yemen's government says it will not attend u.n.-backed peace talks as saudi arabia air strikes target houthi strongholds. live from our headquarters in doha coming up in the programme an opposition leader in burundi is shot dead in the capital after tensions in the capital bujumbura oirld makes history - the

first -- ireland makes history - the first company to approve search walking for peace. a group of women activists go through demilitarized zones as they go from north to south korea yemen's government announced that president abd-rabbu mansour hadi will not be attending upcoming peace talks in geneva. the u.n.-brokered negotiations are aimed at ending 8 weeks of saudi-led air strikes against houthi rebels. gerald tan has the latest. >> reporter: aden is at the crux of a war. in the north, east and west fighters loyal to president abd-rabbu mansour hadi tried to overcome their enemies. they fire at positions held by

houthi rebels and airlines of ali abdullah saleh. scenes like this are playing out over yemen. the yemeni president who fled to saudi arabia is indicating that he will not attend. his government in exile is demanding that the rebels commit to u.n. resolution and pull out of yemen's cities. >> translation: this position doesn't only represent the yemeni president, it emphasis that political forces don't affect dialogue. we don't need more dialogue. we know how to implement agreements as well as the u.n. resolution 2216. >> in the capital sanaa saudi-led air strikes hit outposts held by the rebels the

bombing campaign targetting training camps seized last september. further north, both sides exchanged fire on the border between yemen and saudi arabia. the rebels showed little sign of backing down since the saudi-led coalition of arab nations intervened in civil war with the launch of aerial assault on march 6th. neither side will put down their weapons, and neither appear to be willing to talk either. the director of the aden research coordination says both sides must make compromises before both sides can begin. >> both sides reached an impasse here. houthis refused to pull out of urban centers, military centers, happening throughout the humanitarian pause. and the yemeni government has

been unable to respond in any way, other than to get support from the arab coalition bombing. and so for now the only way forward here is perhaps a compromise where maybe houthis may be more willing to pull out of the areas where there's active conflict to ease tensions and perhaps maybe that can open the door for further negotiations for them to pull out, and make agreements for big urban centers like sana in the north. i have to tell you the current situation is catastrophic particularly in the city of aden i don't know a single person that has not been hurt by this current conflict. the spread of disease, the fragile infrastructure has gotten worse, and awful us are hoping and praying for a ceasefire, and a swift end to the conflict. however, many people in aden and in the south do not want to be ruled by houthi militia, they want to be ruled by a legitimate

government. they want southern aspirations to be met politically. the counter situation is really the whole country is waiting for the houthis to stop the military aggressions and pull out of areas in the south, where they have little to no support. >> iraqi forces backed by shia militia launched counter attacks against fighters to stop the group from taking more territory. the air force and the u.s.-led coalition han pounding i.s.i.l. -- have been pounding i.s.i.l. positions near ramada. the fall is seen as a setback for the baghdad government. troops and fighters have been de-floyd defend other areas. if i.s.i.l. was to take the town. they'd be within striking distance of the capital. >> a burundian opposition leader has been shot dead. he and his body guard were killed in a drive-by shooting. he was the head of the u p.d.

party and his death amid tensions after protests and a bid by pierre nkurunziza for a third term in hospital. >> we have this report from the capital where they met with some of the victims. >> when the grenades were exploded. this person was buying food. >> translation: i was heading from work. there was an explosion. i ran. >> nearby this man remembers what happened. >> i heard the first bang. after the second one i started running. the third explosion injured me. >> this person was helping her mother sell vegetables. all i can do is pray to god. he is the one that can help us the reason why i survived. >> health workers say several were killed dozens injured. the government blames opposition members. this man was told his sister was

in critical condition. >> i was shocked. burundian are crying over what is happening. we all burundians we don't do this to each other. some are upset and afraid. this latest crisis started when the president announced he is running for a third term. opposition members have been protesting for weeks, it's been a coup attempt that failed. now it seems public places that have failed. >> the area has been cordoned off. police are investigating. the grenades were thrown into this part of the market. there was a lot of screaming and shouting. people were running away leaving behind what they were selling. these only worsened the political crisis. some are saying that the

violence only grew worse polls opened in ethiopia's first general election since the death of the prime minister. more than 36 million registered to vote in the regional poll. the ruling party is expected to win. opposition parties accused the party of using oppressive tactics to hold on to power the economy is a key issue in the election. ethiopia has a fast-growing economy. not everyone is benefitting from the boom. >> reporter: this is a country under construction. workers are busy day and night paving roads aring building bridges -- roads, building dredges and are constructing a light rail to stitch together the ends of the capital. it's the first light rail project in sub-saharan africa. >> the infrastructure is a

reflects of government's ability to negotiate with financial institutions and countries like china, where massive borrowing and grants are coming in. 6,000 to 5,000km of road then construct. part of a government policy. most agricultural production takes place. ever you look the city drastically changed in of the past five years. development, property boom and economic growth form a trunk that government officials say will give them land slide victories in the elections. >> the country was known for poverty. it was hunger and sexist. it hasn't helped everyone. according to the united nations, 30% of ethiopia live in poverty.

we met a woman who has four children and sells sawdust from a timber factory. on a good day she makes 1 usd. >> this is not work. we have to work all day, but can't find enough food. there's nothing else to do. >> it's that that triggers the exodus. europe is a destination for many migrating yooethans. it is an area under siege. many don't make it. the government says it's trying its best. if you look up the last five years, we have 8 million jobs, 8 million, it's a population of 35 nations. you have done that. still, there is poverty. we have to create opportunities, and we have to give people the opportunity to cease opportunity. ethiopia has minimum wage and because of that it has one of the lowest rates in africa.

for now they find themselves infuriated many can't help but be impressed by the country's transformation. >> people in ireland are celebrating as voters approved same-sex marriage. it's overwhelming in a traditionally catholic country. tim friend has the story. the yes vote campaigners are jubilant. the size of the victory is bigger than anticipated. it's the world's first national vote on the issue. not long ago the result would have been unthinkable in this staunchly catholic country. >> i never felt happier than i have this day. we did t. >> i'm so proud. >> i'm so proud of this country. >> i'm proud to be irish. you don't get times wh you're

proud to be irish, this is one of them. >> before the declaration it quickly became clear who won. all the pain political parties backed a yes vote along with big business and celebrities. >> i'm proud to be irish, it's been an emotional journey for many that have been campaigning, it's where stories have been told around the country and on the air waves. >> in the time between the wedding and reception party newlyweds vincent fox and ann cole found time to vote. >> if this was about equality we think everyone should have the same choice whether to get married or not. it's a simple matter. >> not everyone feels the same way. many cling to conservative attitudes. the influence is weaning.

at dublin airport, irish flocked home to vote. >> my light was backed for tomorrow. i challenged the time of the flight to come home to vote. >> ireland was the last country to decriminalize homosexuality over two decades ago. opponents of the latest move raised concern over parenthood and sur gansy rights for gay calls. >> still ahead on al jazeera america - a u.s. policeman on trial for shooting dead two unarmed black people learns his fate. plus... >> i'm jennifer glasse in kandahar. the biggest city in southern afghanistan doesn't have electricity because it can't afford to run its power stations.

>> guardianship imposed by the state >> they lose more rights than someone who goes to prison... >> what's being done to protect liberties in texas? >> i'm just a citizen trying to get some justice for an old man... >> an america tonight

investigation only on al jazeera america welcome back of the the top stories, yemen's government decided not to attend u.n. backed peace talks set to be held in geneva. the exiled leaders want the leaders to withdraw from cities and towns. negotiations are aimed at ending two months of saudi-led air strikes. a burundian opposition leader has been shot dead in the capital. they were killed in a drive-by shooting amid unrests after weeks of protests against president pierre nkurunziza's bid for a third term. celebrations in ireland after the public voted to

approve same-sex marriage. more than 62% of voters chose to allow gay couples to marry. ireland is the first country to legalize gay marriage through a popular vote a group of 30 women activists from around the world crossed the border between north and south korea, part of an event organised on international women's disarmament day. north and south korea are at war, but they have been given rare permission to cross. an american activist is part of the group, and she says that both are happy to be part of march. >> we are positive that we have created a voyage in peace, in reconciliation that was said to be impossible. we weren't sure ourselves that

we would be able to do this. the fact is that we have accomplished something that is agreed to that was agreed to as a voyage as a peaceful voyage by both governments, and we have now completed our trip. >> robert kelly is a professor of political science and diplomacy and he says that the march is unlikely to make much of an impact. these things generate attention and don't change the policies. i don't see that callsal relationship between this and north korean change are the north koreans going to allow political parties or release people from gaol. both anyone believes that that is why a lot of people are skeptical about the march, if it works, great. i don't see the change coming

from. i don't see that. crossing between the two states and making it look like north and south korea are equally to blame for this. you are letting north korea off the hook. north korea has a terrible record of human rights abuse. many starved to death in the late 1990. if the issue was women, it's well-known for treating women horribly. women in prison camps are routinely raped and abused. none of these things happen in south korea. to suggest the two are in some way analogist as the march is suggesting that is an error. a u.s. police officer has been acquitted of charges in the shooting deaths of two unarm black people. it's the latest case to go to court after a series of police-related shootings in the u.s. where the victims were black. >> as the judge read his verdict

michael brelo cried tears of relief. he thanked his legal team and left the courtroom a free man. timothy russell and melissa williams guide in a hail of bullets after a 35km car chase with speeds up to 160 k/hr. more than 100 shots were fired as the chase came to a bloody conclusion, and officer brelo claimed on to the front of the car and fired 15 bullets through the windscreen. the judge could not rule beyond reasonable doubt that the officer was spol for the death -- responsible for the death. outside, crowds waited for the verdict. >> we have no justice. they are killing kids. they are killing women. they do whatever they want to do. nobody. no justice. no peace.

no justice. no peace. >> the department of justice was involved in the case saying that the cleveland police worked in a pattern of excessive force. >> we stood toe to toe with an oppressive government trying to coerce and put away a law-abiding citizens would did his job in this case even though there were tragic circumstances and outcomes. cleveland's mayor called for calm. >> this is a defining moment. as we hear this verdict and respond to the verdict and we as a city move ahead in a way that will ensure whatever injustices may be, will no longer happen again. there has been a number of police-related deaths among them the shooting of michael

brown and freddie gray in baltimore. the justice department will review all legal options and decide whether additional steps are available and appropriate russia's president vladimir putin has signed a bill to ban nongovernment organizations. under the new law authorities can ban laws that are undesirable. the u.s. and human rights groups have criticised the moov. >> the president of myanmar has made a controversial bill into law, requiring mothers to have children three years apart. it will be used to discriminate against minorities especially rohingya muslims. kim vinnell reports. >> with five children to look after, days can be long and busy. this woman wouldn't change a thing. >> in the muslim state children are a blessing. if the government says i can't

have as many children as i want i cannot accept that. >> there may no longer be a choice. a new law forcing some mothers to wait three years has, according to state media, been signed off by myanmar's president and targets ethnic minorities whose populations are growing because they are having children. the law was drafted by a group of muslim monks, who insist that they can one day power. >> controlling the population growth of the benghazi is to protect our country's security we have the right to protect our country nationalists and the government use the term bengali to dismiss rohingya. they are an ethnic minority but the government trs most of them illegal migrants. violence between religious groups in 2012 force 140,000 rohingya to flee their homes,

many have been living in camps since. critics say the new law is a form of persecution, in a country where many muslims cherish big families. it can happen to other minorities in the country, not only to the rohingya, but it can be implemented to other minorities as well. >> regional authorities will be responsible for implementing the law on having babies. while there's no official punishment for those that break the rules, women are worried. >> el salvador's popular archbishop oscar ram aero has been beautified. he was regarded as a champion of the poor speaking out against oppression and violence. he was assassinated by an unknown gunman thought to be from a right wing death squad. >> afghanistan is facing an

energy crisis. decades of war damaged infrastructure, and the end of n.a.t.o. and fuel subsidies worsened the situation. jennifer glasse has more from kandahar. >> this job feeds his family of 12. he thinks he won't have a problem. >> we have eight hours of electricity a day. we used to have 24. there were 100 working here now there's 12. >> reporter: mohammed said losing his job could force him to be a fighter for the taliban or crime. anything to make money. businesses get eight hours of power a day, residents four. kandahar struggles more than other cities. there are sporadic outages in other places residences and people have full-time pow, because the capital has access to imported electricity. the power problem wasn't this

bad, it's worse since the n.a.t.o. withdrawal. >> when american forces were here they had 50 megawatts. when they left. we had power. >> some comes from the 10 megawatt diseasele plant built with american funds. now the generators are silent. >> running the camp at full capacity would bring the people at kandahar 8 hours a day. the power people say it doesn't make financial sense. they can only cover 10% of the cost of fuel. >> in the control room they are dolling out power to the neighbourhoods. suddenly the lights go off because of a short in the power grid. it is reset. kandahar's grid is unstable. it need to be upgraded or

replaced. first the city has to find a power source. this businessman says afghanistan missed a golden opportunity because the international community didn't invest well. >> clearly the money was spent with long-term in mind. we wouldn't have spent it on these. the first choice should have been building plants and solar window. >> any of the options would take years to complete costing tens of millions the government doesn't have. >> in the meantime people of kandahar have to make do as best they can the citroen ds is 60 years old. connoisseurs consider is to be the most innovative and beautiful car built. jacky rowland reports from paris. jean pierre is in love.

a passion that consumed him for most of his life. a passion that consumed him for much of his life, and the object of his obsession is a car. this is the citroen daes, it means goddess in french. for enthusiasts. the car commands religious devotion. >> it was really a car unlike any other, with a high level of comfort that you couldn't find anywhere else. it was a symbol of french national pride. the president adopted as an official vehicle, and the palace had a fleet of them for ceremonial occasions, the car retains cult status. the design and sleep lines make it popular with collectors, and they came out in their hundreds to celebrate its 60th anniversary, when the cars appeared on the streets of paris, they caused a sensation. it was as if a flying saucer

arrived in the champs elysees. people had not seen anything like it before, it was a futuristic design, a space-age design, part of the atmosphere of optimism and confidence that characterised the post-war period. the car included many technical innovations, heads lights that corner. swivel as the car turns a corner. and a suspension system that cushions the bumpiest of roads. it was something new in the car world. if you drive it, it's like driving in a boat on the road. enthusiasts love the design and driving experience, but the car embodies a confident optimistic era. and in the uncertain times, that is very seductive. sweden has won the

eurovision song contest. >> we have the winner and the winner is sweden singer man zumello beat 26 finalists in vienna with the song "heroes." australia was invited to participate. [ ♪♪ ] this week on "talk to al jazeera", legendry music composer david foster . >> so mid '070, i guess i seriously. david foster has been nicknamed the hitman, a violent for many records collaborating with many big names in the industry. there's one talent, however, he says stands out. >> love, love, love this man. he i