tonight" special report. tonight, 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. >> thousands turn out in moscow for boris nemtsov's funeral. some european politicians are barred from attending. you're watching al jazeera. also on the program: >> iraq's army says its making gains from isil in the battle for sadaam hussein's hometown. >> my speech is not intended to show any disrespect to president obama. >> netanyahu says his differences with the white house are political and not personal, as he prepares to address the u.s. congress.

>> nowhere to go, thousands left homeless as fire ravage's one of manila's poorest districts. >> thousands of people in moscow cue cued up to pay respects to russian opposition leader boris nemtsov who was shot dead near the kremlin friday. polish and latvian officials who wanted to attend were denied entry to russia. >> long queues at the center as people pay respect to boris nemtsov. several european politicians and critics have been barred from attending the funeral. >> he is a reformer. that is how he will go in history. already has. over the past years when boris could not tolerate what was happening in russia and watching

the current government practically stamp out the constitution and take rights from people, we were fighting against it. >> they are calling on the russian government to investigate his killing. >> he stood for freedom of speech. he stood in a word for liberty. the things he he stood against were very important, as well, aggression repression and corruption. if anyone believes that his voice will be silenced by his murder, then i believe they have made a as her serious error. >> nemtsov is to be buried later on tuesday in a cemetery "on the outskirts of moscow. those close to russian president vladimir putin deny any involvement with killing him. nemtsov's a former deputy prime minister ands is the most prominent political figure to be murdered in russia during vladimir putin's 15 year rule. >> amnesty's national program

director for europe and central asia joins us. before we get to him these are live pictures coming from the cemetery in moscow, where nemtsov's body is being laid to rest currently. as we mentioned hundreds of mourners are gathered to pay respects to him. let's go back. he thinks those responsible for nemtsov's murder will not be brought to justice. >> there is a string, already a long list of people killed in similar circumstances. human rights defenders journalists, politicians and in many of these, senior russian politicians declared they would take personal control over the progress of the investigation.

in not one of those cases, maybe with the exception of one journalist have we seen progress and in her case, people who implemented the killing were put in jail, but we don't know who ordered it. mr. putin announced that he will personally control the progress of this investigation. now, if that's genuine, then the killers have little chance of escaping, but we shall see whether they do. >> a combined force including the iraqi army, shia splash and peshmerga forces are taking control of high ground to the southeast that overlooks tikrit. the u.s. is not providing air support. one of iran's most senior military commanders is help to go supervise the attack. the operation is being billed as a dry run for an assault on mosul. that's iraq's session largest city and also under isil's control. >> the attack started with shelling. these mortars were aimed at paving the way for soldiers and fighters to advance towards tikrit. in central iraq, the iraqi military have pushed back isil from small cities and towns, but

sadaam hussein's hometown, an isil stronghold, has special significance. >> this is prepared for the isil rats. we will cross them near tikrit. >> it is the site of the single biggest massacre by isil since it seeds territory last june. gunman killed 1,000 unarmed military recruits at the camp. militia members blame sunni tribes for supporting isil. prime minister abaddi has tried to reassure leaders that they won't be attacked by the militias but said if they are not supporting the fight, they are supporting isil. >> there shouldn't be anyone standing on the other side. in this battle, we should all be united. anyone who claims to be taking a neutral side will mean they are standing with the other side those killing our people, those

killing the husbands of our women, turning them into widows or orphaning our children. >> in this fight, and in previous ones, iran is playing a leading role. the iraqi militias it is equipping and advising are considered more effective than most iraqi army units. sources on the ground say the commander is helping coordinate operations from the front lines. in the air, it's only iraqi aircraft, according to the military. the united states is helping in other ways, but not backing this major offensive with u.s. airstrikes. about 2,000 sunni tribal fighters have joined the battle. as iraqi forces fight for tikrit, a major question is how many more sunnis will join them. >> some military leaders see the battle for tikrit as a launching point to move further north to take back isil. as the battle moves into sunni

provinces, there is deeper iranian involvement and some fear the potential to become bogged down in more sectarian conflict. al jazeera, baghdad. >> length net said his speech to the u.s. congress is not intended as a show of disrespect forebay. there are sharp policy differences between israel and the white house. netanyahu is arguing against any nuclear deal with iran. let's get more from our correspondent standing by in washington d.c. kimberly, i read that the last time netanyahu addressed congress, he received 28 standing ovations in 47 minutes. is he likely to get the same warm reception this time? >> well, the lead-up to the speech, if any indication, i expect fewer standing ovations because fewer members of congress will be in attendance when the speech is delivered. at last count there may be as many as 56 members who will boycott the speech, one that's

highly controversial has divided members of congress and also the american public and even the jewish streets here in the united states. most feel this is a real broach of protocol, a sensitive nuclear deal being worked out with iran over its nuclear activities and there is concern that the obama administration is being undermind by this invitation by the republican speaker john boehner. there is concern about the timing of this speech, coming two weeks before the israeli election. many members of congress feel it's not for the u.s. congress to wade into israeli politics. finally, there are many in the united states that really resent any attempt by a foreign leader to dictate american foreign policy especially when it comes you to iran. >> given what you've just said then and given the controversial surrounding his visit, how much sway does he really have over congress when it comes to trying

to influence them over the iran nuclear deal. >> that additionally, the automatic-israeli relationship has been strong and the consensus on israel in the u.s. congress has been almost unbreakable. what eve seen in recent weeks is unprecedented. members of congress are openly speaking out against israel and voicing their concerns about any effort by the obama administration to undermine that effort to negotiate a deal with iran is really of great concern. we really are coming down to what we're seeing here at major policy differences. democrats in congress support the president's effort that israel's security will come with a nuclear deal. there are many others in congress, in fact most of them being republicans especially some of the more hawkish republicans that feel that just the exact opposite is what is necessary, a deal would be detrimental to israel's security, as well as there is a

need pour more sanctions something that president obama's speech monday night argued ve he willently against that there should be strict inspections reduction of century finals and the fact that this deal could bring about the security that israel is looking for. again, very competing policy differences, the question now is whether or not the arguments that are being made by benjamin netanyahu will be well received. in about two hours and see time, we will be able to find out. >> thank you, with him about heli, speaking to us from washington. >> in libya the u.n. recognized government launched airstrikes against a military airport in tripoli. the affect was aimed at militia who took over the at that particular time roll last year and set up their own government. there have been strikes against an oil port in the north of the country by the rival administration. >> in tripoli for us, can you

tell us if there have been any reports of casualties in any of the strikes? >> so far, there is no casualty. what we can tell for sure that the air raid, air strike that targeted the airport here in tripoli did not leave any casualties. it was only a small hit close to the runway, without any casualties, according to the authorities responsible for securing and protecting the airport. as for the other air strike, the general national congress and national salvation government here in tripoli have not announced just yet ever not confirmed their responsibility for air raiding locations or positions. we know forces belonging to libya do an operation which is

part of the general national congress assignment is now engaging in fights close to sirte specifically in the eastern side of sirte close to the oil field fighting with armed groups affiliating with the islamic state of iraq and the levant. back to the airstrikes that targeted the airport today this is not the first time and authorities in the airport say it is thought to be an aircraft that belongs to the general in an attempt to block or hinder the way implementing the united nations brokered die logs between libyans to end their political and military crisis in libya. >> thank you very much. speaking to us from tripoli. >> much more to come here on the

program, including. >> i'm nicole johnston in the panjshir valley in afghanistan where helicopters are finally starting to reach villagers that have been cut off from avalanches. >> china faces criticism that it's crack down on the illegal ivory trade isn't tough enough.

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>> we know there is an investigation into his murder, as well. has there been any development into the case?

>> well, the investigative team is saying things like we are looking at the cctv. >> we see there is bits of evidence, but you no arrests so far, and no real concrete leads that we know of. they were saying earlier on tuesday that they believe that boris nemtsov was being followed from earlier on, on friday, the day that he died, he had gone pick up his girlfriend from the airport and was being followed at that point, as well. if you speak to the opposition side of things, people say they are very unconfident that this investigation will come up with anything they will see at justice. >> thank you, speaking to us from moscow. >> a suicide car bomb tack in afghanistan killed at least 14 people. joint army and police patrol was targeted.

ten security personnel and four civilians were killed. >> more than 200 people ever died in northeastern afghanistan in what's called the worst series of have have a larges to hit the country in 30 years. we report from panjshir, one of the worst-hit areas. >> high above the panjshir valley the scale of the disaster unfolds. village after village covered in up to three meters of snow, and it's still falling. communities are cut off from each other roads are disappeared. everything is white except for the houses, the ones is that haven't been lost. the village survived.

thirty people who lived in it did not. they were buried beyond the trees in two mass graves. we are shown around, and he points to the houses where people died. >> the avalanche hit at midnight when everyone was sleeping. i was so scared. i heard a great noise, later, i felt sad. it hit my friend's house and he died with his family. >> this little boy is alone. his mother and four sisters died when their bedroom crumbled under the weight of the snow. >> in many ways, this village is now one of the lucky ones. helicopters are able to land here and the main road has almost reached it. there are still dozens of remote villages far off in the mountains that the government simply can't get to. >> the weather has closed in in this district, helicopters can't reach it. >> the most important issue for us is the areas we haven't reached yet by road. we are trying to help by air but the aid we are dropping is not enough for everyone. >> the government is giving cash

payments of up to $1,800 to the relatives of anyone who died in the snowstorms. the oldest man in the village said he has seen avalanches before, but never anything like this. recovery will take a long time. many people are still in shock. >> from midnight to 5:00 a.m., we worked hard to take the dead bodies out of dust and snow. people were so frightened, you'd think it was doomsday. there was no hope for life. we didn't think we would ever stick together again. >> here the snow has been cleared away to make room for two freshly-dug graves. cousins, young boys, they died when the roof collapsed. the panjshir valley's bracing for many more funerals before the snow melts. nicole johnston, al jazeera, panjshir. >> thousands are homeless after a massive fire in the

philippines capitol. the blaze swept through a poor community on monday. we have the latest. >> he tries to put on a brave face. everything his family built has been reduced to this, lost in a fire that destroyed the homes of over 2,000 other families in downtown manila. >> i can't express my grief when i look around me. i can't even explain what happened. there's nothing to say. we accept that this is a tragedy. we have to start over, find a job, work again and rebuild everything. >> she lost her home. she does not know how long she will live in this temporary shelter, along with nine members of her family. >> we will be grateful for anything we can get, not just for my family, but for all of us here.

we hope that those who can will help us. >> according to the local government, at least 80 homes are destroyed here every day due to fire. majority of these are in areas like this one, in shanty towns where electrical wires are faulty. >> the lack of housing for poor urban communities has long been a problem. one in four of manila's 16 million residents lives below the poverty line. most have left their provinces in hopes of a better life in the city, and that has left manila extremely congested. >> you have to put these families to a different place where they could build residential houses. they could have work through programs in that area. >> it is one of the most impoverished communities in

manila. most scavenge, living on less than $3 a day. people here have always thought life couldn't possibly get worse. they say they just have to start all over again. al jazeera, manila. >> tuesday marks world wildlife day. the u.n. us calling on the world to crack down on the wild life trade, which it calls a sophisticated network of crime. demand from china has sparked trade in ivory driving the killing of elephants. in china the price of tusks has tripled in four years. last year, researchers warned poachers were killing elephants faster than they are being born. our correspondent has more from beijing. >> their tusks sawed off, these rescued elephants now perform for tourists.

it's billed as a cultural show and takes place four times a day. britain's prince william is expected to be a spectator on wednesday. china's government insists, this is more than a tourist attraction. it said it's slowly rebuilding the local elephant population and strengthening laws. convicted poachers now face the death penalty. environmentalists are cautiously optimistic that china is finally getting the message. >> it's important for china to tackle this issue with concerted efforts to change consumer behavior in order to reduce the demand for illegal wildlife product. we've seen that they have taken some steps to doing that. >> one step was announced days before prince william began his visit. the government imposed a ban on imported ivory products for a year. >> together, we can save our wild rhinos. >> it is an abiding passion for

the prince, who's recruited some of the biggest names in sport for his campaign. such advertisements are now common on chinese t.v. hong kong, an important hub for the trade, is playing a role too. this recent hall was one of the world's large evident destined for the mainland. >> while china is the largest importer of smuggled imported ivory, the government said it is doing what it can to eliminate the trade. limited sales from a stockpile the country acquired years ago are still legal. >> conservationists want to ban that illegal trade, saying it would help to end the illegal one. for now, that remains a step too far for china. al jazeera, beijing. >> firefighters in south africa are battling to put out wildfires in cape town, helicopters scooping water from

the ocean and dumping it on the flames. the fires are causing widespread damage to thousands of hectares of land. >> kenyan khat farmers are struggling after many european countries banned the leaf. farmers are now forced to sell below market prices and can only export to somalia. >> growing khat is what families have done for generations. farmers complain somali middle men manipulate the market, forcing them to sell their plants cheap. >> people maximize for profit, so want to maximize their profit and we have no other market, so they sit down and lower the price.

>> farmers used to get $600 a bag. now prices can go down just $200 a bag. several european countries stopped importing the plant because of social and health reasons. some doctors say it can lead to insomnia, high blood pressure and heart problems. the european market was the most lucrative. farmers in kenya need somalia, now their biggest and sometimes only market. >> it's a mild narcotic. people chew the leaf for hours. they say it helps keep them awake, always puts them in a good mood and helps suppress their appetite. >> every day, 16 planes leave for somalia, carrying 60 tons of khat each. it's a multi-million dollars trade, but it is cartel's benefiting. >> they want to continue benefiting from this industry, they must take into account the means and requirement of the farmer, who toils in the farm to

procude it for them. unfortunately, they are very short-sighted, see only the profits they can make. >> recently, kenyan farmers stopped selling khat to somalia, but got desperate, couldn't pay school fees and rent so resumed. price war is a constant battle. >> the problem will persist if the farmers increase the price. we will insist on paying less, so we can survive. >> it's nighttime and they will head to the capitol to planes bound for mogadishu. diversifying into other crops could be a solution, but changing a way of life is difficult for some. >> a volcano in chile erupted forcing 3.5000 people to evacuate the surrounding area. the volcano is one of the most

active in south america. the president will travel to the area and she has called on resident to say remain calm. >> you can always keep up to date with all the latest news and analysis on our website at aljazeera.com. in this this this. >> it themselves equip and train people to document abuses. the renowned musician reflects on a life event that infliences his work now. >> i was bullied by a group of kids. they took my clothes out and these were people i thought were my friends. >> he is half the brakes behind