simon mcgregor wood, al jazeera, paris. >> bolivia's ruling party has suffered a set back. mayoral elections in the capital la paz and in santa cruz. the results are not as bad as they predicted but expected to make it more difficult. daniel schwindler reports. >> a significant blow to evo morales. the remaining four and a half years in office are going to be considerably more difficult facing strong opposition in several parts of the country. the billest blow was perhaps here in la paz the capital where the government position was won by one of his former cabinet members. but the biggest blow was up the mountain side from here, the city of el alto, previously a stronghold for evo morales and his governing party, a place where he pretty much took for granded. that lies the root of the problem. electronic support across the country, members of his government are less popular. critics say they are out of touch, complacent and even corrupt. these regional elections results have dealt a strong blow to that government party. president evo morales is at this still the president b

simon mcgregor wood is in lausanne where the talks are taking place. it was an artificial deadline, this midnight deadline, but i guess they have to stop at some point. have they created a new deadline? do we know what is going to happen over the next few hours? >> well, i don't think we do, but it's five minutes past the original deadline. it's suddenly become more flexible than it was with statements from the state department saying that we're not there yet. there are significant differences but we've made enough progress to push through the deadline. now we're into the early hours of april 1st, and we' hearing the french foreign minister is saying things like they're going to leave at 5:00 in the morning. 9the german foreign minister may hereof at 6:00, and john kerry may also leave. it's not clear if that is brinksmanship for negotiating tactics, but we're in a critical period of this talks. the only real conversation that we've had with any of the participants today came from an iranian deputy foreign minister who broke cover early this hotel, and

well simon mcgregor wood is in lausanne for us where those talks are taking place. it was always an arbitrary deadline of midnight, an hour from now but it has not always bode well that he would meet that deadline. do we have any idea of what is going on in these talks? >> well, we understand that the talks have reconvened. they broke for an hour and they are back in. as you alluded to earlier suggesting that there are difficult issues that remain unresolved, but the spin is that there has been enough progress to merit the talks breaking through. what was at one point in the lead up today an important deadline that has become a very flexible deadline as talks are likely to go in the early hours. there is some chatter according to unnamed diplomats suggesting that the iranians might have been told that they have to come up with a deal by dawn because foreign ministers from the p5+1 have other plans and will head out of town. is that a real threat or brinksmanship, it is not clear. what we do know is that talks are under way. not much public speaking from the particip

simon mcgregor wood joins us from brussels. what has he been discussing with the european foreign ministers simon? >> well, as fredericka margarini told journalists before mr. zarif arrived, she understood there were big gaps between the two sides over clinching this deal and she hoped she would be able to play an active role, the eu would be able to play an active role in helping to close some of those gaps. we understand that foreign minister zarif has had his little bilateral meeting with ms. margarini and that meeting has been extended to include the france germany permanent members of the p-5 plus one the plus one being germany who are integral to this whole process. i think it's clear that they will want a briefing from mr. zarif on what has been described as a meeting in lausanne today after this evening session mr. zarif returns to lausanne to continue the talks with the americans tomorrow tuesday. as this week progresses all the while the deadline for this framework deal being the end of march we will see a greater invo

simon a mcgregor wood reports from paris. >> reporter: as she voted on sunday marin le pen hoped therebreakthrough not national front and it would finally gain control of local councils. but projected results suggested a big disappointment for her. while her party will have gained more counselors, it might struggle to control even one council. she tried to put a brave face on it. >> translator: the historical effect this evening is the steak. of a national front as a powerful force. this exceptional victory is a good sign for the future. socialist party is disappearing while the national front has shown exceptional results. >> reporter: the clear winner of these elections was the right wing u.m.p. led by former president nicholas sarkozy. it is projected to win almost two-thirds of france's councils. that might help his faltering campaign to become the you feel m.p.'s next presidential candidate. >> translator: with their vote the french have reject the massively the politics of francois hollande's government. this has never happened before. never will have have the has the government

. >> i'm simon mcgregor-wood, i'm inside a pigeon building center where some birth have been bought by chinese pigeon fanciers. >> india's sport - they can tighten their grip on a title with a win against their biggest rivals. andy with the details in a short while. >>> hello again. i'm martine dennis. these are the top stories. shi'a houthi rebels have taken over the airports in tiaz and other parts of the city. the fighters are pushing southwards in the direction of aden, where president abd-rabbu mansour hadi is trying to hold on to power. libyan peace talks held in morocco appear to be on the verge of collapse. fierce fighting rages between militias vying for control. a top military commander loyal to the government is among the dead. >>> now more on our top story, that of the situation in yemen. the u.n. security council is due to meet in urgent session later on sunday. al jazeera managed to get hold of a draft of the statement expected to be considered by the security council and it assess the u.n. security council condemns the deadly houthi attacks, and adds the houthis are unde

. >> i'm simon mcgregor-wood inside one of belgium's exclusive pigeon breeding centers, where some of these birds have been bought for hundreds of thousands of dollars. >>> welcome back to al jazeera america i'm michael eaves. here is a look at the top stories. today the u.n. security council convened an emergency meeting. the ousted president asked the u.n. for help saying an urgent intervention is necessary to averd a full-blown -- avert a full-blown war. senator cruz will become the first presidential candidate for the 2016 election. he will be america's first hispanic president if he were to win >>> afghan leader ashraf ghani arrives in washington for his first visit since being elected. he'll meet with president obama tomorrow. they are expected to discuss security issues such as the draw down of u.s. troops and afghanistan's economy. >>> in nigeria, african union forces attacked book forces killing dozens. two military helicopters from chad bombed their positions. a military officer from niger said members from boko haram amassed in the area preparing for a bigger assault. niger

simon mcgregor-wood has more. >> reporter: the car exploded as it passes through a suburb of kharkivt belonged to the leader of a pro-ukrainian militia. he, his wife and brother were injured. all are said to be in stable condition. the local police think the explosion was caused by a magnetic mine. just the latest act of what the ukrainian authorities are calling terrorism. they have accused russian-backed group of trying to open up a new front to destabilize parts of ukraine they want to control. on the 22nd of february, a bomb exploded in the same city. four people were killed including a police officer. but it is not only in kharkiv. this police video shows a car packed with explosion ifs in the city of mariupol. the ukrainian authorities detect the hand of russia. >> translator: we have confession testimony saying who recruited them where they were trained, and it was on the territory of the russian federation. we know the exact people they made contact with in russia. it was venntives of the russian security services. financial support came from the russian side. weapons and exp

simon mcgregor-wood reports much >> reporter: at the altar there were 150 candles, one for each vic tiprelatives -- victim. relatives and locals coming together to remember them. >> it's terrible. horrible for the families. there's no words for this. i'm broken. >> on the mountainside the tab of recovering remains and wreckage continues. system take another two weeks. a second black box is missing. the need for the data is less urgent now the cause for the crash is understood. trying to understand what drove andreas lubitz to a heinous act is the focus of the investigation. a german newspaper quotes a former girlfriend worried that it would affect his career and he talked of doing something dramatic that he would be remembered for. he was undergoing treatment for an unspecified condition. he had a history of depression and flew when he was not supposed to. it raised questions about the suitabilitiy to fly. at dusseldorf the destination of the flight passengers paid tribute on saturday and signalled their determination to carry on flying. >> i don't have any concerns. i trust the airline

simon mcgregor wood, al jazeera, paris. >> at least 21 people have been injured in a train accident in the u.s. happened in the city of los angeles after a commuter train struck a vehicle on the tracks. two people were seriously injured. authorities are investigating the incident. >>> victims of flooding in chile's northern region have begun digging out their homes and businesses. swelled rivers led to flash floods. the worst-hit area was about 800 kilometers north of the capital santiago. >>> bolivians are going to the polls, to elect regional governors in many cities. pedro moderately faces morls morales faces defeat. >> from the amara community is standing as governor for la paz trying to rest control from the opposition. she quotes a long struggle against discrimination. >> they made us live in two bolivias. one bolivia was abandoned while all the other had the privileges. now we have to integrate because we are all bolivians. >> felipa is the supporter ever morales,ofmorales, for more indigenous and other candidates than ever before to engage in elections. >> i believe that future

simon mcgregor-wood, al jazeera. >>> funerals have been held for some of the miners killed in a gas explosionmine in eastern ukraine. the fine is based in separatists-held city of donetsk and has had a history of deadly accidents including one in 2007 that killed 101 minorers. >>> kremlin critic aleksei navalny has been released from prison. the russian opposition leader vowed not to back down despite the killing of another putin critic boris nemtsov. >> reporter: free after two weeks behind bars, aleksei had a few brief wores for supporters before heading home. >> translator: i promised that i would leave her quickly because the police are disturbed by how many people there are. a big thank you everyone to that supports me. perhaps you will have many questions about the recent tragic events. i have expressed by opinion on it. i won't say anything more now. but i will sigh our activity will not change. we will not step back from anything. >> reporter: the tragic event he mrengsed is of course the murder of boris nemtsov, a murder that vav -- navalny said was ordered by the russian leadership.

plus: >> i am simon mcgregor-wood in front of the pigeon greeting centers where some have been boughtyzine ease fancyiers for hundreds of thousands of dollars. >>> hello. we start in yemen where houthi forces have seized control of the airport of the third largest city, taiz. the shia group is in charge of sanaa and a large swathe of the west of the country. it is a key target on the 40 city of aden that's where there is a call for urgent international help. the u.n. security council is scheduled to meet at 1900 gmt. the united states has withdrawn all remaining personnel including special forces from the country. natasha gname reports. >> tear gas, gunshots and anger on the streets of taiz. proceed toasters are angry about pro-houthi forces arriving in their city. the protesters say the houthi forces surrounding the barracks of the local security forces. >> we refuse reject and dennous these in malitias. we will surround until they leave. >> first, the houthis overtook the capital of sanaa, forcing the president to flee to. president monsur hadi has been trying to hold on to power. i

simon mcgregor-wood has more. >> reporter: the car exploded as it passed through a neighborhood.nged to a leading member of the opposition. the local police say they think the explosion was caused by a magnetic mine. just the latest act of what the ukrainian authorities are calling terrorism. they have accused russian-backed groups of trying to open a new front to destabilize parts of ukraine they want to control. [ explosion ] >> reporter: on the 22nd of february, a bomb exploded in the same city. four people were killed including a police officer. but it's not only in kharkiv. this police video shows a car packed with explosives in the city of mariupol, the ukrainian authorities detect the hand of russia russia. >> translator: we have testimony saying who trained them. and we know the exact people they made contact with in russia. it was representatives of the russian security services. financial support came from the russian side. weapons and explosives were provided. >> reporter: kharkiv has a significant russian population although it is controlled by a pro-kiev administrati

simon mcgregor-wood has been monitoring the situation in brussels. >> reporter: the whole situation in dominated this sum it in brussels. and although short on detail on how the european union is going to get involved in trying to secure the peace in libya, everyone was pretty much singing from the same hem sheet, this institution is very much willing to stand by the libyans, but only in the event of a political deal and once a national unity government has been put in place. the european union is partly funding the talks going on in morocco, and feel they have an investment in the outcome. we're not talking about a huge military commitment, but we are talking about observer status missions to build up the libyan national army. we may see troops on the ground helping board the border oil installations, that kind of thing. which would be quite a departure from its normal activities. now, why you might ask that this is such a big priority for the european union? i guess it's the situation deteriorating so rapidly and the realize in capitols across europe that libya is very much on the do

simon mcgregor wood has more from brussels. >> they arrived in brussels earlier monday evening. he had a bilateral meeting that's now being expanded to include the foreign ministers of france and germany we don't know very much about what the so-called gaps are remaining between the two sides. in a briefing with journalists here they know that gaps exist and they will be part of the process to close those gaps. we understand, of course, that in the lead up to these crucial talks they hope this framework deal in place that the principle points of contention like how many center huges they'll be allowed to keep how much enriched you uranium will be allowed in the country. one of the things that we're sure sure they want to talk about is how quickly e.u. sanctions can be lifted once the deal is signed. that is clearly the request of the you rain ones is they do sign these deals these terribly damaging sanctions can be lifted as possible and some of the toughest sanctions are e.u. sanctions. >> two police officers have gone on trial in france over the death ten years ago of two teen

simon mcgregor-wood reports from belgium, where some of the best racing pigeons are being bred. >> reporter: in this box is a belgium racing pigeon nick larks a star. he's been sold -- nick larks a star. he was sold to a chinese man. >> he was the most expensive pigeon selled since may 2013 after bolt. he was sold for $244,000. >> niklas and hundreds of others live here at pigeon paradise an exclusive breeding center. last year $23 million of racing pigeons were sold from here mostly to china. this is where retired champions breed, with the all-important bred in belgium tag. to chinese fans that means they are buying the best courtesy of decades of competition and expertise. >> it's maybe snobbery that people from china, they know they have good quality pigeons, they will not trust other chinese. they prefer to come to belgium and buy pigeons from belgium. 420 birds are on the way from china. the value $911,000. it's a long way from when pigon racing is a hobby. using mysterious honing instincts, a started with pigons released from home. owners waiting for them to come back or not, all for

simon mcgregor wood, al jazeera paris. >> now the remains of some of the passengers of the flight that was shot down over ukraine last year have been sent to the netherlands for further investigation. coffins were placed on a dutch military car do plane. 298 people died when the plane crashed after being shot down in ukraine. >>> the russian ruble is now being used in the donetsk. the move by the government of the self-proclaimed donetsk republic. it is suspected that some salaries and pensions will be paid in rubles. pro-russian troops have been fighting in donetsk for over a year. >>> a yearlong joint mission to the international space station. the crew aride in the early hours of saturday. the russian cosmonaut and american astronaut will be the first to stay 12 months at the station. they >> that is the latest news from here in europe. back to elizabeth in doha. >> now guinea has deployed extra security to the board of sierra leone. people living along the border area say a large number of people have arrived in guinea this week. the quarantine that will last until sunday has been

simon mcgregor wood has been monitoring actions in brussels. >> everyone was let much sing from the same hymn sheet. this institution is willing to stand by the libyans but only once a national unity government has been put into place. the european union are partly funding the talks going on in morocco, and they feel that they have an investment in the outcome of those talks. we're not talking about a huge military commitment, but we are talking about observers status missions to build up the libyan national army. we may see libyan troops guarding oil installations and airports, that kind of thing which for the european union would be a departure from its normal activities. why is all of a sudden this is surgeon a bill priority, i guess the situation is deteriorating so rapidly and the real station in capitols across europe that libya is very much on the door step of its borders to the south. it's clearly the jumping off point for this terrible i don't know going immigration and with the rise and spread of isis in libya, i think that's really focusing people's minds. and really for the f

simon mcgregor-wood reports. >> reporter: at the altar there was 150 candles, one for each victim. relatives and locals coming together to remember them. >> translation: it's terrible. horrible for the families. there's no words for this. i'm broken. >> reporter: on the mountainside the recovering continues, it will take another two weeks. the second black box is missing. the need for the data is less urgent now the cause of the crash is clear. trying to understand what drove the co-pilot andreas lubitz to a heinous act is the focus of the investigation. a german newspaper quotes a former girlfriend andreas lubitz worried his health problems threatened his career and talked of doing something dramatic that people would remember him for. german doctors say he was undergoing treatment and was flying despite being told not to. he had a history of depression. that is weighing questions will suitability to fly. >> at dusseldorf destination of doomed flight passengers paid tribute and signalled the determination to carry on flying. i don't have any concerns. i trust our airlines i have f

simon mcgregor-wood reports from paris. >> reporter: as she voted on sunday, she hoped this would be a break through election for the national front and it would gain control of the councils. results suggested disappointment. her party would have gained councillors, it will struggle to control one council. she tried to put a brave face on it. >> translation: the historical fact this evening is the establishment of the national front as a powerful force. this exceptional victory is a good line for the future. the socialist party is disappearing and the national front is showing ruts. >> reporter: the clear winner was the right wing ump led by former president sarcozy. it is promoted to win two-thirds of france's councils which may help his campaign to become the ump's next presidential candidate. >> translation: with their vote the french people rejected massively the politics of francis hollande's government. this has never happened before. never before have the government lost so many departments. >> socialists of president francis hollande have been punished by voters frustrated wi

simon mcgregor wood reports on where some of the best racer pigeons are bread. >> in this box is a belgian racing pigeon called nicholas, something of a long distance star a national champion just sold to a chinese billionaire. >> this was the most expensive pigeon in the auction and also in the whole auction season. this is the most expensive pigeon sold since may 2013, who was sold for 224,000 euro. >> this is an exclusive breeding center. last year, $23 million worth of racing pigeons were sold from here mostly to china. this is where retired champions breed, with the all important bread in belgium tag. to chinese fans, that means they're buying the best, court see of decades of competition and expertise. >> it's also a matter of maybe snobbery that people from china they have good quality pigeons in china but they prefer to come to belgian and buy pigeons here. >> birds are on their way to china, $911,000 total value. >> it's a long way from when pigeon racing was a hobby. using the birds homing instincts, races started with pigeons released hundreds of kilometers from home. owners anx

simon mcgregor has the latest from brussels. >> the second day is being used to discuss libya, very much at the top of the agenda. they are exchanging ideas on how the european union can help support a host national unity government in libya. they are facially funding the talks taking place and coordinating closely with the united nations on this whole issue. the european union's foreign supreme, if you like said they will be coming up with concrete proposals, that are political how to shore up any post deal agreement in libya and extend into the field of security. does that mean we'll get european troops running around the desert fighting isil in libya? probably not but means that special missions will be described to secure libya's borders, train libya's armed forces guard oil installations and airport and important infrastalksure. i think that would very much be on the cards. we're hearing if the situation stabilizes, they would want a libya invitation to get involved and want to do it with a un mandate and with regional players. why is this such an important issue for europe? because

simon mcgregor-wood reports from bellium where some of the best racing best of my knowledge ons are being bread. >> in this box is a pigeon called nicholas. he is something of a long distance star, a national champion who has been sold to a chinese billionaire? >> this was the most expensive pigeon in the auction and in the auction season actually the most expensive pigeon sold since may, 2013, he was sold for 244 your o. >> nicholas and hundreds of others live here at pigeon paradise an exclusive beading center. last year $23 million worth of racing pig options were sold from here, mostly to china. this is where retired champions breed with all-important bread-in belgium tag and the chinese fans that means they are buying the best courtesy of expertise? >> mother of name snobbery -- a matter of maybe snobbery, china even though they have good quality pig options but they will not quickly trust other chinese. they prefer to come to bell jum today 420 birds are on their way. total value, $911,000 it's a long way from when pigeon racing was a hobby. using the birds homing instincts, pig opt