this candidate is standing for the military-backed party against aung san suu kyi. his audience is polite but far from enthusiastic. >> this is very easy. >> why is the government risking reform? a large part of the answer is in places like. they have missed out on the economic growth. they hope that the reforms will and sanctions, spur investment. frustration over missed chances run deep. the two children that this man supports, he tehran is just over a pound a day. >> life is not going well for me and i have to struggle for my family. -- he is earning at just over a pound a day. >> they are inviting caution. the campaign is entering its most exuberant hours. >> for more on this weekend's election, i spoke a brief time ago to the foreign correspondent to the independent newspaper and the author of "the lady and the peacock, the life of aung san suu kyi." aung san suu kyi talks about a the irregularities that go beyond what is acceptable. only around 10%, 11% of the seats in parliament are up for grabs in the parliament. is this really a new start for burma? >> i th

they've come to listen to aung san suu kyi, the country's pro democracy icon. she has visited towns and villages during the election campaign. >> translator: i'm so happy because we've been freed from the 20-year oppression of the military government. >> reporter: this month aung san suu kyi gave her first campaign speech. >> translator: our top three priorities are rule by law, reconciliation of the people, and constitutional reform. >> reporter: the election campaign appears to be going smoothly, but things are different in the country's capital. the city's under the strong influence of the president. government officials and their families are set to account for more than two-thirds of the eligible voters. aung san suu kyi's national league for democracy has put up two first-time candidates in this. but the candidaearlier this mon candidates told the media they were facing ballot charges. >> translator: in my constituency, nld posters have been torn up. >> reporter: this 44-year-old is one of the candidates. the activist had been arrested twice. she was pard

suuç kyi's seat is not expect to be affected.eats left vacant when cabinet members and deputy ministers assumed their posts.ç it is an early rehearsal for the general election in 2015. our report.ç aung san suu kyi ja& to get ready for this. >> i am feeling delicate, so any tough questions iç will defer straight away. [laughter] . >> tens of thousands have turned out to greet suuç kyi on the campaign trail. if this translates into votes, she's surely unbeatable.ç this the map with the unenviable task of running against her. candidate for the military-backed party. in any other circumstances, he would be aç shoe-in. he's not exactly wowing the crowd. the odds seemed stacked against him, but this old soldier isç still up for the fight.ç >> so you think you can win this battle as well? >> yes. >> how do you compete with an icon?ç aung san suu kyi saysç irregularities have marred these electioned. >> there areç irregularities. this is not what is acksementable for democratic -- acceptable for democratic election. >> aung

the window of a vehicle two cars behind aung san suu kyi was broke. of her bodyguards were wounded. it has registered as a political party. it is challenging all the districts available in the election. in total 48 seats are up for grabs in the upper and lower houses of parliament and local assemblies. aung san suu kyi has generally been welcomed across the country by enthusiastic crowds. but there have also been incident of hostility such as the sabotage of campaign posters. western nations have called the upcoming vote a potential turning point, but it remains to be seen whether myanmar will meet the expectations of the international community. jun kobayashi, nhk world, yangbon. >>> nine pacific rim countries that make up the trans-pacific partnership are currenting holding trade negotiations in australia. the talks began on march 1st and include the united states, australia, new zealand and six other countries. some nations see the tpp as a way to counter the economic influence o china and, as nhk world reports from vietnam, there is a growing sens

aung san suu kyi is a beacon of hope for karian.e said she's the only pso who can improve his situation. he and other displaced ringya have often demonstrated in support of aung san suu kyi, especially calling for her freedom during years of house arrest. >> yes, i support, i support. >> translator: i support aung san suu kyi and admire her. we are like her children. shs e mb of our fight, and i respect her for her long struggle. >> reporter: when he and other hiyaetogether, the upcoming elections in myanmar are all they talk about. they are concern whether aung san suu kyi will really be able to help the rohingya issue if elteto parliament. >> translator: if she really wins and proposes some improvements for rohingya, a grouofpsayayo. shwill not be able to do anything. >> translator: we can only wait for her to win and work in the parliament, and that one day the an wl ppen. >> translator: i wonder if there will ever be a place on earth where we are truly accepted. w m mptely disheartened. my biggest hope is that we be recognized a

. >> translator: for the elections aung san suu kyi are saying there are available seats. the campaign has enjoyed high popularity. her speeches on the street have attracted passionate crowds. in what some observers called a surprise move, the military-backed government led by governor thein sein approved to move to the front line. the president allowed the national lead for democracy to legally re-register. and welcome an observer team of foreign lawmakers and journalists. myanmar expert visited the country last month. he was impressed by aung san suu kyi's popularity. >> the government does not have any incentives to limit the activity of the aung san suu kyi, because the government will want to make this election free and fair. and they want to show they did the elections to the international community. the majority of the 45 seats in contest at this time, they remain as minorities. because 75% of the seats are still monopolized by the usdp, the ruling party. >> reporter: kudo said they want to persuade the international community to remove its economic sanctions. >> th

aung san suume kim jong kyi is a candidate. rachel harvey reports. >> aung san suu kyi has had to get used to all of this. it's the first time she's ever run for political office. her campaign has attracted worldwide attention, but it's taken a toll. >> i'm feeling a little delicate. any tough questions and i shall [inaudible] [laughter] the humor masked a genuine concern. the grueling schedule has left her exhausted, but still determined. tens of thousands have turned out to greet aung san suu kyi on the campaign trail. heif this translates into votes, she is surely unbeatable. this, the man with the unenviable task of running against her. born and bred in the local constituency and candidates for the military-backed party. in other circumstances, he would be issuing -- a shoe-in. the odds seem stacked against him. this old soldier is up for the fight. the >> [speaking foreign language] >> this is very easy. >> you really think you can win this battle, as well? >> yes, i can win. >> how do you compete with an icon. aung san su

special envoy derek mitchell, aung san suu kyi told me of her concerns.hat are the benchmarks that would convince you that progress is irreversible? >> that the military is fully behind the process. if you have read the present constitution, you will understand that without the backing of the military, we can never say that we are really on the road to democracy. >> reporter: and human rights groups warn that despite efforts at a ceasefire, the burmese army special envoy mitchell says the united states is watching developments closely. >> the concerns at every level. certainly they have a long period of transition because it is reversible. it is clear that this has only been only six or seven months. so until we see changes in the constitution, until we see unconditional releases of political prisoners, all political prisoners released, until we see the election coming up, by election being free, fair and transparent and then a truly engaged citizenry in the society, we have to be very careful about whether this is >> reporter: what might be a benchmark f

but she says aung san suu kyi is my hero and i would do anything to help this party. just on the streets you can hear parades going by, people on loudspeakers, the campaign is definitely in full swing. >> pelley: seth, thank you very much. we learned today why it took ten years to get osama bin laden. turns out he was moving around with a host of wives and apparently a lot of help from friends in pakistan. bob orr found out what we never knew in a pakistani police report. >> reporter: when osama bin laden fled the u.s. invasion of y heanistan in 2001 officials say he spent a year hiding in the rugged mountains near the pakistan border. but the decade between his escape and his killing by u.s. navy seals has always been a blank page. now this pakistani police report says bin laden's youngest wife, amall amall achmed abdul fateh say she and the al qaeda leaders spent nine years moving among safe houses scattered across pakistan. during those years she gave birth to four of bin laden's children. after the 9/11 attacks, fateh briefly split from bin laden and fled with the

until two years ago, images of the no bell laurie at aung san suu kyi were banned. now her face smiles out from t-shirts, posters, pins, and almost every sort of paraphernalia. many t-shirt shops on this street have seen profits soar since they began offering aung san suu kyi merchandise. a shop opener says sales increased up to 400% over the past four months. >> translator: now there is more freedom, and business is very good. so he think these are signs of improvement in our country. >> the shop sells about 500 t-shirts a day, and its workers are putting in 12 hour shifts to keep up with demand. aung san suu kyi's party, the national league for democracy is fielding candidates for the bi elections on april 1st. she, herself, is running for a seat and has been crossing the country campaigning for her party. after decades of military dictator ship, the new government is ushering in a series of dramatic reforms. it will be a test of their commitment to democracy and real popularity of aung san suu kyi's party. >>> turning to thailand. years of economic growth have ma

just two years ago, a burmese opposition leader aung san suu kyi was under house arrest, banned from taking political activity. next, she will stand in parliamentary elections. sherman's critical of the election process in burma, climbing the campaign has not been free or fair. these elections are being said as part of a test of political reform of the new government, which is led by a civilian but backed by the military. >> across this city, people have since something out of the ordinary. there is an energy not felt in decades. never mind that just over 40 of the 400 parliamentary seats are on offer. many believe this is the first step to reforming burma. soldiers once ordered to shoot at pro-democracy crowds seemed bemused at the roadside. not far away, the leader was reminding people of the long road to this moment. >> i have never seen people vote in a free election. >> this was her first public appearance since she became ill from the rigors of campaigning last week. the question about her health was met with humor. >> i am feeling a little delicate. in the tough questions and

the press must be given full freedom. >> suu kyi talked about her path in the 15-minute slot. her speech was widely anticipated by people on the street. >> translator: i respect her. she wasn't reading from a script like the others. every word came from the heart. >> suu kyi's party is fielding candidates for the april 1st bi-elections. she is running for a seat herself. myanmar wants a full lifting of the sanctions imposed by the countries. the government wants to show the international community that the upcoming vote will be free and fair. >>> the fukushima nuclear accident a year ago sent shockwaves around the world. in india, fears of a systimilar disaster fueled the anger. we have a report on the dilemma. >> reporter: i'm standing near the nuclear power plant in southern india. this plant was supposed to be functioning last year, but has been delayed by protests of local people. after the fukushima accident, residents intensified their protests. even closing the road to the entrance of the plant. >> after fukushima, people's awareness of the radiation increased. >> repor

aung san suu kyi is gaining wide support across the country. but she's also faced some sabotage including destroyed election campaign posters. >>> britain's defense ministry says six british soldiers are believed to have been killed in an explosion in afghanistan. the ministry says the explosion hit an armed vehicle while it was patrolling in the southern province of hell land. british media say that a roadside bomb or land mine laid by taliban militants is likely to have caused the blast. this is the second heaviest death toll for british soldiers in afghanistan following a fighter jet crash in 2006 that killed all 14 troops on board. british prime minister david cameron expressed his condolences to the families of the soldiers. >> this is a desperately sad day for our country and desperately sad of course for the families concerned. it is a reminder of the huge price that we're paying for the work we're doing in afghanistan. the sacrifice that our troops have made and continue to make. >> britain has the second largest number of troops in afg

today, opposition leader aung san suu kyi complained of irregularities ahead of weekend elections. beyond political competition, burmese are starting to build other elements of a democratic society. we have a report from special correspondent kira kay and producer jason maloney. >> reporter: it's the beginning of another busy day for the young burmese journalists who make up the staff of the eleven media group. the morning editorial meeting looks like one at any other newspaper in the world-- written copy is fact checked, layouts are finalized, cub reporters are given their beat assignments. but this newsrooms a oving ground for nascent freedoms in the notoriously repressive country of burma. also known as myanmar, burma has been ruled by a military dictatorship for half a century. its leaders, suspicious of the outside world, viewed information as something to be restricted. the eleven newspaper is forbidden by the government from publishing daily. under control of the government? >> reporter: under control of the government. >> yes, not allowed. >> reporter: they tell you only on

pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi is running for a seat in parliament. myanmar's government says it will accept a 30-member observer team of lawmakers and journalists from asean nations. they're expected to arrive in yangon march 28th. they hope that the decision will lead to an easing of economic tensions. the political party led by aung san suu kyi said there are problems with the election campaign. it says fictitious names are being added to voter lists and candidates' posters are being torn up. >>> tuesday marked the 17th anniversary of a deadly sarin gas attack on tokyo's metro system. the incident left 13 people dead and sickened about 6,300 others. members of the aum shinrikyo toxic gas inside subway trains during the morning rush hour. a memorial service was held at tokyo's kasumigaseki station. families of the victims and other participants, including transport minister takeshi maeda, offered flowers. >> translator: i offer flowers every year in the hope that people's memory do not fade away. >> japan's supreme court has finalized death sentence

of the things she's concerned about is making sure this is not a cult movement around aung san suu kyi. we want to grow a system where other women can flourish, too, and the whole political process can live yonld one. >> the idea is to tell stories. >> the idead is to tell stories and in so doing illuminate the lives of people who live between the lines of the news. we see the headlines, we see these explosive events, afghanistan, what's going on in burma. we don't meet the women living behind the lines of the news. >> rose: the flesh and blood of the people carrying the torch. >> and women who have been left behind by war. for instance, when we get out of afghanistan we leave behind these women who are going to be facing again the threats of little bits of freedom being eroded. what happens to women left behind in war? >> and big issues having to do with rape and war as a tool of war. violence against women in a whole range of areas that are still there in different cultures practiced and carried out everyday. >> rose: absolutely. it's...... >> absolutely. it doesn't change. in somali

it will also be the first time that the pro-democracy activist aung san suu kyi takes part since beingouse arrest. the myanmar government has recently opened up dialogue with opposition groups there. these elections will be a major test to see whether the country's leaders remain committed to democratic reforms. >>> and you may not have heard of myanmar's currency, the chat. a state-run newspaper says the government will be freely floating this currency come this very sunday. it's the southeastationen nation's latest move towards reform. let's go back to ramy inocencio for more on what this means for the investment community. >> the reform of the kyat, myanmar's currency is considered a big step to opening up the country to foreign investment. this man right here, presideis president. right now, 800 kyat to the dollar is not officially the government rate. this straight line is the epitome of government control. the official rate is $1 to 6.41 kyats. it's held at this rate as you can see for the past ten years. interestingly, the government drafts its own budget using the unofficial an

aung san suu kyi criticizes this weekend's election but says that she will still stand. the longest long shot, the biggest jackpot. americans dream of scooping $640 million. president obama has approved a new sanctions on purchases of iranian oil. the aim is to put more pressure on iran over its nuclear in madrid program. he said there is enough oil on the world market to allow a significant reduction in purchases from iran. >> oil and gas are central to iran's economy. 70% of their revenue come from the industry. that is why the white house says that these sanctions on any company or country that buys oil from iran represents the strongest pressure ever applied to the regime. this is why the u.s. is getting tough. just last month, president mahmoud ahmadinejad was boasting of the latest developments in their nuclear program. he is inspecting new homemade fuel rods at a research facility. iran insists that their program is for peaceful purposes that many countries remain to be convinced. not the least, is real. on a recent trip to washington, the israeli prime minister m

tonight, aung san saou kyi, the longtime dissident and leader of the democracy leader in myarmar is poised to become a member of the very government that kept her down for so many years. nbc's ian williams is there. >> this is something few people ever expected to see in myanmar. holding posters that would have landed them in jail just a year ago in support of a woman whose quiet dignity and determination have gripped the country and the world. >> you think you'll win? >> for 15 of the past 23 years, her lakeside home has been a prison where she was kept isolated from family and friends. yet she never gave up hope and is now poised to win a seat in parliament and very possibly join a government that is embracing reform but is still dominated by her longtime military tormenters. >> i don't think i or any individual has the right to say i forgive or i do not forgive. all we should do is find out what would do best do to bring about national reconciliation. >> the spirit has won her a legion of international admirers. she was so exhausted this week that she had to stop campaigning, and the 66

the most high-profile candidate is pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi. myanmar announced this week it would accept observers from its asean neighbors. newland suggested the limited number of invitations falls short of international standards for election monitoring, but she said the u.s. would work with the other observers from asean. >>> washington is closely watching the vote to judge myanmar's commitment to democratization. myanmar's government apparently hopes that by accepting foreign observers, it will encourage the international community to take a positive stance and eventually lift economic sanctions. >>> myanmar steps toward political reform roo alreaare a changing the way international community sees the country. they now think of myanmar as the place to invest. foreign companies are scrambling to secure their piece of the pie. nkh's jim kobayashi reports.fir exhibition of japanese products was held in march. some 45 japanese companies showcased products, including motorcycles, household appliances, and cosmetics. >> translator: japanese produ

the most high-profile candidate is pre-democracy leader aung san suu kyi. myanmar also announced this week it would accept observers from its asean neighbors. nuland suggested the limited number of invitations falls short of international standards for election monitoring. but she said the u.s. would work with the other observers from asean. washington is closely watching the vote to judge myanmar's commitment to democratization. myanmar's government apparently hopes that by accepting foreign observers it will encourage the international community to take a positive stance and eventually lift economic sanctions. myanmar's steps towards political reform are already changing the way the international community sees the country. they now think of myanmar as the place to invest. foreign companies are scrambling to secure their piece of the pie. nhk world's jun kobayashi reports. >> reporter: the first exhibition of japanese products was held in early march in myanmar's largest city. some 45 japanese companies showcased products, including motorcycles, household

pro-democracy leader aung song suu kyi is running for a seat in parliament. >>> the streets are quiet in many communities along the northeast coast. government officials drew lines around the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant last year and ordered everyone inside out. still the radiation spread beyond those lines. areas of high radiation are shown here in red, yellow and green. government leaders say people who live outside the lines are safe, but many residents have decided to leave just the same. nhk world reports. >> reporter: toishi now knows more about radiation than she could have ever imagined. she reads everything she can. she worries about how what she can't see will affect her children's health. she has two daughters and a 6-year-old son. the number of children at this kindergarten has dropped to a quarter of what it was before the disaster. >> translator: they are at the age when they need friends and to spend time outside. they lost both in the past year. >> reporter: the district of kashima city is 60 kilometers from the nuclear plant. government officials say the city is s

. >> reporter: pro democracy leader aung san suu kyi has vowed to amend the constitution to decreasehe influence of the army. the nobel laureate is running as a candidate for parliament in bielections scheduled for april 1st. if she's elected, the nation's constitution is likely to become a delicate issue. jun kobayashi, nhk world. >>> two days before chinese president hu jintao arrives in new delhi for a five-nation summit, a tibetan exile in india has set himself on fire. his extreme action was in apparent protest against china's handling of ethnic tibetan affairs. wrl nhk world's fumio sugaya has details. >> reporter: in new delhi, more than 600 tibetan exiles rallied monday against the chinese premier's visit. during the demonstration a man suddenly doused himself in what appeared to be kerosene. he then set himself on fire. dozens of tibetans in china have recently committed acts of self-immolation to protest chinese rule. the man in new delhi shouted for freedom for tibet, as he set himself on fire. president hu will attend a two-day summit of the countries known as brics, braz

. >>> aung sun suu kyi spoke ahead of a vote in which she's running for a parliament and says she is encouraged by the rising political awareness of the people of myanmar. >>> and audits of apple's largest supplier in china found a long list of workplace violations i including failure to adequately pay for overtime hours and the lack of true union representation, foxconn says it will bring itself into compliance within the next 16 months. much more ahead on cnn. "world business today" starts right now. >>> good morning to you out there from cnn london, i'm nina dos santos. >>> an audit outlines failures at foxconn. so will factory reform there's signal a change for the industry? >>> labor laws are also in the spotlight in spain today. austerity protests turned violent. >>> and a story that's the talk of the town here in corruption-conscious hong kong, billionaire brothers have been arrested into a probe in alleged bribery. >>> just an hour into trading here in europe, and look at the turn of events here, after spending a number of days in negative territory, these markets have gotten

nobel laureate suu kyi is running for a seat in parliament but does not believe the vote will be free or fair. >>> osama bin laden moved around quite a bit in pakistan and became quite the family man between 9/11 and his death. that's according to one of his wives telling sba inin ining in about his life in hyden. brian todd reports. >> reporter: alternately hiding, running and fathering children in the years after 9/11. new details of osama bin laden's life on the run emerged given by his youngest wife, yemeni born amal ahmed abdul if a fateh. she said they lived in pakistan. consistently during those years, pakistani leaders said this about bin laden's whereabouts. >> i don't think that osama bin laden is in pakistan. >> the interrogation report filed in january is prayer phra paraphrased saying the family lived in at least five locations in pakistan after 9/11 in at least five safe houses. according to the record, abdul fateh says after 9/11 the family scattered. she went to karachi, pakistan, stayed there eight or nine months. nd 2002, she went to peshawar pakistan reunited with b