>> unscripted... >> we gonna do this? >> ...and uncensored... >> are you kidding me? >> america votes 2014 midterms the series continues only on al jazeera america >> tanks on the streets in northern lebanon as the army battl battles gunmen for a second day. live in tripoli with the latest. hello and welcome to al jazeera live from our headquarters in doha. also, ahead, the football democracy in tunisia, millions cart ballots in the country that inspired the arab spring. a crucial vote also gets underway in ukraine. millions cast their ballots against the backdrop of fighting in the east. also ahead. >> in calcuta, coming up, we

will see how a ban on by silks on the main roads is affecting likelihoods and the environ] ♪ >> we begin in lebanon where fighting continues on the streets of the country's second city. gun battles in and around tripoli have killed .6 soldiers and four civilians and lebanon's army has been stepping efforts to drive armed groups. sunni muslim isil and inspired fighters are known to cross into lebanon from syria to fight the shia armed group and they have fought the army that they accuse of supporting hez bola. backing government forces loyal to bash arrest al assad. the leader has said that it is a preemptive strategy to stop rebel fight the assad government

crossing into lebanon. they say hezbollah's intervention has done just that, bringing certain i can't's war into lebanon and stirring sectarian tichz within the country. let's bring in stefanie dekker who is reporting for us in tripoli. you have been closed to the fighting. any idea of which side seems to be making headway at all? >> i came here be. >> we seem to have lost stefanie dekker there for now. can you hear me at all? >> ilk hear you now. can you hear me? >> certainly can. stephanie, we were just saying that you're close to the fighting. tell us: is there any idea as to who could be making headway right now? >> no. it's a stand-off. we know that the area where the fighters are hold up is around a kilometer from where we are.

their holed inside there. the army has that area surrounded. they have checkpoints further out. whooefshing artat out going from the army. we heard one of the shells hit a civilian who before seen ambulance coming out here. we don't know expected who is in there. we know the army is checking ambulance to see who is inside, also fighters so it doesn't seem like anyone is making head wafrlings. we know there was fighting north of here that is under control. the folks now really is on this neighborhood where the army is on al stand-off. there are leaders meeting talking at the moment to try and resolve this because it is where we have had statements snt last couple of days warning against the zihad, against the army because the army put it in to context. there is a raid and they arrested a man they accused of being a recruiter for isil.

it shows you the spillover. they want the army to stop the siege as they are calling it around this area. at the moment, that isn't going on. it's quiet now but we have been here for the last couple of hours. there has been an intensive battle between both sides. >> what are the residents of the town telling you about the fact that there are tanks on their streets, fighting going on amongst them? >> the residents are no strongers to war. they are very utilities to this. but there is a sectarian element here. this is a country that's divided along sectarian lines. we see the polit here sunnis who are supportive largely of the revolution in syria and the other side, especially hezbollah as you mentioned, the syria group. some people we have spoken to will tell you they are not happy with what the army is going. civilians are dying. it brings into the narrative

that they say that this is a clampdown on sunnis and that no one is protecting them. it's a complicated situation but when it comes to the army and to boil it down in simples terms, it's a unifying factor. the army has pileople from all walks of life. politicians said they are behind the army in this operation to root out what they call terrorists. it's a fluid complex web on the ground of aleakence and you can see that what's happening here absolutely directly affected by the war in syria playing out on the streets of lebanon. >> a very complex situation there. thank you, stefanie dekker reporting for us from tripoli. >> syrian government strikes in northern homs have killed 19 overnight. the violence is forcing people to leave their homes but as gerald khan reports, the

alternative isn't much better. this camp is named al amal. it means hope. it's supposed to provide protection to the many who escaped the relentless fighting in their tongues. those admit the journey say they are disappointed. conditions are so dire that many haven't even left. >> we were forced to leave our homes. >> we came here chiccing shelter. there is no food or water, nothing but further hugh humiliation. what can we do? we escaped bombardment and humiliation down the road. >> four-year-old mohammed has an acute hearing loss. he is now unable continue with medical treatment. >> we are suffering a lot in this camp. what as to our strategy is my child bad lee needs a cochlear ear i mplant or a hearing aid. the one he is using has run out of batteries.

>> the camp was set up and with the army nearby people feel it's unlikely they will be attacked by the syrian army. they say they need better care. >> where is the national coalition or the national council? they are not living up to their responsibilities inside syria. what are they doing for displaced families and children whose homes are destroyed. >> ears of safety are hard to find. cities and villages have been bombarded every day. some of the worst violence on sunday happened in homs where dnin dozens were killed. according to the civilian observatory for human rights in just the past week, the syrian military carried out more than 530 airstrikes and barrel bomb attacks. government forces may be making full use of the earlier aefrl advantage to defeat the rebels but on the ground, it's the civilians who are getting killed. gerald tan, al jazeera. >> iraqi security forces say

they have retaken al sakr. it is said to be the biggest gain made by the iraqi army in months. it's hoped it could hetch slow isil's advance toward baghdad. tunisia is voting to elect a new parlor pardon me. it's one of the final stages in the 4-year political transition. the 20 less than uprising that toppled former president inspired demonstrations across the arab world. the let's go live now to the monitoring of the voting in tun tunis. we talked about the general apathy amongst the young are votesers. what's the feeling like in the camtol today, though? >> reporter: the queus we have seen earlier have gone down a bit. >> that's not clear if it's because it is a bit quicker now or if the turnout is not as big

as we had expected earlier when we saw long queues outside polling stations. but there is a mood of excitement because this has been very difficult process of tunisia, political assassinations, political problems on the border. people are holding their breath, hoping everything will bo well today. nazanine, no party is expected to get the majority of the votes. explain to us then what will happen in that case. >> there is a lot of speculation about what is going to happen afterwards in parlor pavrment under the new constitution, parliament is more important than the president, but with a we are expecting is that anakda will make gains and get a big slice of the vote. also tunes, they are expected to

get a fair share. the big question is: will they work together? will they cooperate? i have spoken top political analysts today who say that they will not go into coalition but they will come to some sort of agreement possibly for technokraltic government, kind of similar to what we have at the moment in tun easy i can't where people are experts rather than politicians so the make political figures and parts for the good of the future of political process in tun ease yeah. >> thank you for speaking to us from the capital, tunis. moving o ukraine is holding parliamentary leaks. the ruling party is expected to win the larger share of the vote. there is a strong chance it will have to form a coalition. the nations is facing sgift times. ongoing fighting in eastern ukraine and its shrinking economy. meanwhile, the ukraineian

president made a surprise visit to the east earn city. pet two poroshenko spoke to soldiers there an started a polling stations. rebels have threatened to retake that city after they were pushed out in july. >> i think we will have an absolutely new parliament which would be adequate which was a period after the revolution of dignity in my country. you see that here, in the operation, we have a lot of people. people are very intent on wanting to vote. and vote for the new country, also, for the reform of the anti-corruption, building up new states and for the peace. all of these people waiting for the piece. we are together with them. >> pro-russia separatists are ta trying to take back craw of mariupol, now in the hands of kiev.

hoda, as we mentioned, this is a city that's divided. what's the feeling toward this election today? >> there are certainly people who are voting in the electrical workers are telling us that a turnout so far it is quite high. people are voting for several reasons because they hope mainly that this is going to make things better in the country and try to unite a little bit more this part of the country with kiev but not everyone actually agrees with that. you said earlier that the separatist leaders were vying at th thating to take mariupol. but they also want slouviasn. k. they view it as part of this eastern region that is occupied.

president poroshenko said it was those parts had been liberated and i think those two positions show you how deep is the divide. at that that leaves people here wondering what's going to happen next here in mauopol is voting. they are afraid of what's going to happen next. he specially the front line disciplined the min agreement, that there is still shelling going on. violations according to the european monitors are from the two sides you'll of this increases the atmosphere of uncertainty. >> thank you. all righting us from the divided city of mauirpol. lots more to come on al jazeera. brazil's contest, vote that's just too close to call.

sanger on the streets of nigeria as locals insist there is no cease-fire with boca haram. stay with access.

♪ >> welcome back. top stories here on al jazeera. lebanon's army is stepping up efforts to drive gunmen from the north of the country. six soldiers and four civilians have died in two days of fighting in and around tripoli. tunisia is volting to elect a new parliament. it's one of the final stages in the country's four year political transition. in 2011, a popular uprising

toppled former leader zin zina benali. ukraine's president made a surprise visit to the eastern city of krematosk. pet two poroshenko spoke to soldiers there and visited a polling station. in the last hour, polls have opened in brazil's presidential run-off. now, it's been a bitter campaign and the outcome is anything but certain. incumbent president dilma rousseff has just cast a vote. she is up against neves, a senator and former state governor. louis e a newman has more from the capital, brazil i can't. >> buying and selling a coconut at this market is a chance to show allegiance. no opportunity is too trivial to demonstrate who's side you are on brazil's most fiercely fought elections. >> the dual is between the

incumbent worker's party, jean roussef rousseff. and social democratic senate neves, the grandson of a famous politician who died the day becoming brazil's first elected president after its military dictatorship. unlike hurley, immensely popular predecessor, she is seen as brazil's iron lady who represents the political party that in the last 12 years dramatically reduced poverty to increase wages and social programs. neves who promises more business friendly apologized is the market's favorite. married to a famous model, he insists his image as a former playboy his image can change, someone who will reduce inflation and jump start the economy. now, technically, in recession.

>> brazil's capitol was built in 1960 literally in the shame of an airplane and in the cockpit is the presidential palace that you see here. it is afternoon apt metaphor for what's happening right now, a country that had finally, taken off under the previous government but which under approximately rousseff has been losing more than and more altitu altitude. brazilians are torn about who can deliver chain. >> this a roman god who has two faces. s looks to the future. he looks to the past. looks both ways. the middle class looks like that figure today because they look to the past and they are thankful to everything that the pt did for them. but they also look to the future and they are not sure if juma will give them the extra mile that they want. >> rousseff's strongest support comes from the poor sectors, people who have not risen to the middle classes but who believe it will betarian their turn next if rousseff is in.

that's not the calculates for much of the middle class that has come to expect more. >> it hasn't been all bad. there is too much corruption and bad health services. we need to renew things. >> in the i need, the outcome will be decided by the middle and new lower middle classes that have not given up on the dream of their giant nation taking flight once again. lucia newman, al jazeera, brazilia. the u.s. ambassador to the united neighborhoods samantha power is due to arrive in west africa. she is set to visit guinea, lineria and sar ae-leone. british military forces and health workers are helping train local volunteers to treat patients. there are now more than 10,000 cases of ebola worldwide. the tensions remain high in nigeria despite the government saying a cease-fire with the

armed group is still in place. many nigerians are skeptical about the deal. ha hara natasa was there when one man was accused of being a boko haram sold. >> an unfamiliar face in this part of abuj a at a time when people are nervous. attacks in the northeast are going on despite a nigerian government isn'ting a cease-fire with boko harah fighters are holding we don't want the kind of issue. >> they suspect the man could be from boko harah because he was carrying these: he says he is just a cattle herder. the guns are to protect his animals. mean here don't believe his story. >> they don't know what this man was doing in the neighborhood, they don't know why he was carrying the ammunition he was

carrying. people say they are worried about boko harah attacking nigeria. they are not taking chalingsz. >> the capitol is more than 500 kilometers from boko harah territory but residents know they are not safe. there was an attack on a shopping mall here in june. >> you know how it is because boga haram and so we are afraid. >> the government says a cease-fire was the main set officials hold. they also say. >> people who are not really very, actually, i mean not very happy with the cease-fire to bring up vig laevents within the regions and some of them do cause problems, you know. but, you know, the main thing is that the federal government is has the cease-fire. >> many say they are skeptical about the cease-fire and on edge. >> that's why some want the man

they have captured killed. others want the police to question him. it's a challenge getting him in to a nearby car. this may have saved his life. hera mutasa. >> british forces have ended combat operations lower the union flag in a ceremony to mark the closing of bastian. it's been the center of u.k. operations in afghanistan and is the last bit issue in the country. all are set to leave by december. >> two decades have passed since jordan signed a peace treaty with israel. the packet is unpopular among nanny jordan the. the government seemed determined to protect their strategic partnership. a report. >> when jordan and israel signed a peace treaty 20 years ago, they put behind them 46 years of war and mistrust. but since then, the two neighboring countries have had an uneasy relationship.

king abdullah once described his relationship with prime minister benjamin netanyahu as cold and unpleasant. and this is how he feels now. >> translator: today, we have both islamic extremism and signist extremism. if jordan and other i islamic countries are fighting within islam and the israelis are slaughtering our children every five minutes, then we have a problem. >> failed grounds have angered the kingdom which hosts over 2 million palestinian refugees. jordan has a stake in the outcome of the palestinian/israeli conflict not only because it has the largest palestinian refugee population in the world but because of the strong attachment to jerusalem. israel recognized jordan's special role in looking after islamic sidelines in jerusalem and agreed to give it high priority prior to when they negotiate the future of the

city. >> by allowing right-wing jewish groups to enter the compound, jordan feels israel is undermining its role in protecting the holy site. >> we continue to tell israeli officials that any unilateral action that will act the status of the holy sites must be stopped immediately. >> mohammed albu jarod is still living in a refugee company. he said the treaty was more beneficial to israel. >> by signing a peace treaty, theis reassured the population there will be no wars with its neighbor and no one will ask why it's stealing palestinianlar land. >> there have been call this call this on the government to separatetize but analysts say there is too much to lose. >> it is not in jordan's interest. yes, security coordnation is

important but it's as important for israel as it is for jordan. now, if we are talking about isis, let's not forget the borders. >> the treaty defined permanent borders with israel and returned the area of albakura to jordan. for many here, it feels like a truce, not peace. refugee camp. >> three journalists have been detained in egypt for 302 days. peter greste, mohammed familiara and bahar mohammed are convicted of helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood. >> access has dismissed the charges against them and continues to demand their immediate release. several dons residents in hawaii are preparing to evacuate as a lava flow edges closer to their homes. they have been told they may have to leave in the next three to five days. the lava has crossed a road on the edge of a town and is month moving at 9 meters an hour,

coming from the volcano which has been erupting continuously since 1983. it's wen a year since the indian city of calcutta introduced the bicycle ban to improve traffic. for many people,cilinging is the only affordable way to get around. jamil has been to meet some of those who say their livelihoods have suffered over the last 12 months. >> reporter: calcutta's roads are brim with all sorts of vehicles like any indian city with one difference: there are no bicycles on the main roads. for t for the past year, a bicycle ban has pushed cyclists on to these back roads. it's especially hard for those who use a cycle to make a living. for shaventa puque. it says the ban me traveling longer and working less. he estimates his income has gone down from $200 a month before the ban to just $80.

>> the ban has affected my family heavily. if the ban goes on for a longer time, i don't think i can make ends meet. >> business is bad for those who repair bicycles since many cyclists have switched in the past year to other forms of transport. >> grandfathbefore the ban, i u have 20 or 30 sieblingdz in the garage for repair. now, there are not even 5 for me to fix. imagine what will happen if it goes on for another year. >> calcutta police declined our request for an interview but in past media statements. police have said general safety and traffic congestion were the main reasons behind the ban. and there is no plan to lift it. >> with traffic increasing every year, calcutta police say that since banning bicycles yes these main roads, traffic flows faster. however, critics say besides affecting those who's livelihood depends upon traveling by bicycles, banning this form of

transportation put do you know one of the greenest forms of getting around. >> reporter: the state's pollution control board says 50% of calcuta's air pollution comes from cars. this environmentalist said banning bicycles will make that worse. >> if we allow more and more vehicles to come in cal cuta's street t would only mean that the air pollution in calcutta is only go to go rice and if you don't look at more sustainable methods of transportation, it's going to become a problem. >> he is still trying to fight the ban along with others who use their bicycles for work. they want to stop sitting idle and start moving again with the rest of the city. jamil, al jazeera, calcutta. >> after lengthy delays and pricey overall, the picasso museum has re-opened in paris. large crowds turned up to see one of the most extensive collections in the world, featuring thousands of picasso's

works. he spent most of his life in france until his death in sneeven 3. the $66 million project took five years to complete. a reminder you can always keep up-to-date with all of the news on our website at aljazeera.com. ♪ criticism from quarantine, the nurse who was first thought to have ebola blast officials for travel guidelines for new york and new jersey and they called for an election that could align them with europe and division among people, why protesters in hong kong are now getting more push back from their neighbors from police. and inching closer the lava flow