>> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> fighting for her reputation and job - thailand's prime minister has her day in court. hello, you're watching al jazeera live from doha. also on the programme - ukraine's interior minister says 30 were killed in fighting in the eastern city of slovyansk. the leader of a radical group in nigeria is threatening to sell earlier 300 teenage school girls. the latest from abuja.

born free in south africa on the eve of the election. we hear from the post apartheid generation. thailand's prime minister denies all accusations that she abused her powers. yingluck shinawatra testified before a constitution court. a group of senators filed a case. if found guilty she'll have to stand down. yingluck shinawatra has been sued in a separate case by the anticorruption party. six months of protests have so far failed to force her out of office. and we'll get from from our correspondent in bangkok. what is the case against prime minister yingluck shinawatra? >> reporter: all right, this

case stems from an action in 2011, transferring her national security chief out of the post to become the prime minister of advisor, which effectively is a powerless inactive position. she accused of using that transfer and manoeuvring a relative by marriage to the position of police chief. in a testimony on tuesday, prime minister yingluck shinawatra said that her actions, whatever she did, was for the sake of the company and defended the action in promoting the relative to police chief. she said he was promoted because the seniority. her opponents see it as an attempt to unseat her, something that street protests tend to do. they accused the court of bias, saying it is rushing through the case. it was the same court that in 2008 removed two prime ministers allied to the shinawatra family. in a recent decision they said

that this is the same court that threw out a petition, asking her to rule that street protests were unconstitutional. >> what happens if she's found guilty? >> we are not sure when the court will deliver a verdict, but it is expected this week. if found guilty, they'll be forced to step down. the law says someone will have to be selected from the lower house o parliament. the last election in february has been nullified. who can they pick. there's a proposal, the upper house, senators, can submit a name to the king. it's a proposal not likely to go down well with the prime minister's political party. they view the upper house as opponents of the government. this is it not the only legal change facing the government.

she's facing yingluck shinawatra, and there's a case she has to answer. she has been accused of neglected duty in the costry rice sub -- costly rice subsidy deal was brought in. if found guilty she could be barred from office. whatever the decision, the supporters of the government, and supporters of an anti-deposit protesters say they are planning to cause major rallies. >> florence louie joining us from bangkok. to other news - chinese authorities detained a prominent human rights lu human rights person. police are accusing him of creating a disturbance. they have no immediate comment. top european documents are meeting in vienna to push for a

peaceful solution to the ukranian crisis. foreign ministers from russia and ukraine met before the talks in the austrian capital, and in other diplomatic developments, officials in the g7 countries are meeting to discuss how to decrease dependence on energy supplies. there has been deaths on both sides as government forces continue their operations in the east. >> reporter: the army operation to dislodge pro-russian militia from slovyansk switched up a gear, an effort by ukranian forces to push past the roadblocks, and press on towards the center. there was gun fire and multiple explosions and casualties on both sides. a ukranian helicopter gun ship was brought down, crashing into the river. the minister of defence said the

piles survived. ambulances weaved through the roadblocks, braving a crossfire to bring the injured to hospital. by midafternoon the battle was over, and the town fell quiet. after a blockade, tactics of the ukranian army changed to a policy of active engagement. pro-russian elements are in control of large parts of the town. at a crossroad area, we found the road littered with dozens of spent bullet cases. we were told the army cornered a group of separatist fighters. >> translation: from the 25 of us that went in, only fi came out. we got into a slal. they tightened it. when we started retreating. they surrounded us from behind. we barely fought them off and got through. >> local residents spoke of a convoy of individuals and a

group of 11 special forces soldiers dressed in black. >> people from the sbu came and shot at peaceful citizens. my house was shot. the road was covered with bullet cases. we have six dead bodies and eight injured in the hospital. >> translation: i was at home. there was shooting for an hour and a half. my house was hit from two directions. windows have bullet holes in them. ukranian troops destroyed us. >> translation: the armoured vehicles came from that direction, a.p. cs at the back. a line of them. a car began. >> 16km away in a small town of kramatorsk fell slept as hundreds attended the funeral of a nurse killed during a gun battle between the army and separatist fighters. this woman was killed by shots fired by the ukranian convoy,

her death heightening her sense of grievance. the former egyptian army chief abdul fatah al-sisi has given his first television interview since declaring his run for president. he said that the banned muslim muslim brotherhood will never return to politics as he's elected. he told tv host he supports a controversial law to clamp down on protests. >> who acts from him and his request was not granted. i speak about a country that was dangerous and people need to understand this and stand by us. anyone that thinks otherwise wants to ruin egypt. that won't be allowed. this could be a political viewpoint and not about destroying egypt. it's a right to protest. your request will be granted. as for permitting the country to fall, no.

we have images of abdullah al-shami, since his rest in egypt last august. they were taken on saturday whilst he was transported to court. his detention was extended for 45 days. he's been on a hunger strike for 106 days and drunk only water since 16 march. taken before his arrest this picture shows him in normal health. he has lost more than a third of his wait. abdullah al-shami's colleagues have been marking his 26th birthday with a solidarity vige il. he's held without charge and denied access to a lawyer or medical treatment. >> al jazeera received an audio recording of abdullah al-shami speaking to reporters during a court hearing. egyptian police kept journalists at a distance so the recording is of poor galty. -- quality.

thrive al jazeera english journalists have been detained in egypt, held for 129 days peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed are accused of false ing new and conspiring with the muslim brotherhood, declared a terrorist organization with egypt. al jazeera rejects all charges and demands their release. the united states offered to help with efforts to find and rescue 270 school girls abducted in nigeria. boko haram fighters threatened to sell the girls captured three weeks ago. the u.s. is doing what it can says white house spokesman jay carney. >> we view what has happened as

an outrage and tragedy. the president has been briefed and his security team is monitoring the situation. the state department has been in touch with the nigerian government about what we might do to support efforts to find and free the young women. >> this report from abuja. there's anger over the government's open response. >> reporter: a new hour-long video from the leader of boko haram, abubakar shekau. he says his fighters abducted the girls. he promises to sell them on what he calls "the market." this woman protested against a failure to rescue 270 girls kidnapped by the group. she said she was arrested and detained on the orders of nigeria's first lady patience jonathan in abuja on sunday. she and two other protesters were summoned to the presidential villa to discuss

finding the girls. when there the first lady accused them of being boko haram sympathizers and said they were embarrassing president goodluck jonathan, by holding protests. they were taken away by police. they spent the night here at the police station. these angry supporters showed up to demand their release on monday morning. protesters say the first lady had no right to order the arrests. >> what platform is used to say that. we appreciate that the federal ministry of defense, the national security adviso - who are responsible constitutionally on the streets of nigeria. we don't know what instrument or instructor she uses to engage in the remarks and investigative activity. >> the women have been released. these allegations against the first lady, fuelling public anger over the handling of the

abduction. these took place in abuja, london and washington over the government's handling of the situation. >> a spokesperson told al jazeera he did not think the allegation against the first lady are true. many are angry with the government's handling of the abduction and the allegation could lead more to the treat. . >> let's look at a couple of other stories we are expecting to develop later on tuesday. israel is due to celebrate 66th independence day, but for palestinians the day of catastrophe is a day to remember hundreds of thousands of people. this year, like every year, they'll begin their march from a symbolic village. it's one of many places where people were displaced.

>> uruguay's new laws, governing how people grow, sell and use marijuana is the first country to launch. each household can grow up to six plants. >> and the headline from a report from the united states - the national climate assessment written by 300 leading scientists is expected to warn that no u.s. citizen will be unaffected. it will be released at the white house later. >> still ahead in the programme - live from the afghan province of badakhshan. where there has been reports of violence during aid distribution. and the dream of eternal youth - research promising to reveal the long sought-after secret.

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good to have you with us. these are the top stories on al jazeera. thailand's prime minister has denied all accusations that she abused her powers. yingluck shinawatra was testifying before the constitutional court. she's facing allegations of abuse of power. 6 months of protests failed to force her from office. at least 12 people have been killed in fighting between gunmen and soldiers in the eastern ukranian city of slovyansk. foreign ministers belonging to the council of europe are meeting in vienna to discuss the escalating crisis. >> the u.s. offered to help with efforts to find 270 school girls

abducted in nigeria. boko haram threatened to sell the girls and admitted it abducted them three weeks ago. the girl's family accused the government of not doing enough to rescue them. >> gun fire has been reported in the afghan village hit by a landslide. it began as army trucks arrived with aid. 250 people are confirmed dead. more are missing. we are live to badakhshan province. is the violence hampering the aid efforts there? >> reporter: frankly, no. there's a lot of aid coming in, but we are seeing chaotic scenes. over the shoulder there may be a crowd of 400-500 people surrounding an aid truck.

to give you a sense of how chaotic this delivery of aid has been. they are literally throwing blankets, food parcels and water into the crowd and people are snatching them, fighting with each other. those badly affected by the landslide are angry about how the aid is delivered and that is why we have seen chaotic scenes that we have over the last day or so. sounds like a desperate situation there. people are not just angry about how long it's taken for aid to reach them, are they? >> you're right. amidst the scenes of chaos there's destruction. the village is no more. they predict somewhere between 500 and 2500 have lost their lives. those that survived the landslide want the authorities

to continue to dig. they want the bodies recovered. they say the only way to get closure is if the bodies are found and they can bury the loved ones. >> thank you for that. joining us from badakhshan. thank you. to the democratic republic of congo now. judges have acquitted all but two of 39 soldiers accused of raping 130 women and girls two years ago. it was the country's biggest mass rape trial. as malcolm webb reports from goma, many are questioning the fairness of the verdict. >> reporter: it was the first rape trial of its size here in the democratic republic of congo. in the eastern city of goma 39 soldiers charged arrived at this military court to hear the final verdict. 18 months earlier retreating government troops flooded the town of goma after being

defeated in battle. this woman lives there and is one of dozens, hundreds to tell similar stories. >> translation: we heard that government soldiers were coming and were looting. 17 of them came into where we were hiding. there were 14 of us, they raped all of us. >> the court had earlier heard testimonies from 76 women before the time came for the final judgment. a long sentence in a gaol is not much better. this man got 10 years and was fibbed out of the army. the number alone can affect a family. 26 had gaol sentence, mostly for looting. the others were acquitted. only two were found guilty of rape. observers say the prosecution failed to provide evidence that the men standing trial were the men that did it. >> the defendants sitting in these chairs throughout the

hearing know that they are safe. two-thirds are going to gaol. a third of them have been set free. all of those are officers. that will leave some of the victims and human rights activists asking if justice has been done. the defense says everything was fair. >> we demonstrated for rape cases that these people did not rape. when the commanders heard there was trouble in shooting, they summoned the soldiers. >> that is largely how guilt was determined. being absent from the roll call. these men will spend years in gaol as a result. they are angry. they say their commanders let them done. with few successful rape convictions the victims are left wondering how much progress can be made. now, the u.s. extended its

least on its only permanent base in africa. president obama has negotiated a deal with the president there. around 4,000 soldiers are based there. thousands of people are expected to vote in south africa's general elections on wednesday. south africa is a young country, many will be voting in this election for the first time. more than 25 billion people are registered to vote out of a population of 52 million. south africans born after the end of apartheid are known as the born free generation. those over 18 will vote for the first time. we went to meet some of them. >> reporter: gerard says some of his white friend can't find

work. government policies favouring black applicants are meant to create equalism. he understands why the policy is necessary, but it's time to look beyond colour. >> if i could speak to president zuma from a young white man i'd say you can't use race as an excuse any more. if you are relocate in 2014, which i don't know if i would be too happy with, but if you are reelected, it's time for jobs. >> jarrod is what is called a born free. part of a generation born after the end of apartheid. it's an economic class that divides young people. >> some young people don't like the term born free, saying it implies post-apartheid. they have different experiences living in what is still a divided south africa.

>> this man is worried about employment. he tries to nov gait -- navigate out of poverty. >> i'm 28 years old but i live in the same room with my parents. they don't have privacy. if i want to take a bath, someone has to go out. when i wake up i have to go out so my little sister can take a bath. >> one-third of those between the ages of 18 and 19 are registered to vote. >> we see a youth that is disillusioned. they don't feel their vote will make is difference. for some he opted not to vote. >> jarrod is determined to vote and wants to see more jobs created. they also need the basics, such as a decent place to live. >> the united states has

announced that it will allow the main syrian opposition alliance to open a diplomatic mission in washington. it will provide another 27 million of nonlethal aid to the syrian national coalition, bringing a total package to $280 million. it's the latest mood and formalised within diplomatic relationship following the closure in march. the leader is expected to meet the u.s. secretary of state john kerry on thursday. the head of the columbian's president re-election campaign resigned. the president's advisor was accused of taking a $12 million bribe to stop a suspected drug traffick trafficker from being expedited. more and more celebrities are protesting brunei's islamic

law. punishment will include sex by stoning for those convicted of gay sex and adultery. jay lepo is calling for a boycott. dorchester hotel chain linked to the sultan of brunei. he joined protesters outside the beverley hills hotel. last week it became the first south-east asian nation to introduce sharia. >> lots of interesting stories. economists are expected to release a report in london that says the world needs a new approach to the war on drugs. the report suspected on the same day that uruguay allows marijuana to be grown legally in the country. the u.k. and france - 313 million passengers have used the tunnel between the two

countries. the euro vision song contest begins, conflict between russia and ukraine is likely to be in the spotlight. they are among the countries competing to get to the finals on saturday. >> it sounds like something from a fairytale, an elimper of youth reversing the ageing process. scientists in the u.s. say they are on their way to uncovering that secret substance. we explain. the affects of ageing are well-known and largely unavoidable. ouribility to remember and learn decreases. our muscles lose their tone. now, three separate studies from the united states have shed light on a possible way of stopping, each reversing these changes. it comes down to blood. researchers took blood from young mice and gave it to older animals. they tested them and found they made fewer errors in escaping

from a maize and learnt faster than other old mice. the brains of older mice developed stronger connections between neurons, the basis for learning and memory. it's not clear what compound is having the effect, but earlier research suggests it is gd f11. there was remarkable changes in the hearts of mice when the protein from young mice was taken and injected into older animals. >> when we corrected the deficiency to the old animals had levels equivalent to young animals, we could reverse the changes. blood is full of all kinds of things. trying to narrow down what might be the responsible factor is going to be a big challenge. >> for scientists looking at gd f11 say human trials of the protein are three years away and

warn againindividuals arranging their own transfusions. they say their discoveries show promise and could help in the development of treatments to combat age-related illnesses. >> that story and the rest of the day's news can be found on our website