♪ boko haram under fire, the armies of. this iger and chad launch a ground and air offensive in northeastern nigeria. i am jonah hull. live from london. also coming up: three people are killed in another attack on a u.n. base in mali. we report from the trenches of eastern ukraine where gunfire and shelling continue to puncture the seats fire. plus a world first test of solar power. high lots try to fly around the plan aetna plane propelled only

by the sun. chad and 9 ear have launched a ground and air offensive against boko haram fighters in northeastern nigeria. local media, reporting that a convoy of more than 200 vehicles is headed towards the nigerian border, the offensive comes after the au, the african union endorsed the creation of a regional force of up to 10,000 people to join the fight against boko haram. they pledged allegiance to the islamic state of iraq in the lee vant. nick sheeve iran joins me from karno from northeastern nigh year i can't. i appreciate you are not on the front line but you are not far from it. what do you hear or see about this new offensei? >> jonah, we have been traveling in that region inside nigeria

and chad and niger. >> these countries need to go in from chad from niger into northeastern nigeria where boko haram is largely headquartered. none of it, officials i am speaking to will give any details of how many troops are part of this. but as you said at least 200 vehicles. >> is one of the largest assaults against bok or haram. it's a reflex of the fact that fire year i can't has not contained boko haram. boko haram has largely attacked within tie year i can't, it is

against nigeria. obviously we saw the reference to is isil but the evidence is the nigeria that boko haram is focused on nigeria and only in the last few months expanded into these countries because military and society hasn't tackled it. so, therefore, we see the african union. therefore, we see niger, chad going in to nigeria with the help i should mention, a lot of training that has been going on between the u.s. forces and the british forces and the local armies as well. >> you interest nigerian society there. you have been on the ground for two weeks in northeastern nigeria. you are not far, of course from maiduguri where is boko haram was born. kuala do people on the ground make of this new offensive, appreciative of it? do they believe boko haram can be defeated? >> i think most people here will tell you that boko haram is largely void of ideology and void of strategy. we are not seeing the kind of

sophistication we are seeing en in northern africa or certainly not with is isil in terms of holding ground goverance, anything like that. this is really a very violent insurgency that targets nigerian officials as well as so many muslims and christians across the northeast. so, i think people in the northeast are desperate for any help and, of course they welcome their neighbors if they are coming in. but i would think they will argue that this is more than a military problem. the nigeria military has had some of their own success, i should mention, in the last month or so. they have brought in more weapons. there is much more political will in the last month leading up to the election, of course, in a couple of weeks to go after boko haram but a lot of the people will say that the problems are more indemic of poverty, a lack of education, the things that fuel the people to join boko haram, that make them susceptible to join boko haram that comes in and forces

people to join or vins people to join. i think a lot of people here in northeastern nigeria want to see not only the nigerian militaries and neighboring militaries go after boko hararm but a legitimate true effort to tackle some of the root causes including education and poverty and alienation between the people and their own government. >> okay. nick schifrin on the ground in northeastern nigeria on the phone. thanks. nick was talking about political will. let's bring in acmid idris, our correspondent in the capital of abuju. nigeria has been not been able to deal with this problem in the northeast for years. now there is an election around the corner. they have had to call in their neighbors for help. what's the government saying about this new offensive? >> well, the government is telling ordinary nigerians that, look we be able to defeat boko haram. we have the capacity to deal with the problem. but then the questions are like you mentioned, being asked by

nigh nigerians why has it taken this long for the government to tackle boko haram? many have been displaced. the nigeria like nick sheeve written said basically took back a lot of territory from boko haram in the last one or two months. the problem now is whether or not this offensive will go on and why is it happening now? because of the e elections or because the military has been. the situation on the ground. last week when we went to chibook on a visit toun west words or saddest stows in the five dwleer insurgency, a military commander told me we have taken delivery of equipment that is the game changer. >> that's what he said. we are on theonsive. he said for most of the last four or five years, the nigerian military has actually been on the defensive. they have taken equipment and are on the defensive. now they think they can win the war. >> akmed let's look at saturday's announcement on

social media by boko haram pledging aleakentions to isil a day on from that, is there a potential for what is a regional confrontation growing even wider with other countries more widely becoming involved now that boko haram appears to have put itself in the same pot as isil? >> well, there is always the threat of this becoming a regional problem. initially, nigerian's thought itt it's a near jarian problem but for five years, niger were was unable deal with the situation. remember in the last four years, we have been hearing about the connection between boko haram and and then there were also rumors of boko haram fighters being seen in the malian conflict about two days ago. there is the issue of boko haram and reports from villages

attacked by boko haram. they are always looking for fighters or mersnaries always the threat and there will continue to be but what will happen now is whether or not is isil will accept the ideology of boko haram to its folds and become part of it. if they have this is going to be a much bigger problem than it is now. >> well leave it there. akmed live for us in the nigerian capital reinke forces have gained a new ally in their battle against the islamic state of the iraq in levant saying they will recapture mosul from is isil fighters. his forces battled against the u.s. military after they invaded iraqi in 2003. the operation to liberate mosul

will involve peshmerga forces and sunni fighters and they will get air support from fighter jets from the u.s.-led coalition. and activists in neighboring syria say that u.s.-led coalition airstrikes have targeted fighters from the al-qaeda-linked rebel group the al nusra front. footage posted olbermann is said to show the moment it happened in idlib prove incident. to egypt where thetrial of two journalists has been adjourned until march the 19th because prosecution witnesses failed to turn up. mohammed fahmy made a third appearance for alleged links to the linked muslim brotherhood. both were released on bail after being detained for more than a year. we come here and we it's unusual

the witnesses don't come. i see as an insult to the judiciary. it's a legal limbo. we are caught in it. >> it's taking too much time. taking too much time. it's hard to get anything done because they don't have any proof to say it. i am working on it. it's taking too much time. >> one person has been killed and nine others injured in two bombings in northeastern egypt. the first explosion happened outside a supermarket in alex and dia's al suf district. a second bomb hit the police station in the city center. two other brahms were disarmed. >> a piece keeper and two civilians have been killed in the latest attack on a u.n. base in mali. witnesses say government fired rockets and shells in a salt in the northern town the u.n. mission has described the assault as a terrorist attack meant to derail piece efforts tmashiri reports. . >> in the desert reelingon, no,

ma'am as living close to a u.n. base became victims of this attack. some of the shells aimed at the compound landed here the injured were taken to the nearest hospital. >> we were leaping when the rockets fell. three rockets landed near us and the third fell just outside my house. two were dead and three are injured including my wife. >> it's not clear who is responsible but this is not the first time the united nations mission in mali has been targeted by groups linked to al-qaeda. it found it difficult to secure this remote and lawless region. these attacks definitely what i can tell you they are attacks part of a deliberate attempt to abort the progress on the ground to make the security condition stable and to provide the

necessary environment for. >> five people at this restaurant popular with foreigners in bamaco. until now, the capital was sheltered from the violence in the north. they are latest attacks will do little to convince people here they are any closer to peace. ays. >> still to come this half hour an apparent admission of guilt from one of the men accused of killing a famed russian politician.

the year after the loss of mh 370, relatives are still no closer to foeing what happened to that irloved ones.

a remilder the top stories here on al jazeera. chad and niger have launched a grand and air offensive in northeastern nigeria. it comes after the group pledged allegiance to isil. iraqi forces have gained a new allie in their battle against isil inflew en sherric muck

tardr alsadr said they will take part in recapturing mosul. dozens have been fired at the u.n. base in northeast everyone mali killing three people and wounding several others. it happened just outside the city of kidal. a sharp judge says one of the men accused of killing opposition figure boris nemtsov has admitted his guilt? >> investigators suspect five people were involved in the shooting/murder which happened just over a week ago. nadine barber reports. >> one of the two men charged with boris nemzov's murder is being led into court

sunday. >> local reports say they have maintained innocence. this undated video shows his mother saying he is brave and courageous. he is always ready to help everyone. the two main suspects were reportedly arrested in egushetia, a rep public bliss following the assassination near the kremlin. nemtsov had been highly critical of russia's involvement in the war in ukraine. putin has promised to deliver justice. as thousands turned out for his funeral a week ago, many accused the kremlin of silencing one of the most voc al opponents.

the latest fighting in eastern ukraine has left at least one soldier dead and 3 others wounded according to the military. it's happened as the deadline passed for both sides to pull all of their heavy weapons back from the conflict zones. john hen hendren reports from the front line town of pesci. >> on the rebel front line in eastern skrarn the cease-fire is a noisy one. olegshaskov olegshaskov, a trainer takes us to a french where gunfire and mortars are clearly heard. >> get down he says. did you hear that again ate launcher hit us? we are 800 meters from the front lines in peski. we are told grenade launchers are being used to fire on the donetsk's people's republic positions. right now, we are just hunkering down and waiting for the firing to stop. on the other side of the front

line, ukraineian forces said it was they who were firing on them. >> in principal, the cease-fire is holding. there are regular small arms fired, so complete cease-fire can't exist. before you arrived here, several mall shells landed on our side before we fired back there were grenade launchers firing at us. saturday was the deadline for both sides to remove tanks, artillery and other heavy equipment from the front lines. both sides say they are complying though we spotted this separatist tank concealed bhiemd a building in a residential neighborhood of donetsk about 10 kilometers from the front line. each size accuses the other of violating the heavy weapons ban. >> the rebel army has withdrawn art art. the right sect offer have not withdrawn any items of heavy artillery. every night they move forward their military equipment and heavy artillery. every night, they are coming closer. >> with daily violations of the

cease-fire and apparent violations of the heavy weapons ban, it is not at all clear the end of the conflict is any closer. john hendren al jazeera, from the front lines at peski, eastern ukraine. >> commenrations have cotted in the united states state of alabama to mark the 50th anniversary of a land mark civil rights march which helped to secure equal voting rights for african americans. on saturday u.s. president barack obama led crowds across the edmund pettus bridge in selma where police beat and tear gas ed marchers back in 1956. a group will soon retrace that route following the footsteps. civil rights act visit refer end jesse jackson said despite the strong steps for racial equality, there is still discrimination. >> there are homes that are without running water today. there are homes with boards rather than winds 0 panes today.

with all of the glow of the promise of selma, 40% of the people in this county are in poverty. 62% of the children are in poverty. rob reynolds joins me now from selma. rob, a second day with more to come. what's happening there? >> yesterday, jonah was the day of speeches and giving thanks to those who marched. the president was here of course. today is more of a people's program. you can see behind me the you had mund pettus bridge is jammed with thousands and thousands of people. the crowd is interesting. many people brought their children with them. you see a lot of young people here we see a lot of people who are advocating causes who are talking about teaching and changing and calling for change including causes such as

decrying the shootings of young brack men such as the michael brown in ferguson missouri, and the killing of eric garner in new york city. >> i was going to bring that up. president obama when he spoke on saturday used some very stirring language, both to reflect back but also to look forward at the future. he said we know the march is not yet over. the race is not yet won is there. a sense on the ground there, rob, as people reflect on the past 50 years that, indeed there is still much more to be done? >> absolutely. of course. people here are voicing frustration, not only with the highly publicized shooting incidents we just discussed but also the pervasive economic inequality that divides along racial lines action although there are more white people living in poverty in the united states, there are so many african-americans who live in dire poverty in places like selma where 40%.

largely african-american population lives blow the federal poverty line where more than 10% of people have no jobs and good jobs are hard to fine. not just here in selma but all across the country from los angeles to detroit to new york and newark and everywhere in between. and as well there are issues such as the mass incarceration of young black men in america's prisons. this is an issue which is gaining a lot of traction among people and may well be the next big mass movement of calling for change in terms of racial justice and equality in the united states. >> okay rob reynolds live for us in selma. thanks, rob. >> now the first full report in the to the disappearance of the missing malaysia airlines flight has revealed that the battery in the jet's black box expired more than a year before the plane vanished. the report was released on the first anniversary of the disappearance of the flight the it came as family and friends of

those on board gathered in kuala lumpar to demand answers about what happened to the plane. pages and pages of the report reveal that everything appeared normal with the flight. >> our correspondent has been following events in kuala lumbar. >> on sunday the interim technical report was released by the ministry of transport, and that report was very much an information document to explanation to plain to the families as well as interested parties in the international community where the investigation sits at this very moment in time. who is involved in the investigation and where the search is going what equipment is involved, the state of that may h 370 plane and all of the technical data around it. people will be analyzing that data for some time to come. >> pope francis has offered a special blessing for women around the world as he marked

international women's day addressing a mass in saint peter's square the head of the catholic church said he wants to appoint more females to senior positions at the vatican. >> we area world where women are marginalized is a sterl world because not only the women carry your life with them but they have a capacity to see the young things. they see over and above. they have a capacity to help us see the world through different eyes different thins with hearts that are more creative more patient, more tender. >> swiss pine easier are preparing to enl bark on the around the world trip in a sola powered plane due to take off from abu dhabi, stefanie dekker reports from there. it's hoped the journey will take clean energy to new heights. it's employ pushing the limits a test of human innovation and stretching technological boundaries with a key message. >> when you have seen that

plane, that flies day and night with no fuel you can never accept after that that somebody tells you that it's impossible to implement renewable energy that it's impossible to save energy, that it's impossible to be more energy efficevents. this is the flying proof that the world can be much cleaner. >> they will be taking turns to fly the sola poured plane around the world for the very first time. >> in five weeks, makes it completelinique to be able to do that we have to build an airplane which is completely energy efficient. >> let's give you a bit more detail about this plane. it's wingspan is the equivalent of

>> for centuries, some west african communities have branded children born deformed or with disabilities as evil spirits. they are seen as a drain on limited resources and so ... medicine men are