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tv   News  Al Jazeera  March 28, 2016 4:00am-4:31am EDT

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camping inside baghdad's fort fight government area. he entered the so-called green zone a week after thousand supporters began a sit down. his supporters want ministers to be replaced with technocrats. our correspondent reports. we understand the prime minister is having some pretty intense meetings today. do we expect any movement from him? >> reporter: well, there has got to be movement of some sort
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because this is really a challenge. it's not the usual challenge that shia cleric has presented in the past. we will remember when he had his followers rise up and fight iraqi forces and american forces in the streets. he then renounced violence and became a mainstream political figure, but this is every much a challenge to not essential ly te prime minister, but the political system as it stands. i spoke to a senior member of the block and he said a meeting between the prime minister and he did not take place. they are hoping for meetings, but that again is tricky. the cleric is in a tent at the entrance to the green zone. he is not likely to go and see the senior officials. they will have to go to hichlt all of that ask still being worked out, but meantime in parliament, members of the
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parliament are meeting. there is a push there to gain support for a major cabinet over haul. by the fact that he is sitting there in a tent at the entrance of the green zone does put enormous pressure on the iraqi prime minister one remembers back in 2003/2004 he was the bad boy, particularly as far as the united states was concerned. is this part of him continually reinventing himself as a powerful politician? >> reporter: it is a fascinating evolution of someone who was born into a religious family and engaged in politics. along the road, the army, his militia at the time, had teenagers in the street shooting rifles. the americans had pledged to kill or capture him.
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that wasn't way when it was decided that he would disband the militia and go into politics. he has played a low profile since i.s.i.l. came into the country. other militia groups and former militias have superseded him and other shia religious fightings have certainly superceded him. he has reemerged recently with the ability to mobilize huge numbers of protesters and as we saw at the gates of the green zone, to have them obey. he told them yesterday he was going to go in by himself and they should remain put. they did. his followers are obedient but they're not exclusively just his followers and there is potential for unrest on that idea of potential unrest, does the prime minister have to be seen ago handling this as a strong man abecause he
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can't be perceived to weak, and also strong on other side of the country i.s.i.l. and mosul >> >> reporter: absolutely. this has created appear untenable position. he walked into the green zone. one of the senior military leaders in charge of the protection of the green zone kissed his hands where indicates where those loyalties are. in the wider battle, they're diverting forces. they can't devote all of their attention to i.s.i.l. in the field when they're worried about the green zone and baghdad. the prime minister is in a tough position families in villages to the south of mosul have leaving their homes in ahead of advances by iraqi forces. they've been picked up on the roads leading to the south. the offensive against i.s.i.l. began on thursday. thousands of anti blasphemy
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protesters are holding a rally in islamabad for a second day. around 25,000 people have guarded to protest against the execution of the man last month who criticized the laws. how combustible are these protests? >> reporter: it is a large crowd. they set ablaze containers, they also caused intense i damage to a station of the bus service which is the metro service which brings thousands of people from far away to here, government officials and all that. today all that is at a stand sometime.
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the kroupd is still there-- the crowd is still there. not as large as last night. the security forces are worried that they will be trying to keep this crowd within manageable lanlth trying to diffuse the situation how could so many people make that journey there? we're talking about thousands of people here, without the authorities realising either what was going on or what they were potentially planning. >> reporter: absolutely because what happened is at present comes within the jurisdiction of the punjab. they have a fairly police, so they are questioned as to how the security forces were able to just let these people walk over and then start watching on
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islamabad. so the police have failed and then the islamabad forces haven't been able to stop them either. islamabad is paralysed. also cell phone services with islamabad are also suspended because of security reasons when it comes to what the prime minister is able to do, and we had appalling pictures, at least 65/70 people being killed there, very difficult for the authorities to safeguard everyone. >> reporter: absolutely. there are questions about the security at the park. there should have been adequate security at least to minimise the casualties because of the
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ease with which this bomber was able to walk into the busiest section which is the entrance and exit and then able to detonate that device. we're told 30 kilos. it must have taken an effort for him to carry those explode sis there-- explosives there and blow himself up. so many questions not just for the government but the prime minister who has to wared about islamabad and the ongoing protes protests thank you. there has been a prisoner swap with houthi and saudi soldiers. the swap is part of the second round of talks between saudi arabia and the houthi rebels. syrian government forces say they're now in full control of the city of palmyra.
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it is an important victory for bashar al-assad. the russian president has offered the help of experts from moscow to restore historic sites damaged by i.s.i.l. fighters. the ceasefire in syria may be generally holding apart from isolated areas of fighting, but the u.n. says not enough aid is getting through. several towns and villages are in effect cut off and besieged. >> reporter: the town here, it is one of the most devastated areas. it is 250,000 have mostly moved away. just days before the truce started last month, people who stayed behind have lived under this. and this.
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leaving behind the town in ruins and largely destroyed >> translation: civilians took a break. the regime used everything on us. barrels, rocket, everything >> reporter: nothing is spared. many mosques were hit or damaged. at this catholic church there is no easter mass this year. the worshippers have gone. there are 8500 remaining here. they have been stuck here since 2012. now they are hungry and desperate. the world food program says people were forced to eat grass, families endured days without a meal. this man is taking care his plants. he may be forced to eat them. >> translation: the bleeding has stopped. we didn't get any aid. each minute passes, we lose time in the besieged areas and my children are losing their childhood. >> reporter: in neighboring
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turkey this official says conditions here are disastrous. >> translation: it is catastrophic. there is a shortage of everything. >> reporter: the syrian opposition queuess the government of using starvation as a weapon of submission. the u.n. is calling on the syrian government to allow unrestricted access to about half a million syrian new zealand besieged areas, including here. so far the government has refused to give that permission. the u.n. says preventing aid is a violation of international law. back here life under siege is hard, but it goes on even without food, medicine and mil . lots more ground still to cover for you here on al jazeera, including why police in brussels disburse protesters
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march i marching top a vigil for those killed. how the army device a nation. a nation. -- divides a nation.
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welcome back. you're watching al jazeera. these are the top stories. the iraqi shia cleric is on the second day of a sit-in protest in baghdad's green zone. along with his supporters he is expressing his frustration at what they're calling government inaction over various issues.
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another protest in slabld. the syrian government forces say they have full control of palmyra. the police in belgium used water cannon to break up a crowd of protesters. they ignored security and then invaded the area as people paid tribute to the victims. >> reporter: sunday's intended rally was already postponed but security was tight around here. because while soldiers watched the mourners here, elsewhere special police units were launching a dozen more raids and arresting several more suspects. the post opponent of the peace valley created a vacuum which
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others were keen to fill. out of the city's railway station came a group of 4000. they marched to the square and muscled their way onto the steps. >> just a statement to say we love belgium. belgium is our country. don't affect it. leave europe alone. >> reporter: then the mood turned ugly. the sense of sorrow and grief, which has been the overwhelming emotion here, is giving way in a small but very vocal minority to violence and anger. with water cannon and pepper spray, police units pushed the group back to the railway station where they disbursed but not before unfurling their baern. belgium prosecutors have charged a man with terrorist murder but won't confirm reports that his
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full name. more details are emerge abouting him. this refugee, who has been asked to remain anonymous, arrived last year and lived in this park. he clearly remembers him coming to the park regularly behaving superannuationly agitating and using a mega phone to try to provoke violence against supposed infidels. >> he was stopped a few days before the police and then he kram back with a microphone and he was yelling and talking a lot of things. some people told me he was trying to gathering to make force, i don't know to make violence and stuff. everybody was like please stop it and people were mad. he was calling anybody not muslim and that's very what happen
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happened. sunni muslims or shia muslims, whatever, they don't call the other infidels and trying to make problems >> reporter: he has doubts whether he really is the third bomber. the man in white on the airport cctv. the picture in the cctv from the airport. >> it's not clear. i couldn't - and he is skinny guy and when they said it was him, i'm like it's not possible or maybe it is six months, maybe he eat enough burgers >> reporter: investigators have a long way to go before they complete the picture of who was involved. >> reporter: the first meeting of the islamic military alliance initiated by saudi arabia has wrapped up now in riyadh. the group of 34 countries was formed in december to fight what it calls terrorism. members vowed to target how organizations such as i.s.i.l. are resourced and financed.
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the greek authorities are continuing to move people from the main camp on the border with macedonia. officials say the flow of asylum seekers arriving on the island has slowed to a trickle. people who are refusing to leave the camp say conditions are getting worse. >> reporter: yet again they make their way towards greece's border with macedonia. they have been told that the migrant trail to northern europe has reopened. these refugees and migrants packed their belongings, left their camps and walked for kilometers in the cold >> translation: we're going to idomeni because they're opening the border. we read it on the facebook. >> reporter: these people were not given the correct information. this is what they found when they reached here. dozens proposed to break through greek police lines and push their way forward. >> translation: this is the only hope we have left. they want to tausic to military
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camps. i'm confident we can get through because we are many people >> reporter: a few dozen did gather but it didn't take long before they changed their minds. >> translation: we won't be marring. not unless the red cross is with them them and there's a decision by the european union to let them in. gentleman they know that crossing by force will not change anything. two weeks ago some of them managed to break through a barbed wire fence only to be arrested by authorities and sent back. instead they held peaceful protests in front of the world's cameras in the hope that the voices will be heard and their suffering not forgotten. >> translation: we will endure the cold and stay with no food. our families are in europe already. we will stale here until we can cross >> reporter: this is where they say they will wait while their asylum requests are processed. they're rely on activists to
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support them. >> what is going on here is a tragedy. >> reporter: the main road through which thousands used to reach northern europe has been closed for weeks. there is no indication that will change. more and more people are realising that europe's open door policy has been shut new laws are coming into force in japan which will allow soldiers to fight overseas for the first time since world war ii. the bill has been approved in parliament despite strong opposition. >> reporter: it is an issue that has provoked demonstrations on the streets and fierce debates in the japanese parliament. opponents say changes that will allow japanese soldiers to fight overseas undermine article nine of japan's unique constitution that permits the country to
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passivism. >> there's no way that you read that and reach the ration conclusion that the same article that has banned japan exercising self-defence for decades all of a sudden reaching the opposite conclusion. >> reporter: the new laws give a new interpretation to collective self-defence, allowing japan's soldiers a more robust role in peace-keeping missions and to work for closely in overseas operations with troops from its ally the u.s. opponents fear that could draw japan into foreign wars, but the prime minister says giving the military a more assertive role is long over due, especially after the nuclear and missile tests in nearby north korea since the start of this year. >> it is going to be a change in the security environment in north east asia.
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i think that there has been emerging awareness and understanding among the japanese people for the utility and effectiveness of this law. >> reporter: the opposition parties believe his ultimate goal is to change the constitution itself which was adopted after world war ii and renounces the path of militaryism, but he has to win enough seats in upper house elections this summer. given what is at stake his opponents promises to fight >> if we seek in depriving the ruling parties and its allies from obtaining majority in either of the two houses, then that means that abe will not be able to move ahead with his agenda. >> reporter: japan struggles to define its role in the world is far from over the dam build on the lower
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meccon river can be started to generate electricity very soon. there are environmental impacts though. >> reporter: preparations here are well underway to handwritten esthe might of the meccon river-- harness. it is one of nine damns to be built. the communist government wants to become the battery of south-east asia by experting electricity >> we want to develop hydro power, but we will be very responsible >> reporter: there have been many critics who say the dam will block settlements downstream an there could be an impact on fish species. the developers of this project said they made many method any indications to make it environmentally rendly, including fish-friendly turbines and access points to allow fish
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to swim through. if they can't, people's livelihoods will be affected. the banes is regarded as the largest inland fish rein the world >> it also affects them. it really would change people's life in very fundamental ways and also irreversible ways. >> reporter: it is also an important transport route. the dam features an area for boats to pass through. it is a run of river design as opposed to a storage dam, meaning a large reservoir isn't needed. the upstream water level has risen and 3,000 people have been relocated and given new houses by the government complete with electricity. >> translation: it is more comfortable for us now because in the past there was no infrastructure. we had to use a small generator
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for electricity. >> reporter: the government acknowledges the impact of building a dam like this, but it believes hydro power is vital to help bring the country out of poverties. >> if there are impacts, how do you mitigate them. is it acceptable. at the same time you have to maximise the benefit. >> reporter: it is scheduled to start generating electricity by the end of 2019. that could be brought forward meaning they will be able to start making the power of the meccon into money a volcano has erupted-- volcano has erupted. the government has imposed a security area around the mountain. mexico has 3,000 volcano, but only 14 are considered to be
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active. the semifinals of cricket twenty20, a brilliant match. >> reporter: cricket fans in india sang their prayers before the sudden death encounter. it didn't appear to be paying off early as australia smashed 50 off their first 22 deliveries. india's bowlers began to peg their scoring back but there was little anyone could do with this from glen maxwell. the retiring shaun watson kept up the aussie pressure with the ball as well. the entrance of colee would be the turning point. he hit a brilliant 82, including 32 of his last 11 balls.
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the winning runs came from ms donee, india taking a six wicket victory. the next opponents will be the west indies who fell victim to pakistan. they are qualified for the last four and were looking to keep their unbeaten win intact. on paper, at least, it seemed like an easy target for the west indies big hitters to chase down. afghanistan's bowlers kept them under pressure and it came down to the final over. they needed 10 runs from their last balls, but a diving catch dashed their hopes. afghanistan celebrating a six-run win. their first victory over a major
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test playing nation. their tournt over but no way forgotten if you want to dip into the world news and you're away from the tv over the next coming of hours, checkout the website aljazeera.com >> it's not just feelings that my mind tells me i'm being followed, no. really, i am. they know how to track you. they're everywhere. they could be in the street, they could be in our shop, they could be your friend without you knowing. that's why it's very hard for