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tv   Weekend News  Al Jazeera  February 20, 2016 11:00am-11:31am EST

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>> uganda's long-serving president wins an election marred by violence and allegations of vote rigging. the opposition calls the result a sham. hello there i'm barbara serra. you're watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up on the program, running for cover. the most powerful sigh loa cyclone to ever hit fiji. >> and i believe we'll be safe center a reformed europe. >> britain's prime minister set debates on membership of the european union and urges the
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vote to remain in the block. also ahead. >> i'm alan fish center south carolina. the republican presidential race moves into america's south. what are the challenges for the candidates in a state where there is much more diverse and much more direct of america. >> hello, thank you for joining us. as uganda's president celebrates another victory, his main opponent is under house arrest polling stations opened on thursday, and in the end the 71-year-old president won 60.8% of the vote. thkizza besigye has called it a
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sham. >> it has been limited the organization of the technical aspects of the election more over the commission lacked transparency in the decision and failed to inform the voters on he key elements in a timely and comprehensive manner. >> malcolm webb has been following the election closely in the capital kampala. he was there when the result was formerly announced. >> the electoral commission has just announced it's results for the presidential election. it said that incumbent president museveni got nearly 70% of the
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vote, and kizza besigye, the opposition leader, got 35%. local observers say there was rigging and there has been strong criticism from strong european union and commonwealth observers. meanwhile, the several key opposition players are in their homes surrounded by the police and soldiers, they say this is a restriction on their democratic freedoms trying to stop them from communicating with their supporters or protesting against the result. the police say these are preventive arrangements trying to stop the violence here in uganda's capitol of kampala. >> a state of emergency has been declared in fiji as it gets battered by one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the southern hemisphere. tropical cyclone winston with gusts over 325 kilometers an hour. that's the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane.
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caroline malone has more. >> racing to get out of the way of cyclone winston, the strongest storm on record to hit fiji. it has been battering the island with high winds and heavy rain. many islanders offered to stay at home rather than go to government shelters but many buildings are flimsy and may not with stand such powerful winds. >> they have been in constant contact with the communities with the highly likely basis and the communities are well prepared. >> rough sees across a wide area are endangering boats and ships. iffy is an archipelago of
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low-lying islands prone to see surges and flash flooding. this massive storm is slow moving and is likely to dump lots of rain on land, destroying crops. water was crashing over the sea wall earlier in the day. further along the lowes of the pacific harbor they would help the resort to create a sandbag barrier to limit damage. they have prepared as best as they can. >> but there is only so much they can do caroline malone, al jazeera. >> well, al jazeera's weather has been looking at the cyclone.
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>> this is what we call an cyclone that will donut here. it does not have the big bands of clouds and rain as many such cyclones do. they tend to keep their path along the storm. the sustained winds are very high, incredibly powerful gusts, but it continues to move away. and as it does so it will take the worse of the wind and rain with it. certainly in the coming hours it will remain very windy and stormy. rain will continue for quite some time. big, big seas all around the coast of fiji. gradually we'll find winston eating away in the coming hours. >> we go to syria where the opposition has agreed to hold a two-three-week cease-fire in russia stops this air campaign. the fighting continues for an end.
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russian forces are attacking syrian rebel targets but the sites have been criticized for causing civilian casualties. they understand that russian raids in an area near homs in friday prayers killed eight people. traumatized. please tell us what the solution is to be hit from the air, the ground, everywhere we go we're slaughtered. >> every time we hear a plane. every time we hear a missiles we hide. how do you expect kids to live normally. people are going crazy here. the world has gone mad. for god sake find a solution first. >> we have this update in surgeon turkey. >> the opposition saying they're going to agree to a two- to thre three-week truce. they must stop the air bombing campaign. aid should be delivered to besieged areas.
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areas should be lifted but the opposition is also demanding that the al-qaeda linked al nusra front is included in this deal. they believe that the very fact that it is excluded from the deal gives russia an excuse of pretext to target other rebel forces on the ground. this is why they rejected the initial proposal agreed to in munich. at the end of the day al nusra operates on the ground where the other moderates operate. and they believe they can target the moderate rebels and say they're targeting al nusra instead. they've been holding intensive discussions over the past few days. secretary of state john kerry saying they have been constructive and saying that key issues still need to be resolved because this is a very complex operation. but this is in regard to a hostilities undoubtedly on the ground the war wages on.
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>> turkey is blaming russia for the stalled talks in an interview with al jazeera. turkey's prime minister accused russia of ethnic cleansing in syria. they are committing ethnic cleansing. in fact. >> donald trump will be holding his victory in iowa can be repeated in the state of south carolina on saturday. it will be a test for him because the state is so ethnically diverse. >> after the snow, the sunshine
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the presidential race has moved south, different weather, different state, brings different challenges for the republican party searching for a cabbed and an identify. south carolina is different from the first two contests. the population here greater than iowa and new hampshire combined. the challenge for the republican party is to tap into that diversity so that their voters do not look like a republican voter from iowa and new hampshire. >> although it's a much more diverse state, the republican party remains a largely white party. it is not deepened terribly its region citizens of color, african-americans and latinos. that's ironic considering that two influence members in the republican party are in south
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carolina. >> the democratic party has tried to convince blacks that they're the only option, but i think more and more people are starting to open their eyes and say so where has that gotten us. we have more poverty, crime, incarceration, broken families. everything is much worse. maybe if it's not working you should look at something else. >> maya will vote for the first time in the election in november. she said she does not want to see parties pandering to racial groups. she wants them to address real issues. >> the democrats could be saying something that does not line up with what i believe in, or you can say you're a republican, but i may not agree with the views. i think it's the passion and what the issues are. >> it's been said that the road to the white house goes through
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south carolina, win here and you can win anywhere. for those attracting a broad base of support it could be a victory for any republican. >> and allen is life for us in columbia, south carolina, to talk about this in more detail. what are the predictions? what are the polls say, and what should we be looking for in the campaigning and the results? >> there has been an incredibly nasty campaign. it has been incredible boulevard active. the polls suggest that donald trump is going to win. but he has had this spat with the pope over the last few days about whether a christian should be building a wall. and donald trump saying that the pope should not be questioning donald trump if he believes in god.
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if he finishes with anything less than a ten-point lead, that will have some impact. they believe they'll be able to overall and finish in second. even if he finishes in third that will put question marks over jeb bush and john kasich. if they do not perform well, where will they perform well. and when will they make a stand. if marco rubio gets third here, it looks like it will be him. they'll keep one eye in nevada where the democrats will hold their caucus later on. they think that bernie sanders grassroots effort is good to get the grassroots effort.
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if the democrats head to south carolina, a place where someone said not so long ago that this is where they're known for really nasty politics. >> it will be an interesting couple of hours ahead. allen fisher for us in colombia, south carolina, thank you. still ahead on al jazeera, free at last. one of america's longest-serving prisoners is released after 43 years in solitary confinement. the authors, artists and poets define threats to take part in a little rathe literary festival in pakistan.
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>> now a reminder of the fop stories here on al jazeera. uganda's president mesveni has on the presidential election extending his 30-year rule. the election has been accused of vote rigging. one of the strongest storms hit the southern hemisphere. and voting under way for the republican primary. print will vote on its membership of the e.u. in a referendum set for june 23rd. prime minister david cameron agreed to a new deal which included, quote, special status
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if it stayed a member. while he has agreement from the majority of the cabinet urging vote tours stay in the block, the matter has caused six ministers wanting to leave. he can't convince the whole of his party, which has had skeptical roots. how difficult will it be for him, dominic? >> when the prime minister spoke to his counterparts he spoke about the great deal he had achieved. he brought the substance back here to london for a meeting. after the meeting broke up they made a direct appeal to the people and spoke about the value
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which he had reached. >> the plan goes the best of both worlds. families throughout britain get all the benefits of being in the european union including more jobs, better prices and greater security. but the special status also means we're out of those parts of europe that do not work for us. so we will another join the euro. we'll never be a part of eurozone bailouts. >> dominic, david cameron really outlining what he gained from his meeting. in brussels, so now just a few months to go before the referendum finely happens. what is the main point of both sides. is it all about the economy or are there other issues in the security, for example.
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148 days from now the referendum will be held. one side you have david cameron basically saying he has got the best of both worlds for british voters, british citizens, and this is a special status as it would that the united kingdom has. there will be no closer union for britain toss worry about from his perspective. these are all good points that the campaign will basically be trying to stress to voters. then the independence party said that the deal is not listening to the concerns of a very large group of the electorate. clearly they'll have a point. we know there are two campaigns so far from the side that wants the u.k. to pull out of the european union. and clearly those two sides their believe has been what has
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been arrived at in brussels is more of the same. the variation which endorsed staying inside the common market. from their point of view this is not a good deal. what is interesting here also is that several members of mr. cameron's cabinet are openly campaigning against this as well. notably michael go. >> dominic kane outside downing street. thank you. meanwhile european leaders in brussels have been discussing ways to ease the refugee crisis. the greek prime minister met with the german chancellor athletening to block referendums unless the e.u. promised to keep their borders open. >> many arriving in greece are children who don't have a guardian. the european law enforcement
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agency estimates up to 10,000 children have disappeared in the past few years. we spoke with teenagers about the ris risk they run during their journey. >> they set off from their homeland with the teenage dream of a better life. inspired by the images they've seen of refugees streaming across europe but soon a harsh reality set in. >> i went there five times, reached serbia once. each time i was september back to greece. >> these days only syrians, afghans and iraqis are allowed to continue their journey. europe remains closed to other nationality who are regarded as economic migrants not refugees. now these boys are stranded on the greek side of the border, unprotected and vulnerable to criminal gangs and smuggler rings. many wanted to remain anonymous telling us their stories but not
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their names. >> there was four of us. we were trying to cross, and we found a guide in front of us. we ran. my friend is 15. the youngest among us. he was cut. they took him into a house like this one. there were three, they raped him. we through stones at them, but they pulled knives so we left and left him behind. >> many on the greek shores are children but no one knows how many of them are traveling alone. >> they are real with--they are with relatives or they're following along with adults or with unknown people. >> that is the story of a boy who escaped from the town of sinjar in northern iraq hoping to reach his family in germany.
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he was lucky enough to end up in a shelter here in greece. >> it's very scary. you never know what smuggling will do to you. they'll take you to the forest and rob, rape or kill you. some of my friends worked hard to get money. they were robbed and beaten, and now they have disappeared. >> a 16-year-old algerian said that he lost contact with his travel companions. they have also gone silent on social media. it's a story that many told us, still, despite the risk these young christianers will continue to try to sneak into borderers, and hopining by daybreak they'll be safe and one step closer to their destination. >> after spending 43 years in solitary confinement one of america's longest serving prisoners has been released. albert woodfox's conviction was
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twice overturned yet he still remained in custody. he was kept in isolation because of his ties with the black panther movement. al jazeera's jonathan martin reports. >> on his 69th birthday, albert woodfox walked out of the louisiana state penitentiary a free man after 43 years of solitary confinement. he had been convicted twice of killing a prison guard. he was sentenced to spend life in prison without parole. both convictions were overturned on appeal. last summer a judge ordered his release but ordered that he had to stay behind bars while the state of louisiana challenged the release. he was released friday before being charged with a third murder trial. he said although i was looking forward to proving my innocence
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at a new trial, concerns about my health and my age caused me to resolve this case and to plea to lesser charges. i hope events of today will bring closure to many. woodfox was part of the so-called angola three. they would spend long stretches in solitary in any goal la, louisiana only max security prison. many believed the men were political prisoners being held for their involvement with the black panthers and because they fought for better prison conditions. >> they were the scapegoats. >> in a statement friday woodfox would thank herman wallace and king for his support. herman wallace was released in 2013 after 30 years in solitary confinement. he died two days later.
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woodfox's attorney said albert survived the extreme dual punishment of 4 years in solitary confinement only because of his extraordinary strength and character. these inhumane practices must stop. jonathan martin, al jazeera, new orleans. >> well, doctors in egypt have staged sit-in protests against what they say is police brutality. one of the demonstrations at the october 6th hospital in cairo is being held in silence to highlight the government's ban on public protest. authors, artists and poets from 40 countries are defying threats to take part in a little rather festival in pakistan. they were forced t to caution because of a security alert.
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>> this female artist and activist began her career 50 years and has had plenty of experience of political instability in pakistan. she said her journey has not been easy, but creative talent continues to give her hope. >> what continue to amaze one are the ability to innovate against all kinds of odds, and a surprising way of remaining free. >> activists say that freedom of speech does not come naturally to pakistan and other parts of south asia. it's hopeful that the region's freedoms will continue to shrink for long. >> india and pakistan are bigger powers in terms of ideas
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localized government can only clamp the situation down for a certain point. >> one of the many delegates from 40 countries at the festival. the line up includes multiple book launches, as well as delegates. this is a rare feet fewer public gatherings and open discussions. organizers say it's crucial to stand up to fear and intimidation. >> we defy all the more reason that we keep overcoming any challenges because there is no turning back for us. >> tens of thousands are expected to attend the yearly event that is part of the cultural calendar. this year's festival was shut down because of a security alert.
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artists are beginning to regain their spaces. >> with more on that and everything else we've been covering on the website. the website www.aljazeera.com. >> i'm russell beard in northern kenya where local hero martin wheeler is taking elephant conservation to new heights. >> i'm jasmeen qureshshi in monterey bay california where researchers have discovered that sea otters may play a key role

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