soon change. this is al jazerra. ♪ ♪ hello there, i am barraer is barra sarah, thisbar barbara air. troops from chad and skwraoeupblger score the first successful their joints offensive against boko haram. recapturing two towns. iraqi forces step up their fight against isil as influential iraqi shia cleric said as a militias will help. our greece's proposals to end tax evasion and cut spending good enough for its creditors?

e.u. finance ministers meet to decide. you can receive calls on your watch. >> and watch this. apple decides the time is right to move in to wearable technology. i'll have al your sport including cycling's governing body admits. ♪ ♪ hello there, thank you for joining us. troops from chad and niger have made their first gains since launching their joint offensive at the weekend to fight boko haram. they have helped recapture towns. 10 chadian soldiers died and up to 200 of boko haram's fighters are said to have been killed. niger and chad's military vehicles were said to be seen crossing the border in to borneo

state on saturday. and the african region created a force of 8,000 troops. ahmad idris reports from abuja. >> reporter: the recapture say huge victory for regional forces especially chad and niger. country's going uh-huh ram recently targed. so far the coalition forces have reclaimed more than 30 towns and villages from the boko haram. for chad, niner and cameroon defeating boko haram is crucial. five years of violence has cut off much of trade between them and africa's biggest economy. there is also fear if the group if left unchecked will expand its area of control and become a bigger threat to the entire region. nigeria has not been able to crush boca ham rah for the last five years now says it has the military hardware for a military victory. >> our government has taken the steps long enough to insure that the equipment arrive at this moment. it arrived late. but at the time it did take the

decision was still the -- facing facing. [ inaudible ]. the the approach we have the equipment at this time. >> reporter: the military asked for clear the northeast of boko haram fighters for elections to be held. but the offensive against boko haram has forced the group to resort to the old tactic of suicide bombing. over the weekend attacks killed more than 50 and injured another 100. the group's leader has also pledged allegiance to isil and this is causing serious concern in the region, especially in nigeria. >> it's it's we want a peaceful country. but my country will be taken over by insurgents and a group of people of the nay through we are talking about, i am not worried. we have a good armed force that his can do that. >> reporter: many here want a quick victory before groups like isil come in. on friday, the african union

endorsed the creation of a regional force of more than 8,000 troops to combat boko haram. this is expected to strengthen the effort of the multinational task force already taking on boko haram. ahmad idris, al jazerra abuja nigeria. now let's speak to joseph who is a writer and commentator on africana fares, sir, thank you so much for joining us here on al jazerra. first of all your reaction to this victory by chad and niger? obviously a good step in the fight against boko haram. potentially embarrassing for the nigerian actually because they have been fighting boko haram for years now and possibly haven't had this level of victory this consistency. >> you are absolutely right, it was an embarrassment for nigerian authorities but good news in the sense that it is actually possible if and when qualified nateed it's possible for these things to happen. the implication here generally any fight against terrorism is that in africa's case, is as obama said it once, you need

strong institutions wrath he rather than strong leaders. chad and niner have come in with a structured army, organized capable and focused and they seem to be delivering what the nigerian authorities have failed in years. >> this is part of a multinational task force then they announced the creation of that regional force to tackle the problem. do you think we'll see then a real stepping up of the fight against boko haram at that point? >> my response was that was more symbolic. i think the response locally and regionally like it has been, it's much more important. but, yes by and large if the african union came together the way they are actually coming now and realizing that a terrorism is not an isolated, local national issue but a global issue and in africa's case, africa with porous borderses weak systems actually terrorism is the biggest thread to us today more than -- threat to us today more than what it is to the rest of the wo*rld. >> as we were hearing in ahmad

idris' report. political and economic as well because it's hard to trade between them. >> it is. boko haram started a construct economic grievance if you like political. and it is here a major global security issue. >> a global because on saturday they, of course, pledged allegiance quite publically. they made public statements a few months ago as well, but now pledging their allegiance for asking crucially asking for foreign fighters. but so far boko haram never had the international appear that isil has when it comes to foreign fighters coming in. do you think that that appeal will be taken up. do you think we'll see more foreign fighters, with boko haram and do you think that that is worrying the various countries around nigeria? >> i think it's probably a desperate issue. i don't necessarily agree with some of the observers who suggest that boko haram is doing it it's probably too radical for groups like isis to wants to associate with them. i think in this case, the enemy is really a good friend. i think it's important i think

it's something the international coalition needs to watch very carefully. from boko haram's points of view anything. [ inaudible ] to be associated with an organization is a plus for them. is it a plus in terms of resources, probably perhaps a plus for them in terms of infrastructure and perhaps even inning sellintelligence. >> i am sure we'll be talking about this issue again very soon. for the moment. thank you so much for sharing your views with us. >> thanks for having me. now, there has been a major push against the islamic state of eye lack and the levant on three front. the armed group currently occupies the cities of tikrit, fallujah and areas around the kurdish-held city of curr kirkuk on monday iraqi forces and shia in litsch a advances towards tikrit say they took back nearby towns. this as kurdish forces drove isil fighters back from kirkuk in an attack backed by coalition air strikes.

and iraqi troops have massed outside the a town in anbar province part of a push towards the city of fallujah which has been under isil control for several months now. the influential iraqi shia cleric al-sard says his in litsch a will help in the planned offensive too take on isil. he comes from a family of shia squalors and his father was allegedly killed by sadam hussein's government. he rose to prom someones in two thoupt three when2003when they began a campaign of the the u.s. led co flings iraq. since then he has been instrumental in the election of the former shia prime minister nouri al-maliki. al sadr wants what he calls an he is clam i can democracy. his lend of iraqi nationalism and shia ideology has taken root among iraq's poor shia

communities. let's get more to how iran's involvement could affect a rack is. the thank you so much for joining us here on al jazerra. let's focus on the i guess we could say reappearance, although he sort of comes in and out of the scene of al-sadr how do you read his sort of, you know, statement that he made and how he is now joining the fight against isil publically? >> well, i think that al-sadr is in a very controversial position in this moment. the fight against isil began because on one hand, it remains a very important mobilizing figure, he is especially amongst shia youth. but at the same time, he has a hard time in this moment to con sill 80 its political view which would, as you rightly mentioned also blend iraq national assists

and shia ideology with the strong shia sectarian trend which is actually ongoing on the ground with the shia militia. so there is kind of a disconnect in this moment between between the political stand of al-sadr which still pushy think strongly for a end reconciliation among the communities of iraq. and on the other hand the minister branch of his movement, which instead is strongly yet has implanted by sectarian trend which has conducted several sectarian action during the time of the insurgency which has now jointed the shia popular mobilization which has a strong sectarian. [ inaudible ] this divide between the two and so i think we might -- we might see on one

hand al-sadr continue to go appeal for the fight against isis, but not necessarily in having a second sectarian state on one side. on the other side we might see it's a militia actually conducted sectarian actions on the ground. >> i suppose one thing that's interesting that it's coming to the fore now presumably maybe because there is a bit of a sense of momentum now pushing isil back initially tikrit and then from mosul. would you share that statement in do you think there is a sense of momentum that the tide is turning against isil? >> well, there is a sense of momentum and a sense of momentum that's not just happening by accident in this moment. i think it's very important to connect the iraqi events and the push back of isis by the hand of the shia militia.

>> i think we seem to have -- [speaking at the same time] >> apologies, we seem to be having some audio problems with the line there from iraq, we were speaking with maria sr. iraq analyst at the international crisis group. recent attempts to stop violence in aleppo have failed. the u.n. tried to implement a freeze in fighting in syria's second largest city. but both the government and the rebels have failed to agree on how it would work. zeina khord reports from lebanon. >> reporter: this is what the united nations was hoping to stop. but it has failed to freeze the conflict in syria's second largest city. barrel bombs have already killed hundreds of people over recent months. and they continue for fall in populated areas of rebel-controlled aleppo city. >> translator: the barrel bomb

came in on pope lated city. more than a million used to live in the rebel areas, now there is 300,000. there was mass exodus because there was a time when dozens of people who dieing every day. >> reporter: the syrian government hold u.n. special envoy stefan that it would temporarily stop air and artillery bombardment on the city if the rebels suspends mortar attacks on the western districts of aleppo. the opposition rejected that deal. it has been a difficult process. from the start the warring sides disagreed on the scope of the u.n. proposed ceasefire. the government wanted it to be limited to the city. the opposition wanted it to to ex-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 trialed ceasefire in one of the battle ground districts in the city. but the people of the district

accused 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 a ceasefire that would be enforced across syria. >> translator: at first they wanted to free the fighting in aleppo province. then it became just the city. and now it is limited to a district. we want to tell him we reject him as a mediator and we reject his initiative. >> reporter: syria's war is entering its 50th year 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 spins and international players that support the warring sides, zeina khord, al jazerra beirut. and still to come in this news hour, we are on the u.s.-mexico border where agents are intercepting record levels of haren. and taking clean energy to

new heights a solar-powered plain aiming to be the first to fly around the world without a drop of fossil fuels. let's go to generally now where al qaeda fighters took over a city. seizing the city council building and several army check points. but it was short-lived after an eight-hour counter attack by the army the fighters retreated. it is a former al qaeda strong hold. saudi arabia says it has accepted a request by president hadi to try to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in yemen. last week a top houthi leader accused the saudis of trying to destabilize yemen. a pro houthi activist says the houthis will never go to saudi arabia to talks. >> saudi arabia and other gulf states like united arab emirates

has declared houthis as a terrorist organization. and as well in many statements of the g.c.c. they declared inning as the occupier of sanaa. they have taken sides and they are not anymore neutral. and the second reason is when the former president hadi was in charge in sanaa and in charge as well and in control with. [ inaudible ] they haven't done anything they haven't implement any of the national dialogue outcomes. and the houthis were in sanaa at the national dialogue outcome they were targeted two people -- two of their member of the national dialogue were assassinated. but they stayed at the national dialogue and was it was president hadi who has not implemented those outcomes. i don't understand the political situation, let's take a closer look at yemen because it's one of the poorest -- it is the poorest country in the arab world. a staggering number,

10.3 million yemen yemenis live in ab ject poverty. that's more than 54% of the population. yemen has the highest right of child malnutrition in the world. it's estimated half of all yemeni children over the age of five have stunted growth. it's one of the highest population growth rates in the would. resources are scarce and 45% of the population suffer from food insecurity. well joining us now from the international committee of the red cross welcome to al jazerra joining us there from geneva. there was obviously huge humanitarian need in yemen even before this crisis erupted. so how dire is the situation now for millions of yemenis? >> yes definitely. unfortunately the situation in yemen is getting worse. and it was -- it is a contributor, according to the *eup, at least 16 million people already dependent on

humanitarian aid and this was before this political crisis. and what we have today is this political crisis that not only has created a dialogue in the country but many more people today have more difficulties accesses basic services, healthcare, clean water and and there were thousands of people displaced because of the fighting that took place in and around sanaa last year. and also today we have clashes in central yemen, for example or towards the north. there are clashes sporadic clashes taking place with, you know, between the armed groups, so the situation definitely for the people is getting much more difficult than what it was already. >> on screen, with you, we are seeing pictures of malnourished children as we were saying yemen has the highest rate of child malnutrition in the world. how difficult is it for any kind of aid to go in right now and reach the many people affected? because as you have said many of course are now displaced.

>> yes. for international committee of the red cross, we have the -- we have the advantage of being very close to the people. and this is because we have been in very close contact with almost all of the parties who are, you know, who are part of the conflict in yemen. and this very close contact with the people, with the authorities in yemen with the community leaders, it puts us in a unique position where we can actually access almost all areas in yemen whenever there is humanitarian needs. at the moment, there are not really many humanitarian needs triggered by this political cries let yemen but because the country was already suffering from huge humanitarian crisis before the crisis they are just aggravated because of the currents situation, we are trying it our best to see whenever they are any needs that we are cover in addition to what we were doing before.

there are many clashes taking place from time to time. our team was there just yesterday, just to see what is it that we can do in addition to the support that we already provide, for example the dressing kids for the hospitals local hospitals which are clinics which are run both by the government but also by the armed groups and we are being in contact with them, we are able to deliver at least medical assistance to almost all all of the facilities in those areas. where people need access to healthcare. >> from the international committee of the red cross speaking us to from geneva madam. thank you so much for talking to us. the white house has accused republican senators of interfering with talks over iran's nuclear program. 47 senators signed an open letter to iran's leaders claiming any nuclear deal will only last as long as obama was in office. the white house called the letter a stunt and says it's an

attempt to sabotage foreign policy. patty culhane joins us live now from washington. i guess the negotiations between iran and the u.s., you know, we would all expect to be complicated enough. this kind of adds another layer of complications. tell us a little bit more about the reaction to this letter. >> reporter: it really does, barbara. and the word that i keep hearing is unprecedented. you know, there is a saying here in washington, that politics stops at the water's edge, especially when it comes to foreign policy. they usually try both political parties, to protect a united front. the president usually gets the lead on foreign policy. that hasn't been the case when it comes to iran action nuclear program. first we saw the incredibly unusual move of the republicans in lower chamber inviting the israeli prime minister to come to the u.s. congress to criticize the u.s. president. now, as you mentioned, this upper chamber is taking a go. the -- 47 republicans have signed basically this open letter to the iran leadership and it's kind of a civics

lesson saying let me tell you how our constitution works the president will be gone in january 2017 and the next president can sign away the deal with a signal signature of his pen basically that's the message they are sending not only to iran's leadership but to the president and the president himself fired back at that. >> i think it's somewhat ironic to see some members of congress want to go make common cause with the hard liners in iran. it's an unusual coalition. i think what we'll focus on right now is actually seeing whether we can get ideal or not. and once we do, then we'll -- if we do, then we'll be able to make the case to the american people. and i am confident we'll be able to implement it. >> so patty what can congress actually really do on this? >> reporter: that is the big question of the day. if you ask the obama administration, they don't think they really need congress in the short certainly at all. think about the i want rum deal

that they signed with iran to continue the negotiations. the president was able to wave some of those sanctions congress didn't say yes or no. that's the white house approach. but congress will try a different tact. we believe at the end of this month if there isn't ideal that's been works out what we'll see is a bill passed that says the president has to go to congress. they get 60 days, get to sign off on it. the president says he will veto that. so that's what it will get interesting. he needs to keep democrats his own party from going against his veto. i can tell you want mood of the senior democrats right now in washington is one of angering. they are very angry at the prime spinster's speech to congress. they are incredibly angry that the senators have now sent this letter. so they may not be inclined to go along with the republican colleagues trying to block the president's negotiations. >> patty culhane with the latest from washington, d.c. thank you, patty. staying in the u.s., president obama has declared venezuela's government a threat to national security. and denounced new sanctions for human rights -- announced new sanction to his lujan rights violations.

he expressed concern over the venezuelan's government treatment of political opponents and said seven prominent officials will not be welcome in the u.s. and their assets may be frozen. europe has told greece to stop wasting time in talks on its bailout program. the euro group chief made the comment as finance ministers gathered once again in brussels to discuss athens' reform proposals. he said serious talks need to begin on greece's current bailout which has now been extended until june. >> we have spent now two weeks apparently discussing who meets whom where in what cop figure raise, and on what agenda and it's a complete waste of tile. i cannot be explicit enough about it. that's why we simply said, look, we have talked about it long enough now let's start on wednesday. the main talk is in brussels, but some people will have to be on the ground in athens.

>> i am pleased to announce today that as of wednesday morning, the day off tomorrow, our team will commence technical discussions with the institutions here in brussels. so let the work begin to work we storing our country after a very long time of this crisis. >> one of greece's problems is tax evasion and now a crack down is underway to force tacky vaders to pay up. john has more from athens. >> reporter: two years ago an anonymous whistle blower left customs documents on the doorstep. they show that some of the companies in the petrol haulage business could not account for the delivery of thousands of tonight tons of fuel. the fuel was effectively lost along with the tax which should have been paid on it. papers had been drawn up for a court case in to tax fraud which

never happened. >> translator: these customs documents were hidden in drawers for years, they didn't come to trial. this is one way of taking care of business when faced with indict think. stuffing things in drawers until the statute of limitation passes. >> reporter: tax is normally paid at the oil refinery unless the fuel is intended for export, shipping or aviation, but that tax-free fuel can be diverted back on to the streets of greece greece. fuel taxes bought the government $7 billion last year, more than 12% of its tax revenue. but tax evasion on fuel is estimate today cost the government as much as one and a half billion dollars more that's equal to almost the entire health budget. the new government is rushing through a law to stop it. >> translator: there is no system to measure what flows in and out of whole sailor's storage tanks in, fact we don't know how many thanks there are. once we put the whole system under surveillance, we'll know that nothing is getting past us. >> reporter: the oil refining

companies are being fit to gauge, but they say they need time. time is now in short supply and pressure for change is growing. >> translator: tax evasion is connected to corruption. it is corruption that led this country to bankruptcy. and national humiliation. the money that isn't flowing in to state coffers is instead strengthening other centers of influence. >> reporter: the government recognizereckon it can claw back $3 billion a year from the tax dodgers and it has to if it is to deliver on promises to help the poor and lift taxes on the middle class. john, al jazerra athens. still lots more to come this hour including why students protesting in myanmar say a new law is stifling academic freedom. plus. >> reporter: as china's government tries to revive its stuttering property market, i am hairy fawcett reporting from the town it's got buildings roads it just doesn't have people.

and delight for fans of bangladesh as their cricket team secures a place in the world cup quarter finals for the very first time.

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sunday, 6:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. ♪ ♪ now reminder of the top stories on al jazerra. after 200 boko haram fighters are reported to have been killed in a joint offensive between niner and chad in nigeria. reports suggest the town is being recaptured from boko haram in fierce clashes. iraqi and kurdish forces are pushing forward on three front in their fight to take back areas currently controlled by isil. this includes the taking control of the towns. four safe u.s. senators have signed an open letter to iran's leaders claiming any nuclear deal would only last as long as president obama was in office. the white house called the letter a stunt. war planes belong to go libya's internationally

recognized government are reported to have attacked the last functioning airport in the capital. the airport is controlled by eye rival government based in tripoli. fighting between the two sides has killed hundreds of people this year, nazarene reports. >> reporter: the family is in mourning. they lost two of their sons. abdul was killed in fighting at tripoli's airport in july. and abdul a doctor, died in december. he was treating the wounds at a hospital when it was shelled. >> translator: shelling makeshift hospitals bombarding food scores and warehouses and pounding civilian airports. >> reporter: the family blames this man former general half tar. he's an appointed army director of the u.n. recognized government in tobruk in eastern libya his operation known as dignity, started in may last

year. his men have taken large swaths of territory. and he says he's going after fighters in the region linked to isil. his rivals in tripoli are also accused of bombing oil installations in the east. the family is also torn between sadness and pride. >> translator: abdul was fighting a war and i expected him to be mart ared. martyrs. henot but abdul. he was treating patients, not involved in the fighting. >> reporter: it's not difficult to find victims of the violence here. the exhibition documents hundreds of faces and names of people who have died. there are now many frontlines across libya. and the fighting has been fierce. many here hope the u.n.-led peace talks in morocco can end

the political crisis and this conflict. nazarene, al jazerra. the retrial of egypt's former president has knew mubarak and his two sons will begin next month. mubarak and his sons were originally convicted last may of embezzling nearly $18 million to develop their own private buildings. the trio appealed the ruling and now a cairo court has set the matter down for april 4th. meanwhile, a fan group of the egyptian football club has held protests in egypt over deadly clashes at a match in cairo last month. the ultra white knights are demanding justice for 19 peeled crushed to death in a stampede after police fired tear gas to stop fans from entering the stadium. again, staying in egypt. the country is looking abroad to help rerife its ailing economy. it will be doing the big sell at

an equipment development conference being held at the red sea resort. but a new report accuses the country of putting foreign investors before the interests of the egypt people. natasha ghoneim reports. >> reporter: egypt is hoping foreign investors will pump money in to its struggling economy pitch the ministry of investment produced this promotional video for its economic development conference that begins on friday. >> we are welcoming investors. >> reporter: but a new report from the egypt center for economic and social rights says egypt's quest for foreign money is violating human rights, damaging the environment and allowing company to his get away with theft and tax evasion. the report says new laws give multinational companies a kind of immunity, they shield them from pass cushion in the courts when allegations of corruption and embezzlement arise. the egyptian center for economic and social rights says egypt

allows foreign company to his crush workers' rights. whether stopping effort to his unionize or failing to adhere to health and safety regulations. the government's message to potential investors is, despite the turmoil since the 2011 revolution, the country is a safe bet. >> egypt is stable and back and ready to receive investments. >> reporter: but bombings have become an increasing threat for egyptians, once confined to targeting police stations and military posts armed groups are now attacking commercial areas killing and injuring civilians. egypt has implemented some reforms. all foreign companies will now have to pay a 25% tax on profits. but the report says the country must tip the balance in favor of its citizens. so they can begin ring more of the benefits of foreign investment. natasha ghoneim, al jazerra. a close ally of the murdered russian opposition leader boris nemtsov is skeptical that those

arrested in connection with his death are actually to blame. five people have been detained over the shooting 10 days ago. but one of nemtsov's opposition colleagues isn't sure that the right men are in custody. in a tweet he has said that those who pulled the trigger will be blamed while those who ordered the killing will go free. the conflict in ukraine is having a devastating effect on the economy. official inflation now stands at 34%. but the financial hardship is being felt more harshly in the east where food surprise are dwindling and prices are rises. john hendon reports from the separatist-held city of donetsk. >> reporter: in separatist eastern ukraine, one price of independence is half empty shelfs. angela's grocery store went from 10 fliers all around10 suppliers all around ukraine to one here in donetsk. >> translator: it's impossible to find new suppliers. as for the future, we just live one day at a time. >> reporter: at this grocery chain not far away, you can

still by meat and fish, but the choices are slim. what's left you can still by if youbuy ifyou can afford it. since january eggs have doubled in price tea tripled. this fish was 45 then, 95 now. separatists might consider themselves proudly independent but they are not happy about rampant inflation. >> translator: prices have increased and salaries and pensions haven't. cooking oil used to cost 19, now it costs thirst two. >> translator: things are getting worse and they won't get better until kiev understands you shouldn't kill your own people. >> reporter: the official inflation pays for you crane -- pace for ukraine is an annual 45%, here is donetsk it's much higher and that is for those that have access to their money pensioners unemployed and form he government workers who remain here have to travel outside separatist-held territory to get their money, for many it's prohibitive expensive and can

take days, with inflation and no banking system, everyone here is poorer turning one bustling shopping centers like this one in to ghost towns full of shuttered shops. donetsk separatist minister of economic development says all new republics go through birth pains, here she says trade with russia will help replace lost trade with ukraine. so does that mean things will get better here in terms of prices? >> of course. it will get better. much more better. so it will be two changes, first of all, it is a range of goods and the second is it will be changing in price. >> reporter: before the economy here can stabilize it's likely the fighting will have to stop. and the borders between ukraine and it's a self described separatist neighbor will have to settle. despite the latest fragile ceasefire, neither appears within reach any time soon. john hendon, al jazerra donetsk, eastern ukraine. students in myanmar's biggest city are locked in a standoff with police who are preventing them joining protests

against a new education law. the students say the legislation curbs academic freedom. florence looi reports. >> reporter: it's a small gathering on the outskirts of the town, attracting more onlookers than demonstrators. it's in solidarity with a sit-in protest by students in another turn calling for the amendments to the recently passed educational law. fear of the for being arrested without demonstrating without a permit they disperse after 10 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, holding protests in different places, announcing the locations just a day before the protests. and sometimes turning up hours later to give security the slip.

the main protest is here, three hours drive. some 150 students have been camped out there since february. they are unhappy with a new education law which doesn't allow them to form unions and leaves little scope for decision making to universities. they want to bring their protest here the former capital and main commercial hub. but are unable to do so because of the heavy security presence. police however haven't 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 vigilante to his break up a protest last week and arrest protesters. use of a civilian force is allowed under myanmar law and was often used by the former military regime. the government says it's listening to the students' demands. it's appointed a parliamentary committee to hold public consultations on the matter.

>> translator: the reform process is being held because the student strikes it's a result of talks between students advocates and lawmakers. >> reporter: how the government handles the protests will be closely watched. it transitioned from military rule to a semi civilian 14 years ago, and will hold election later this year. already there are calls for it to allow its citizens the right for peaceful assembly as part of a democratic society. influencerflorence looi. al jazerra. china's government is looking at ways to stabilize the property market after an over supply of new housing and a major slump in prices. despite interest rate cuts there is a shortage of home buyers and let to the emergence of coast city. harry fawcett reports from the north eastern port city. >> reporter: there is not much construction going on at this construction site.

the estate agent says it's a seasonal pause while the ground is frozen but she admits they have decided not to put him a up for sale yet. >> a few years ago some developers ran way with their investor's money so that's why people nervous. our boss is a local man, he wants to finish everything before selling to try to reassure buyers. >> reporter: this is how it's going to look. homes for government workers perhaps when the local government moves here. but for now, there is little more life on the streets than there is in the model. as of three years ago the government was already having to cover $1.6 billion in bad debt as developments failed. if the presents is the future, then there can't be much prospect of getting that money back. so it's sunday afternoon in the main park here and what do you know, i have the place entirely to myself. across china local governments have been betting on grand projects just like this one across china ghost towns just like this one have been emerging

as a result. since al jazerra was last here in the the summer the national government has been trying to tackle the problem of over supply and falling property prices. but two interest cuts late early selling property hasn't gotten any easier here. the bustling old town there is little appetite to move to the empty sky escapers 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. there is more convenience here, it's in the city. the new town is too far away. >> reporter: in fact, it's here that you find a successful mega project. one of china's biggest developers is spending nearly a billion dollars on a mall, office and apartment complex. 900 apartments sold already. the management say they would never have invested here if they believedded the government were really going to relocate. if the government stays put then the new town looks consigned to its fate. its creation was approved by

china's premier when he was provincial governor here, now his task to stop its collapse being repeat ahead cross china's vital but shaky property sector. hairy fawcett, al jazerra china. in the last couple of hours the much-anticipated apple watch has been unveiled. the device will pay your bus and train fares it's going to order you a cup of coffee and pay for it at the till. it's not too cheap the watches start at $349 or you can pay an eye-watering $10,000 for a gold-plated model. the company expects to sale between 16 and 40 million watches in the year ahead. let's hear from apple ceo tim cook as he launched the product a short time ago. >> apple watch is the most personal device we have ever created. it's not just with you it's on

you. and since what you wear is an expression of who you are we designed apple watch to appeal to a whole variety of people with different tastes and different preferences. but the one thing that is consistent we crafted each one of them with the care you would expect from apple. and used incredibly beautiful materials. >> and we are going to talk about the apple watch in more detail in the next hour, but just moving way from san francisco, and going to bangladesh, where there is a growing urgency to keep up with science and technology innovations around the world. the country has historically lags behind, but the tech school in the capital is one of the institutions hoping change that. >> reporter: he says most of his friends probably think he's a little weird. while they tend to spend lunch breaks playing cricket or

football, he gravitates more towards playing around with wires and circuits. >> my other classmates just talk about like soccer and this and that. and i am like the -- i am like the black sheep in the herd, you know. >> reporter: that's why he feels at home at 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 inside of them. compared to the tech school's bustle. bangladesh's public schools are playing catch up. >> before the -- this years, in the past years we we had to go to the class without any electronic device. just we were the. [ inaudible ] devices, we were the self technology. we had to use our brain nothing else. >> reporter: still it's things are improving. these days she has a soft spot for teaching using musical

presentations. up until about 10 years ago there were hardly any computers to be found in public schools in bangladesh. today that's no longer the case. but the teachers at the tex school say that just having computers isn't enough and that more needs to be done. he and his friends aren't just learning to use computers. they are using their knowledge to build things. >> the technology at a very early age, but developing the technology is not really happening over here. so we want to lead this kids to be developers instead of just consumers. >> reporter: their show piece is the batman's gadget. a device that uses sonar to detect obstacles ahead. a tool though could one day help the blind. like the school itself, the prototype has a long way to go. but that's not stopping these children from thinking big. al jazerra bangladesh.

and two tie lots attempting to fly a solar-powered plane around the globe have made their first stop over. after around 10 hours in the air, solar impulse two has landed in the omani capital. earlier it soared in the sky above abu dhabi with the help of 17,000 solar panels. the world's first journey is due to last five months and cover 35,000-kilometers. much more to come on the program. it's sport and it's a painful day for one ben jump cyclist in france. raul will have all the details next. hi, i'm matt mccoy. how long have you had your car insurance? i ask because i had mine for over 20 years,

before i switched and saved hundreds with the aarp auto insurance program from the hartford. i had done a lot of comparison shopping. the rate was like half of what i was paying. $404 is the average amount folks save when they switch to the aarp auto insurance program from the hartford. you know, it makes me wonder why everyone 50 and over hasn't switched. [ female announcer ] how much could you save? if you're age 50 or over call now to request your free quote. customers also appreciate lifetime renewability. it's the hartford's promise not to drop you, even if you're in an accident. [ female announcer ] save $404 on average and get lifetime renewability. you've got to consider it. you've got to consider it. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ and it's time to get all the sports news now with raul. >> barbara, thank you very much. through to the semi finals of the fa cup after beating manchester united 2-1. nacho monreal took the holders ahead after 25 minutes at old trafford. four minutes later manchester united drew level. thanks to wayne rooney. while at manchester united danny welbeck was stopped but he didn't score enough goals. and he got an off tore joint gunners and of course he scored the winner and to make things world di maria was since off for united after he appeared to grab the referee. arsenal record their first win at old trafford since 2006, they face bradford or redding next. on too serie a. lat see a have moved up to third. german striker scored a brace approaching full time in the other game, league leaders juventus are leading 1-0.

staying with football. the united arab emirates will host the asian cup in 2019. the uae hope to his build on success of this year's asian cup tournament hosted by australia where more than half a million fans attended the matches. unitedunited arab emirates has held the tournament once before back in 1996 when the team reached the final but lost to saudi saudi arabia. now, the head of international cycling brian cookson has admitted that the sport governing body actively assisted lance armstrong to cover up his drug use a report released by an independent reform commission on monday attacked the approach to doping and suggests that it's still rife in pro cycling. alan fisher reports. >> reporter: for years critics have claimed many in cycling powered along in grit, determination and any drugs that they could get away with. when the ruling body the u.c.i. voted in a new president we wanted to find out how wrong and rotten the sport was. though the independent reform commission has delivered a

227-page report that says doping still exists, and previous leaders allowed it to happen. >> i think it was a demonstration that the u.c.i. was always going to prioritize the image of the sport and the business of the sport over the integrity and honesty of the sport and that was a very bad signal that was different out at that time. >> reporter: one of the most high-profile cheaters was lance armstrong. he systematically doped his way to seven tour de france titles the sport's premier vents. he spent two days giving evidence to the commission, in a statement he is i am deeply sorry for many things their done. >> reporter: however, it is my hope that revealing the truth will lead to a bright, dope-free future for the sport i love. the report is highly crit school of the former u.c.i. president mad mcquaid and will be asked to give unan honorary presidency. the report says cycling gave the impression at that it was tough on doping, rather than being good at stamping it out. and the head of the u.s. anti--doping agency said that gave others the idea that they

should do it too. >> temptations are huge for athletes to want to win by any means necessary and where the culture or the leaders of a particular sport like this report now shows turn a blind eye and don't fully protect clean athletes, then it's really easy for the entire culture to go that way. >> reporter: few organizations have opened themselves up like this. other sports have carried out reports, but failed to publish fully. one sports writer says it's a sign cycling still has a lot of work to do. >> it says something about how far cycling has fallen and to the degree which cycling feels like it needs to win back the public trust. and also it says something about the degree to which cycling believes that it still has a problem, a problem so serious that it feels like sunlight is the best disinfectant. >> reporter: cycling had its breakout moment through the exploits of lance armstrong grew fans, endorse and sport. it would like another. it just wants the next big hero to be drug free and clean. alan fisher, al jazerra.

well, the u.c.i. president between 1991 to 2005 and he's given his response to the report. >> more than ever, you know, after that we have been cleared of all of the suspicions of cover ups and bribery. i think that is -- that was the major thing. that would have been a really serious issue. now, we have been cleared of that. so i am very confident as far as that is concerned. in addition to that, i don't have any functions anymore, you know so i am retired. well the professional cyclist have been back on their bikes in france following this report. there was a nasty crash for tom boonee on the first stage of the race, he has now had to pull out of the event with a broken left collarbone. alexander christof was at the front of the peloton to win the 196th kilometer stage. prologue winner retains the leader's jersey.

england cricketers have been knocked out by bangladesh, they grabbed a spot in the quart finals for the very first time in history the a win would have kept them in but bangladesh post aid competitive inning of 275 for 7 from their 50 overs. scoring bangladesh's first ever world cup century. england's innings started to go badly when they lost two wickets in an over including that of captain owen morgan for a duck. a half century for joss before he was caught out. edge lands 238 for 7 at that point and the tight enders couldn't conjure up an unlikely win, james anderson's wicket sparking huge sell breaks from the bangladesh team and their fans as they ran out winners by 15 runs. and this that is the sound of bangladesh victory. these are the scenes, hundreds of fans celebrating in the capital city following that magnificent win over england.

now, the iditarod dog sled race will properly get under a in alaska on monday. 78 mushers and their dogs will compete from extreme conditions in alaska. the race is inspired by the 1925 serum run when mushers their dogs would deliver vaccines to tackle a dyptheria epidemic in remote regions. the events is now in it's 43rd year and the winner will collect 1e67b89 thousand dollars in prize money. that is owl for now back to barbara in london. thank you research for that. and that is it for this news hour. remember that you can follow and get more detail on everything that we have been covering on our website there it is, the address aljazerra.com. you can see our top story there chad and niger armies take two towns from boko haram. we are going to have more on that and all of the day's other news in just a few minutes. i do hope that you'll be able to join us then. goodbye.

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>> on the offensive against boko haram forces from chad and niger take back two towns. hello there i'm barbara serra. you're watching al jazeera live from london. influential cleric muqtada al sadr. greece's proposals to end tax evasion and stop spending good enough for its creditors?