voting underway in myanmar in a historc election as the country aims to make a crews transformation fron from military rule to democracy. i'm darena bogeda. ahead on the program. >> in the last second of the cvr recording. >> revoolg more deals of threvel

minutes of the jet liner. >> two years after typhoon haiyan. some people are still waiting for government assistance. people in myanmar are voting in the country's first properly held election. here is opposition leader aung san suu kyi, she is arriving to cast her ballot. her party won the election in 1990 but the country overruled it and she was prevented from become president. in 2011 military government hand erred power to a civilian government but the army still holds rule after dates of

government. scierld has more. scott heidler has more. >> this is something that's being replicated right across the country, 40,000 polling centers spread throughout country. the clip has been very steady all day and it's expected to be that way until polling closes at 4:00 local. now they'll have to do some waiting too before they get official results of who won this election. preliminary results will come out on tuesday but official results aren't expected for a custom are weeks. >> but 1.3 million rohingya muslims are seclude excluded frt vote. many came from bkd bcts banglad.

let's cross to wayne hay. what are they telling you about that? >> yes, well this is the largest of those camps around the state capital sitway. there are mainly rohingya muslims in this camp. they are very frustrated that they cannot vote. they are regarded as illegal immigrants in this country. their rights have been really stripped away in those years and the last really was the right to vote. in previous elections they have been able to vote, that was taken away by the government earlier this year. they are frustrated but also

hopeful. if the people were able to vote they would vote for aung san suu kyi's national league for democracy, even though they have not supported the rohingya or spoken out or them in the past. even though they can't vote in this election. >> just about one and a half hours until polls close, wayne, what is the election process going forward? >> well, we've still got a long way to go, as you say. polepolls will be closing soon. a lot to come in the next days weeks and months. we won't know who is new president until next year. the upper house will vote for or

nominate a candidate for president, as will the military, and then there will be a parliamentary vote, it can't be aung san suu kyi. the military will rea tin retaia quarter of all seats in parliament. including the ministry of defense, border security an home affairs, they are three large ministries which three want to hold onto along with many key civil service posts within the government. still a long way to go for this country to move towards democracy. >> wayne hay, thank you wayne. a noise was heard in the last second of the cockpit voice

recording. suspicion that an explosion brought down the russian jet liner, killing all 224 aboard. paul brennan reports. >> it's been seven days sent metro jet fell out of the sky. flowers were laid at the crash site in the desert. after a week of leaks and rumors, finally an official statement. >> debris is scattered over a wide area. more than 13 kilometers in length which is scifn consistenh an in-flight breakup. some parts of the wreckage are missing and it is hoped to locate them in the in-coming days. >> confirmed metro jet 9268 was 28 minutes and 14 seconds into

its journey. it was traveling at 2 yawn knots. the auto-pilot had been engaged. then the cvr, cockpit voice recorder. >> a noise was heard in the last second of the cvr recording. a spectral analysis will be carried out by specialized labs in order to identify the nature of this noise. >> a team of 47 investigators from five countries are working on the various aspects of the inquiry. and additional group of airbus viruses bring the number to 58 people. there had been no question whether the trace residue was tested. the ban for bringing tourists out of egypt will continue.

thousands of stranded tourists are being told to wait in the resort and not come to the airport until a plane becomes available for them. but not everyone is fleeing. the foreign minister of hungary has been in cairo, assure the foreign minister of egypt that hungary will not keep egypt off limits. >> no one has provided us with any kind of evidence that would have made me to put a travel ban on egypt. and until i'm not provided with any kind of such an evidence i will not make that kind of decision you can be sure about that. >> reporter: but there is much we cannot be sure of. questions still to be answered about what happened to this plane. missing wreckage must be obtained. if it was a bomb those responsible must be identified. paul brennan, al jazeera.

>> india's ruling party the bjp has declared defeat, vote held over five phases in october and november. behar is one of india's poorest and most populace states. in burundi, unidentified gunmen have killed seven people in a bar in the bujumbura. after the president decided to run for a third term. security forces began carrying out a major force in the capital we spoke to a freelance journalist in bujumbura who we are not naming for security reasons. >> there is a lot of stress amongst the population, most of the people living in the

suburbs, that were known you know to have a lot of opponents in their midst, they are are fleeing. the army and the police are searching homes now and everybody is dppg worst. there waexpecting the worst. there was a first wave that left, leaving to the country side. most of them have relatives in the country side, and that's why they go. so they leave their homes behind sometimes the husbands they stay there just to watch over their possessions over their homes. but most of the homes are empty. they can say that they're defendindefending themselves, bs government has been terrorizing the people for the last couple of months. sunday is the two year

anniversary of tierch haiyan. tierctyphoon haiyan.jamilla alee story. >> she is still waiting. >> where will we be? where will we end up now? will we ever have a loam? there's always questions when it comes to government choice of beneficiaries. >> at least 6,000 people were killed and millions more displaced. president benino aquino has budgeted recovery efforts. at least 20,000 homes needed to be rebuilt but two years on only

500 have been complete. they feel grateful some aid groups have stayed on to help them. the recovery of haiyan survivors is considered one of the biggest tests of aquino's presidency. thousands wrote to him weeks ago. >> unfortunately, the open letter never got to me. we never saw it, not in any paper have i managed to seen it. >> election season has begun and some survivors say they worry that their stories will just be used to further political ambitions here. but no flowery speeches will hide the truth they say. thousands are still living in makeshift shelters with no electricity or running water. national agencies put the blame on each other. relief efforts have been marred

by politics. >> i believe a lot of this has been done but we can always do more. >> reporter: here in this mass grave is where hundreds of unidentified bodies were buried in haste by the government. families desperate foreclosure marking crosses for their loved ones hoping even in death they are given dignity. but two years on, this mass grave has deteriorated, part of it make way for new construction. for those still grieving, this is a grim resting place, jamilla alendoggan, al jazeera, tacloban city. >> i'm malcolm web on the river nile in uganda. people working here in adventure tourism say they're going to

lose their jobs because of a hydroelectric dam. ctric dam. >> tough that the country gave up on me. >> look at the trauma... every day is torture. >> this is our home. >> nobody should have to live like this. >> we made a promise to these heroes... this is one promise americans need to keep. i just had a horrible nightmare. my company's entire network went down, and i was home in bed, unaware. but that would never happen. comcast business monitors my company's network 24 hours a day and calls and e-mails me if something, like this scary storm, takes it offline.

so i can rest easy. what. you don't have a desk bed? don't be left in the dark. get proactive alerts 24/7. comcast business. built for business. tand that's what we're doings to chat xfinity.rself, we are challenging ourselves to improve every aspect of your experience. and this includes our commitment to being on time. every time. that's why if we're ever late for an appointment, we'll credit your account $20. it's our promise to you. we're doing everything we can to give you the best experience possible. because we should fit into your life. not the other way around.

>> hello again the top stories on al jazeera. myanmar is voting in its first properly held election. opposition leader aung san suu kyi has voted. she is prevented from running as president but her party has the majority of the polls. support suspicions that an explosion brought down the russian jet killing all 224

aboard. security forces have begun an operation in bujumbura to find people who haven't complied with the order. syrian activists saying fighters from i.s.i.l. have released 37 christians held hostage since february. the group of mostly elderly people are among more than 200 abduct spread a town in syria's northeast. talks are continuing for the release of another 124 people still in captivity. and at least 20 people have been killed in suspected russian air strikes on the syrian town of duma. according to the syrian observatory for human rights. showing the aftermath of those air strikes in which six children were killed. u.s. defense secretary has used a keynote speech in

california for criticizing russia. ash carter says moscow's intervention. >> fueling the very war that russia claims to oppose. most disturbing, moscow's nuclear saber rattling, raises questions about russia's commitment to strategic stability. their respect for norms against use of nuclear weapons and whether they respect the profound caution nuclear age leaders showed with regard to the brandishing of nuclear weapons. >> iraq has been hit by flash floods. parts of the country is under water and iraqis are blaming

corrupt politicians. osama ben javad reports. >> reporter: for the second time in a week, iraqis have to wade through streets, floodwater mixed with sewage. municipal leaders say they're doing all they can with the heavier than normal rains. iraqis living in flooded homes see it as another insufficient services. >> the rain is still flooding our homes and streets. we ant a solution fo want a sol. >> before the latest die luge, iraqis protested against what they call an inefficient government. called on the government to sack corrupt officials. security forces fired warning

shots, when demonstrators entered the green zone where parliament meets. >> also continue to protest against corruption and the lack of electricity and services. >> translator: the people of iraq are not treated fairly. we have seen nothing serious from all the politicians. the politicians don't respond to the people's requests. >> reporter: prime minister haider al-abadi has announced reforms but they have been blocked by parliament because he didn't achieve their permission. the we have to affirm the need to authority to circumvent the

reform steps. >> activists are already calling for more agitation against corrupt officials. but far from materializing into improvements on the ground. osama ben javad, al jazeera. >> rescuers in brazil are using drones and airns to searc an aih for people still missing after two dams burst. sierra leone has been declared ebola free from the world health organization. the virus has killed more than 4,000 people and more than 11,000 across west africa. nina de vries has more from the capital freetown.

>> people celebrated the end of the worst ebola outbreak in history. streets were packed as they danced and cheered. but for these ebola survivors, it is not a time to celebrate but to mourn. this boy lost nine of his family members, including his mother and father. >> it's a very painful and sad day. >> people now want to get back to their normal lives. >> translator: we have been suffering, we have no jobs. we ask help from our leaders to help bring back the economy. >> the official announcement was made by the world health organization in freetown. only after 42 days without a new case can the outbreak be over. although sierra leone has been declared free from the outbreak,

doesn't mean there can't be a set back. liberia is also free of the outbreak but elsewhere the situation is still giving concerns. guinea is still reporting cases and sierra leone warns people not to relax just yet. many were shunned by their own family and friends but they didn't give up. >> this is an epidemic and in most, we have already taken on treating patients. so no need for me to run away. >> medicins sans frontiers has been heading the the outbreak sips it began. he is worried how it will be handling these concerns

post-ebola. >> because the system remain weak. >> he adds that had the international community responded faster the outbreak could have been stopped. but for ebola survivors, it's too late. nina de vries, al jazeera, sierra leone. >> from taipei, andrew thomas reports. >> like taipei through the mis, it's not easmist,it's not easy s future. international recognition as such can last forever. that's why the meeting between the leaders of mainland china and taiwan, in january taiwan's

people will vote for a new president. ma young jo's party, support for its position one unified china is low. some was a step in the wrong direction. >> translator: i am both concerned and angered. what i'm concerned about is the future of taiwan. what i'm angry with is how could ma sell out the island's future? >> but others see the dpp party as the risk. likely to jeopardize beijing, even risk conflicts. the people here may be vocal but they don't necessarily reflect the majority. most people in taiwan knows whoever wins january's election will have to work with beijing.

most were pragmatic about the summit. >> if the leaders can communicate it is one way to show we're in peace. >> it's a good idea and it's well timed. i have faith in the president. >> the dpp 2, knowing that its candidate will likely win january's election, wants to keep the door open. >> closer relations will be important under its rule. they have to show people they are exraibl o capable of engagih china. >> andrew thomas, al jazeera, taipei. >> the technology giant apple has won a lawsuit against bag searches for employees. apple's reel shop workers suit the company for searching their

brongings. apple saybelongings. a new hydroelectric dam under construction at uganda will submerge some of the best rapids for white water rafting. malcolm webb reports. >> the stretch in uganda is one of the best places in the world for white water rafting and kayaking. ivity brings in much needed foreign currency. not for much longer he says. the government's building a dam calls asimba sphwhrp thibmba.

its reservoir will submerge fewer falls. the rafting company says it will have to close. >> that's not the only rather than campaigners say that -- the campaigners say that the tourism isn't the only reason the waterfalls are important. they say they're ecologically unique and also have spiritual meaning to some communities. there is a conservation agreement between uganda and the group. the agreement bass meant to protect the stretch of the river below. but there's money to be made from selling electricity to neighbors too. >> the other options may not be viable. we would end up delivering electricity to the people which

they cannot buy. >> so construction started by a chinese company fudged by china's government. the word bank declined to be interviewed. a spokesman has said, it would not take any action that would affect the conservation area without the bank' bank's agreem. but it's already happening. he showed us thousands of signatures of locals who are against the dam, he says they are being ignored, something the government denies. >> pay each other commission, there is a lot of business as a result of this asimba dam. >> it is possible the new dam will help the economy more than the tourism. but its impact has not been properly assessed. calling for a smaller dam that

would generate energy and retain the rapts have no rapids have nn discussed. plal comalcolm webb, al jazeera. >> we are covering the myanmar election as well as many other stories on aljazeera.com. >> for more than a decade, the world has witnessed seemingly endless violence in afghanistan. many tell me the daily reports of the attacks, and the daily killings have ceased to hold much meaning. but for those living in this land, torn apart by war, there's no more important of a time than now. after years of trying to drive back the taliban, most of the