♪ attacking boko haram chad launch a joint offensive against the armed group in nigeria. ♪ hello, i'm darren jordan and welcome to the news center in doha and dozens killed in syria as coalition jets hit an i.s.i.l. controlled refinery. fighting for academic freedom, students in myanmar protest about new education laws. and taking a path to new heights, a plane powered only by the sun flies off around the world. ♪

nigeria's neighboring allies launched a joint offensive against boko haram in the northeast of the country and chad campaigns includes attacks on the ground and air and the first major push into nigerian territory and more from the nigerian capitol abuja. >> reporter: the fight against boko haram has taken a new urgency is underway and the objective is to put them in a corner this month. so far 30 towns and villages have been liberated from them since chad efforts joined the troops to fight the group. for chad and cameroon defeating boko haram is crucial and there is also a fear the group if left

unchecked will expand its area of control and be a bigger threat to the entire region. nigerian troops crush boko haram in the last five years and says they are in a position to do so. >> we are adequately equipped for a region change begins and taken delivery of the game changers and as promised by the letter of the president himself we have taken delivery of new equipment and one of which is behind me there and this is for boko haram. before the level of this point it was a defensive operation but now we are a point of offensive. >> reporter: military in february asked for six weeks to clear the northeast of boko haram to pave way for elections. but the coordinated offensive against boko haram forced the group to go to the tactic of side bombing and attacks in the

city label the group and killed more than 50 and injured more than 100, just hours after the group's leader pledged allegiance to i.s.i.l. by the military as an attempt to draw i.s.i.l. into its operations on friday the african union had a creation of a regional force of more than 8,000 troops to come with the group, this is expected to strengthen the group of the task force already taking on boko haram, al jazeera, abuja, nigeria. iraqi government forces still meeting strong resistance from i.s.i.l. fighters trying to retake the northern city of tikrit and moved closer by liberating a town on the outskirts of tikrit and it's crucial for iraqi forces and advance to mosul. iraq's second city has been under i.s.i.l. control since june of last year. u.s. led coalition air strikes in syria hit an i.s.i.l. controlled oil refinery in the

northeast town near the turkish border, 30 people are reported to have been killed in the strike including refinery workers and i.s.i.l. fighters. residents in the rebel held districts of aleppo protesting for the city and it collapsed as both sides failed to agree on what exactly would be involved in a settlement and we report. >> reporter: this is what the united nations was hoping to stop but it has failed to freeze a conflict in syria's second largest city and barrel bombs already killed hundreds of people in resent months and continue to fall in populated areas in rebel controlled aleppo city. >> barrel bombing campaign populated the city more than a million used to live in rebel areas, now there is 300,000, there was mass exodus because there was a time when dozens of people were dying everyday.

>> reporter: the syrian government told u.n. special envoy stephan-misdistura talking about the attacks on aleppo and the opposition rejected that deal. it has been a difficult process, from the start the war inside this agreed on the scheme of the u.n.-proposed ceasefire, the government wanted it to be limited to the city. the opposition wanted it to extend across the aleppo countryside all the way to the turkish border there was no agreement. the u.n. then tried to save the initiative by suggesting a trial ceasefire in one over the battleground districts of the city. but the people of the district accuse the u.n. of caving in to the demands of the government. they want a comprehensive settlement that would involve the government stepping down and the ceasefire that would be enforced across syria.

>> at first mistura wanted to free the fighting in the province and now it's a justless city and now it's limited to the district, we want to tell mistura that we reject the initiative. >> reporter: syria's war is entering its fifth year and in the absence of a meaningful political process the u.n. was hoping the aleppo initiative could be the start of one but the u.n. can only do so much without the backing of the many regional and international players which support the warring sines, al jazeera, beirut. >> reporter: saudi arabia will talk about houthi fighters in yemen killed at least 15 fighters in the province 7 were killed and two more houthis killed when the car was hit as they were patrolling the city. further killings in two other

cities after offensive launched by local tribesmen. i ran and u.n. nuclear watchdog will hold talks on tehran on monday ahead of march deadline for agreement on the country nuclear program between iran and six world powers but in the u.s. president obama efforts to clinch the deal is under minded by members of the u.s. congress from washington dc kimberly has more. >> reporter: john kerry and other world powers working hard to secure a framework deal this month with iran to limit its nuclear program, an effort made more alcoholing because of actions by top members of the united states congress. >> we can not allow them to is a nuclear weapon if that means military action that is what it will take. we don't want an economically strong iran. >> reporter: a top senate republican and democrat this week introduced legislation requiring the white house to send details of a potential deal lifting iran sanctions in ex

change for limits to the nuclear program to congress for review. >> the only way you are going to make sure they are not developing a bomb is the intrusive and unexpected inspections. >> reporter: the legislation threatened and sabotaged fragile negotiations following appeal in congress by prime minister benjamin netanyahu and argued any agreement allowing iran to have ten riched uraninaum is against the best interests. >> limit the structure. >> reporter: netanyahu is urging congress to reject agreement that allows iran to retain infrastructure says it's for peaceful purposes and barack obama says they will sign off on agreement that ensures they cannot quickly produce an atomic weapon.

>> if we cannot verify they are not going to obtain a nuclear weapon, that there is a breakout period so that even if they cheated we would be able to have enough time to take action if we don't have that kind of deal then we are not going to take it. >> reporter: capitol hill lawmakers are insisting the president send details of any deal to congress for at least five days of review. and proposed legislation would require a to-month delay before sanctions are lifted. president obama has threatened to veto any law which attempts to scuttle a deal with iran but that veto could prove difficult, if two-thirds of the senate approve legislation that would allow congress to weigh in it could potentially override an agreement with iran with the white house, kimberly in washington. students many myanmar protesting a new law they say restricts academic freedoms and

response of the semi civilian government is seen as a test of the democratic principles. >> reporter: a small gathering on the outskirts here attracting more on lookers than demonstrators, it is in solidarity with the sit in protest by students in another town calling for amendments for the recently passed education law, fearful for demonstrating without a permit they dispurse after ten minutes. >> translator: education is not just related to students, it concerns the younger generation. 50 million people in the new generations to come are subject to the education system so it needs to be better and more democratic. this is why we support the protest. >> reporter: for the past few days activists have been trying to evade police posing protests at different places and now seeing the locations just a day before the protests and sometimes turning up hours later to give security the slip. the main protest is in the town

three hours's drive and some 150 students have been camped out there since february. they are unhappy with the new education law which doesn'tel a -- doesn't allow them to form unions at universitys and want to go to the former capitol but are unable to do so because of the heavy security presence. police however have not been able to stop other protests in support of the students from popping up in the city. there are signs the government is losing patience activists say police use vigilantes to break up a protest last week and arrest them. and forces under myanmar law and used by the former military regime and the government is listening to demands and appointed apparel menry committee to have consult on the matter. >> translator: the reform process i'm hearing is being

held because of the students' strike. it's a result of talks between students advocates and lawmakers lawmakers. >> reporter: the government handles the protests will be closely watched and transitions from military rule to semi civilian one and it has right to peaceful assembly as part of a democratic society, al jazeera. time for a short break and when we come back. as china government tries to revive the poverty market i'm harry reporting from the town here and it has buildings, it has roads but it doesn't have people. and pretty gardens in mexico where poppies are the main ingredient for heroin addicts. more on that stay with us. ♪

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>> you pick the hot topics and express your thoughts the stream it's your chance to join the conversation only on al jazeera america welcome back, the top stories on al jazeera, and chad launched joint offensive against boko haram in nigeria and they pledged allegiance to aisle two days ago on an audio message posted on line. u.s. led coalition air strikes in syria hit an oil refinery near turkey and 30 people are reported to be killed including refinery workers and i.s.i.l. fighters. and iraqi government forces still meeting a distance from aisle fighters as they try to retake tikrit and moved closer by liberating the town on the outskirts of the northern city.

now russian judge says one of the men accused of killing obsignificants figure boris nemtsov confesses to the murder and suspect the five people were involved in the shooting just over a week ago and we have the latest. >> reporter: one of the two men charged with boris nemtsov' murders is being led into the court in moscow and amed heavy security he appeared in a cage on sunday. here he says i love the profit mohamed, peace be upon him. a judge says they confirmed his killing, the leading opposition figure. state media says he served in a battalion of ministry troops in chechnya and is also charged with the murder and worked for a private security firm in moscow. three other suspects have also appeared in court including his brother although no announcement of detention and local reports

say they maintained their innocence. this undated video shows boris nemtsov mother brave and courageous and helping everyone. they were arrested in a republic next to chechnya following assassination of boris nemtsov near the kremlin and boris nemtsov had been critical of russia involve in on the war in ukraine and putin condemned it and promised justice and thousands turned out for the funeral a week ago and talked about the kremlin against one of the opponent al jazeera. eu finance ministers due to meet in belgium since the bail out. the greek finance minister sent seven reform for discussion and to a point nonprofessional inspectors including tourists to crack down and the greek government is saying it could hold a referendum if proposals

are rejected. a march for life rally held in columbia to support peace talks between the government and fashioning fashioning -- farc rebels and moving from conflict zones and deal accepted by both sides as an important step in ending the 50-year conflict. families of two australians facingface execution are visiting them on death row. they were sentenced to death in 2006 for attempting to smuggling heroin and the president rejected the appeals for clemency. first time the families have seen the men since they have been transferred to a prison where they are due to be shot. now farmers in mexico are planting more poppy fields than ever before because of a growing demand for drugs in the united states and mexico correspondent has followed the trafficking route across the border and begins his journey in the poppy

feels of guerrero state. >> reporter: the mountains and a lawless land where the corridor from mexico to the united states begins and in the fall to the mountains we meet a woman who leads us to her family plot, a rare glimpse of what people call her garden. her husband tends the crop with colorful poptys thousands of them, the key source for heroin. >> translator: . >> reporter: demand month of the border is why farms like this exist and there are more and more of them. mexico sees five times as much popty paste in 2014 compared to the year before. southern guerrero is the producer of poppy sap and once clicked it's protestified into high-grade heroin. it is delicate time-consuming

work but it's higher for crops than like avacado. arriving at the beautiful fields of flowers it's hard to forget that the poptys are at the heart of an increasingly lucrative and violent industry. the farmers who asked us to hide their identities face threats from drug traffickers and also authorities. >> translator: . >> reporter: the farmers we met say men show up three times a year to buy poppy sap and has to agree at what price is set, asking for more would be suicide

suicide. poppy farmers can earn hundreds of dollar as day in the high season. community leaders say they would prefer to grow fruits and vegetables but need good roads to get them to market. no support they say but there is punishment, in resent years mexico's government has stepped this up and the result a whole harvest of poppies lost and sometimes neighboring legal fields are damaged too but the flowers continue to flourish and mexican cartels are the main source of the heroin found in the united states and with american users demanding more of the deadly drug the difficult journey out of these mountains is well worth it for the traffickers traffickers.

thousands of people in u.s. walked across the edmund pettus bridge in selma, alabama commemorating bloody sunday 50 years ago when they beat peaceful demonstrators demanding voting rights for african/americans and rob reynolds reports. ♪ the day began with prayer and song giving thanks for freedoms won, remembering the cause and lives, blood and broken bones. thousands marched across the span that made selma a synonym for oppression a half a century ago demanding the right to vote were clubbed down by police. a few blocks away from the speeches and celebrations he enjoyed a quiet family gathering and remembers that day in 1965. >> when they charged us with the horses and tear gas and they was beating us with sticks and cow

prows and sticking us with cow prows and my teacher they hit her in the head and we were crossing the bridge and i had to grab her and escort her back over the bridge. >> reporter: people traveled around the country to be in selma this day. >> i don't have to face hostility or that level of oppression and so i feel that as an african/american woman i need to be mindful of the struggles. ♪ but amid the chorus of celebration calls for change and many in the crowd say they are frustrated by police shooting of unarmed african/americans, mass incarceration of black men and the persistent of economic inequality among racial lines. >> we have this black life matters or black lives matter for reminder there is a system working against us and minimizing and ostracizing a group of people and basically

murdering them. >> police brutality is an event going around the country like mcdonald's on every corner and killing kids left and right. >> reporter: selma run down and abandon buildings testify to a deep economic decline, jobs scarce unemployment is twice the national rate 42% of people here live below the federal poverty line. still he has faith in progress. >> i think we will come back. >> reporter: you are hopeful. >> hopeful it will come back. >> reporter: unlike the march across the edmund pettus bridge the long walk to racial justice may never come to an end, rob reynolds in selma, alabama. china prime minister looking at ways to stabilize the property market from major slump in prices and led to ghost cities and we report from the north eastern port city. >> reporter: not much construction going on at this construction site and state

agent says it's just a seasonal pause while the ground is frozen but admits they decided not to put any apartments up for sale yet. >> translator: a few years ago some developers ran away with investors' money and people are nervous and he wants to reassure buyers. >> reporter: this is how it's going to look homes for government workers perhaps when the local government moves here and now there is little more life on the streets than there is in the middle. three years ago the government was already having to cover $1.6 in bad debt as developments failed. if the presents is the future then there cannot be much prospect of getting that money back. so it's sunday afternoon in the main park and what do you know i've got the place entirely to myself across china local governments have been vetting on grand projects just like this one across china, ghost towns just like this one have been

emerging as a result. since al jazeera was here in the summer the national government has been trying to tackle the problem of over supply and falling property prices the two interest rate cuts later selling property here hasn't gotten any easier. bustling the old town there is little appetite to move to the skyscrapers up the road. >> translator: the new town is not as convenient and busy as here in the old town. >> translator: i want to live in the old town it's more convenient here and in the city the new town is too far away. >> reporter: , in fact it's here that you find the successful mega project, one of the biggest developers is spending a billion dollars on an apartment complex, 900 apartments sold already. the management says they never would have invested here if they thought the government would relocate if the government stays put the new town looks consigned to its fate and the

creation was approved by chen when he was governor here and his task is to stop this being repeated across the shaky property sector harry faucet china. bangladesh where progress has been made in building primary schools for children and it's lagging behind when it comes to science and technology and kids with clever ideas and we have been taking a look. >> reporter: he says most of his friends probably think he is a little weird. while they attempt to spend lunch breaks playing cricket or futbol he plays with wires and circuits circuits. >> they talk like soccer and this and that and i'm like the black sheep in the herd. >> reporter: that is why he feels at home in the tech

school. it's just a room with some monitors and a mess of gadgets but for these youngsters it's a place to unleash the tech geek in them compared to the bustle the public schools are playing catch up. >> before this year in the past years we have to go without any electronic device. we were the fifth devices and technology and we have to use our brain. nothing else. >> reporter: still things are improving. ♪ these days she has a soft spot for teaching musical presentations. up until ten years ago there were hardly any computers to be found in public schools in bangladesh, today that is no longer the case but the teachers at the tech school say that just having computers is not enough and that more needs to be done. he and his friends here are not

just learning to use computers, they are using their knowledge to build things. >> technology at a very early age and developing the technology and not really happening over here so we want to lead the kids to be developers instead of just consumers. >> reporter: this is the batman gadget and uses sonar to look for obstacles ahead and a tool one day they hope to help the blind and the prototype has a long way to go just like the school. but that is not stopping these children from thinking big. i'm with al jazeera. finally a pioneering plane is taking off to push the boundarys and flying around the world powered by the sun with 17,000 solar panels and the wingspan is the same as 747 jet and weighs the same as a family

car and two swiss pilots will fly 500 kilometers and taking energy to new heights, keep up to the date with the news on our website and there it is, al jazeera, that is al jazeera.com. >> hello i'm ray suarez. mcdonald's, cash registers ringing, is a company that americans hate love and hate to love. changing what farmers ro grow and away we eat. now the company's announced it won't buy chickens raised using human antibiotics. mickey d's, changing what people eat and how they eat it.