♪ coordinated attacks against military targets in yemen and al-qaeda is suspected. welcome, you are watching al jazeera and also on this program syria's prime minister said the war is stalemate and the government is ready to back a cease fire. and the death toll rises to 97 as a storm latches mexico and destroyed by landslides. and opposition groups boycott electioning as he is preparing

to marry his 14th wife. ♪ we begin in yemen where 30 have been killed on two separate attacks on military attacks in the southern part of the country and al-qaeda is suspected to be behind two car bombs and ten soldiers were killed by gunmen on patrol. for more on this we have joined with someone who returned from yemen and what can you tell us about the attacks? >> eyewitnesses say besides the kabul over years the military installations using ak-47 weapons and also rpgs and

casualty and we are talking about fighters who had intelligence about the movements of the army, knew about the areas to target and launched their attack. witnesses saw fighters with a different name for al-qaeda in arabia peninsula and it's confirming it's an al-qaeda behind the attack there. >> reporter: can you give us a picture what it's like in yemen and they have gone through a transfer of power and why is it so vulnerable to attacks? >> al-qaeda took advantage of the care to volume into 2011 and the massive crack down by the army and police on the protectors. so expanded their reach in the desert and they have protection

of tribal fighters and it's going to be extremely difficult for the army because they don't have sophisticated capabilities with al-qaeda. americans with drone attacks but this is not a weapon that is likely to put an end to the presence of al-qaeda and they are getting stronger according to people who have been to the areas. >> reporter: give us an idea of where these fighters come from. >> the fighters from different parts of the world, mainly yemen and also from the gulf area, from the africa and afghanistan and pakistan and these people said that basically since they were formed in 200200 2009, the branch of al-qaeda and have allegiance to others and will use yemen as a platform to launch attacks against all western targets, not necessarily

the arabian peninsula but ready to go with the united states of america. >> reporter: thanks for coming on set. in nigeria a gunman disguised in military uniformed killed 87 people. i believe we have a correspondent there to give us more information on this. and we are in abooja for us. >> like you said, actually, boko haram are suspects on tuesday launched an attack on the town in the afternoon and they killed 17 people inside the town and later killed three security officials. then they society up roadblocks on a highway linking the town and many other towns as well as neighboring states and they went on a killing spree and stopped vehicles, forced passengers out

and shot or even slaughtered them on the highway. and i would say that the number is 87 and could be more and the rescue is still continuing. military can confirm many have been killed in tuesday's attack and the military responded and killed several of the attackers. in the neighboring state, the next day suspected boko haram launched an attack and killed many people. but the military said it launched retaliatory attack and killed nine attackers in the state. >> reporter: thank you very much, amid in the capitol of nigeria for us. they are finding survivors after a mudslide buried dozens of people and it has two storms and destroyed bridges and villages and 97 have died. and david mercer has more.

>> this is the result of days of torrential rains and dozens of bridges and roads laid to waste, thousands of homes destroyed and tens of thousands of people made homeless and people wait for rations flown any by the military and without food and water for days and desperate for help. >> we just want medicine and support, something to eat. >> more than 1 million people have been affected by two tropical storms that slammed into mexico last weekend and teams are finding more bodies as they reach isolated areas. survivors say the mudslides came out of no where. >> translator: i was walking down the street near a store when i heard a loud noise. and i just stood there. i saw how the dirt and dust began to billoy up and it was

smoke and it was like a wind mill and when i saw it coming to the field i started running. >> reporter: it brought other unwelcome surprises and crocodiles were spotted in the streets of alcopoco, a tourist destinations and they were washed out of a lagoon giving people something else to worry about and the government is appealing for help and food banks are set up across the country. >> we are here at a collection center in the heart of mexico city and more than 30 tons of food and other goods have been collected, i think they have been donated by individuals and companies and volunteers are going through, sorting these things so they can go out and air lift to the areas where they are really needed. >> reporter: some say the government was unprepared and has not done enough to help them. it's the most vulnerable they say that are paying the price. >> translator: it's kilometers

long with old and sick children. >> reporter: the government's work here is far from over, david mercer al jazeera with mexico city. >> reporter: a thousand wide is bearing down in the philippines and, taiwan and there are fears of winds and tore -- torrential rain and i am saying it's a thousand kilometers wide. >> if you compare it to the size of the united kingdom, life on the south coast up to northern scott land, it's big, you can see how well organized the system is and clearly defined eye of the storm which will pass just to the south of taiwan

within about 24 hours or so. so the real strong winds are going to be on the northern flank of the storm and, taiwan with the brunt of the winds. >> you say it's expected to make landfall in the next day or so. >> that is right. >> reporter: what kind of an impact is that likely to have? >> at the moment it is a strong category four storm on a scale which is the scale we use to measure the atlantic hurricanes and looking at we are looking at by the time it does make impact the storm being equivalent of a strong category three, maybe a weak category four and bring down power lines and uproot trees and a system and of course with all the rain around we are talking flash flooding across the area. >> with typhoons like these, at this speed what is your outlook as how fast it will pass through the areas and move on and where

does it move on to? >> it's not moving quickly, 15-20 kilometers per hour and bring strong winds across a similar area for a longer period of time and hence the flash flooding we will be concerned about. really heavy rain and flash flooding will be a problem right through the weekend before it moves up to hong kong. >> reporter: good to get you thoughts on that outlook, thank you. syria prime minister says the civil war is in stalemate and they told the newspaper in the uk that the government nor opposition were currently capable of winning the conflict and called for an end to external intervention if a cease fire is agreed by both sides. al-qaeda affiliated fighters who have battle the army for the control of the border town agreed to an immediate cease fire there and fighting led

turkey to shutting down a crossing with syria and we have more. >> reporter: this is one of the most oldest armies in syria and the only one large enough to attempt an end to a dangerous standoff between two newer opposition group, the northern storm bra grade and al-qaeda affiliates and iraq. and at first they kept distance where they imposed a curfew and ban any filming. at least seven people were killed overnight and many injured. hostages were also taken from both sides. the strategic border town very close to the turkish town and a large refugee camp and more refugees poured out and into turkey. >> translator: each of these two groups wanted to enter the area that is controlled by the

other. and it's been in the hands of an army for a long time and the groups that came from iraq and damascus wanted to storm the city because of a long-standing dispute. >> reporter: it's believed the al-qaeda linked fighters wanted local people to hand over two doctors working in a makeshift field hospital allegedly calling them spies and liberals, reports say the islamic state of iraq taken one in the video but the whereabouts of the second thought to be a german national is unknown. they protested against foreign fighters coming to their town with banners reading you don't belong to us and we don't belong to you and jihad you came to help us, not to kill us. this conflict has serious implications, if the free arly looses control of the area that means an al-qaeda linked group controls a border post with

turkey and mel sha to fight the assad regime are at war with each other instead. >> reporter: should one of the biggest companies be drilling for oil in the arctic? not according to green peace and they want their colleague arrested released. and pigmy elephants have found a safe haven. ♪

♪

hello again, let me take you

through the top stories on al jazeera, 30 people have been killed in two separate attacks on military targets in southern yemen, and they are suspected to be behind the attacks in mesa. rescuers in mexico are scrambling to find survivors after a mudslide buried dozens of people and nigeria boko haram rebels in uniform have shot and killed dozens of people. now opposition parties are boycotting elections and it's africa's last monarchy and the king who appointing the prime minister and cabinet is prepared to marry the 14th wife and we are live from a polling station in swaziland and what is

happening there? >> reporter: and the polls will close at 6:00 time and i am with a young man about what is happening in swaziland and you are currently out on bail, aren't you, why is that? >> i'm currently out on bail and i'm actually alleged to have insighted people not to participate in the democratic elections and having activities with community members and not participate in the elections. >> reporter: if you boycott what will you achieve if people boycott the elections? >> we cannot participate in the process that tries to actually convince the international community and the government and

the people and our participation is important by a principle that we cannot be a part in per se because of too much process. >> reporter: the king has taken another wife and his family lives a lavish style with cars and houses, how do the poor people feel when most are struggling to make end meet? >> very much angry with the situation especially if you know about the families and they are living the lifestyle and taking as many wives as possible and they are calling for a democratic process and be able to have an election. >> reporter: thank you very

much. now there are a few prodemocracy candidates in the election and hope to go to the national assembly and will fix things from within, back to you. >> reporter: live in swaziland where people are voting today. thank you. south africa now where a government commission in the killings of miners have been halted because police are accused of fabricating evidence and they were killed in the mines 13 months ago and we report. >> reporter: it was a brutal use of force in south africa in the almost 20 years since the end of apartide and 34 were shot when they were opened fire on august of 2012. the violence was the culmination of months of fighting of the

platinum mine near johannesburg and the inquiry in the killings is accusing the police of lying and fabricating evidence. in a statement the commission said we have obtained documents which give the impression they are contemporaneous documents but which appear, in fact, to have been constructed after the events to which they refer. we have obtained documents which in our opinion demonstrate that the south african police services version of events at americana is in material respects and not the truth. we have to say that absent a convincing explanation the material which we have found has serious consequences for the further conduct of the work of this commission. we can only hope it will make a big difference that the commission, the judge and the head commissioner will now start subpoenaing the communication that went on between the police and the minister and between the

minister and other ministers and between -- and the cabinet meetings. none of the correspondents between the 9th and the 16th of august which was the fatal day of the shooting formed the government has yet been supplied. the commission made its statement after examining a computer hard drive given to it by a police officer who had been giving evidence. it's now suspended hearings until next week while it investigates how much misleading evidence has been submitted by the south african police service. the police service itself hasn't made any statements. bernard smith with al jazeera. >> the first sanctuary for pigmy elephants opened up. it's for animals who are fast losing access to the natural habitat and funded by the industry activists say is causing harm to wildlife in the environment and andrew thomas has this report.

>> reporter: take away the people and she is alone and so far the only pigmy elephant at the first rescue sanctuary and the expectation is there will be as many 50 elephants joining ms. roco but that demand is a worrying sign of a threat to wildlife. the center was officially opened by government minister but it's mainly money from the oil industry paying for it, the very industry they are doing more to damage wildlife than any other. you are the main sponsor of the project and part of a guilty conscious. >> definitely not, definitely not. what we have done is we are -- that is a realization that we cannot live in isolation. i think it's a realization that we should be a part of the overall effort. >> reporter: it is still possible to see striking wildlife down the river and the chance of seeing an elephant in the wild is highly unlikely. there are thought to be fewer than 2000 left and no one knows

how many there once were and loss of habitat is to blame and it was logging and rubber and what were rain forest are oil foundations and cut 20% of the entire state around the river and that rises to 85%. for kilometer are the trees and crushed and processed and the oil used in hundreds of thousands of products. from the air you see the scale, at ground level the trucks go by and sometimes animals are not just pushed out but hurt and 14 pigmy elephants were found dead and ate bait to kill smaller animals called pets on the premises and this is a baby where he is in a zoo and where he will be until he dies and there are other threats too.

>> they get cut and not meant for elephants and this sanctuary is for the group of elephants. >> reporter: those in the palm oil industry say in the past they have been part of the problem, andrew thomas al jazeera. >> reporter: the population dropped by 96% because of over fishing so japan is taking steps that hopes will boost the population and we have this from tokyo. tokyo fish market has a brisk trade-in the morning and growth in tuna is auctioned off and in 15 minutes it's all over. the fish are packed and loaded, destined to up up in a restaurant.

like this one, a typical sushi bar in japan where the food is freshly repaired in front of its customers. >> translator: it is not because i'm japanese, it comes to me naturally as i've been eating it since i was born. >> reporter: this dish explains why the japanese consume close to 80% of blue fin tuna and sushimi and raw fish and love tuna is the most highly prized and popular. consumption of tuna increased as japanese food is more popular worldwide and the blue fin was not as endangered as atlantic until recently but the population is 3.6% now. partly because of over fishing and the fact that the pacific species be given other tuna takes longer to reproduce and there is a proposal to cut the catch of young tuna by 15%.

and here we have a scientist working on a method he hopes will help the pacific blue fin and breeding macrel as a species and they have cells from frozen tuna and implant them into mackral hatch-lings and they will hatch tuna but will not be readily for several years. >> translator: in order to seek recovery of the population we should have a ten year closed situation but it's difficult to impose this because there are so many parties concerned like fishermen, processors and traders. >> reporter: not to mention sushi and sushimi eaters and some have ban it from the menu and people in japan hoping not to resort to that to save the pacific blue fin. florence in tokyo. >> reporter: green peace says

they found one of the ships in the arctic and it came after green peace activists tried to climb on to an off shore drilling platform on wednesday. the environmental group says warning shots were fired and 29 of the activists have been arrested. and calling for their release. smoking could be ban in prisons in england and whales and the move is likely to be controversial as some 80% of prisoners smoke but pilots will begin next year. the ban is expected by 2015 because of fears that prisons may demand compensation over health hazards of passive smoking. each one of the world east most famous scientists and steven hawkins is the star of his own movie and we report. >> reporter: think of cambridge and heart and think science, think history but movie premiers think again. >> left for me please. >> reporter: this is not ordinary film. this is no ordinary man.

>> there is nothing like the moment of discovering something that no one knew before. >> reporter: the subject is professor steven. hawking, one of the most famous scientists of the generation and his story and his words and his idea and his life. full uncensored reality tv, the life of a scientist through a microscope. >> i have lived over two thirds of my life with the threat of death hanging over me. >> reporter: i think he felt that now is the time to do it in his own words and talk as candidly and revealing as he can about what has affected the industry. he was very accepting of it. >> reporter: steven hawking is adored and loved and not just here at cambridge but other parts of the world and research and theories that made him a household name but for people who are not academic he achieved

so much and suffered so much and no longer just a scientists. by his own admission he is now also a celebrity. this is after all a man who took center stage during the opening of the 2012 para olympics. >> welcome professor steven hawking. >> reporter: he has been on shows and star trek for a man obsessed with space and others do not get much bigger. >> remind me again albert. i think my celebrity has a lot to do with my condition. the wheelchair makes me instantly recognizable. i fit a stereotype of a disabled people and i'm not a genius like einstein. >> reporter: when he was diagnosed he was given three years to live, that was 50 years ago. his book, a brief history of time became one of sciences best ever sellers and his movie is

brief and 19 minutes but gives the world a glimpse into his history, his time, phil with al jazeera cambridge. >> reporter: and here is a reminder you can always keep up to date with all the news on our website, for that go to al jazeera.com.