sundays 7:30et / 4:30pt on al jazeera america >> thailand's prime minister said elections will be held following more street protests. >> hello. i'm in doha. other top stories: north korea confirms kim jong un's uncle has been removed from government. >> french troops disarm militias after hundreds of deaths in the central african republic. >> worth more than its weight in gold - an historical olympic medal shaters auction records.

>> first, thailand's government announce the it will hold elections following weeks of protests. the announcement comes after the country's prime minister dissolved parliament to diffuse the political situation. tens of thousands of protesters marged on the offices of bangkok. they've been demonstrating for a month. earlier they made a televised address to the nation. >> translation: brothers and sisters of thailand, i'm yingluck shinawatra, the prime minister of thailand. i want to inform everyone i have decided to request a royal decree to dissolve government this year. >> scott heidler joins me from government house. this is an attempt to diffuse the crisis, but unlikely to diffuse the protesters.

>> no, definitely not. it will not end the situation, the political tension. we have seen violent exchanges between the government protesters and law enforcement over the last two weeks. today a lot of people were on the streets. doesn't appear that there will be clashes. but what remains is tension on the political front. these people and the dtens of thousands around me want yingluck shinawatra to step down. she has dissolved parliament but that is not enough. the protesters want the end of a shinawatra involvement - meaning the political party. it will be tens. what we are seeing on the streets will shift to political tension and a focus on that,

trying to resolve that. we walked around here carnival-like atmosphere. you can't walk 100 metres without coming past trucks. a lot of people view this as a victory but it's not the ultimate goal. if there's a carnival atmosphere at the moment, there it change. will they hold an election, which the opposition will probably not win. is that enough for the protesters. >> i think for the moment they are satisfied. this was billed as a move by the anti-government protesters. the leader is still on route from a government complex about 20km a way from the center of the city where we are. he'll be speaking on the

platform behind me in the coming hours. it will take him time to travel the distance. so it will take some time. we'll hear from him this evening, what the next steps are going to be and how it will transition from street marches into a political process if they can do it. something they need to underline is the goal of the protestos is something deemed unconstitutional. let's see if they can come across that, before the elections on january 27th. >> scott heidler in bangkok. >> a comurter train collided with a lorry carrying liquid gas in jakarta. eight have died. we have this update from the scope. >> it's a serious train accident

late morning at 11: 30. a commuter train ran into a fuel tanker, a truck that was trying to cross the tracks and was hit by the train. it was a huge explosion, a big fire. 20 people at least von brought to the hospital with burns. and now maybe eight people are confirmed dead. there's a huge crowd while police and rescue workers are evacuating. it was the first burnt out. this is the compartment used for women. they have a woman's train. it's always packed. they are really full. it's very difficult to get out of these trains in case of an accident. the doors cannot be manually open. it's a very unsafe crossing of

the train tracks. there's a lot of questions to be answered why the accident happen. >> north korea confirmed the uncle of leader kim jong un has been sacked for what he's call criminal acts, including corruption, drug taking and womanizing. his titles imposed have been taken away and images reinvolved from a state information documentary. his dismissal triggers a big shake-up. we are told more from the south korean capital seoul. >> kim jong un's uncle is the husband of the youngest sister of kim jong un's father. he was a senior figure, seen as a mentor, a shepherding figure as kim jong un took power after the death of his father kim

jeong ill. there were reports that he'd been dismissed and two aides executed. now we have confirmation in which all the alleged crimes were laid out in chapter and haves. he was accused of anti-party acts that he protended to uphold the leader and the party. he was accused of gambling and drug taking. as well as being the views chairperson of the defense economics, a power of the body in north korea, he was, to some degree, very key in the relationship with china, setting up economic zones and dealing with those zones in partnership with the chinese.

perhaps there's a connection there that he got too big for his boots. all that he'd done in the area that displeased the regime. it was a significant dismissal. it could mean that kim jong un is gathering power. this could be the final gasp of the kim jong il, a figure dismissed from his post. >> forces have taken control of an up to on the lebanese border. the syrian army controls the south-west of the alnab, between homs and damascus. fighting goes on and rebels control eastern parts of the town. civilians have been trying to

escape the violence. andrew simmons sent us this report from there. >> this is the only way out for syrian refugees escaping the battle. the slow down in the trail of those crossing the boarder is because of the increase in fighting. these women are the latest arrivals. in shock they tell of getting out of a town under siege. assad forces and hezbollah and other shia fighters are gaining ground. >> translation: we could hear the the gun battles, me and my daughter took the position to get out. a man drove us to the border. we'll wait here until my sons and husband make it, i hope. >> her daughter is sick with a fever. >> translation: i don't have any

medicine. we have nothing. we left as you see us now. we didn't think we'd make it here. >> the sun may be setting on this road. for the people escaping the fighting, there's nothing to look forward to. aside from the wind and rain there's the cold. the main enemy now. like so many aspects to the war, it shows no mercy. >> with the makeshift camps and a quagmire and an overcrowding and shiffering form of dest tuition. the lebanese topulation is 40,000, add to that 50 methods refugees and the situation is dire. there's heap laid on under the campus. 70 families are housed here. next door the municipality has permanent shelter. they are called homes for families of the syrian martyrs. >> with protection from the cold

new arrivals are settling here. the u.n. is handling out clothes packs for the children. but the people are told by the authorities that they have to leave to make way for the families of dead fighters. >> i knew this, but where are we supposed to go. anyone that has just arrived. i bring them here. >> covered by blankets, an old man is found outside. he's sick and needs medical attention. >> in another camp they try to repair damage from a storm. this man says, "we have nothing, we have to burn plastic bags to make a fire." the fighting causes more civilian deaths, many children, the people prepare for the third winter of the syrian war, with nothing more than a will to survive. >> u.s. defense secretary chuck

hagel is meeting pakistani prime minister nau nawaz sharif. he has expressed a desire for closer links with washington rrk. we are joined live from islamabad. chuck hagel and nawaz sharif have their work cut out, don't they. >> indeed, and the pakistani government is upbeat about this. they are saying this the past few months high level contact are paying off and repairing the mistrust existing between the two countries. chuck hagel flew in, his arrival time was a guarded secret because of the security situation. he's arranged to meet the new

military chief at the general headquarters after which he went and called upon the pakistany prime minister. both sides are reaffirming pakistan's u.s. strategic partnership. pakistanis are expressing concern over the attacks, the drone attacks. at the same time the u.s., of course is also very interested because within the next few monthers leading up to december 2014, the u.s. will be conducting a massive withdrawal from afghanistan. they release the confusion. earlier there were reports that they'll be open to the province. the protest against the supplies continue. so much talking to be done between the two. we are told that chuck hagel was

likely to leave islamabad within the next few hours. >> if they only have a few hours, they are not going to solve all those problems. there's a long list on the agenda. the most important issues in the short term for nawaz sharif the army, the military would we the use of drones for the attacks. >> absolutely. the pakistani administration has told the united states on several occasions that it wants to halt the strikes. the u.s. president is holding on to the policy that the strikes are useful. so despite the differences, pakistan is receiving aid. for the record, since july, 2012, when the blockade was lifted against n.a.t.o.

supplies, earlier kdone by the pakistani government. it was given money this assistance. the pakistanis will be keen to continue of the dialogue with the united states despite differences. >> still to come on al jazeera. anxiety in pakistan causing fear in the business community. why a number of farmers in myanmar are finding themselves in the dark.

>> welcome back, you're watching al jazeera. thailand's prime minister yingluck shinawatra called an early election. tens of thousands marched on her office. there's said to be a carnival atmosphere. eight died in a train accident in jakarta. the passenger train collided with a lorry and one carriage burst into flames. >> france's defence minister says troops are sending fighters in. they've been deployed after days of violence between rival militias in which hundreds have died. there's reports from the capital bangui. >> people find refuge in a church in bangui. even if it has no protection

from french and african force, it is better to sleep hear than home. church bells are silent. it's the only ring to learn of danger that man had no warning when sell ebbinga killed his family. she thought seleka would not target wives and children. >> when i cam back, my wife and two children were dead. the baby was on the bed covered with clothes >> this is one of the first times we have seen french soldiers on foot in large numbers. they are here to reassure people and protect them. they'll soon disarm troops in the city. >> that is not happening. rules of engagement mean the

french can only shoot when they come under attack. >> there are a lot of people calling us directly, telling us that seleka forces are arriving. when we arrive no one is there. >> muslims are being killed to. these are mourning the deaths of a leader. they want the french to stay. >> france has to help us hold elections to choose a president deserving of that name. >> there are some who are comparing this to rwanda. the genocide bear killed hundreds of thousands of people. there are differences. that was ethnic violence. here it is sectarian, and

religious leaders are preaching peace, not hate. >> there's a growing atmosphere of ven gens. you can't call it genocide yet. there is is score settling. society will never be the same again. >> there are many examples in history where international forces intervehicled too lit. the world is taking notice of what is happening here. >> afghanistan's president hamid karzai still refuses to sign a security pact with the united states. the deal would see foreign forces remaining after 2014 in exchange for billions of dollars for aid. the date has come and gone and afghans are becoming nervous.

>> for more than 10 years the money market in kabul did a roaring business. foreign aid and investment poored into the economy. african was making money. now it's busier than ever because of increasing anxiety about the local currency. the president of afghanistan is still refusing to sign a security pact with the u.s., meaning some foreign forces remaining after 2014. willions of dollars in aid remained. without that, the economy is expected to collapse. that delay is causing fear in the business community. >> if it is not signed people will be panicked and it will affect the economy. people are running away. our businessman are worried. >> as afghans panic and exchange

their money for u.s. dollars the afghani is being devalued. in a country where food is imported, prices are going up. >> ordinary markets like this ordinary afghans come to spend their money. most tell us that food prices have gone up. that's because those selling the food here in dollars. the exchange rate here has never been so bad. >> in a few short weeks the price of these sacks of fleur rose 10%. this woman bought one. >> translation: prices are so high. there's less money. people are so poor they can't afford to by anything. >> few have the wealth to worry

about money markets. it is quickly affecting things they worry about - putting food on the table. >> a mexican politician is debating a bill ending the conference. if approved it would open up producers to private enterprise. it is part of the president's economic policy. >> protesters came out in mexico city a day after an oil reform package was introduced. it is aimed at modernizing and making the state oil company more efficient. mexico is the 10th largest producer of oil. people say it's meant to privatize a sacred national

resource. penn ex was created in 1938. that's when the president nationalized the economy. since then it's holy and sacred. people who are marching here on sunday say what they are most afraid of is give aways to private companies. in fact, there's oil reform package would create a system of licences to allow companies to profit oil and gas. protesters focus their energy on the senate where the perform package is debated. and there's a heavy police present, there's a tense debate going on, it's likely to pass. but we'll see protests increase. >> reforms by the government in

myanmar, the president plans to release political prisoners. 200 are facing trial and an increasing number of farmers fighting for land they say was taken from them. >> we have this report. >> the fertile plains of the ira wade dealter described as the rice basket of myanmar. for many years the land was idle after being confiscated by the government. >> landseizures were common. people are encouraged by a wave of reforms and more willing to demand their right. some do that by working on land they consider that ares. an act of defiance. this is a farmer who helps farmers reclaim what they say is

there's. >> it's possible to give back the land which was lawlessly confiscated from the farmers, as long as we are united. >> farmers are bolder, taking their grievances to the streets. there have been consequences. a group advocating for the rights of political prisoners estimates there are 30 farmers facing trial for illegal assembly or interests pass. activists who educate farmers have been gaoled or arrested. >> translation: the wealth cronies and those that confiscated the land are part of the the government. their interests are deeply entrenched in the conflict. >> the government want to resolve land grab issues and formed a parliamentary committee to look into the matter.

one lawyer says the committee scope is limited and the independence curtailed by referring cases back to the administration. >> translation: there are protests by the farmer. if it's not resolved quickly, it can morph and lead into riots. this is a rural community with 70% of the population relying on farmers. land dispute have not resolved to underline the past to political uniformity. >> an olympic gold medal won by jesse owens in the 1930s broke records at an auction. the sale continues an inspiring legacy that mr owens left behind. >> this is one gold medal with a very colourful history. won by jessie owen at the 1936

berlin olympics. it's been snapped up for 1.5 million, the highest paid for an olympic medal and it's not a symbol of sporting triumph. owen was competing at a game where hitler was displaying a powerful germany. but as hitler watched on owen captured four golds in the 100 metres and 200m. 4 by 100 metre relay in the long jump. he was the world record holder for the long jump, a distinction he held for 25 years. the olympic glory did not guarantee a great life. he was bankrupt at one point, but he became a public speaker.

it's that moment in 1936 that shined in the life of jesse owens. >> you can keep up to date with all the news on the website. it's a good read. that's the home page. featuring demonstrations in soon kids around california will be able to erase their online indiscretions. what about the rest of us? ♪ >> our digital producer wag is here to bring in your questions and comments live throughout the show. if you could hit digital delete on your digital path. >> my entire pubertiy from 1993 to now.