voting in burundi. a poll that's been condemned. you're watching al jazeera live fl from doha. >> if anything thinks what the sanctions are going away that the so-called embargo is going away, they have not been paying attention. >> a u.s. republican congressman shows differences still remain even though full diplomatic ties with cuba have been restored. turkey says isil is behind a

suicide bombing in syria. seeking alien life. so will well-known scientists get behind a multi-million project to see what's out there. >> one person has died in violence in burundi has people vote in a controversial presidential election. the polls being boycotted by several leading opposition parties, and the u.n. eu and african union said they won't recognize the results. there have been months of violence since the incumbent president announced he'd be standing for a third term. critics say it violates the constitution. we have two correspondents monitoring events there. we're in the capital of the border and that's the focal point the unrest that prompted 158,000 people to flee to neighboring countries. more than 70,000 are in

tanzania. several thousands have sought refuge in congo and thousands more went to eastern rwanda. that's where katherine sawyer is. it's voting day there. what's the situation on the ground right now? >> reporter: well the president has just voted in his hometown when he spoke to journalists he said he's very well happy people turned out to vote. that's in the countryside. very different in the capital of burundi. this is a very volatile part of the capital. the people in the crowd are people not voting. they gathered there browse the person killed on monday night his body is stimuliing there. people in this area are shocked and angry this happened and they want answers. they are not letting the police come into the neighborhood. the police and soldiers are far behind keeping a close eye on things as people are very concerned that this particular neighborhood could become

volatile the longer the body stays on the street and if the police come. for now people here say they're not voting and what i've seen in the capital there are very few lines at polling stations. >> why are these elections going ahead? why are they so important? >> reporter: they're important for two main things. people are concerned about the threat of violence. there was a failed coup in may. some generals and soldiers tried to remove the president from power. that failed. it's believed some of them have crossed into neighbors rwanda and some are mobilizing. the generals there have threatened to come and remove him by force. if they do that there will be violence. this is a big issue. you have the democratic republic congo and congo and rwanda and all the presidents talking about extending their term in office. if he gets away with this

election it could galvanize other african leaders to do the same. >> if he does win, which is why widely expected he's going to inherit a national already racked by violence and deeply divided. >> exactly. that is another big concern. he has support in the countryside. people there support him because they say he helped to develop things like build roads and schools and hospitals. in the capital he's not as popular as he says he is. people are very angry. there's no jobs. people are out of work and hungry and frustrated and tired and angry. what will it take or how much will they be pushed before they come back on the streets? there's been a crack june -- crashdown and people have been arrested and killed. if he wins if he's sworn in

how will people who don't want him to stay in power react? >> live for us there in the burundi capital. now, the united states and cuba have restored full diplomatic relations marking the end of more than half a century of hostilities. the u.s. cut off ties with cuba in 1961 two years after a communist revolution. last december the two countries agreed to re-establish relations and long talks encouraged by pope francis. despite the deal an embargo banning most u.s. companies from doing business in cuba is still in force, and travel restrictions imposed by both countries remain in place. after talks with the cuban foreign minister and the u.s. secretary of state, he said he'll visit in havana in august. john kerry gave part of his speech in spanish. >> translator: the united states welcomes this new beginning in its relationship with the people and government of cuba.

we are determined to live as good neighbors on the basis of mutual respect, and we want all our citizens in the united states and cuba to look forward to the future with hope. >> many u.s. politicians oppose the decision to move closer to cuba. it means any attempt to scrap the economic blockade faces tough resistance. >> you can continue to see push-back from congress so if anyone thinks that the sanctions are going away that the so-called embargo is going away they have not been paying attention. >> there's also skepticism from the cuban side. the deputy director for u.s. affairs at cuba's foreign ministry says while the u.s. president's words were appreciated, he said you have to see what happens in practice. former cuban leader fidel castro said, i don't trust the policy of the united states but that doesn't mean i reject a peaceful solution to the conflict. while latin america has this

report now from the newly opened u.s. embassy in havana. >> reporter: it may look exactly the same but this is no long a u.s. interest section under the care and protection of the swiss embassy. that plaque is now gone and the building behind me constructed in 1953 is once again the u.s. embassy it was meant to be. the american flag is not flying here at least not yet. that will have to wait until u.s. secretary of state john kerry oversees an official ceremony. there are changes from the tiny american flags at the embassy staff they were carrying to the number of tourists and americans carrying their passports and flags to mark this day. >> this is a historic event hoping this brings about the changes. >> cubans that went inside for a visa say the requisites have not changed. on this day the staff was more friendly than before when they denied her a visa. clearly the re-establishment of

diplomatic relations has a bigger impact here than in the united states. generations of cubans grew up preparing themselves for a possible u.s. invasion. now u.s. consulate staff can travel around this communist island freely. of course, both countries have a long way to go to really normalize ties. it has been an exciting day here, and, in fact many are remembering fidel castro's proceed thettic words in 1973 he was asked when he thought that the united states and cuba would restore diplomatic ties. he answered when the world has a latin-american pope and the united states a black president. he probably didn't believe it himself, but that day has come. turkish police have fired tear gas and water cannon to break unan anti-government rally in istanbul. they say turkey is not doing enough to stop attacks by isil. it comes after a suspected isil

suicide bomber killed at least 30 people in a town near the border are syria. another 100 people were injured. we have more. >> reporter: the explosion happened in the garden of the cultural center in the turkish town. most of the victims were volunteers due to travel to the kurdish town of cob anykobani across the border in syria. it's not known what caused the president. turkey's president says it was a terrorist attack by a suicide bomber. minutes after the explosion, there was a blast in kobani. isil first laid siege to the tount in september of last year prompting tens of thousands to escape to turkey been generating a combination of air strikes between want coalition fighters that defeated isil in kobani. much of the town lies in ruins. many turkish tourists blame the

turkish government for not doing enough to protect kurds that fled the war in syria. >> many turkish kurds accused their own government of taking a pro proactive stance in favorite of isis isis, particularly at the time of the siege of kobani. the turkish government had the attitude that the enemy of al assad was my friend and so they sat on their hands during the entire siege of kobani. >> reporter: families are mourning. after escaping the war in syria many hoped they would be safe here. this explosion has proved them wrong. a group linked to isil claimed responsibility for an attack on a mosque in yemen's capital sanaa. it happened in an area close to a houthi rebel leader's home. seven people were killed. also in sanaa six houthis were killed in a shooting at a checkpoint. in south yemen an internal ate

group says 100 people have been killed in the port city of aidan. doctors without borders say many women and children are among the dead. the rebels and allies attacked a neighborhood on sunday. the first u.n. aid shipment in four months docked in aden and a team is in the city to re-open the airport. yemen's transport minister said it would be operational in 24 hours. local fighters and forces loyal to the government in exile seize the airport from houthi rebels last week. our video which purports to show the aftermath of a syrian government air strike has been uploaded on the internet. at least 26 people have been killed in that attack. the town near aleppo is controlled by isil but it's not clear whether civilians or fighters were killed in the strike. iran's foreign minister is

defending last week's nuclear deal with world powers back home. he told parliament iran will closely monitor the implement takings of the accord. he added the option of reversing the deal is also open to tehran. washington says it could use military force in iran breaks the agreement. on monday the u.n. security council unanimously endorsed the deal. ashton carter is meeting israeli prime minister.net netanyahu is there to talk about the landmark agreement. israel fears the deal will not prevent iran from getting nuclear weapons and strengthen groups hostile to it. it's going to travel to jordan to saudi arabia. we'll take a quick break now. lots more ahead as liberia discharges the last of the ebola patients.

we talk to children that lost their parents in the outbreak. plus. chaos in court as the man dubbed africa's punisher goes on trial for crimes against humanity.

>> government committees. >> they're spending money, they're not saving it. >> costing millions and getting nothing. >> it's a bogus sham. >> america tonight investigates. money for nothing. >> they've gotten away with it for years. hello again. the top stories on al jazeera. voting is underway in burundi's controversial presidential election. one person was killed before polls opened. the president is running for a third term, which critics say violates the constitution. the opposition is boycotting the

election. cuba's foreign minister says diplomatic ties restored with the u.s. will only work if the crippling economic embargo is lifted. embassies have re-opened in havana and washington after being closed for 54 years. there have been violent anti-government protests in turkey following a suspected isil suicide bombers. they say they're not doing enough to stop attacks by the group. at least 30 were killed in the blast near the border with syria. let's get back now to our top story. the presidential election in burundi. katherine is in in the refugee camp in eastern rwanda. that's where thousands have escaped the violence in burundi. are the numbers of refugees there from burundi rising? >> reporter: we're not seeing as many people coming into the

country as was witnessed in the early days of april, may and june. that's because according to some of the people we've been talking to, some of the refugees, some of the aid workers who talked to other refugees as well who are told that there are a lot of checkpoints in burundi, and people are being prevented from crossing. having said that yes, there are thousands of refugees in the country in rwanda. 70,000 of them were set up in april specifically for the needs of the burundi. what is standing out is 34,000 about 34,000 of the refugees in the country are refugees that are professionals, university lecturers, students politicians who are in opposition in the cities. officials say this is standing out. it's very expensive. they have to pay for that as well and the security as well. all of them, whether they're in

the refugee camps, they're watching what's going on in burundi. watching the election that's there. they want to go home, but the ones we talk to say they don't feel safe going home even with an election they say their safety is not guaranteed should they return home haze eehazem. >> what's the situation like for the refugees day to day? >> they're refugees. they want to go home. it's never an ideal situation being away from home in a refugee camp. aid agencies here are doing the best they can. the government is doing the best it can. like i said this is a new camp that was set up in april when this conflict started in burundi. the government has located about 100 hectares that has a capacity of holding 60,000 people. the aid agencies are working hard and around the clock to

make sure that these people have the basic amenities. they have water, food and shelter as well. they're trying to -- they're trying to put up a semi-permanent structure for the people as well. there seems to be an understanding here that these people aren't going anywhere anytime soon. >> reporter: katherine sawyer reporting to us there. chad's former president had to be removed from the courtroom during his trial in senegal. he's accused of crimes against humanity, but he shouted that the trial was a farce. in this casenicholas hart has more. >> reporter: chad's former president is in the dark barely visible behind court guards. on the other side a small army of lawyers and people who say they were tortured under his rule. this is an unprecedented trial,

never before has an african been judged by africans for crimes against humanity in africa. after years of intimidation and a decade-long campaign positive bring him to justice, a lawyer walks into court. >> it's a big day, and there's all sorts of emotions going through me. pride, joy and relief that a dictator is finaling in the dock. >> reporter: nicknamed the desert fighter he was celebrated by the united states and france for sufficiently fighting gaddafi's libyan troops in the 19 1980s. western powers were accused of turning a blied eye using henchmen trained in the united states. 40,000 people died and 240,000 were tortured before he fled to senegal where he lived in quiet exile for the past 20 years. >> we made other mistakes in the past.

no question about that. we recognize that and go forward, and one of the ways that we deal with it is seeing that those that commit the horrible crimes alleged to have committed torture and crimes against humanity and war crimes should face justice and their accusers. >> the big question on everybody's lips was will he show up to the trial? he's here. >> it's his supporters. they're threatening the lawyers and witnesses. he joins in. they're shouting in french. it's a masquerade. [ speaking in french ] >> as he's removed from court, he shouts god is great, and then he adds the court is a tribunal.

the trial will continue without him. for the victims and human rights organizations organizations, this is history in the making. the moment they've been waiting for. nicholas hart al jazeera, da car. the u.n. warned the ebola outbreak in west africa has not yet run its course. more than 11,000 people have died. it's created around 5,000 orphans in liberia alone. we have the report on one family that's lost more than ten of its members. >> reporter: like many teenagers, even when she's doing her chores, she's inseparable from her mobile phone. she's grounding kasava to go

into a meal for her large extended family that lives in this one house. later as she prepares to go out, her older sister does her hair. ask her about her parents, and she breaks down. her mom and dad, along with at least eight other adults in the compound died from ebola last year. the sisters haven't just lost their guardians. the community has lost some of its main breadwinners. now food comes from charities and neighbors. >> reporter: this isn't one of sthoez days. chatter and laughter fills the kitchen before the family meal but behind it is grief. most of the people that died

were brothers living in such a close-knit unit is what made the tragedy worse. making it easier for them to pass the virus to one another. with more than 20 children to feed their aunt is finding it hard to cope. >> translator: thank god for president who helped us fix our leaking roof but we still need help. we have the youngest orphan here. while people are talking about he's the youngest survivor from the ebola treatment unit he's here with no aid. the children are many here. >> reporter: she says she desperately needs regular meals to be provided and wants to send as many children as she can to school. for now they're getting by as best they can on the support of an extended family circle. the european union minister

failed to agree on how to relocate 40,000 migrants from italy and greece. they were supposed to reach a deal by the end of the this month, but it's now been put off until december. most of the migrants are from syria syria. a top aide of china's former president has been arrested as part of a corruption crackdown. he's accused of accepting bribes, keeping mistresses and stealing party secrets. he's also been expelled from the communist party. we have this report from beijing. >> reporter: he was at the center of power. he was the top aide for former president president. the charges read like a soap opera. trading power for sex to sharing core secrets of the party to huge bribes. the beginning of his downfall was back in 2012 when there was a high-speed crash, a ferrari sports vehicle driven by his son

was crashed. his son was killed with two women in the vehicle. one later died from the injuries. that was the beginning of the downfall. it's this pattern we've been seeing over these former high-ranking officials going through corruption charges. they're sidelined in the political career. it seems as though the trial slowly gets their case against these individuals, and then what happens is what we saw today and that's that he is kicked out of the party and the charges are brought up against him. what's interesting over the coming months to see how high-profile this case will be because this falls right into the current president's campaign against corruption. this is something he said from the beginning when he became president in 2012. he wants to make that a top priority for his presidency. it's interesting to see how quickly they get the charges tomorrow and the profile of this trial over the comes months. the chief executive of toshiba is steps down.

seven other executives are after they found the giant japanese company is systemically inflating the profits for years. it's another blow to corporate japan's image as fraud was discovered at olympus in 2011. one of the questions facing humankind is whether there's life out there in the wider universe. a russia billionaire is paying the leading scientists to find an answer. dean barber reports. >> reporter: that's a question that humans have been asking for thousands of years, and now scientists including professor stephen hawking launched a new fund worth $100 million.

they hope in the next ten years we can get answers, but there are no guarantees. >> come with us. >> it is important to us to know that we are not alone in the dark. there are so many variables and it's so common that it seems quite likely that life is out there. intelligence is great alone. >> reporter: the project called brakethrough listen and entirely funded by a russian businessman, a scientist in his previous career. the idea is to use the technology like the green bank observe for her in the united states. they agreed to give the scientists thousands of hours of telescope time every year. it will be 50 times more sensitive than previous attempts and cover ten times more sky. scientists can listen in on planets orbiting the 1 million starring closest to either as well as the 100 nearest galaxies to our own. they're also offering $1 million

in prizes for digital messages that best represent earth, but they won't be beamed into space just yet partly because of fears that could trigger aggression by alien nations. sdwloo our messages could be billions of years ahead. if so they will be more powerful and we may not see it as more powerful than the material. >> i don't go along with those people like stephen hawking that they it will be dangerous. if there are anything out there, they've probably been watching us for years, even millions of years if they know we're here. >> reporter: though there were celebrations this month when they sent back pictures showing mountains of ice on pluto. if it detects intelligent life it will be out of this world. as always there's lots more on our website at aljazeera.com.

keep up with all the latest news there. for viewers in the united states right now watching on al jazeera america, "inside story" is next with ray suarez. for everyone he said a roundup of the top news headlines. i'm antonio mora, goodnight. when crime was high, a generation with highest levels of incarcerations, now that state budgets are under pressure, and the crime is lower, is the country open to rethinking prison policies. incarceration nation - it's