Independence. So youre watching aljazeera life my headquarters here in doha coming up in the next thirty minutes a u. S. Grand jury reportedly approved first charges into alleged russian meddling in the twenty sixth president ial election. Now suspended indefinitely kenyas Election Commission calls off voting in four Opposition Strongholds amid fears of violence. And a change of policy the u. S. To. Provide direct assistance to persecute christians in the middle east. Welcome to the program spains Prime Minister is calling for calm after he ordered direct catalonia an hour after the Regional Parliament declared independence its not election to choose a new Regional Government will be held on the twenty first of December Andrew symonds has more from barcelona. The moment catalonia declared secession from spain a wave of euphoria across barcelona a mix of intense emotion elation and danger because of the uncertainty of what comes next they cheered they hugged one another they cried and they toasted what they see as a new nation it all started unfolding. At the Catalan Parliament passionate sometimes angry debates a sense of anticipation on one side red on the other. Mares had been invited. Ceremonials sticks by their sides to. The story. It wasnt long before his wish came true a secret ballot slowly but surely moving his parliament into the history books most opposition members walked out in disgust leaving the Spanish National flag and the catalan flag draped over their benches then came the count again slow with reaction to every yes. Seventy votes for ten against into abstention and the Catalan National anthem this time striking a different group. Before long another vote in madrid this time the Senate Making a decision on article one five five direct rule moving to the Spanish Government a large majority. Two hundred fourteen for forty seven against approval for Prime MinisterMariano Rajoy to sack the Regional Government and impose sweeping powers back in barcelona these politicians and supporters hardly look like people about to go into the background president colors push them all called for calm. Citizens of catalonia in the coming hours we will have to maintain our countrys polls a most of all to montane the public spirit and our dignity thats we have always done with no doubt it will continue to be that way this is an extraordinary moment but its historic to find the right way across this eighteenth Century Building of the mix mood was sure was on the brakes and the sticks to see it from them was right across the yard here to express the. You. Know. The look of what oclock it was of course it was. Independence. Independence is heartbreaking sad distressing that is how all the catalans who are not Pro Independence feel including very democratic and Pro Independence supporters that cannot shed this destructive operation based on lies fraud and impositions it is causing on the social fiber of catalonia looking to madrid for the next move catalans who are angered or saddened or also fearful of what will happen Mariano Rajoy is already using his new powers dissolving parliament calling elections in december and listing those hes sacking. Friday night in the center of barcelona a city known more for its football its beaches and sunshine than any resistance to state power and its a policy time for a large number of people packed. Into a square in front of the seat of government how long will the smiles last night so many questions along with another sobering historic moment. Between those who want to be in spain and those who dont here. Never been big Andrew Symonds i would use of bosler. No us media are reporting that a federal grand jury in washington d. C. Has approved the first charges in the investigation over russian meddling in the twenty sixteen u. S. President ial election the charges led by special Counsel Robert Mueller are said to be still sealed and orders from a federal judge it isnt yet known what the accusations are but any one charge could be reportedly taken into custody as soon as monday alan fischer has more from washington d. C. We know that Robert Mueller has been conducting his investigation over the past five months or so or if its true and this grand jury has decided that and documents can be issued then thats a fairly speedy process if you look at two significant cases in the past from american political history bill clinton and Richard Nixon it took a grand jury almost a couple of years to come up with indictments they are now hold a grand jurys work well essentially people are impaneled they come along they are given evidence from the prosecutors the ilo to issue subpoenas and at one stage when the prosecutor believes hes a Strong Enough case or sits down with the grand jury there are new judges and new Defense Attorneys there they just lying to the grand jury this is the case i believe we have and i would like to be able to present this to a jury where i believe we would be able to secure a conviction on these charges and if the grand jury believes the prosecutor at that point they will approve the indictment the indictment then is prepared and issued to the person at the center of the investigation normally within twenty four to forty eight hours no the indictment here has been sealed so we dont know who has been charged and what they have been charged with if indeed that is the case but this would be very significant youve got to remember that Robert Miller over the last few months or spoken to a number of people very close to donald trump including Michael Flynn his short lived National Security adviser jared who is a son in law but also a special adviser in the White House Holds a very powerful position in the oval office and of course paul minor for two at one point was a Campaign Chairman for the Trump Election Campaign and of course at some point his home was even searched by f. B. I. Agents so what were waiting for now is to find out who is being charged and what theyve been charged with and that will be important because then we will see just how close they are to donald trump and to the Trump Campaign and just hope course this investigation takes us into twelve to the white house. To east africa though a ten years Electoral Commission has called off the president ial repeat election in four Opposition Strongholds violent confrontations between police and protesters have made it impossible for voting materials to get to a number of polling stations mohammed al has more from nairobi. Kenyas second president ial elections in three months what designed to bring along a coup money as political season two and. Then now doubts they may provide any closure off total what we witnessed was a very low voter turnout into our climate of fear and intimidation and in that political environment is difficult for an election to be considered credible with nearly all falls of Opposition Leader raila odinga heeding his call for a boycott. Victory is not in question but some are already questioning whether the lol tunnel to give president kenyatta a reasonable monday took up a major defeat. The total voter turnout is a little over thirty percent who can yet i may have won but theres no way you can see a leader of you and form a government for all the. Voting on thursday was mobbed by skirmishes between police and stone throwing the position of supporters police used teargas and fired live ammunition and blanks into the air to disperse them but the protesters were in this big grouping quickly however the situation was calm elsewhere for voting in kimbo outside nairobi and other strongholds of president kenyatta. The election comes after weeks of political twists on tongues in the Central Business district of ny rule b. This through almost empty the kenyan economy slowed sharply the city as businesses have held back on investments until after the elections many kenyans say they want this crisis. Some even say the continued uncertainty is threatening their livelihoods when is the weve been stuck at home since wednesday when the children went milk they want to eat and who else will provide for them yes we want a president if he wins and if youre sworn in its fine as long as we can continue to work and our children can have food and an education. A fraud election numerous resulting in a controversial route which many stayed away from thought is the story of this president ial race these hope it will have a happy ending but confidence is not high mohammed at all just i dont because. Katherine sawyer from the opposition stronghold of kissimmee. At and informally set up road block in this men are using an electricity pole to make sure no vehicle carrying ballot boxes passes through. All the while theyre saying no election no who and calling themselves the National Resistance movement the new wing of the Opposition Coalition led by ryan we are not supposed. To vote so we dont know why these people are bringing the. Last box in consumer voting has been called off in four counties here in western kenya threats and violence have made it difficult for electrical mission officials to get stuff ballot boxes and voting slips to polling stations about one point eight million registered voters are affected when it comes to. When their lives. Are political and religious leaders say the saturday election should not have been called in the first place we the people. Be respected. With election now called off many people are hoping tensions might. Dozens of people who were injured in a confrontation between police and process. Were brought to this hospital several of them what. Some are still let me ted with gunshot wounds that man there was shot at an area not too far away from here. To millicent blames the police but she and many other supporters of. Hope that while he may not have participated in the poll he may yet help to change the way elections are held in the future catherine soy al jazeera western kenya. Well still ahead here on aljazeera. Celebrations in south africa after two white man a sentence for an attack that highlighted racial abuse. And people in the libyan capital tripoli facing a humanitarian crisis because of a severe water shortage. Weve had some rather when she weather into central parts of canada pushing down across the Northern Plains into the midwest behind this weather system which is making its way. Well i can get some cold air just talking in behind when it takes a high of around four degrees celsius the wintry weather the snow that will make its way across ontario toward follow that line a very heavy rain which will push right down the appalachians into the deep south ahead of that. New york nine hundred twenty one celsius for the same getting up to around twenty twenty one and San Francisco add also in calgary on saturday big traffic. Come sunday temperatures struggling to get around eight degrees while snow there into central pass just remember pushing a little further some very heavy rain by this stage into Eastern Canada insinuatingly and just around pennsylvania upstate new york you could see some right and also the possibility on the back but some very wet weather right down the eastern seaboard by this date is a very wet weather to just joining up across the cuba. Jamaica will see some heavy rain and also sings and right weather that all links back to the flooding rains that weve seen in Central America nicaragua and costa rica slowly but surely pushing north. It was an audacious bid to capture a city in the southern philippines and turn it into a province of myself. With the snow puru it is asia the new battlefront want to a nice to get at this time on aljazeera i mean this is different whether someone saying something is very wrong. Its how you approach an official and i think it is a certain way of doing it you can just. Die out. Welcome back youre watching aljazeera im so whole robin a reminder of our top stories in a historic move the spanish Prime Minister has stripped catalonia of its autonomy in order to snap Regional Elections they came within an hour of the Catalan Parliament issuing a declaration of independence. First delayed now suspended indefinitely kenyas Election Commission calls off voting in four Opposition Strongholds amid fears of more violence violent confrontations between police and protesters have made it impossible for voting materials to get to a number of polling stations. And u. S. Media are reporting that a federal grand jury in washington d. C. Has approved the first charges in the investigation over russian meddling in the twenty sixteen u. S. President ial election the charges led by special Counsel Robert Mueller are said to be still sealed under orders from a federal judge it isnt yet know what the accusations are but anyone charged could be reportedly taken into custody as soon as monday. The United Kingdom says military action should be considered a gates those who carried out Chemical Attacks in syria it follows a u. N. Investigation that blames the Syrian Government for a lethal attack in april more than eighty people were killed in the sarin gas attack in concert the Syrian Government rejects the uns report mike hanna reports from the United Nations. The Security Council debate is about women peace and security but in coming days the chambers likely to become the scene of heated argument about the future of the joint investigative mechanism jim its annual mandate needs to be renewed before the seventeenth of next month the g. M. As it is quite frankly the best who we have it has been created by unanimous vote. It has demonstrated that it is highly professional. Impartial. So we have. To lets lets use it frankly collectively but the key the key priority now is to recreate consensus. I consider that we have the moral and political responsibility to succeed here in its latest report jim found the Syrian Government accountable for a sarin gas attack and it looked province earlier this year more than eighty civilians died many of them children the report says evidence gathered from eyewitnesses satellite imagery and mobile phone footage indicate the attack was carried out by Syrian Government aircraft and that samples of chemical compounds used in explosives lifted from the scene are identical to those found during an inspection of syrian bomb stocks before the conflict began earlier this week russia vetoed a Security Council resolution calling for jims mandate to be renewed maintaining it first wanted to judge the objectivity of the latest report. And in a move likely to raise the level of argument the u. K. Says the Security Council must pass a Chapter Seven resolution which would allow armed force to be used there must be a Chapter SevenSecurity Council resolution to do what we said we would do. We all agreed in advance that if we were in the scenario then they would be a Chapter Seven resolution to impose accountability on whoever used chemical weapons in syria the question now will russia hold to the dream and will formally reject jims findings and wielded Security Council veto for the tenth time since the syrian conflict began mike hanna aljazeera United Nations the u. S. Vice president says the country will no longer fund what he says are ineffective u. N. Relief agencies for persecuted and religious minorities in the middle east by pencils funds will instead be distributed directly through the u. S. Agency for International Development rosslyn jordan has more from washington d. C. Christian groups in the United States have long wanted their government to do something about what they see as the ongoing persecution of christians in the middle east especially in iraq our fellow christians and all who are persecuted in the middle east should not have to rely on multinational institutions when america can help them directly and tonight it is my privilege to announce that President Trump has ordered the state department to stop funding ineffective relief efforts at the United Nations pences announcement was cheered by the oven jellicoe community which wields considerable political influence but officials at both the state department and the u. N. Dont yet have a lot of details on the policy and funding changes this does not apply to all u. N. Programs it applies to programs that address the first cuban displaced religious minority communities usa id will be involved in the Us State Department well as well we continue to make sure that our aid efforts on the ground including in iraq which was part of this discussion are on the basis of need and we try to serve all communities based on need this isnt the first time the trumpet ministration has told you and funding in order to advance its policy agenda earlier this year it cut funding from the Family Planning program because of concerns over forced abortion in china something which the government in beijing denies however and this plan to help a specific religious group is raising some concerns because it would use tax dollars to help a specific religious group not help an entire country in crisis. U. S. Law has long been clear no public money can be used to pay for religious Services Education or proselytizing and even though president s george w. Bush and barack obama allowed religious groups to apply for federal grants to help the needy around the world these groups had to follow strict rules to make sure their programs served everyone regardless of faith one expert in the Faith Based InitiativeCommunity Says the trumpet ministration could face lawsuits if it goes ahead with its plan the separation of church and state found in our constitution and the establishment clause in case law would really impede something of that sort think of Vice President pence announcement what kind of degrade that aspect and have a lot of smaller organizations buying for these fines that might not meet the requirement of fundamental conflict at work trying to protect those being targeted because of their faith without breaching the u. S. Is wall between church and state rosalynn jordan aljazeera at the state department u. S. Defense sector james mattis is in seoul to meet with his south korean counterpart its his second visit this year and comes amid increasing tensions on the peninsula not just told reporters the military alliance between seoul and washington is ironclad. The United States should not accept a Nuclear North Korea make no mistake any attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated yet familiarizing do you see that you know you get down caught dont go dont talk to the questions you any used of Nuclear Weapons by the north will be met with a massive military sean the effect of an overwhelming. Two White South African men have been jailed after they were found guilty of forcing a black man into a coffin and threatening to burn him alive they were each sentenced to more than ten years in prison the case triggered widespread outrage in the country natasha going impossible. There were tears on both sides of the court room in the socalled coffin case it was a case that laid bare the ongoing racial divide in post apartheid south africa on friday a judge sentenced tayo jackson to fourteen years and villa. To eleven years in prison the most appalling and. Well. I gained. Video shot by the men on a mobile phone led to nationwide condemnation and eventually their arrests victor millo she was says he was taking a short cut on the mens farm when they kidnapped him drove him to another location forced him into a coffin and threaten to kill him in their defense the farmer say was trespassing they caught him stealing copper cables and said he threatened to kill their families and burn their crops but the judge pointed out this was not the first time the men had force someone into a coffin and their behavior had quote fueled racial tension analysts say this case spotlights the haves and the have nots in south africa which is largely split along racial lines heaven to come to terms with exactly who we as a country where a country that is both congresses and shipley on sexism. In sentencing the two men the judge said they showed no remorse their prison sentences should send a message to others that this kind of behavior will be punished and punished severely. Deserve them. Guatemalas the former president also prisma leaders to be tried for corruption on friday a judge ruled in favor of a request to charge him with bribery and tax avoidance totaling several Million Dollars is Vice President while in office roxana deathy is also facing trial there is i did twenty fifteen at the un investigators linked them to a massive corruption ring. People in the libyan capital tripoli facing a humanitarian crisis because of a survey a water shortage the lack of investment on security has caused the taps to run dry Victoria Gate and we report. This is how people in tripoli are getting their Drinking Water drilling three pavements to access underground wells in a desperate search for supplies in the. Situation were in now is affecting the entire city no water no electricity tenants cant pray without water they cant go to the bathroom they cant do anything not even drink the problem is that the government does nothing so now we are digging for water as a temporary solution. Earlier this month supplies were cut to households for Maintenance Work to make matters worse an armed group then sabotaged tripolis Drinking Water infrastructure engine is working hard to repair it but a lack of investment and a shortage of spare parts means progress is. Six. Pm remains divided and devastated. The country is plagued by internal fighting and financial collapse. Is another challenge for the un backed government of National Accord based in tripoli its already dealing with a Failing Health service spiraling inflation and Public Sector strikes a the pay people are demanding solutions to their worsening Living Conditions the head of the water was there with his authority says he needs more money from the government if things are to improve. In the absence of adequate spare parts a lack of money security chaos people have been taking matters into their own hands and this in turn has affected the performance of the system. The u. N. Says divisions a deepening in. And that finding a political agreement is the only way forward for people struggling to access basic supplies like water it cant come soon enough. To be al jazeera australias foreign minister will become acting Prime Minister in the aftermath of the legal ruling thats forced the countrys second in charge to step down the countrys highest court found that Barnaby Joyce and four other politicians were ineligible to stay in office because of their jewels citizenship the Prime Minister has decided against appointing a temporary deputy and instead has named julie bishop as his stand in while he travels overseas later this week a deputy Prime Minister will be sworn in after a by election in december now the winners of this years american architecture prize one of the most prestigious award in the industry have been unveiled spoke to the Californian Firm that won the top prize for the Landscape Architecture for designing an outdoor space in sydney that commemorates australias indigenous heritage. Im pete walker im a Landscape Architect behringer route was a hill stone headland in australia on the shoreline of sydney harbor that had been leveled in order to make a container port and it came as a response to interest in doing something commemorating the aborigines in australia but the original idea was to build something which recalled in a kind of symbolic way that headland that had been there before and it just so happened that this headland was where the chief of the aborigines lived the idea of putting that headland back in place caught everyones of magination and in order to make a monumental Australian Landscape you had to use techniques both in terms of the geographic and geological formation of sydney you had to use native plants not just native to australia but native to this part of sydney we actually made the soils by grinding up the stone Landscape Architecture often isnt taken as seriously as architecture of people play in landscapes they dont buy them or pay for them so its in a different category economically and culturally you have people think of enough of your work that they permeate it you like that and thats great but when you won an International Award and when you win the top landscape award thats really something thats a big deal. Your geology is their arms their whole robin these are our top stories in a historic move the spanish Prime Minister has stripped catalonia of its autonomy and ordered that Regional Elections came within an hour of the Catalan Parliament issuing a declaration of independence first to late and are suspended indefinitely kenyas Election Commission calls of voting in four Opposition Strongholds amid fears of more violence violent confrontations between police and protesters have made it impossible for voting materials to get to a number of polling stations u. S. Media are reporting that a federal grand jury in washington d. C. Has approved the first charges in the investigation over russian meddling in the twenty sixteen us president ial election the charges that led by special Counsel Robert Mueller are said to be still sealed under orders from a federal judge it isnt yet know what the accusations are but any one charge could reportedly be taken into custody as soon as monday the Syrian Government has rejected the findings of the u. N. Investigation that blamed it for a lethal chemical attack in april more than eighty people were killed when the nerve agent sarin was dropped on the rebel held town of concha coon in south africa two white farmers found guilty of forcing a black man into a coffin and threatening him to be burned alive have been jailed jackson was sentenced to fourteen years in prison while wilhelm is this and eleven years the last salt on a victor was captured on a mobile phone the case triggered widespread outrage. Australias foreign minister will become the Prime Minister acting Prime Minister in the aftermath of the legal ruling thats forced the countrys second in charge to step down the countrys highest court found that Barnaby Joyce and four other politicians were ineligible because of their july citizenship the Prime Minister has decided against appointing a temporary deputy and instead as the julie bishop as a standard when he travels overseas later in the week the deputy Prime Minister will be sworn in in a by election later in december what tomorrows former president arto molina is to try to grow up should friday a judge ruled in favor of a request to charge with bribery and tax avoidance totally several billion dollars those were the headlines ill be back with more news in thirty minutes to stay with us one east is next. Im counting the cost of italys wealthy Northern Region say the seeds of more ptolemy but who are the forces reshaping european politics how might chinas new leadership by another affect the economy plus why trade is that Hong Kong Stock Exchange is saying bye bye to the best it can do the cost at this time on aljazeera