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tv   News  Al Jazeera  March 7, 2015 11:00am-11:31am EST

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>> and what we do... don't try this at home! >> tech know where technology meets humanity... only on al jazeera america >> more deadly attacks in the northeast of nigeria. 51 people are killed in multiple bombings. hello, i'm darren jordan in doha. also on the program iraqi forces push back ill in al baghdadi. but it comes as the remains of hatra are destroyed. it comes 50 years after the broody day in selma but how far have race relations come since then? >> official government policy preserve the use of traditional chinese characters in every day language. with keyboards and smart phones
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replacing pen and paper people are forgetting how to write them. >> we begin in nigeria where at least 51 people have been killed, and more than 110 injured in multiple attacks in born know state. three blasts hit a market and a bus station in the capitol of maiduguri. this is the worst attack on the city since the end of january. we're on the phone from abuja. what more can you tell us from these multiple attacks? >> well, people have gone home now. the markets are closed. the security forces have shut down the markets and ordered people to leave. 51 have been confirmed dead by security forces in maiduguri and 110 people, at least 110 people have been injured in the blast. two of the blasts or rather two
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of the attackers, duties bombers went to the market, the biggest market in northern nigeria. >> ahmed, what are the security forces doing? they tell that's they're turning the tide against bomb, but clearly that's not the case. >> basically if we look at the number of towns and villages recaptureed in forces in the northeast. but you see a number of attacks like this one remember, the town was hit.
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basically what is happening now boko haram has been chased out of some of these villages is finding targets in the main towns and cities across the northeast of nigeria. >> what about the people of maiduguri, ahmed? how are they coping with yet again, another series of attacks. they're getting tired of all this aren't they? >> absolutely. they're tired of this. but again life continues for most of them. also remember maiduguri witnessed the influx of 1.5 million refugees who fled fighting when boko haram took over their communities over the last year or so. people who are witnessing this in maiduguri have seen attacks before. some have been attacked three or four times and then they move again and then they see this all together. it's becoming the norm for most of them.
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ahmed idris in abuja. thank you. a gun and grenade attack in a restaurant has killed five people. there are reports that a french citizen and belgium national are among the dead. the gunmen stormed a bar popular with foreigners. two people have been arrested. now isil fighters have destroyed parts of a 2,000-year-old city of hatra in northern iraq. this is what hatra looked like before isil attacked it. the cultural agency unes co described the city as a war crime. we have the latest of the military campaign against isil. >> hatra, south of mosul on the list of cultural heritage sites. it was on the list because of it's a confluence ever
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greco-roman influences, and could you see that in some of the temples an fortified walls that remain: even people who don't follow archeology now that city because of the film "the exorcist." a parts of it was filmed there. the fight against isil is proving difficult. backed by shia militias still have yet to reach the city of tikrit days after declaring a major offensive. they cleared towns and villages along the way but they're not yet into the city. the u.s. military say it and the iraqi partners have taken back the town of al baghdadi. it's close to a military base where the u.s. and other coalition members operate.
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but sources on the ground tell that's it has not been entirely freed, that there is fighting still going on around al baghdadi. all that is discussed by the top u.s. military official who comes to talk with the iraqi abouts how the fight against isil is going. as we've seen in tikrit, iran and it's militias it is backing and u.s. wants to remain a key fighter. especially in anbar. >> the government said that strikes killed 25 members of an armed group that has pledged allegiance to isil. all this as one of the country's most powerful militaries have seen a major shake up. >> the threat of bombing becoming more frequent for egyptians. this latest bomb killed one policeman and tore off legs and
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burned 20 others in the city of mahalla on friday. people across egypt deified the government man on protests with friday marchs. they called for an end to the military coup that led to president el-sisis of being elected. their chants could be heard throughout several districts and provinces. the protest comes on the heels of a shake up of the interior ministry. president el-sisi appointed a new interior minister. since 2014 amnesty international said that over 100 people have died in police stations alone. cause of death lack of medical care or torture. the human rights group said there is zero accountability for abuses committed at the hands of police forces. police stations and military
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posts have become common targets for bombings by armed groups. during a meeting of the human rights council held earlier this week the commissioner said that he felt that there would be only more because of imprisonments. the interior minister disagreed with its findings. >> based on the rule of law and based on its determination not to repeat the errors of the past. >> yet, many human rights activists say that it's the present that has become worse than the past. al jazeera. >> egypt has carried out the first execution linked to riots in 2013. mahmood ramadan was hanged after
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two people were thrown from a building. last month egypt's high court upheld the death sentence against ramadan. four boats strayed outside of the israeli designated six-mile fishing zone. the cressels were fired upon when they didn't reply to calls to stop. gaza is kept under a tight coastal blockade by israel. factions are meeting face to face in morocco. the u.n. said it would step up it's role if the talks lead to a second. the rival governments do appear to making some progress. >> libyan rifle factions are closer to clinching a political deal. they have agreed in principle
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implementing a cease-fire bringing out militias from the cities and forming a national unity government. while the two delegations need to travel to libya to consult with their governments if things go well, they'll return to the moroccan capitol rabat for a final ceremony. >> there are signs of a deal. we've now moved to a new face, and with the u.n. we're starting to talk about guarantees but once there is a deal we'll have a government that has a clear mandate. we'll summit a draft to the united nations with a comprehensive deal with all the guarantees and new form of government as soon as possible. >> a deal was almost unthinkable a few days ago. the bitterly divided government of east and west libya don't trust each other. the tibruk government is
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recognized by the international and the one in tripoli is recognized by this court. they have been trying hard to convince warring factions to give diplomacy a chance. >> it makes no sense to going back to fighting and confrontation. it will lead nowhere. they are aware of this. now we're going to start discussing concrete proposals this morning. i'm optimistic about the security operation which is a key element. it needs a security environment to work. >> the government of tibruk announced it is holding airstrikes for three days. a gesture of three will. >> there is no other way but to pursue a productive national dialogue that could reach the stage of having total agreement
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on both parties for the sake of establishing or instituting the government. >> libya has been beset by a power struggle. the infighting and rise of groups are affiliates why the islamic state in iraq and the levant. it raises concerns of its stability and it's ability to destabilize the whole region. >> the warring factions don't seem to have overcome to the point that throughout talks in the capitol of rabat both parties have never met with each other, preferring instead to do business with the united nations envoy. al jazeera rabat. >> still to come on al jazeera, find out why the families of three british school girls are believed to have joined the conflict in syria blame the u.k. police p. plus a year after it's
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mysterious disappearance families of those on board of the mh 370 hope for its return. we have more on that next.
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>> on al jazeera america >> technology...it's a vital part of who we are... >>they had some dynamic fire behavior... >> and what we do... don't try this at home! >> tech know where technology meets humanity... only on al jazeera america >> welcome back. a quick reminder of our top stories on al jazeera. in nigeria many people killed in explosions in maiduguri. three blasts were reported in a market and bus station in the capitol of borno state. more than a hundred people have been injured. libya's rival political factions are meeting face-to-face for the first time in peace talks in morocco.
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they have been warned against attacks while negotiations are being held. reports that isil fighters have destroyed ancient remains of the 2,000-year-old city of hatra. now the families of three british girls are believed to have gone to syria say they've been let down by the police and girl's schools. the girls were flown from london to turkey are they're believed to have passed through sir gentleman. >> in likelihood they have made it from london to turkey to join isil. last month, after the teenagers went missing their families made emotional appeals. >> if you are hearing this, please come home. >> this cctv footage shows them
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at a bus station in istanbul before the trip to the border. now we know that u.k. police spoke to them. first in december after a school friend of theirs ran away to syria. then they handed letters to their parents to seek for--to speak to them about their missing friend. >> this would not have happened if they were stopped. >> what would you have done? >> we discuss about it. we would take the passports from them. >> the metropolitan police service issued a statement saying there was nothing to suggest at the time that the girls themselves were at risk, and their disappearance comes as a great surprise. the girls were spoken to in 2014 as part of the routine inquiry
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by officers investigating the disappearance of their friend. the police admitted that more could have been done to get the letters directly to the girl's families. we'll never know if that would have stopped them from running away. but with more leaveing to help fight in syria they would do more to get out the story. >> the police have detained two suspects in the murder of boris nemtsov. the government has denied any involvement in his death. the negotiations over the future of iran's nuclear program are in a critical phase. u.s. secretary of state john kerry has met his french counterpart in paris to discuss the process. kerry said it must not be
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rushed. >> we're not feeling a sense of sense of urgency that we have to get any deal. we have to get the right deal. and it is, frankly up to iran that wants this program that wants a peaceful program that a search that they have a peaceful program to show the world that it is, indeed, exactly what they say. >> the u.s. pratt barack obama has defended the decision not to charge a former ferguson police officer with the killing of an unarmed black teenager michael brown. his death led to protests of police treatment of african-americans. >> we may never know exactly what happened but officer wilson, like anybody else who is charged with a crime benefits from due process and a reasonable doubt standard if
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there is uncertainty about what happened then you can't just charge him any way just because what happened was tragic. that was the decision that was made and i have complete confidence and stand fully behind the decision that was made by the justice department on that issue. >> abraham is expected to speak in selma alabama to commemorate the 50th anniversary of bloody sunday. police attacked peaceful protesters marching for african-american voting rights. >> this was the final significant step of the civil rights movement, 1965, a push for voting rights. but when marchers tried to cross this bridge in selma alabama... >> i was just horrified. it just stunned me. >> for clark olsen those images not only horrified him.
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it changed his life. he heard the call of dr. martin luther king for ministers of all races and religions to come to selma, the theory, the police would not attack the clergy, but his faith would no protect him or two others. they took a wrong turn and ran into a group of white glen they came across the street rather hurriedly. we wits perked to each other to just keep walking. i turned around and saw the man swing the club, and i heard the sound of that hitting jim's head. a sound that i will not forget. and then ien. >> his friend jim reed died two days later. and his death would do more to galvanize the country than the horrifics horrific image of blacks being beaten.
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on the day that reed was buryied president johnson read the voting rights act one that assureed the right to vote. it has ban half century since olsen held his friend's hand, and watched him slip into unconsciousness and into the pages of history. >> i've had so many opportunities to talk to people about this. my god that's just--it's a gift. it's a gift to me. >> he never crossed the bridge in selma with the others back then but now, 50 years later he'll finally get his chance.
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>> now we're getting reports that the white house has been locked down. the shutdown was triggered by a loud noise. it has been dealt with not is considered a serious threat. >> the the cia is set to crete new units called mission centers where analysts and operators will work much more closely. nepal's international airport has been shut down for four gays. they have been trying to remove a turkish airline jet that skid off the tarmac while landing. march is the beginning of tourism season when many come to
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climb the himalayan peaks. malaysia has fledge find it's missing plane flight mh 370, they would continue looking for the missing airplane. a vigil was held in malaysia on the eve of the first anniversary of the tragedy. >> it's the only way to remember those who are still missing. many gather in public areas like this to pray, sing and show their support oh of family and friends of those lost on plane mh 370. >> the prime minister suggested at one stage during the last 12 months in an open press conference that the plane had been taken over. yet, at the beginning of this year we see a statement from the
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department of civil aviation saying that it was an accident. yet, we have no evidence of whether the plane is, the black box recorder or anything on the wreckage. how can a statement be made? >> the announcement of the declaration of the accident, that is important because under requirements we have to announce the plane lost. >> such words do not sit well with those who have loved one on mh 370. sara is still waiting to hear from her partner philip wood. >> as far as we can see from what has happened throughout the situation, there is abject corruption and incompetence.
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i do not consider that of the employees. they're victims in this and they have done their best. >> this malaysian airlines pilot, whose identity we hid for security reasons reflect the feelings of many in the aviation industry. >> we're asking what happened. why it happened and why malaysian airlines. >> all people here can do is show their support both young and old light candles say prayers, and sing. hoping that the light they hold will guide flight mh 370 back home. >> china has removed a documentary addressing it's environmental issues from websites in the country.
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the film has spurred a national debate and had 300 million views on the internet days within its release a week ago. when china side china decided to move to a simplified version of alphabet remembering how to write the character has become a challenge there. we go to taipei. >> it's a painstaking art one that this man has been mastering over his 83 years. he's worried that the proper accurate depiction of the traditional characters used in taiwan is under threat. >> people usually write on computers. they don't do handwriting any more so they lack practice. when they try to write they
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just don't know how. >> you need to memorize 8,000 individual characters. to allow such a huge vocabulary to be rent electronically, shortcuts on screens and computers. you input a symbol related to the the pronunciation from that you can recognize and choose a character. that's very different from writing it from scratch stroke by stroke. to prove a point we approach people in this park asking them to write a simple phrase with an admittedly tricky character. it means to sneak around without being seen.
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only pen people we approached got it right. >> i forgot how to wright it. >> taiwan prides itself on the heritage. so if this is the last bastian of written chinese what happens if succeeding generations forget how to write it by hand? >> when children learn to write the characters. >> children do learn thousands of characters as they make their way through school, but as they move in adulthood from paper to screen those skills are harder to preserve. he worries when children learning kaliggraphy first have to learn the basic strokes, but he's doing his best to pass on
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his knowledge. his children and grandchildren now work in the family business. harry fawcett al jazeera, taipei. >> and a quick reminder you can keep up-to-date with all the news on our website. it's there on the screen, www.aljazeera.com. that's www.aljazeera.com. >> gang rape, among the most shocking of violent crime is stirring a global outrage. throughout asia, it is believed to be far more common than most people think. >> rape is a major problem in all countries across this region. >> women's experiences of violence are well documented but the