this is sierra smiling through the cold, tamara and her colleagues at the school for pupils with special needs, wants to pay roy that meets the rising cost of living and keeps people in the profession. base teachers are making sure bad to mom, so i heard on what is clearly a sizable demonstration, is there a number of industrial action taking in various parts of the economy? calling on the government prepay arises, that meets inflation. if there's no movement on pay, we likely to be seeing more protests, not just from people like tomorrow, but work as in other key professions to the joy growth support from the public. ah, the u. s. federal reserve boosts interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. the pressure on the banking sector could pause any further rises.

ah monday bunker. this is al jazeera live from london, also coming up and go over in action in beirut. protests against a devastating financial crisis that showed no sign of easy increase reports of sexual violence. linked to m. 23 rebels in the east and d. r. c. survivors turn to each other for support and more than a quarter of the world without access to clean water. the un says a global war, the crisis is imminent. ah, welcome to the program, a u. s. federal reserve as analysis hiking interest rates by $25.00 basis points to 5 percent. the fight says the rise is aimed at raining in inflation does cause the cost of living crisis. policy makers have indicated that could be one more interest

rate hike this year. for that recent term on the banking sector will weigh in on economic growth the federal reserve working with the treasury department and the f . d. i see took decisive actions to protect the u. s. economy and to strengthen public confidence in our banking system. these actions demonstrate that all deposit or savings and the banking system are safe. with the support of the treasury, the federal reserve board created the bank term funding program to ensure that banks that hold safe and liquid assets can if needed, borrow reserves against those assets at par. this program, along with our long standing discount window, is effectively meeting the unusual funding needs that some banks have faced and makes clear that ample liquidity in the system is available. oh, casa, is live for outside the federal reserve in washington, d. c. and heidi, the 9 hike in a row isn't it took us through this decision. that's right,

me now this was unexpected. move that 25 percent base basis points. the point 25 percent. however, this is the result of 2 conflicting pressures. of course, there was the pressure to bring down inflation, which still remains historically high in the united states. but then just 2 weeks ago, it was introduced a new challenge, which is to stabilize the banking crisis that appear to erupt overnight, but really have been bubbling under the surface for some time. what was this crisis? well, we had to middle midsize banks that collapse because they were unable to come up with the money to pay their depositors after their bonds. values depreciated as a result of these many rate high. so we've seen coming out of the federal reserve, this being the 9th consecutive one. so in order to calm down that crisis, we heard jerome powell, the federal chair,

describing the different measures that have been taken. today's, today's action is an additional measure, not raising interest rates, white as high as had been previously expected. but at the same time, they didn't have the interest at no growth. they did raise it by the point to 5 percentage points because of that need to combat inflation. we also saw projections for g, d, v gross in the us to be just point 4 percent growth this year, which is well below normal. but still in keeping with what other economies across the world are seeing in, during this pandemic recovery and the fed signaling there will be at least one more interest rate hike this year before next year. cuts to those interest rates are ex, are expected. and heidi, there are of course concerns to given how volatile the banking sector is, as you suggested there, one of the critics of this rate hike thing that's

right. there had been many people saying there should be no hike at all today. give in the term. well, we saw in the banking sector and that really the focus should be on regulation. what could have been done to stop silicon valley bank from collapsing and the same for signature bank? while we heard jerome, how we'll take some point of questions to those ends as well. today he the saying that the blame should be laid on the management of silicon valley bank for mismanaging the risk associated and also all those uninsured deposit accounts. now there is a investigation that's ongoing to how those banking failures happened. however, many critics are also saying, well, the federal reserve was actually keeping a close eye on silicon valley bank for a whole year before this failure. so there should have been more drastic action taken to prevent what happened from happening. of course, we did see the federal government, the treasury department coming down with those emergency measures last weekend to

shore up confidence in the banking sector, preventing contagion from spreading. heidi many thanks. le hotties at castro, outside the federal reserve in washington dc. now record food costs cause an unexpected rise in u. k. inflation for february inflation last month came in at 10.4 percent. it was the 1st rise in 4 months and had been expected to fall to 9.9 percent. the rising cost of food and drinks, clothing and footwear, as well as restaurants and hotels were the main drivers. it's expected the increase pressure on the bank of england to raise interest rates on thursday. the devastating financial crisis in lebanon has push hundreds of people back on to the streets and protests against the government police fight. tig asked to break up demonstrators on the streets of the capital bay. read. many of those are retired soldiers demanding a living wage. inflation has been sky rotting, rocketing since 2019, making essential daily purchases,

increasingly unaffordable and problems with the banking sector have meant some struggle to access their own money. so in a honda was at the process in bay reef here for of an economic collapse. the currency is now worthless. the devaluation started in late 2019, but in recent weeks there was a sharp evaluation. the central bank intervenes now and again to try to regulate the market by pumping millions of dollars. but many experts will say this is not solving the crisis. the li, ross value recovers at all. and then it depreciates yet again. and what the central bank is using is a dwindling foreign currency reserves. money that belongs to the depositors who have been locked out of their accounts. in back, there is anger and people believe that the political and business elite, if you can see many here are public public sector servants. they believe that the political and business lead, they do not want to solve the crisis,

because solving the crisis will involve economic reforms, structural reforms, fighting corruption. if the business and political elite do that, then they lose control over the state and its resources which they have been exploiting for years now. many believe the solution is with an i m f deal. but like i said, those in power are refusing to carry out the reforms necessary for that deal to be made. so the economy continues to collapse. 4 years into this crisis. the politicians are, have done nothing to come up with their economic recovery plan. and in the interim, there's also political crisis. the country does not have a president or a government, a functioning government in order to carry out those reforms. so an economic and political crisis and know and insights ah ukrainian officials say at least 4 people were killed in russian drone strikes on

the key. if region to dormitories and an educational facility in research shift south of the capital were damaged in the attack. according to a regional police chief, 20 people were taken to hospital and several are still missing. stephanie decker reports from q. crane and military saying that 16 and 21 drones were shot out of the sky. over night air i sirens did sound the ukrainian president cooling at the quoting, the murderous drones and referring to the russian president vladimir putin saying, well, as he talks of peace ah, the orders are given for these kinds of attacks. it's the 1st time certainly that there has been a hit on a residential building in the surrounding areas of the capital i since december. while the attack in the key of region was followed by another russian missile strike on 2 residential buildings in separation. at least one person was killed. ukrainian,

president vladimir zelinski condemned the attack. at least 25 people were taken. the hospital after 29 story buildings were hit. and in crimea, russian officials say the navy repelled a drone attack on the savannah ball port 2 days earlier, an explosion of the peninsula destroyed russian missiles. according to ukraine's defense ministry, they were intended for use by russia's black sea fleet. meanwhile, chinese president, she g ping has left moscow after 2 days of talks with president vladimir putin. the 2 leaders issued a joint statement on tuesday, calling for responsible dialogue to end the war in ukraine. putin says beijing's proposals to and the conflict could be used as the basis for a peace settlement for the key if and the west do not appear willing to resolve your situation. fortunately, her charities working in camps for people who have lost their homes and east and democratic republic of congo, so they're supporting at least 10 rape survivors every day. rights group,

say sexual violence has got worse as the conflict between the government and m. 23 fighters escalates. b m 23 is one of the more than a 100 arm groups based in eastern congo and emerge more than a decade ago when fighters seized the city of go. mm hm. on the border with the lender. they say they're defending the interests of the ethnic tootsie minority. in 2013, the congolese army and un back force is defeated. the m $23.00 and it's fighters fled to romando and uganda. m. 33 than splintered into several factions. but earlier this year, 2 of them united to launch the latest offensive arc and web reports from a cam can be a gomer in north kiva. and a warning some viewers may find parts of this report. stressing i all of these women say they've been raped in the last 2 months, is almost no support for survivors of sexual violence in this camp near the city of goma. so they counsel each other. most of the people here fled as the m 23 armed

group advanced through massey's territory. claudia, not her real name, says she was going to collect firewood with a group of women and girls when they ran into armed men wearing military uniforms. when you come on, doug, how can you song, they tied me to a tree and i was raped by each of them. the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd, and then the 4th. the others were raped by other men. one of the girls in our group didn't survive, she was too small, she died during the rape. we spent 2 days being raped by those man. claudia says he doesn't know which armed group her attack has belong to peter congos army. he's the backing armed groups in its fight against him. $23.23 widely understood to be backed by neighboring rwanda. those governments deny supporting the groups. in spite of overwhelming evidence. and 23 has seized swathes of territory from the government forces. over the last 9 month,

people ran away from their homes and their farms up in the hills because it was no longer safe but life down here and the camp comes with many other problems. whole families have been scattered, people, sharing shelters with complete strangers, have been left traumatized and vulnerable. claudia says it took her weeks to finally reached the camp. then she says she was raped again by a man who attacked her in her tent. she says it's the survivors that helps her feel like life is still worth living. floss be a week, a started it. we 1st met her last year after she was forced from her home. had been helping people in the camps ever since. she has time for everyone who starts to talk or ask for help. she says she is recorded more than a 120 reports of rating new arrivals this year when i was done and i was also in

the world that the majority of them were raised by m 23. when the villages were attacked, others who hid in the bush were raised by fighters from other groups. and some also on their way here by people who are out of the control, will listen to them and encourage them. we do whatever we can and give them what later we have. they have almost nothing. a small shelter, and a handful of donated medicines. some of the survivors told us they have infections, injuries or severe pain. but they say just being listened to help malcolm wed al jazeera, glen gay democratic republic of congo, still to come on alger 0. israel's parliament over turns part of a law, the band legal settlements in the occupied west bank and form a u. k. prime minister, boys, johnson, honest as questions, over downing street parties during coven, in a hearing that could decide his political future.

ah! hell i would aisd mile if not warmer, cross much if you're a pet. maybe there's a fair bit of crowd into western parts as this cloud rain, sleet makes his way in across a good part of the west to slipping in from the atlantic. tale packed, i suppose, so breezy as well. there will be showers all longest bells, a frightful sabbath. central air is this glorious looking warm sunshine, 21 celsius in vienna. 10 degrees above the average. even key very much on the warm side as we go on through our 1st aid with some pleasant sunshine. fish out out towards the southeast and they set wet weather up to us about the states 1st. gotta make a little bit of snow for type across and norway and or blustery showers. just rolling in the cross c, r british charles island. seeing some where to whether to was he some went whether they're just spinning in across wild england into scotland nor deposit fall. so

saying some of that time, whether by the time we come to friday, yet might him say a little bit of snow just coming back in over the high ground there for the outs, but to actually clear through it, make a way to watch. so we can chose of a little bit of wet weather into the east, the side of the mediterranean spilling down across all eastern parts of libya, easing over to ward, sir, good parts of northern egypt as well, some wet weather coming through here, but elsewhere across north africa, it is dry, but sharp showers for the gulf of guinea. ah, with join the debate, we know that the sector seems empowered by the government and stained by the government. today they are to government africans how security is also global. help security on an online at your voice. there is no right to defense. there is no right to protest, we can't just keep relying on aid. there has to be some work towards a sustainable economy. at the end of the day,

it is ordinary objects that are paying the price. this tree anal to sierra lou ah motorbike. a reminder, the top story see on al jazeera, the u. s. federal reserve bank has increased its interest rates by a quarter of a percentage. point to 5 percent is the highest level since 2007. the fed also indicated it might not have finished lifting rates. a rate rise is expected in the u. k. 2, that is following a surprise increase in inflation rate record food costs or inflation in february, jump to 10.4 percent. it'd be expected to full to $9.00.

ukrainian officials say at least 4 people were killed in russian. drennan strikes all the care from region to dormitories and an educational facility and whose achieve south of the capitol was damaged in the attack. regional police chief said 20 people were taken a hospital and several, i'll still missing israel's parliament as overturn parts of a law the bomb the legal settlements the occupied west bank. it's been in place since 2005 when it's ready. settlers were ordered to lee eve during israel's withdrawals. garza and move could see israelis return to illegal settlements. they were ordered to leave back in 2005. they include the villages of hamish san. nur could them and gun him al, near the palestinian cities of janine and nablus. o mercy has been a flash point between palestinians and israelis in the past. settlers have been trying to re establish the site permanently. the 2005 disengagement plans or israel remove more than 9000 settlers from 21 illegal settlements from the region and as

an estimated more than 600000 disraeli settlers now live in hundreds of illegal settlements and outposts across the occupied west bank o miracle, some sheriff has more than victory for his rarely settlers. as the knitted lips, a ban on 4 settlements in the occupied. this plan, it allow settlers to return to illegal outposts 18 years after they were ordered to leave in 2005. then prime minister ariel sharon agreed that israel would be drawn from garza and seed, the 2nd mens under the future deal with the palestinians. israel has now reneged on that agreement accordingly. and both everything exists fair except for the people. the houses, the people who were evacuated and the houses that were destroyed. now we came to fix it and there will be a town there. the palestinian authority has denounced to move most amongst i'm at

home slayer. i think when they return to the so called homage settlement and other settlements, this will show us that this government is going head with its plan to take an annex the lands and continue its open battle against the palestinian people. here the e. u and israeli allied, the u. s. have condemned the decision. last month, the israeli government announced would recognize 9 settlements in the occupied west bank since the 1967 war israel has established more than $100.00 outposts on palestinian land. the settlements are illegal under international law, and the un has previously described them as a war crime is retreating from international commitments. israel is denying the seizure of its own supreme court to return the land of those sentiments to its private. but as an owners, any also denies it law. the law of these against mans,

which was accepted into some 5 when, when is pulled out from god, the changes are the latest and the cds of controversial moves by prime minister benjamin netanyahu was far right. coalition government, which took charge in december. it comes at a time of height and pensions and the worst violence between israelis and palestinians. in recent years, on the consumed sharif odyssey were un middle east peace, and voy, has told a security council meeting. he remains deeply troubled by continued his ready settlement expansion to relo plans also criticize israel security forces for spike in palestinian death in the occupied west bank. these rated security forces operates in the occupied west back and subsequent clashes that lead to a staggering number of policy, new to the injured. i re read the security forces. much use leave for the work

strictly unavoidable to protect life and must, from the authority investigate all of that the injuries resulting from this use holding those responsible accountable i have particularly, or pull the children continue to be candid and in these large numbers, children must never be targeted of violence used or could you not sway now the news renewed fighting in the emmonds energy rich murray province is sessing 10 months of relative calm in the country brought about by you and broke and cease fire. merry bad been one of the main battle grounds in yemen, z h e s. civil war before the truce was agreed last april. iran bag hootie rebels reported it launched an attack late on choose day in my ribs. hurry district into an unknown number of casualties. and according to the reuters news agency, the for up of fighting can comes a saudi arabia and iran, who back opposing sides of the so called proxy war,

agree to restore diplomatic ties. our former u. k. prime minister boy johnson has testified before you k parliamentary committee, the could decide his political future. johnson is accused of deliberately misleading parliament over parties held during coven 19 lockdown. he sold the committee. the events were wrong, but his insisted it did not lie to m. piece china hull has this report. some have called it boris johnson's last stand. this colossal figure of british politics, demeaned under close questioning by a cross party committee of am fees. at that, i mean it has it. what have you? this is very one point that i was whatever, whatever you interpretation of the guidance may be. what matters if i may respectfully say is what i believed to been our efforts to follow the guidance. why thought that they were credible and, and how hot it was. i was ask you to allow sir burnett asked his next class course

. at issue here is whether johnson lied to parliament about blocked down parties in number 10 downing street. no, but i'm sure that whatever happened, either guidance followed the rules on it at any time. the, the home of prime minister is adamant he did not. i am here to save. you handle a heart that i did not lie to the house. johnson concedes his statements were misleading, but uttered. he said in good faith that you've been told by aids, the events in question were work related and within the guidance, my honest belief that it was within the rules was based on what i was told by senior advisors. the fact that this was my honest belief is supported by the fact that so many other people honestly believe that we were doing nothing

wrong. the committee at one point described johnson's defense as flimsy, and said that to the man who was prime minister at the time, who made the rules and who broadcast them frequently to the nation, it should have been obvious that what was going on was wrong. johnson's retort was that, therefore, it should have been just as obvious to others who were there, including current prime minister rich sumac sooner was fined by the police for breaking the rules as well as johnson. in this bid to clear his name boris johnson, apparently happy to tarnish the name of others. i think it's quite clear to everyone that he misled everyone in everything. but do you blame him? could anyone have done any better? i think he'll come back to florence johnson small, more life and still popular in some quarters. but johnson's hopes of a come back looking, slimmer and slimmer. it will be for the privileges committee to decide whether he

knowingly lied to parliament. a decision that in turn could see the form of p ejected as an mp jona hole al jazeera london, french president. emanuel mar chrome says the controversial changes to pension rules will be implemented by the end of the year there. his government's plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 has seen weeks of demonstrations across france. natasha butler reports to the defiant in his 1st to tv interview and months . the french president said he had no regrets about his controversial pension reform bill were forcing it through the french parliament by decree. settling formerly in this freeform is necessary and i say this the french people. so if i don't enjoy doing this that but is out of a sense of duty that i committed to this solidity and honor for me. my crawford no concessions to opponents of the reform. who said you wouldn't re shuffle his cabinet or change his prime minister, leaving some a position and peas, unimpressive. on the if you're somebody want fi symbolically defying france is

working class. mr. macro has highlighted his contempt for a part of the population, food contempt, that was the hallmark of his tensions bill. oh, frances trade union said the reform is unfair because it raises the retirement age by 2 years to $64.00 and will have a greater impact on poor a workers. since january they led strikes and protests in the country against the griffin, in paris, destroyed by garbage collectors, is in his 2nd week prison. macro will certainly hope that the arguments that he made in his television interview will calm the situation and quell the protests. for now though, that seems unlikely. oh, some students and teachers demonstrated outside the higher education ministry in the city. these teachers say the governments ignoring people's concerns. the government is acting as if for nothing is happening on the street. and that as if for having music, people protesting peacefully, it doesn't mean anything and doesn't change anything. it's not her. just a,

an education issue. it's all public services which are being really destroy, bye. are these neo liberal policies to day. so this rage house stacked up and now people are claiming the streets because there is no other way to be heard to day. pretty new leaders hope the continued protests will put pressure on the government to scrap its reform. for now, there's no indication that the president who back down like or says the reform will help sustain the pension system to future generations. and he wants it to be signed into law soon. on attack about latin men, al jazeera, new paras. there is a, an imminent risk of a global water crisis that's according to the un, which is hosting is 1st conference on water and sanitation and 45 years in new york . is that more than 2000000000 people don't have enough water for at least one month. a year 26 percent of the world's population doesn't have safe drinking water

and nearly half of them don't have adequate sanitation. you ends warning water shortages will get worse in the coming decades, especially in cities. unless there's better international cooperation in low income areas, around venezuela's, capital, caracas, some people haven't had tap water for decades. same bas ravi has more life in one of the world's largest oil producing nations. venezuelan say shouldn't be this difficult and access to a basic human right should be easy. they to just 2 or 2 and a half dollars for water. it's too much. we can't do it anymore because nobody can put up with that. sometimes the guys have burnett water from the well and sell it cheaper. more than 20 years. we haven't know what it's like to have tap water. running water has long been a luxury in the sprawling low income neighborhoods around caracas. a state owned company is in charge of supplying water practically free of charge,

but it is unable to keep up with rising demand on some residents of pottery, venezuela's largest for villa benefit from a nearby well where they can collect ground water, others siphoned tap water from broken pipes, or any mo got lucky, we come here to get drinking water every 2 weeks. the use of the house i have to fetch and carry every day because we only have running water sometimes once a week and for 2 hours or an hour and a half if that. otherwise, we don't have water shrinking wages and rising prices make access to water more difficult. even informal traders are increasing prices for jugs and tanker water. but these sources are still preferable because they are more reliable than the state for access to the most essential resource for life. zane basra v o g 0 ah.