Republicans as donald trump attempts to discredit the claims against him the whistleblower. Revealed because the whistleblower gave false story. Tens of thousands of protesters on both sides of the political divide a rallying across lebanon both for and against the government large numbers turned out in beirut calling for a complete overhaul of the ruling elite and the current political system which is split along sectarian lines the protests began last month a devil ready for Prime Minister saad hariri to hand in his resignation a general strike has been called for monday. Is that those protests in beirut. Inside political establishment protesters are back to close roads they believe that this is the only way to maintain the pressure on the ruling elite to resign a few days ago they agreed to leave the streets after the Prime Minister saad as submitted his resignation but now people here believe those in power are progress than that they should have by now created a technocrat government which will prepare for early elections but those that mans have not been met those in power theyve been in power for 30 years are unlikely to meet these demands because it means giving up the power that they have enjoyed over these years so back to closing roads but the Lebanese Army and the Security Forces are also in the streets but i can tell you people here are uncompromising and demanding demanding a new change in leadership but at the same time there is another street in the country the other street is defending those in power. They turned out in large numbers to send the message to those trying to topple the ruling elite supporters of president michel came from across the country and converged outside the president ial palace in beirut suburbs a show of force but also a call for cooperation. There are too many protest squares the situation must not turn against each other or protest against each other we do a road map with 3 points corruption the economy and a civic nation there your rights so thats why we need to communicate with you and agree and put efforts together people here say they too are asking for reforms and an end to corruption but unlike the antiestablishment protest movement they are defending their leaders the president s son in law foreign ministers. Gave no indication he is leaving office he is a divisive figure who has been accused of corruption overstepping his powers and exploiting lebannon secretary and structure for political gains. Let us not block the road in front of us with demands that are impossible to achieve today because you will speed up the financial collapse. The priority is to delay that collapse and maybe prevent it. Mainly sectarian parties still command support among 4000000 people but the street is divided and public squares and cities across the country antigovernment protesters are uncompromising lebanese from all sects have been coming together and the crowds chant the same slogan all of them means all of them they are rejecting the entire Political Class of lebanon socalled october revolution is now in its 3rd week the revolt against politicians who have been in power for 30 years has not lost momentum public pressure has reshuffled power the Prime Minister sato had d. D. Resigned last week but he could return to office as part of a deal politicians seem to be putting together and what they seem to be discussing are shares and divisions in the old practice and perhaps maybe just maybe thinking about do we give this socalled Civil Society 2 or 3 stupid seats to come down the street but the problem is what you hear here when you talk to people is we want a coherent independent competent government the major reform these people want is proving difficult to achieve and no one knows how long the political standoff will last its a dangerous stalemate on the economy on the brink of collapse much needed economic forums reforms need to be enacted but you cant do that without a government and its not just that if the Ruling Coalition those in power decide to clamp down on this movement it will be very difficult because using Excessive Force would definitely be condemned by the International Community whos really their eyes have been on lebanon on western countries providing support to the Lebanese Army so the Lebanese Army the Ruling Coalition theyre in a bind they know what theyre up against a street which is uncompromising but at the same time its not clear if they are going to take escalatory measures them sell. In order to end this movement. From lebanon tonight bring a rock in the Prime Minister there is calling for an end to the bloodshed on both sides as protests continue against the government speaking for the 1st time since announcing his resignation Prime Minister. Says protesters have achieved their goals but by a hood in the economy but this time he made no mention of stepping down but hes also admit with a delegation from the u. S. Congress who say they are backing the if its made by the Iraqi Government the protesters though are not giving out hundreds of them tried to storm the iranian consulate in karbala south of baghdad protestors raise the iraqi flag on the gate of the building and set fires nearby Security Forces fired shots in the air in an attempt to clear the crowds demonstrators have been calling for an end to what they see as iran need to fear in iraqs politics and in baghdad demonstrators have blocked major roads schools were closed in the capital and other cities as teachers have gone on strike to show their solidarity with antigovernment protests from baghdad heres natascha. Protesters set fires erected barricades and even lay down in the road at intersections in central and eastern baghdad as the work week began the roadblocks created traffic jams across the capital preventing people from getting to work some government offices and businesses were forced to close. By we have one which is employees join sit ins just like us they can participate by staying at home we want all the government ministries to stop operating we can only unite we are all one people here in Tahrir Square which has become the epicenter of the protests there were signs that people are settling in for the long haul this burned out skyscraper has been occupied since the 2nd wave of antigovernment protests began more than a week ago from. The upper floors protesters can see the square and the bridge below leading to the green zone where Security Forces are positioned this was built during the Saddam Hussein era there was once a restaurant on top of one of its neck thing it has been abandoned since 2003 when it was bombed during the u. S. Led invasion now its become an iconic landmark of the un president and protests volunteers are trying to prevent this building from becoming a garbage dump we are here to clean this place and to have a city where we know many people were killed here and its in people that know me to show this a place to be a claim its a kind of all the plays stuff on the sally is a University Student and volunteer he says he knows being here is dangerous but this is a revolution what im going to do after graduation theres no jobs so this is this golden age of skilling like like this dust and there. We are we are just like debt peoples zombies no one no one knew no one know that there is people here have dreams want to do things in their lives moussaoui and other protesters say they feel proud for their role in what they regard as a historic moment theyre not following or answering to anyone in their eyes theyre all leaders natasha going to name aljazeera baghdad. Fossil is to body was the former iraqi ambassador to the u. N. And is now the director of the center for the study of the middle east at Indiana University he says its difficult to predict just how these protests in iraq will play out. Weve been through almost a month of this except that of course there was an interruption to the demonstration during the sherry religious observance of one of the demonstrators went home but theyve come back now after those. In the meantime weve seen the official number Something Like 20250 People Killed mostly peaceable demonstrators and thousands of people injured is this the state beginning to crackdown. Actors who are semi state actors with one foot in the state one foot out of the state are they beginning a rock down will they be the next to try to crack down on the demonstrators thats the real danger because you could have a sort of a generalized chaos perhaps a generalized. Violence is what i fear i i hate even to say but im very much afraid that whats coming next and then its capable of the door really have no way of knowing what really happens after that and we can also draw a line between whats happening in iraq and whats happening in lebanon to this extent very Different Countries of course but to but to this extent theyve both come out of a history of conflict but the heavily divided along sectarian lines and you have a movement that now that is looking to a non sectarian future so essentially youre talking about changing culture changing society and changing politics whats the roadmap to that who do live is that what comes next what comes next the constitutional challenge how do you start to pull out that entrenched power ironically enough but there are those im not saying i am one of them but there are all of those who are looking for the shia religious establishment which has in the past call for the establishment of a civil state but ironically enough there are those who are looking to that religious establishment which so far has been. Other firmly on the side of the demonstrators and demanded reform from the government but there are those that are looking towards that establishment so its not our place to to take us to word setting up a a civil state im skeptical that theyll get us there. In india schools are shut flights are being canceled in a public emergency has been declared as toxic smaug chokes the Nations Capital on the air quality index the result of 500 is described as severe plus the result for new delhi is double that expert sites like smoking up to 50 cigarettes a day people are complaining of sore eyes and throats with some Wearing Masks to protect themselves. Its suffocating and we feel like coffin we forded the light showers will make the weapons better and the pollution level will improve but it doesnt feel like it yet in india the amount of power from breathing shes pollution is also putting us on the mental pressure thats not going to say stephanie no fog Walking Around we must but gopalaswami is a distinguished senior fellow at Observer Research foundation he describes the difficulties facing those living in new delhi. I was in delhi yesterday and i was you know i walked in the streets and on a daily basis it is. I mean there are health has its that are opposing to people but i think its its frustrating. It is dangerous normal life this affected because schools are shut. And you know you cannot go about your day in a normal you when there is destruction in your normal way of life it is significant its a its not only a physical problem its also a psychological it becomes a psychological problem and youre trying to find solutions around it and i think people are frustrated with the authorities about the politicization of the issue so there are all these factors and there is a resentment and i and i think at one level you know there are people that i personally know of friends who in the last 5 years and moved away from delhi because of these gains of this kind of this kind of an issue that simply is unsustainable. There is plenty more ahead all the news including 4 hurt in a bloody knife attack in hong kong including a politician during the protests you try to block likely next year but not all countries are happy. In sport Lewis Hamilton celebrates a 6th in formula one drivers title and he is here to show you just how he did it. Asia pacific try to groom it could be finalized by february they will hopes for progress on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership at the ongoing summit in bangkok but that is a road block after new demands were my by india to tell us more lets cross live to scott look whos at the summit in bangkok scott weve heard this before its an idea thats been around for years now they saying they are getting closer but the very nature of the consensus nights are of that often gets in the y. One of the the big open schools to sealing this deal. Then exactly you know thats a problem with us and when you have 10 independent nations here in Southeast Asia working as a body thats supposed to have one voice its very difficult to get that unified voice when it comes to moving things forward when it comes to negotiation particularly when you talk about 17 nations forming the world what would be the Worlds Largest trade pacts so thats very difficult there are other so much going on today the everything will wrap up by the end of day on monday but thats really kind of been the focus but whats interesting is how this kind of positioned itself in this part of the world know what to discuss this further were going to bring in benjamin is a walking now hes an independent Southeast Asia analyst than thank you for joining us so when you look at. Positioning and how it tries to position itself in the region geopolitically they say they want this sin tragedy had they been successful with that. Ozzy on by definition has adopted a pretty defensive posture its one that says we want to be central but at the same time dont make us choose dont make us choose between 2 sides it asserts a sort of centrally but when it comes to the very issue the one primary issue in which it is truly central namely great power relations and competition between the United States and china it is the one issue to which they want to be on the periphery as opposed to central and thats to the detriment i think of all xian it has for some 52 years been far more effective at conveying or convening rather power as opposed to conveying its own power and the success of its chairs in this case thailand has always been measured on the degree to which its been able to facilitate discussions as opposed to take a real lead on discussions and move the needle forward and again this trial the is something they they want to have conferred upon them or bestowed upon them and yet when it comes to their very central position both geographically and geopolitically with respect to the u. S. And china wants to disappear as opposed to become central and theres a very good example of that transpiring here and that is. The representation from china and the United States and also it sounds as though the premier of china he is hes here for the summit and he yesterday on sunday said that hes hopeful with the progress of the code of conduct that comes to territory disputes in the South China Sea how do you see that since tragedy or lack of central the lack of of teeth when it comes to see on working into it well the United States politically has essentially ceded the reason to the region to china already it lacks ambassadors and 4 of of tennessee on countrys election ambassador to the on as seen by the low ranking and or low profile individuals that sent to this summit it is essentially forfeited the region politically to china already the one area in which it has remained ahead of china over all these years has been militarily but if the code of conduct that china wants to see go through actually does go through and it contains a provision that that essentially says military exercises with countries from outside the region will be prohibited that will potentially lower considerably the the u. S. Military presence and u. S. Military influence in the region which would then mean that politically its already as i say for foot in the region that would mean politically the want to err sorry militarily the one area in which its its maintain the lead but also drop and so i think its in chinas interest actually to see this code of conduct go through it is again to the detriment of the United States and the un itself ok thank you very much for that and sustainable be interesting to see when we have a kind of final statements from this summit in the coming hours where and how china is able to better assert itself in the region as we were just hearing from benjamin thats sort of the possible says a lot often without saying very little that the sides scott thank you so much thats got a lot from banco well the whistleblower who prompted. The whistleblower who prompted an impeachment probe into the u. S. President has offered to answer questions from House Republicans dont trumpet repeat. The code for the unnamed official to reveal themselves the inquiry is due to begin public hearings this month after several weeks of closed door testimonies trump is accused of threatening to be told new try to ukraine illicit investigators hes democratic rival joe budden donald trump says members of the media know who the whistleblower isnt but i must reveal his identity the whistleblower gave a very inaccurate report about my phone call my phone call was perfect it was totally appropriate but he gave a report here but according to the newspaper he they think they know they know who it is you know it is you just dont want to report it the whistleblower. Should be revealed because the whistleblower gave false story people would go the fraud i wont go that far but. When i read it closely i probab