Of London's Metropolitan Police Force to them to give advice on that now Boris Johnson has always denied these allegations saying that always actually just of state sponsored terrorism. Duke said Saddam was unable to access World Bank or i.m.f. Fans while on the list but he hoped that situation would change in the near future the Us Federal Aviation Authority has said some operators of Boeing 737 n g airliners will have to carry out checks after cracks were discovered on a small number of planes the new problem comes following the worldwide grounding of the max version of the jet earlier this year after 2 fatal crashes Richard House has the details the cracking was discovered and reported to the f.a.a. During the routine servicing of a heavily used aircraft the faults were found in a component known as a pickle fork it's part of the structure which holds the wing onto the body of the airliner checks revealed that the fractures had also occurred in a number of other n.-g. Models of the jet which has been in service for more than 20 years it's not known how many 737 n. G.'s are affected the 737 Max variant currently grounded worldwide after fatal crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia is not affected by the issue as it's a new aircraft more than a 3rd of the rudder state funeral 2 weeks ago that's the latest b.b.c. News. This is weekend from the b.b.c. World Service with me Celia Hatton I have to guess with me throughout the program Prez's anon resident fellow at the Washington based think tank the Atlantic Council and Oscar gladiola Rivera is a professor of philosophy and human rights Birkbeck University of London we'll be speaking with them about their own work a little later but 1st a to our top story this hour Democrats in the u.s. Have subpoenaed Mike pump aoe the secretary of state as part of their impeachment proceedings against a President Trump over alleged wrongdoing doing a phone call with Ukraine's president Selenski they were accusing Mr Trump of abusing his status to pressure Ukraine into digging dirt on Mr Trump's likely Democratic opponent in the next u.s. Election Joe Biden also within the past few hours the u.s. Special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker has resigned so why has my compelled been subpoenaed John Ghezzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent with Newsmax here's the person who oversees the official u.s. Pipeline to Ukraine and to those Alinsky government the State Department is always the major contact with the foreign capital so if one wants to know about contacts with Ukraine one goes to the secretary of state if one really wants to get this information they usually subpoena the Trump administration has a history of avoiding subpoenas from Congress is there any indication that they're they're going to follow through with this What Well 1st of all every administration has a history of avoiding subpoenas by invoking executive privilege I can remember when George w. Bush and his office were it was subpoenas. Requesting more information about the firing of u.s. Attorneys and his then press secretary said they would decline invoking executive privilege because they did not want to see this lead to show trials that's pretty much the logic of the current administration right now so I see no change you know now. Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have decided to to move ahead with the impeachment process they really seem to be moving very very quickly why do you think they're pushing ahead with such great speed I think it's Nancy Pelosi is the one who is being pushed 6 weeks ago when I sat next to her during her remarks to the Christian Science Monitor breakfast the speaker said I don't want to see Donald Trump impeached I want to see him defeated and in jail that's almost an exact quote In other words she saw that there were too many problems too many what ifs too great a possibility of blowback with impeachment and that the best way to pursue him would be as a private citizen last week she did 180 degree turn about from that position and said she supported impeachment why because that's the attitude that's prevalent in the House Democratic Conference the proverbial tail is wagging the dog as the extreme left in the Democratic Party moves the entire party toward the course of impeachment. But surely you could also argue that even within that 6 weeks Nancy Pelosi now has what appears to be a fresh scandal on her hands and this is now a different political environment do you see any downside to pushing ahead with the impeachment process on the part of the Democrats yes I do I covered Bill Clinton's impeachment 20 years ago and I recall our Republicans were continually pushing this and the American public did not want to see it go in that direction what ever President Clinton did in his personal life did not rise to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor which the u.s. Constitution sets as the bar for impeachment yes but this is this current political scandal doesn't involve President Trump's personal life it involves his in his relationship with another foreign country yes it does and I would have to say that anyone who reads the pages of the transcript of his conversation with President Selenski and keeps an open mind comes away with the opinion that there is no coercion no suborning no threatening I mean it really does not rise to that level it's very weak terms of a conversation now I would say that if this investigation goes on and people want to make the claim that he's somehow threatening a foreign leader for information what is likely to come up is some very damaging information to former Vice President Biden and his son Hunter about their dealings in Ukraine that was John gives the chief political columnist and White House correspondent with Newsmax. At the United Nations General Assembly this week the Brazilian president delivered a hugely controversial defense of his government's record on the Amazon dismissing suggestions of an environmental crisis as media lies President Wilson is keen to allow mining and protected Indigenous lands with him on the trip was a pro-government indigenous leader who said the original peoples of the Amazon had the right to open it up and exploited as they saw fit with 20000000 people living in the Amazon Basin many conservation is argue that it isn't realistic to try to ban all development of the Amazon but that any activity needs to be carried out sustainably and with great care however as Will Grant reports from the Amazonian state of Parra in Brazil the indigenous communities there do not trust the balsa not a government to show any restraint when it comes to their protected lands. During the dry season and state the waters around the world they're shown recede enough to reveal an Oiler of white sand which stretches out into the top of George River a vast tributary of the Amazon tourism here looks like it's thriving almost there is a whole host of little boats taking tourist term from this Sandy River Island there are shacks where families are selling fish and the Amazon doesn't necessarily have to be completely ring friends but the key is to developing this region without damaging it in the process. As local families prep the fleshy white hammers only in fish that are cool to sell to the tourist masses it's easy to see why the riverside town increasingly finds itself featured in the travel sections of international newspapers or in the top destination lists of Brazilian ones the challenge for the authorities is in striking a balance between opening up to visitors and the overwhelming response of the Amazon. I name is Louisa common I'm 24 years old and I am from the community of. I am leader of Mara territory and I am here in defense of all the indigenous people of the lower river on the waterfront met Luis Academy and Ed in I to Indigenous people from the lower top or just community the bodies were decorated with paint an intricate geometric designs that they wore the same westernized beachwear as everyone else in the town. And we saw works on an extractive reserve a protected area in which traditional extractive practices like fishing and agriculture are permitted to be carried out on the land by the community that lives there they then sell the manioc flour and other agricultural goods they produce. In the town improve transport links have made that possible says Lisa badge commiseration and this all started with my generation actually my grandparents would spend weeks traveling until they reach some turn around it made it very difficult for them and that's why we have the tradition of planting to Sarver Bain's corn rice just say that they didn't have to come to the city all the time yet not all the economic activity in the region is so responsible or sustainable is that taking place in the extractive Reserve. In particular tourism I say to Eddie Now I. Recently especially in the area of tourism we have very clear ideas about it we do not accept tourism but it must be something that is thought through very well if there is proper research and you publicize our territory and do something for our preservation then you can sign a commitment with our territory so that nothing goes wrong on the Hubble do not have the pleasure to welcome to the Not to mention Absolutely. Must just the normal thousands of kilometers away Brazil's right wing president. Was in New York to deliver a characteristically hostile and controversial speech at the United Nations General Assembly following weeks of conflict with other world leaders in particular President Micron affronts over Brazil's handling of the vast wildfires in the Amazon Basin one might have expected Mr Bolton now to strike a more conciliatory note but he didn't change his tone in the slightest No we stuff the Amazon is not being devastated or consumed by fire as the lying media says used to claim the rest of the world had no say over or any state in the rain forest. It's a fallacy to say that the Amazon is the patrimony of humanity and as scientists compare it's incorrect to say that our rain forest is the lungs of. The world all are. Slowing. President Bush out or brought an indigenous representative with him to my New York paraded before the press as an example of his government's conservationist credentials in part a state local indigenous woman Lisa Catherine says he simply doesn't understand what's needed to protect either the forest or way of life now here in the location I don't see any of that in him he will hardly ever see an Indigenous person speak well of him no one on the Reserve speaking well of this government that's because he does not represent us we as the traditional peoples of the Amazon this long of Brazil of the world he does not represent us because he is taking our rights from us was Lou it's a common ending that report by will grant us Rivera Let's turn to you for your thoughts on this I mean will grant had said that it was possible that Joe both an area would strike a more conciliatory tone during his speech at the u.n. But that he that he didn't he pushed ahead. With the same stance he's had for the past few weeks did that surprise you. Not in the least let us call a spade a spade he's not just of right wing president he's of rug neo-Fascist and that is not name calling that the 6 act they were to he sends in the context of Latino American politics he's a speech of the United Nations was not just controversial but he was deemed offensive racist paranoid he misled the audience of the United Nations and worldwide by using facts that are not there he claimed once more that people's should be blamed for these fires he claimed that these fires are. Just a normal occurrence all that isa true so who was his speech targeted towards If it wasn't suited to the people in the room with him at the un his base in Brazil this is of course. As much of an electoral move Tromso move against Cuba it has to do with trying to we perhaps he's bases in Brazil he seemed troubled to proceed on economy East in trouble the revelations concerning his Minister of Justice former judge. How mean you know being complicit in the intentional deliberate jailing of opposition politician former positional candidate we see no sooner the SEALs have hit the ball so now the president very hard and of course the dismantling of the Brazilian institutional protection of the us and we cheat is the costs of these fires and the fact that these fires not only. Occur but to hold of the world's attention in the context of climate change mean that he had to come out fighting all the doctors what do you think if Gerry or both n r o doesn't respond to international pressure what can be done to to protect the Amazon Well it's a really tough question given the fact that the somebody that ran on the premise that he wasn't for the environment he actually got caught fishing and conservatory area and was fined for it and later fired the person that was had gotten him in trouble so I mean this is someone that does not respect the environment and I don't think he's going to push back and from my understanding a lot of the international community has been cutting back on funding and I think there's been a limited response on the part of both the narrow by. I think more pressure is needed I think it was the what blew my mind was that here we had this president talking about fake news and how the climate change was not real and then we have the 16 year old girl Gretta thunder coming out in me this amazing speech about how we as adults need to pay attention that I mean at 100 years we might not be around and I think it was such a stark contrast between those who and I think this is a conversation that's going to keep going and it's really unfortunate that we even have a u.s. President that also shares the same view of the climate change denial and they don't want to accept the scientific facts that are available for everyone to read actually if I made 2 things need to happen at the international level more pressure to free that is very important because the placement of the 2nd element the national one will only be solved if he is the selected in Brazil there are already protests people are organized but precisely we need proper politics coming back to Brasil Ok I think you it is 21 minutes past the hour you're listening to Weekend on the b.b.c. World Service I'm Celia Well polls are now open in Afghanistan's presidential election it's the country's 4th presidential vote since the u.s. Led invasion in 2001 voters will be participating amid heightened tensions over $400.00 people were killed in violence just last month many polling stations didn't open for security reasons that one election commission worker and pan sheer Damir said ballot boxes were being taken to remote destinations by whatever means necessary. At the new mood leading to one of our polling stations and so we must transport on election materials using people and don't case as you can see here we're moving them by don't key so people can take part in the election and vote the B.B.C.'s Martin patience joins us now live from Kabul Martin even just yesterday we were hearing about the last minute scramble to get those ballot boxes in place are things proceeding relatively smoothly today do you think. Well there has been a last minute scramble in terms of their selection because this was a vote the many thought would never actually happen and that was because the u.s. Was engaged with people in peace talks with the Taliban will that those negotiations class collapse a few weeks ago and then this election was given the go ahead I mean here in the Afghan capital the streets are quiet I've never seen the street so quiet in the capital and the reason for that is everybody's warnings about potential violence what we have seen in the 1st few hours of voting are several small explosions in the capital Moran the country in Kandahar for example there were reports of some injuries but so far not no major attack but that is the big issue security and I think many voters will simply stay at home rather than risking their life to go out to vote Martin I'm going to bring my guests in now who I believe have some questions of their own Holly digress Martin I wanted to ask him how do we have a sense of what the voter turnout has been in other provinces. No not at the moment and that is the basic question what is the voter turnout going to be for this election with this is the 4th presidential election I'm a country you have to force one about 15 years ago voter turnout was incredibly high over 80 percent but since them what we've seen is for Twitter not plummet and that allegations of ballot stuffing increasing and in fact the last presidential election of 2014 the revolt raging on and on and dust real scale Americans needed to step in they negotiated a coalition agreement between the 2 main candidates President Ashraf Ghani and a lot more were seen during their 5 years in power is violence increase and poverty getting worse I think many Afghans will be too scared to turn out to vote but also the of lost faith in the process so if you have a very low voter turnout missile action I think many a question the legitimacy of the whole. Mob scene on on on that very point. Is it just security what is keeping people off pulling this the shoes or is it also the fact that both the main contenders have been accused of corruption while in office Meanwhile unemployment is down about 25 percent almost 50 percent of guns leave beyond the poverty line if the latter is true then what's the point of these elections I think many Afghans of my view I spent 2 years here in 20082000 and. And you know I've come back after 9 years and what's really struck me is just as many Afghans are despairing for their country there is a feeling that Afghanistan is no are heading in the right direction the Wangs to support. The democratic process Afghans initially bowl into that and they thought it would improve their standard of living will that hasn't happened so I think many Afghans will question why they should go on and I think most overhanging this whole process is the peace talks between the u.s. And the Taliban gang those talks negotiations collapse been many here think that will be the main event nor the election so perhaps after baseboards there could well be talks again with Alabama because almost every Afghan speak to say is there needs to be some agreement reached between the Afghan government and the Taliban to provide security in this country because without security you can't build there nothing here logic give us a sense of daily life in Afghanistan the Afghans you've been speaking to of course security is the 1st priority but beyond that what do they want from their government. They want Joyce you know there's a huge amount of poverty here millions of Afghans are struggling just to put food on the table and I think those lucky enough to have jobs they fear going to their jobs they might get caught up. In an explosion and we often talk about the Taliban but there's rising criminality you know because people thought jobs are turning to crime so there's an uptake in kidnapping and I think that jangling security. Is it's a man's least stressful because what you believe. You know you could. Make you know you could leave your house and not come back later in the day and I think you know overhanging all of all of that is just. Where is this country and he said No way no way. Martin just briefly we heard in the past hour from from your colleague in Sharifi and he was saying that he had seen Afghan women who were making an effort to vote they wanted to exercise their right to vote how do you see not as well. Haven't seen I mean women have told me they will turn out to vote I think what's clear is fewer women will turn out to vote. But certainly here in the capital Kabul which is relatively liberal compared to the rest of the country which is very conservative there are fears amongst women particularly with these talks with the Taliban that they feel the gains have been made over the last 18 you know for his sample women can work in the same office he says men. Are going to have to wrap up their that was Martin patient speaking to us from Kabul but do stay with us we're going to try to speak to Mark listening to Weekend on the b.b.c. World Service. Distribution of the b.b.c. World Service in the United States has made possible by American Public Media producer and distributor of award winning public radio content. Creating meaningful experiences and fostering conversations. American Public Media with support from home advisors helping homeowners find local pros for their home projects homeowners can get matched pros read reviews and check at Home Advisor dot com. It's $630.00 g.m.t. This is weekend from the b.b.c. World Service Still to come a nation in turmoil Britain Supreme Court has ruled the decision to shut parliament down was illegal we examine what this means for British democracy prime minister Boris Johnson and Bracks it and why some prisons in the us are preventing inmates from reading books from others like George Orwell out on weekends with me silly how to. B.b.c. News with Jonathan Izod the impeachment investigation into President Trump has received new impetus with congressional committees ordering the secretary of state might submit or Ukraine related documents to it for examination the house also someone 5 State Department officials were questioning including the u.s. Special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker who resigned on Friday u.s. Media say several other conversations Mr Trump held with world leaders have been classified as was the case with President Bush. Meeting with the Russian foreign minister has been restricted and conversations with President Putin and the Saudi crown prince have also been placed on the top security. Afghans are voting in a presidential election against a background of violence tens of thousands of police and soldiers are on duty to protect the polling stations in Kandahar up to 15 people were hurt in a bomb attack Downing Street has reacted angrily to the referer all of Britain's prime minister Boris Johnson to a police watchdog the local government or Thorazine for London has asked the organization to decide whether Mr Johnson should face a criminal investigation over money paid to a u.s. Business woman when he was the city's mare the u.s. Federal Aviation Authority says some airlines will have to check their Boeing 737 n.-g. AK raft after cracks were discovered in a component used to hold the wings on the plane's body the county grounded 737 Max version of the jet is not affected as it's a newer model Sudan's new prime minister says he's had useful talks with American officials to try to remove his country from Washington's list of state sponsored terrorism Abdullah said Sudan was unable to access World Bank i.m.f. Thousands were on the list but he hoped that situation would change soon Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe will be buried on Saturday in a private ceremony in his rural homeland his final resting place has been the subject of a dispute between the government and his family resisted official plans to bury him in a national mausoleum b.b.c. News. Welcome back here listening to Weekend from the b.b.c. World Service with me Celia Hatton Joining me for the next hour in the London studio our mine 2 guests Holly doctoress she's a known resident fellow at the Washington based think tank the Atlantic Council currently based in London she's also the editor of the council's Iran source blog and curator for the weekly newsletter The Iran ist and Oscar Guardiola Rivera He's a professor of film lost a fee and human rights at Birkbeck University of London he's also the author of the award winning book one of Latin America ruled the world Oscar I hear that you're working on a new book tell us about it well this will be a sort of sequel to what if Latino America rule the world kind of you know the fire this time in the Americas and elsewhere and he's growing out of the concern that to paraphrase the title of leaf drivers Well no novel we need to talk about the people it's not just the it's not just the politicians it's not just institutions there is something going on in places like Brazil where I've been also in my home country in Colombia in the United States and elsewhere these wave of these reactionary wave these emergence of a new the riveting form of them which you know has no precedent no historical precedent. Analogies with the 19th seem improper or insufficient So we really need to talk about the people what is the people what White What do politicians mean when they keep invoking the will of the people and perhaps be belonging to the one percent these guys themselves. The people in order to you know keep things as they are. So the next project use about that been to the south of Brazil been talking to a few words Smiths by love adults as we call them or sham and. In indigenous groups in the continent because I believe that they are really showing the way to the future and I love the poetic justice in bold inventive people who have been decreed to be you know backwards and in the dustbin of history are the ones showing the future so that's my main present present and old so I'm going to publish a book length prose poem here in London with the 87 Press called Night of the world Ok I will have to have you back on when some of these things are so we can talk further about them. Let's let's turn to you you've just wrapped up a very busy week covering the Iranian president Rouhani trip to the u.n. Yes that was a very busy one indeed I think a lot of the focus was on whether Rouhani would meet with u.s. President Donald Trump and that was really where the excitement was and so there was this brief moment where we saw friends in France and Britain really essential to French President money on my car on him Boris Johnson essentially telling me that this is a good opportunity you should me you don't know when you're going to come back to the United States at least until the next United Nations General Assembly you find Rouhani kind of giving this hearty laugh like oh yeah Ok sure and what the reality was and this is something the Iranians have reiterated over and over again that until the United States remove these sanctions that were imposed despite the fact Iran had not violated the nuclear deal in May 2018 that there's really no incentive to meet with the u.s. President because they real. Lies that for him it's more of like a. Photo op a No 2 page paper signing kind of in the way that it was with Kim Jong un of North Korea and that. The u.s. President is somewhat fickle minute I would say and in this regard that he would. Not be able to focus longer on the Iranian issue and focus maybe more on the election and the impeachment proceedings and really what what Mr Rouhani wants is for the sanctions to to be lifted Yes and that's a priority for Iran right now they have to move for the 1st time compared to in the past admitted that these sanctions are having an impact on the Iranian people and that's their main priority so in a long as these sanctions are in place there is not going to be any meeting in the near future a very distinguished panel of guests with me how the diagrams Oscar Guardiola Rivera I am curious to hear your thoughts on our next story it's that it's really been another to mull she was weak in British politics there are 33 days to go until Britain is set to leave the e.u. And there's still no deal with Brussels that British M.P.'s can agree on Add to that another layer of tension brought on by a ruling from the u.k. Supreme Court earlier this week the nation awaited with bated breath a ruling from the 11 judges about whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision earlier in September to suspend Parliament for 5 weeks in the run up to Bracks it was a even a matter for the courts and be legal the announcement when it came wasn't just unanimous it was momentous this court has already concluded that the prime minister's advice to her majesty was unlawful void and if not if it this means that the council to which land was. Void and of no if that should be quashed peregrination void and of no effect. Parliament has not been prime wrote this is the unanimous judgement of 011 justices it is for Parliament and in particular the speaker and the Lord speaker to decide what to do next. That was the Supreme Court justice lady Hale announcing the decision on Tuesday the constitutional ramifications of that legal precedent will be chewed over for months possibly years that Parliament had no time to waste it was back in session less than 24 hours later and the government's leading lawyer the attorney general Geoffrey Cox was not in a conciliatory mood accusing opposition M.P.'s of keeping parliament in status for political gain this party has declined 3 try to cause a withdrawal with which the opposition in relation to redraw absolutely no objection. I mean. We now have a wide number of this house setting its face against leaving I told them I'm going to spell them and draws the only logical inference from that position which is that it must leave therefore without any deal the toll it still sets in space or denying the electorate in charge of having it struck a very high respect it should be resolved this Parliament is very scared that yes they should just sit uproar in the background there the leader of the Labor Party Jeremy Corbyn accused Mr Johnson's government of holding sham Breck's at negotiations and having chaotic and inadequate preparations for a no deal exit from the e.u. He said Mr Johnson is not fit for the office of Prime Minister and thinks he's above the law. The government's will be held to account for what it has done Boris Johnson. Has been found to have misled the country this an elected prime minister should now resigning a way the prime minister himself eventually appeared he ran. And it on the leader of the opposition for passing a law which forces the prime minister to delay Breck's it past the looming deadline of October 31st he used language which some found distasteful it is absolutely true that negotiations on difficult we are making progress I know I must say to him and to his friends he said they have not been made easier by the surrender wrapped. Later on the British prime minister conceded tempers needed to cool in parliament but he refused to apologize for his own language I totally deplore any threats to anybody particularly female M.P.'s and a lot of work is being done to stop that and to give people the security that they need but I do think it's important that in the House of Commons I should be able to talk about the surrender surrender in the way that I did well let's bring Rob Watson in for some clarity here our Political Correspondent Good morning Rob good morning sailor and good morning Holly and all scum and everybody listening. Strong language has really inflame tensions even more have we reached a turning point or a low point I should say I think this is undoubtedly a new low point in British politics I don't think I've seen anything like this in 30 all geas covering British politics and that was certainly the view of senior members of parliaments including Winston Churchill's grandson and the speaker and I think there's a sense Wes Mintz to the line was crossed in particular by the prime minister but other government ministers in that behavior and of course the sense as somewhat less on the side of people are very pro Breck says but I think generally politicians a-Y. That a line was crossed in the kind of language in particular when the prime minister when he was challenged by some opposition m.p. Saying the kind of language you're using as is is repeated by people making violent threats and when he replied to that by. Humbug which is an old fashioned world for full Southern lies I think there was a sharp intake of breath all round the prime minister will be heading to his political Carty conference next week not normally a party leader might look forward to such an event but do you think Boris Johnson will have that luxury this time as well he certainly in some ways when it comes to process in a real fix I mean he's in a corner and to some extent he's lost he's lost control of the process but here's what I'd say what all of last week was about the way the government responded the way Mr Johnson responded was to launch what I would call vote leave to you know the way in Hollywood they they kind of you have the 1st movie and then they have a remake So you're saying Vote leave to him what I mean by that is a populist campaign by the prime minister to say look the judges the courts the opposition party has as a remain a stablish meant trying to stop the people having that Bracks it so he's bet the farm on that I mean of course lots of people would say it may not work that cement immensely risky and that even if it did work would it really be worth it I mean what a Bracks born out of such person s. And the opposition of sort of half the population most businesses in the scorn of the international community really be worth the flights but I mean I think that certainly the sense of Mr Johnson and those around him that people have voted for Bracks and that that political survival depends on the living and I think you need to understand that motivation to kind of try and figure out what Mr Johnson and those around him and Rob I want to bring my guest in here. Well if Johnson can call the Ben act to render act couldn't we call the Rex. The British elite to extreme tax evasion the scheme. Well it it's certainly true that it's been pointed out that there's something really odd about it's about the press that in the in the u k. And I think people of quoted the political philosopher Hannah aren't saying what's really striking is that you have a sort of pseudo revolution of pseudo revolutionary moments and the weird thing is that it's led by Britain's the most privileged members of its upper classes if you think about the key figures in the leave and the leave campaign including Mr Johnson they went to a very elite private schools many of them and then of course to Oxford University where they all met and knew each other so that's one charge that been made I mean of course they would say what we're doing as just articulating a sort of sense of frustration that many of the 17400000 people who voted leave a card for a long time. Let's bring in another voice to get some reaction from Europe now Jack about Barry got the as a political reporter for Politico and he joins me on the line now. Is there any hope still any hope remaining from Brussels that Boris Johnson's team will offer any fresh possibilities for a deal. Thanks for having me. Hopes are fading down that there will be anything concrete to be cool those who have seen the proposal fanned by and on the ocean. Far from reality and time is running out so that there will be any kind of deal of European Council. Are. Really now limited to almost nothing then there could be some a surprise less theories or price again I can see around town any kind of hope there would be a deal and topic I'm going to open this back up to our guests. What the how low in deadline coming out do you see that the Europeans extending it for I don't know the up Think time. Problem is this. Here that was a kind of shock so they can court intervening that way because when the judiciary has to be seek the political system usually it's an indication of the political system a. Bit more and here the problem is not anymore whether it will be able to people or deal but what are there but the political system would actually manage it at the end of the month at this point next time. You know 2 weeks ago for example an interview with the prime minister is sort of a tell and they will saying. What is. That is that we need to read for an explanation and these results can be. Election order. Then if you ask but do you think that elections can actually. Over common bring stability to the country that remains an open question it's not even granted that it will be in your elections these could be. The moment to trigger 76. Again if they don't do elections or to prospect to offer a referendum or these will make it easier to accept. An extension. There is no appetite here for no deal and that's pretty clear. Is the headliner. And true work but. Again I can't see any appetite for a no deal so as long as that would be something that can give a prospective. Perspective who are coming to the instability. They were being I mean it's very likely there would be an extension robots let's let's throw this back to you Do you is there any indication that a prospective election might offer any stability have that have the polling figures changed at all. The latest polling figures suggest that we might be exactly where we are now and that is with no party having a big enough majority to do anything much about the crisis that we are in and being no doubt this is the most profound political crisis that Britain has faced since 945 and I throw something else throw something else and this is a political crisis it is not as some of suggested a constitutional crisis them to do with the Queen or the fact that Parliament sits in a funny building and they and they and they talk funny it is a political crisis and then you have this key question and we heard a little bit of a in the program when you played a clip from the attorney general one of the ministers Mr Geoffrey Cox and you can take 2 views of Britain's political crisis one is the view advanced by vote leave to Mr Johnson another Bracks it's his which is it's because remain as a blocking it all the way or you could take a 2nd view which is that hasn't happened the delay is down to the fact that it is an immensely complex Some would say ill conceived older find projects and it's no wonder that for the politicians just can't form a majority around any idea as to what to do about that wrote that votes that referendum votes in 2016 that it's both as a simple but as also complex an axis tensional unchallenging as thank you for taking the philosophical view that was your home what's in our political correspondent and also Jakob the political reporter for Politico. You are listening to Weekend on the b.b.c. World Service the United States has the world's largest prison population 2200000 people are behind bars there and now we're learning they're facing increasing restrictions on their freedom to read a new study from Pan American Association of writers has shed light on the extent of book bans which are imposed on those serving time the ban span across a wide range of titles that include those by Nobel Prize winners and leading historical figures I spoke to Penn America's deputy director of free expression research and policy James taker Well this is a report we released for Banned Books Week which is a yearly tradition where book Access groups and literary and free expression groups work together to highlight the issue of book banning in the United States and this year particularly we felt it was important to highlight that the largest ban is actually taking place in our prisons and other sites of incarceration with over 2200000 Americans incarcerated the system of restrictions that affected their access to literature collectively comprises the largest book banned in the country can you give us some examples of books that have been banned and where those bands been put in place I want to start by mentioning you know in the United States we don't really have one present system we have 51 prison systems and that's because as a federal system different states administer their own prisons as well as the federal level so you know if we look at say Texas Texas has banned books by Pulitzer privacy winners by George Orwell and even from a former United States senator which case you know that goes for George Orwell I believe it was for me these days and then Senator Bob Dole's memoirs were banned at one point despite the fact that of course you know he was one of our nation's foremost public servants so why would any prison system want to take the words of Senator Bob Dole out of the hands of someone who's behind bars what's the logic behind these bands the issue. Is that prison officials have wide latitude to ban books on several grounds things like sexual content or nudity depictions or encouragement of violence depictions or encourage men or criminal activity or even encouragement of group destruction Dinis criteria are so broad and in practice are applied so arbitrarily that in track this they often cost too sweeping bans and against entire categories of cotton to prisoners have any recourse when books are taken away from them in theory absolutely in practice not so much there's a system of roadblocks that are in place to essentially block prisoners from asserting their 1st Amendment rights when it comes to banned materials So one major culprit here is the p l r a or the prison Litigation Reform Act which was passed in the ninety's explicitly to cut down on quote unquote frivolous litigation from prisoners what it does is it forces prisoners go through internal administrative appeal and exhaust those appeals before they go to the courts This means that presidents can put in place whatever roadblocks they want really to stop prisoners from ever accessing the courts to complain that their 1st Amendment rights have been outraged What's been the reaction to your report this week I think there's been a lot of support particularly from book Access groups one thing that's little understood is there are groups across the country civil society organizations non-government organizations that exist to send books to prisoners directly or to trees in libraries and these are the groups that have a ground level view of the type of censorship that's being implemented in states across the country because they'll receive word that their books were rejected or that they're no longer allowed to send certain types or certain titles of books so we've really been encouraged by the fact that they seem to have responded really positively to this report which helps lay out something that's really little understood and I do want to hit this one point when it comes to bans on specific time. Or sweeping bans that affect book access for thousands of Americans the American populace usually responds when we learn about it with outrage it's very clear that the American people do not support these types of restrictions on books continually when they learn about it but public outrage is only so useful because there a little about the system is known by the public it's really groups like book access those on the ground that have a more clear picture but in order to get that word out public that's one of the reasons we wrote this report it's interesting that he say that there seems to be a lot of public support for overturning these bans in when the current administration in the White House yes there are 51 different prison systems but the federal prison system you know so far the Trump administration has been resisting calls for prison reform in the United States do you see any political appetite to address these bands while you mention the federal prison system and act in fact I can give you a specific example last year 2 separate federal prisons unveiled a policy that would prevent incarcerated people from receiving any books from outside sources and I in fact you were required to pay a 30 percent markup if you were trying to order a book so you would have to go through prison officials and they basically had this surcharge of 30 percent in order for prisoners to receive books public outcry led them to rescind the policy so when we talk about federal prison policy disses actually a specific example where the reaction of the public was so negative that federal prison officials withdrew it as your question as to the trumpet ministration you know we do think there's a lot of appetite to take on this issue on the federal level in fact as we speak we're calling on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to hold a hearing on the issue of the right to read in American prisons and it's our hope that they'll take this on that was James taker deputy director of free expression research for pen a. America let's turn to it to our guests for their thoughts on this both of you were listening quite in quite intently to what James was saying do you think that there's ever a valid reason to ban a book from prison Oscar. Weld very or the me let me use a specific example the banning by the me meeting of the parliament of corrections of funds for nonce classic black skin wide masks in a case such as these are the good work done by the team led by Justin Hans Ford at the Ford with Marshall Civil Rights Center where university proves their ease no logical no rational reason this is a 1st Amendment ysu and the According to the presidents and so on a book could be bad and only if there is a connection between the content of the book and rational Penna logical objectives but the pen a logical objective is the rehabilitation on education of the people who are in prison in a book such as black skin wide masks does exactly that it educates you don't only record ability it's. Allow particularly after if we can American imprison men and women to gain their consciousness. I see this is an abuse of power this is something that I think it's worth noting that prison officials are taking into their own hands so if they get a book in the mail they the side oh well I don't like the contacts so I'm just not going to let this person have the spark I mean when you say prison officials I mean Penn America found that even mail room clerks were allowed to confiscate books if they wanted to exactly so maybe you're not a fan of the author or the contacts and I think it's not just the prison issue we actually have American school districts banning Harry Potter for Cry think I mean this is ridiculous or a straightforward racial prejudices. In the case of funnels Yes And so I mean this is this is the fact that were worried not allowing people there are freedom of expression and their ability to read is just it's really disturbing Ok Well thank you we're going to have to wrap up this hour but do you stay with us you're listening to Weekend on the b.b.c. World Service I'm stealing a how to. Program director here and less volume seems to be set at maximum lately angry Talking Heads barking opinions on cable t.v. Social media distracting at every turn and obsessive news channels relentlessly chasing the sound and fury of breaking news the noise level is high but cuts through the noise with the service that value space space to emphasize not who speaks loudest but who communicates best space to embrace the spoken word not the shouted catchphrase it's not easy to rise above the noise we need solid shoulders to stand on yours if you're a current supporter or a sustaining member thank you if not please contribute today at i j p. S. This is the news and information service of southern Oregon University's Jefferson Public Radio 12 30 am. At 9 30 am. Also heard in the 2.3 News of the region the nation and the world. B.b.c. World Service at 7 hours g.m.t. This is the weekend with. Polls have opened in Afghanistan's presidential elections . To one of the polling stations. The dilemma facing political protesters in Egypt and Robert De Niro on his new film which features aging technology is really good. I always joke. 30 more years of my career 30 more you know you like the idea of looking younger who does it. My guess for the next 30 minutes. President fellow at the Washington based think tank the Atlantic Council and. Professor of Philosophy and human rights at Birkbeck University of London that's here on Weekend. This is the b.b.c. News Hello I'm Jonathan Izod there's renewed impetus to the impeachment investigation into President Trump with congressional committees ordering the secretary of state Mike Pompei o to turn over all Ukraine related documents within the week the House has also summoned 5 State Department officials from Washington here's David Willetts the subpoena demands that Mike Pompei release documents relating to a telephone conversation between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelinsky in July this year including records related to the trumpet ministrations decision to withhold aid money for the Ukraine at the time of that phone call Him Which president repeatedly urged Mr Zelinsky to launch an investigation into the conduct of Mr Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden who son had been doing business in the Ukraine nearly $400000000.00 of aid money was being withheld u.s. Media are reporting that a number of other conversations Mr Trump held with world leaders have been classified as was the case with presidents a landscape The Washington Post said access to remarks made to the Russian foreign minister in 2017 was restricted Mr Trump is reported to have said he was not concerned by Russia's meddling in the presidential election. Afghans are voting in a presidential election against the background of violence the Afghan government has deployed tens of thousands of security personnel to protect the polling stations against militant attacks however up to 15 people are reported to have been wounded in an explosion in the sound city of Kandahar our reporter sharp Sharifi says the Taliban militants don't want a big turnout they have always threatened the elections in Afghanistan in the last 6 elections including this one in the last 18 years but this one in particular because before the election there were peace talks going on and some people were seeing this as going to with either have this elections or the peace talks that would lead to some sort of a deal over the top and that was called off to sort of this election is an issue of on have. The Taliban if more legitimate than a strong government emerges out of this it could make a deal with the Taliban Downing Street has reacted angrily to the referral of the British Prime Minister Barak's Johnson to a police watchdog calling the move nakedly political it's alleged that when Mr Johnson was mayor of London the American business woman Jennifer r. Curie was allowed to go on overseas trade missions for which she had previously been turned down and that she received about $14000.00 in sponsorship money the prime minister denies any wrongdoing Daniel Sanford reports the allegations were originally made in the Sunday Times and have been looked at by the Greater London Authority monitoring officer this week she's now decided to ask the police watchdog the independent office for police conduct actuation would change in the near future . The Us Federal Aviation Authority has said some operators of the Boeing 737 and g airliner will have to carry out checks after cracks were discovered on a small no.