cooperation in establishing the facts behind wednesday's deadly crash of a ukrainian plane. fifty ukrainian experts are in iran to take part in the investigation — and the ukrainian foreign minister said they'd been given access to the flight recorders. the polls have opened in taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections. incumbent president tsai ing—wen is going up against han kuo—yu — whose party favours closer ties with beijing. the pro—democracy protests taking place in hong kong have cast a long shadow over the taiwan election campaign. oman state television is reporting that the sultan of oman, qaboos bin said al said, has died. he was 79 and had been ill for some time. he came to the throne in 1970 following a coup against his father. now on bbc news, africa eye: my bloody country.

jamal osman, a somali journalist, searches for answers to the cycle of violence that has ripped his country apart for the last three decades. this programme countains disturbing images. this was meant to be a safe haven. a place where children could grow up in peace, away from somalia's civil war. a place where people could live their lives. but what happened here injuly shuttered their lives. but what happened here in july shuttered that their lives. but what happened here injuly shuttered that illusion.

26 dad. 56 injured. lives changed forever. my my name isjamil my name is jamil osman. i my name isjamil osman. i am a somali journalist who for years has been searching for answers to the end of a cycle of violence which has ripped my country apart for three decades. in kismayo, ithought ripped my country apart for three decades. in kismayo, i thought i had found answers. a place which was secure. a place which was peaceful. a place which offered hope. but in

my country, tragically, nothing is ever that simple. another day in somalia. another fighting patrol to the frontline, by the armed forces. young somali men gearing up to kill other young somali men, the way it has been for much of my life. these soldiers are going to an area controlled by al—sha baab, these soldiers are going to an area controlled by al—shabaab, the most powerful militant group in africa, and al-qaeda's affiliate in somalia. among them is an elite unit known as rohan, meaning the unseen. made up of former al—shabaab fighters, they

know their enemy well. commander jalid reminds them how they are expected to behave. but trust can be in short supply here. some of these men could be secretly working for the other side. the fear is that they will inform al—shabaab about the fear is that they will inform al—sha baab about the the fear is that they will inform al—shabaab about the operation. sometimes the highest bidder trumps

loyalty. i am travelling with commanderjalid in an armoured vehicle. he is receiving regular updates from his informants inside al—shabaab. while they are not telling us exactly where they are planning to attack al—shabaab. chanting. this is al—shabaab. i am no stranger to them, having interviewed them many times. they are a formidable enemy. formed around 2006, al—shabaab controls large swathes of territory

in southern and central somalia, including parts ofjubaland. they wa nt to including parts ofjubaland. they want to overthrow the somali government and establish a state based on their interpretation of islam. berhani village, 50 kilometres outside kisamyo, jubaland's regional capital. jubaland's regional capital. jubaland forces search the area. they rushed to a house where they are told al—shabaab fighters are hiding. but they find nothing. it is a typical of a frontline which is fluid and of an enemy which is everywhere but nowhere. the commander tries to win villages over to the jubaland cause. commander tries to win villages over to thejubaland cause. residents must turn out, otherwise they will be seen as al—shabaab members. but look closely. it is all old men,

women and children. the strategic port of kismayo exists ina bubble the strategic port of kismayo exists in a bubble of security of around 50 kilometres cycling the city. it is propped up by kenyan army firepower. today, the man in charge returns

from a foreign trip. the president is popular here for creating a sense of peace and security. there has not been a major attack by al—shabaab since he came to power seven years ago. by contrast, in the somali capital, mogadishu, major attacks are commonplace. the pomp and ceremony coupled with the messages of security is designed to remind everyone the presidential election is weeks away. and

presidents madobe wants another four—year term. this is a man who has become one of the most powerful politicians in somalia. when i travelled to kismayo earlier this year, i was impressed with the society madobe has created. he has his critics who say he is an

authoritarian figure who favours his clan. he has also fallen out of favour with the government in mogadishu. but madobe gave me hope that perhaps jubbaland mogadishu. but madobe gave me hope that perhaszubbaland offered a glimpse into what my country could be, stable and peaceful place. on the plane here, i sat next to someone the plane here, i sat next to someone who agreed. and the founder of integration tv and are proud somali sharing somali stories all over the world. she was a fellow somali journalist who grew up in canada but decided to return with the aim of highlighting developments in our motherland. in somalia, you just enjoy being an everyday person. i love it here. keeping kismayo safe isa i love it here. keeping kismayo safe is a complex politicaljuggling act, and president madobe needs to work

hard, most especially in areas recently captured from al—shabaab. military discipline is key to building public confidence in his rule. if soldiers kill a civilian, which has happened, they can't be executed. meeting with al—bashir is crucial. in somalia's land—based society, these men hold the real power. —— meeting with elders here. if he keeps them happy he will keep this place safe, and more importantly, they won't give their sons to al—shabaab.

it isa it is a dramatic transformation for a figure who was once an islamist fighter himself. he turned against his formerjihadist comrades following two years of captivity in ethiopia. released in 2009, he went on to battle them for control of kismayo. in 2012, with the help of kenyan forces, he was victorious.

others here have taken this same path. the rohan, a special unit made up path. the rohan, a special unit made up of former al—shabaab fighters. i met them to find out why they turn against theirformer met them to find out why they turn against their former comrades. but being a rohan is risky. their commander says he was targeted by al—shabaab. todayis today is his day off and he had time

to see his family with some suites and a new football for the kids. his wife is pleased her husband has switched sides. he fears he has made the right move at the right time. —— feels. he could have ended up here. this is

kismayo's highest security prison. alleged al—sha baab fighters kismayo's highest security prison. alleged al—shabaab fighters are held here, some without trial. jubbaland authorities say these men are all al—shabaab. mohammed and elias are accused of killing this man. shake abalone made his name as an al—shabaab abalone made his name as an al—sha baab creature, but abalone made his name as an al—shabaab creature, but he later turned against the militants, preaching anti— al—shabaab messages. he was executed in broad daylight in the city three years ago. mohammed and elias have agreed to talk to us.

tonight, we are with thejubbaland police force. al—sha baab tonight, we are with thejubbaland police force. al—shabaab had a smuggled three vehicles filled with explosives into the city and are carrying —— preparing to carry out attacks.

it is friday, weekend in somalia. a day of family and prayer. the president is here. in the late afternoon, families relax. our in the late afternoon, families relax. oui’ cameramen in the late afternoon, families relax. our cameramen films them. suddenly, he is allowed and, and the children start running, scared and shouting, "explosion, explosion." in

that moment, seven years of safety and security in kismayo is gone. this is cctv footage of the explosion. it wasn't al—sha baab it wasn't al—shabaab attack on the medina hotel —— was an al—shabaab attack on the medina hotel as people we re attack on the medina hotel as people were taking afternoon tea. bomber rammed a vehicle containing exposes into the hotel gates. moments after these pictures were taken, three al—shabaab gunmen stormed the hotel and slaughtered people. our cameramen sped towards the sound of shooting and grenade attacks with his driver and our army guard.

honks horn. the battle between the al—shabaab gunmen and government forces lasted 12 hours. it ended with 26 dead and 56 injured. three attackers died, one was captured alive. one of the first to be killed was the lady i

met on the plane. hodan nalayeh. she was pregnant at the time. she will never leave kismayo, the city super 8s to the world. she was buried with her husband who was also killed, on the outskirts of the city. the attack has undermined everything president madobe has worked for. his authority diminished. in the aftermath, he heads to the airport to oversee the evacuation of the worst wounded.

it is important to show he is in charge. president madobe has been urging somalis worldwide to return to kismayo, saying it is safe to live and invest. come, they did, but all it has taken is one bomb to unravel everything.

before the attack you could see a lot of residents were going about their daily lives, which says this isa their daily lives, which says this is a peaceful city, people were walking around, late in the evening. but since the attack the mood has changed. in august, president madobe was elected for another four years. will he manage to restore security here? perhaps. but i question whether

there will ever be a time when somalia's cycle of violence and revenge is broken. this woman's husband is schache abdullahi, the man gunned down in kismayo. i met two of his alleged killers in prison. —— sheikh abdullahi. she says her six—year—old son abdel is also bent on revenge.

i showed footage from her interview to mohammed and ilyas, the men accused of sheikh abudullahi's matter. —— murder. (woman talking on screen).

it remains to be seen what fate awaits mohammed and ilyas. i went to

kismayo to highlight peace and progress in somalia, but i left with different conclusion. hodan nalayeh‘s dream was to see all of somalia united in peace. it seems that that dream may have died with her. what future for my bloody country? hello there, the wind is starting to howl again, it is drawing into very mild hourfrom a long way howl again, it is drawing into very mild hour from a long way south howl again, it is drawing into very mild hourfrom a long way south mind you, so temperatures are rising but

rain continues in scotland and northern ireland, abbey over the hills, trickling down into england and wales, some heavy rain for the cumbrian veils later into snowdonia. the rain is more showery in scotland as the wind started to ease later in the day, still windy for england and wales, where it may well be a dry and bright toward eastern parts of england. very mild day, temperatures 12-13 england. very mild day, temperatures 12— 13 degrees. through the evening and overnight we will see that when the front sweeping down towards the south—east, making rain with it. showers and sunshine following on sunday, also the rain clears away from the south—east of england early in the morning we have this cluster of showers into wales through the day and the midlands, heading eastwards, becoming fewer through the afternoon. further north some sunshine and showers, most in the north—west of scotland where there will be wintry over the hills. winds will be wintry over the hills. winds will not be as strong but we are back into cool airfor all will not be as strong but we are back into cool air for all of us.

hello, i'm lewis vaughanjones and welcome to bbc world news. ukraine says it's getting full co—operation from iran in the investigation into wednesday's plane crash which killed 176 people. tehran has again rejected suggestions the ukrainian jet was brought down by one of its missiles. 57 of the victims were canadian. our north america correspondent aleem maqbool reports from toronto. so this is about two weeks ago when they got to iran... the siddiqi family travelled to iran from canada to plan a wedding.