at least 20 dead as al qaeda linked gunmen storm a hotel in burkina faso's capital, but some representatives including a government minister are freed. hello i'm adrian finighan. , voting is underway in presidential polls in taiwan where a female candidate is tipped to win for the first time. >> you cannot let more people die under your watch. >> strong words as the syrian government is again accused of using suffering as a political

weapon. and. >> i'm fez jamil. the government is creating numerous jobs in the next deca decade. >> burkina faso's government says 33 hostages including a government minisr have been freed from a hotel taken by gunmen in the capital. other reports say at least 60 people have been rescued. the splendid hole in ouagadougo's central business district, at least 20 are dead. a group associated with al qaeda claims responsibility for the attack. with us from the burkina faso capital, what's the situation there now? what's the latest you're hearing sir? >> the latest is that the

security forces are very, very close to storming the building and hopefully free the remaining hostages. >> any idea how many hostages were taken? we know a number were killed, thought only in the hotel, but in a coffee shop opposite the hotel. any idea how many hostages are remaining? >> hard to say. the hotel himself was ready to host 200 people influences for a cocktail dinner. and if you add the people who were staying there, it's probably close to 300 people. >> situation began late friday night. how did things unfold, it didn't begin in the hotel but in the

coffee shop opposite didn't it? >> it's a very popular area and the coffee shop is popular, it's a lit after 7:00 p.m, so they just came in and started firing on the crowd. >> any idea who might have been behind the attack? a group attached with to al qaeda claim to be behind it. >> al qaeda, daesh, all the same, a bunch of criminals. >> thanks indeed. the group that claimed responsibility for that attack al qaeda in the islamic magreb, was behind as you remember an attack on mali's capital in november of last year that led to the deaths of 19 people. that was the first attack

coordinated between two groups, al qaeda in the islamic mexicoagreb and el morabatun. the porous borders have contributed to the situation in the region. france has sent some 3500 troops to five countries in west architecturafricain order to cum groups. max abrams says more attacks are likely to take place across west africa later this year. >> it doesn't seem that any country is safe these days. the international terrorist threat is spreading way beyond iraq and syria. a ocouple of days ago in indonesia there was an attack. there wasn't much terrorism in

that country in tease times. burkina faso isn't a usual country to be attacked. al qaeda and all of their affiliates this bloodshed is becoming international. i think we'll be seeing more oar and more terrorism over the course of this year in africa more generally. you alluded to it in the run-up but many of these countries have a real you know terrorism problem. mali libya, nigeria really isn't that far away, chad, niger, and i think that islamic state and al qaeda are under duress and being attacked and pressured and the pressure is spilling over to africa. >> burkina faso's fire bringingade has found around ten bodies on the terrace of a

restaurant that coffee house opposite the hotel attacked by the suspected militants. and the french security forces are reported to be working with burkina faso's forces together in an attempt to retake the hotel. that's reuters news agency quoting the communications minister. we'll bring you any developments as soon as we have them on al jazeera. now then we'll move on. voting is underway in taiwan as the island chooses its next president. opposition leader tsai ing-wen is widely projected to win. first female leader if she wins this election. >> i believe it's time for us to unite. we need a consistent position showing clearly to the international community that the people of taiwan have a

consensus on a national identity. it is only rational and reasonable that the national flag of the republic of china represents the country's identity, it should not be repressed. >> let's take you to taipei, adrian brown is monitoring. how confident is tsai? >> i think she's pretty confident. most polls give her a double digit lead over her nearest rival, eric chew. ms. tsai cast her ballot behind me in this polling station, and following if her steps, hundreds of thousands have been casting their ballots as well. some are voting for the first time, some of course have memories before it was taiwan became a democracy 20 years ago. it's worth remembering that last election the voter turnout is

more than 80%. it is well to remember that taiwan remains a very vibrant democracy. i'm joined by alex wong, an expert in cross trade affairs. how significant to you think this election is? >> i think significance are several. number 1 we are most likely to have for the first time a female president, in any ethnic chinese are quality, second we will highly likely to have a first change of majority in our parliament. from kmp to dpp, from blue to green. and thirdly, we have a quite different political positions in how to dealing with china between the two parties. so the voting turnout will determine our future relations with china. >> now, if the dpp gets control of parliament, has a

parliamentary majority which hasn't happened before and it securitize the presidency how is china going to respond to that? because this will be a set back won't it? >> from the conventional wisdom of china i guess so. we had the president, we called unified government that the president and the parliament are within the same party. eight years ago when president was elected and this time if we have a green president, a green parliament, majority, then probably we will switch from a widespread spectrum from right to left. and that will be an ultimate test for future cross-trade relations and especially how beijing will react to this new political phenomenon. >> alexander, thank you very much. so an interesting time for chinese taiwanese politics. there is a paradox adrian that this election, vibrant election

on this island that is still claimed by communist china. back to you. >> a senior u.n. official says the u.n. county has head an emergency meeting on the ongoing blockades there. russia has accused the u.s. of double standards say it's politicizing the situation there to derail peace talks. slated for later this month. 400,000 are under siege in syria. >> regrettably, siege as become a weapon of war and routine in syria with devastating consequences for civilians. the bar bearity of this tactic cannot be -- barbarity of this tactic cannot be understated. vicious war on ordinary men

women and children, a siege that denies people access to the basic necessities of life is unlawful unreceptio unacceptabld unconscionable. nicolas maduro is dealing with the worsening economic crisis. revenues drop by 60%. virginia lopez has more from caracas. >> reporter: friday was a day of unusual announcement in venezuela. while president nicholas maduro delivered his state of the union address venezuelans grapple with the implications of an economy they now know to be collapsing. for the first time in 17 years, since his pre predecessor the le hugo chavez rose to power acknowledge maduro dealt with political pressure.

>> the opposition to bolivaran revolution is here today. >> hours before the oil dependent country had declared itself in crisis. >> i declare article 1 an economic state of emergency in trove acknowledge to the bolivarian constitution. >> three tier currency exchange system, the method the country takes could see a radical reform as many see as having failed. yet it was a disclosure for the first time in a year by the central bank that venezuela's inflation rate is 141% which to many here drove just how much the economy is hurting. but just exactly what a state of economic emergency means is still unclear. the government has said it will take measures that help and not hinder people but many living in the country with the world's

highest inflation are afraid no measure is going to be enough to recover the economy. in the living room of this milt class family maduro's words are met with disbelief by a viewer who said he has seen it all before. >> translator: it has become really bad and it's only going to get worse. his speeches in congress he doesn't offer anything concrete. >> reporter: because the venezuelan economy relies almost entirely on oil, the recent drop to a little less than $30 a barrel tightens the noose on the south american country. a year of frequent and less well received announcements. virginia lopez, al jazeera, cracks. >> still to come in al jazeera, panic in latin america over a mosquito-born virus which leads

to birth defects. threat of violence. many young afghans say they have no choice but to seek a better life away from home. we'll be right back. the only way to get better is to challenge yourself, and that's what we're doing at xfinity.

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>> hello again the top stories on al jazeera. burkina faso's government says that 63 hostages including a government minister have been freed from a hotel that has been taken by gunmen in the capital. more than 20 people have been known to have died. al qaeda in the islamic magreb

is assuming responsibility. in taiwan, tsai ing-wen is the front runner. if she wins she will become the first female president. russian is accusing the west of politicizing the crisis in syria to derail the peace talks later this month. 400,000 people are living under siege in syria. senior diplomats in iran the united states and the european union will be meeting, john kerry, javad zarif and frederica mogherini are having talks, whether the u.n. has delivered under its obligations of the deal.

gang raping women in burundi, while searching opposition supporters in december acknowledge including one in a military camp said to contain the bodies of more than 100 people who were reportedly killed last month. meanwhile four army generals accused of being behind a failed coup in may have been sentenced to life in prison. they're among 20 military officers on trial for attempting to unseat president pierre nkurunziza. u.s. health officials have issued a travel warning for 14 countries in the caribbean and latin america. they are at risk for a mosquito born virus, pregnant women have been told to avoid traveling to the areas where the zika virus have been proven to cause damage

to unbosh infants. lucia newman reports. >> holding babies with one thing in common. they were born with noticeably smaller than normal heads. it's called microcephaly, a condition that severely limits the a child physical and brain development. virus new to brazil called zika, same causing dengue fever and chikungunya. >> this virus was unheard of in brazil before now. >> doctors believe the zika virus is causing microcephaly.

>> in december we have had 100 cases, now we've heard last week it's been 3,000 reports. >> reporter: and that's just in this state where a state of emergency has been declared. and where the army has been called out to combat disease carrying mosquitos. they thrive in rainy season and breed in even the smallest amount of still, clean water. but despite all these efforts the zika advisor is spreading not just through brazil but throughout south and central america. in fact disease control experts predict that within six months zika will arrive in texas. >> like using insect repellent. >> but the three and a half month old david precautions are

too late. his sister maria sophia doats on him while mother worries about how she will take care of a child who will be seriously handicapped. >> my main concern now is to go back to work but the day care centers refuse to take him because they say he has microcephaly. >> a tragedy to warn brazilian women to avoid getting pregnant. while they struggle with an epidemic that appears to be just beginning. lucia newman, al jazeera, brazil. the governor of the u.s. state of michigan is asking for federal help to tackle lead contamination in the water supply. high levels of metal supply has been found in the city of flint. legionnaire's disease cannot be

linked to the water. in the u.s. the obama administration is underphi for its immigration policies, thought from republicans but democrats, saying it's breaking up families and sowing fear. kristin saloomey reports. >> immigrants line up to learn their rights. fear is spreading, with the knowledge that federal officials are conducting immigration raids. >> social media, as an organization it has been nonstop. i think fear has grown. >> reporter: this woman doesn't want to show her face. she and her three children watched her husband get arrested by immigration officials while he went to work. he's still in detention. news of the raids has her worried that she will be next.

>> i told the kids to stay calm, everything will be okay but they're afraid to open the door if someone shows up. >> reporter: according to the obama administration, the raids are aimed at those who cross the border illegally in 2014 and 15. many after fleeing violence in central america. >> we are seeking to deport felons not break apart families. >> the administration says it is rounding up people who are already rounded up by immigration court and found ineligible to stay. the obama administration has long faced criticism from the republican party for being too easy on illegal yaitio immigrat. now the president is getting it from democrats as el who call him the deporter in chief. city will no longer cooperate with federal enforcement

immigration officials. mayor jim kenny says the raids are unsuccessful. >> we are not safe in any city when the people who live here whether they're documented or not are fearful of the police. >> immigration advocates are now lobbying democratic members of congress. >> i think the democratic party absolutely has lost faith from the latino community when they are going after women and children and then they say they're for immigration doesn't make any sense. >> advocates continue to call for immigration reform and warn the undocumented thought to answer the door. kristin saloomey, al jazeera, philadelphia, pennsylvania. afghans currently make up the second largest group of refugees trying to reach europe after syrian. syrians. omar al saleh reports from

kabul. >> 20-year-old afghan journalist who is scared by the news that the islamic state of iraq and the levant gaining ground in eastern afghanistan. he is a muslim shia minority who were the first victims of i.s.i.l. and before them the taliban. >> we're disappointed, the government is not paying attention to us. it makes everybody think of leaving. it is our last option. we're very concerned. >> reporter: last year a series of kidnappings and murders fueled fears that the hazara are being targeted. the overall situation in afghanistan is worsening. most troops ended combat operations in 2014 and left. last year was the bloodiest for taliban forces, fear of total collapse and insecurity. the violence led to an

unprecedented exodus o of afghas seeking refuge asylum status ine about main reason why people are leaving are lack of security and job opportunity. afghanistan's problems are decades old. the economy is shattered, corruption is rife, and unemployment rates are high. young afghans are leaving the country at an alarming rate. unofficial estimates 70% of those who fled were young afghans. government leaders are concerned that so many young people leaving will do long term damage to the economy. they are also promising to find solutions. >> translator: the government is working on long mid and short

range programs to provide employment. the president has infrastructure to built in the city and villages to provide jobs. in short term we'll provide loans to keep people from leaving. >> many here still have hope and faith that conditions will improve. not all afghans want to leave but the number who are is increasing every decade. omar al saleh, al jazeera. seeks to support entrepreneurs especially many youths who are shunning traditional jobs. as fez jamil reports, the tax system could be a formidable challenge for intrptio for enteg people. >> more than a dozen locations in and around two largest

cities. it's especially difficult in india where notoriously slow bureaucracy can stop new ventures before they even start. >> as you know in any kind of startup the resources you have are pretty limited and you want those resources to be used in productive work as opposed to hiv otoadministrative or bureauc document. >> securing investments and growing their business is easier and simply encouraging startups in india may be enough to give the sector a boost. entrepreneurs like rahul, says people's mind sets are changing

around it's a different environment than when he set up his first business 12 years ago. >> the biggest difference i've seen is cultural, people are accepting it more. no one would take me seriously not just them but complers accepcustomersexpect a lot from. >> may be of national importance because india will need an estimated 140 million new jobs in the next decade. >> we know large private sector is not a big theater of employment so this gap has got to be filled with startups who get filled in the next ten years. >> back at the chai shop, he hopes his business will grow. encourage investment and drive

growth. fez jamil. al jazeera. >> catch your news any time online, links to our award winning programs the latest development analysis explainers and comments you'll find it all at aljazeera.com. our government are doing what they need to do in order to protect their citizens. i don't think this state is going to take this and appropriate manner until we're dragging dead bodies out of buildings good evening. thanks for joining us. this special edition of america