Hello im Barbara Sarah this is the news hour live from london thank you for joining us coming up in the next sixty minutes the u. S. Puts hamas leader Ismail Haniya on its terror list freezing his Financial Assets. And to keep open the detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay. Donald trump orders americas controversial prison in cuba to remain open reversing a key obama promise. British Prime Minister to resign may signs a billion dollar deals and pushes for free trade benefits with china. And im peter stammered in go with all your supporters arsenal sign gagnes striker America Obama young for a club record seventy nine Million Dollars that and more transfer deadline news coming up later in the program. The u. S. State department has put israel the political leader of hamas on the terror list how mouse is the palestinian faction which has the fact of ruled the gaza strip since two thousand and seven well for more on this lets go straight to rosalynn jordan in the washington d. C. Also in the group itself a mouse has been on the u. S. Terror list for decades so what is particular about this announcement focusing on his own self. Well barbara it apparently comes mr honey and was calling in recent weeks for a new into fatah or uprising against the Israeli Government because of the u. S. Governments decision to recognize your roussillon as the capital of israel and not have its status be set aside for a final status negotiations in peace talks between the palestinians and the israelis nathan sales who is the u. S. State departments counterterrorism advisor or coordinator happens to be in tel aviv on wednesday and at the end of his remarks at a security conference dealing with counterterrorism he announced that the u. S. Government was imposing these sanctions against is nia himself financial sanctions and a travel ban because of his comments calling for that uprising in december as well as for his alleged involvement in the deaths of some eleven americans allegedly at the hand of hamas doesnt join in with the latest there from washington d. C. Roles thank you and now lets go to ramallah in the occupied west bank and speak to aljazeera as imran khan so in mine the story broke about what two hours ago now still very early but have we had any official reaction from hamas itself so far thats absolutely right we have had now official reaction from hamas two different sources actually both issuing strong but dismissive statements about the us is the mouse spokesman it says is not going to deter us from being a legitimate Resistance Movement and weve also heard from Mahmoud Zahar a senior hamas leader lets listen to what he has to say no. It is not. For a beginner. No religion its for this reason we are considering this statement of is the foolish statement committed by people who know nothing about freedom for. And they were let me just put a point here that i just put to rosalyn jordan a few minutes ago i mean how mass has been on the u. S. And indeed the e. U. And a lot of other countries terrorists for decades so what does this actually mean for the movement itself. Well the movement itself will continue as normal nothings really go to change and then they say they are a legitimate Resistance Movement within gaza and they have support within gaza so the u. S. Announcement really means very little practically on the ground they say the idea will be able to travel ways under siege ingalls anyway its very difficult for him to travel any way also means that they going to put him on a list where he cant trade or have any support from the u. S. We doesnt get any support from the u. S. But hamas actually as a movement have been losing power in the gaza strip the gaza strip used to be run by hamas they were the defacto power thats now changed to the Palestinian Authority theres reconciliation efforts going on between hamas and Islamic Jihad and i have to remind you that eight members not just a small i mean have been put on this latest terror list these reconciliation efforts going on between Islamic Jihad hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization those talks are underway to be interesting to see how the p. L. O. The Palestine Liberation Organization actually reacts to this is what because theyll have to condemn this move so youll have somebody who will condemn this move that actually isnt a pause or it hasnt reconciled with hamas and Islamic Jihad so all of this means for hamas is that nothing really practically changes for them but they say what this is actually quite crucial what they say is that this is internal u. S. Politics is for the benefit of the americans it changes nothing practically on the ground for hamas will smell and that they will remain a legitimate Resistance Movement in my kind of the latest from ramallah and ron thank you. Well the European Union says it will give an extra fifty three Million Dollars in aid to palestine following the u. S. Decision to withhold funding the e. U. s Foreign Policy chief a very chemically made the announcement that a donors meeting in brussels the u. N. Has warned that gazas economy is on the verge of collapse that it has more now from brussels just before the talks started here in brussels the e. U. s Foreign Policy chief frederica more greeny did say youre on the record that this meeting really came about a result of President Trumps a recent announcement that the u. S. Would recognize jerusalem as israels capital and the angry reaction that provokes a not only among the palestinian leadership but in other countries in the region to know the e. U. Is stressing the importance of keeping the u. S. On board as a crucial partner in the socalled Peace Process which has really been dormant for several years and that was something that was addressed in comments to aljazeera by the Palestinian Foreign minister we are not excluding the americans to be party to any Peace Process we are excluding the exclusivity of the americans and the monopoly of the americans for the Peace Process but we are not we are not naive to see will the americans cannot play a role. We will allow them to play a role but if you know it all as as part of a comprehensive collective at all by many other countries now something thats worrying everybody involved is the threat by the United States to withhold funding to only rule thats the United Nations agency that provides Crucial Services for millions of Palestinian Civilians notably in the gaza strip where much of the two million population lives in poverty their withholding around one hundred ten Million Dollars they say they will be contributing this year now weve heard in the last few days that some european nations will be speeding up their payments but thats just the short Term Solution at the end of the talks the norwegian foreign minister didnt have any figures to announce she did basically say that its going to be left to subsequent meetings to try and plug that gap he recently through the International Community to recommit to common strategy and building the institutions that will ultimately lead to a negotiated two state solution and there is also a need for a comprehensive in supporting and the reception of controls. Well in the background there have been warnings from Israeli Intelligence officials as well as other political figures that the threat of a reduction in funding to the palestinians could have big implications for security not just in israel and the occupied territory but for the whole region and thats why many people really are looking for some sort of quick solution whether its a reversal of the u. S. Decision or somebody else stepping in particularly from gulf countries to say look this money will be secure because its in everybodys interests to make sure that it keeps keeps flowing. Its long been symbolic of the grave human rights abuses committed during the socalled war on terror but now u. S. President donald trump has decided to keep the notorious kuantan a military prison open through an executive order former president barack obama had promised to close the facility in cuba within a year after taking office but while many prisoners were indeed released obama was unable to keep his promise to shut down guantanamo altogether in a state of the Union Address on tuesday trump warned hundreds of dangerous terrorists had been released in the past but this would no longer be allowed to. Try to ensure that in the fight against isis and alqaeda we continue to have all necessary power to detain terrorists wherever we chase them down where ever we find. And in many cases them it will now be one turn in the way. Its good morning from a White House Correspondent kimberly how kid kimberly when we think of when Guantanamo Bay opened i mean its just a lifetime ago in many ways when you think of how much how much has happened since and also i guess how perceptions have changed in the u. S. In that time in light of that what kind of response has there been to President Trumps comments about one third of a bay. Well certainly ordinary americans are not talking about it in the same way that human rights activists and politicians are this was an issue that was largely forgotten for most americans who are more focused on sort of the meat and potatoes type issues like making sure that there was a rise in incomes and less taxes so the fact that this was slipped into the speech was a little bit of a surprise to many certainly we heard this from donald trump on the campaign trail but again this is not something that ordinary americans generally are talking about having said that certainly this is something that registers on the radar for those who are active in the u. S. Military because of course as you pointed out in your introduction this is certainly. Torie as prison the fact that there are detainees that have been labeled enemy combatants held not just for years but more than a decade often without charge without due process certainly has hurt the effort particularly outside the United States in terms of executing missions because the fact remains that this can sometimes be sort of a rallying cry for those that are already not liking the United States to further intensify that so this is often many have said here in the United States of the political level hurt and even put u. S. Lives at risk and certainly bringing this up putting it into the fore is certainly going to exacerbate that that is the concern for many here in the u. S. As well as outside the u. S. And kimberly President Trump made that statement in the state of the union speech that he gave on tuesday what else were the highlights in that speech. Well there were an awful lot in terms of the president trying to highlight what he sees the successes this past year he certainly touted the historic Unemployment Rate that has now hit a new low one not seen in some time as well there of course is the tax reform that he passed which certainly he is marking it is legislative success we should point out his only legislative success so far but what seems to be the biggest challenge for donald trump coming out of that speech was the same one going in and that is this effort to bring about unity at a time of such incredible polarization the president was able to sell the economy in the economic message but he wasnt able to sell himself you saw democrats sitting there as republicans were rough things and standing ovation after standing ovation applauding at the democrats sitting there stone faced i dont think that he moved the the dial if you will with regard to trying to bridge that gap that exists not just in capitol hill but among ordinary americans can really help get outside the white house kimberly thank you. Theres much more to come on the news hour including were going to look at the scandal surrounding germanys top car makers and their use of monkeys in a mission past as that hits the German Parliament just how much did the government know. Plus well also be looking at an event that only happens once in a super bowl blood moon and the in sport the Houston Rockets james harden makes and be a mystery peter will tell you more. But first two british lawyers have submitted a review of human rights in saudi arabia to the Un Human Rights Council now the kingdom is accused of arresting political activists and the taming them without charge so now reports. Its a case that has been given little attention given the recent state of affairs in saudi arabia thirty of its citizens detained without charge another thirty one who have apparently simply disappeared no one knows where they have gone or whether theyre being held nor have they been charged with any offenses a violation of saudi and International Rules say the british lawyers who authored the report into the arrests and are now calling for the un to suspend the government of saudi arabia from the Human Rights Council if they are committed to human rights and the instruments that they signed up to as well as International Law then theres no need for the suspension if they put that into practice but. Breach provisions of International Codes should not be allowed to do that and still sit on the council that reviews human rights around the world to double standards should be stopped much may have been made of the recent changes in saudi arabia since the countrys exodus thrown Mohammed Bin Salman assumed a wider role women have won the right to drive the last country in the world to have lifted that ban and a high profile corruption crackdown against members of the elite two significant attention around the world but human Rights Groups say while these actions are part of a determined effort to change saudis troubled image the reality is far removed from that vision of change dissent is silenced calls for change our sense it and even messages on social media can invite imprisonment and punishment the fact that both simple activists. Jean according to our accounts and maybe more now that this new report has emerged r. J. Soley for the human rights activism and this is absolutely not acceptable and i mean that the efforts of the crown prince to brand himself as a reformer cannot fly such blatant Human Rights Violations as a member of the uns Human Rights Panel there is much pressure on saudi arabia to fulfill its duties in that capacity one way would be to get key allies such as the u. K. A major exporter of arms to the kingdom to convince them to fulfill the legal obligations. Saudis rulers are expected to visit britain soon but there are concerns as to how much of an effect Prime Minister theresa may would have on calls to respect the values that meant to uphold as members of the Human Rights Council saudi arabia may be sensitive about his image question is how much will it be prepared to prove that its willing to accept change within the kingdom. Jazeera london. Well for more on this some joined now by the World Affairs analyst ikhlas minority thank you so much for joining us here on aljazeera i mean i suppose it is ironic one would say that this report about the saudi violations of human rights is actually presented to the u. N. Human Rights Council which saudi arabia used to chair i mean its a member of but it used to a chair do you think it will actually make have any impact on saudi itself i think these measures to relinquish the of membership is too little too late and we know that saudi arabias ten year old leader will end next year so this is a message for saudi arabia to. Focus on the human rights efforts wont change the situation i think in the slightest something that may change the situation and in a dramatic way is of those who trades with the country with the kingdom impose some sort of sign to it if you do not improve your human rights record we will cease trading with you we will impose sanctions on point you for this as we heard and so niggas report i mean obviously this new crown Prince Mohammed bin some money certainly tries to present an image of himself as a reformer theres the you know the lifting on on the ban on women driving an you know push against corruption according to him have any steps in the right direction been made in saudi arabia or the prince you asked if you asked the crown prince himself or say loss of sub in may there are plans for policy changes