this is al jazeera. ♪ hello there, welcome to the news hour, i'm laura kyle in doha with our top stories. iraqis make their mark as millions vote in an election that will shape the country's future. at least 30 people, mainly children are reported dead after an air strike on a school in syria's biggest city. pro-russian separatists take control of a building in your

next question. ♪ millions of iraqis are braving the threat of attack to vote in the country's first parliamentary election since u.s. troops left three years ago. there has been some violence. the prime minister is hoping for a third term in office, but with more than 300 political parties and talk of coalitions, no single block is expected to win a majority. here are some of the major political entities and alliances. we have the state of law coalition. the main contender once again. it has made rivals. the union of kurdishstan is the

main party fighting for the kurdish block. and here is more. >> reporter: major parts of iraq look like this, empty streets and vigilant security men at check points. it's to secure iraq's largest democratic exercise since u.s. troops left three years ago. voters in their thousands have to walk to polling stations across the country. >> translator: i came here to participate, to vote for who will contribute to building and serving a new iraq. i came in response for the call on religion to change the country for the best. >> reporter: attackers still

manage to hit areas. but these voters are not afraid. >> translator: we can come to vote today to choose a candidate. with no difference between the ethnic groups and sects. >> reporter: it's the sectarian divides that fuel the contend againsy. critics blame this man for failing to bridge the gaps. his biggest challenge this election come from two other shiite parties. analysts believe negotiations with sunnis and curds will begin after the shiite majority block will sort out its divisions. >> he needs 90 or more close

allies, and once the shiite as a whole who make the slight majority, then there will be negotiations with the shiites and other curds. >> reporter: what unites most is a desire for anning end to hate-based divisions and killings. imran khan is live for us in bagdad. imran what impact has the security had on voting? >> reporter: well it seems it has been quite significant impact on voting. here at least there are 3,500 registers candidates. at least a thousand people have come here and voted. an independent election

monitoring block has told us for bagdad, around midday it was at least 40%. they are expecting about 60%. last election it was about 62%. this security operation has made a difference. i have been watching people and speaking to them as they come here. people are hanging around this polling station and using it as an opportunity to catch up with people from the neighborhood. and there is a real sense of community here. and the security operation does seem to have worked. >> many are saying that this parliamentary election is simply a referendum on the incumbent prime minister. is that what this is? >> he has cast a long shadow over iraq. he is involved in most of the ministries. he has that very hands on

leadership, and there are a number of blocks that have become disillusioned with that style of leadership. so by no means is this a done deal for the prime minister. he'll have to fight and fight hard. most people say that if he gets less than 60 seats, we'll be out of a job, if he gets 60 to 70, we'll need to make deals, anything higher than will allow him to get the block he needs to form a go. most diplomats, and analysts are saying that he will walk back into the prime minister's job. the closer we got the more critical people got. that didn't happen. is it a referendum? that's what a lot of people are calling it here, but it is more

than that. >> all right. thank you for that. more than 32 million people in iraq can be divided into three religious and political groups. in northern iraq, the kurdish people, areas further south are a mix sunni and [ inaudible ] sunni muslims are largely in central and western part. they accuse the current government of discrimination. the area around bagdad has been a mix, and the shiite population is in the eastern parts of iraq.

we're joined now in the studio for more on iraq's elections. very significant day for iraq as a country as a whole. proving they can hold elections without u.s. security. >> obviously this is what we're seeing now that the government has tried to have these elections quite. it doesn't seem the case because there are some accidents some places. >> some. >> but i think in mallky will be happy to have a report by the end of the election with less people killed or injured in this -- on this day. of course the atmosphere itself has not been changed. we still in iraq suffer from, you know, the sectarianism at different levels and i think the

elections is concerning this more and more. and i could say in iraq we are witnessing more evidence on rooting and having sectarians rooted in society in iraq, which is not the case in the history. >> how do you think these elections might exacerbate that? >> i mean, if you look another the list itself, this gives you an indication as you said in the report. we have three lists, and the election lists indicated that we have see groups competing. and this is an important fact. the second fact is what the s the motivation for people to vote for this candidate and not that candidate is being motivated by the sects basically. and this is reminding us of the lack or absence of citizenship

in iraq and the lack of feeling that this is an iraqi belonging to all iraqis rather than a sect or group. >> of course, and shiite is the biggest group there so it is likely we'll get back in. i mean, he has been in power now for over ten years. he is a real survivor, isn't he? >> he is. he is now running the military, running most of the economic sectors. he has -- his own people everywhere on the institutions in iraq. i think this gives him a lot of support in this elections. and this is why other candidates, they are worried about his power. because basically he managed to establish himself as a poll situation in iraq, which is -- others don't enjoy the same actually sources and the same support from the

institution in iraq, and i think this makes him, i would say close to when -- whether [ inaudible ] majority in these elections. >> there are still plenty of challenges facing him. thank you for joining us in the studio. now reports from syria suggests that a school in aleppo has been hit by an air strike. at least 30 people have been killed, most of them children. al jazeera cannot independently verify these pictures. we hear about these sorts of attacks every day, but this one is particularly gruesome. >> it is, because you can see from the pictures the level and extent of the destruction caused by this air strike by the government forces. it is clear it was a school. not only a school, but a school that was hosting an exhibition

for drawings and paintings done by children themselves and some of the activists have been fearing that even some of their colleagues who organized the event could be amongst the dead. the death toll is rising and the activists and people in the neighborhood are still trying to get as many bodies as possible out from the rubble. the opposition again saying this has become a pattern for the government to hit all of neighborhoods in aleppo with these air strikes. >> and of course that city has been a battle ground for almost two years. it's hard to imagine what is left in this city. >> the level of destruction is immense in aleppo. but we have to remember it's a big city. there are neighborhoods that are still inning tact and life goes on normal there, but in other neighborhoods especially

witnessing very fierce fighting between the government and the opposition. the destruction has wiped out complete neighborhoods. many have left, many are still trapped, and the air strikes continue and in many cases there are attacks by the opposition forces against government-held areas. >> thank you very much for bringing us up to speed on the events in syria. now ukraine's acting president says police and security forces are helpless to quell the unrest in parts of the east. this came hours after more government buildings were taken over by pro-russian groups. the government's main goal is to stop the unrest.

>> translator: hired soldiers and special forces have been brought in to attack these regions i will personally oversee this process being implemented. >> paul, the president sounding pretty desperate there. we have not really heard this sort of talk before. >> no, we haven't, but what he is saying is what many people have been saying. the reality is the police force and the authorities within the eastern cities are unwilling or simply unable to combat the forces arranged against them. they are well organized and quite heavily armed groups taking over these municipal buildings in those cities in the east. and the loyalty of some of the police forces -- don't forget

donetsks is the hometown of the former president yanukovych. the acting president was speaking in that way because he was addressing a meeting of more than 20 regional governors, the heads of more than 20 [ inaudible ] were going into a four-day public holiday here in ukraine, and it is clear he wanted to get the message out that there should be no slacking over that holiday period. we have heard an announcement here that there will be a tactical special exercise take place in the early morning hour thursday. that may simply be the movement of an armored column through the city, but it gives an indication of how tense the situation is here. >> and a very real fear as well.

and we keep hearing of more government buildings being taken over in the east. just how much is that in control of the pro-russian separatists. >> we had a briefing just yesterday from the u.s. ambassador to ukraine, he played it down, and described it as ink spots of instability. he said that although these were isolated incident, that they were getting a lot of media coverage. they weren't actually joined up. that said the reality in those cities is the authorities are simply not able to conduct their business as normal. that is particularly worrying because we have a may 25th election due to take place. and one of their biggest concerns is how those elections will take place. the intention that the election

committee was making is the difference between people staying away from the polls, that's a matter of choice, but those who are prevented from taking part, that is terrorism. >> all right. thank you very much, paul. still ahead, a botched execution raises questions around the sec resy surrounding eatel injections used in the united states. and the next indian prime minister casts his vote. >> this is a great day for all people of all races, but especially african-americans and latinos. >> and the world of basketball responds to the life ban given to l.a. clipper's owner donald sterling. ♪ thousands of protests across

egypt have begun a hunger strike to protest their treatment. this week an egyptian court handed down death sentences to more than 600 people. >> al jazeera continues to call for the mediate release of its journalists being held in egypt, amongs them abbul la al-shami. authorities are still refusing to provide him with much-needed medical attention. he began his hunger strike beganing january 1st. he weighed 108 kilograms. two days later he began only liquids. by march he was taking only juice and water. 15 days later he limited himself

to just water. ten days ago he weighed only 74 kilograms. he lost a third of his weight. three more al jazeera journalist remain in prison in egypt, peter greste, mohammed fahmy, and baher mohamed are falsely accused of providing a platform for the muslim brotherhood. the case has been adjourned until may 3rd, and al jazeera rejects all charges. the politician who is tipped to be india's next prime minister has voted in the latest stage of the five-week long nation-wide elections. he was center of attention at the polling station. he has been the state's chief minister for nearly 13 years and also the leader of the bjp party. bjp is hoping to topple the ruling congress party when the votes are counted. he is highlighting the success of [ inaudible ] under his leadership.

but some farmers say they have had their land stolen because of his economic policies. chris reports. >> reporter: this is the sound of progress in india's western state, a multi-million dollars german manufacturer employing more than 350 indians. they make machines to process and package drinks for clients like coca-cola. since opening their factory here in 1998, the company has tripled its annual turnover, and increased their staff five fold. >> that typical [ inaudible ] bureaucracy is absent. in [ inaudible ] instead of red tape you find the red carpet. >> reporter: many foreign and indian companies have been lured to the area by the state's prime minister.

this man is credited with building infrastructure, streamlining bureaucracy, and providing tax incentives to investors, and it seems to be paying off. signs of prosperity are everywhere, the state has enjoyed annual average growth rates of 10% since he became chief minister in 2002. under his leadership, per capita income has nearly doubled, giving these people more disposable money than they have ever had before. but some say these achievements are more hype than substance. this is an economics professor in the state capitol. he says his policies have plunged the state into a massive fiscal deficit. >> the government of [ inaudible ] is of very great concern because in the year 2001 when he became the chief

minister, it was around $4 billion, and it has gone up to $20 billion this year. >> reporter: there are also those who are suffering under the government's policies. these farmers are accusing the administration of stealing their land and selling it to auto giant [ inaudible ]. they say they have been tilling their farms for three generations but were never giving any land deeds. >> translator: just last month the government sent police force to take our land. >> reporter: while he continues his campaign to win the elections, these farmers say they will continue their campaign against his economic policies. united nations human rights chief says the security situation? south sudan is deteriorating

rapidly. he said the un had requested an investigation into recent mass killings, they also want the rebel leader to discuss the violence. the father of a teen who died in the south korean ferry disaster has released video that his son took as the ferry was taking on water. nervous humor as teenagers follow the instructions of the crew to stay in their cabins. he said he wants to expose how adults failed to protect the children. the ferry's crew is now in custody. china is on track to surpass the u.s. as the world's largest economy. gdp statistics have been re-evaluated paced on purchasing

parity, that basically means what money can actually buy in different economies. china's gdp surged in 2011, and that is much larger than previous i will expected. forecasting ahead these figures indicate that china could overtake the u.s. this year. india emerged as the third largest economy in 2011, moving ahead of japan. myanmar's parliament is considering a law to restrict but diswomen from marrying outside of their faith. >> reporter: theirs is a marriage that has lasted a long time. although his father wanted him to marry within his faith, he

eventually relented. >> translator: she wanted to go to the monastery, i went with her, when i invited moms over to our house to read the koran, she made preparations for that. >> reporter: interfaith and interethnic marriages are a fact of life here, but a proposal to regulate and restrict such marriages is now being considered. human rights groups have criticized the proposed law saying it would violation the right to liberty and religious beliefs, and further divide a community along religious lines. in the last two years, anti-muslim sentiments occasionally turned violent. with conflicts that killed more than 200 people and displaced some 70,000. but a group of buddhist monks

are adamant that it is necessary. >> translator: we need this bill, because there are no legal rules and regulations to protect the rights of buddhist women in this country. >> reporter: they want to make it compulsory for any buddhist woman to get permission from other parents and religious leaders before she can marry a man outside of her religion. >> we can make decisions that effect our daily lives, nobody including state and the religious leader has no rights to control woman's rights to choice, woman's rights to make decision. >> reporter: this man and his wife are glad they were free to make their own choices so many years ago. they say they have given that freedom to their own children,

but they wonder if that freedom may now be restricted by the government. now let's get an update from the weather with everton, and those monsoon rains may still be on the way, some areas are seeing very heavy rain. >> yeah, that's right. very heavily downpours. these are showers, but they are certainly a precursor for what is to come in month's town. they come and go, in the heat of the day the showers crop up once again. in candy, 90 millimeters of rain coming down in the last 24 hours. we have got further showers to come over the next couple of days, as i said. this is what we would expect to

see around about the beginning of june. so we have showers in and around this area where we expect to see heavy downpours. the showers are going to effect the southern parts of sri lanka. still a chance of showers into [ inaudible ]. i think it should be a little drier for thursday at least. but the showers are never too far away as we go into friday. to the north [ inaudible ] also affecting a good part of eastern nepal and down into bangladesh. the heavy showers in bangladesh could lead to flooding. elsewhere look at those temperatures into the mid-40s, laura. thank you very much. still to come, we'll look at the dangers of life as a journalist in pakistan.

and in sport real madrid move closer to a tense european title. andy will be here with that story. ♪ vé

♪ >> here are our top stories from doha. iraqis are voting in the parlry elections first the u.s. troops withdraw in 2011. at least 30 people, most of them children are reported killed

after an air strike hit a school in aleppo. and ukraine's acting president said police and security forces are struggling to restore order in eastern parts of their country. he addressed parliament in kiev just hours after more government buildings were taken over by pro-russia groups in the east. let's get more now on those elections in iraq. kamal has been keeping a close eye on what has been happening on social media. >> yes. we want to look at what interest might actually be in the united states in these elections. i saw this just a moment ago. and my producer did i should say, this is someone who snapped a picture at their old high school. and this is a queueing system of old school tables with bits of tape in between them, and they

have created a queueing system for a polling station there. and this is one of my favorites, the mother on the right-hand side has clearly voted but her two children want to feel like they are part of the election process, and they have the purple on their finger. as i said to laura, we want to talk to the united states here and what level of interest there might be in the elections. i'm going to start with this graphic, and it is really quite brilliant. it shows you this first circle, which is 50, $60 billion. that is the initial estimate of what this war was going to cost. the post war, and watch what happens when we bring in the

department of defense spending. bang! absolutely flies up. and this was some time ago at $792 billion. it is certainly up above that. that shows you the amount of spending going on. and i want to show you this. this came out today from the wall street journal, a survey on whether americans want their country to be as front and center on the world stage anymore. certainly, i guess in light of what is happening in the ukraine. but have a look at these. we're looking at the last two bars. the first one is 2001, and 37% of americans wanted the united states to be more active on the world stage and only 14 didn't. look at it now. it has changed. flipped completely. 19% want their country to be more active on the world stage, and 47%, almost half don't. so you see the iraq effect if you would like. perhaps americans aren't that

interested anymore. we talked to patty culhane about this. is there any interest in this in united states? >> well, let's take a look. these are the two most influential papers in the country, the washington times, the "new york post." iraq elections not mentioned at all. the american media talk a lot about elections, but when they do they are talking about the elections that will happen next november. and politicians almost never talk about iraq. president barack obama for the most part seems to have left all of the communication with bagdad up to his vice president. and he hasn't picked up the phone in about a month. so that gives you an indication of how much iraq is talked about. >> it'ses a -- astonishing when

you think about the trillions that they poured into iraq, and now it just seems like well, we just want to close that chapter and move on. >> that's right. president barack obama has his lowest polling number on that issue as well. able only 4% of americans polled thought iraq was an ally, 75% called its an emmy. and the general feeling in washington is that the u.s. has very little influence in iraq. and i think that's part of why you don't hear the politicians talking about it.

>> thank you for that, patty. just a reminder plenty more for you online for with this. hit the in-depth link. and you can understand how this election works. have a look at this at aljazeera.com to explain how the election system will work, and keep in touch with us as well. good idea to follow, and you'll see some information up on the screen in a moment. and you can get ahold of me, obviously. house that hashtag there. and on that note, in 90 minutes time, shiulie ghosh will be speaking to the former uk foreign secretary, jack straw. he was a foreign secretary at the time of the iraq invasion back in 2003.

he'll be here on aje, al jazeera english. if you have a question for him, we would love to hear from you. send the tweets. >> thanks very much indeed. now on to pakistan where reports of shootings, bombings, and kidnappings are worrying regularity with no sector of society safe from the violence. one group in particular being abducted and killed at an alarming rate is journalists. 34 journalists have been killed as the result of their work since 2008. only in one case has v the killers faced justice. many more have been attacked. those working on human rights

issues are also under threat. one man joins us live from islamabad. first of all perhaps you can share with us your experience. >> hello. >> just checking that you can hear me. perhaps you should share with us your experience of being abducted, as you say, and tortured. >> yes, that happened on september 4th, 2010. i was kidnapped. i was taken to some unknown destination where they stripped me naked, put me on a [ inaudible ] and started beating me with a wooden rod, they -- my head was shaved.

my eyebrows were shaved. it was really a terrible experience, and i was asked to stop reporting about issues i had been covering. also they warned me about speaking up. but i decided otherwise because as a journalist, we must be aware -- we must be mindful of the hazards we face in this profession. journalism has become unfortunately a very dangerous profession. it's not easy [ inaudible ] in pakistan. and as you were talking about the report [ inaudible ] that's an example of the trouble that journalists face. some cases have been highlighted. many -- journalists have chosen to remain silent. it's really a difficult time. >> absolutely the whole of pakistan is under the threat of

attack mainly from the taliban. what is disturbing is you are implicating the isi, what proof do you have of that? >> it depends on where you are situated. you know, they are facing different challenges, and there are different actors opposing them. i have been reporting about the national security issues, and i had been called a number of times and receive warnings, but i thought that since i have been doing it very professionally asking for their side of the story every time. my story have never been denied. and finally i was picked up, and in my case i had strong suspensions that it had been done by the agency, and this is what i was told to the judicial commission that was set up to

investigate my case. they deny it, but [ inaudible ] perception, many journalists feel harassed. they feel threatened. so i think they should take it as challenge and they must realize any allegation from the journalist is not bringing them good name. and this is the opposite between journalists and [ inaudible ] it is very hard for the national security even for the pakistan [ inaudible ]. >> you said earlier that you weren't going to stay silent despite these threats. but i should think very many journalists in pakistan are silenced by these threats. >> yeah, you know, as i told you earlier, if you are in kara inch there are the militants, you must be aware of [ inaudible ] he was a reporter, and he was

killed and later [ inaudible ] with the political party there. likewise a journalist in [ inaudible ] and sandwiched between the militant and the military. and the same with the journ aileses that are operating from the [ inaudible ]. the journal lists in islamabad they feel more threatened from the agencies. >> very interesting to get your story. thank you very much. now afghan forces have killed at least 60 fight frers the taliban-linked network. this instance happened in a district near the border with pakistan. around 300 fighters came under fire when they tried to storm an african military base. at least four afghan soldiers were killed in the fighting. this man was given lethal

injecti injections duri injections but it was called off after he started convulsing. what happened? >> clayton walton was declared unconscious after the first of three drugs were administered. the problems began when the second and third drugs were administered. he started gasping for air, clenched his teeth and tried to remove his a head from the pillow. it was at that point that officials lowered the blinds. but when the second and third drugs are administered it can cause excruciating pain as the person is being suffocated.

they are blaming a problem with his veins. however, his lawyers are objecting to that. a second man who was due to be executed after, did receive a stay of execution of 14 days. >> and this sort of thing has gone wrong before? >> right. yes, earlier in the year there have been cases where it seemed that people were conscious as they were dying, and it took rather a long time. the main problem that states are facing is that many pharmaceutical companies as a result of public pressure are simply not giving them the dhem calls that have been used in the past for lethal injections as a result states are going to other sources to find these chemicals. but we don't necessarily know what these sources are, because these states have also passed

secrecy laws making it a secret to find out where these drugs are coming from. and if we don't know the quality of where these drugs are coming from, how can we be sure that inmates aren't receiving cruel and unusual punishment which is unconstitutional. in fact his lawyers suited oklahoma to find out where these drugs were coming from, and the supreme court agreed with them. but another aspect thef state supreme court backed down on their judgment that this is not constitutional to tell someone where the drugs that were going to kill someone were coming from under pressure of the legislature. however, this case, perhaps will bring up this issue again. the u.s. supreme court refused to hear challenges to various states secrecy laws this month. but we expect more challenges to come on where states are getting

these drugs to kill their inmates. >> extraordinary case indeed. thank you very much. the british actor bob hoskins has died at the age of 71. he died in hospital surrounded by his family after a bout of pneumonia. we're about to have a musical interlude. ♪ >> hear a unique orchestra in the united states. their remarkable story is next. and in sport we'll hear from the man in possession of a world boxing title who also wants to own a basketball team.

♪ now music therapy is known to help patients coping with a variety of illnesses, and one innovative orchestra in the u.s. is using music to help those with mental illeningses. >> reporter: typical small talk before rehearsal for an orchestra that is anything but typical. >> i need the cellos here. >> reporter: as a young conductor this man has a promising career ahead of him. he conducted orchestras from san francisco to berlin, to oslo,

but his performances were frequently disrupted by severe mood swings. in 1985 he was diagnosed as bipolar. he claimed he was fired because of his mental condition. ♪ >> crescendo. good. good. >> reporter: in response the 58-year-old created the me-too orchestra. made up of musicians with mental illnesses and those who love them. >> once i was diagnosed with a mental illness, i didn't have anything i was supposed to be doing, and they just had me on a bunch of meds and sitting

around, and i couldn't get anywhere. >> reporter: the unique orchestra has selfed soften the stigma often associated with mental illness. and it lead bronstein to caroline who recently became his wife. >> i just want to support him and let him be in a place where he can be the greatest artist that can be. >> reporter: not long ago bronstein was having a rough day and came close to canceling rehearsal. and then he realized he didn't have to make up an execution. when i came in the room i felt so much love, i thought i'm ready to conduct. >> reporter: a room full of compassion and musical talent.

>> now here is andy. >> thank you very much. magic johnson says the decision to ban l.a. clippers owner donald sterling for life benefits all races. >> reporter: adam silver dished out the strongest penalty in his power. >> effective immediately, i am banning mr. sterling for life from any association with the clippers organization or the nba. >> reporter: sterling the long-time owner of the team was caught on tape making racist statements about african-americans to a girlfriend. silver called the marks deeply

offensive. sterling will be fined $2.5 million. and silver says he will try to force him to give up the team, estimated to be worth $575 million. >> i will urge the board of governors to exercise it's a authority to force a sale of the team, and will do everything in my power to ensure that that happens. >> it was a great day for all people of all races, but especially, you know, african-americans and latinos, who, you know, he was speaking out against. and so i think that i'm just happy that commissioner adam silver came down hard. >> reporter: the clippers coach, doc rivers said his players felt a great sense of relief. >> i told the players, you know, about the decision, and, you know, i think they were just happy that it was a rez lugsz. >> let's hope this is an

opportunity for all of us as former players, as a league, as a community, to help educate and help take one step further to eradicating racism in our communities. >> reporter: he said he had spoken personally to donald sterling, but sterning expressed no remorse whatsoever for the words that outraged so many. well as he heard there, nba commissioner adam silver saying he will do everything in his power to force a sale of the clippers. unfortunately that could profit him greatly. magic johnson is another option. he once owned a stake in the lakers, and silver said he would

be welcomed as an owner. but floyd mayweather says his interest isn't just talk. the decision to ban the owner was made just hours before the clipper's playoff game. they can close out that series on thursday. floyd mayweather probably enjoying his favorite team's playoff run, but his attention will be firmly fixed on his event on saturday. he is bidding to unify the wbc, and wba welterweight titles. he has a flawless 45-0 record. >> the key to where i'm at is

being very, very intelligent, smart, keeping my composure and coming up with brilliant game plans. spanish police have arrested a spectator that through a banana at the brazilian player. the man detained is a 26-year-old villa real supporter. real madrid are through to their final for the first time in 12 years. a 4-0 win in germany giving real fans every reason to celebrate. chelsea or athletico madrid await them in the liz bin final on may 24th. >> i think [ inaudible ] has a lot of experience to this game. to the other side we are a team really strong in this moment with a lot of confidence, with a lot of strength, and then really

doesn't matter who will be the team that we play. it's important that one of these teams is real madrid. chelsea athletico still goalless ahead of the decisive second leg coming up in london. chelsea aiming to win the title and his players could set up a title. the goalkeeper is still not fit enough to be picked, but [ inaudible ] is ready to play. >> when you get your hands on the trophy, that moment lives with you every day when you are in a difficult period personally or professionally. there's nothing bigger than a champion's league. >> translator: the confidence is always there, especially in the

semifinal of the champions league. it's clear my players are very motivated. very excited. >> reporter: plenty more on our website, aljazeera.com/sport. plenty more for me later on, but that is it for now. >> great. thanks very much indeed. let's leave you now with some of the images from iraq's election, which has been hailed as a huge success. the first parliamentary vote since the u.s. withdraw in 2011. ♪

>> the debate that divides america, unites the critics, a reason to watch al jazeera america the standout television event borderland, is gritty honesty. >> a lot of people don't have a clue what goes on down here, the only way to find out, is to

see it yourselves. >> taking viewers beyond the debate. >> don't miss al jazeera america's critically acclaimed series borderland on al jazeera america also available on demand unprecedented punishment by the n.b.a. banning "clipper maid of the skies" owner donald sterling for life. battle. >> the white house moves to kerb the sexual assault on campus, will recommendations have the desired felent. >> should police be able to search four cell phone at a traffic spot. with more states delivering higher speed limits, will there be more traffic accidents. i'm antonio mora, welcome to "consider this," here is more on what is ahead.