thousands of refugees stranded on what the u.n. calls floating coffins. myanmar says it's not responsible for the crisis hello, welcome to al jazeera, i'm darren jordon. also coming up the u.s. sends in special forces to syria to kill an i.s.i.l. commander. former egyptian president mohamed mursi sentenced to death for breaking out of gaol during the 2006 revolution. >> i'm in west jerusalem where christians are celebrating the canonization of two nuns, the

first palestinians to become saints in modern times. welcome to the programme. thousands of rohingya refugees fleeing violence in myanmar are adrift in the andaman sea in what has been called floating coffins, myanmar has refused to take responsibility for the growing crisis. thailand malaysia and indonesia turned the boats away. the thai navy toed a boat filled with refugees away from the coast, at their own request. the boat is in malaysian waters. florence louie will be with us shortly. first rob mcbride, in the malaysian capital. bring us up to date with the latest boat that thai authorities said they want it to go to malaysia. >> the malaysians are tight

lipped about the boat. there's speculation that the vessel may not be in malaysian waters may be headed for or already in indonesian waters possibly guided there with the help of the hall asian navy. part of the theory being that the people on board the vessel know that they will not be allowed to land in malaysia. that is the latest speck u laughings. part of the problem in gaining accurate information, about the fate of the vessels is the authorities on the malaysian side of the border, keeping strict control over the developing situation. it's a hugely sensitive issue, putting in place a controversial policy of pushing vessels back. it will intervene and take people assure if the vessel is sinking or in danger of capsizing. there are hundreds of migrants

brought ashore, but when they are they are kept away from prying eyes. it's difficult for n.g.o.s, supporters and other to see them as they prepare for repatriation back to myanmar. malaysia taking a tough stance with the prime minister malaysian prime minister saying what is called for is a regional solution to what is a regional problem, and more pressure in the last day or so put on myanmar itself. the attention drawn to the human rights record and the treatment of the "rock newman show", saying that this is a problem that started in myanmar, and the solution should come from myanmar itself. >> rob mcbride there in kuala lumpur. let's cross to florence louie. countries say that myanmar needs to do more to stop the flow of migrants. what are authorities there

saying? >> indeed this is quite a departure from what south-east asian countries have traditionally done. they have adopted a method of noninterference. not commenting on neighbour's affairs. in the past few days we had senior officials, and the malaysian prime minister saying that this is an internal a myanmar problem. the myanmar's government response from senior officials in the past few days say the same thing - this is not a myanmar problem, saying they do not have a problem of rohingya being ill-treated. in fact, they do not recognise the people stuck on boats adrift in the andaman sea as being myanmar, saying they are victims of human trafficking, they don't know the origins, and until they

do they can't. and that it's not a refugee problem, it's human trafficking. and other countries is trying to shift the blame to myanmar, which it is not accepting florence louie there. thank you, apologies for the quality of that line to yank gone a group of rohingya refugees rescued are receiving food and medical treatment. we met some of the survivors. >> reporter: three months at sea with hardly any food and nowhere to go. volunteers here, together with doctors and social workers came to a temporary shelter with medical supplies. nearly 1500 rohingya from myanmar and bangladeshi migrants reach the safety of the ghost. on friday more than 800 were

rescued by fishermen in aceh. fighting had broken out on board due to a lack of food. many spent hours in the water after the boat broke down. they lost all hope until they saw the fishermen. >> they helped us a lot. we are so thankful. if they didn't pick us up from the sea, all of us would have died. help is pouring in. villagers are bringing clothes and donating money. >> a show of solidarity. governments in south-east asia are closing the door, the people here are opening their hearts. after decades of conflict and a tsunami, they now how crucial generosity can be. >> this man from a nearby village was surrounded when he

handed out cash. >> translation: we were helped by peep around the world. -- people around the world of they gave us food and houses. we came to help them. >> most bangladeshi migrants want to go hotel home. the rohingya have nowhere to go. they've been registered as refugee and probably will have to wait in indonesia. thousands are at sea. >> we are worried about thousands on boats. the reports from this group, harrowing tails of people dying of hunger of abuse by smugglers. soars -- serious illness, it's a crisis that needs to be addressed. >> not everyone that came to the shelter came to help. some took pictures and wanted to

hear their stories. for the migrants it was a nice distraction after so much misery the united states launched a rare operation inside syria to kill an i.s.i.l. commander. the u.s. defense department says abu sayyaf was targeted at the oil field and played an important role in raising funds for i.s.i.l. and smuggling i will and gas out of syria and iraq. >> reporter: the white house where are is telling al jazeera it was president obama that ordered the attack to capture and kill abu sayyaf. the elite delta force participating, located in iraq, going into syria, we understand there was ground or hand to hand combat that resulted in the death of abu sayyaf. and the capture of his wife umm

say of. a young yazidis girl has been rescued and been reunited with her family. the united states pouring over reams of data collected in the operation. we are told that in fact there were computers and parred drives - hard discs, in fact and they are analysed in terms of trying to understand who abu sayyaf was. he was in charge of oil and gas. a major source of renew. the u.s. defending its actions saying that it worked with rocky authorities, pointing out that it did not consult authorities saying that the u.s. fews that the action contributing to the rise of i.s.i.l. and it cannot be a partner to combat i.s.i.l. the u.s. defending action. saying they are in accordness with u.s. and international law.

>> there has been a series of government air strikes in the southern city of douma. five have been killed. 25 others wounded. >> while in the district of idlib, it reportedly killed 30 people. many are believed to be children. >> three shot dead hours after former president mohamed mursi was sentenced to death for escaping from gaol during the 2011 revolution. the attacks took place in the northern sinai. the group travelling to an area for a court hearing. three other judges were wounded in an attack on their van. more on the death sentence. >> reporter: egypt's first democratically elected president mohamed mursi found guilty of breaking out of gaol and sentenced to death. the muslim brotherhood banned by europe calls the court's

decision politically motivated, saying executing mohamed mursi would be murder and the international community should stop it. the response is mixed, some say action should be taken. >> european union, western countries - hadn't you banned the death penalty, don't you have sanctions against the death penalty, why do you stand still. impose the sanctions on them. if you impose on others it's for your benefit. why don't you impose sanctions on egypt. mohamed mursi is imprisoned with other leaders a few days after egyptians begin a movement that overthrows president mubarak. almost immediately he begins controversial decisions, expanding his own powers.

in january 2013 hundreds of thoughts pros test. there are calls for mohamed mursi to step down. in july, a year after the inaugust ration mohamed mursi is overthrown by the chief of the military abdul fatah al-sisi, who is now the president. saturday mohamed mursi appears in court wearing the blue uniform given to convicts. the court sentences 122 people many given the death penalty, including the former leader. saturday's mass death sentence has been referred to the grand mufti, who is due to rule on it by june the 2nd. the court verdict has been happened down a week after the ruler is sentenced, but freed, because he's already served time. in just over a fi days egyptians

have seen one president who they voted in and helped depose, sentenced to death. another imposed upon them is a free man. >> lots more to come on al jazeera. defending the homes land and honour. we met the fighters in afghanistan standing up to the taliban. plus... >> i'm erica wood on the south african cape coast where overfishing and oil spills put their only species of penguin at risk of extinction. >> i have a problem... i don't speak english... >> hard earned pride... hard earned respect... hard earned future... a real look at the american dream hard earned only on al jazeera america

>> part of our month long look at working in america. "hard earned".

welcome back a quick reminder of the top stories thousands of rohingya migrants are adrift in the sea. called floating coffins. myanmar refuses to take responsibility for the crisis much thailand indonesia and malaysia have been turning the votes away. >> u.s. forces killed a top i.s.i.s. commander, abu sayyaf mohamed mursi has been sentence said to death taliban fighters in afghanistan are outside the regional capital. the government sent thousands of soldiers there much the battle is mainly fought by local

villagers. >> reporter: another day on the front line dividing this village. they are standing up against the taliban, who are so close they have to crouch behind the wall to keep from being shot. >> translation: the enemy is 100 meters away. do you see the area with the trees, they are there. there are other areas. >> reporter: he has about 170 men, against a taliban force twice that. they have basic weapons, and fight from trenches and mud bunkers. these static front lines are new. when n.a.t.o. was in charge of security the taliban was on the move to avoid being hit by air strikes or artillery, there's no risk of that there aren't government soldiers here. >> the only help we get is from the people. the guns people carry are their own. people sold cows and other livestock to buy a gun to defend the village. >> on this day, it's quiet.

the two sides netted a ceasefire -- negotiated a ceasefire so farmers could plant their fields. neither side trusts the other. on captured radio, they listen to the taliban. villagers feed them. what few that are left. most of the homes are empty. people say it's bad. >> we have never been this worried. even when the russians were hear we didn't worry about this. there was fighting the next day life was normal. now we are trapped. >> the fighters say the government gives them no support. they provide what they can they provide the rest and pay for the injured. people are suffering. they can't farm. most have left. we hope the government would bring peace.

they don't care. >> these men say they'll hold the front line as long as they can, that there's no one else to defend their homes, land honour to burundi where 17 security officials have been charged over an attempted coup. they include senior military and police officers. the whereabouts of the coup leader major general are unknown. we have the latest from the capital. >> some of those arrested include senior army officials. they have been arrested because they are accused of trying to remove president pierre nkurunziza from power. some are there on a police truck. they are appearing before a judge. they are being held - people don't know. the families say they hope when they go to trial they'll get a free and fair trial. the family are concerned because some people have not been seen

in a long time. they don't know if they are tortured and want to find out what is going on much the country is continues. people are waiting to see what is happening. more protests are planned for monday. the president will run for a third term. these days. as far as he is concerned he has every right to do so, and has no intention of backing down. >> seven people have been killed in northern nigeria. a woman blew herself up. 27 people were wounded there are growing calls in macedonia for the resignation of the prime minister. rallies are planned in the capital on sunday demanding onnd to violence between security forces and armed groups that the government says are armed separatists.

>> reporter: this is what remains of a barber shop. and his house behind. he is in police custody. the hospital therapist is counselling his family. >> translation: on tv they call my husband a terrorist. he's a barber. who is going to walk my son to kindergarten now? >> reporter: families like his cowered as security forces battles what the government alleges were albanian separatists in the ethic albanian neighbourhood. officially eight police and 10 gunmen died. there's only shock at the damage and resentment four local men have been detained. >> everyone we spoke to tells a story. they heard the shooting sought shelter where they could. when they came outside, this is the scene that greeted them.

psychologically the neighbourhood has been traumatized by what happened. the violence comes at a critical moment for macedonia. the opposition is leaking hacked phone recordings revealing the abuses of power, prompting resignations. they claim that the violence was staged somehow, by a prime minister clipping to power. >> translation: dear citizens macedonians, serbs, and others don't succumb to black scenarios prepared by the government. >> reporter: that is denied by the prime minister. he says he has the trust of the people of macedonia. >> they decide who will be in power and opposition. he told journalists on thursday.

there is still bewilderment at the worst violence since a peace deal ended conflict between albanians and macedonians. this time communities insist they are united. and the only divisions are between the politicians at least two people have been killed, 20 injured in a plane crash. the accident happened in a western train. it hit a tractor-terror the u.s. federation government ordered amtrak to improve train tracks immediately. the train was travelling at twice the speed limit as it wept around a curved section of the track. pope francis will canonize two palestinian nuns. the first palestinians to become

saints. we explain why the decision is part of an attempt to support christians in the middle east. >> a song of prays for the palestinian nun who built the church and formed the congregation during the ottoman era. on sunday she and sister maria born in gala lee in 1846 and founded convents across india will be the first palestinian saints in modern time. a canonization ceremony will sign the treaty with palestine. it extended more than two years ago. they travelled to brazil for procedures. the lives of the nuns and the legacy are inspiring. >> they are incredible, like the

faithful. what they did. a sentiment shared by many here. a decision by pope francis to bestow sainthood to the two nuns is seen as an attempt by the vatican to give hope after years of war and as part of attempts to refocus tanks on their flights. this sister runs one of the convents and shows where remains are kept. also palestinian, she'll attend the canonization ceremony in vatican city and tells me all palestinians should find comfort in their same time hood. >> the palestinian people are frustrated on all fronts. socially economically religiously, internationally. no matter where you turn people are frustrated. they need someone to lift them up. >> pope francis is seen as

sympathetic to the palestinian cause. on his first visit to the occupied west bank he offered prayers at israel's separation wall and called for the peace process between the two sides to be resumed. palestinian president will attend the canonization ceremony and 1500 palestinians belonging to the catholic church. many of whom will pray for a better future. hundreds of activists in seattle have taken to the water to protest against oil exploration in the arctic. they paddled kayaks can use and used boats to show their anger at royal dutch shell. they have already a rig docked in the harbour, a second due to arrive in a couple of days. shell is using the port of seattle as a base before moving

their ricks off alas coe -- rigs off alaska to start drilling in the past century the number of african penguins has declined and five years ago it was classified as endangered. erica wood has gone to the south african cape to see what is being done to save it. >> reporter: this is a penguin hospital, a place where distressed injured or orphan birds rehabilitate. >> we have 972 penguin chips. >> some are nursed back to health. others are permanent residents. like skipper, he'll never return to the wild, he's too tame. >> the education team is training him. he'll be an ambassador bird. i think he'll be amazing at. >> reporter: children come through to learn about the

penguins. other lessons are carried out over the internet. >> we are waiting for lab as a result and we'll know if it's a boy or a girl. >> reporter: education is important. numbers of the penguins are low, there's fewer than 18,000 pairs in the wild. overfishing is a factor behind their decline. >> the adults have to travel further afield and expend more marijuana for themselves and the chicks. >> when the pressures sank off the coast. 19,000 were affected. most were saved. oil stels were a constant threat. the island off the west cape coast is well-known as a penguin colony. tourists are likely to see thousands of seals. this island was home to hundreds of thousands. a combination of overfishing and

oil spills means there's only 600 breeding pairs left. >> in february a dedicated facility opened up a close mainland point. with the african penguin at the moment every bird counts penguin reference will be carried out. and the south say they need to pay more attention. >> penguins are the canaries of the sea. we should have taken note this there's something wrong. >> like so many of the world's endangered species, saving the penguins is a race against time and environmental issues and destruction caused by humans. >> the world's second tallest tower opened its doors for a special preview. the shanghai tower will be finished. it's 632 meters high, and under

200 meters lower than dubai's tower. the architectural firm says it will house financial institutions and government agencies. a reminder, you can keep up to date with the news on the web sit. there's the address, aljazeera.com. >> this week on "talk to al jazeera" - john lydon lead singer of "the sex pistols" - the band that ignited a punk rock revolution. >> pain, suffering, the disenfranchised, unnecessary poverty, class warfare, all of these issues bother me greatly. >> he was a man who generated headlines and controversy. famous, of course, for his hit "god save the queen". >> [singing] god save the queen, the fascist regime.