to get in? >> get the international news you need to know. al jazeera america. a referendum on netenyahu, israel east prime minister in an uphill battle for a fourth term in a very tight election. i'm lauren taylor this is al jazeera live from london. activists say the syrian air force carried out a chlorine gas attack on a northern town killing 60 people. and relief set to reach vanuatu's most remote islands.

♪ hello, israelis are voting in an election that's expected to be a close race. benjamin netenyahu who has already served three terms at prime minister leads the right-wing likud party. he has put security first and promises to prevent the establishment of a palestinian state. his main challengers are the zionist union, made up by isaac herzog. they have promised a renewed push for peace. and they have also focused on the rising cost of living which has become a central issue for israelis. we have correspondent at the headquarters of the key parties. let's first go to the likud party headquarters. mike what is the mood like

there? do they think he can pull it off? all right. mike i'm not sure if you heard me there. it's lauren in the studio. i'm just wondering whether you think at the party headquarters that netenyahu can pull it off, and get in again. >> reporter: okay. that's good. >> okay. we seem to have a bit of a communications problem there with our correspondent. let's see his report from he filed a little earlier. ♪ >> reporter: there's been a steady stream of voters since the early morning, and it is expected that close to 80% of the 6 million eligible voters will cast their ballots by the evening. among the early voters was benjamin netenyahu, who's likud

party has been slipping behind in the most recent polls. apparently bleeding support to a number of parties that in the israeli spectrum are extreme right-wing. and netenyahu has reached out to this right, catching support for settlements in occupied territory, and recanting what it was always a grudging commitment to a palestinian state. but it appears this was not enough to close the gap on the zionist union, which polls indicate could emerge as the dominant party. neither party will get the 60 seats necessary in 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 the joint list.

they make up one fifth of the population. the joint list could win as many as 14 seats, making it a potentially crucial player in coalition building. but in all aspects of israeli politics, there is a complication. arabs insisting they will not be part of the government no matter who wins it. >> mike what do they expect there? there? >> reporter: it certainly has been a tightly contested race. reports indicate a very strong turnout. back in december when netenyahu called this extraordinary election, it appears to be a good move. it seemed a good time for him to actually go to an early election. however, the intervening weeks have made clear that this may well be a strategic mistake.

you have seen likud's lead being gradually whittled away throughout the campaign and as i mentioned the most recent polls indicate it is coming in a close second at this particular stage. so certainly it is not the way likud would have wanted it to be. they would have wanted to go into this election as clear leaders, being able to establish their dominance from the very first part. this has not been the case it is open-ended as to who will actually emerge as the dominant political force after the elections, and importantly who the president will call upon to attempt to form a new government. >> okay. mike hannah thank you very much indeed. let's join our correspondent outside of a polling station in nazareth. tell us about the joint list that was mentioned think mike hannah there, and why they are significant in this election? >> reporter: well lauren the joint list is actually a break

through. it is made up of four mainly arab political parties that have joined forces to run under one ticket. but the reason i'm telling you it is a break through is because these four political parties couldn't be more different than each other. they are different in their eye dee lolg, some of them call themselves us uses some are communists, and some are nationalists. and you have a jewish arab group in there as well. and they could become the third largest political party. this is unprecedented in israel's history. it is very significant, because the palestinian israeli population which is a minority does not exceed 20% of israel's population is now poised to be the third largest party in the parliament. so there is a sense of hopefulness here among the

israeli arab population. we have been talking to some of the voters who told us that for the first time in their lives they feel they are actually being recognized as a minority. whereas before their participation in an election was much lower. and they have historically and typically felt alienated. they say this is their golden opportunity. their chance to have sway in the israeli process. even if the joint list does not become part of the coalition government, it would still be able, the people here say, block some of what they describe as racist and discriminatory policies imposed bier previous goes mainly by netenyahu. so a powerful force representing the palestinians israelis are hope people are hoping for here. >> thank you very much indeed. you can find much more on the candidates and the issues dominating the israeli election

on our website, aljazeera.com. ♪ suicide bombers have attacked an iraqi army check point, killing six soldiers and there were four coordinated explosions including a car bomb at the end transof a neighborhood in baghdad. amnesty international believes air strikes carried out by the syrian government last november may amount to war crimes. elsewhere opposition groups accuse regime forces of using deadly chlorine gas. >> reporter: a man apparently suffering the effects of chlorine gas is doused in water. this was after an attack in southern idlib province according to human rights groups who monitor attacks like this. in hospital survivors are given oxygen. chlorine gas attacks the respiratory system, causing

suffocation suffocation. >> reporter: we have received around 70 wounds 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: the sewerian observatory for human rights say 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 to northeast syria. in november last year the president's forces attacked the city in a bid to drive out the isil fighters, but in a new report amnesty international says the rules of war were violated. >> we have come to the conclusion that there is damning evidence that the syrian

government forces committed war crimes there. the research that we have done shows that over 100 civilians were killed. the -- places targeted were busy markets, busy mosques and residential areas. >> reporter: amnesty says that assad's force killed civilians relentlessly. at least 60 people were killed in one day alone. doctors say they know the world is following, watching, and condemning these crimes but it's action they say, that is needed to stop the bloodshed. reports are emerging that one of isil's top field commanders have been killed in fighting around the libyan city. the city is running short of fuel and food residents say.

rescuer workers have started to reach some of vanuatu's southern islands. more than 3,000 people are homeless. the go says it will take about a week to assess the damage fully because phone lines are down and that means communications are out lying islands is difficult. tanna island is one of the worst affected. andrew thomas reports from there. >> reporter: this wrecked building is one of three that make up the main primary school on the eyeisland. 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 totally peeled away. this is tanna, and perhaps the island hardest hit by the cyclone. we flew down on a small

propeller plane, only eight seats, because those are the sorts of planes that can only get in at the moment. what is needed are the big military planes. >> the priorities are the roads. the tents, the shelters foods and medicines. the tents shelter foods and medicines are the immediate response. they are needed -- they are really needed. >> reporter: this is one of the least damaged buildings here. on the road we came across a family sitting in the ruins of their home trying to salvage some timber to start building again. >> this house i had it since 1995. i called my wife. we have to move out now. because the house is not going to hold up. i don't know i just see the house moving up and down. i -- my heart was sinking. and i said children wake up.

we have to move. >> reporter: this school building as one of the least damaged, has become an impromptu place for people to stay. at least there is space on the floor to throw down some mattresses. about a hundred people are staying here at the moment. the hope as the big military planes can come in the next day or two that proper aid will arrive. still to come this half hour, a new zealand bar manager and two of his staff get two years hard labor in myanmar for insulting buddha. and we'll get a glimpse at the high-tech future from a show in germany.

>> today on "the stream". >> i'm here at south by southwest where the latest innovations in technology are making a huge splash. get a glimpse into the future on "the stream". >> "the stream". today, at 1:30 eastern.

only on al jazeera america. ♪ reminder of the top stories here on aljooz. israelis have spent the day voting in an election expected to be a close race between prime minister benjamin netenyahu party, and center left alliance zionist union. syrian forces have been accused of using deadly chlorine gas killing women and children. at least six people were killed in an attack in idlib province. and rescue workers have started to reach vanuatu's remote islands that damaged by a cyclone. let's return to the israeli elections to jerusalem and speak to a political correspondent for the radio news network, voice of

israel. thanks for being with us. i wanted to start off with benjamin netenyahu said if he were elected there would be no palestinian state. how does that change the voting for him? does the positioning make any difference to the outcome, do you think? >> well, the last polls of these elections which showed that netenyahu's main challenger, isaac herzog was three or four seats ahead, really sent the likud party into pan tick -- panic. netenyahu made the statement that his 2009 speech supporting a palestinian state was null and void. and on the other side we saw the zionist union announce that their rotation deal to share the premiership was also null and void. netenyahu's comments are certainly aimed at bringing in right-wing voters so that they

will support him and not move to some of the other satellite parties, but we have seen leaders making promises on both sides of the political spectrum that changed just days after the election. >> and you mentioned satellite parties. one of the keys is coalition building after the election. how do the matches strike out for either side here? >> well throughout the whole election campaign the odds have really been on benjamin netenyahu's side even though he at the moment is slidely leading in the polls. it still seems he has the slight edge in forming the coalition, because the zionist union will find it harder to form a coalition party. netenyahu has a stronger block on the right, but if he does fall back even further in the

polls, three, four, even five seats, and it will be much harder for him to claim legitimacy legitimacy. so it does seem like he could still have more support, but we'll have to wait until the results because anything could happen. >> and on that point i want to go back to netenyahu and how his performance has been in the last little while. has the difficult relationship with the united states affected his standings in the voting? and which way does that play for him? >> traditionally when israelis have seen an israeli prime minister standing up to what they perceive rightly or wrongly as a -- an american leader hostile towards israel that has boosted the perception of the israelis, and that has certainly helped netenyahu for many years. the last six years, the ongoing relationship with obama has at time boosted his -- his

perception within israeli society. however, with this last spat regarding netenyahu's speech to congress, it did give him a slight boost in the polls at the time. but after that we saw him fall back down in the polls, so it's unclear whether this really has boosted him. on the left side in the public there are many questions about the purpose of his trip and whether it was necessary for him to go. it seems that if it was aimed at being some sort of trip that would save him politically, that hasn't worked. although we may continue to see him be prime minister. >> all right. thank you very much indeed. high level talked aimed at stopping iran from being able to make a nuclear bomb are said to be 90% of the way there. they are believed to have just one key issue to overcome.

a deal would involve iran agreeing to scale down nuclear activities in return for relief from western sanctions. our diplomatic editor has the latest. >> reporter: certainly they are making progress here but how much progress depends on who you speak to. if you listen to the iranian side they are extremely optimistic. the head of iran's nuclear energy agency said on the technical aspects of this they are 90% there. just one remaining issue. the u.s. side not quite as optimistic, although they do say they are making progress. they say there is still a great deal of work. and the deadline for this framework deal is at the end of this month. and coming at the end of this week, an iranian holiday. so the talks will pause at that

point. >> the egyptian police accused of shooting a protester has been charged. at the time the interior ministry suggested the police were not responsible. a number of protesters have also been charged with holding a illegal demonstration. two members of a polio vaccination team and a police officer have been shot dead in pakistan. the attack is the latest in a string of attacks on polio workers who some accuse of trying toster liel muslims. pakistan is one of only three countries where polo is still endemic. in myanmar three people have been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for insulting religion. >> reporter: their offense, using an image of buddha with

headlines for an online flier to promote drinks at a bar. the poster was withdrawn and an apology issues but the men have been sentenced to two and a half years in prison. the accused are quickly whisked away in a police van. the mother of one of the defendants directs her ager at one of the monks. the action was brought against the three men after summon ks complained about the flyer. >> translator: i want to talk about our religion. if someone insults religion should we accept it? it is right. >> reporter: human rights groups accuse the authorities of bowing to pressure from hard line monks. the concern is that if these hard line views are allowed to gain more proinnocence it could

deepen berelious conflict. since 2012 violence has killed more than 200 people and displaced tens 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. back at court the lawyer suggested he was not surprised by the verdict. are you angry? >> no i'm not angry. this is burma. it's not like america or french or australia or new zealand. this is burma. >> reporter: the men could appeal, but are not aloud bail. florence looi, al jazeera. new evidence suggests the largest largest largest glacier in antarctica

could be melting faster than ever. warm ocean water is penetrating the base of the glacier by two large channels. a warmer sea temperatures could be causing record numbers of sea lion pups to be abandoned on the beaches of california. more than a thousand have washed up on the u.s. coast. some scientists think climate change is causing a scarcity of fish forcing adults to fish in deeper waters leaving their young behind. >> the fact of the matter is this year because of the numbers, we're not going to be able to save every single animal on the beach. to columbia where the big screen is coming to towns where film have never been seen

before. >> reporter: overcoming obstacles to take cinema where cinema has never been. these are films in the neighborhood, and it's a side program of the cartagena film festival. for many this is the first time in front of the silver screen. this particular theater is a truck with a revolving big screen. there's no popcorn, but there are local ices and audience members bring their own chairs by the magic of cinema 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 planning the culture

of cinema with short films, features and documentaries that are radically different than what they see on television. and maybe these beautiful young people will become directors and producers. we don't know but it's worth planting the seed. >> reporter: this neighborhood is just a few kilometers away from cartagena, but it is worlds apart, and for many of these kids going to the cinema is a real luxury because going to see a film costs between 4 to $9, while 30% of the population in this city lives on just $2 a day. >> 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. hundreds of thousands of people are taking part in the world's largest technology trade fair in germany this week. the event is used by small businesses and multinationals to showcase their latest innovations. as >> reporter: it's renowned as a venue for engineering of high-tech solutions. many companies are looking at how to use the internet to run our lives more efficiently. a train called the internet of things linking, homes, cars and other accessories, under one intelligence and allowing them to talk to each other. >> everything is connected now.

everybody [ inaudible ] in the world is connected by internet every device every generation aspect is connected to the internet. >> reporter: but the internet of things is about far more than just energy sharing and saving. it's also about empowering individuals and giving them control over every day items at their fingertips. one firm is looking at giving drivers more control over their cars through mobile technology. >> so what you can do is here is my car, and you can see the speed the mileage, but you can also see on the map how far you can drive on this fuel. this car is a module with a [ inaudible ] that produces data and we can control over an app. with this app, i can check my engine data but also i can see when i leave my car on friday afternoon, i need to find it on monday morning, and i can do it with the app. >> reporter: for almost 30

years, this conference has showcased fast technological change to its audience. and this year the pace of that change just got faster. you can find much more on our website, the address is aljazeera.com. and you can watch us by clicking on the watch live icon. ♪ profits of the slave trade. over twelve million men, women and children were forcibly transported from africa on slave ships like this, to the colonies and plantations in north and south america. today slavery is illegal on every country on the planet. but the truth is, slavery did