker grace one i renamed. was released on the orders of the gibraltar as supreme court and is now heading to greece iran however is still holding the british tanker in the strait of hormuz the british sexton in perry was seized by the revolutionary guard last month for what they say were violation.