The president agrees to set 400 taliban prisoners for. I suppose its extremely important for so little over a few months for the english translator angry over the jailing of a husband whos become the biggest threat to Alexander Lukashenko is 26 year old and valorous. And a move thats further inflaming tension between washington and beijing a senior trump official is in taiwan the highest level u. S. Visit and 41 years and the us and johnson takes a one shoulder either at the us p. G. A. Championship american has moved within sight of the 2nd major title of his korea. Right now wild leaders are trying to work out ways to help to rebuild lebanons capital but in beirut theres a growing clamor to. Reshape the political system as well the information minister became the 1st Senior Member of government to resign since tuesdays port last mile of both the mud says theres little hope for change 6 m. P. s have now quit and there are reports that more may soon follow and maronite patriarch bashar but trust is now urging the whole cabinet to quit. This is the point of no return people are starving the economy has deteriorated the economic crisis is heightening our families children friends have just been left behind fear and disappointments lives within them in this fateful moments we cannot just sit behind we have to stand in dignity together as a nation i feel that i need to send an apology to the libyan people because we failed to achieve their ambitions due to the difficulties at least one 158. 00 people were killed when Ammonium Nitrate exploded causing billions of dollars worth of damage and around 300000. 00 people were also left homeless a Video Conference of donors hosted by the un and france is currently underway with president emanuel calling for efficient action to get aid to the lebanese people as quickly as possible. The todays objective is to quickly and effectively coordinate all actions on the ground so that the aid can get to the lebanese people as efficiently as possible this offer of assistance includes support for an impartial credible and independent inquiry into the cause of the disaster on august 4th thats a strong of the cheetah mcclymont of the lebanese people its a question of confidence this afternoon mass demonstrations on saturday denouncing government corruption and demanding regime change well lets now speak to Bernard Smith our correspondent who is joining us live now from beirut ben of these resignations just keep rolling in the 1st independent and opposition m. P. s now a cabinet member to should we expect more. Stars here or. Certainly of a 2nd cabinet minister resigning the environmentalists. No confirmation on that yet and an understanding that he is in talks with the Prime Minister to see if theres any way that resignation can be averted so clearly a few politicians beginning to feel the pressure only half a dozen. Have resigned at the moment all eyes will be on a Cabinet Meeting tomorrow on monday because we already know that the Prime Minister is going to ask the cabinet to agree to have elections if that happens if the cabinet agrees it drafts a law thats presented to parliament and parliament has to vote on the law to dissolve itself early theres no guarantee parliament will do that it could try and create a new cabinet and appoint a new Prime Minister but everybody every politician in lebanon is feeling the pressure and whether what happened on tuesday is enough the consequence of what happened on tuesday is enough pressure to force them to go to new elections we will find out on monday and in the coming days and then after those huge demonstrations we saw yesterday how are people taking the news what are their priorities right now. I mean weve got protesters gathering again this evening another protest is expected the priorities though weve been out again on the streets of beirut watching people clear up the priorities for people to try and tidy up in some way and try and get try and get back to some sort of normal way of living 252300000 people are homeless anybody who has got a home to live in probably doesnt have any windows so they all need replacing and there are plenty of people who need food some need medical aid and people need work its expected that the g. D. P. Of lebannon will drop will lose 25 percent of its g. D. P. As a consequence of what has happened so. The requirements for this city and this country are really extraordinary burn and we are now starting to see some pretty hefty pledges rolling in from the stoner conference but surely the challenge will be just how to roll out that aid. And thats what emanuel marc chronos said when this protest when this conference started he said that lebanons future is at stake we must act ask act quickly and efficiently so that aid goes directly to where it is needed and the biggest fear of people we speak to here is that the billions of dollars of assistance that might be coming lebanons way falls into the hands of the political elite thats been running this country for the last 30 to 40 to 50 years every Major Institution from the port which was a cash cow for the people that controlled it to the utilities the Electricity Company the water the telecoms are all controlled by elites who make vast profits from these organizations so the big challenge for the International Donors is how do they make sure that the money they gave goes to the people on the ground who need it the lebanese people who need it when they have to deal with a government that everybody here says has been skimming off the top or in the political elite everybody here has been skimming off the top for the last 50 years Bernard Smith there live from Martyrs Square in beirut for us thank you very much dan and. Abraham halawa he is a member of the Opposition Group m. F. T. Hes also a Teaching Fellow at well Holloway University of london and he told us its time for a Major Overhaul of the entire lebanese political system. We do believe early elections is not really the answer because the regime the power sharing arrangement which kept the sectarian parties in power for decades they are the ones the authority in the taking the rules of the elections and therefore they have it realty to devise they look for a law that would ensure their reproduction of the same regime so elections itself is not an answer when i would assessment is the state itself has collapsed and therefore what we believe is the answer is to continue to decide together with the ruling parties on a transitional process that can save society when we are in the midst of overlapping and emerging and urgent. Crisis be it fiscal or economic or now as we can see also humanitarian on one hand we do need help the psyche at large needs help and it is very much commendable that states that would be providing this help are suggesting that this can be done directly to society rather than going through the channels the vertical up channels of the states this is something that at least on the short term is much needed however we cannot really rely on and on states be it regional to national to give us that sort of sustainable solution which is the formation of a civil state which every society really needs at the under and under the way. Thats why we think that the solution has to come from the people unfortunately the site at largest still very much divided and sectarian parties are a large stake in how communities perceive the crisis and where the blame game basically. How is it strange how the blame game is right. Moving on now and afghanistans president is backing the release of 400. 00 taliban prisoners ashraf ghani made his decision after the loya jirga consultative body approved a freeing the socalled hardcore president s their release has been a precondition for the group to hold peace talks with the government a solomons of it has been. For centuries of understands traditional ground assemblies known as job is to solve problems by consultation within 3000. 00 elders and Community Leaders joint politicians to decide on the final stumbling block for the negotiations with the taliban with some reluctance president ghani has honored the agreement between the Us Government and the armed group decided 5000 prisoners must be released before incra of one dialogue can begin most inmates have been released the ago was called to decide about the final 400 prisoners if im government says these 400 are wanted for major crimes and some even face the Death Penalty they want to ensure that these men do not return to the battlefield the button. Room today i will sign the decree that i did not have the authority to sign before now i will sign the decree to authorize the release of the 400 taliban prisoners based on the request of the loya jirga and they will be released. In a complex power sharing structure of the law is the chairman of the loya jirgah as he leads the high council for National Reconciliation hi sally at ami the declaration of the loya jirga has removed all the obstacles to start the interim afghan talks and we are on the cusp of starting the negotiation we do have respect for all your decisions and the Afghan Government will be committed to implementing all of them. Despite temporary cease fire is one in 3 and a half 1000 Afghan Security personnel have been killed since february thats when the deal was signed between leaders and the Us Government us troops are supposed to leave of want to stand by april 2021 and remain divided over the u. S. To draw. Shimoda it would be better that the us does stay here that will also help our security and reconstruction of our country. The withdrawal of foreign troops is good for us as they were against our culture and. It will definitely have a positive impact. For almost all of the security remains there for most concern but. Kiddo regarding the release of prisoners we need peace in afghanistan and we will need to pay a price for that therefore we are obliged to release the taliban prisoners of them and say their rights and safety is nonnegotiable regardless of who wields power under it it has been disadvantaged i continued my University Studies despite losing many of my classmates to suicide attacks we still have faith stems government will need to bring security in all the places where we do not have security at the moment. The Us Government has acknowledged the release of prisoners is unpopular but president dannys government to hold direct talks to facilitate a Peace Agreement the release of prisoners is a 1st step for all of them factions to sit across the table but they remain multiple challenges and wide ranging differences to overcome for peace can be achieved. There. Is an afghan journalist based in kabul he says the loya Jirga Assembly gave voice to people suffering from the ongoing war. If there is a comprehensive cease fire then i think that will be a win win situation for People Living in villages in valleys because every day you hear about is strikes night raids suicide attacks indiscriminate mortar attacks killing entire families roadside bombs the country really needs rest fired from violence and then you are talking about a process where a future government will be discussed amendments in the constitution is something that we expect will be brought up so no one actually thinks that this is a Peace Process that will be done in an overnight youre looking at a number of sticking points from now on for example what happens to the thousands and thousands of taliban fighters did he become part of the Afghan NationalSecurity Forces where does afghanistan go from here does it become a republic what happens to the rights of women to the several society to media because afghanistan today is a changed country from the one that the taliban were ruling out of the taliban really changed do they want a system of sharia and more importantly i think at some stage the issue of victims on all sides has to be brought up and discussed because there is the fear of revenge is you know if victims really feel that their grievances are not address that could lead to more and more assassinations. Now versioning is underway in delaware says president ial election with Alexander Lukashenko facing a tough challenge to clinch a 6th consecutive term hes expected to win despite mass protests against his long role his main challenge us for donna to cause it to come sky has version after reports that she went into hiding overnight when her top aides were detained several activists were also detained during a recent government crackdown. I suppose an extremely important call me michael myself and for all the people in our country and president has issued a shop warning to the opposition threatening to quash any attempt to challenge alexion results. Yes if youre going to go against our country or even in the smallest way to try to plunge the country into chaos and stabilize it you will receive an Immediate Response from me. Ill step fasten was that one of the polling stations in the capital minsk the main opposition candidates for atlanta the kind of guy came out of hiding to cast a vote amidst the cheering and clapping of her supporters who had gathered at the polling station never before an election in belarus has been distance and never before has the rule of president alexander look. Under such pressure and been faced with such large opposition his popularity went down because he was accused of mishandling the covert 19 crisis so young wasnt a real problem and people should just simply drink vodka also his mishandling of the economy has basically turned people away to the opposition camp but the opposition is worried that the similar to previous elections a huge fraud will happen during this election and president look at shankar will claim victory in large margins after the polls will be closed. Well nearly 30 is splitting from the soviet Union Batteries and russia have a rocky relationship landlocked between russia and the European Union bellary says trying to strike a balance between the opposing sides now traditionally royalties lay with moscow to an agreement in the mid ninetys trading geopolitical support with economic benefits but in recent years tension with the kremlin has risen as better route sort closer ties with the e. U. Accuse the russians of trying to force better routes to marriage with russia moscow reacted by cutting economic subsidies and the detention of dozens of Russian Military contractors last month for the strange ties. On chuck is president of the me says Scientific Research center thats a think tank he says regardless of whether you can shank a wins or loses the country has already changed forever. 7080 percent of the risk is want change we have people of culture Business People people from different areas supporting whole change like the authorities that really are quiting bad and we have this said number about what to 2 percent of early vote. Difference there will be polls are wide in favor of the tension is very very kaya and im sure that people will come out and try to do their best to support their gross i dont know what they do will be tonight told the day after tomorrow d. Well it was will never be the same again as before this Earth National action and bring the previous elections the verdict oh old observer was no democratic and did not prevent the west from dealing with the question in direct way so i would bet it would do you like moral psychological support but is not likely to all you know was the relations between the rebel the russian regime and the world but there is plenty more ahead for you on this news hour including a former president in sri lanka and becomes Prime Minister again many fairness could lead to an autocracy plus. Im in bangkok where the government is facing the double threats of a collapsing economy and a protest movement thats vowing to intensify and support a capacity crowd gets to see new zealands best Super Rugby Team when and only in title. Not in trade on cat Mahinda Rajapaksa has been sworn in as the Prime Minister for now the 4th time his ruling party won wednesdays parliamentary election by landslide the teeth as majority means he now has the power to make promise changes to the constitution critics fan that will lead to an autocracy the Prime Minister was appointed by his brother and president rajapaksa are poor. Women often and us saw the integration ceremony at the capitol. And Mahinda Rajapaksa is Prime Minister of sri lanka once again his 4th time around in the job obviously he swept the general elections concluded on the 5th of august with one of the highest number of preferential votes for a candidate ever over 5000000 votes now this paves the way for the s. L. P. Be led by the rajapaksa to carry on with the Work Programme set out by president go tubby rajapaksa in his election bid in 2019 its called the stars for prosperity and aims to take sri lanka forward dealing with some of the pressing issues that this country faces now obviously the consolidation of the rajapaksa hold on power has been confirmed with the swearing in of my in the rajapak