israelis go to the polls in one of the closest elections in a generation. ♪ this is al jazeera live from our headquarters in doha. also coming up amnesty accuses of syrian go of committing war crimes during an assault. four days after cyclone pam brought destruction to van roy tu rescue workers finally reach

the most remote regions. so israelis are voting in what looks to be the most closely fought election in years. analysts predicting one of the highest turnouts since 1999 with 80% of israelis expected to vote. at stake where the next prime minister will be benjamin netenyahu or isaac herzog. >> reporter: it is close to 80% of the 6 million eligible voters will cast their ballot by the even. among the voters is benjamin netenyahu who's party has been slipping behind in the most recent polls. and in recent days netenyahu himself has reached out to the

right, catching support for settlements in occupied territory, and recanting what was always a grudging commitment to a palestinian state. but it appears this was not enough to close toe gap on the zionist union, which polls indicate could emerge as the dominant political movement when the votes are counted. no single movement will get near the seats needed to command a majority in the parliament. and there are likely to be weeks of coalition talks before a government is formed. the difference this time is the emergence of a united israeli palestinian block. four parties coming together and forming a joint list galvanizing israeli palestinians. early indications are that the joint list could win as many as 14 seats, making it a potentially craw shall -- crucial

list. pledging to fight for palestinian israeli rights from the opposition benches. mike hannah al jazeera, west jerusalem. joining me now is senior political political political analyst. weeks of coalition talks as always expected in these elections what are the likely scenarios in your opinion? >> there are three. the zionist camp under the leadership of mr. herzog makes a major win today. that certainly will push the president to ask mr. herzog to win the government. and there is a little chance that he could get the necessary votes of over 60, little chance because there are not enough

parties that are close to the zionist union that would join such a government. and the second is mr. netenyahu will be back with more of the same. notably some of the parties on the right, and certainly a repeat of the last two governments. and the third scenario which will be the zionist union and the nationalist camp will join together. and that will lead probably to the most stalemate possible. it will be what you call a jewish consensus coalition government. >> when you look at this joint list, this alliance of arab israelis that are -- that will be represented, how significant is that? >> it's significant in one way. mr. lieberman at one point, the right-wij -- wing leader who is an immigrant wanted to hike [ inaudible ] to get some of these arab parties out.

so they all joined hands for the first time in the history of the state. so all three arab or four arab parties join together and they could probably gain between 11 and 13 seat, but their weight as a third-party will not translate into anything actionable because they will not join any of the next governments. the best they would do is maybe get support from the outside to a herzog government but even that is in much doubt. >> okay. thank you. egypt public prosecutor has decided that a police officer will go on trial for killing a female protester during a peaceful demonstration. she was shot at a rally marking the fourth anniversary of the 2011 uprising. the organizers at the rally have also been charged with

organizing an illegal demonstration. suicide bombers have attacked an iraqi army check point killing four soldiers. amnesty international says air strikes carried out by the syrian government last november may amount to war crimes. it comes as opposition groups are accusing syrian forces of using chlorine gas killing women and children. kim vinnell reports. >> reporter: this man is suffering an attack of chlorine gas. in hospitals, survivors are given oxygen. chlorine gas attacks the respiratory system causing suffocation. >> we have received around 70

wounded until now, including women and children and we expect more to come. they suffered the symptoms of chlorine inhaling. some need more medical care. >> reporter: at least six people including women and children were killed in this bombardment. opposition activists say it was the second attack of its type in just two days. babies like this one, they say are among the victims. right now the world is being urged to turn its attention here. president bashar al-assad's forces attacked the city in a bid to drive out isil fighters. but in a new report amnesty international says the rules of war were violated. >> we have come to the conclusion that there's damming evidence that the syrian government forces committed war crimes there. the research we have done shows

over 100 civilians were killed. the places targeted were busy markets, busy mosques, and residential areas. >> reporter: amnesty says while attention was diverted to the u.s.-lead air strikes elsewhere, assads forces killed civilians relentlessly. at least 60 people were killed in the shelling in one day alone. the doctors say they know the world is watching but it's action they say that is needed to stop the bloodshed. rescue workers have started to reach some of van wa tu's islands. more than 3,000 people have been made homeless. aid has now arrived to the capitol, but little has reached the outer islands. andrew thomas was one of the

first force correspondent to reach the southern island and sent this update. >> reporter: this wrecked billing is one of three that make up the primary school on the island. you can see the children won't be coming back for sometime. that building is totally wrecked. and the roof on this one has almost peeled away. we're in the far south and perhaps the island hardest hit by the cyclone. only small planes can get in at the moment. what is really needed are the big military planes. and this is what they told us they need most here. >> priorities are the roads. the roads, the tents, the shelters, foods and medicines, and the tents, shelter foods and medicines are immediate response, they are really needed.

>> reporter: believe it or not, this school is one of the least badged buildings here. many aren't standing at all. and we came across a family sitting in the ruins of their home trying to salvage some timber to start building again. >> this house i have had it since 1995. i called my wife we have to move out now. because it is going to be destroyed. i just see the house moving up and down. my heart was sinking, and i was -- children wake up we have to move. >> this school building has become an impromptu place for people to stay. at least there's space on the floor to throw down some mattresses. about 100 people are staying here at the moment. the hope is as those big military planes can come in the next day or two that proper aid will arrive.

in myanmar three people have been sentenced to two and a half years in prison to insulting religion. they showed buddha wearing head phones to promote a party at a bar. >> reporter: their offense using an image of buddha with head phones. the poster was withdrawn shortly off it was posted last december and an apology issued but the men have been sentenced to two and a half years in prison. >> pretty disappointed actually. >> reporter: the accused are quickly whisked away in a police van. the mother of one of the defendants directs her anger at one of the monks. the action was brought against the men after summon ks complained about the flyer. >> translator: if someone insults religion, should we accept it? is it right?

>> reporter: human rights groups accuse the authorities of bowing to pressure from radical buddhist groups. there are some who point to this as an exampling of a rising influence of a hard line group of monks. and the concern is it could deepen a religious conflict. since 2012, violence related to religious tensions in myanmar, particularly between buddhists and muslims has killed more than 200 people. and displaced 10s of thousands more. last year a group of monks proposed a set of laws which they say aims to protect race and religion. the bills would among other things restrict interfaith marriage and religious conversion. the lawyer for the three defendants suggested he was not surprised by the verdict. are you angry? >> no. disappointed. this not like america or french or australia, or new zealand.

this is not good. >> reporter: the men could appeal, but are not aloud bail. florence looi al jazeera. still ahead, argentina's environmental disaster how cutting back the forest is being blamed for recent flooding. plus pakistan's struggle to eradicate polio. we report where thousands of children are about to be immunized. ♪

>> today on "the stream". >> the annual south by southwest festival has been a breeding ground for some of the biggest tech innovations in the world. we'll take you there, giving you a glimpse into the future. >> "the stream". today, 1:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. ♪

top stories on al jazeera. israelis are voting in what looks to be the most closely fought election in years. on lists predict some of the highest turnouts since 1999. benjamin netenyahu is facing a strong challenge from opposition leader isaac herzog. air strikes carried out last november may amount to war crimes. the human rights group investigating bombings which occurred over a period of 18 days and found that over 100 civilians were killed. rescue workers have started to reach remote areas in vanawatu's remote areas. returning to one of our top stories. the israeli general election. benjamin netenyahu is trying to secure a fourth term as prime

minister. but the zionist union are trying their best to challenge that. our correspondent reports on what has been a bitter campaign. >> reporter: this long and drawn-out campaign was always going to be dominated by the personality of this man, the prime minister benjamin netenyahu has discovered that israeli's political landscape has changed since he first came into power in 1996. he tried to keep up to date with these internet adverts. he vows there will be no palestinian state. his rhetoric hasn't had its usual impact. mr. israelis are concerned about security, but they are also worried about the rise of the cost of living. netenyahu admitted he is

trailing behind his rivals. >> translator: if we don't close the gap with our rivals there is a real threat that our left-wing government could come into power. >> reporter: comes from lieberman, israel's foreign minister haven't helped the right-wing cause. >> translator: i would like to say whoever with us should get everything as their wish but those who are against us there is nothing to do with them. we need to pick up an action and cut off their heads. otherwise we won't survive here. >> reporter: netenyahu's main rival seemed more in touch with the average israelis. he promised to focus on the economy and reconciliation with the palestinian community as well as the united states. we will know how to amend and correct the relationship and return them back to being intoo mate strong strategic with full

alliance between us and the united states. >> reporter: neither party is expected to win more than a quarter of the vote. a lot will depend on how the smaller parties from the left and right perform. whatever the outcome, this election campaign has shown that israel is more ideologically divided than ever. 12 more men have been hanged in pakistan after the government extended the use of the death penalty. executions were reintroduced last december after a school attack killed more than 150 mainly children. dozens of convicts mostly on terrorism charges have since been executed. and gunmen have killed ten people in pakistan. it happened as workers gave out polio drops in a refugee camp. the vaccination drive has faced a number of challenges as our

correspondent reports. >> reporter: although there have been major successes in the battle against polio globally pakistan remains a major concern for the world health organization because of a number of cases reported from pakistan. now here in the province the immunization program is underway according to the officer in charge there are problems, but up to 754,000 children are to be given those polio drugs. them story in the other province is not so good. a number of deadly attacks on polio workers has brought that program to a grinding halt. the pakistani government will have to gear up to meet this challenge, otherwise there will be travel restrictions on pakistanis who wish to go overseas. >> these teams are motivated. they are in the field, trying to reach every child. we are meeting all challenges facing the security situation as

well. the weather challenges as well. and we are trying our level best to satisfy not only the international community, but the local community as well. >> reporter: also there has been criticism over the way the government has handled this crisis. millions of dollars of vaccines have been wasted because of neglect. the government of pakistan will have to really get up and meet this challenge in order to eradicate this deadly disease. a team of swiss scientists have found what they believe could be the basis of the next generation of anti-die attics in horse dung. new antibiotics are needed as more and more treatments are unable to defeat superbugs. >> reporter: horses were domesticated around 4,000 years ago, and ever since they have played an important role in the

lyes of humans. now a discovery in their dung could help human health. >> now this micro[ inaudible ] are in a constant competition for nutrients in space, and it is therefore very likely to find potent antibiotics in such an environment. >> reporter: at the heart of the discovery, the common mushroom that grows in horseman newer. the swiss research team discovered the fungus killed off certain bacteria. and a protein was responsible. >> the cell wall you can consider [ inaudible ] so when you disrupt the cell wall synthesis, bacteria usually dies

rapidly. >> reporter: discovery is one thing, but if a protein can be used it needs to be able to be massed produced. so the team developed a five-day process using yeast they say makes this possible. >> we are producing the protein here. we are using bioreactors which provide a controlled environment for the production. >> reporter: the scientists say the protein is robust stable and remains effective in hot or acidic conditions. but with an increasing number of bacteria becoming drug resistant, the team hopes their discovery will lead to a new generation of antibiotics. flooding is hitting the harvest season in central

argentina. at least 11 people were killed earlier this month. and millions of dollars worth of crops were washed away including argentina's third biggest export. massive deforestation may be to blame. >> reporter: this is a town in the central argentine province. all of its residents evacuated. staying in the neighboring town for now. there were similar scenes across the north of argentina earlier this month, as more rain fell in a few hours than normally falls in a week. >> translator: when twhaert goes down, i don't know what we'll do. we're going to have to borrow but i don't know if they will give us loans. >> reporter: one of the crops lost was this soyia harvest.

it boosts the countries unstable economy. but to make way for the crops, huge swathes of forrest had to be cleared. these vast fields some way only exacerbate the flooding becausing great suffering for many for the benefit of a few. soyia production rose 126% in a decade. most of it to feed cattle. >> translator: in the last 16 years, we lost 300,000 hectors of forrest. you are creating a cocktail of conditions for flooding, which will only get worse. >> reporter: the removal of

vegetation makes the soil less able to absorb water. so when it ryans the water simply flows over it. >> translator: we need long-term policies to regeneration forrests. >> reporter: local authorities say they are abiding by a national law designed to protect and regenerate the forrests. but the flooding continues. >> translator: we have lost everything. the matess my son sleeps on. who is going to help replace all of this? >> reporter: and despite the warnings the deforestation continues. new evidence suggests the largest glacier in eastern antarctica would be melting faster than ever. research shows two sea floor pathways are thought to be

channelling warm ocean water under the ice of the glacier. the glacial melt could contribute to a 4 meter rise in sea levels. and warmer sea temperatures could be causing record numbers of sea lion pups to be abandoned on the beaches of california. some scientists think that climate change is calling a scarcity of fish and that is forcing the pups mothers to have to leave them behind. to columbia where a film festival is bringing children movies for the first time. >> reporter: overcoming obstacles to take cinema where cinema has never been. it's a side program of the film

festival. for many this is the first time in front of the silver screen. have you ever been to a cinema? this particular theater is a truck with a revolving big screen. there is no popcorn, but there are local ices. audience members bring their own chairs, but the magic remains the same. >> translator: i love cinema because we can see new things and learn things but we also have a good time. >> reporter: families enjoy the shows and interact with the actors directors and crews. >> translator: when you sew, you reap. we're planting the culture of cinema with short films features and documentaries that are radically different than what they see on television. and maybe these beautiful little young people will become producers, we don't know. but we're planting the seed.

>> reporter: the neighborhood is just a few kilometers away from the center of cart han that, but it is worlds apart. and for many of these kids going to the cinema is a real luxury because seeing a film costs between 4 to $9 while 30% of the population of this city lives on just $2 aday? >> translator: we would like this to become a regular event. we don't want to continue to be forgotten. our areas are always neglected, and you can see the happiness it brings to the kids. >> reporter: the program will show films to 70,000 people, at 3300 venues this year. letting cinema do what it does best. fuelling people's dreams and imagination. scientists think they have unearthed the tomb of the spanish author regarded as the

father of the modern novel. he died 400 years ago. his body was lost when the convent where he was buried was rebuilt. it is one of the most widely red tooks of all time. more on that story and the day's top stories on our website, aljazeera.com. that matters. >> it was a young boy from ontario that became the first canadian to walk in space. >> it's hard relentless. the selection process to become an astronaut is