and they remembered what happened on this beach and four other beaches that audacious assault by allied forces over a stretch of coastline that runs some 82 -- 80 or so kilometers along here, president obama when he spoke earlier on, he said if you had been here 70 years ago, you would have seen more ships than you could see over this beach right now, which relatively empty now, the international commemoration event is coming to an end. president obama was speaking in

the american cemetery where more than 9,000 u.s. servicemen are laid to rest. let's listen to some of what he had to say. >> if prayer were made of sound, the skies over england that night would have devined the world. and more than 150,000 souls set off toward this tiny sliver of sand upon which hung more than the fate of a war. but rather the course of human history. i am honored to return here today to pay tribute to the men and women of a generation who defied every danger, among them our veterans of d-day. >> reporter: president obama later joined by 22 other world leaders, for an international commemoration event that's now coming to an end to remember the events that took place in this place 70 years ago and, david,

change the course of history. >> james, thanks very much indeed. to the eastern reaches of europe now. and the ukrainian army is harolding a victory in the east of that country claiming its repelled now an attack of the border guard headquarters very close to the rub an border. this is a of the lost of three other border posts in luhansk. but it appears the claims of victory may be premature. al jazerra's kim managed to enter the remote town where the battle is far from over. >> reporter: on the russian border it's a town on lock down, most people here are in hiding from both the ukrainian military surrounding the town and the separatists trying to gain control. for the past two days, few have ventured outside. >> translator: i feel fear. fear for myself and for my children. >> reporter: these women told us they never imagined this conflict would end up on their doorstep. even as we spoke, a reminder of

their new reality. as heavy machine gun rounds rangrangout. the military moved in quickly on thursday afternoon when a border guard headquarters came under a being at that. kiev says 15 separatists were killed. we went to a hospital where some of the wounded pro-russians are being treated. we were told the fight is far from over before armed men forced us out. this is where those fleeing are fighting or coming. the fountain feels far from the frontline but people are steal anxious. many of the people that we spoke to didn't want to appear on camera for fear doing so they may find themselves becoming a target. those people we did speak to on camera are divided over who they support in the conflict. >> translator: i think our people's republic is doing everything right. it will all be fine i open. but how it will play out, we'll see. >> translator: when people are shooting at each other it's war

and, what well happen next i don't know. >> translator: i am scared to talk if i say something wrong, they will take me. who knows why they are here and what for. i just can't understand, i want peace. >> reporter: a united ukraine is exactly what kiev is battling for. but that doesn't make the sight of tanks or armor anymore welcome here. as separatists and their supporters so this could well be a long and messi fight. kim very nell, al jazerra. let's join david chater live in donetsk, eastern ukraine. even with fukudome there are peace talks or a seize fire it will take a long time before the bad blood of the people in the area goes away. >> reporter: david, that's right. there is a very goose phrase to describe the situation, it's that ukraine's past is always eating its future. now will a 15 minute conversation and a brief handshake mean that ukraine can

escape it's a past and find a new and peaceful future? we have to wait and see. i think it's a very good sign that has been a little bit of draw down in luhansk. i think the mood on the ground amongst separatist fighters that i have been with is that this war is going to continues. they are going to continue fighting against the ukraine government because they call them terrorists, they have vowed to actually keep the campaign, the anti-terrorist operation going until not a single one is left. now, until petrol stops that campaign, i don't think we'll see any chance of peace talks succeeding. it's been the main demand of moscow that this operation stops because it's not only killing the separatist fighters, it's also killing increasingly innocent civilians caught in the cross fire. now exactly what poroshei k.o.

can offer, we don't know yet but there will be talks about the economy and cass price prices ad talks about regional elections but these are so far down the road. regional elections cannot be held in the regions and the remember picks that i havrepublr the last week. it cannot happen. the two men inaugurated tomorrow and the president putin have a lot to do. at least moscow has decided to send an ambassador totti nothing raise ceremony tomorrow in kiev. and that is a very good sign. the first step, every journey begins with one step, this step has now been taken. >> we'll leave it there for now david indicate never eastern ch, thank you. the front runner of the presidential race nearly escaped a bombing. he was not hurt but six people were killed and three were his body guards, about 22 people injured. paul brennan has more.

>> reporter: a busy schedule of campaign events was always going to present ample opportunities for bombers to strike. and on friday morning in kabul, that risk became a reality. there were two bomb blasts, though the exact circumstances remain unclear. police said the explosions were caused by two separate suicide bombers. other reports suggested the second blast may have been a roadside device. either way, the result was deadly. >> translator: there were two explosions in this area, i don't know whether it was a suicide attack or explosives placed in there. >> reporter: two suicide attackers blew themselves up, fortunately the doctor survived the attack. a number of people have been killed. >> reporter: at another campaign rally shortly after the attack. the a intended victims said that he had not been harmed but his security guards were victims. >> translator: the enemies of

afghanistan failed in their plot today. but unfortunately we have lost a number of our country men. three of my companions, three of our countrymen were martyred in today's attack, i express my sin convenient condolences to their families and may god rest their souls in piece. >> reporter: he is the front runner for the second round presidential vote on june 14th. having won 45% of the first round ballots. the first round of the afghan elections was praised as an unexpected success. after the taliban failed to cause major trouble. but the security picture looks far more challenging ahead of the second round run off. paul brennan, al jazerra. at least six people from the minority have been killed in a double car bombing in the northern iraqi city. as fighting continues between government troops and fighters from the islamic state of iraq. and where our we have a report. >> reporter: the early hours of friday and the city turned in to

this. armed mena taxed th men attackey base checkpoints in and around the city. witnesses reported heavy fightinfighting and suicide bomn at least 12 districts. dozens of people have been killed or injured. there are different armed groups operating, but the strongest is the islamic state in iraq or isil. on thursday, gunmen made another show of force in the city. security forces say isil fighters entered the city and controlled at least eight districts and public buildings. the government was quick to send reinforcements and helicopters. iraq's minister of defense post third degree video on a social media website. it says its jets destroyed a number of targets. >> translator: isil were trying to create sectarian unrest by infiltrating the shrine, but our

air force pilots destroyed them and their foreign-led scheme. we carried out 82. >> reporter: the people say the situation remains tense and there is fear of a renewed sectarian strive. this is a predevelopment naturally sunni and home to a muslim shrine which is refeared by shias and sunnies. al qaeda fighters destroyed the shrine in 2006 which led to a wave of sectarian violence that killed 10s of thousands of people. another reason to worry is that the attacks could be linked to the government's military campaign in the anbar province. the government says it's battling isil righters who took ref rouge in fallujah. the army a launched a major offensive in january which killed runs and displaced 140,000 people. but the army there says they devotion isil's ideology and only defending their city

against the government policies and security forces. the attacks could be an effort to widen the battle and open new front with the government. or it could be a tactic to ease the pressure from the fighting in anbar. either way, the people are iraq remain far from having security and stability. al jazerra. still to come on the program on al jazerra, more air strikes on benghazi as libya's power struggle takes another turn. run one of the world's poorest countries tries to stake afloat in the wake of a government corruption scandal. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

these are the top stories this hour, a meeting between russia's president and his ukrainian opposite number has ended and they have agreed to start talking about a possible seizceasefire in eastern ukrain. inside the country the army is harolding what it calls a victory in the east it says it has successfully repelled an attack near the mush a russian . the leading afghanistan candidate survived an attack on his coy voi convoy it killed sie one person has been killed overnight and several injured in air strikes in libya. rockets are set to have hit a warehouse which was allegedly a weapons deposit so. a massive car bomb targeted the home of a local security chief in tri tripoli, but nobody was .

the outgoing prema supported him. he has been visiting benghazi. he says because the government has failed to control them. he said he supported the city's residents, special forces and security forces as well. let's talk now to the senior fellow at the atlantic council. more importantly with regard to this, he's one of the co signatories of a letter to the u.n. requesting intervention in libya. joining me now from rome. what exactly is it that you would like to see done? >> yes, good evening. no, what we wanted to do by write this is letter and addressing it to the u.n. is to call the international community to face two principle problems. the first one is not to go on a spars order but try to coordinate the political activity that our community is

doing in such a way maybe under the u.n. in such a way as to have a common front to [inaudible] and bring them to the negotiating table. i mean, the divided groups to sit together and negotiate a way out. the country is getting split and polarized, violence is on the rise and the collapse of the system is imminent. therefore we think -- we thought and still think that an intervention front international community which is coordinated and stronger can help the libyans to understand that there is an alternative to the negotiating table. and the second talk -- >> i have the letter in front of me here. if i could just ask you one thing specifically that i have spotted. it said -- this the the second major point, the u.n. should go for the establishment of a legislate i have body as soon as possible that can replace the current general national congress. you want the u.n. to effectively dismantle the parliamentary system that current are you exists in li libya? >> the parliamentary system is

[inaudible] and there has been a call for election no, sir matter what. so the u.n. should [inaudible] support for them if they want to see a new legislative assembly. elects are scheduled for the 25th of june. and there are trying to postpone it or not have these elections to be held correctly. so the u.n. and international community should break the deadlock and help to carry on these elections. >> how does the u.n. do that? [speaking at the same time] how does it do it simply by asking the people who are part of this assembly at the moment not turn up and please let's have another one? and how does it sort out of problems without going in on the ground as happened before? >> this goes to the second point what we try to address. the fact that the support of the international community for the transition process is what has kept the country from staging the power over the turns of the

government violence, the libyan people will not stand for [inaudible] we will not stand for a return to embargoes and sanctions. if the international community shows the common front to all the players, they are showing the fact at that that they will not accept the violent take over the power, they will not accept a could you duh a coup. that will boost the strength of the libyan people and the forces that want to have peace and transition. it should be clear that's what we tried to communicate that no return to any of this should be allowed. the international community should never stand for stabilization in the [inaudible] for the transition, respectful transition, the democracy and the process for which the libyan people stand for. >> where has it all gone wrong for libya? where that is gone wrong? >> we think that the politics of a divided government. instead of facing the issue of

disbanding the militias they prefer for pay them, and buy their acquiescence, like ga do have i used to do, spread money around see people don't question what you do. it's been done by all the libyan government so far. it's like gangrene, you don't take care of it at the beginning it's going to kill the whole body. >> thank you. thank you very much. >> and now extreme measures are taken. >> we have to leave it there. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> indeed: talking to us from libya. thank you. -- from rome about events in libya. an open letter t toy egypt president elect al sisi urging him to free all detained journal journalists. three al jazerra journalists have been now held for 160 days. on thursday, egyptian prosecutors demanded the maximum penalty for them wanting seven years in jail for peter, 15 years each for the others.

al jazerra refutes the allegations and is demanding their immediate release. a press conference in australia. peter's father said his son had done nothing wrong. >> what peter did, what peter reported, what he wrote for his current agency would not be any different if he had been reporting for the bbc or the abc or the cnn or any other news organization. his bad fortunate, if you like, was that he simply found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. another al jazerra journalist has had his latest court hearing postponed until june 11th. he has now been held without charge since august of last year and is said to have been on hunger strike for more than four months. hes hhe says he won't eat untils released. i italian navy says it's

rescued at least two and a half thousand paying grant from 17 boats in just 24 hours. among those taken to safety are at least 214 well, 157 children, a number of newborn babies as well. more than 40,000 migrants have crossed from north africa to sitly so far thiitaly so far th. 29 governments are using its network to intercept phone calls without the customers' knowledge. the world's second largest mobile phone company admits that six intelligence agencies are legally allowed to tap in to conversations without war end. while vo car. oda phone doesn't name the agencies, they based in europe and after what calathes. ma los angeles wee is struggle to go get back on its feet after a multi million dollars government corruption scandal. it's a major challenge for a country which is already one of the poorest in the world where

after a disputed lex the president will have to address these allegations. here say report. >> reporter: the his commissioner sees something that concerns him. no one on board is wearing a life jacket. he warns them about the dangers of being reckless, there have been fatal scents in these waters. >> one boat got capsized in the north. and these people, they are in transit to south africa, to look after the [inaudible] >> reporter: today the police commissioner patrols a section of the lake alone, there aren't enough resource to his watch over africa's third large he have lake. there are only three boats patrolling the entire lake and sometimes the ferries that capsize are carrying up to 200 people. officials plan to bring in a more modern fleet.

the borders and its people needs to be protected. but some say there are other priorities. up to 40% of the annual budget is funded by donors. more than half of the country's 13.2 million people live in poverty. earning less than a dollar a day. >> when you look at the scarcity of medicines in hospitals, even equipment in hospitals that has not been replaced for years, the infrastructure that was there, you know, in the beginning and how it has not been built on. and then you learn that there has been year after year, of corruption, fraud, and theft, and you can add because the work ethic has pretty much been thrown out of the window. you cannot expect a country to develop. >> reporter: mmalawi's corruption, create jobs and turn around the economy is a huge challenge in one of the poorest

countries in the world. al jazerra, malawi. in india violent clashes on the 30th anniversary of a raid on separatists. groups fought with sword and spears after the leader of one group was prevented from making a speech. 30 years ago a military raid demanded their own state left about a thousand people dead. severe pollution in india's rivers is threatening the health of millions it's a byproduct of their massive growth but also extremely damaging to the economy. in new dea delhi the champion eveningers of cleaning up the water and the benefits that it would bring. >> reporter: the river that flos through new delhi. all kind of waste is thrown in here without getting treated. but it doesn't start out this

way. this is the river as it enters the city from the north. it provides people with a livelihood and they also come to enjoy the cool water. he has been documenting it for the past year. he says the river is always clean at this point. >> translator: it's mostly religious doing agriculture that live upstream. they know the value of the river and respect it more than urban people do. >> reporter: that becomes apparent just a few kilometers downstream. industrial waist fro waste in is and untreated sewage pours in to the river here. in may the government shut 112 illegal drains. despite that, for the next 22-kilometers, the river starts to die. >> translator: zero. the oxygen is zero. that means the water is dead. >> reporter: but regenerating the waters come second to improving the economy. the india has seen a slow down in growth for the past few

years. but this water policy expert says not cleaning the rivers also has economic consequences. >> for example, agriculture, the cost of treating the water. because of the pollution level. but the real cost is on the, you know, burden of disease which is caused through the water pollution. >> reporter: those living near the river at the south end of the city where the river is the dirtiest. say the pollution attracts mosquitoes that carry malaria and should be cleaned up. >> translator: people living here should realize that they themselves are making of the river dirty. and stop blaming politicians. if people have the will to keep it clean, the politicians willing act. >> reporter: but even the small step of stopping personal waste going in to the river seems a long way off. as this polluted and stinking water flows out of new delhi, it travels passes the taj tha maha. this pollution is normal for

many of the country's water ways in a recent election there was a major emphasis on revival the economy. the worry here is that will mean revival the riverses wil riverso thoerd. al jazerra new delhi. you can access labarbera onlinal jazerraonline for all tp stories.