>> welcome to the news hour. we have the top stories. in prisoned in egypt for 100 days, al jazeera demands its staff are released immediately. >> reporter: in london, one of the places where journalists arounaround the world have been coming together in solidarity to say that journalism is not a

crime. >> pro russian actives, plus-- >> the passage of time should not obscure the facts. >> on the 20th anniversary of the rwandaen genocide said powerful nations should also accept some of the blame. >> well, it's now 100 days since al jazeera's journalists were detain in egypt. the trial of our colleagues is due to resume on thursday. they are falsely accused of providing a platform for the outlawed muslim brotherhood. a fourth journalist has been imprisoned without trial since last august. after 77 days on hunger strike his health is deteriorating. al jazeera rejects all the charges against this journalist and demands their immediate

release. for all this time their families have been fighting for their release. we now have details for the campaign to set them free. >> reporter: they've been in jail for more than three months. the trial of al jazeera's journalists has been adjourned many times in the past. and the judge has refused to grant them bail. they're falsely accused of providing a platform for the outlawed muslim brotherhood, charges dismissed by the al jazeera network. last week the journalists were allowed out of the cage dock for the first time. addressing the judge they vehemently deny any association with the muslim brotherhood. their families have been demanding their release for months. >> he has two children, five and

three years old. he's expecting a new child. he's a very kind person. all of his relatives and friends like him so much. he has been trained as a professional journalist. >> my brother is an award-winning journalist and he is not associated with these groups. to see my brother in this situation is the worst feeling. >> reporter: the case in which 17 others are also charged has attracted international condemnation. groups, activists and various governments have all called for the al jazeera staff. peter's parents say they are frustrated. >> i think i've reached about the end of my tether. i don't know what happens to people once they get over that edge, but i feel that i'm not very far from whatever it means cracking.

but you know, we're not far from that point. >> we're exhausted and tired, and we feel as if we're running on empty all the time now. >> reporter: a fourth journalist has been detained without trial since last august. he has been on hunger strike for more than two months. the al jazeera rejects all the charges and continues to call for the immediate release of all its staff. >> well journalists around the world have long been campaigning for the al jazeera staff. within the last hour members of various organizations gather outside of the headquarters of the bbc. they're standing in solidarity with jailed al jazeera journalists to protest for the

freedom of journalism. >> reporter: it was a remarkable event. we had journalists who come from not very far away, of course, just inside the building behind me, the bbc headquarters. they came out and they were joined by al jazeera staff and journalists from much further fields, from brazil and many other countries. it was quick. they just stood there for a minute in silence, covering their mouths holding signs saying journalism is not a crime. campaigning for free journalism and campaigning also for the release of the journalists. after the event i spoke to peter horacks the director of bbc global news. i asked him because essentially al jazeera, bbc are competitors, competitors with cnn and other

organizations around the world. i asked him why it matters to journalists everywhere that three al jazeera english correspondence and producers are in egypt. >> i think we're united behind the slogans that we're using. journalism is not a crime. we may have different standards, but the fundamentals of free speech, and the ability to work unhindered is something that links us together. and of course the audience and public around the world believe that. we know from our own research that people are increasingly concerned around the world about the reduction of media. that unites us. >> can this, the picture of silence, pictures are being beamed around the world, can it make a difference from happens here? is that possible that that will causmake a difference in their

release. we're hearing from governments from around the world who are being influenced by the media pressure that is brought to bear. whether or not being certain it will happen is no excuse. we need to stand and be counted. >> coincidently, that was not the only relevant event going on here at bbc. there is an july symposium that happens to fall on the 100th day of the journalists detention in egypt. that symposium is looking into the safety of journalists worldwide and trying to get better protection for journalists. and also trying to get a framework put in place whereby people who kill journalists or

hurt them in any way can be punished properly. that's something that many people in my industry are looking for. there are 540 journalists who have been killed worldwide since 2007 doing their jobs, many of those people you will never have heard of because they're local journalists killed in their own countries, but there seems to be a growing movement that safety among journalism i needs to get bette. >> for 100 days. >> 100 days. 100 days. for 100 days. >> have been held in an egyptian jail. >> we demand justice. >> they're innocent. >> we want them home. >> you are not forgotten. >> world is watching. >> egypt, do the right thing. set them free. >> we'll move on to other news

now. russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops near the border of ukraine. that's according to the u.s u.s. ambassador in europe. daniel bayer said we have strong evidence that there are tens of thousands of forces on the border and not in their normal peacetime position or garrison. what the russian federation should be doing is de-escalating the crisis. they have played a role in the crisis. pro russians have created a separate city in ukraine. kiev is accusing russia of provoking separatism in the region. >> there remains radical people who speak with the specific

russian accent. who yesterday caused unrest and went down the road of seizing a minister of buildings and staging a demonstration. >> we have this report. >> the crowds are growing outside of the local government administration building dnesk. inside, a group calling the people's council, the independent republic of dnesk are imply now that they see this as an autonomous region aside from kiev. it's been a festival atmosphere. activists, pro-russia activists took control of this building last night, and they've remained in control. they have supplies brought to them all the time. the state security building has been taken over by activists. there have been barricades and scattering bullets in front of

their barricades. there are also supporters outside cheering them on. they have asked that the security chief of ukraine come here to face this crisis head on. meanwhile in crimea we understand that ukrainian soldier has been shot dead by a russian soldier, russian media is reporting that the ukrainian soldiers had been out drinking. on their walk home they walked past a russian base where they used to work, and later on that evening a russian soldier went to the hotel where the ukrainian were staying and shot dead a major. all of this is just showing how deep the divide is, how tense the situation still is, and i think everyone is looking towards kiev, how is the government going to act. so far it has said it will not use force, but they say they're

not going to give up until they're listened to. >> at least 18 people have been killed in a refugee camp in southern lebanon. the violence broke out, among those killed are the leader of the al alda brigade group as well as his brother. we're joined from the outskirts of that refugee camp. can you give us the details of what sparked the violence? >> what sparked the violence, it started as a personal feud, and then it took on this larger nature. the camp sits on top of that hill. the deadly clashes went on for eight hours and it was so fierce

that eight people lost their lives. the lebanese security have cordoned off the camp, they're trying to control the situatio situations, and palestinian factions are trying to make sure that it does not restart again. people in the camp feel so many situations like this, it is usually those outside of the camp trying to score points and the people notic in the camps pe price. >> how significant is this? what will be the implications of the death? >> reporter: well, so far we are being told the incident is over. however, this man was former fatah commander. he just recently formed his own group, and his association with

the former fatah leader, and part of these clashes, some in the camp see it as part of the struggle as the growing power and influence in the refugee camps. they accuse people who are associated with him for throwing a lot of money around and gaining a lot of support inside the camps. >> thank you for clarifying that for us. she's speaking to us from southern lebanon. still to come this news hour the world's biggest democracy is holding marathon elections. we asked vote necessary india what they want from their new government. plus the oil war in libya, rebels agree to end a blockade. plus celebrations in sri lanka

as their cricket team end a wait for world cup success. solemn commemorations being held marking 20 years since the rwandaen genocide. >> genocide prevention demand from all of us not because we wish to shift the blame on to others, and those others should have their moment to be humble in the face of historical facts. >> most of the victims of the slaughter have been trying to forgive what some people believe is unforgivable. we go to east rwanda where victims and perpetrators are

living side by side. >> reporter: it took years after the genocide before she could walk along this path in her village in eastern rwanda. it's where she was attacked. and it took many more years to bring herds to embrace a man, the man who cut off her hand with a machete, slashed her face, back, thighs and left her for dead. >> i went down on my knees, to beg her forgiveness. >> just knowing who did this give me what i needed. forgiving him kept me safe. >> people here still have community work sessions and group therapy. 45,000 died in this district.

>> projects like this one have been set up across the country. hutus and tuts work together. the goal is to create trust and strengthen their relationship. but is 20 years enough to say that people are truly reconciled. >> you may like me or don't like me, but you understand that means you will live together. >> more than 1 million people were tried by the courts, tens of thousands were incarcerated. to date most rwandan prisoners are convicted of committing murder during the genocide. >> many don't want to confess. >> no one has apologized to claudine yet. her sisters remain lie in this

coffin. she had been raped and murdered. her three-year-old child was also killed. she said she can forgive but cannot trust. 10,000 people were killed in this trust that is now a memorial. their bloodstained clothes fill the pews. many of their relatives are still waiting for a confession. al jazeera, eastern rwanda. >> we have correspondents covering this 20th anniversary. we have jackie rollins in pair his, but first let's go to mohammed who joins us. mohammed, katherine just outlined the difficulty of trying to get life back to order after the genocide. how difficult is the reconciliation process in rwan rwanda?

>> well, it's a work in progress here in rwanda. when you ask whether enough reconciliation has been done, we can tell that you we're living side by side, that ms. is huge progress give what has happened in this country 20 years ago. what the government has done was try to bring together jus justie and reconciliation of those who had their families killed or were hurt themselves. and they came face to face with the perpetrators of the genocide and had to forgive them. however, there is a tribunal for rwanda that tries to bring to justice about 100 people. but at the cost of $2 billion. a lot has happened, but still this country is traumatized.

>> mohammed, they're pushing for the french to admit their role in the genocide. is his sentiment shared across rwanda as well? >> yes, this is something that most rwandaens hold. they believe that the french supported the government, the hutu extremist regime here that perpetrated the genocide, and feel the french widely armed the soldiers, some of who took part in the genocide, and in the last few moments. michel flesh, he received a phone call that he would not be received, and he said h he

expressed disappointment. >> i believe we are now go to jackie rollins for the french reaction. they're pushing for the french government to admit their role in the genocide. is it gaining much traction in france? >> no, itself. and an official statement to mark the genocide which was released by the residents here in paris in the last half hour. it doesn't even refer to this diplomatic argument. it merely states that the duty to prevent genocide lays heavily on the soldiers of everyone in the international community. it's this principle that makes it's foreign policy decisions.

including the foreign interventions. and obviously central africa republic, and they should be looking at what happened in rwanda and use that to prevent genocide in the future. apart from expressing on saturday and sunday disappointment at the lack of progress in diplomatic reconciliation between france and rwanda, the french certainly have not been spurred into any more declarations as a result of the comments. >> jackie, thank you for that. jackie rollins speaking to us from our paris bureau. let's tak take a look at the weather now.

we are moving on from the solomon islands to north america where there is flooding. >> meteorologist: that's right. if we take a look at the satellite picture we can see the latest storm system. it's this bright white area of clouds down in the southeast. it has given us gusts of winds and heavy rain and it's the rain that has caused the majority of the problems. we havas we move through the rer of the day we're going to see more severe weather. it looks like down in the southeast corner there is the northern part of florida where there could be heavy rain and hailstorms and even maybe an odd tornado as well. but fortunately this system is not going to hang around too long. here it is today, but as we head

through tuesday it moves quickly out towards the east around it's dangling down to florida. with canada we're going to see a pounding through tuesday here. we have wintery weather stead and we can expect more in the way of snow. out towards the west, a little bit of wet weather to seattle but to the south its dry. >> the polls are closed on in voting. more than 800 million people are eligible to take part. more than 1,500 political parties are contesting. the two most popular national parties are the congress and the

bhp. that's led bneither party is exo achieve the seats needed for an outright majority. a whole host of other regional parties will throw their support behind either of these two men, or they'll stay outside of the government. this election has kicked off the every man party. >> they waited patiently for the polling stations to open. at 7:00 local time the world's largest democracy began the process of voting. the state in the east of the country were the first to vote.

people here will pick six parliamenparliamentarians. some clearly voicing the concerns what the electorate here are. >> which ever party wins there should be peace in the country. the country should be rid of violence, criminals, and high cost of items. these are things i want. >> but for others the needs are more personal. >> my biggest concern is inflation. it needs to reduce. sanitation is also an issue here. >> security is tight, and everyone entering the polling station across these states has to carry an election i.d. card before even reaching the ballot box. since 2009100000000 voters had been added to the electorate register. for some this is a very special

moment. >> i'm voting for the first time. i can't beat the rush at the polling booth. as you can see there is a rush. >> because of so many extra voters five days have been added. >> one down and eight more polling days to go. on wednesday five more states northeast of the country will head to the ballot box. the vote count and the result won't be known until may 16th. al jazeera, new delhi. >> an australian ship has detected more signals of what is suspected to be the blacks boxes from missing malaysian flight 370. now the chief coordinator said

the search area is being narrowed but they cannot confirm anything until wreckage of the plane has been found. it's almost a month since the plane disappeared from kuala lumpur to beijing. >> the last few hours has had the best lead we've had. we ask for prayers and not give up hope. we will continue our efforts to find flight 370. >> clearly, this is a most promising lead. probably in the search so far it's probably the best information that we have had. again, i would ask all of you to treat this information cautiously and responsebly until such time as we can provide an unequivocal determination.

>> still ahead, riot police in china keep a close eye on opponents of a new chemical. >> i'm andy richardson in morocco as one of the world's toughest running races enters the brutal terrain of the sahara desert.

>> welcome back, you're watching al jazeera. it's been 100 days since al jazeera journalists have been detained in egypt. they're falsely accused of

providing a platform to the outlawed muslim brotherhood. in the last couple of hours members of various media organizations gathered in solidarity in london. pro russian activists have unilaterally declared an independent republic of dnesk in ukraine. ukraine's acts president is accusing moscow of orchestrating separatist demonstrations in the region. and rwanda is marking the 20th anniversary of the genocide it's president has called on other country to acknowledge that they played a part in the atrocity. more now on our top story and the al jazeera staff detained in egypt. journalists from many media organizations around the world have been campaigning for their release. among them the friends and fellow journalists of correspondent peter greste. and al jazeera spoke to a few of

them. >> sometimes they would pete al jazeera correspondent peter greste at this cafe. but he along with two others were imprisoned by authorities in egypt. another journalist has been in jail since last august. >> i tell him to stay strong. i tell them that we're thinking of him and we're thinking of them every single day, and they have become the emblem of our struggle, and it's every journalists struggle. it's not every journalist's struggle but it should be everyone's struggle because everyone relies on people like peter and his colleagues. they're paying now for everyone else's freedom.

>> the recent kenyan government ruling to move all ranches to attackmove all refugees.most ree reported on the 20th anniversary of the rwanda genocide when a million people were killed. tom is from a group that advocates for journalists and said things could get worse for reporters. >> it's very worrying for this region in particular because once they stop cracking down on high profile names for al jazeera what does that mean for local journalists even here in kenya who don't have the same institutional backing and support. i think its setting a dangerous precedent. >> she said that colleagues like peter greste inspire her. >> he's still fighting, and i am

inspired to do the best i can. >> reporter: al jazeera rejects charges against its staff. al jazeera. >> jeffrey is a human rights barrister, and he joins us from london. thank you for joining us on the show. is there a precedence for journalists to be held up on charges of terrorism. >> this is a breach, a number of breaches of international law. egypt is a signatory o on civil and political rights which is a presumption of bail and clear proof that a man is dangerous before denied bail. this kangaroo court in egypt has pushed aside any question of

bail, although peter greste and his colleagues are people of good character who would stay obviously in egypt until the end of these proceedings. egypt first of all is in breach of that position. secondly it's in breach of the guarantee that it signed up to a freedom of speech. there has been no evidence at all produced that peter or his colleagues have accepted money to put out false news or been involved in bribery or corruption or things that journalists could conceivably sometimes do. there have been a few prosecuted in england for doing that. but there is no suggestion, no sliver of evidence that these al jazeera team has ever done more than it's job for journalism.

egypt is in breach it's international obligation. >> that buying the case as you started to say, egypt has breached international laws, is there anything that our journalists now in court at the moment can do to bring the egyptian authorities to justice? >> there is only one thing that is provided for by international law, and that is not dependent on the journalists. it's dependent on their government. the government of australia, which is peter's national government, has been very, very slack. it has not activated article 41 of the covenant, which allows other states, other states that are party to it to bring egypt into the dock, to put egypt before the human rights committee to be--to explain

itself and to be condemned. i think that's an urgent step that australia must take. i don't know why it hasn't. perhaps it's not very bright, bras he doesn't care as much for peter as it does for wales whal. it just brought japan to court to stop it from plundering whales, but it won't bring egypt before an international committee for torturing an australian journalist. i think that is the only way i can see under international law that peter or perhaps canada, which is the national state of another of the journalists, could act under article 41. >> you're very right in saying that most of the attention on this case has been brought about by other journalists rather than the governments of the journa

journalists' countries. given this particular case, what does this mean for egypt's press freedom going forward? >> well, it means that there is very little press freedom, and it means that the government as currently instituted does not believe in free speech because it is confusing journalism with terrorism. journalism of the kind practiced by this team is essentially that of finding out what is happening. and if they happen to interview the muslim brotherhood, which we know is being rounded up and many members sentenced to death, well, that is part of the reporting function. they're interviewing them not as supporters, not as paid to interview them, but as part of the whole picture of what is going on in egypt today in relation to a party that was elected at the last elections.

and so it's obviously of international public importance. >> jeffrey, great getting your insight on the show. thank you so much. jeffrey robinson, human rights barrister speaking to us from london. well, the price of oil has fallen as rebels agreed to open two of four oil terminals. they're demanding greater autonomy and a larger share of the libyan oil wealth. reports opening immediately. they handle 200,000 barrels a day. now rebels still hold the larger ports which previously shipped around half a million barrels a day. the government said that they should reopen within the next month after more talks. andrew simmons is in the capitol of tripoli. >> this gives the immediate opening of two smaller ports.

then there has to be a trust building process before the other two ports open. they're much larger. they have twice the level of oil production. it's all about five main points when the armed groups want to see delivered. the first is guaranteed military action against them. secondly, no prosecution against any of the armed groups, and then a financial package remarkably even the security guards who have manned these oil ports will get paid salaries for the whole eighth months of the blockade, and there is some form of compensation, some deal with cash on the tables. beyond that the main points, the main demand which really is a federalist demand is that the management of these oil fields move to the east. that apparently will take place. and also beyond that there will be a commission of inquiry into alleged corruption. now, all of this package on the table has to be delivered.

there is optimism that will take place, and of course this will relief a very stressed economy. but however there is massive descension in the east and will this be enough to placate people? that remains to be seen. there are many armed groups vying for each other and all people have had enough. they're presently mounting a strike in bengahzi. it's hitting the public and private sector. they want the government to do something about the situation. they want much more action on the security field with so many armed groups engaging in murder, car bombs, and absolute chaos within this area. so they're saying the government should really bring in early parliamentary elections. will this hold long term? that's the question.

>> jordannan applications have condemned violence within withis of refugees. >> first security forces were stationed on a higher area, not on an area that was lower than the refugee. so the theory that the refugee was shot from the back and that the bullet hit the lower back and came out from the other site confirms this source of gunfire came from the back of the refugee and from inside the camp. the information minister announced all refugees will now be moved to formal camps. they will be taken to official settlements which is due to open at the end of the month. voters in hungary have given

it's prime minister another four years in office. his party had a landslide win. the far right party also made significant gains raising concern among some minority groups. now the strongest nationalist party in the e.u. have nearly 20% of the vote. protesters are trying to stop nuclear plans being built in southern china. it's owners say that it will be good for the economy and create lots of jobs, but opponents say it will harm the environment and their health. s the latest example of chinese people confronting. >> during the day the numbers are smaller but they are no less passionate.

>> if they want to go ahead with this project there is nothing we can do about it except keep protesting. we can only keep trying. >> this was the violence that began on the same streets a week earlier with images quickly spreading on the internet and just as quickly being deleted by the authorities. the local government has been using social media itself to promote the plant making plastics and synthetic fiber. it's not that toxic, this video explains. it will bring economic benefits, and it will create 10,000 jobs. >> here as other cities in china there is growing awareness of the environmen environmental imd the willingness of the people to take opposition to the streets. >> there have been a number of large-scale protests against

trial projects. in the society where social stability is important, the actions have often resulted in the authorities backing down. >> all of these large-scale protests prove that more citizens are aware of their legal rights and the environmental issues. it's a measure of how far this society is developing. >> officials have promised not to go ahead with the plant if most people object. thesome say the protests have nt been big enough to make a difference in. >> the protests have not really worked because not enough people have come. authorities block off the roads and there is tight control of the media. >> reporter: al jazeera, china. >> still ahead, bangladesh's first genetically modified crop

could make the lives of farmers easier. who is against it? and in the pga tour for one golfer and a trip to the masters.

build he clink his pga title. >> as soon as he came out. he said i'll chip it in. >> winner her major title in california. the 19-year-old had a three-shot lead over michelle wi. the shot of 68 for 14 under, and she celebrated with a traditional way. >> this has always been a dream of mine. such a huge honor to win. i'm just so thrilled. it hasn't hit me yet. >> on the basketball court michael jordan has always been known as a player, and he has been showing off with the golf club as well. he landed this 50-foot chip at

his own celebrity golf tournament in las vegas. well, can you imagine the equivalent of six over six days and doing it in 50-degree heat in the desert. a thousand runners have taken up the challenge in the sahara. >> adrenaline, nerves, and no little fear, runners getting ready to take the first of oh so many steps on this year's marathon. >> i'm feeling ecstatic, and i can't wait to go run and to have fun. this is why we're here. >> i've been following this for 20 years. 20 years it's taken. wanting to do it. now i'm here. >> six stages covering more than 250 kilometers of brutal desert terrain lie ahead. the sahara desert may look

beautiful, but less so when all the food you need for a week is on your back. >> just constantly going up and down, there is no end in sight. >> one veteran has described the runners here being like ro rowtiesry chickens being cooked by the sun. the medics expect to hand out 6,000 painkillers over the coming days. >> the medical tent is set to be a busy place. >> it's very difficult, so we are sure to see nearly all the runners at the clinic becaus. >> placing yourself in harm's way is one of the perverse attracts for this race. >> it really does make you appreciate what you have at home, it gives you time to

think, and it takes to dark places but it really does give you time to get your head straight. >> the challenge for many here, not just getting through the days ahead but to think of what to do when it's all over. al jazeera, morocco. >> there is more now on www.aljazeera.com/sports. that's it for me. >> thanks very much. well, bangladesh has created it's first genetically modified crop. egg planet. it's pest resistant, which should cut down the need for pesticides. but as we have reports, environmental activists fear existing crops will be changed forever. >> this eggplant could change the lives of farmers in bangladesh forever. it's the first genetically modified crop. they're distributing the plants

made by genes developed by the biological company monsantos. they hope that the genetically modified crop will make his life easier. it is resist sent to an insect that destroys crops across bangladesh. there are a number of pests, b. >> we have to spray pesticides twice a week to grow regular egg plants. scientists tell us we won't need to any more. >> but not everyone is as optimistic. there are over 100 varieties of egg plants in bangladesh. they say introducing the foreign element in the soil will forever harm the local crops. >> supporters of the crops see the protesters are misguided

acting out of general opposition to genetically modified food. >> they should be protesting the use of pesticides. everything we eat is sprayed with poison every week. this is a much bigger problem. >> but critics say that it was developed in india but new delhi has not approved the crop. >> it will be solving the problem of one insect but there are still many others. they will still need pesticide. this is a false notion that they will solve all the problems. >> monsantos hope that this will prove to indian authorities that it is safe to use. for some it all comes down to one thing, whether the genetically modified crop is good for business. al jazeera, bangladesh. >> that's it for the news hour, but do stay with us. we've got a full bulletin of

news straight ahead. real reporting that brings you the world. >> this is a pretty dangerous trip. >> security in beirut is tight. >> more reporters. >> they don't have the resources to take the fight to al shabaab. >> more bureaus, more stories. >> this is where the typhoon came ashore. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. >> al jazeera, nairobi. >> on the turkey-syria border. >> venezuela. >> beijing. >> kabul. >> hong kong. >> ukraine. >> the artic. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america.

>> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news. >> welcome back. i'm del walters live in new york with a look at the stories we're following for you. a promising lead bringing new life for the search of missing malaysian flight 370. it comes after signals have been picked up that may be connected to the plane's black box. officials are hoping that this brings them close for finding out why the jetliner disappear disappeared. in the murder trial of oscar pistorio us revealing details on the night he killed his girlfriend. he said it was a mistake. he