>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. here are the stories we are following for you. a moment of silence for those missing nigerian school girls. at the world economic forum in abuja. the chairman says terrorism won't dictate their agenda. pro-russian activists say an autonomy referendum will go forward despite request from russia's president to postpone it. plus: >> the inmates are the cowboys.

>> there are two very different pictures coming out of nigeria, as that country deals with the turmoil of those missing school girls. global financial leaders are gathering in the country for the world economic forum. nigeria is the largest economy in africa. and the leader of the forum says terrorism must not set their agenda. while some take issue with wining and dining at a time when more than 200 school girls are still missing, the nigerian president, goodluck jonathan . promising a way forward. >> i believe that the kidnap of these girls will be the beginning of the end of terror in nigeria. >> meanwhile, the controversy grows. the parents of the girls. accuse the government of abandoning their daughters. al jazeera has the first international journalist on the ground in the area where those nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped.

and as ahmed idris reports -- they are outraged by some claims the abductions never happened. >> a traumatized mother, esther still hasn't come to terms with the abduction of her 15 year old daughter. she still thinks it's a bad dream she will wake from. her fifteen year old daughter, is among the over two hundred and seventy other girls were taken by boko haram fighters. more than three weeksweks after, they remain missing. "i prefer, as a mother, they should go into my house, burn my house, break everything if the give me back my daughter. that would be better for me than taking my daughter. even if they take my life at that moment, i think i will be satisfied. i just feel like killing myself. >> her pain is shared by most of families in this once vibrant community. now for most here, life will

never be the same. homes and government offices were set on fire by the attackers but the most pain inflicted on chibok and its people, was here. the government girls secondary school. a month ago, this school was full of life hundreds of girls here were looking forward to fulfilling their dreams but now it lies in ruins. and the girls are all gone. the attackers came just before midnight. and bundled more than 300 girls unto trucks and taken into the forest. 53 of them escaped. among them, this girl whose father insist we hide her identity, fearing she might be targeted especially fate the arrest of some protester in the nigerian capital >> interpreter: after they attacked the town, then they took us to their camp. i and three other girls 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. but people are outraged at the suggestion that the abduction never took place. >> it's not only baffling and amazing, but stupefying heartbreaking,that a national tragedy and a global calamity is being politicized. >> the news that help from some foreign powers is on the way is a bit assuring . but the scars of the april 14 tragedy is deep and the trauma, long lasting. aljazeera, northeastern nigeria. >> in ukraine- pro russian seperatists in the east are ignoring a request from russian president vladmir putin. to postpone a vote on autonomy scheduled for sunday. yesterday. putin asked that the vote be suspended to encourage dialogue with the west. but seperatists leaders say no. saying people there want to move ahead with the referendum. jonah hull has the latest from donetsk.

>> the people's republic has decided to go ahead with a vet on sunday. he said that he respected the attempt by president putin to try to calm the situation, to find a solution for the situation, but he said with increasing violence in the east and the south of the country, with the ukrainian army carrying out what he called the criminal orders of kiev, he said there's no choice. we are the hand of the people, and the people's will must be respected. and he then handled the microphone to somebody, who is described as the head of the central election commission, the people's republic of donetsk, the ballots are being printed. and it will be carried out. he said according to international norms and standards, on an international principle, if we would not have gone ahead with the referendum,

we would have lost the trust of the people. the confirmations are that this is very much of a minority here, but however, there are no monitors to watch what's going on, and there's no government structure involved here, no formal structures at all, so no way of monitoring whatever the veracity of the result is announced after may 11th. >> meanwhile, the u.s. has just issued a travel warning for ukraine. we turn to mike viqueira on capitol hill. and any idea what has come out of that. >> the united states and it's allies and the eu have broadened the sanctions against russia if it escalators significantly in the ukraine. and the question is, what is the threshold? what is the trigger? they are tied to the russian economy, much more than the

united states, and in a sense, this is an old story that has been going on for months now, and also on the agenda, the comments by vladimir putin, letting it be known that he would favor a postponement on the referendum in eastern ukraine, something that the united states views as ill legitimate. and also the may 25th elections. if russia were to interfere with the may 25th elections, if they were to go forward with the referendum, followed by rush troops spilling over in the ukraine, well, russian officials say that could be the trigger to increase the electoral sanctions against russia, but again, they have to get the europeans onboard, mike. >> what can you tell us about the travel warning that was just issued with regards to ukraine? >> -- it appears as if we have lost our communications with mike viqueira in washington.

secretary state, john kerry is set to meet today, the only chance is if the balance on the ground has changed. he has been asking for legal aid for two years, and the white house has refused, fearing that it will fall into the hands of terrorists. and both sides of the civil war may be investigated for war crimes. according to the report on foreign policy, they will back france when it pushes. it would allow the icc to investigate alleged criminal acts committed by both sides. they have approved libya and darfur. a conservative watchdog group claims the white house isn't being honest about benghazi. and infact is withholding documents. judicial watch alleges the documents show white house efforts to create a false narrative -- one day after

attack on the u-s mission in benghazi, lybia. the group says the information was first discovered in a letter from the justice department -- explaining its rationale for not releasing the documents. house members are deciding whether to create a committee to investigate the attack. the september 2012 attack left four amerians dead-- including u-s ambassador christopher stevens . sylvia bird well begins the senate hearings today. >> it's part of the affordable care act act, but there are things that should be part of healthcare, and one of the things that's a challenge is making sure that all of the pieces put together. >> >> when sylvia matthews burwell was selected to head the office of management and budget. she was confirmed by a vote of 96-0. president barack obama's choice as the next health secretary, sylvia mathews burwell, will hear lots of criticism of the president's health-care overhaul tomorrow at her first confirmation hearing.

the house of representatives is holding a former i-r-s official in contempt of congress. the republican-led vote was 231 to 187. with six democrats supporting the g-o-p measure lois lerner refused to answer questions about her alleged involvement in an irs scandal involving tea party members. the agency is accused of targeting tea party groups seeking tax-exempt status. the contempt resolution asks the justice department to seek criminal charges. this morning the senate budget committee is holding a hearing about the current state of the economy with federal reserve chair janet yellen. >> with the harsh winter behind us many recent indicators suggest that rebound in spending and production is already underway putting the economy on track for solid growth in the current quarter. >> yellen says she's upbeat about the economy but the housing sector is causing her some concern. she also spoke about the unemployment rate, saying it continues to drop but that the number of people unemployed for more than six moths, and those

working part time are at historicaly high levels. colorado lawmakers have passed a bill to create the nation's first state-run marijuana banking system. it would create financial cooperatives for sellers. similar to credit unions. the state legalized recreational marijuana in january -- but businesses are often shunned by big banks and are forced to operate mostly in cash. the banks are worried. pot may be legal in colorado -- but it is still a federal crime. the federal reserve has to sign off on the plan. meanwhile. synthesized marijuana is the target of a nationwide crackdown by the drug enforcement administration. the d-e-a has arrested more 150 people in 25 states since january -- including a big bust yesterday. natasha ghoneim explains why the pressure is on to take man-made marijuana off the streets. >> synthetic drugs have been a staple of the clubbing scene for years in cities like miami. the most popular are known as k-2 or spice and bath salts. the amphetamine like drugs are

mostly made in asia and often sold legally in stores in packets like this, as herbal incense or potpourri. >> patients come in combative, psychotic, hard to control. many times they have to be intubated or put on life support to control them. >> according to a federal government report, between 2010 and 2011, visits to emergency rooms due to synthetic drug complications, more than doubled, to 28,500. one of these so-called designer drugs-- synthetic marijuana-- is popular among young people. according to a university of michigan study, 1 in 9 high school seniors used it in 2012, putting it just below marijuana and hashish in popularity. dr. randy katz is an e-r director at regional memorial hospital in hollywood, florida. he says the danger of these synthetic drugs is that no one knows exactly how the combination of compounds being cooked up in a lab will affect the body. on top of that, each time the

federal government bans one product, the makers modify the recipe, change the name, and back on the market it goes. >> the actual drugs themselves are unknown and the dea just can't keep up with the number of compounds out there because some are not even listed as illegal substances. >> many of the synthetic drugs seized by agents are not expressly prohibited. but police are using a law that allows the drugs to be categorized as controlled substances. since the beginning of the year, drug enforcement agents have been raiding businesses, warehouses and homes across the country, seizing synthetic drugs and arresting people. on wednesday, agents conducted raids in 28 states. the d-e-a says prosecutions are rising, as agencies across the country, adapt to the rapidly evolving landscape of the designer drug industry. natasha ghoneim al jazeera miami. >> meanwhile, guatemala is thinking about legalizing the sale of poppies -- and using the

money for drug prevention programs and social programs. popies are used for opium. the country's interior minister laid out the plan wednesday in london . he says poppy farming is so widespread there -- that it would be difficult for the government to crackdown on the crops. guatemala is also looking to legalize marinjuana. coming up on al jazeera america. living day to day in the ruins of villages destroyed six months ago by typhoon haiyan. and we'll go inside the notorious angola prison farm in louisana. to visit one of the most popular and controversial rodeos in the country.

>> it's been six months since typhoon haiyan slammed into the philippines. the powerful storm killed about six thousand people -- and changed life for millions of survivors. as jamela alindogan reports -- many filipinos are still struggling to recover. survivors of typhoon haiyan say they want to be heard. here, farmers are upset about just how long the recovery in

their towns is taking they accuse the local government of being too slow. they say they still need emergency assistance. >> i think we are gaining grounds. everybody is quite recovered, the schools are opening, the municipal structure are slowly being put back. >> but people like gilbert nicad are still hoping for some government help. he still hasn't recovered from what he lost when his coconut farm was destroyed. and pests like these are now finishing whatever's left of it. >> farmers are going hungry. we need food, shelter. we need to be given capital to clear our farms, gasoline, seedlings this is like the 2nd haiyan for

us, we are unable to do anything at all. " >> his sentiments are repeated a hundred times over. across the island of leyte, most fishermen have repaired their boats and gone back to sea. but they're catching far fewer fish than they used to. around 14 million people were affected when the strongest typhoon to ever make landfall struck central philippines last november. over 6,300 people were killed, and over a thousand are still missing. for many of the survivors, finding decent housing remains a pressing concern. >> more than 2 million people are still living without adequate shelter. most of them live in tents like this one, still hoping for help with rebuilding their homes access to basic services like water and sanitation is also a problem. schools have reopened but around 1,7 million children remain displaced. living in disaster zones where they are vulnerable to exploitation. >> what do we have six months

later? we have a population who wants to take destiny in their hands, who are very proud to conserve whatever's left of their dignity after being so much beaten up by this typhoon on the 8th of november six mnoths ago. >> international aid organizations say there are signs of improvement. it's no longer an emergency, but a recovery. but for many survivors of typhoon haiyan, that isn't good enough. aljazeera, central philippines. >> it is raining in parts of the northeast. and we could be looking at some dangerous weather in the midwest today. nicole mitchell joins us now with that. >> good morning, and while some areas have improvement, other parts of the country are going downhill with the weather. you can see the bands of rain in the northeast. and in finishing, because if you are trying to catch a flight out this afternoon, but we'll watch for more problems on the rise instead. and already widespread areas of

rain on the backside of t such an enormous temperature contrast. we have seen areas of know in nebraska. look at this. rapid city to omaha, 37 verse 72 as the temperature right now, so each 100-miles you go, the temperature is dropping 10° as you go westward. that is a strong cold front. that's coming through the country, and ahead of that, the temperatures, a lot of them in the 80s, and that will help to fuel the severe weather through the course of the day. anywhere we're watching, anywhere in the yellow, that's a slight risk. and the red is moderate. this is pretty far north. and i told you how far north it has gotten, to have that severe of a risk. south of all of this, it's still in the slight risk area for severe weather, but also areas of rain. we have gotten enough to cause

concerns, especially in western oklahoma and texas we're watching for that. too bad it's not just a little farther to the west in the drought areas, but it could be an active day. >> good news, if you're an amazon shopper, the retailer delivering packages on sundays. shoppers in new york have been doing so since late last year, and now the program is going to expand to 15 other cities, including philadelphia, austin and cincinnati. amazon says sunday delivery will be available for customers at no extra charge. the cowboys are inmates. some of the most violate criminals. the most controversial rodeo in the world. >> it's billed as the wildest show in the south, and pits

nerves against the raw power of a raging bull. these aren't trained cowboys. they're inmates at one of louisianas a most secure prisons. >> today, they can be king for the day. and the victim would say, who cares? but what's port, we have to try to rehabilitate them so if any of them get out, they don't hurt you again. this is part of the rehabilitative program. locally, it's known as an goal a the rules are relaxed. inmates run for own arts and crafts stores, and allowed to make money to keep their businesses going, but it's the rodeo that attracts the most attention.

but there are those who say this is nothing short of an inhumane spectator sport. more than half the prisoners inside here are first time offenders who will never seen the outside of these prison walls and injuries are common place. >> staff here wouldn't give us any information about just how many prisoners have been hurt over the years. they say every precaution is taken and there's little sympathy for convicted criminals. voxpops: 'they have nothing to lose i guess. just something fun and different to do. >> they got a choice just like they had a choice what they was doing. they made the choice to come here. >> none of the prisoners are forced to take part in the rodeo and the $500 prize money for the grande finale known as 'guts and glory' ensures participation is high. and for many it's the highlight of a life behind bars. >> when i came out here i was instantly hooked. and for me to find this, truly i thank god in jesus's name, for me to come out here and find the rodeo. it's been a joy for me and my family. my family comes every year.

>> at angola prison the average prison sentence is 95 years, most of these men will die and be buried here. for them this rodeo is a taste of freedom even if it's only for a few seconds. ag, aj, angola prison, louisiana. the latest on our top stories. and then. it's the oldest story. a visual journey through our universe from the beginning.vé

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. here are today's headlines at this hour. global financial leaders are gathering in nigeria today . for the world economic forum. as many as 300 people have been killed in the country's northeast . according to eye witnesses. that's in addition to the kidnapping of more than 200 school girls. those attacks being blamed on boko haram.

in ukraine, the vote on independence, and the activists will move forward on sunday's vote. and john kerry is expected to meet with syrian's president in a down of hours. they have been asking for legal aid for two years, and the white house refusing, fearing that it would fall into the hands of terrorists. and finally, let's take a step back. to the beginning of the universe. the fourteen billion year journey from that point to now may be hard to imagine. but thanks to some of the most sophisticated computer programming ever. it's a journey we can now take. jake ward is our guide: >> if you play video games, you may have heard of one of the most popular video games in the world, and it's set in a massive place. they built an entire galaxy, made up of 700,000 star system, and flying from one game to the

other takes a better part of a day. and each world has a unique climate and appearance, and it's incredible. but that game is nothing, it's nothing, it's just a tiny speck compared to what researchers at mit have just created. they built a software simulation of not the galaxy, but the universe, and it's called illustrious. to be fair, it doesn't modeled whole universe. all known space and matter is 10 billion light years across, and they built a cube that's only 350 million light years across, and 13 billion years of evolution. that's pretty lazy, right? no, the cube is representative of the rest of the universe, and they can look at visible phenomenon, like the temperature of gases and visible features of the disposition of dark matter, the unknown energy that supposedly binds the universe

together. there's no way to watch these things in scale. we can't step back and check them out. and this simulation gives researchers god-like abilities with simulation. the details are enormous and gestural, and it does both. they required several months running inside of a super computer that has 8,000 processers working on it simultaneously. compare that to a high-end gaming computer, a big rig, where a fanatical gamer would play. to run that even on an amazing desktop, the same simulation, would have taken 2,000 years. take that, gamers. >> finally, janet yellen, speaking on wall street. right now, the dow is up 67 points, so for now, your 401k is smiling and it's safe to check

your stocks. thank you for watching aljazeera america. i'm del walters. "inside story" is next. for news updates through the day . head to al jazeera dot com. where the news never stops. >> 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. maybe you've heard about nigeria in the news in the past few days. the kidnapping of school girls