>> home and shops set on fire. a 12-hour attack being blamed by the same group that kidnapped school girls. >> and the south africaen election for the first time since the abolishment of apartheid. >> and president vladimir putin said troops have withdrawn from ukraine but nato said there is no evidence of that.

>> and football camp? a. >> good afternoon, i'm michael gleaves and i'm morgan radford. thank you for joining us. >> officials say an attack that set homes and shops on fire during the 12-hour attack near the border with cameroon. >> now this attack comes as nigerian police offer even more money for any and all information leading them to the more 200 school girls who were kidnapped just last month. describing what residents said about that attack. >> these people operated within that city for over 12 hours. she did not--they did not leave until 1:00 in the night.

before the city was visited by the military and control volunteers. the military and the civilians vigilanty moved to the northern border when they heard that some of the school girls who had been abducted from sighted around that area. so the insurgents took advantage of the situation, and they came in to the city. actually when they came the villagers thought it was the military who came because they came in with military vehicles and military uniform. now they started the attack in the market area. there are no shops left standing there. and anyone sighted in that area were shot and killed.

and then they came into the city, and they found all the shops, about 500 vehicles were burned. any vehicle sighted were burned. anyone wit who were in their residence or on the street were killed. not less than 300 people died. >> members of congress went to the nigerian embassy in washington to discuss the situation. they say nigeria is committed to finding the girls. >> we're very assured that nigeria is humbled, they are in pain. they love their children, and they are now, as they have been, they are now drawing the world's attention to help them go after the thugs. let's kill the cancer. let's drag out this vile person.

>> president obama said the u.s. will do everything it can to help find those missing girls starting by sending a team of military advisers over to nigeria. mike viqueira is live at the white house now. who exactly is being sent to nigeria. what kind of specialist are part of the advisers. >> reporter: they're going to be moving swiftly within a matter of days, not weeks. military personnel, law enforcement personnel, and information sharing, the fbi has a team there on stand by. they specialize in hostage negotiation. they're also going to be assisting in the forensic aspect, offering all kinds of technical assistance. we don't know a lot of particulars about this team other than there are going to be ten military people in uniform sent by the d.o.d. we don't know how large the group is going to be.

jen saki gave us a preview of what this team is going to be trying to accomplish. >> we have offered assistance to the nigerian government. president jonathan accepted our officer ooffer of assistance, al put together a team in support of nigeria's efforts to find and free the girls. >> reporter: president obama in a serious the interviews talked about this crisis in nigeria and talked about the fact that the president there had asked for assistance, pointing outer problem there, the need to focus on these organizations, particularly boko haram. >> they are sending in specialists but how is this cooperation going to work? who does what?

>> right, when they talk about information sharing a lot of times that translates in washington code communication equipment, intelligence sharing as well what the united states can learn from covert operations both from satellite and other assets that are simply not available to the nigerian government. also adding that the american ambassador in nigeria met with the national security adviser with the nigerian government today, the nigerian president. we might point out that the pentagon was at pains today to say that this was only going to be at ten military personnel. they would not be part of a larger force. this is not a first step of a military force entering nigeria. obviously a lot of sensitivities there. >> a very fluid situation that we'll continue to cover. mike viqueira joining us live from the white house. mike, thank you for joining us this afternoon. >> boko haram's leader has

threatened to sell the school girls in the market. they have done more to rescue the girls and end gender-based violence in that country. a spokesperson at women for women international. amber, thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> give us an idea, amber, what it's like to be a female in nigeria. >> it depends on where you are, michael. it's challenging for women, particularly women in nigeria are unable to access education, which is the pathway to find employment to support themselves and their families. and the struggle is really seen when you look at where you live in m nigeria. in the rural parts of nigeria 10% of girls and women are seen as having access to education. throughout the country is roughly 55%. the experience of having access to formal education is very

difficult. the majority of women we work with, we've trained over 50,000, and to give you an idea of their lives and the support that they need and that we offer, they are not averaged $0.29 a day. that's when you're mindful that extreme poverty is $1.25. the reality for these women in our program, they're strong, resilient as we see in the coverage that's emerging, but they are challenged. they are challenged for acces accessing information, and being able to apply skills to jobs so that they can support their families. and organize and work together to begin to articulate and frankly demand rights for security and safety. violence, gender-based violence in nigeria for women unfortunately for many is a daily occurrence, it has been identified as part of the culture, domestic violence in particular, the daily expectation if you behave a

certain way you are entitled to violence a beating from one's husband. when you understand the challenge that we face in terms of working with women, it's imperative that the global community really lift our voices to talk about insuring we're going to stand behind efforts to educate the women and call for an end to this kind of gender-based violence that affects one in three women around the globe, and in nigeria it is unfortunately a daily reality part of the life that women are struggling against. >> it's so engrained in the culture that it's easy for them to be targets. boko haram claims that they are going to sell them on the market. how easily can they make good to that promise. >> i can't speak to how easily he'll make good on that promise, but i can speak to this, the

global stage that we're creating to support efforts for our local leaders to coordinate resources to bring back the girls is being exploited. the attempts to be provocative and suggest that he and boko haram is an extremist violent group can hide and flee is an attempt to suggest that they will continue and to challenge the progress that's been made. i mean, nigeria in particular, we've seen in our programs women are making great strides, and the culture itself, the agreement and belief that it is very important to educate girls and boys across the country is gaining support. and i think that his comments in particular are designed to exploit the situation, and i think also are a reminder of the platform that we create. we have to be very mindful about insisting that we keep the

attention on the girls, and not paying or heeding the inflammatory rhetoric of extremists who are attempting to seed even greater fear. >> amber khan from women for women international. thank you. >> thank you. >> violence in nigeria is threatening to overshadow a forum who gather for the world economic forum on africa. the event is supposed to shine a spotlight on nigeria which recently became africa's largest economy. the votes are being counted in south africa after the country's fifth general aelection, the first since nelson mandela. >> as reported, poor south africans say the government must do much more to step up. >> a night of protest in some parts of south africa security

forces make sure that they're clearly visitable at polling stations. they burned down three polling stations on tuesday night. they say they're tired of waiting for the government to provide basic services. voting for the first time, she hopes that conditions in her community will change. >> we are going far from crime. at night rape sometimes, whatever. >> reporter: soldiers have been deployed. they will stay on high alert in areas they call hot spots. but their presence does not scare off those who are determined to vote, a right many people died for during aparthe apartheid. lack of basic services, some people tell us they'll continue burning and destroying public property until politicians deal with the unemployment and poverty. 20 years after apartheid ended the poor are growing impatient.

>> that's precisely what the government should not want when it is trying to counter by calming the mood, and by assuring people that delivery will happen. that's delivery not just of social services like help and sanitation and housing, etc. but also delivery of an economy that is growing of jobs that were promised a long time ago. >> reporter: people say being poor is hard. they want what plane people who are well off take for granted. they hope their vote will make a difference. al jazeera, south africa. >> many south africans voting in today's election were actually born after the end of apartheid. coming up at 4:30 we'll take a closer look at what this election means for them. >> european leaders promise to deliver a road map out of the crisis in ukraine today. the country waits politicians contradict the reality on the ground. russian president vladimir putin said he has pulled back russian troops from the ukrainian border

but u.s. and nato say there is no evidence of a withdrawal. putin called on its military to stop its operations on pro-russian activist in the east and said that it should pave way for a vote in sunday. nick spicer reports. >> reporter: the government is looking ahead and sees a need for a stronger fighting force. so it has invited leaders of a giant demonstration in kiev earlier this year to get thousands of one-time protesters to train in the national guard. there aren't enough bullets to tract shooting today, and training takes only two weeks but many feel battle-ready. after holding their ground during the previous government's violent crackdown in kiev and central square which killed over 100 protesters. >> the people who were fighting here have got valuable national security. that's why they should join the national guard.

right now they have such military experience. it's something that we did not have before. >> the armed forces are broke. the interim government accuses of previous administration of stealing much of its budget. so television appeals like this one ask view tours make contributions by sending a text message to a certain number. >> civilians are not just joining the army and the national guard to help fight in the hot spots in the southeast of the country. here on the outskirts of kiev they're demanding barricades. this retiree is one of them helping one of the regular highway police. paying special attention to cars with license plates showing that they come from parts of the ukraine where there is violence. >> i'm here to protect my motherland, and the government is doing nothing so we have to do it ourselves. i have two kids and a grandchild. >> the government said its volunteers are under the orders

of a sovereign government allowed to bear arms by the constitution, but civilians elsewhere in the country, those opposed to the current leaders say they, too, need to establish law and order setting the stage for what some fear could become a civil war. nick spicer, al jazeera, kiev. >> president obama was in arkansas getting a first-hand look at the devastation caused by last month's deadly tornadoes. while touring the damage he made a promise. >> the federal government will be right here until we get these communities rebuilt. because when something like this happens to a wonderful community like this, it happens to all of us, and we have got to be there for them. >> the president met with victims, local officials and emergency personnel, and 15 people died. when tornadoes ripped through the suburbs. another tornado leveled the town. the weather that hit arkansas was part of a violent storm

system that killed 35 people. the first fight card has been set for this year's elections. >> michael and morgan, north carolina features a very key battle which will determine who controls the senate. kay hagin considered one of the most vulnerable democrats, and last night they got the hagen opponents they want. tom tillis overcame two tea party challengers. he received the votes that he needed for the primary run off. >> this is part of our primary mission which is our mission all along. that is to beat kay hagin and to make harry reid irrelevant.

>> rand paul campaigned hard in nortnorth carolina, and even referred to the g.o.p. establishment asl leviathon. in the old testament that refers to a monster. republican reany elmers won nearly 60% against tea party challenger who took challenge with her immigration reform. incumbents. 36 of them were on the ballot in north carolina, ohio and indiana. all 36 won. in kansas the governor's race just got a bit more interesting. close associates of sam brown are now under federal investigation. the fbi is investigating the fundraiser and lobbying activities of brownback's team. brownback was up for re-election

this fall has denied any wrongdoing. in georgia, bob johnson has now apologized for saying that he would rather see another terrorist attack than continue to submit to airport searches by the tsa. after that statement he said, quote, in the heat of the moment that i would rather fight the enemy than our federal government, i said something stupid and should have chosen my words more carefully. in toronto rob ford was caught smoking crack gen again n days ago, and is in rehab, and apparently he loves it. he said we have a camp much like the washington redskins camp i attended as a kid. ford went on t say that he'll be continuing his run for re-election. he said, quote, of course i'm

coming back, and i am going to kick-butt. watch out, toronto, ford is coming back, and he may be clean. >> watch out, indeed. >> football camp? >> i've never heard. >> i have been to football camp and i can't see them being the same. >> protests against the sultan denied. we'll tell i couldn't he has got hollywood so upset. >> and it may turn into the largest ipos every. alibaba does more than he bay and amazon combined, what is it exactly? we'll take a closer look.

>> a number of celebrities are urging people to boycott a hospital in the los angeles ar area. >> it's owned by the sultan of brunei who has just imposed a pretty harsh islamic law. >> brunei is a country, but the problem is nobody knows where it is. i do, however, because i've been

looking at maps all day. this is borneo, a giant island and on the northern tip two tiny slips of land, and that is brunei. if you look at the country has a flag like this and three-quarters of the people who live there are muslims, and it used to be a malaysian state. the rest are chinese and indigenous people. here is the absolute monarch of brunei. he has been that way since 1967. he has made billions and billions of dollars in oil and gas exploration. his 1800 room palace is considered to be the world's largest residents. it's pretty gaudy. to be honest brunei did not figure on the international stage until oil was first found there in 1926.

now the sultan won independence for his country in 1984, and then in 1987 look what happened to him, he became the world's richest man, $40 billion rich. the rumored that he used his wealth to fund arms deals. now if you think it's been good up until now, wait until you hear this bit. pop star michael jackson was paying $17 million to play at the sultan's 50th birthday party. when britney houston was flown in, she was given a blank check, and was told to write in what she felt they was worth, and she put in $7 billion. >> a lot of money goes through that hotel each and every day. >> maybe less now. >> thank you. well, on wall street stocks were

higher that i. the dow cane gained 117 points. vladimir putin's willingness to talk about ukraine. now it's not a household name in the u.s. but chinese's alibaba has bigger sales than ebay and amazon combined. and it could even top facebook. joining me know jared, always good to talk to you. alibaba is a big company, but it's compared to ebay and amazon, as we mentioned. it looks like those website. is it an one-stop shop for everything? >> when go to alibaba it looks like you're staring at a cross between amazon and ebay. this country is an amalgam of different types of companies. it's a google, it's an amazon.

it's a bank. this is a huge come glob rate. they could come to the states >> insiders believe the numbers are rather modest. is this an taste to become a household name--is this an attempt to become a household name in the u.s.? >> these guys handle 60% to 70% of china's ecommerce, just alibaba. if they can improve upon that and gain more market shares that's the growth opportunity alone. but yes here in america that would be icing on the cake. i don't know believe at least immediate that america is going to be a big market for alibaba.

because they're such a great company, and because they offer direct to manufacturer type of services. if you want to build iphone cases, you could put them on alibaba and sell them, that could change the way things are done in the united states. but for now investors are liking this company to the toon of $250 billion valuation. >> if it doesn't catch on here in the states, how will it affect alibaba. >> i think alibaba has a good future in china. investors want to see just how much money each of these entities individually are selling, and how much they're growing. they lumped them in when we got this recent release but i think their future looks bright for now. >> a lot of eyes will be on

alibaba. jared leafy, thank you. >> thank you. >> south africans will cast their ballots in the very first election since nelson mandela died. but the majority of voters really don't remember apartheid. coming up we'll take a look at the generation who were born free. >> and we have a look at math. the interesting numbers coming up on al jazeera america.

>> polls have closed in south africa in the country's fifth national election since the end of apartheid. the country's institutionalized discrimination came to an end with nelson mandela, south africa's first black president. >> but many don't remember nelson mandela's presidency.

they were evethey were either tn not even born yet. >> reporter: some of his friends cannot fight work. the policies that favor block bk job applicants, jared understands why the policy is necessary, but he feels its time to see beyond color. >> if i could speak to the president from a young white man's perspective, i would say mr. president you cannot use nationalistic under tones, and if you are re-elected, i don't know if i would be too happy with, but if you are re-elected its time for jobs. >> jared is what is called a born free. part of generation born after the apartheid. but it's economic class that divides people in south africa more than race.

>> reporter: some young people don't like the term born free because it implies that those born apartheid are one cohesive group when in fact, they are people with different experiences all living in south africa. >> i'm 20 years old, but i'm still sleeping in the same room with my parents. if i want to take a bath. >> we're seeing those who are disillusioned in south africa. therefore for some they have opted out of going out to vote this year in the 2014 election. >> but jared is determined to

vote, and he wants to see more jobs created for all south africans. calvin and his friends want the same but they need the basics such as a decent place to live. >> so just to give you context south africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the entire world. official figure say a quarter of working age south africans don't have a job, and some analysts say it's higher. of the 58 to 24 yeareleds half f of them are unemployed. >> thank you for being with us this afternoon. let's start with the generation of born frees. only one-third of them are registered to vote. why do you think that is? are they disillusioned with the leadership thus far? >> i don't think that the figure

of one-third is unusual in any new democracy. we're 20 years into a democracy, and i think that the phenomenon today has shown of those registered all the researchers and analysts have been proved wrong. there has been a phenomenon response to today's voting, and the idea that there is apathy is just not substantiated by the record of today. however, let us agree that a substantial number have not voted. that is a problem that we as a society need to face up to, and we as political parties. we have done not enough to make those young people understand the importance of the vote and democracy. that's our problem, not the young people's problem. i think that the terminology of

born free is part of the terminology of the south afric africaeafricanpolitical and bore disempowered people. the idea that something will come down and be given to you without having to work and struggle with it. >> you say that the numbers are deceiving, you say the numbers are deceiving but the reality is when you look at examples in the country they can't lie. do you think this younger generation when you have leaders who left the anc and do you think they're disappoint ready the current anc has led the country thus far? >> we have a system of proportional representation which encourages the formation of parties. this is the phenomenon of every country that has representation.

i think that phenomenon is part of health of our democracy not part of the weakness. if they cannot live within the system of a particular political party and leaves it, it is an expression of the freedom that we are enjoying. i think we should say that it is an actual problem. again should that be regarded as a problem for south africa or is it a halty thing for our country. >> you're speaking about the birth of no, and i want to jump in and ask you, this is also the first election since mandela has

passed away three months ago, do you think his legacy will be something difficult for this year's candidates to contend with? >> it has gone on peacefully. researchers say it will be characterized by disillusionment and apathy. it has been characterized by an extra orderly large turnout. even with the passing of mande mandela, democracy has taken root in south africa. it's becoming not just a system but it's becoming a culture amongst our people. >> presidential spokesman from south africa, thank you for

joining us live from south africa today, sir. >> thailand's constitutional court has removed prime minister shinawatra from power. bangkok is in danger of losing $90 billion in tourism if the protests continue. >> she was the youngest prime minister and first woman to hold the office, a successful business woman from a powerful political dynasty. but since she came to power her leadership has been crippled by civil conflict and a contracted campaign of protests to topple her. thailand has been gripped by political unrest since 2006 when her billionaire brother wa now lives in exile convicted of abuse of power and corruption. many accuse her of acting as her

brothers puppet. the red shirt movement they see the institute of power and prejudiced against them. in november of 2013 street clashes became more violent. more than 20 people were killed. shinawatra called for elections to shore up her legitimacy but they were annulled and rescheduled for this july. her removal from office will create a dangerous political vacuum which is likely to see more protests on the street and will do ltle to end thailand's political turmoil. al jazeera, bangkok. >> in india polling has now closed in the eight days of voting after national elections turned violent. there are nine phase ms. total and one booth in kashmir was hit by explosion. an another of protesters hit policbypolice with tear gas.

nearly 2,000 parliamentary seats are up for grabs. in syria rebels have given up the city of homs after three years of resistence. hundreds were bussed out today, and according to activists 600 wounded fighters mr. among the evacuees. rebels released pro government hostages that they had been holding in other cities. syria is set to hold presidential elections next month. vietnam is accusing china of ramming into two of its ships in the south china sea. they say it was the result of trying to intimidate. it was over where china has an oil rig. six people on board the vietnamese ships were injured. this comes weeks after president obama warned honoring under

threats of sanctions. we have reports from they men capitol. >> yemens army commanders visit territories claimed to have been captured from al-qaeda. the minister of defense is seen here known as strongholds. this is an area where the group enjoys huge support and protection by powerful tribal leaders. >> we're tightening the noose around al-qaeda fighters. al-qaeda is using guerrilla warfare tactics. they're coordinating in this offensive so we can destroy the

military capabilities of the terrorists. >> reporter: but it is a delegate mission for the yemeni government. now the military relies on drone attacks. in a country like yemen, foreign support is widely seen as an attack on islam. >> popular support will drop significantly. we know the americans. they don't want peace for yemen. >> reporter: this is not yemen's first war against al-qaeda. each time the government claims victory but it would emerge stronger and more organized. al-qaeda has become a major concern for yemenis and saudi arabia and the u.s. which is worried yemen is becoming a

platform for al-qaeda to launch attacks that could destabilize the whole region. >> in a new battle out in texas where a texas inmate wants his execution delayed. >> we have more on that and news around america. >> reporter: lawyers for a death row inmate in texas are trying to delay his execution. attorneys for robert campbell say they don't want a repeat of last week's botched execution in oklahoma. they want texas to reveal the source of the illegal drugs expected to be used on tuesday. campbell is on death row for killing a woman after he abducted her and raped her in 1991. in rhode island an update on the acrobat who fell during a performance this week. doctors don't know if they'll ever be able to walk again. many of the women will need to be in physical therapy for

months. a piece of equipment failed during a human chandelier act. the feds are cracking down on synthetic drug makers. they've served arrest warrants in 25 states including homes, warehouses and smoke shops. the drug administration is going after the manufacturers of the more popular drugs that include bath salts, spice and molly. the fight for gay rights is making it's way to the deep south. a new campaign is setting up shop in mission miss mississipp, and arkansas. robert ray reports. >> reporter: joslyn and karla are happily married and living in jackson, mississippi. >> federally i'm married.

state-wise i'm single. >> they have two biological daughters. mississippi does not recognize them as a couple. >> i've been told i'm going to hell. i've been told all kinds of things. >> reporter: they're worried they'll have fewer rights after july 1st when the mississippi restoration act goes into affect. the law protect any mississippi laws in a might violate their right to practice their faith. critics say it opens the doors to discriminate against gays. >> i think we're being represented by people who don't represent us any more. >> reporter: we reached out to law make whose support the new law. no one responded to our credit t "q" on camera. andy gibson who helped push the bill forward. >> the only thing you understand, in order to tell the story fairly we need to get lawmakers who voted on camera to talk about this. so it's hard to tell this--you

got a job, but we're not in session. >> could i ask you one more question. are your views anti-gay and lesbian? or what is your take? >> i'm not sure what you're asking? am i ain' ain't-- >> are you ain't gay and lesbi lesbian. >> i don't know where that question is coming from. i don't know how to answer that question except to say that i don't believe in that lifestyle. >> reporter: mississippi lawmakers are also facing opposition to the law. mitchell more, a straight, married, republican christian who owns a bakery in jackson carried a support campaign. with a simple message.

if you're buying, we are selling. >> they're saying we support you as well. we're here for you. >> reporter: for joslyn and karla, the fight for equality has only just begun. >> i think mississippi, i think we're starting to stand up more than we ever have, everyone. several couples plan on suing the state of mississippi because of this law. in the words of joslyn, if equality can happen here in mississippi, that's a good thing for gays and lesbians across america. al jazeera, jackson, mississippi. >> imagine receiving a drone from the government in your mailbox. that's what happened to one new yorker. she posted images of parts of the drone he received. the delivery was intended for a scientist.

ups picked up the damage and is sending it to the right dress. that drone cost $350,000. >> $350,000 basically in your mailbox? >> that's right. and you can spy. >> i can halleluiah opening that box and you think it's christmas in may. thank you. coming up here on al jazeera america. >> new numbers showing that most of the kids in this country aren't doing so great when it comes to math. we'll take a look at why their scores are not improving. ildingm

on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> troubling news in our nation's classrooms. according to the nation's report a card are not doing well in math. >> but they are doing better in reading. >> reporter: the good news is

that high school students--the high school graduation rates are at a haul-time high. but the bad news most seniors don't have the math and reading skills that they need for college and work. testing 90,000 public and private high school seniors last year, in math 26% of them scored at the proficient level which is the same as grade level. that's a little higher than 2005 when this test was first used. it's the same as the last round in 2009. the students are stronger at reading. that's about the same as seniors did back in 2009. 13 states reported their scores on the state level and in both math and reading. arkansas, tennessee and west virginia seniors scored the worst. massachusetts and connecticut ranked best in both. we thought we would give you the questions that touched the kids the most. 60% got this wrong. what is 16 to the half one-half hour cute.

>> it's 64. >> you just did that right now. >> because if you do 16 to the half hour, that's four. 16 times four. >> did you get an "a" in math? the answer is 64. i'm so impressed. >> or she's really good at google. >> oh, that's not fair. >> that is not fair. >> roxana. thank you. >> thank you, guys. >> well, the first openly gay professional football player when the nfl draft kicks off in new york. the defensive end made headlines when he announced that he's gay, and he hopes the decision will i am entire other athletes. >> because i came out and i was the first one to do it, i think that could be a beacon for other athletes who may be gay or may be not. i think i can be a beacon for those people. >> sam is the defensive player of the scc and he was offered

the arthur ashe award. >> and a close look at social media coming up next.

>> a former mate smokin meat smt is now humming with activity. >> it has been turned into an urban farm. >> inside this plant grows a secret garden. four years a john aidle bought what was a vacant factory. >> when i look around i see waste everywhere. i'm a big industrial history buff, so i see beautiful buildings that have energy in them and a lot of potential. i see the potential for reusing what is around us and not trying

to come up with something new, but to bring together what we have. >> reporter: he did that by starting a non-profit vertical urban farm called "the plant." a venture about one-third complete is creating jobs on chicago's west sid southwest si. right now its home to a tea producer, hydroponic garden, fish farming and soon a brewery. >> it will be important because it's a waste intensive business. there will be distiller grains, carbon dioxide. >> reporter: shelby phillips started as a volunteer, and now is in charge of the plant's hydroponics operation. >> the fish are the integral part of the system.

we feed the fish, and the fish give us the fertilizer to grow the plant. >> reporter: what makes this farm unique is that it produces no waste. they reuse the waste and put it back in the system to nourish other parts of the cycle. the long-term goal is to make the building produce it's own energy. it will do that with a huge anaerobic digester and will convert it into power. >> the plant is a replicated model. we're hoping that other people will take pieces of this an apply it to their own businesses whether non-profits or large corporations. >> aimed to reap what it sows from the micro version of life. >> nintendo said that it won't include gay marriages in one of its up and coming video games. >> users are urging the company

to clue them. >> reporter: michael, morgan, the video game is called life. the avatars are called mii. they have been asked to include same sex marriages using the hashtag mii equality. >> i want to be able to marry my real life mii but i can't do that. the situation would not be as big of a deal if it weren't for the fact that relationships and marriages are a huge part of the game. the relationships and interactions between the characters in the game are what makes this game to appealing. >> reporter: now nintendo said they hope that all of their fans will see that it was meant to be a whimsical and quirkry game and it was not meant to announce social commentary. but it is social commentary not to include gay characters.

jesse writes how about you don't advertise the game for everyone if it's really just for straight people. just a suggestion. john writes i was excited, but nah when it comes to romance and games, do it properly or not at all. and nintendo the company we have grown up with did not grow up with us. there are some people who do agree with this decision. if you want more information on this, also follow me on twitter. >> i wanted to ask a question. i know they are big in japan, but have they come stateside? >> reporter: not yet, in june they will be. there are a lot of fans who like it in japan, so they expect it to be a big hit here as well. >> regardless they include it or not, someone would come out and say it should be the other way. people look at how it effects

kids and you can see this be a being point for some time. >> thank you for joining us. i'm morgan radford. >> i'm michael yves. "inside story" is up next. for news and stories from around the world go to our website at www.aljazeera.com. >> nigeria is africa's most populous country, a major oil exporter and struggling to cope with lethal religious-based violence, boko haram, kid snapped girls, and a divided nigeria. that's "inside story." >> hello, i'm ray suarez.