Go on down jordan the sound is there a line from joe also coming up students of a university in hong kong remain holed up while the u. S. Congress threatened sanctions if human rights and upheld the terms. On the nicaraguan president is accused of persistent repression will have the latest on the protests on the standoff at a cathedral. A significant moment in the impeachment inquiry of u. S. President donald trump came on wednesday during testimony from the ambassador to the European Union gordon somebody repeatedly talked of a quid pro quo in which trump wanted security aid withheld from ukraine in exchange for investigations into his political rival sunderland to the next a 1000000. 00 to trumps inauguration implicated other top officials saying everyone was in the loop alan fischer reports from washington d. C. From the u. S. Ambassador to the e. U. Study test. The money. Said it was abundantly clear to everyone ukraine would not receive military aid from the u. S. Or a meeting at the white house unless it announced an investigation into a Company Connected to the son of political opponent question joe biden was there a quid pro quo as i testified previously with regard to the requested white house call and the white house meeting the answer is yes. Sunderland previously denied the security it was conditioned on the biden investigation but he told the Impeachment Panel it warts in the absence of any credible explanation for the suspension of aid i later came to believe that the resumption of security aid would not occur until there was a Public Statement from ukraine committing to the investigations of the 2016 elections and were recently and he insisted senior figures on the administration knew what was going on including the Vice President and the secretary of state everyone was in the loop the suggestion that we were engaged in some irregular or rogue diplomacy is absolutely false im not sure how someone could characterize something as an irregular channel when youre talking to the president the United States the secretary of state the National Security adviser the chief of staff of the white house the secretary of energy he said trump insisted u. S. Diplomats what with his private attorney Rudy Giuliani on handling ukraine so we followed the president s orders sundin says giulianis direction on ukraine became more insidious with time in early july a coveted white house visit for ukrainian president let him use the lenski was dangled as an award for ukraines cooperation which but later saw england testified it became upon the 400000000. 00 in security aid was also on the line someone testified that in a phone call with the oval office he asked trump an open ended question what did the president won from ukraine the answer he wanted nothing and republicans and the president claims that proves the impeachment hearing is a waste of time its over and some of the fair friends of which there is a deal mike said this thing is over nancy pelosi said competition has gotten nothing done in congress and now with their big star witness is going to be their star witness that. So you know i dont know very well from a little witness confirmation the ukrainians asked why it was being held up as i think quality coming sooner than previously reported my staff showed me to unclassified emails that they received from the state Department One was received on july 25th at 2 31 pm that email said that the Ukrainian Embassy and House Foreign Affairs committee are asking about Security Assistance democrats called sunderlands testimony a seminal moment it goes right to the heart of the issue of bribery as well as other potential high crimes or misdemeanors but we also have heard for the 1st time that knowledge of this scheme was pervasive. Republicans continue to insist the president did nothing wrong that the hearings are a waste of time and money the latest attempt to remove an elected president. But this testimony from the trump loyalists mean democrats moving closer to impeachment and republicans rethinking how to defend the president alan fischer aljazeera washington. Well Adam Lichtman is a professor of history at the American University he says President Trumps impeachment is guaranteed i think todays hearing though was very important because it blew away substantively 3 of the republicans most important defenses number one they said there was nothing linking this to donald trump well who wouldnt sign live it was direct access to donald trump directly linked it to donald trump directly through a directive from Donald Trumps through Donald Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani who donald trump also said president s who are less ski should contact after he asked them for these politically connected investigations secondly gordon seidlin blew away the defense that there was no this for that he said absolutely Rudy Giuliani told him that there was a quid pro quo that they would not get. The critically needed meeting with donald trump in the oval office unless they announced these investigations thirdly as weve heard from laura cooper which blew away the republicans defense said oh the ukrainians didnt even know about this until maybe late august they were expressing concerns on the very day that trump had his conversation would selenski about 100. 00 protesters are still inside hong kongs besieged Polytechnic University and whats left of several 100 who took over the campus for Days International condemnation is growing at the treatment of the protesters and u. S. House has approved a bill to support human rights in Hong Kong China though says thats meddling and has summoned a u. S. Diplomat in beijing sarah klunk has the latest from outside the university. Police have sealed off this entire area around Polytechnic University and we believe up to 100. 00 people are still barricaded up inside overnight we had a few people the 1st voluntarily surrendered and were arrested as a result of the last few days weve had more than 1000 people leave this campus and of course arrest now at the moment round this particular area we have huge Traffic Congestion here is the tunnel its. A connecting Hong Kong Island and also weve had in the us the passage of the. Human rights and democracy act passed unanimously yesterday and today it was the house of representatives now the Hong Kong Government has responded to that its told the us to stop meddling in hong kong it also says that this particular passage of this bill since the wrong message to the violent protests this bill requires that the u. S. Is protecting and respecting human rights in hong kong and also if this bill does get passed by donald trump it could also introduce sanctions on the Hong Kong Government at least 11 people have been killed after airstrikes and missiles targeted parts of syrias rebel held elite province activists in the Syrian Government and the rain in militias from misawa for internally displaced people near the Turkish BorderSyrian Regime airstrikes also hit the city of. Israels Opposition Leader benny gantz has been unable to form a Coalition Government you had until 2200 g. M. T. On wednesday to do so israels been through 2 inconclusive elections on the night one on one in september and the 3rd one now looks likely the incumbent minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not receive an overall majority both were hoping to win the backing of former defense minister avigdor liebermans party but he refused to support either of them are a force that has moved from western. Well for hours before the expiration of the deadline for benny gantz to make a Coalition Government he came to the microphones to admit what had been coming increasingly clear throughout the course of the day that he had failed but he put the blame for that squarely at the feet of the Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu saying he had been fortifying himself inside a Transitional Government against the will of the israeli people just to try to avoid prosecution in impending Corruption Cases and he used a particularly personal language in a very strong attack against netanyahu saying that no party leader was above the nation no person had the right to deny the people their vote no Prime Minister own leader could say that my interests are more important than yours and he said that netanyahu had been putting poison into the israeli political process through hatred and incitement and he said that israel now faced its greatest democratic test in its history as now the 21 day period begins where any member of the Israeli Parliament the knesset could theoretically try to form a Coalition Government if they have enough support d otherwise israel is off to a 3rd round of elections within less than a year because our would so usually school. Netanyahu needs to remember israel still has a democracy even if it doesnt appeal to him and he should have come to terms with the fact that the outcome of the elections required him to negotiate directly with no blocks or barrier is well earlier the right wing politician of a door lieberman whos been seen as the kingmaker in this process so that he hadnt been able to convince either netanyahu or gantz to compromise enough to form a joint unity government the only kind of government that he said he would support with his crucial seats in the Israeli Parliament so what comes next will the only way really that a 3rd election could be avoided is if the threat of that election which is so unpopular with the electorate is enough in itself to try to pressure key players to compromise more or if when netanyahu and we do think it is when they finally gets charged by the attorney general in the coming days in his 3 Corruption Cases whether that changes the calculus within his own party enough to try to splinter support away from him theres been no sign of that in the run up to those charges coming in the support has so far been rock solid behind him and so for now this grinding political crisis goes on with no sign of an end perhaps it will only end and maybe not even then if the 3rd round of elections happens in the early part of next year. Irans president Hassan Rouhani is blaming the United States israel and its other regional enemies for the mass protests in his country over the past few days the capital tehran is now largely peaceful following demonstrations which began on friday after a government rise in petrol prices iran is also disputing amnesty internationals figure more than 100 dead in the protests calling the number speculative rouhani says the protests were a security issue and not a Popular Movement oh sure taleb variables were organized and they were precisely following a scheme plotted by the backward states in our region as well as the zionists and the americans i consider this another big victory for the iranian nation after supremely to his stated our people have come out victorious at different times in the face of our enemies plots and this time as well in violence that with the enemys plot for creating insecurity our people gain complete victory. Time for a short break here and ill just say when we come back violence in bolivia continues to spiral the Security Forces try to stop ongoing protests. And why the greek government says it will close down several large migrant camps housing thousands of the more that stay with us. How the weather still looks pretty disturbed across a good parts of the middle east at the moment heaviest rain turning to snow theyre pushing ever towards afghanistan weve got this line of cloud which just runs across iran pushing down towards southern parts of the arabian placers all making its way further eastward will see fabulous snow maybe 25. 00 centimeters is a possibility into parts of afghanistan heavy downpours there into pakistan could cause some flooding little bit of a wintry mix up towards the caspian sea and just notice a little more cloud just sliding towards levant as we go on through. Syria lebanon jordan clouding over a few spots of rain always a possibility in still a few spots afraid by friday there in sioux pakistan still looking at some snow flurries there over towards the himalayan plats i mean while its fresh and up nicely across a good part of the Arabian Peninsula that same area cloud and rain stretches its way down across oman the u. A. E. Drying up now brightening up as we go on into friday clear skies come back in 25. 00 celsius for doha so too bad heres some pleasant sunshine coming through pleasant sunshine to enjoy a good part of Southern Africa we have got some rain in the full cost for maze and bake and also for good parts of zimbabwe. Capturing a moment in time. Snapshots of all the lives. Of the stories. Providing the clips into someone elses what they. Do day for. Inspiring documentaries from impassioned filmmakers. And witness on aljazeera. Welcome back im out about top stories here the south u. S. Ambassador to the European Union has delivered some of the most anticipated testimony of the donald trump impeachment inquiry form some of described broad involvement of the trumpet ministration in a Pressure Campaign against ukraine the white house that says his testimony completely exonerates the president what trump says inquiry has over. About 100. 00 protesters austin inside hong kongs besieged Polytechnic UniversityInternational Condemnation is growing at the treatment of the protesters the u. S. House has approved a bill supporting human rights in hong kong. And 7 people have been killed up to airstrikes on the sols top os a serious weapon held up in the province activists up letting the Syrian Government on the way to militias from a solid top of the town for displaced people near the Turkish Border. In bolivia at least 8 people have been killed in clashes with police and the army who were trying to secure a fuel plant as Mariana Sanchez reports from alto. Some people are still unaccounted for. In a tiny church in illinois 6 men were covered with blankets and laid on praying benches they died in tuesdays protest families mourn in shock waiting for an explanation of what happened. To many a part of the oh my cousin they all had a life ahead not even a rapist or murderer is killed this way. The can assist his young nephew was not protesting he was hit by a bullet in the head immediate looks but i dont get it because he was shot from a helicopter they destroyed his head was outside the church angry bolivians demanded justice blaming Security Forces for the deaths. Human rights organizations here say social unrest is spiraling and Security Forces were given a green light to quell the protest. On tuesday a government minister said the army had been shot one bullet but stopped short of saying the same about the police. These images show Police Shooting towards protesters 1st in cochabamba last friday and in atlanta on tuesday. Neighbors shared images on social media of the army also appearing to fire live rounds them be animals be still we have also seen the shootings and now there has to be an investigation to know who shot them. Protesters blame interim president and his for the killings and are demanding her resignation. People. Say they want to withdraw 3 things 3 that the police and the military that we held accountable there havent posted. The interim government released it says is an audio recording of former president it will muddle is ordering allies to reinforce blockades that have stalled much of. Deadly protests prompted jenny nonuse to say she will color lections immediately. Present bando we are presenting the bill for the transitional electoral regime for the 2020 general elections. Back in the church the families of the victims say they dont trust aeneas or any Public Servant they say they didnt let their loved ones be taken to the morgue autopsies were performed in the church a familys waited for answers. Is that everyone this is protesters escorted yet another dead man into the church. And innocent just ill just. Believe. Protests in chile have now gone on for more than a month as the demonstrations gripped cities across the country a symbol has emerged drawing attention to the nations indigenous communities liner up on the reports now from the chilean capital to. Thousands of people continue to march on the streets of cheating the frustrations of demonstrators are rooted in social inequalities many believe are getting worse. One of the most iconic manifestations of this discontent is an indigenous band belonging to chiles my shipping is. Gone is a mark which a scholar and one of the original designers of the flag she says the history of this marginalized group is whats made the flag an emblem of resistance among she has demonstrators but get them they get a going to said we should recognize that this struggle is about diverse sicked is that of being excluded women young people sick child diversity migrants who opossum the reality in chile that is being denied. The flag has begun to appear more and more at street protests and it served to highlight one of the many inequalities chileans point to that the countrys constitution doesnt guarantee the rights of Indigenous People of which you were simply. Them up which have always been oppressed and today i identify more with the indigenous flag than with a t. V. And flag oh many other flags are also visible at demonstrations representing just about every sector of society is the diversity of chilean protesters and their wide range of demands thats a gathering of support the largest social mobilization in a generation as they seem as if this is his National Flag with holes burned through it says it symbolizes the more than 23 people whove lost their lives in the violence i mean military i want to it would hurt me to see a new constitution written the doesnt consider them a pussy cause because of sexual diversity id be upset if everything we worked for and fought for ended in the constitution of the doesnt take into account all of the voices. Thank you for the 2000 people have been injured in protests since the crisis began 4 weeks ago the calls for justice over the deaths of demonstrators ensures the unrest will continue. Sent there. The United Nations has called on nicaraguas president Daniel Ortega to stop what it calls persistent repression theres been a standoff at a cathedral weapon test a staged a Hunger Strike there demanding the release of people arrested during demonstrations in which more than 300. 00 were killed is on the gallica. In nicaragua as capital managua progovernment supporters stormed the nations most important cathedral and what Church Officials call an active desecration. In the scuffle that followed a priest a nun reportedly injured church was sheltering a group of mothers calling for the release of the children they say are Political Prisoners which reported the women left with the red cross the Catholic Church plays a powerful role in nicaragua the president told take his accused bishops of being cooped losses a plot of land over then i want them on the phone was of course were free we dont have any power we dont have anything of course we are free but no priest has gone into exile and everyone is where they should be even those who were tortured in maceda are in their parishes accompanying the people with much care with much fear nicaraguas political crisis began in april last year with the Popular Uprising critics accuse ortega of running a repressive regime that according to the interim merican commission for human rights has killed over 300. 00 protesters and forced 70000 people to flee the country opposition groups say at least 16 churches have been besieged by authorities as calls grow for the release of prisoners. For the freedom of our Political Prisoners for the life of our families who are in the churches and against the violation and desecration of the Catholic Church the church must be respected life must be respected a report from the un last august cited extra judicial killings torture an arbitrary detentions the organization for american states say this is now a critical human rights situation president Daniel Ortega now in his 4th term and accused of rigging elections says he Wont Leave Office until at least 2021 and a gallica al jazeera. The greek government has announced it will close down several large migrant camps and replace them with closed facilities it says that each be able to hold at least 5000. 00 people its also announced it will step up the deportations of migrants not eligible for asylum the measure is the latest in a series aimed at tackling severe overcrowding the whole of it seriously proceeding with the arrangement of Close Centers not only said they cannot move apparently there was because a clear message needs to be sent to those planning to enter the country illegally when they know that they do not qualify for signed up with the government also plans to move 20000 refugees from the islands to the mainland by the end of the year but the decisions facing a backlash from many local people as John Psaropoulos reports from the greek region of macedonia. This hotel in northern greece is surrounded by cotton fields far from the sea and the tourist sites it would most likely be closed for winter instead the International Organization for migration is paying it almost 2000. 00 a day to house 135 syrian afghan and iraqi Asylum Seekers moved here from the greek islands where theres no proper accommodation for them ask matt who spent 2 years on the island of heroes has been granted asylum and can now dream of a future here now to find other work on this we used to get moved from wherever we pitched our turn to it was a small place nobody wanted us now i plan to go to work for another barber and in time i will save money to open my own shop but not everyone in the local town of kalak you gonna thinks refugees should be allowed to work here the economic crisis has left nearly 20 percent of people unemployed including the local mothers i spoke to guess theyre not refugees theyre Illegal Migrants refugees are from war zones afghanistan isnt at war nor is kuwait no the african countries they pick up their i phones and tell their relatives back home theres free accommodation free food free healthcare and free transport and our children have nothing they have unemployment and they get bullied by the migrants in the nearby camp of the of a 1000 people have sponsored cash cards to spend on local groceries locals also find work caring for refugees and 4 and a half 1000 apartments nationwide a rented 2 Asylum Seekers paid for with e. U. Money but this refugee economy is not addressing growing greek concern the government has moved about 4000. 00 people from the island since september and plans to move a total of 20000. 00 by the end of the year but many greeks are beginning to feel this is a pointless exercise the islands quickly fill up again with new arrivals and camps like this one in northern greece a growing. Greece is now hosting about 100000. 00 Asylum Seekers arrivals from turkey are averaging almost 10000. 00 a month more than triple the numbers at the start of the year the greek government recently asked its e. U. Partners to take 4000. 00 unaccompanied minors off its hands only one country responded the benefits of the refugee economy are giving way to refugee fatigue and the feeling that greece is facing a global migration crisis all on its jump start off a loss al jazeera in the greek region of macedonia with just over 3 weeks to go until the u. K. Holds a general election the main party opposing brags that the liberal democrats has published its manifesto the party says stopping regs it will save an estimated 65000000000. 00 and it will use that money to improve Public Services the u. K. s Prince Andrew says hes stepping back from public duties for the forseeable future he says his ties to the convicted sex offender Geoffrey Epstein have become a major disruption to the royal family and sandras facing a backlash over a recent interview in which he said he didnt regret the friendship one of maltas most prominent business men has been arrested in connection with an investigation into the murder of the anticorruption journalist Daphne Khurana got its ear youre going to french was detained as he tried to leave the mediterranean island on his yacht happened a day after the Prime Minister offered to pardon they suspected middleman in the reporters murder if he provided evidence of who was responsible for a magnitude 6. 00 earthquake has struck a region of thailand it happened near the district one in the north thats just east of chiang mai there were no reports of damage or casualties. Sri lankas new president got a buyer rajapakse has named his elder brother mahinda as Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa who was president between 20052015 will replace ronald wickramasinghe when he sworn in on thursday former Prime Minister stepped down after his partys president ial candidate lost the election earlier this week but no fernandez has more from colombo. Or Prime Minister missing his resignation means is that the new president rajapaksa now has the ability to appoint a Prime Minister of his choosing now the wide expectation is that it will be hes brother the former president by in the rajapaksa who will be then called upon to form a government this will obviously be a sort of an interim government because we do not have general election or parliamentary elections due for a few months yet now the Prime Minister in his sort of an address to the nation announcing his decision to step down says that he was sort of listening to the man that. Had security in that 16 election that brought him to power with a convincing victory and that is that reason that he was stepping aside to allow rajapaksa to set up and choosing in terms of government this means obviously as the leader of the United National party the Prime Minister crosses the floor of the house when Parliament Convenes and will become Opposition Leader but the United National party itself will have to take a long hard look at its future in terms of its leadership whether this is what it wants to go forward or where they need to sort of. Look at the future and how it faces the future. And chinas online giant alibaba has become this years biggest raising nearly 13000000000. 00 us dollars in the land listing in hong kong the oaks. The largest sale in the city to 9 is on the be seen as a boost for the territory following more than 5 months of protest and unrest. Time for a quick check of the headlines here the Us Ambassador to the European Union has delivered some of the most anticipated testimony of the donald trump impeachment inquiry golden sun and describe broad involvement of the trumpet ministration in a Pressure Campaign against ukraine the white house says his testimony completely exonerates the president while trump says the inquiry is over was there a quid pro quo as i testified previously with regard to the requested white house call and the white house meeting the answer is yes mr giuliani conveyed to secretary perry ambassador volcker and others that President Trump wanted a Public Statement from president selenski committing to investigations of research and the 2016 election mr giuliani expressed those requests directly to the ukrainians and mr giuliani also expressed those requests directly to us we all understood that these prerequisites for the white house call and the right white house meeting reflected President Trumps desires and requirements to American Defense official or a cooper later told the impeachment inquiry that she found out in july about military aid to ukraine being put on hold and that the president had a lot of it. About 100. 00 protesters are still inside hong kongs besieged Polytechnic University police surrounding the campus of arrested more than a 1000 people since monday International Condemnation of the treatment of the protesters is growing in the u. S. House of the proved to build support of human rights in hong kong. At least 11 people have been killed up to airstrikes and missiles struck parts of syrias rebel held in the province activists are blaming the Syrian Government and iranian militias for a missile that targeted at camp for displaced people in the Turkish Border. Israels Opposition Leader benny gantz has been unable to form a Coalition Government yet until 2200 g. M. T. On wednesday to do so israels been through to encompass elections in april in september and a 3rd one now looks likely on the incumbent Prime Minister but Benjamin Netanyahu did not receive an overall majority well those were the headlines the news continues here on aljazeera after witness such of them so much of. A story 1400 years in the making. A story of succession. The story line of. The count of. 3. If. Somebody