>> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america >> michelle bachmann accused of a mass -- boko haram accused of a massacre in nigeria, in the same region where they seized more than 200 school girls. hello, welcome to al jazeera - live from our headquarters in dough hoe. also ahead - rebels leave homs after a brutal 2-year siege. rebuffing vladimir putin - ukraine's separatists dismiss the call to postpone a referendum. venezuela's dry spell forces

the government to begin rationing water. boko haram fighters are accused of killing as many as 300 people in a town in north-east nigeria. it is on the remote border area, in the same area where 270 school girls were abducted. the united states, france and china joined in the search for the girls. washington says it has no plans to deploy combat troops. al jazeera is the first media outlet to visit the area where the girls were abducted from. >> reporter: a traumatised mother. esther has not come to terms with the abduction of her 15-year-old daughter. she still thinks it's a bad

dream. she's one of 270 girls taken by boko haram fighters. more than three weeks on, they remain missing. >> i prefer if they were after my suggestion, they should go into my house, burn my hour, break everything in my house. that would be better for me than taking my daughter. if they take my life at that moment. i satisfied. . >> it is shared by most of the families. life will never be the same. >> government offices and homes were set on fire. the sharpest pain inflict on chibok and its people was here at the secondary school. >> reporter: a month ago this school was full of life. hundreds of girls were looking forward to fulfilling their dreams.

now it's in rue juns. the girls are gone. >> the attackers came before midnight bundling 300 girls on to trucks, before taking them into the forest. 53 escaped. among them this confirm, whose father insists we hide their identity, fearing that she may be targeted, especially since the arrest. >> translation: after they attacked the town they took us to their camp. i and three others lied to them, saying that we needed to use the toilet. that is how we ran away. they chased us, but we kept running. >> there is a sense of fear in the community. people are outraged at the suggestion that the abduction never took place. >> it is heart breaking that amid this tragedy, global calamity is being politicized.

the important thing for us is how to secure the release of these, our daughters. >> the news from forwarding powers on the way is reassuring. the scars of the april 14th tragedy are deep, and the drama long-lasting. the u.s. has temporarily closed its embassy in yemin's capital because of security concerns. the decision was taken after an increase in attacks against western interest. the security alert in august saw all staff withdrawn. hundreds of syrian rebels left their last position in homs. it is significant success for bashar al-assad. we have more from beirut. >> reporter: after more than three years of fighting and two years of government.

syrian rebels had to evacuate their last strong hold in the country's third largest city. deemed as the capital of the resolution, now under control of the president's forces. this was an unprecedented deal. brokered and overseen by the ambassador of syria, with the help of the united nations. hundreds of rebels were allowed to leave the city with their lights on to areas controlled by the rebels. those that agreed to lay down their arms were allowed to stay. in return, the rebels released pro-government civilian fighters, whom they held as hostages elsewhere in the country. the rebels allow aid to be delivered to shia visitors. it had been under seen by rebel forces. >> it was in homs where the armed rebels started their fight against bashar al-assad.

also here the government used all weapons at its disposal to crush the armed rebellion. neighbourhoods were destroyed and thousands of lives were lost on both sides. it's a major set back for the opposition. the government was adamant to regain control, ahead of elections due on 3 june. for the syrian opposition, it's not just the loss of a strategic city, but a blow for fighters all over syria. some rebels are already vowing they will come back to ohms. but with the way the battles are going in the country, it doesn't seem they'll be able to do so in the near future. >> south korea's defence ministry says it has evidence that three drones recently discovered near the north-south border originated from north korea. seoul says the drones are programmed to take pictures of

military installations. technical problems and fuel shortages completed the mission. >> thailand's former prime minister denied abusing her position, saying her government never acted corruptly. yik supporters -- yingluck shinawatra supporters rent the decision by the constitutional court. they say they'll rally. the commerce minister will replace her as caretaker minister. and they'll move ahead to elections in july. the instability caused by the verdict has been said to benefit the opposition. >> the opposition is not seeking political stability. the instability of this court case is the latest incarnation of is to their ben fant.

what does stability look like. it looks like a free and fair election. what we have seen over the course of the past seven years is six prime ministers, or caretaker prime ministerless. two of -- prime ministers, only two of which have been elected. the others are the result of extra legal or non-electoral mashinations. that is to the benefit of the opposition, that proved unable to win an election in thailand. anti-government groups in eastern ukraine say it's up to the people to decide whether to go ahead with separatist referendums, following a request by the russian president to postpone the vote. he said he will pull back troops from the border. paul brennan has more. >> reporter: the announcement from the russian president came as a surprise, marking a shift in the kremlin's did you suggest. having described the may 25th

ukraine elections as absurd. he now declared them a step in the right direction. give dialogue the space to succeed, he urged. >> translation: because of this we ask the representatives of south-east ukraine, supporters of federalization in the country to postpone the may it 11th referendum. >> it was hoped that that would give them lij massy. that strategy has been thrown that disarray. inside the donetsk strategy building armed by pro-russian separatists, the leader pondered his next move. a decision would be made on thursday. >> translation: vladimir putin is not the president of the donetsk people's republic, but an example of a politician of a neighbouring state. he can't give us orders, but we can lisp to his opinion and we

respect his decisions. residents of that territory will dyed. >> they were willing to have direct dialogue with the junta in kiev. he said it would not be easy. ukraine's interim prime minister in kiev dismissed the contribution of vladimir putin as nothing but hot air. >> the fact that russia is asking to postpone a referendum on 11 may. i think the russian president needs to be informed that there was no referendum planned. if terrorists and separatists got an order to postpone things that don't exist, this is internal to them. >> is mr vladimir putin trying to wroping foot you wran and its international -- ukraine and is thes supporters. he said he had withdrawn russian troops from the boarder. n.a.t.o. said it had seen no evidence. either way vladimir putin pushed the crisis into a new dynamic,

opening an intriguing new phase here. >> a landslide in northern afghanistan confronted the country's president over the government's response. hamid karzai, where hundreds are reported dead. more than 1,000 are missing. we have this report. >> security was tight ahead of hamid karzai's visit. hamid karzai travelled to the remote area six days after a landslide destroyed much of the village. speaking to a group of survivors, he promised them they would be taken care of. at one point a man stood to confront the president. saying he had lost everything in the landslide, and his family was barely able to survive since, there, through his tushan, he took a ground, a dramatic tile of protest

symbolizing a lose of dignity. hamid karzai assured the man he would be taken care of, but didn't say how. >> we asked him what the government intended to do. >> it's six days since the landslide. people here are in a fairly difficult situation. what have you promised them in the days ahead. >> three specific things. one emergency assistance. of which there is a lot, fortunately. second, the - those who wish to have - bury loved ones and relatives taken out. and, most important of all, to resettle them, and to give them new homes. >> but those living in tents, and those receiving little aid say they are not convinced. this man is the man that confronted hamid karzai.

he lost 10 members of his family in the landslide. his home and farm is buried. this tent is the only shelter he has. >> translation: i threw my tushan in front of hamid karzai, because he knows god is a witness. we can't get a betle of water. >> reporter: it's clear the government has a long way to go to convince those desplaced by the larned slide that not only will they receive aid, but in the long term they'll help them rebuild their lives. still to come on al jazeera america. we'll be live in the philippines to see how recovery efforts are going. plus, political reality a pipe dream. mexico the latest country to

legal ace marijuana. will it kerb the drug cartels.

a it's good to have you with us. these are the top stories - boko haram fighters are accused of killing up to 300 people in nigeria. local senator from borno told al jazeera that the government stormed the area near the border with cameroon. hundreds of syrian opposition fighters left the strategic city of homs. the evacuation follows a u.n. and iran-brokered trees between

the government and rebel fighters. anti-government troops at eastern ukraine say it's up to the people to decide whether to go ahead with a referendum, following a request to postpone the vote set for 11 may. >> it's been six months since typhoon hayan wreaked havoc in parts of the philippines. thousands were killed, more struggling to recover. our correspondent joins us. some rebuilding, but far from a town back on its feet, isn't it? >> reporter: well, in terms of recovery, far from it. roads have been clear. schools have reopened. bridges, roads - they have been repaired at the moment. you get a sense of normalcy, but barely. for many of the survivors, they are very much worried about the

day to day. worried about how to get over and find closure. u.n. agencies are staying recovery is for high end survivors, far from offer. survivors of typhoon haiyan say they want to be heard. farmers are set about howing the recover -- how long the recovery is taking. they accuse the government of being too slow. they are in need of assistance. >> i think we are gaining ground. everyone is recovered. the schools are opening. the civic centers or the community structures are being slowly put back. the people are hoping for government help. he hasn't recovered from what he lost when his farm was destroyed. pests like these are finishing whatever is left of it.

>> translation: farmers are going hungry. we need food, shelter. we need to be given capital to clean the farms. gasoline, seed lippings, this is ago -- seedlings. this is like second haiyan for us. we are unable to do anything. >> his sentiments are repeated 1 100 times over. most fishermen have repaired their boats and gone back to sea. they are catching far less fitch. 14 million people were affected when the strongest typhoon struck last november. 6,300 were killed, and over 1,000 are missing. for many of the survivors, finding decen housing is a pressing concern. >> more than 2 million are living without adequate shelter. most in tents, hoping for help with rebuilding their homes. >> access to basic services like

water and sanitation is also a problem. schools have reopened. around 1.7 million children are displaced. living in disaster zones, where they are vulnerable to exploitation. >> what do we have six months later? a population that wants to take their deftinies in their hands, are proud to conserve what is left of their dignity. >> international aid organizations say there are signs of improvement. it's no longer an emergency, but a recovery. for many survivors, that is not good enough. >> reporter: now, i am with a spokesperson of the united nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in the philippines, russell. thank you for talking to al

jazeera. jobs is a major issue, particularly for the farmers. 90% of agricultural crops have been destroyed. 15% of businesses have opened. farmers want the capacity to rebuild again. why is that difficult to supply? >> you are right to point tout that livelihood, and ongoing shelter needs are priorities. we did well, working with the authorities. now that the humanitarian situation is stable. that's a great thing. there's ongoing needs for millions of people. when we talk about workers. probably 6 million workers were affected by the typhoon, which was the largest to make landfall. of those, 2.6 million were on the margin before haiyan, so you have to put this into

perspective. typhoon was devastating - we lost 44,000 - 44 million, rather, coconut trees, affecting probably a million farmers. also, 30,000 boats were lost. it's been horrible. >> so you are not saying the united nations say thatting you moved from emergency to recovery. roads are being fixed, schools are opened. we spoke to fivers, and they are saying that recovery is not fast enough. they are getting impatient and aid workers worry about the social tension. people here lack direction about where to go about their future. why is that so difficult. what are the challenges you face at the moment on the ground. >> at six months, it's understandable while people who are affected, workers, family -

all people, could be frustrated by the pace of recovery. the needs are enormous. this is going to take time. we'll work with the authorities, local and national, to work on this. now our priorities are for the next six months shelter. probably 2 million people need sps. they have started -- need assistance. they started to build on their own. they need assistance to build better so the next storm doesn't hurt them, as it did. we have 25,000 living in evacuation centers. this will take time. >> thank you. indeed the tasks are daunting. the work required to rebuild, and to get a sense of normalcy is going to take a long time, possibly years. back to you. >> thank you very much. now, early results from south africa's elections show

the african national congress inching towards 60%. a third of the votes have been taken. they retained 59.7%. one-third of the ballots have been counted so far. it was the first time people born after the end of apartheid had a chance to vote. >> now, the first people charged under an anti-gay law in uganda appeared in court. the two men accused of homosexuality, considered a criminal offense. the law passed in february increased penalties against gay sex. critics say the legislation undermines civil liberties pig farmers in the u.s. are struggling to cope with a virus killing 7 million of their animals in the past year. the pork in epidemic, dire ear virus wiped out 10% of the country's pigs. the u.s. is the largest pork

exporter. there's no vaccine and the american train has spread to canada. >> it's not known all the details, but it's easily transmitted, hard to get rid of, especially on a soil - pasture like we are. once it gets into the soil, there's no getting rid of it. >> the drought led the government to start rationing water for four months. it could leave some of the city's 7 million people without water for up to three days a week. >> reporter: for weeks fernando ha an unpleasant surprise when he turned on his faucet. with no running water he started storing it in plastic bottles all over his apartment. >> i have to come up with a strategy to save as much water as i can when it comes, so i can save it and use it when it stops

running. >> ferned and es is not alone. cuts in the supplies are effecting many parts of caracas. one of three reservoirs is empty and has been shut off. on tuesday the environmental minister made the cuts official. >> we have a special plan to reduce hardship in people's homes. the reality is that this situation is a result of weather conditions beyond our control. >> many, though, claim the problem is years, not decades of inadequate maintenance, and a system that when fully operating falls short of demand. i don't know who is right. what i do know is that we are the ones suffering. what we need are solutions from the national and regional government and the city, whoever is responsible for this. >> the restriction of the water supply will add to the country's shortages of basic goods and can

cost more profit on the street. the government hopes the rationing will end by mid-september. with increasingly unreliable seasons, many are left with little choice but to learn how to live without running water. >> mexican politicians have introduced several bills to legalize marijuana. if approved mexico will join uruguay in controlling the sale of marijuana, rather than prohibiting it. adam raney reports from mexico city. >> reporter: an evening ritual for this doctor. she says smoking marijuana helps her relax. >> translation: i don't think i'm doing myself any harm. i have really never considered to quit smoking marijuana, it doesn't interfere with my daily activities. earlier this year mexico city

introduced a bill to legalize marijuana in small amounts. senator have introduced an initiative to make it legal for medical uses. >> prohibition has created too many widows and hasn't achieved many goals. don't cry over prohibition. 100,000 people killed and gone missing in mexico's drug war in 2006. a war that has cost the country billions. a war that many thing is being waged to keep drugs from reaching the united states. >> when the united states, which is the greatest consumer of marijuana, legalizes it, it will free up its use and commercialisation in other countries, whilst inspecting international treaties. most in favour of legalizing pot

and some argue it will take millions in profit if the drug cartels. pot had a negative imaging in this conservative country. there's little chance the bill will pass, considering two parties control congress. mexico city has long been ruled by the government. abortion and gay marriage has become legal. lawmakers hope in marijuana is legalized, it will be a matter of time before it's loggal cross the rest of the country. it's hard to tell if it's a political reality or a pipe dream. a sole beneficial which of an art collection valued at $1.4 million has been discovered. it include work by pablo picasso and others. it had been amassed by adolf

hitler's art dealer. a gallery will have to deal with claims from people saying their art was looted. more on that and the rest of the day's news can all be found on the website 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.

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