have agreed to a detailed plan for what's expected to be the largest ever prisoner swap there him and saudi backed government and who the rebels have already released hundreds of prisoners and a list of 15000 other names has been drawn up the timing of their release has not been agreed to with the u.n. special envoy to yemen hopes it will happen quickly. general motors is pulling out of australia new zealand and thailand as part of its years long global restructuring across all 3 countries the company employs almost 2 and a half 1000 people the company is expected to wind down operations at all 3 countries by next year all motors as it's focusing on more lucrative markets and north america and china so the headlines keep it on al-jazeera mourners to come up front as that next.

with 3. is bollywood cozying up to their own little bow these far right hindu nationalist government lost 2 of the indian film industry is best known creative figures. i made the house with the indian government targeting of minorities demonstrations against them in the road these increasingly authoritarian rule have sprung up across india so why is bollywood been so silent india's powerful film industry afraid of modi and the b j p i'll scream going to job up there and direct to the haitian public but 1st ethiopian prime minister ahmed won the nobel peace prize and 29000 for ending a decades long conflict with eritrea and introducing long overdue reforms to his

country but after cracking down on protesters and dissolving his own ruling coalition ethiopia and our base sliding back into repression and violent conflict this week's headliner close ally an advisor to the ethiopian prime minister led cho bhatti. thank you for joining me from your prime minister ahmed one of the 2019 nobel peace prize at the end of the year in which he locked up journalists detained protesters and cut off the internet is that really how nobel peace prize winners are supposed to behave i don't know where you get this far there is no any you're noticed in prison now he didn't arrest 5 journalists in september 29th. so the police failed to produce any shred of evidence for their alleged crimes though there are some exaggerated things now that i mean exaggerated it is noise soon because as you read it means what there was one i mean that there is one incident and we're fake news

has been. put in a market in tucson. violence against the groups so what is amnesty is director for east and southern africa saying the return of mass arrests of opposition activists and supporters is a worrying signal in ethiopia these sweeping arrests risks undermining the rights to freedom of expression and association ahead of this years later this is not happening ethiopia tube is a free everybody's living in our 2 years over there is making mr for. telling you all that you're not a star out of prison or a political prisoners are out of prison be admitting they were not as a lobster these these are the prisoners detained by the previous regime or oppositions in peaceful are invited back so the political space is wide and everybody's in the country and they just. campaigning in different parts and i'm not questioning that people are campaigning or register i'm just saying that human rights watch for example has said dozens of ethnic i'm horrid journalists were held

in 20000000 team in their report in the country i mean you were on this show 2016 as someone living in exile criticizing the previous government for being repressive authoritarian locking up protestors and journalists and now you're being criticized your government is being criticized for doing the same thing does your irony this government is not doing i'm not aware of this. and this government is not everything gone and is that about internet blackouts there is no any time the internet was blocked i mean who should people believe well wrote well known well respected you would need to do for that investigation but i think you do need a result of the internet to check out where the internet in the country is very very very very low the coverage is very low and. but i have not come across any in the is in that interview have a couple of protesters you haven't come across to turn journalist you haven't come across internet blackouts no that's very convenient given it's well documented are you sure it's. not ok i'm not in any your prime minister what

a peace prize for ending this decades long conflict with neighboring eric. and he's been applauded for that by many around the world at home but even in ethiopia the conflicts continue ethnic conflicts the violence is in fact escalated in many places ethiopia as one of the largest internally displaced populations in the world 1600000 people internally displaced fleeing violence that's a pretty massive failure on your government's part as well the displacement has its own cause as you know the top is going through it for that means. or the group that is overthrown who are sponsoring conflicts in different parts of the country so this is a politically motivated. displacement in order to. sabotage the transition and the reforms that the prime minister will say recourses of a 1000000 people were displaced that there were 1st half of 20 only there are still just a political move to embarrass the government of india

a 1000000 people it is people that have been people used to live together peacefully this is a politically masterminded. from behind in order to sabotage the 4 isn't the danger is that that structural problem is removed now people are bad to their residents and today now the top in it the new groups in every part of the country are living together in a very harmonious when i interview a lot of people on the show from different countries different political parties you've been on the show twice and it's interesting interviewing you because you came on the show in a debate with the then member of the european government you were in exile of time living in the us yes and if you had said all this stuff there and he your opponent then the government had said well this is all just you trying to make us look bad on the stand your arguments can be used either way i do wonder is you know you could sound like the previous government i don't understand the record of the prime minister was clear. the. clear our prime minister is people as our prime

minister rehabilitated peace with their theory or he media did peace between cells and sudan he has and he can't stop labels are being displaced there is only are the very center of the relationship with. will from being displaced in his own country about drugs of thousands of the but the hands the hands. who is masterminding all this violence is aimed at or is this is your satellite is already in or is the overthrow in leeds ok ok the people who are enjoying privilege for the last 27 years they minds they want to make sure this process is about time you have any evidence that a prime minister is very patient i mean you have any evidence for example what's your evidence for that there is and what's the evidence there is include evidence what is it there is a good evidence this latest one but it's a very clear i've learned 3 times what is the evidence weapon is being smuggled to groups you found these weapons they are produces for the of course there is a lot of weapons that were for those captured that comes through through the borders and money has been distributed in order this is all very very letter about

an attempt on the life of the prime minister also was tried in adult so there is people are living north stone and unturned in order to to to to to prevent it to appear to transit into democracy your party came to power in 2018 and now your prime minister ahmed is transforming ethiopia's ethnic federal political system some would say without any real electoral mandate he's dissolved the ruling coalition he set up this whole new party the prosperity party to which your own defense minister has come out and criticized and said there are many dangers to doing these big dramatic changes in a hurry right now so why do it why all this up people it was a natural process to kook up to come up with a party that is unified and the one major should go so it's a party decision some members a decision the central committee decision let me finish executive committee decision so it has been done through the party rules and regulations so why did

your defense minister say merging this party is not timely and there are many dangers we are in a transition this is borrowed time it is not our time we should focus on maintaining peace and stability why are you not focusing on peace and stability why are you doing these dangerous things according to your own defense minister peace and stability is a burning issue there's no question about that ok the prime minister liberalize a political space. oppositions are invited in including those who are in the struggle those who are in prison with lived in now the political space is no danger turning a very if this is not a dangerous move well the changes in ethiopia are very sweeping ok we have to either ok transit ethiopia into democracy otherwise there is no any other were to start but we have a global audience watching the show there is no any other option i understand our viewers around the world are watching the show they see you senior adviser to the

office of prime minister saying this is a good thing and then they hear the defense minister of your government saying this is not a good thing should they believe well everybody is entitled to subpoena not really he said your government is really be singing from the same hymn sheet but what he said is what he said is he's not opposing the world he's not opposing the process but is saying maybe things are going so fast ok that this is opinion the current prime minister your boss up there has been in power for less than 2 years he was not elected directly to office and in november with just months before this upcoming general election in august he approved all these big changes the dissolution of the ruling coalition. does he have a mandate to do any of this stuff i mean nobody nobody elected him to do any of this to the party it is a party this is but in america it's european constitution the federal structure no he has not done all it will be in federation of state he's not tampering with the federation he's a federalist the multinational for the nation is a constitutional order what is being transformed and what is being rebranded is a party going to have a mandate for that you know as

a matter that the members have in mind it and their members are doing that suv massive deliberation deliberation has been taking place within the party for a year. thanks for joining me on up front thank you so much thank you. attacks on students moblin ching's an escalation in hate crimes and the mainstreaming of a hardline brand of hindu nationalism these have all been features of india under the leadership of prime minister narendra modi whose party lost a key election in delhi this week yet few celebrities have spoken out against modi or the rise in intolerance many of them instead of big supporters of the prime minister but today we're joined by 2 of the biggest names in bollywood who haven't been shy to make their voices heard jahvid up there is an acclaimed screenwriter songwriter and poet as well as a former member of india's upper house of parliament i'm irish but is one of india's best known film directors and producers whose directed over 50 films since

his career began in 1974 java dr marriage but thank you both for joining me on upfront java dr let me start with you how bad actually is the situation in india today in your view in terms of rising nationalism bigotry authoritarianism. if i look around and indeed it is much worse but the fact is in india without it i can see it with. the dark and it is true. and measured but would you agree with that how much is the india that want to tout it secular pluralistic multi-faith credentials in india that you and job it grew up in how much of that india is gone do you think well it was called the mother of civilizations it was the land which gave birth to people like not look at the mouth of our mission but gandhi and the fact is there were jobs up just said is that it couldn't have

been worse and the night is only deepening we have had a real hope just a few days ago where the the b.g.p. got a drubbing. but they lost the election to a new kid who was on the other party but that's just one little of all measure but you said in the past that fascism is quote alive and well in the land of the mahatma what would you say to critics who say that's hyperbole that's an exaggeration india is a democratic country and they're in the mode he won his majority last year fair and square well i would say that after the comedian to look away from the that's that explosive silence the muslims of this are my country and not really the muslims even the other minorities have never felt more insecure the feeling now if this used to turn in their face of we become this sniggered toot it's their privilege

but they do india a lot of harm when people are frightened to speak to people why the about what's going to happen next this add googling desire to india and they do not want to see it it's a tragedy they will have to take stock of the situation and act with urgency with after my case but mentioned muslims and other minorities and the fear that they have just in the past year alone since modi's re-election we've had this citizenship law which for the 1st time into. duces a religion test for immigrants for refugees from neighboring countries everyone except muslims eligible you have a register of citizens at a sum which is excluded nearly 2000000 people many of the muslims from the citizenship list you have the supreme court decision which allows for the building of a hindu tel ball on a disputed religious site the site of a mosque that was destroyed by hindu nationalists all of that in just in the past year is it fair to say that lost limbs in india now feel like they're in the firing

line as a matter of fact as long as. it problem a problem minority not be able to change it is the problem for india and does that come near as you can with kids can be as chipping in don't reach the people but the enemy then they can be that means the fact is that. and instead maybe if you are talking not only emotion i mean. the joint a community of people i think you did get the fact that you can you look at on the theists. who. has been for detention is shrinking by the day. how dear any. channel then in india dead or polluted to the present regime it was not for thick steel but indeed so let me bring in motion but here the reality is as you well know that the b j p and the r.s.s.

the ideological force behind the b j p the paramilitary group that forms a lot of the ideological backbone of the b.g.p. has been very anti muslim for many decades now and when you look at what's happening in for example here which was india's only muslim majority state before that the government went along and basically broke it up a few months ago and put it under siege you can understand why muslims in india muscles around the world are looking at india and saying what is going on here in terms of islamophobia anti muslim bigotry anti muslim hate especially when you look at for example the situation in kashmir. well i don't think islamophobia the readers of islam of who are blue to the world are plain living the life i think the full year is manufactured because i don't think that the average indian is so frightened of a muslim with that kind of a fear has been crafted been structured. in india media a person go out do the live child lose are working around the clock to create to

create the other they need the other to do to stay in power and to hate the muslim is hard because it is the lifeline of the b j b that's not been so words are there is institutional bias which has been there since the dawn of time in this is a birth of the nation but now it is needed the mosque is off and they are doing it right in their laws and. measurements of the mosque is often not under modi won a 2nd term he has escalated his i don't know what you want to call a campaign of dominance of authoritarianism of consolidation of power for his party and for his movement what's interesting about modi is many people here in the united states where i am for example like to compare modi and trump trump doesn't actually believe anything whereas modi is a lifelong ideologue he's been in the r.s.s. since he was a child how dangerous

a leader do you think there are in remote areas that's not simplify if you'd like believing that only he did just that there were different things and keep it he was good he had people receive the germany and he was whatever he did he did only against. your will and the way you were thought got to everybody and it's not true that actually mean what you fashion you create an enemy you. put your own people. in an imaginary theater and that is how you control them at the moment if through all of this that for the people who think it is people are losing their freedom of expression or confident that you need to explain it is not happening to one community it is not happening to one people do you believe the remote is a fascist or course he is i mean a child don't have guns on their head if i shifted to thinking at this thinking

that we are better then at that end what your problem we have it is because of these people the who do you hear it people in all fear. you're a fish but let me ask you this when it comes to modi and bollywood cloud i want to talk about your industry your bollywood stars congratulating the prime minister on his reelection on twitter you have that famous selfie that got so much coverage of a bunch of bollywood actors including your daughter alia there claimed actress i believe that they took with modi you have the industry's top stars the harmons and others completely silent on the citizenship bill on crush me and on the attacks on students are you disappointed in some of your fellow artists that they haven't taken the kind of stand that you have. put myself up as a mortal and i asked them to emulate me whom is with their right but fear is a political who has been used to the dawn of time and we are in the business of entertainment and mass entertainment content is consumed there in the cinema hall

has become very wonderful during release time and these guys have the foot soldiers there to play have war with people who don't like to go individually an actor or an actress may want to take a stand and be but he will but then there's a collective interest of the tribe which is why it's around him or her that look it effects the entire unit or it does the projects that are close writing on it so i think that is really wonderful but the explosive side of this speaks for itself that these people are free to. speak your mind even if you can be 2 different to what they are posturing after privately jobber that there is pretty indisputable isn't it the bollywood with a few notable exceptions is now basically team modi. no i wanted a bit of action in it too many words for the missing but the fact is that it is the

proof. that hacky this kid do all the people are given to him he would difficult feat that he is and he can many are to his ideology on the air you get what you want to park you doing do good thing lynching is wonderful it should happen more often do they really think that no and it did good thing then then why have you not seeing it there is a question why do you are not getting what your answer is if it let's get is it purely fear it fear unity fear fear of losing their careers or fear of or worse than the fear of physical harm because our dog people don't. do that i had known them personally and i know what they think are you disappointed that they seem to be hypocrites. not you see you can target people who become martyrs you know well if they are dead too ok so let me put this to you after the government hosted

a dinner for bollywood stars recently to explain why the citizenship amendment at this controversial act is a good thing to presumably so they could have these bollywood star actors influences messengers you were invited in you didn't go but a lot of people did go how do you push back against that when the government is a little back to you lot of people don't go daughters who are publicly and actively supporting the present regime or illegitimate so you have hope or not so you have hope that there are still a lot of people on your side to kind of resist government propaganda as it were known i don't think about using this as a definite miniscule hulu part of defense and haiti is involved in what is a skill here of india is one of the biggest hole or i'll tell you how 1st of all. haiti that area. he does but then i must. have a leak that no country can clean it and it lucian or

a good fortune. that so thank you because the profit if it had happened believe me let me also boast but you're one of india's best no directors you directed something like 15 films your household name jury went over the after that that the role of bollywood is exaggerated i mean right now in india you have a bunch of very hyper nationalistic movies being made very movies about the indian military about the indian nation a lot of people say the bollywood is producing movies which only boost the b j p s message what judge it's obvious saying if the movie is a change of issues this mission will have become a pattern that is by no dr to be suitable these are i would love to see the brain who follows me we spoke about a quarter sister that said the plural energy that lit a fire today but yes it did do contribute to create an illusion then after the major the major the steam is flowing in on the other side and that's what their

limited purpose is but on the ground it think there are other more serious things which as dimeter decided the. particular party would rule us for the americas for actors and actresses filmmakers have a very limited role to play in creating the atmospherics yes i agree. there. given the full run version of history. some of them did then. the box office some of them feel so again that could i gave you i have not met that they are given. what you know they would not but dead the fact i must accept it is that everything had been. the theft from the version of right wing version of fish . so let me ask both of you this question given that you're saying that the film industry is producing films that seem to boost the right wing version of what india

should look like given you're both saying that some of your colleagues in the industry are afraid afraid to speak out given your both are saying that this government right now in india the world's largest democracy is fascist what hope do you have for the future is there hope for india. lives in hope and eyes of hope and be so that a little where your book a few days ago in delhi i don't think that as long as the in the d.n.a. of india those who are added to it and i don't think that you can reduce a mission as diverse as this to one another to if you try to impose just one another to on this mission. and i don't think any political party can do that in the run java after i have an unshakeable belief in indian concepts believed in india and even in india and we have not had you can get who is not sophisticated in modern terms it's not

a he's a sensible person even sensible people sometimes 53 up to a point but then they're not that now yeah after if they come back and they said on top i think it is important because we are doing he and and the one who done the peter per book of history and by myth you can turn here you get 200 years so the 10 year 15 year that not the end of the this too shall pass java dr mahesh but on that note we'll have to leave it there thank you both so much for joining me on out front thank you thank you thank you very much that's our show us from will be back next week. water an essential resource for all humankind across europe pressure to recognize

water as a human right and put its management back into public hands is increasing i think that the european commission would be very very close was a problem with us is should anybody say anything. those people who see every 2 years something to invest the profit of a $1.00. to the last drop on al-jazeera. banks love to make loans to some friends because behind the suffering a millions of taxpayers because those taxpayers never go away is a new one born every single day a 19 it is an urgent national mississippi that it be officially request it is rationing of the support mechanism we created together because i happen to live in greece somehow i am a sinner i'm a bad person. that's machine on al-jazeera.

yes evacuees who've been quarantined for weeks on board a japanese cruise ship because of the corona virus have now landed in california. and richelle carey this is al jazeera live from doha so coming up syrian government forces have made significant gains in rebel held areas around aleppo. historic ruling in india women will now be allowed to serve his officers and the military plus. this was an agonizing decision for us one that we didn't make lightly or easily make or type general motors announces it will shut down plants and pull out .