>> >> as pro-russian groups take over more areas in east ukraine, the u.s. president warns vladimir putin there will be consequences. >> hello there, welcome to al jazeera, live from doha. i'm laura kyle. also - spy chief apologises for an espionage scandal involving senior agents. we are live in seoul. >> nigeria's president abuses boko haram over a rush-hour bombing killing 70 in the

capital. plus... >> brazilia, the capital of brazil, where the biggest state-run company, petro gas is facing corruption charges at the highest levels. >> ukrainian crisis is clearly straining relations between the u.s. and russia. barack obama's phone call with vladimir putin has been described as frank. barack obama again an accused vladimir putin's government of supporting armed troops. he asked them to withdraw russia's traps from the border. 40,000 are thought to be stationed there. obama warned mr vladimir putin that russia would incur further costs on top of the sanctions in place. vladimir putin told obama accusations moscow is interfering in eastern ukraine

are unfounded. turning the tables, putin called on the u.s. to prevent the use of blood shed. >> this is the moment pro-russian protesters stormed headquarters in an eastern city in ukraine. 100 men took part in the assault which, like many takeovers in the east, was streamed on live. ukraine's president said the military would be moving in. there has been no signs so far of any government operation and state buildings continue to fall. >> a few blocks away the city council was taken over in a peaceful operation. >> pro-russian groups here and across the east are being told to raise the flag of the republic of donetsk as opposed to the russian flag. they are now working out how to

take control of the wider city. >> crowds spurred them on. this video claims to show ukrainian police officers who switched sides. the video cannot be independently verified but in it the man giving troops orders says he is a russian lieutenant. >> in the capital pro-unity protesters took their protests to the military. they hold the interior minister responsible. >> he has to force employees in donetsk and other regions to deal with the separatists who are putting ukraine on its knees. if he cannot do this, he has to sapt the fact and resign. >> backtracking on the government's earlier stance interim president oleksandr turchynov says he's not against

a referendum. he admits to divided allegiances making it difficult. >> translation: one of the main problems is that the police force and other authorities were formed when ousted president viktor yanukovych held power in the country. unfortunately they are demonstrating an inability to defend citizens and withstand terrorism and separatist movements. >> the government is asking for u.n. peace-keeping troops to help ukrainian forces carry out an ain terrorism operation. each passing hour is threatening the credibility of kiev, with protesters unable to see how the government will act. >> tensions between russia and the u.s. rise. let's cross to moscow and join our correspondent peter sharp. i understand the russian foreign minister has been talking in china a few moments ago. what did we hear him saying? >> that's right. you are on

friendly ground, china one of the few allies that russia has with the ukraine crisis growing. basically, what he said was that he thanked - prayed china for its objective and balance position on the ukraine, and he ruled out - this is quite important. he ruleded out u.n. participation in peace inform keeping troops being sent in to urine ukraine, saying it was absurd. russia, as a member of the security council would have voted it down. he revealed in o.s.c.e., organisation of security and cooperation, a team is on its way to slovyansk, to determine the circumstances of the occupation there. >> friendly ground in beijing for sure. this amid cold-war style provocations from the midwest.

i appear to have lost contact with our correspondent in moscow. peter sharp, apologies for that. we'll move on to the head of the south korean intelligence service who has prom illsed a mass -- promised a massive overhaul of the agency. he made a public apology a day after the deputy resigned. they wrongly accused a former official of being a north korean spy. >> how do you explain the case. it seems odd that you would wrongly accuse someone of being a spy. >> we should clarify he hasn't necessarily been wrongly accused, it's still before the courts, because the prosecution has appealed his acquittal on that accusation, which happened last year. let's give you a quick background of this case around which this whole scandal has

been unfolding. this is a north korean detector, or a detector who claims he was a north korean. turns out he was of chinese ethnic origin, someone that could travel back and forth between china and north korea. he claimed north korean citizenship and was allowed to settle as a south korean. he gained a degree, worked as a civil servant, the first defector to work as a civil servant for the government. gaping access to details of fellow north korean defectors. he sneaked back into north korea to attend the funeral of his mother. at that point the nis says he was turned by north korean agents and has been working as a spy ever since. he got off on the charges, the evidence of his sister. she recanted that evidence in court, saying she was forced to

give evidence against him by 9 national intelligence service, and appealed the prosecution. during the appeal submitted three documents - chinese immigration documents, suggesting he travel to north korea on five occasions. it turns out they were forgeries, and the nis, the national intelligence service admitted that. the broker used to obtain the documents attempted suicide. on monday two further agents were indicted on the charges, and a deputy resigned. now we have this very public, unprecedented apology for what has emerged about the very important national body. >> if harry fawcett, live in seoul. >> live pictures now - not

something you see every day. this is the moon, and it's seen from los angeles, there in america. we are looking at a rare lunar eclipse. it began about an hour ago. around about now you should see the full eclipse. the ready glow. it's expected to last another couple of hours. stunning pictures there. you can see this if you are on the ground from places across america, and also australia and new zealand if you are lucky enough to see the moon from there. it happens 2-3 times a year. this is the last time, if you are in the united states, that you'll be able to see it. until 2019. an explosion in the egyptian capital injured two police officers, one student was shot dead near giro university.

fighting broke out between supporters and police. 13 were arrested. two journalists were rendered. an egyptian court has classified a major group as a terrorist organization. alleged to be behind the violence. mubarak was ousted. >> al jazeera's demanding the immediate release of the journalist in egypt. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy, and mohammed badr appeared in court on thursday. the case has been adjourned, they are falsely accused of providing a platform for the muslim brotherhood. they've been behind bars for 108 days. they've been held without trial since last august. they've been on hunger strike

for 85 days. they reject the accusations. >> nigeria's president blamed the armed group for two explosions in the capital of abuja. the blast killed more than 70 people at a bus station. the nigerian police chief ordered officers to intensify surveillance on all targets within abuja. >> this is the aftermath of the bomb blast in abuja. the device went off in the morning hours as thousands wept about their routines boarding buses. body parts, shoes and clothing of the dead littered the area. the bomb may have been hidden in a car. >> the information we can gather so far was the explosion, the

nature of the explosion we are unable to represent. the explosion came from inside a vehicle, and there was quite a number of people. >> thousands of shocked onlookers turned up to see what happened. the military and police tried to clear the crowds away. >> the buses were packed with hundreds of commuters when the explosion happened. over here, in front of them, there's a crater where it's believed the car bomb went off. >> witnesses say they heard a loud explosion and didn't know what to do. >> it is something, bombing or anything. i don't know, we are to enter somewhere like this. we escape from this. >> president goodluck jonathan showed up to look at the damage.

>> translation: we condole our country men and women. we'll work hard. the issue of boko haram attack is within the period of our own development. we'll co everything to make -- do everything to make sure we move the country forward. these are unnecessary distractions. >> no one claimed responsibility for the blast. but it could be the work of boko haram. an armed group what wants to strip islamic law. it's been behind hundreds of attacks. mainly in the north-east. the last in the last two weekends. boko haram last blew up the united nations offices in the capital. dozens were killed and injured. since then things have been relatively peaceful in abuja. this latest attack will worry many. it's the most fortified part of the country. if boko haram is behind this. it will contradict many statements that the group is

being diminished and on the run. >> lots more to come here on the program including hundreds of male staff and students at a french school facing d.n.a. testing over the rape of a teenage girl. >> and the latest on the chillian effort to tackle a huge

>> hello again. the top stories this hour on al jazeera. >> russia rejects calls for a u.n. peacekeeping force in eastern ukraine, calling it

absurd. the plea came from ukraine's interim president, to help carry out an separation against russia's pro-russian. a south korean spy chief apologised for failings of the intelligence agency, coming a day after his deputy resigned. that was after accusing a high ranking official of being a spy. >> goodluck jonathan blamed boko haram for two explosions at a bus station near ablugea. >> detectives in france have begun taking d.n.a. samples from hundreds of male teachers and students after a teenage girl was raped. the unprecedented testing comes after failing to find the attacker after investigations. >> arising for class is an

unprecedented police operation getting under way. all 475 male students and 31 male teachers at the private catholic high school are being asked to give a d.n.a. sample. the school's director says it's the last chance to find out who raped a 16-year-old girl in a dark school toilet, last september. >> translation: i don't know why this took so long. it's not right. the person who did it may have been at the school for the last seven months. it's horrible. >> genetic material recovered from the girl's clothing did not match any profiles in the national d.n.a. database. >> 21 males at the school have been asked for a saliva sample, and teachers and pupils. >> it takes 3-5 minutes per person. there's an officer that collects the d.n.a. and another that takes the statement. to make sure we have all the

right details and get the agreement before the test. >> the local prosecutor says people refusing to take part will become potential suspects who could be taken into custody. >> that angered some. pupils here welcomed the testing. >> everyone is taking part without problems, because we feel solidarity with a girl who was raped and we all want to find the perpetrator. >> genetic testing results are due within a month. all samples that don't match the attackers d.n.a. will be destroyed. >> sudan's government says it contains the rebellion in two arse of dar fewer province. a phase to remove the remaining rebels is due soon. >> translation: now the rebellion in the province of darfur is confined to two arse.

in the extreme north, at the border, and in the east of the moundin. the rest is faith, and has no rebellion. >> in the united states former ku klux klan leader has been charged with a hate crime. he is known to the police for anti-sem ittic views. tributes have been paid for the victims. >> it's been one year since the boston marathon was bombed. the city is preparing to hold commemoration, which will be attended by joe biden. three people, including an 8-year-old boy were killed. >> tamilon died in a shoot out with police, his younger brother is due to go on trial this year. >> firefighters in chile battle

a huge blaze after it begone in valparaiso. thousands have been forced from their homes. >> dousing the flames. a massive rescue operation to control a fire raging over more than 24 hours, destroying hundreds of homes. many loft everything. william and his family have lived here for 19 years. >> nothing - we couldn't do anything. it all happened so quickly. less than three minutes for the flames to reach us. >> he is trying to find his father's work clothes among the debris. already thinking about his future. the cause of the blaze is being investigated. the operation to feed and clothe the hundreds of evacuees goes on. president michelle bachelet, in her first month in office, had to deal with a major earthquake and now this. she ordered the military in to

help. >> valparaiso is a u.n.e.s.c.o. world heritage sight and the fir, one of the worst in the history, hit the nation extremely hard. >> thousands volunteered to help, donating schools, food and other provisions. overwhelmingly their labour. >> we have to respect life, that's all we have, and we can't give up. we are starting here from scratch. >> the wind spanned the flames in the narrow streets. it made it difficult for the emergency services to reach the blaze. some lost everything while others are grateful to have escaped with their lives, seeking solace in the ruins. >> brazilian energy giant petrogas is gazing one of the worst -- facing one of the worst

scandals, being investigated for alleged corruption, showing bribes being paid by at least one top executive. some claim it's to harm the president's chances at re-election. we have this report. >> brazilian energy giant petrogas is defending itself against allegations, if true, would be one of the biggest corruption scandals in historyie. it was revealed in 2006 they paid $1 billion for a refinery in texas, that a year original was sold for $42 million, raising suspicions of foul play, sparking a federal investigation. >> documents leaked to an investigative journalist, published under the hadded. it revealed a company director was involved in a wide-raping global kickback scheme. >> it became clear that the corruption was high, organised,

involved off-shore accounts, lobbyists. >> in a statement to al jazeera, a spokesperson would only say that the company was watching closely and cooperating with the ongoing investigation. >> bettero gas is the biggest and most powerful state-run company in brazil, with links to almost all parts of the government. that's why here in brazilia politicians are running scared wondering how big the scandal will. no politician stands to lose more, than the woman who occupies the president jal palace, behind me. >> before being president. ruse eff was energy minister and the chair of petrogas administrative council board at the time some of the allegations have tape place. she's not been linked to the wrongdoing, but political adversaries is calling for an

inquiry. we want a congressional investigation that allows us to summon key figures, to give us testimony >> certainlyingio, a former president of bettero gas rejects claims of corruption. >> i can't be sure that bettero gas is a transparent, honest and clean company. the allegations, i think, are politically motivated. >> with an investigation ongoing, it's unlikely the scandal will go away soon. >> the past 10 years have seen a growing number of activists killed whilst trying to protect the environment. a campaign group exposing

economic aspects behind environmental destruction. it said people were killed fighting against landgraping, and other cause. the murder rate has rich, with increased competition. the most dangerous places are latin america and the asian pacific. more than 400 activists were killed in brazil alone. 109 in honduras, and 67 in the if philippines. >> 10 of the perpetrators have been invictoriaed. >> one of the people killed was in the philippines. we went to visit his family. >> it's been more than three years since her husband was murdered. the pain has not eased. >> the father of five was shod dead in broad daylight. >> jerry as a high-profile environmental activist who exposed corruption in western

philippines. some of his reports implicated government officials. >> i am the mother of five children. i'm left with five children to feed. if, you know, like me, i have to be practical. if i become noisy and they are killed, what happens to the five children. i still believe that they have to be more vigilant. especially for those that can afford to, and those that cannot. >>. >> the governor and his brother, were implicated when the killers confessed they had ordered the murder. they are on the country's most wanted list. >> this is it what dr gerry ortega fought for. the preservation of the environment. act visits fought against illegal logging and large-scale mining. it divided officials and residents in the province, where 80% of people lived in poverty.

an environmental group called global witness released a report saying the philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world for environmentalists. 67 people have been killed since 2002. investigations show a striking number are alleged to have been killed by agents. the protection of the agent has never been more dangerous. president tom ackerman -- aquino promised to end the killings. >> on the locality level you have local officials working. some local officials are part of the problem. they work with criminals, are part of hood lels. >> patsy says she have come to accept that it may take time before justice is served.

until then she hopes the people will remember what it is that the people died for. >> the jordan ambassador to libya has been kidnapped - according to media reports. he was targeted by armed men in the capital tripoli. the officials' driver was injured, and happened in tripoli's mansour neighbourhood. >> a piece of graffiti next to a public phone box in england may be the latest work by the allusive street art ist known as banksy, sattorizing the tactics of gchq, british spy agency. the mural was painted in cheltenham, where the agency is haireded. >> we'll take you back to the lunar eclipse, which is still happening. these are pictures we can see

being broadcast from los angeles. you can see it from most of america, australia and new zealand, if you are up to watch it there. it's the second time we see the moon showing a wonderful hue of orange. incredible as we see the earth passing over the lunar surface. >> can you find the newly proclaimed people's republic of donesk on a map? neither can the ukrainian government, and they would like to keep it that way. russia versus ukraine in the east. it's the "inside story." hello, i'm ray suarez. it didn't end with crimea. as rush consolidates its power