a ceasefire is holding in yemen's capital but houthi fighters are still surrounding government buildings. hello and welcome to al jazeera live from doha, i'm mary ann namazi. afghanistan.'s new president silicon valleyashraf ghani introduces

his new parliament. houthi fighters in yex are still surrounding the residence of the prime minister and the presidential palace in the capital, sanaa. violence began between the shia fighters and the army. it's not clear who's in charge. >> the fighting is being heard from blocks away. government forces and houthi rebels have been battling near the presidential palace in sanaa since early on monday. who wields power in yemen something that's hard to know at the moment. a government spokesperson indicates a place of utter

chaos. >> frankly i don't know who is in charge here. some are responding to his command that's why both the ministers of interior and community, they do not obey the orders of their superiors. >> houthi rebels have been at odd with the government for a while now but many feel they are the real rulers of yemen. salah has been thought to be at the head of the chaos. monday's fighting has made this situation worse. >> nothing like this has been seen before. this case is the first of its kind even the attack on sanaa months ago was nothing close to this. the attacks on sanaa by the

houthis only focused on certain areas of the capital. there was no attack on the president or the prime minister. >> houthis have reportedly taken control of state television and other forces outside the capital but the president's l motorcade was attacked by a third party. the information minister says some security forces are are refusing orders but some forces are still loyal to president hadi. hadi's decision to deploy troops in the capital was what could be seen as his last battle. >> omar joins us live from the southern port city of aden. omar as you are saying, the ceasefire appears to be holding but what can you tell us about the presence of the houthis in

and around the capital of sanaa? >> it's very heavy presence. we understand that the houthi fighters deployed a number of their members in different areas off the capital. they are certainly surrounding the presidential palace. they took control of two small mountains overlooking the presidential palace which will give them a vantage point. also surrounding surrounding the residence in the city center. they are pretty much in control of sanaa and i have to point out that they have been in control since last year, since they took over the capital in september. what happened yesterday was another show of fours. they are surrounding and reading control of the area surrounding the presidential palace and the

p.m.'s residence mary ann. >> omar, we know that the government and the houthis have been locked in battle for years. what is different about this latest round of fighting for the power struggle between the two? >> reporter: i'm having difficulty hearing you. but let me tell you what this crisis means and perhaps it will push the president to bow to the houthi pressure. now president hadi tried his luck perhaps by deploying some of the forces that are still loyal to him. and when you think -- when you look at the results of that decision he made perhaps the wrong decision because clearly the houthis are in charge. and more powerful and that's because the appliance they have with the former president ali abdalla alfalah.

he will be meeting with all the parties that are signature if president hadi survives this crisis he will appear even weaker. >> omar, we'll definitely get back to you as soon as we get more information on the meeting we'll stay on that for you. just as a follow-up we are reporting from the southern port city of aden, for security reasons, not from sanaa. an i.s.i.l. video which al jazeera has chosen not to show is demanding $200 million for hostages release. i.s.i.l. is threatening to kill them in 72 hours is if their

requests are not met. i.s.i.l. fighters launched an attack on special force he assisting the iraqi army planning a force. a court in bahrain is due to reach a vert verdict in the trial of a defendant. shia muslims have been demanding greater freedoms from the sunni leadership. afghanistan's president has officially announced his candidates to parliament. ashraf ghani has said to be inveiled. lets go to jennifer glasse, in exulkabul now.

another below to the formation of the government jennifer. it took three months to get these 23 scab net nominations and announcements nominations for central bank. they've recessed now after the potential ministers were introduced into parliament. they said anybody with dual citizenship, afghan citizenship and another zenship they planned to reject. they didn't plan to get 11 ministers with dual citizenship. at least one minister was wanted by interpoll. that was the minister of agriculture. he's dropped out. at least one, there is an age

concern, may not be 35 years old and old enough to be minister. the members of parliament said they will look into each one of these but they need to get this one done as quickly as possible. that's balance they're trying to strike, make sure the ones they put in place will be the right ones will be accountable. they have the power to prove or disprove any of the president's nominees. without a government any of those plans will be difficult to implement. >> well, that's precisely the problem there. you say it's been a long drawn out process. what does this mean for the country, jennifer? >> well, you know it has met for past several months. an already delicate economy in even worst shape than what it was. many things are just at a stand

still. without cabinet ministers, a lot of things can't get done. development projects are stalled. family disputes, a man who had a couple of his cars stolen they couldn't get prosecutors to retrieve them for him even though there was a court order for them. everything is at a standstill at a very very challenging time. ashraf ghani says he needs another six months at least to try and reform the ministries and the real question is, will the afghan people give him that time. the presidential election process went on nearly six months now three months just to get cabinet nominees in place. afghans want things moving and soon. president glain is ghani is promising

a lot. afghanistan is such an import-heavy country. he's promising to root out corruption and afghans would like the see a promise that that is going to happen. >> jennifer glasse from kabul. democratic republic of congo two policemen have been killed during violent protest from the capital kinshassa. allowing president joseph cabela to extend his power. close race between edgar lungu from the governing patriotic front and from the united party international.

hara mutassa reports. >> on tuesday she's voting again, someone to replace the former president who was sick and died last year. >> money was wasted on state funerals and elections people don't plan for. i wish this election wasn't happening. >> but the presidential election is going ahead. the opposition leader promises change. he is worried about political violence. >> there is a lot of violence. basically they are running around with bangas.

>> improving roads and facilities, education and creating jobs. its presidential candidate edgar lungu, denies accusations of corruption. there my biggest message to him and others who support him for the peace to preside over a destroyed nation on account.people's ambition but a drop of blood where life should be less than one want to be buried. >> both say they want to improve the lives of the the country. but they disagree on the mining policy. they say the mining companies make way too much money. raising taxes is not practical. it could mean more mines will close andful more people will lose their job. the new president will only be in office for one year.

zambians have to decide if they want someone new or more of the same. haru matassa, al jazeera. >> still to come, we'll bring you the latest on the former police chief sentenced to 90 years in prison. and under attack in paris and on the internet. thousands of french websites are hacked.

>> welcome back.

you're watching al jazeera. let's update you on our top stories. a ceasefire appears to be holding in yemen's capital. shia rebels are surrounding the president's home and the presidential palace in sanaa. western forces and i.s.i.l. fighters have fought a ground battle for the first time. special forces helping iraqi forces planning an operation. afghanistan's president is officially introducing his cabinet members to parliament. some say nearly half of the nominees have dual citizenship. more funerals are expected to be held in lebanon for hezbollah fighters hit by a helicopter attack on sunday. advising syrian government

forces. nicole johnston reports from beirut. >> a few thousand people turned out for the funeral of a hezbollah leader, six of the men killed were from the lebanese armed shia group hezbollah. one belonged to iran's revolutionary guard. the significance of this funeral is jihad musnia, a man being groomed for a more senior position. but it appears to be a planned tack. this is the first time it appears to have carried out such a direct hit against the group in syria. the question now is how will hezbollah respond? >> wait and see our message will continue.

our line will continue, it will 97 stop. >> hezbollah supporters say there will be retaliation when the group is ready for it. >> we're ready for it but for the past 30 years hezbollah has always taught us that any retaliation has to be logical. that is one of our points of strength against israeli enemy. >> thousands of men are in hezbollah are in syria fighting on the same side as president bashar al-assad. this has divided lebanon. there are those who support the group and the syrian president and those who back the other side who say syrians have move out. >> today hezbollah is no more an arab hero, he's ton opposite,

seen as backing a dictator who is killing an arab population. >> hasan nesrella says hezbollah has a sophisticated arsenal and can strike israel anywhere, any time. this certainly increases the tension, nicole johnston, al jazeera, beirut. protesters are demanding answers when a prosecutor who claimed to have information of a coverup was found dead. >> in the capital they gathered in at least three locations and there were protests in the provinces as well.

there was a small standoff with police outside the presidential palace. crowds started gathering shortly after officials announced the preliminary results of an autopsy on prosecutor alberto nisman's body. they say there was no indication that anybody else was involved in his death. it was less than 24 hours before he was due to testify before a congressional hearing regarding christina corruption. this protest is big. whatever the circumstances of al al

alberto nisman's death. >> i don't want the stain of corruption on my family, that's why i'm here. >> very grave what's going on. they are working all over us. >> reporter: no one has faced justice for a jewish community center in 1994 in which 85 people died. iran denied any involvement. 51-year-old nisman alleged he had evidence including phone taps which shoad showed the president along with hector timerman, involved in grain exports to iran in return for oil. opposition insisted that nisman had no reason to commit suicide. what happens next no one is sure but the questions are piling up with few clear answers. andrew simmons al jazeera

buenos aires. >> guilty of ordering an tack 30 years ago. ordering soldiers to set fire to the embassy while protesters were aside. aridondo was also sentenced to the murder of two students at a funeral. the president has promised it will bring in a new political culture but at manel fernandez reports from clom beau, he has his work cut out for him. >> sunetra is a retired teacher. like many people she has been feeling pinch of spiraling cost. >> translator: a majority of have i lansri lankan are having trouble

putting food on the table. >> reporter: people were faced with increasing applies. the rise in the economy he says his other top priorities are abolishing the executive presidency are electoral reform and setting up institutions to ensure transparent and effective government. for those who supported the new president things are on track. >> obviously euphoria. the gunman is not going to do something silly to only play for the gallery. that is not likely to happen. that means there's a forward-thinking but very sears thought process at the moment. are. >> reporter: warning his new

cabinet that any wrongdoing would not be tolerated. many people who voted snore change rear in sri lanka said they were not happy that any form ever government will be there and needs irgt rornlg. >> the challenge would be to put the are foreign ministry back on track and stop politicization. within the eyes of the international community. the new government has begun work on the are programs they promised, mini budget which many hope will bring them the relief it needs. manel fernandez, al jazeera clomcolombo.

>> aid ran brown has more -- adrian brown has more from beijing. >> now new data has come out showing that china's economy grew by 7.4% in trearn. now that is not what the government hoped for. they had been hoping for economic growth of perhaps 7.5% which is essentially what it's been in the past few years. this represents one of the smallest economic growth in china for almost a quarter of a century. why? a housing bubble the in 40 or 50 sillies. and these loans on their books the government encouraged the subpoena to make after the global financial crash in 2008.

>> if we have a disrupted slow down and that's what would happen if we went into our debt expaps limit that exob quite pad for china and quite bad for the woorld. so far i.t. looks like we are going to have slow economic growth. >> china's is ahead of india and of course, japan. what wirl happen, if the gdp fell to 6%? have. >> creating what she calls an antiterror loins. fredericka molni wanted to talk about security after recent attacked in frants. meenl the french government says

it will be correcting terrorism many nick spietser has more from paris. ftc. >> reporter: the attacks against the magazine, "charlie hebdo" set off a cyber asawl in pairs, in france. hammers changed the home pages of thousands much universities local shops among others. he said he would present measures to fight the hackers this week. >> terms of hackers claimed to be seized their opportunity to do harm. >> late last year the french

government organizations to the french government considers to be terrorist and it also bans sites from condoning the type of attacks france has just gone through. but it's hard to know when determined attackers operating from oversees. >> the hacked be websites say an attempt no you are not. the attacked were not 76thed.. >> they paint some messages on the window and they leave. after you have to enter the shop and to clean the mess. >> it's a mess that individual website owners will have to clean up. often by simply updatings their

website software. but wiping the feeling of unease away will not be easy. nick spicer, al jazeera paris. >> remember you can get everything we're covering on our website, the address is aljazeera.com. aljazeera.com. >> it's a name americans are still learning, but if epidemiologists are right, it's one that we'll know all too well. chicken gunia. that's inside story. >> hello, i'm ray suarez.