they are very much above table when it comes to nigeria and chad, nigeria and niger.here are centers where nigerian officials, niger officials, and chad officials are all sitting in the same room actually working on this effort making sure that yes, chadian soldiers will come into nigeria. soldiers from niger will come into nigeria. and nigerian soldiers will cross the border the other way. certainly in the last few months the african union has pushed for this very hard the countries themselves have pushed for this hard western groups are training on the ground these soldiers, so there is a lot of coordination when it comes to that. the other question is is the nighian military fixing the problem that lead to boko haram, a shortage of weapons, and the lowering of morale a lot of people tell me that hasn't necessarily happened yet, and that's why we are seeing nigeria rely -- or at least use these foreign mercenaries. >> thank you. >>> iraqi forces have made significant claims it is being claimed in the offensive against isil. the army is saying it is confident the vic

you have been on the ground for two weeks in northeastern nigeria.ou are not far, of course from maiduguri where is boko haram was born. kuala do people on the ground make of this new offensive, appreciative of it? do they believe boko haram can be defeated? >> i think most people here will tell you that boko haram is largely void of ideology and void of strategy. we are not seeing the kind of sophistication we are seeing en in northern africa or certainly not with is isil in terms of holding ground goverance, anything like that. this is really a very violent insurgency that targets nigerian officials as well as so many muslims and christians across the northeast. so, i think people in the northeast are desperate for any help and, of course they welcome their neighbors if they are coming in. but i would think they will argue that this is more than a military problem. the nigeria military has had some of their own success, i should mention, in the last month or so. they have brought in more weapons. there is much more political will in the last month

haru mutasa, al jazeera nigeria. >> has president goodluck jonathan failed the people of nigeria? >> well, he's committed many what i call unforced errors. expectations were high but i don't believe that they were too high. but of course the most dramatic failure was his response to the kidnapping of the school pupils. >> if that were any other world leader that we were talking about. if we were talk bug the presidential of the united states or the prime minister of great britain we would be talking about the situation they would be saying impeach the president and also overthrow the prime minister. how is it possible that these girls are still missing and that president goodluck jonathan is still a serious contender? >> well, it's -- nigeria very often even to me is a puzzle. in certain other situations, somebody takes responsibility. and he or she enuns enunciates that responsibility by moving aside as a gesture of contrition. kind of apology to the people for a failure. so i don't -- i consider our situation rather unusual. jonathan inherited a very bad situation. nobody's comp

is nigeria a failed state? >> we are -- nigeria is aspiring very hard to become a failed state but i would not call it a failed state just yet. but it has happened. it is a blot of any kind of national sense of belonging. reporter: the international chorus seems to be quite successful in its mission to fight boko rom. do you think we might be witnessing the beginning of the end of the terrorist threat in nigeria? >> it will still take a generation, at least, to exterminate this phenomenon altogether. it is already embedded in human society. the way i look at the current military successes the proper action. this is the biggest problem i have with the government. reporter: do they really have a choice in this upcoming election >> in my view? the main opposition leader -- any candidate [indiscernible] there are things behind the scenes. the security officers they can even push aside the political context. to establish an interim government. reporter: you think there might be a chance of a military coup in nigeria

closest election nigeria has seen in previous years. doug: you are close, and the fact that we are seeing closely fought closely contested, this is a novelty since nigeria handed over civilian rule, we have not seen anything like this election. history is being fed with the selection. goodluck jonathan for the party has been the dominant party in power for the past decade and a half and the voters in a looking at his record, and you have a lot of, disenfranchised upset, the motions range, beyond those who are not supporting him, are not altogether thrilled that what they see is a poor record in a) fighting the boko hieronymus -- in a) fighting the boko haram extremist group. and let's not forget nigeria being africa's top oil producer, we say it time again -- it is true -- the plunge in oil prices, you know, oil having lost about half of its value since last august. that has clearly had a rebound from a ricochet effect on nigeria's economy and its dependence. he gets about 3/4 of its revenue from oil and gas sales. it is making people t

i appreciate their travels to nigeria. and, mr. speaker nigeria hold as critical presidential election this weekend. it's expected to be the continent's most consequentialal political event in years -- consequential political event in years. africa's most pop us will nation has -- populous nation has 100,000 polling stations. i had the opportunity with don payne to lead a delegation years ago for an election observer responsibility there for one of these national elections in nigeria and along with general colin powell at the time. let me tell you, the political environment is always tense, but it's especially tense now. and the leading candidates,

what is at stake for nigeria,? just a moment.could start off by asking you how worrying is it just days before this much-anticipated election two al jazeera journalists who are probably accredited to cover it who had been embedded with the military have been arrested? >> well, it should be worrying particularly going to the fact that this is one election that everyone in the world has its eyes on nigeria. and it is expected -- everyone wants it to be a very credible free and fair election. world leaders have called that it is free and fair. and now we're having this kind of interference from the military. and given the fact that the opposition have been complaining that there is an attempt to use the military as a power of the imcouple banaci to weaken the of situation. this could be seen as a [ inaudible ] to that. >> oak. so let's get to the main -- to the election now, many expecting an incredibly tight race this time. what is at stake for nigeria that so many people see as a bell weather in africa? >> yeah definitely we have

overall political map in nigeria? >>reporter: it's incredibly difficult to know right now because of the calculations. you can imagine in the deep south where president jonathan comes from that the opposition will be able to get 25% so he'll have to rely on the states in the north and southwest of nigeria. similarly, president good luck jonathan is going be looking for where he can get more than 25% in the states that are not traditionally where people have voted for the ruling party. so it's incredibly difficult to judge right now though there is a lot of speculation out there because that's what it is. we are waiting for the independent national electoral commission right here he is speaking, you can hear his voice, to make the definitive announcement of who has won nationally. it's critical that you don't just get the majority of the votes but you have to get 5% 25% of the votes in 24 of nigeria's 36 states. >> now it's a week since the nigerian military detained two al jazeera journalists in the north. they were e

also within nigeria, new weapons coming in. more political will.clearly the motivation or the momentum rather is against boko haram. but there is no sense that this fight is going to be over quickly. many internally displaced persons across the north and northeast say that they will not go back to their town that his have been liberated even though the nigerian military is telling them it's safe. in cities there are still a curfew every night. so very much a sense that the war, this conflict is continuing. >> and also, nick, there is meant to be upcoming elections there at some point. do you think as things stands right now that is feasible at all? >> reporter: well, i -- you know i think on the ground, there is certainly an excitement for the elects, a momentum toward the elect certainly nobody in the nigerian government says this will be delayed again. and then in towns whether whether it's whatever town, you see posters every 10 feet. everybody talking about the election complaining worrying that they are not going to be able to vote. a real sen

won an election in nigeria. more on that in a moment. stay with us. stay with us. >> a global climate crisis >> two feet of sea level rise is projected... >> threatening america's coastline >> you'll see water in the streets without rain... >> now fighting back with a revolutionary new technology >> there de-watering the ground... >> this is the first time anybodies done this before >> techknow's team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> this is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future? >> can affect and surprise us. >> don't try this at home. >> "techknow" where technology meets humanity. only on al jazeera america.

in the history of nigeria so it is very significant. you can see there is a very good move in the north of the country , a lot of people are celebrating now. i came back to the campaigning headquarters. everyone is happy celebrating. there are organizing spontaneous power races. most importantly so far, it's very peaceful. it might be a very important aspect. and congratulated him on his victory. people think it could have a strong impact on the effect of the situation. anchor: what does this mean? what can we expect from his presidency. and also being a very modest person. >> what he did in the past is arresting critics and also journalist. some people fear he might cut down the rights of the citizens in some way. anchor: we will have to leave it there. thank you very much. anchor: and now to yemen where the united nations human rights chief says that country appears to be on the brink of total collapse. dozens of civilians have been killed in six days of saudi led airstrikes in yemen against the countries who the -- the rebels. anchor

guest: nigeria is well known for that.ou can differentiate things from the outset and you do what you can do and you don't do what you cannot. it is not a big issue because you can prepare in advance for that. you see a american and european companies doing business and they know exactly who they can do business with. anna: companies like unilever that have business in nigeria -- if they want to increase their exposure, how much do they do it and with their own business? or how much do they get a business inside to run it self and they can be at arms length? how involved on a day-to-day basis are these internationals? guest: the example of you deliver. they have -- the letter -- unilever they have been there for decades. a week before elections, it is a clear signal that the elections are important but are not the end of the story. they are keen on putting more money to work in the country and unilever there are all in there with their own operations. others are not in there and are really trying to go back and catch up. t

a multinational push has brokened boko haram in northeastern nigeria.ou have spoken nick, i understand to several people have you seen evidence for yourself as well? >> yeah what you have heard from senior western officials inside nigeria as well as a senior non-commissioned officer who has been wounded by boko haram, both of them lay out the exact same picture, and in the worlds of the western official is that these foreign mercenaries do the dirty work during the night, and the military comes in the day and claims report. we asked the military about these reports, and as you just said the military claim these mercenaries are here but they are only training. and i spoke with a senior officer, and he said he doesn't have any mercenaries or does haven't them in at night and his soldiers come in in the day, but he wouldn't deny that there are mercenaries. so clearly, the nigerian military has announced its recapture from boko haram, and it's a combination of several groups like troops from chad more political will inside of nigeria, new weapons by the nig

let's go to our top story that's nigeria's elections. i find iting were that buhari did topple a democratically elected president. what makes him a suitable leader now? >> when he overthrow the government in 1984, it was i was a young student at the time. what he did in the few years when he was president was tackle some of the biggest challenges, corruption, and provided an element of leadership in nigeria, and it would appear that he was overthrown by his military. the interesting thing is that leading to this election, some of the establishment evening military, did not want to see him lead because they know that he will tackle the corruption. >> so you mentioned corruption, and how it sort of already has been a track record. but security a mass issue, the fight against boko haram. how will he do in that challenge. >> he'll probably do better than jonathan. when boko haram was there national security is something if you want to provide leadership, good luck jonathan would have called on nigerians to fight boko haram. did he not. buhar

that is the corruption in nigeria. they have the finalist and the president. >> so we need -- for nigeria. to that's why we are here. >> why did you both vote. >> because he is a good leaker. a military leader, he is good force. and -- we are today. and -- only this year, and -- and every leader -- to describe like general [inaudible]. >> matthew. i want everybody to calm down. yeah. calm down. why did you vote for the general, and what are the issues that you wanted toking tackle? >> one is the issue of insecurity. insecurity is what -- number one. number two, corruption. a lot of money so we need somebody that we will come and companying the economy to reasonable some level of pay little money, so you want him to tackle corruption. >> yes number one corruption. >> yes create jobs and security. >> about the security situation? >> we want -- boko haram to be wiped away. we don't want emthis. you understand. for institutes to the north that we get we fight for liberia, but now calm down, calm down. do you think they can

live for us in nigeria. what more do we know? >> this is not the first time that the national publicity secretary, the party of the main opposition presidential candidate has said that the opposition has won this election. he said this on saturday in the evening just after man of the polling stations closed, but it's not conclusive. the independent malik tort commission, the chairman's just behind me, is announcing the results of several states. there are battleground states that really could decide this election. for instance, delta state in the south, one of the richest oil producing states. results have not been announced. traditionally, it's gone to the president goodluck jonathan's party. in the middle middle belt of the country, it's traditionally gone to the ruling party. people have voted from the ruling party under the presidency. however, muhammedu buhari has won some key states. in the northeast, it is expected that toraba state in the north would also go to home. yaba state in the northeast would

back to our top story in nigeria nigeria. soldiers from niger and chad join the fight against boko haram. let's go to journal and security analyst live in the capitol of abuja. good to have you with us. what are the expectations on this joint military force. they seem to have a moment at the moment, but is it expected that they will drive barry bonds from strongholds in the north? >> yes absolutely. for those of us who have been watching the unfolding scenario in nigeria it is obvious that there is a turning tide from the offensive so far. there were several several towns and cities on the boko haram occupation. but in the last two weeks since the multi national task force we've seen a turn in the offensive of boko haram. several towns have been liberated, and they're no longer on the occupation of boko haram. >> so many people are asking why on earth wasn't this done before? why didn't the nigerian government ask for regional military help before? >> well, it's not really correct to say that it has not been regional support

nigeria such a large producer.uess, there needs to be -- kevin daly: in the short term, i do not think it will have any impact. what we would have to see is disruption in the delta region which would have an impact on production. that could take a little bit of time. the market reaction will suggest that it is negative for oil prices and production starts to fall in nigeria. the interesting thing the last couple of years with boko haram and that has not had an impact on the oil industry. that's why this election potentially could have implications for oil prices. francine: kevin daly thank you for joining us. coming up -- could taste love beyond -- tesla be unveiling a battery for the home. we will have more. ♪ francine: our batteries for your home a project of the future? tesla ceo elon musk said that is what they are unveiling. the company grew 4% after he tweeted. joining us to make sense is matt campbell. great to have you. what do we know about this product? matt: we do not know what it is what elon musk has d

we should know he if it's good luck to stop conflict in nigeria and lead nigeria to be one nation together. >> you have been selling here for a couple of days before the elections and after. have you seen people buying food to keep in the house in case there are problems. >> yeah, of course. people have not been buying food to keep in the house but since election, so many people bought a lot of goods and storing it in their home because of the prices of the goods are now high and they will not be able to come out saturday to buy goods because of the conflicts and fights going on in nigeria during election. >> thank you that's pretty much it. people want peace and to move on but can't until results are announced. they've been told it could be later on monday and they're waiting to see which candidate whips the presidency. >> thank you. >> the military in nigeria has detained two al jazeera journalists in the north. the two were embedded with the mull tear before they were detained. they've been held in their hotel since tuesday. al jazeera is demanding their release. >> coming up on al jaze

and nigeria.is what nigerians are looking for the leader in two -- is looking for the leader to take care of. human rights -- over 5000 people have been killed. we delayed our elections after security issues and the northeast as well. besides boko haram, falling oil prices, political uncertainty and the currency even. the next president has to deal with the fact that the africa's biggest oil producer, two thirds common from oil and the falling oil prices will have an impact and nigeria's currency has lost about 18% against the dollar. these are some the issues that nigeria's next president will have his hands full with. receiving uche okoronkwo -- francine: uche okoronkwo thank you. coming up, a longtime supporter of the labour party in one of their biggest parties. keep it right here. we are just getting started. ♪ francine: welcome back to "the pulse." later today, labor leader ed miliband will be at bloomberg's headquarters setting got his party's pledges. let's talk to a major labour backer. i

to come in nigeria as well as to cutoff arm supplies from nigeria neighbors coming into nigeria to fueloko haram crisis here. >> in abuja and thank you. residentss in the rebel held directs of aleppo says it collapsed as both sides agree to involve what is in the settlement and a meaningful peace process as this enters the fifth year. >> reporter: this is what the u.n. was hoping to stop but failed to free a conflict in syria's second largest city and barrel bombs killed hundreds of people over resent months and continue to fall in populated areas areas of aleppo city. >> translator: the barrel bomb populated the city and more than a million used to live in rebel areas and now there is 300,000. there was mass exodus because there was a time when dozens of people were dying everyday. >> reporter: the syrian government told u.n. special envoy staffan de mistura that it would temporarily stop this in aleppo, the obpposition rejected this. this is on the scope of the ceasefire and the government wanted it to be limited to the city, the opposition wanted it to extend across the aleppo countr

. >>> and the opposition declares victory in nigeria's presidential election but all the votes have yet to be counted. >>> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. indiana's governor is again defending his state's religious freedom law this morning. mike pence is set to address the controversy about a half hour from now and we'll bring you those comments live. in an interview this morning he already said the law has been misconstrued as a license to discriminate. >>reporter: in the middle of a storm of controversy, mike pence says his religious freedom law is not discriminatory. he reacted to the backlash this morning on fox news. >> i stand by this law but i understand that the way that some on the left and frankly some in the national media have mischaracterized this law over the last week might make it necessary for us to clarify the law through legislation. and we were working through the day and last night with legislative leaders to consider ways to do that. >>reporter: pence says his intention was to give courts a framework where they can review cases in which religiou

the nigeria military claims they would not guarantee safe elections in north nigeria where the group operates in. and the military have been involved in oppression against boko haram in which they are supported by forces from nigeria's neighbours - cameroon chad and niger. the two election issues are corruption, which is a run away issue in nigeria, and how to curve insecurity in north-east nigeria >>> speaking of northern nigeria, voter are facing major security concerns ahead of the elections. the region has been under siege by boko haram, with a little help. the threat of violence could sway the vote. >> until recently this was boko haram country. the fighters may have left the streets of maiduguri, but the threat they pose has not. it is why it's so extraordinarily that people are turning out for last-minute elections. defying the risk of suicide bombs to getter understand who to vote for. after six years of violence which left tens of thousands dead there is a thirst for change. this man had a thriving business in baga 100km north of maiduguri. then boko haram took over, and he

but in nigeria trade is booming.s here that a trained journalist first began selling computer parts. he now owns his own shop. things are much easier now than when he started ten years ago. now they won't ask for any kind of collateral. they won't ask for any type of security. >> this is mainly because nigeria is realizing the potential for real economic growth lies with millions of young people into entrepreneurs. >> because of high oil prices the nigerian economy has expanded at an average annual rate of 7%. but the impact of falling crude prices are falling here, it is effecting their economy. >> there have been initiatives to assist young business people. establishing this cookie factory, two years later he has a workforce of 100 people and a net income of $50,000. he said nigeria's 180 million people are his market. >> i believe there is a market for change. >> but some question whether the government is doing enough. >> it's good. we have young entrepreneurs getting funding. yes, that makes some impact but it h

nigeria has a new president. opposition candidate mohammed buhari has been declared the winner of the presidential election. he defeated the incumbent president good luck president goodluck jonathan. it marks the first time that a leader has been democratically voted out of power. >> i came to celebrate the victory of buh ri. i'm glad he has won the elections, that there will be no more insurgencies. there will be jobs available to us we'll stop taking drugs. i pray to almighty god that he will make nigeria better. >> this is the first time in nigeria that the sitting leader would be voted out of power using purely democratic means. >> well, outside of the headquarters of the apg in the capital abuja. when do we expect to hear from the president-elect? >> well, we expect to hear from the new president-elect barbara, in the next two or three hours. earlier we did get to speak directly to him. we asked what the plan was for the evening. what he said was that he was not ready to give interviews to the media. he want

thanks very much indeed. >> let's return to the election in nigeria. the vote counts beginning to trickle in any moment now. let's speak to our correspondent there, like this with the latest. some records, there seems to be conflicting reports. what do we know? >> that's why there's ban statement released by the u.s. and u.k. government saying there may have been some political interference in the conduct of these election, but no evidence of systematic manipulation. that contradicts slightly some reports and information we've been getting from international election observers who have been in nigeria in large numbers. the european union the african union and economic community of west african state released preliminary findings on how the poll went, saying that broadly speaking, things went relatively well, people came out in large numbers, the election was relatively peaceful, despite some of the technical hitches with the card readers that were intros died to make sure there wasn't fraudulent voting and the late arrival of electoral materials. we kn

reporting from nigeria just breaking the news that according to the count the most popular state in nigeria has been won by the opposition candidate muhammedu buhari. thank you. >> it's been a week evens the nigerian military detained two al jazeera journalists in the north, embedded with the military before they were detained. they've been kept in their hotel since then. al jazeera is demanding their immediate release. >> the u.s. state department says it's been watching this particular case of linda thomas green field the assistant secretary of state for african affairs and said she hopes the two are released soon. >> the united states is committed to freedom of the press and for media access, so we would support your efforts to have your journalists released. we don't have all the details of what is happening but i think the news that we have so far indicates that they had their credentials, they were traveling with the military and it's important that the government allow them to continue to do their work. as we were getting ready to come into nigeria, we heard that some journalists wer

>> ahead of a final onslaught according to regional forces in nigeria nigeria. they are planning to slaufrnlinglaunch a final onslaught on boko haram by the end of this nigerian military it's crucial focrush boko haram because of the ambitious nature of the group. over the last one or two years we have seen how they have moved from a guerilla warfare to a position of where they seize and control territory in nigeria. they tried to expand into cameroon. we have seen how they attacked positions in chad and 23450i year i can't. the neighbors are worried this fight or expansionist policy may expand to them as time goes on. >> we have seen a number of neighbors commit troops to the fight against boko haram. despite this regional effort, the boko haram attacks are still continuing. >> mainly because this group has been allowed by nigeria and neighbors. they thought this is nigeria's war, their own problem. all of the sudden, boko haram became stronger in the sense that they have captured more territory and are launching attacks far away in far away places at the capit

campaign in nigeria's election which is to be held on saturday.pected to be the closest race since the end of military rule 16 years ago and ron cummings is a security analyst and joins us live from cape town in south africa. and i'm just wondering whether you think that this turn around this apparent turn around what is behind this security turn around, what do you make of the speed and efficacy of response to boko haram in the northeast of nigeria? >> i it can be argued a combination of issues and seen improved resources allocates to the nigeria army. we have seen also the coordination of multi national forces nigeria's neighbors obviously providing assistance in fighting boko haram and i think this is really aided and boko haram was seemingly operating across the lake chad region with relative impunity and for nigeria the operations were limited to borders and boko haram was obviously operating in neighboring countries, nigeria did not have mandate to launch in these regions and coordination of resources and operations at this stage is possibly

it is a historic moment for nigeria. the first time that the opposition wins an election and it is a strong message to many african nations. if nigeria and its inhabitants can organized free and fair elections, why can't some of these nations where you've had the same ruling party for decades and decades? laura: so it is looking like the end of goodluck jonathan's five year run of president. he was accused of being an effective from boko haram. claire williams has more. claire: from lecturer to president of africa's biggest economy, goodluck jonathan rapid rise to power was helped by a dose of fortune. born in 1957, his family made canoes. in 1999, he made his political debut after being elected deputy governor of his home state. the governor was impeached on corruption charges so he took over. in 2007, the former president seen here in the middle, handpicked him to run as the pdp party candidate for vice president. goodluck jonathan was credited for negotiating amnesty with militants in the niger delta. many laid down t

there is anticipation in many parts of nigeria. for most people remain calm saying they will only believe official results released from the election commission. >> rule well and let the nation be good about that. >> reporter: many know the threat of postelection violence is very real. more than 1,000 people died when the main opposition leader, muhammadu buhari led to incumbent leader goodluck jonathan back in 2011. four years on it's deja vu for nigerians. now it's also the continent's largest economy so people wait. they will find out soon who has won. haru mutasa, al jazeera lagos. >> the syrian government has reportedly sent one of its top military commander to recapture the city of idlib from rebel factions. government accused of launching chlorine gas attack. idlib was captured on saturday, second capital to fall into opposition hands. >>> the united nations says syrian refugees need urgent aid with resources dwindling fast. karen lyon malone reports. >> 63% of money pledged last year was collected. what should countries aff

help for nigeria as it fights boko haram. the government says foreign fighters are part of its campaign against the rebel group. >>> egypt launches a campaign to help boost its struggling economy and the pledges are pouring in. >> this is not murder, it's torture and murder. >>> conservations in the u.s. try to solve a mystery that's threatening the lives of brown pelicans in florida. ♪ >>> hello. dozens are feared dead after cyclone pam swept through the south pacific nation. winds of up to 270-kilometers an hour have caused significant damage to the islands and cut off remote provinces the unites nations are sending emergency teams in to the country which lies east of northern australia. gerald tan has the latest. >> reporter: destruction in the wake of sigh crone pam. aid workers describe the scenes as unbelievable. the category five tropical storm has uprooted trees torn downpour lines and ripped off roofs. in the capital many buildings still stand but it's feared that the damage to villages and remote islands will be ext

. >>> meanwhile, we are going to nigeria. the outcome of the presidential election is expected to become clear in the coming hours. remaining states give their results. the opposition candidate, muhammadu buhari is ahead of goodluck jonathan. will is our correspondent. what can you tell us about the results and when are we expecting the rest of them? >> reporter: as you say, about half the states have declared. the gap at the moment is some 2 million votes. that's the margin with muhammadu buhari in the lead at the moment. we still have many states to come in. at this stage, you have to turn to the different political parties and check their moods. certainly, inside the governing party, the faces are much longer. they are struggling to work out how this election can be won. when you look at the results that have come in and look at some of the unofficial results that are also coming in from across the country. the opposition party, its confidence of victory. having said that it's dangerous to predict anything at all in nigeri

is nigeria. we do not have one united nigeria, no one can say they have a right to any part of the country. >> the coming into play by i.s.i.l., eventually they fight on the side of boko haram. definitely this situation can only get messier than it is already. remember boko haram held territory in nigeria for a very long time, as far back as november. more than seven or 10 months from the nigerian forces. with the perhaps of i.s.i.l., if they come here the fight will be much more dirtier than it is already. >> indeed. thank you indeed. we are joined on the line by nick schifrin, who is in the north-east of nigeria. you are in an area which has been - is a stronghold of boko haram. there's a lot of violence in that area. tell us what you are seeing. >> well, i think there's an appreciation by the nigerians who have been in the north-east especially in towns and cities that have been attacked by boko haram, that what they see is finally, in their words nigerian military taking book more seriously,

forces recapture two towns in north-east nigeria. jordan hands out harsh prison sentences to those joining around groups in syria, and republican senators in the u.s. write a letter to iran saying the nuclear deal pushed by president obama will not last long >>> the united states has declared venezuela a national security threat and imposed sanctions on seven venezuela officials. it's a sharp downturn in a tense relationship between washington and caracas. late last month venezuelan president announced meshesures to limit documents here. rosalind jordan has more from washington d.c. >> a worsening economy, and security forces cracking down. in light of the arrest of nicolas maduro's political aappointsa aappointsa aappoints -- political processes. no travel to the u.s., their assets seized. >> certainly there are sanctions against individuals. separately we put out information about what will be required to travel to venezuela in terms of visas, given restrictions in place. there's a couple of things happening at once. nicolas maduro

, one, there is as lot of trade between these countries and nigeria and lots items they get from nigeria is coming from the border states on the front line. also there is that fear of the fight by boko haram being extended into these countries. we've seen how boko haram over the last one month or so ever made in roads affecting passes. both countries are actually afraid that this fight could spread way way into their own countries and if nigeria couldn't deal with this problem over a period of five or six years, what resources do they have to deal with the problem considering the land mass they have. >> you've seen a number of nigeria's neighbors contribute troops to fight boko haram niger and chad making the announcement today. despite the regional effort and some successes, boko haram attacks are still continuing. >> absolutely. this is because boko haram has been allowed or they were able to fester for a long time. they made in roads established training camps and they recruit add lot of young men from nigeria, cameroon and chad and niger. there is a lot going on. boko haram fighters

the electoral commission and the key candidates are calling on nigeria's just to be patients and letlectoral commission do its job. >> security does remain tight as people wait for those election results. a report on how that is acting every day life in nigeria's biggest city lagos. >> reporter: grace worries about the next few days. she works at a market in the commercial capital lagos. now that voting in the presidential and parliamentary elections is over, she hopes for one thing. >> i want peace. i don't want fight. i want the election to be peace. no fighting. then we can sell our markets. that's what i want. >> reporter: people in lagos appear to be get on the ground with their lives. the streets look busy but residents tell us it's quieter than usual. the next few days are crucial. people don't know what is going to happen after final results are announced. many nigerians say they don't want the election or violence, they just want that country to move on. there is anticipation in many parts of nigeria, most people remain calm saying they will only believe official results rel

nigeria is a populous country and one of africa's largest country.there will be all eyes on knee year i can't as nigeria will go to polls tomorrow. >> we know it will be one of the fiercest contests in the election with the opposition being able to stand up to the incumbent government, and shifting the election the incumbent government has been able too do some catch up and deal with the boko haram problem. we know that the regional leader has accepted the responsibility to the southern part of nigeria the incumbent is trying to douse that popularity. it will be a very tough election for both sides. i believe it will be a very close call. >> you brought up boko haram an issue that is not just affecting nigeria, but it has been spilling over its borders, which is why we see the africa union mission that has had some successes in defeating boko haram. also so close to the election, some have had questioned why the government has been able to fight boko haram effectively now and not before. do you think that the nigerian government's failures in fightin

. >>> counting continues in nigeria as the result of the presidential election draws closer. >>> more revelations about the co-pilot of the crashed germanwings plane as it's revealed ahe was treated for suicidal tendencies. also. >> i'm daniel schwindler in bolivia, where we're seeing a very colorful renaissance of indigenous architecture. >> saudi led forces have expanded their campaign against houthi fighters in yemen. egyptian ships have shelled houthi fighters advancing on aden. it's the first time naval forces have been used. but one strike hit a camp housing internally displaced people. the camp is in the northern haja province. at least 40 people have been killed there doctors without borders put that number at 29. a saudi led coalition has been bombing houthi positions. backed by forces loyal to ousted president ali abdullah saleh. southern city of aden attack was repelled. tribesmen around the town of bahar in the central province of shabwa. houthi weapons stores and air deferences were targeted, al jazeera's hashem ahelbarra filed this report. >> these are the victims of a c

>> nigeria has only had 16 years of democracy. there is always the fear that there could be postelection violence. in 2011, around a thousand people died. what is crucial, whatever the results, it is the reaction of the other group. that will be key to what happens. genie: this is "france 24." let's take a look at the headlines. one day to go before a deadline on nuclear talks with iran. a comeback for nicholas sarkozy. his coalition is the winner in the elections. no final election results from the election in nigeria. time for business news. a week after the tragic germanwings crash we are talking about compensation and what that might mean. >> the parent company has announced they will pay 50,000 euros to each family in the coming weeks. clinics how much is the life of a plane crash victim worth financially? the short answer is it depends on where you are suing from. even if the families decide not to sue, they will receive compensation. they have announced a transfer of $54,000 perfect them for immediate expenses. and lines mu

that has pushed nigeria's neighbors to retaliate. our reporter explains it has been hard for the nigerian government to accept. >> another one of nigeria's neighbors enters the arena. sunday, joint air and ground strikes marked the push into nigerian territory to boko haram. until now, it had only defended itself against militant incursions in border areas. for instance fighting on nigerian soil, something -- foreign troops fighting on nigerian soil, something abuja had been reluctant to see. they have launched military offensives in northern nigeria before sunday's joint operation with niger. the militants' pledge of allegiance to the islamic state group's weekend was the last straw. nigerians government -- nigeria's government appealed for international help. >> it is time for the government of nigeria to mount of its power from other countries to be able to fight and slaughter the insurgents. >> the african union recently endorsed the creation of a regional force of up to 10,000 troops to combat boko haram. for now, the operation

fears of a crisis ahead of election in nigeria. and in sport - why it hasn't been plain sailing for rio's olympic organizers. >>> now, libya's rival factions are resuming peace talks in the moroccan capital. the legally installed government and the rival u.n. backed government based in tobruk have welcomed a new u.n. draft proposal. and here is some of the details of what could be a landmark deal. now, the u.n. proposal calls for the formation of a national unity government comprising of technocrats. the house of representatives would be based in tobruk and would include members from the other side so from both sides of the dispute, a presidential council would look after the implementation of the agreement during a transitional period. hashem ahelbarra is our correspondent who has been monitoring the talks. he joins us from outside the venue in the moroccan capital. it's positive that there's a draft proposal on the table. how acceptable is this proposal as it stands to both parties to this conflict? >> martine, i was talking to m

staying in nigeria it has been a week since the nigeria military detained two journalist in the northe country. they were embedded with the military before they were detained from last tuesday and they now have been held in a hotel and al jazeera is demanding their release. still to come on the program freedom of religion or freedom to discriminate a date in a state over a controversial new law plus what made the tiny country a shipping and military hub? ♪ >> "the stream". >> your digital community. >> you pick the hot topics and express your thoughts. "the stream", it's your chance to join the conversation. tuesday to friday, 3:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. ♪ hello again and let's look at the top stories at al jazeera, saudi-led coalition for the fifth night and the air strikes will continue until rebels withdraw and surrender their weapons. counting underway in nigeria where for the first time opposition presidential candidate has a serious chance of unseating the ruling party. thousands took to the streets on sunday alleging voting irregularities in the oil producing rive

counting votes in nigeria people wait to see who will be the next president. empowering one of the philippines oldest tribes to use solar energy. ♪ air strikes led by saudi arabia have benatar getting houthi fighters in yemen for a fifth consecutive day and latest targets were tribes in the area and describe the attacks as a night from hell and explosions were heard early monday in houthi controlled radar and defense systems targeted there and arab leader whose are meeting in egypt say air strikes will continue until rebels withdraw and surrender weapons and 500 pakistan workers arrived in ka karachi and flown to safety and let's look at the targets on sunday and war planes seized in sanaa say they have been destroyed and dozens of houthi fighters were killed and that city is home to the country's second largest port and also on sunday coalition bombed position in the northern providence and victoria has more. >> reporter: there is no let up in this military operation for a fifth consecutive night and saudi-led position hit shia positions and air strikes also

corruption is an damage in nigeria -- ebdendemic in nigeria.e so matter of fact when it comes to nigeria. it is the extra price you have to pay when it comes to doing business in nigeria. as investors, we have to look at what is our potential return for investing in this country and it is still significant. guy: thank you so much. the book is out this month "frontier exploring." we will take a break. ♪ guy: welcome back. we are watching payrolls. mark gilbert is here. this number is whether dependent. -- weather dependent. are people going to take this number seriously? mark: don't forget what happened last month. you had a jump in wages and you have the treasury market trapped. you still have fed members saying june, june, june. strong data today keeps that very firmly on the agenda for the bond markets. in the currency market, euro through 1.10. it went through like butter and stayed there. guy: what was that move? once the europeans got hold of the book. were they looking forward or backward? mark: you have different rate outlooks in europe

nigeria is after's largest democracy, adeann adrian. let's report on the complicated process of choosing nigeria's next leader. >> it's a process that is perhaps different in other countries. before voting in presidential and parliamentary elections voters must be accredited. they show their card that is scanned on a card reader. once it's verified the fingerprint is taken just to make sure that the card you have really belongs to you. >> they looked for my name. took my card. looked if i was there, bingo. >> it was peaceful. no harassment, or anything. god help us to choose the right president for nigeria today. >> but there were complaints that the process was slow, disorganized and the card leaders didn't work. this man looks forward to exercising his democratic right. he knows the presidential race of president goodluck jonathan and the main opposition leader will be close and tense. >> i would like to see a country that is in joy and good. not fighting. the first war i fought. i don't want to fight in a war no more. i want peace. >

a muslim from the falani ethnic group and comes from the ketsina state in northern nigeria nigeria's military says it's pushed boko haram out of the base in gwoza north of the country. success on borno state. from abuja yvonne ndege reports. >> in a rare public address nyjer's military spokesperson gave this statement. >> many of the terrorists have died and many have been captured in the process. tons of ammunition have been recovered, and the safe areas of the rnl terrorists terrorists have been entirely destroyed. >> army says they will be held until further notice. both were embedded with the military just before their detention. >> the al jazeera news crew few if only sources of information from the northeast. and ahead of elections happening, and an expectation that we would be getting reports from the al jazeera journalists who are based there who have worked all along embedded with the military and reporting on the military activityies in the region wee are particularly worried about this situation. >> reporter: it is the closest election since the end of military rule in 199

there are people who nigeria are sacred cows.o if they continue that, even -- you cannot commit a crime. a senior prosecutor has been shot dead in what police say could be a targeted assassination. -- two bombings in 2010. 79 people are killed in the attacks in screenings on the finals. trial has now been postponed. and other ministers but his dismissal shouldn't impact peace talks. omar is a senior electroin southwest joins me in the studio now omar, your thoughts on the timing of the sacking. >> . >> very much the satisfaction of the performance. a few statements that he made esherbal ply the one about the financial capacity of the tripoli government. and that went against the central banks the statements, and libya. >> they are accused of construction, and then you have the statement that was made by several m.p.es from the general national congress around 74 of them, who demanded the resignation. the events that were more or less in their conclusion, that he is not confident and he has to go and somebody else has to take over

of a month of talks between nigeria and niger, and nigeria and chad. this is around the lake chad area and cameroon, badly hit by boko haram over the last few years. in the last few months it's worse. boko haram fighters have basically erased the border if some areas and go across and what we see now is a rob oft chadian military and from niger, they are trained to deal with this, going in at the same time as nigeria military is pushing. >> boko haram has been blamed for four suicide bombs killing 54 people wounding 143 and pledging allegiance to i.s.i.l. is that a response particularly in response to what has happened recently. >> there's no real connection between boko haram and i.s.i.l. i spoke to some of the officials responsible for training boko haram: the fear is that boko haram will reach out to groups such as i.s.i.l., such is al qaeda, to operate in northern africa, for weapons, for training and ideology. what people on the ground tell me this is about the failure to defeat boko haram, when it could have been defeated or the failure to go aft

will want to strengthen its relations with nigeria. now, the kind of thing i see in the daytime, we like strong relations. we would have liked nigeria to receive more help fighting boko haram in the same manner the u.s. has given for the fight against isis. i actually get the impression the u.s. is about to do that now. >> brown: you're seeing more possibility of that? >> right. >> brown: all right. nii akuetteh, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> woodruff: now the fight over religious freedom and discrimination. late today, the arkansas house of representatives passed its own controversial law and the governor has indicated he will sign it. newshour political editor lisa desjardins is in indiana this week, where there's been an uproar over the religious freedom restoration act or r.f.r.a. that many claim will allow businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians. indiana'sgovernor tried to answer critics this morning. >> let me say first and foremost: r.f.r.a. was about religious liberty, not about discrimination. as i said la