>> yemen appeals to the international community to send in ground troops after 40 civilians civilians are killed trying to escape aden by boat. hello, i'm barbara serra you're watching al jazeera live from london. taking it to the wire, benjamin netanyahu strikes a last-minute deal to form a coalition government in israel. four men are sentenced to death over the mob killing of a woman, which sparked protest across afghanistan. and the last day of campaigning before the u.k. election. why none of the major parties

look likely to governor alone. >> thank you for joining us. now in the letter the ambassador writes we urge the international community to quickly intervene by land forces to save yemen especially aden and taiz and call upon the international human rights organizations to document these barbaric violations against a defensive population. well let's go straight to the united nations and speak with gabriel elizondo. what is the significance of this letter? >> well, this letter that we got our hands on has not been made public. however, we were able to get it

from sources. it was sent from the yemeni ambassador to the u.n. to the lithuanian ambassador who is the head of the security council this month. it has called for ground troops to be sent into the country but also comes amid a time here that the united nations has a new envoy to yemen and he has been on its job for less than a week now. he's currently in paris where he was engaged in talks trying to kick start the political process again by all sides in yes memoryyemen. and he's expected to land in riyadh in the next several hours or so. taken together this is very significant. and the only other time that we've seen a letter from a yemeni official sent to the u.n. was on march 24th. that was the last time we had such a letter. that was from president hadi.

in that letter of march, he was calling for intervention in his country to stop the houthi advance. a day later the houthi airstrikes began. this lays out the significance of how important this could be. now we've not heard from any top diplomats here at the u.n. so far we've made calls to multiple people on on the security council and elsewhere. so far nobody wants to commitment publicly. this letter just got to our hours two hours ago and it's a little after 6:00 p.m. here in new york time here in u.n. headquarters. if we do get reaction we'll certainly bring it to you. but we'll be watching this in the coming days and hours to see how the security council responds. >> speaking of timing we've seen violence escalate in yemen itself. so the yemeni ambassador asking

for ground troops. how likely is it that anyone will respond positively to this letter? >> that's hard to say and that's up to the security council and the member states here but i will tell you that the timing is critical. the timing of this letter could give some cover or legal cover at least to the saudi-led coalition to spur some ground troops. remember now that yemen has formerly asked for ground troops that would give the legal cover for the ground troops to be sent in. the second thing that could be happening here, the timing could simply mean that yemen is trying to pressure the houthies to get to the negotiating table. and so far the houthis have said all along after multiple

resolutions calling for the houthi toss get to the negotiating table so far the houthis have said absolutely not. they will not take part in any talks especially held in riyadh saudi arabia. two things playing out there, it could an legitimate call to arms arms so to speak or it could simply an threat. we'll wait for the security council to chime in on this, and so far they haven't. >> gabriel eldon zoe live at the u.n. thank you. the yemeni ambassador letter to u.n. coincides the u.s. is secretary of state john kerry's visit. >> the situation is getting more dire by the day we're deeply

concerned about that. we urge all sides to comply with humanitarian law and to take every precaution to keep civilians out of the line of fire and out of harm's way and that humanitarian assistance to be delivered. we urged the parties to engage in a because in order to be able to deliver aid. the saudis to their credit, immediately announced they were shifting out of one phase and into a phase and would respond if houthi continues continued to attack and they did.

>> john kerry speaking in djibouti. we're joined live on the phone--not on the phone. live for us in riyadh. mohammed your reaction to this letter and the timing of it. it is it just a coincidence that it comes on a day when john kerry is in saudi arabia and we've seen the escalating violence in yemen itself? >> barbara, we don't know if it is a coincidence or designed that kerry is asking for something quite contrary to the spirit of that letter by the yemeni authorities allowing the humanitarian aid to be channeled to those in need. as we saw the report from

djibouti. we've seen an escalation in the war. this war has been going on for more than six weeks now. and there have been definite goals of the from the saudis, forcing them to come to the negotiation table and reversing the coup they have staged a few months ago. none of those goals have been achieved so far. it's quite contrary to what saudi arabia has been planning for, and now the airstrikes cannot be as decisive as they thought to be and cannot bring

about the results they needed. now saudi arabia needs a new strategy and the government of yemen, particularly after the killing of those scores of civilians today so we have two that are asking for a cease-fire and asking for more war. and the yemenis have chapter seven on their time because the united nations security council has taken resolution 2216 understand charter seven for the houthis to withdraw from the area and stop the fight or face further consequences. now those further consequences are what the yemenis are looking for. it is ambiguous to know whether the they want the u.n. force or the u.n. leadership of that's force or they want the green light for the allies to go into yemen. that could mean more casualtyies, something that they have been

fearing. >> john kerry's news conference will be give at some point on thursday after speaking with the saudi leadership. mohammed vall, you'll be monitoring that for us. thank you. . >> after protracted negotiations israel's prime minister has formed a new government. benjamin netanyahu got the numbers to form a coalition with a series of right-wing parties. but he's going to have to make serious compromises along the way. >> it went to the wire. before agreeing to throw in his eight seats that gave the israeli prime minister the sport of the majority in parliament, a slim majority of one. the full extent of the concessions made will become

apparent in days. but it's clear this will be a government of extreme right-wing since ability. jewish home has its roots in settlement and has called for more settlements not less. the inevitable increase in stated expenditure in turn put pressure on the finance minister who brought his breakaway party back into the likud fold. it could take the withdraw of support by a single member of one of the coalition parties to bring the government down. so in the end of weeks of negotiations bench benjamin

netanyahu is left with a slim one-seat majority and it will be a weak government at the mercy of the settler movement and two small religious parties. [music] coincidentally there is an annual religious festival as they celebrate the resurgence of ultra orthodox movement and in israeli political life. >> syria's president bashar al-assad has described recent military losses as mere setbacks. he said gains and logs were a natural batter of law and called for a society to boost soldiers' morale. >> we are today waging a war not a battle.

war is a number of a many battles. we talk not only about dozens or hundreds but thousands of battles. >> meanwhile iraq has sent reinenforcements to the beiji oil refinery. is on the road to ill's stronghold to mosul. so if they want to retake the second largest city they have to retake beiji. much of isil's funding has come from selling it's oil on the black market. police say a bomb went off in baghdad area. there has been a spike in bombing in the past few days.

a judge has sentenced four men to death for the beating and killing of a woman. she was accused burning a copy of the qur'an. >> the murder trial has been closely watched in afghanistan. the trial was broadcast live on national television. 49 people including 19 policemen were accused. four of them have been given the harshest punishments. >> we have sentenced each of you to capital death. this is not definite. you have a right to appeal. >> she was wrongly accused of burning the qur'an. she was brutally attacked in kabul in march. they beat and kicked her and set her body on fire. hundreds of people watched. some people even recorded it on

their phones. that evidence was used in the case. her family was in court. her brother told al jazeera that justice has not been served. human rights activists agree saying not everyone was brought to trial. the real criminals are still free and i don't believe it was a fair and free trial. and announcing the death penalty or letting free most of these people was a very hasty decision. >> despite it's failings the trial has successfully convicted some people involved in mob justice against women in afghanistan. >> and it had a big influence on the public perception. this case was taken very much seriously that there are lots of cases where women were publicly stoned and killed, and people would just watch and nobody was brought to justice. >> a sign was put up in central kabul where an attack happened,

and and a shrine was set up where she was burned. women carried her coffin during the funeral. breaking away from tradition. 19 policemen were on trial. some say they called for back up but none came. their possible verdicts are due on sunday. caroline malone, al jazeera. >> nigeria's military said it has rescued another 25 women and children from boko haram. it's part of an ongoing offensive against the group in the sambisa forest, their last stronghold. the women and children are now recovering in camps. it's not clear whether it includes some of the girls kidnapped a year ago from the town of chibok. burund ice'si's president

said that if he runs for president this term he will not run for a fourth term. many protesters say that it is against the constitution. afghan interpreters say their work with the has made them targets. and spacex's work for space exploration. oration.

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>> time now for a reminder of the top stories of al jazeera. yemen ambassador's to the u.n. has appealed to the international community to urgently send in ground troops to fight houthi rebels. benjamin netanyahu has struck a last-minute deal to form a coalition government in israel. the agreement with the far-right party comes two hours before the deadline. and four afghan men have been sentenced to death for their roles in the murder of a woman who was beaten to death in broad daylight. nearly 100 migrants have been rescued off the italian coast after 12 days at sea. the italian border patrol said that they spent two days adrift without food or water and with the ships ship's hull flooding. meanwhile, in libya the coast guard has brought 120 people who were trying to reach europe back to shore. for many that's disappointing end to what can be a very long and dangerous journey. thousands of people risked their

lives trying to cross the mediterranean, but it's the single women who often face the most hardship. we asked some who made it as far as libya about their hopes for the future. >> they didn't know each other before. and now they're living together. this is the only space available for women at the detention center in mistratha. outside hundreds of men are romeing roaming the corridor. the days are long and there isn't much to do but to think about their lives. >> i needed everything, and they killed my father. i don't know where my mother is. i have to live through better life. >> to get this far the women have crossed several borders often without travel documents and little money. their last leg was through the sahara desert.

they are hidden in the back of the truck like this one often hidden in bales of hay. some were robbed. others rape: exhaustion is etched on faces. these woman traveled with her two children, she just arrived here. she won't talk to us. aicha explains what they've been through. >> we haven't had anything to eat. only water not food. they beat us sometimes. they think we're animals. we're not people. >> the women here have different reasons for their or deals. for ayam it's about getting an education and feeling safe. >> i want to study and an doctor but it won't come through. i'm 15 and i don't know the alphabet. where should i stay? there is no place for me in this world. wherever i go there is war. i always think that time is going by, and i still haven't

gone to school. now i'm in prison. >> these women don't know where they are in libya but perhaps the most difficult part is not knowing how long they will be held in this room. many complain they haven't been able to speak to their families for days. sometimes weeks. they worry no one knows where they are. >> we need to go. every people here have problems. every people have problems. we need to just go. >> thethe hardships they face are enormous but they are resilient. but despite everything they'll continue to wander, looking for safety wherever it may be. >> one of india's biggest bollywood stars has been jailed for culpable homicide. he was sentenced to five years in jail for running over five men as they slept on the streets of mum by killing one of them.

the actor has denied he was the driver and blamed his driver. the judge ruled that he was driving under the without a license and under the influence of alcohol. government has let themthey said that they have been let down even though provided essential service. >> they risked their lives in the line of duty. now the interpreters who faced online dangerous along with troops will see if they can seek apply slum asylum with the u.k. this man says his life is in danger because he worked along side u.s. and british forces. his family has been threatened by the taliban and accuse him of

collaborating with western troops fearing for his life. he fled the country paying smugglers until he reached the u.k. in the back of a lorrie. but despite his former work his request has been rejected. >> they're threatening in every way. but mostly threatening to me they beat me up, the taliban they took me over and they didn't find anything in my pocket they asked too many things but i'm not working because they asked if i'm working with foreigners. i told them i don't work with anyone. i told them i just work in local shops. i don't work no one. >> unlike the interpreters who were helping the british army in iraq these an afghan men say they're discriminated against because they're not give the same assistance as their iraqi

counterparts. and even though they are no longer working with the british army they say they're still facing the same dangers such as death threats and the taliban. >> we hope that the court will intervene and allow these brave men f they need to, because their lives are at risk, to come to the u.k. with their families. >> there may no longer be combat troops stationed in afghanistan but the tension ares are still being felt. to men like noor hope that they can be granted a safe haven away from the danger they continue to face. al jazeera london. >> on thursday voters in the u.k. cast their ballots in the

general elections throughout five weeks of campaigning the polls have consistently suggested that no singer party will get enough votes outright. that could mean days between the parties to decide who will form the next government. al jazeera's u.k. correspondent lawrence lee. >> north london very wealthy and very liberal. in this era of coalition politics some labor supporters don't like the idea of their party doing deals with those who would chop down the united kingdom. >> would you vote labor if they didn't have to get the support of the scottish nationalists. >> yes. >> but you wouldn't want to deal with the scottish nationalists. >> you hit the nail on the head. >> forcing the together the different parties is like mixes apples and oranges and that could be very messy.

there, there are no mathematics that would allow the conservative party to form a coalition that would give them the coalition but the labour party cooed if could if they gain the support of the scottish nationalists. the scottish enemy holding the leavers of power. >> opponents are taking to the airwaves arguing that the public would prefer a government that will keep the u.k. together even if it can't get a majority. so that's what gives what they claim a moral high ground he still has to have a healthy number of mps.

but senior civil servants have been hard at work, reminding politicians that rules are rules and the majority in parliament will count in the end. >> you can exclude the snp scotland has voted for them. they have voted for them. that's the fact of life that has to be taken into account. >> if all in was simple then the party with the biggest gang would claim victory but the bookmakers aren't sure and implies that this isn't simple at all. >> commercial space exploration companies spacex has taken another step towards putting an astronaut into orbit. yep, it's fired a space capsule carrying a dummy high into the sky prove cape canaveral florida. the test was to prove that the

dragon could fire its passengers out of harm's way should there be any problems during launch. they hope to put astronauts into orbit by 2017. for more on everything that we've been covering on our website. www.aljazeera.com. - kate pierson of the b-52s. >> (singing the song "love shack"). >> the greatest thing i think a band can do is give people this joy and make them happy and make them dance or sing or just, you know, just kind of give them a joy. >> the group was once given the title "america's favorite party band" by rolling stone, but pierson said beneath t