abdul fatah al-sisi is poised to win. those that don't like abdul fatah al-sisi, what will they do - show up at the polls and register discontent and vote for hamdeen sabahi. doubtful. what will probably happen is they'll go home. >> is hamdeen sabahi not going to offer another alternative? >> he represents an alternative, but remember there's a swathe of supporters who would not look at it as an alternate. he was a key figure in the movement to overthrow or remove mohamed mursi. for 15%-20% of egyptians that would vote for the muslim brotherhood, i don't think they'd look at hamdeen sabahi as an alternative to abdul fatah al-sisi. >> thank you very much. joining us here to discuss the elections. >>> al jazeera continues to demand the release of its journalists held in egypts. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have been held in prison for 149 days. their trial has been adjourned until june the 1st. they are accused of conspiring with the muslim brotherhood. al jazeera rejects all the charges. a fourth jo

. >>> a landslide victory for the chief sisi. he has won the presidential election. >> an amphibian invasion. we meet the toad that could spell disaster for madagascar's unique environment. >>> let's begin with breaking news from ukraine where a military helicopter has been shot down apparently by rebels in sloviansk. journalists saw the helicopter explode. a pro russian group says it's holding four that went missing. the men are safe and will be released soon. okay. let's talk. we tried so hard to get it right. i apologize. let's talk about the military helicopter. what's happening? >> other journalists, ukrainian and russian, this is a helicopter that delivered equipment to the hot beds of tensions and strong holds of the pro russian rebels in the area. after it dislodged a group of soldiers it was going back. at that point there were two explosions. one in the air and one on impact. there was a plume of smoke rising and heavy shooting heard in the area. that's the latest we've heard. there's no official confirmation from the u

abdul fatah al-sisi hasn't told us his plan, why is that? >> that's probably because he doesn't have a plan. the important thing is no one can succeed as president of egypt. the elephant in the room is the economy. it's in a state of collapse at the present time. what we see is these vague plans about, you know, energy saving light bulbs, and things like that while at the same time, for example, abdul fatah al-sisi can't get rid of subsidies that people depend upon. they burn through the money, $20 billion since abdul fatah al-sisi took over, and at the present time the only option out there on the table is either more gulf money poured after what they have done before or going mat in hand to the i.m.f. which abdul fatah al-sisi has been reluctant to do. >>> do you think they are the only two options on the table. the truth is it may be the elephant in the room. both men promised this is something they'll deliver on. is that a promise they can keep? >> not at the level that people expect. the reality is no outside help will be sustainable fo

abdul fatah al-sisi was to have mohamed mursi locked up. he presided over a ruthless crackdown over the muslim brotherhood. >> we are calling for legitimacy. this is our point of view. that's why they are killing us. >> abdul fatah al-sisi did it. he seemed to have popular support. the general was attracting something of a cult following. it kept him in the spotlight since late summer. he hasn't discouraged xorns. he ruled egypt from 1956 to 1970. nasser, a general was popular. abdul fatah al-sisi is known as being religiously devote. he has not publicly expressed an opinion on how he views the role of islam in politics. he said religious - scores facing the egyptian people. there's a need for a new vision. >> before that conversation starts, abdul fatah al-sisi knows his priority is to turn egypt's economy around. >> during two revolutions egyptians were aspiring to freedom and justice. >> egyptians love this. i need to give them stability freedom and development. >> abdul fatah al-sisi says he can improve the economic condition of the peo

abdul fatah al-sisi had mohamed mursi locked up.e decided over a ruthless crackdown on the muslim brotherhood. >> our president is mohamed mursi. we are calling for legitimacy. this is our point of view. that's why they are killing us. >> reporter: abdul fatah al-sisi did it seemingly with populace support. the germ was beginning to attract something of a cult following. abdul fatah al-sisi rode a waive of nationalism that kept him in the spotlight since summer. he hasn't dissuaded comparisons with nasser, a general who was popular, described as the first leader to challenge western dominance in the middle east. abdul fatah al-sisi hasn't publicly expressed an opinion on how he views the role of islam in politics. he said in a recent speech:. >> reporter: before the conversation starts, abdul fatah al-sisi knows he has to turn the economy around. >> translation: during resolutions egyptians were conspiringor justice. i need to give them security. >> reporter: within two years he says he can improve the economic situation of the peop

that's what we saw from al sisi. i would like to say more. the interim president was appointed on fourth of july last year. after voting he had this to say. >> i ask all egyptians to vote to, build a future of egypt. this the officers step. we have to stop talking and start action pause egypt needs all our earths. >> well, we heard earlier from our analysts about the significance of voter turnout. do we have any more on that? >> reporter: there is nothing concrete but suggestion at 1:00 two and a half hours ago that there had been a million voter turnout which is not a huge amount, but there is a few factors to take in consideration. i've got my white board out here. you have got in egypt 53.9 million registered voters. that's the number of people who can vote. the only thing we've got as a guideline is to go back to january where we had a vote on the constitution. but then you had a voter turn out 20.5 million. now here in may this is the big question, what are we going to get in may for turnout back al sisi, if we assume he's going to win t

abdul fatah al-sisi was to have m.e.r.s. locked up and -- mohamed mursi locked up and presided over a ruthless crackdown of the muslim brotherhood. >> our president is mohamed mursi. we are calling for legitimacy. this is our point of view. they are killing us. >> reporter: abdul fatah al-sisi did it with popular support, seemingly. the general was attracting something of a cult following. abdul fatah al-sisi rode a wave of nationalism that kept him in the spotlight since last summer, and hasn't discouraged comparisons with a ruler from the 1960, described as a first leader to challenge western dominance of the middle east. abdul fatah al-sisi is religiously devout, but hasn't publicly expressed an opinion on how he views the role of islam in politics. on a speech to the military he said: >> reporter: before the conversation starts abdul fatah al-sisi knows his priority is to turn egypt's economy around. >> translation: during two resolutions egyptians as powered for freedom and social justice. i need to give them security,

in fact he was beaten not just by al sisi but also beaten by spoiled ballots.ypt that count all the ballots for every candidates and the once they couldn't read or messed up there were more spoiled vote balance ups than vs for him. >> do you think his comments undermine the credibility of the elections even more than critics say it has? >> i think certainly these elections had a lot that happened that undermined their credibility. they extended it to a third day which is unprecedented. so clearly there are lots of question marks around this election and his statements just further add to the general air around these elections that they were really not what you would think of as a free and fair election. >> so where does this leave al sisi, he has his victory now? not a very strong mandate, where does this leave his ability to tackle the all-important issues of economy and security? >> well, so there are two days of looking at this. you might make the argument that because he didn't get the very powerful democratic mandate, you know, from the people during this

because sisi has not given them any freedom. sisi has not given them any hope. he was coming on tv and said i don't have anything for you. i don't have anything to give you. the fact he didn't have any vision, he didn't have any manifesto, he don't have any future with those people. that's why a lot of more groups are joining on the street. and they will have their say in the end. >> well it will be interesting to see what happens. zachary, abdel hadi, thank you. >>> al jazeera is continuing to demand the release of its journalists retained there, baher mohamed, peter greste and mohamed fahmy. accused of conspiring with the outlawed muslim brotherhood. al jazeera continues to demand the return of its staff. >>> the head of veterans affairs has been forced to resign. african enclave of malia. it is stay with us with us >> reminder of the top storieso. thailand's military chief has ruled out holding elections for another year. he says there needs to be time for political reform. >>> the syrian observatory for human rights, say nearly 2,000 have been killed by barr

there is a collective spirit of mass conformity around sisi. >> reporter: al-sisi and another candidateit is an indication that al-sisi doesn't have the nationwide support that many assume. >> among the revolutionaries around tahrir square, some will go and vote for sabahi but many will stay home. in. >> reporter: it's been almost a year since memo morsi was ousted in a coup. more than 1,000 people have died in protest and clashes. the muslim brotherhood has been declared a terrorist organization. hundreds of its followers have been killed and thousands have been arrested. foreign observers remain doubtful had a a fair election is possible. the european union will have advisors at polling places. carter said in a recent statement that he is gravely concerned that egypt's democratic process has fall terd. >> the democratic process is pretty nonexistent. especially since we declare that the leaders have compiled the muslim brotherhood and allied islamists who were even a part of political life under hosne mubarak. >> eight airports and 20,000 new schools along with investments in health c

a year, we were sent sisi. god saved us. >> it will change 180 degrees in sisi's era. we were living in anxiety in our home, terrorism, robberies and carjacking. there was real anxiety. now god will calm the situation with sisi in the picture. >> the election commission said counting is still underway and the final results will not be announced before next week. the original two day poll started on monday and was overshadowed by a law voted in. election officials blame it on a heatwave and extended it a third day. there are around 50 million registers voters. an official says more than 40% of people voted. the opposition alliance including the outlawed muslim brotherhood insist that less than 10% of voters showed up. aljazeera cannot confirm this. sisi led the coupe against egypt's first elected president and wanted millions of people to vote for him. critics say he needs a high turnout to legitimize his military takeover. this heights a boycott by the young people who led the resolution that deposed must be ri

polls suggest former defense minister abdel fattah al sisi is set to win. his only challenger is hamdeen sabahi, a leftist politician. several groups, including the muslim brotherhood, are urging people not to vote. the islamist group has been the target of a crackdown under sisi's command. some younger egyptians are also rejecting the election. they include people who led democratic protests. analysts say some people think sisi's victory is a foregone conclusion, and aren't bothering to cast ballots. they say authorities may be hoping the unexpected holiday will increase voter turnout, and enhance the legitimacy of the outcome. >>> now egypt's new president will undoubtedly face many pressing challenges. nhk senior commentator on the middle east observed the political landscape in the country during the election campaign. >> sisi fails to win the election by a large margin, many egyptians who regarded him as a savior of the nation since he ousted mohamed morsi. they criticize the former president pursued an islamist agenda of the muslim brotherhood, and di

si si's al-sisi's statements. he is saying he'll respect the will of the people if they protest against him and he'll resign. obviously those two things don't go together and there are other examples of this. he says he's willing to accept criticism but not quote unquote offensive criticism. what egyptian journalist is going to want to test that fine distinction? the basic thrust of his comments i think is that he is the stability and security candidate and he'll do whatever it takes to ensure stability even if it means more repression, even if it means suppressing any kind of accident dissent, even mild dissent here. >> 53% of the voters between 18 and 40. does general al-sisi have any problems with that constituency? >> yes, there's a general problem in egypt with youth disenchancement with the political process. you have the revolutions who were participating in january 2011 and many supported the coup in july 2013. but a growing number of them have realized that things have not gotten better and they have also

backs to sisi. five elections before and all had gone in vein. >> the only other candidate is hamdin sabahi. refused to pull out of the presidential race. the boycott is big and needs consideration. >> translator: everyone is interpreting the boycott to their own aim. the brotherhood, says it's victory for them. the reality is that the boycott came from the powers bigger than the brotherhood or sisi. it's the people behind the 25th of january revolution. >> reporter: polls are scheduled to close at 9:50 p.m.and the results are expected within days. >> why the vote is not happening it's worth also looking at the official campaigns themselves, their social media campaigns, at least what they're saying, or at least what they're countering it. the home page of abdel fatah al-sisi, there are lots of pictures of this sort of thing. you get the people holding up their fingers like this, this is the cr fo c for sisi. you should go doubt and do it to -- go out and do it too. by comparison, i go over to the o

abdel fattah al-sisi pushed mohammed morsi from power last year. the prime minister in thailand due to find out tomorrow whether or not she will be removed from office. yingluck shinawatra is on trial for abuse of power after months of political unrest. time to take a look at what headlines have been saying around the world. let's start with tensions in ukraine, which are getting a lot of attention. >> on the front page of a lot of papers, "the wall street journal" says fighting is intensifying in ukraine. you can see the photo of pro-russian govunmen carrying a man in donetsk. i pulled out a cartoon from "the independent," that focuses on recent clashes in odessa. likening them to a scene from the battleship potemkin, a 1925 propaganda film, soviet era. it is a very famous film especially this scene. during a massacre, this baby carriage goes rolling down a flight of staircases, it likens the baby carriage to ukraine. a very serious cars him there. i pulled up another cartoon from the international "new york times," critical of the way europe and

can sisi bring an end to his country's turmoil? madrid will be the proud owners of this year's championship trophy? but which will it be? alice has a look at business. you have a look at commodities of a different kind? >> absolutely david. a prehistoric kind. the problem is with prices rocketing, many precious artifacts are ending up in private hands rather than museums where scientists and public can enjoy them. >>> hello. egyptians are preparing to head to the polls on monday and tuesday of next week. it's been less than a year since the first democratically elected president morsi was ousted from power. two candidates are running for the country's top job. many believe the result say foregone conclusion. the key question, will egypt's next leader be able to ignite the country? we have that report. >> reporter: it looks like a victory dance for egypt's next pharaoh. though the voting hasn't started, his adoring fans can afford to be confident. the former army chief who removed the elected president morsi appears set to replace h

abdul fatah al-sisi will face a range of complex problems. catastrophe is the best word to describe it. it is the largest importer of wheat, no reserves, massive energy needs, no tourism - which is a leading source of foreign currency, and he is confronted not only with the opposition of the muslim brotherhood, and other dissenters, but a nasty insurgency that the egyptian armed forces has been fighting in the cyanide peninsula. >> there are issues for the relationship with the united states. you know, he has a police force known to be abusive. there are people unjustly imprisoned. what will happen with the egyptian relationship with the united states. >> despite the fact that the obama administration mildly sang tured for the cout debtar, there's a poll among policy makers and others that they'd like to resume the relationship. a number of factors will get in the way. one is the continuation of human rights violations, and i expect that abdul fatah al-sisi will continue to use force and coercion to establish political control. the fact that

i mean once sisi gets elected is the u.s.r the european union going to prioritize these issues, particularly when it comes to detainees and say listen we're not going to expect you to be democratic overnight, we know you won't become democratic overnight but at least you can are release some people as a sign of good faith. i hope there's a pressure to that effect. >> thank you so much for your time knit. >> my pleasure. thanks for having me. >>> now to the political battle over the keystone pipeline. some of the pipeline has already been built, and according to the polls, two-thirds of the are extension of. haters and supporters say the pipeline will create jobs. uncomfortable divisions in advance of the mid term elections, some senate democrats support the project and want to vote so they can go on the record on it this fall. but the obama administration has avoided making any decision he on it until after the november mid terms. there are indications that president obama will oppose the project. joining me now to discuss th

sisi urged egyptians to come out in large numbers. his critics say the selection is meant to legitimize his grip on power. >> translator: he's mobilizing a large number of people. if millions vote, it will give him legitimacy and coup is valid. that's not happening. >> reporter: he urged the youth to support his bid for the presidency. egypt is divided, but those who are heading to the polls believe this election will bring much-needed stability, but many are boycotting the vote while others are protesting. they have been out on the streets in alexandria and suez in what they call illegitimate elections. they say that morsi is still in charge. security measures have been tight around polling stations across egypt. the results are expected in a few days, but there have been accusations of fraud and irregularities. this is egypt's second presidential election in two years, and its outcome is likely to keep egyptians divided. >> with us now is tarik mazul, and he's an associate professor and author. first of all, you have two candidates,

sisi urged egyptians to come out in millions to vote.is critics say he needs the high turnout to legitimize the coup. others say he wants 52% achieved by the overthrown mohammed morsi when he won the presidency in 2012. >> translator: no one can hide the sun. the people turn their backs to sisi. the people consider these elections illegal. the people also noted that their votes have no value, because there were five elections before, and all had gone in vein. >> reporter: the only other candidate rejected the decision to extend the voting, but refused to pull out of the presidential race. another issue is whether a large section of the electorate is deliberately boycotting the ballot. >> translator: everyone is interpreting the boycott to their own aims. the brotherhood says it's victory for them. while the sisi camp says the boycott is boosting the brotherhood's aims. but the boycott came from the powers bigger than the brotherhood of sisi. >> reporter: polls are scheduled to close at 9:00 pm local time, and the official results are exp

abdul fatah al-sisi claims to have run a crushing victory in egypt. questions remain over the low turn out. >>> kidnapped - ukranian rebels say they are holding four international observers in donet donetsk. the government will do everything possible to bring hour daughters home. >> nigeria's president promises to bring back the missing school girls and wage war against boko haram. >> robin adams with all the sport. the latest from the french open. and the owner of manchester united, malcolm glaser, passes away, three days after his 86th birthday. >> former army chief abdul fatah al-sisi looks to be heading for a landslide victory in the presidential election. official results are to be declared. supporters claim to have won over 90% of the vote. the low turn out is an embarrassment for the government. despite a day of voting and transport, less than half the electorate cast their ballots. >> the official winner has not been announced. these egyptians are celebrating. preliminary results released by the government suggest that former army chief abdul

the former army chief abdul fatah al-sisi seems to be heading for a win. final results may not be out, but abdul fatah al-sisi reporters celebrated in tahrir square after the campaign team said that earlier results showed that he had won over 90% of the vote. however, it seems that the extraordinary high turn out failed, and despite a publicity campaign, free transport and an extra day of voting - less than half the county cast votes. we'll talk to a senior lecturer with the university, in politics. he's joining us from doha. according to unofficial figures that we are getting. according to state media, they are putting the number of voters at 23 million. some say, you know, lower than the abdul fatah al-sisi camp hopped for and anticipated. >> i think 23 million is an extremely exaggerated number based on what we saw. we know or have an idea of how a turn out or 52% turn out looks like, if you look at the percentage elections of 2012, when you had 26.6 million voters showing up. you saw line-ups, and it was packed. compared to the picture we saw... >> you

the only other candidate, abdel fatah al-sisi, says he is against the move. talking about these developments, abdalla, in the egyptian elections, you know the government is putting the figure of voter turnout at 37%. what does it tell you about how egyptians are actually feeling about the vote? >> i don't think we can confirm the figures, those sound inflated, the fact that they have extended voting into a third day, is trying to promote sisi's election something to be a consensus among all egyptian voters, they would also like to see the high turnout enthusiasm, in the rallies of months ago. the security problems that have happened since the coup last year, that egyptians have become very frustrated not just the pull into sisi and so on. >> is this the active boycott or apathy among the population? >> certainly a bit of both. those who are specificallily supporters of mohamed morsi and openly said that they splil simplsimply notare recognize th. some opportunity within the selection to try and appeal for some kind of a choice for egyptians have also cast the

keeping that in mind, sisi is supposed to be quite popular. a lot of people say they look towards him for change, and that he's a man to bring it about. >> certainly i think probably it's still true that sisi is far more popular than the person he's running again. you're absolutely right that this low turnout is a far cry from the days in which sisi was seen as invincible when people were baking cakes with his photograph on them and selling them. he's been scratched up a bit in this election. >> if he doesn't get the numbers he wants, what sort of impact will it have? >> people are have focused on how low turnout plays into the hands of the muslim brotherhood, but low turnout in this election, sisi not doing as well as he thought will send all kinds of strange signals within the current governing coalition. there's people in the current coalition will look at sisi and realize his coattails are not what they thought they were. when he tries to push through controversial policies, maybe he won't get all the arms of the state. they'll say, we're

sisi.was supported by cheers in the capital. tight security for the poll following the surge in violence that followed the ousting of the president morsi a year ago by mr. sisi. we are at the polling station. >> we are here at one of the polling stations in alexandria, one of the largest in the city. we have to make sure his name and card is registered here. after that he picks the voting card and picks one of the two candidates running in the election. after that he comes out and casts his vote in this plastic box. finally he dips his finger in this ink. the media have been campaigning heavily in the past days asking people to go out and vote. some believe the importance of these elections does not only lie in the final results but also in the turnout. it simply shows how many people believe in the credibility of this voting process. >> she is in alexandria following the presidential elections for us. jamie is here with the business news. >> indeed. ukrainian as well. in business we're loo

abdul fatah al-sisi is expected to win the contest. he is facing leftist politician hamdeen sabahi. >>> the nigerian military ruled out force to rescue the kidnapped school girls. it says it has located the girls but an offensive may get them kill. >>> india's prime minister and pakistan's prime minister are holding bilateral talks, the first since 2002. >>> well, it's unclear whether ukranian soldiers or pro-russian separatists are in control of donetsk airport. 40 were killed in heavy fighting. we have this report. >>> they came from above, an attempt to refap the airport. ukraine's -- reclaim the airport. ukraine's force from above. it began earlier. the airport was shot. no flights in or out of the city. ukranian authorities gave a deadline for separatists to lay down arms, but there was no surrender. then the crackdown. smoke rising over the airport, with military jets and helicopters launching attacks to wrest control from the separatists. shortly after reinforcements arrived trucks, fighters belonging to the battalion. this was

the campaign team of abdul fatah al-sisi is claiming a big win, saying he took 93% of the vote after early elections. international observers questioned the democratic credentials of the vote. >> supporters of the former military chief abdul fatah al-sisi has been out celebrating. the interim government is reporting a turn out of 46%. the european union mission believes the figure could be lower, adding that elections were free of fraud. media coverage was unfair, and there were restrictions on who was allowed to run. >> an associate professor at the university believes that the estimates of low turn out will not affect abdul fatah al-sisi so much. >> abdul fatah al-sisi would have love the to come in with millions voting for him, and a turn out showing domestically and internationally that the people are goodnight him and what he did in ousting the democratically elect president. clearly that has not happened. he comes into the presidency scratched up, a little egg on his face. does that mean he doesn't have credibility, that he doesn't have power? i don't think so. the power of the

sisi is running against hamdeen sabahi, an activist and former journalist. sisi led the de facto coup that ousted former president mohamed morsi last july. morsi had taken office in 2011, after decades of authoritarian rule. he had the backing of islamist group, the muslim brotherhood. polls suggest egyptians are looking for stability, and the chance to rebuild their economy under strong leadership. but some pro-democracy activists are concerned that a win by sisi may herald a return of autocratic rule. leaders of egypt's military-backed interim government have cracked down on muslim brotherhood supporters, and tried to contain pro-democracy movements. >>> pope francis has called on the israeli and palestinian presidents to sit down with him at the vatican. he extended the invitation while on a visit to bethlehem. the pope is on a three-day middle east tour. he met with palestinian president mahmoud abbas in the west bank. the pope said the time has come to put an end to this situation, which has become increasingly unacceptable. he said israelis and palesti

abdul fatah al-sisi was the man behind the banning of the movement and gaoling leaders. voting for him will mean voting against the muslim brotherhood. he believes the overthrow of ainhoa murua was an egyptian revolution, his opponents have a different view. >> we are witnessing a counterresolution with the full meaning of the word. >> abdul fatah al-sisi's electoral campaign hij ges on what he scrooebz as the army and himself. whether egypt's voters believe the choice is that simply will be decided at the ballot box later this month. >> three al jazeera journalists held in egypt have been in prison for 130 days. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed are falsely accused of conspiring with the outlawed muslim brotherhood. the movement has been declared a terrorist organization. al jazeera rejects all the charges and is demanding their immediate release. our colleague abdullah al-shami has been on a hunger strike for 107 days, losing a third of his weight. >>> still to come here on this al jazeera news hour - brazil's sports men defend the world cup city. det

local media said with most of the ballots counted, sisi had won more than 92% of the vote. but they say fewer than half of eligible voters turned out. and sisi faced only one other contender. >> translator: egypt's economy will now develop. >> translator: cheers to the country's new leader. i will follow his ideas. >> sisi led a group of generals last july that overthrew then-president mohamed morsi. and media outlets gave strong support to his presidential campaign. commentators said he could save the nation from chaos. the military backed interim government has been cracking down on morsi supporters in the muslim brotherhood. they've rejected the results, calling the election a sham and posted calls on the internet for people across egypt to protest the election. >>> a heat wave is pushing temperatures into the 40s for parts of asia. meteorologist jonathan oh joins me now. jonathan, i hear people in india are having a rough time? >> yes, shery, they are. because the temperatures are really, really warming up. we're talking about highs to around 40 degrees or so. so we hav

sisi says he's running a campaign driven by the people.s no shortage of volunteers signing up to promote his candidacy. >> sisi's campaigns are popular in the sen that the central campaign doesn't sends any support. no posters, nothing. the support is from the people. t-shirts, for example. the people are the ones that act. elections this time are popular elections. >> reporter: with sisi's victory in the election seemingly all but guaranteed. the election campaign is perhaps less charged than in countries where the outcome isn't so predictable. so far, sisi has limited himself to television interviews. rather than big rallies. but there is some competition. there is only one other candidate. from the left of egyptian politics, he has enthusiastic supporters. he has done this before. he came third in it the 2012 election, that was won by mohamed morsi. who has since been deposed. >> translator: if our war against poverty is the holy warthen i am running in this election hoping that god makes my victorious, i know that my easy battle as i b

i'm going to vote for al-sisi. he can make a better economy for us. military guy.is a don't enter politics. picture a different southwest of the capital. one of only three polling stations on the outskirts of the city has drawn just several dozen voters. are in front of walls stenciled with graffiti of pro-morsi martyrs. they boycott the vote. >> we will stay put in the street for 10 years if necessary. luck had to be spilled in every revolution around the world. e- blood had to beast -- b spilled in every revolution around the world. >> for many voters, more bloodshed is the last thing they want. >> pope francis wraps up this monday a three-day visit to the middle east. the trip to the holy land rich and symbolic. the holocaust memorial on monday, the pontiff declaring, "never again." he made waves earlier in the , in the presidents of the palestinian authority and israel to the vatican later this year. to oure, let's go correspondent who has been following the pope's trip to the holy land. would notnsisted he get involved in politics, but it was an

sisi resigned as army chief so he could run for president. egypt's new presidency say will have to severe economic security and social problems. let's go to cairo and our co correspondent there. how much of a blow is this for his mandate? >> it certainly means he's starting out with the credibility gap. it's not the outcome he wanted or any of the various powerful institutions of state that have been backing him. obviously in recent months, basically all the levels of power behind him. he had strong backing from state and mump of the private media. he had a full backing of the ar army which is most powerful. many of the business community and those that previously backed the last in 2011. the script had been written by the powers at be that sisi would be swept to power on a wave of massive turnout and he would be vindicated. his removal of morsi would have been vindicated as choice of the egyptian nation. that's come to part because of the turnout. we don't have final official figures. what we are dealing with are provisional figures. they sa

i think the people will vote for sisi.er that, i think they'll go back to working on counter terrorism in the sinai peninsula, the suez canal will stay open. this will go back to business at usual for a while in terms of international relations. >> there is a food fight brewing between some of the leading breakfast foot producers. pilgrim's pride wants to buy hillshire. the move comes two weeks after hillshire announced plans to buy pinnacle. the partnership would create a company with a combined revenue of $12.4 billion. >> for families on food stamps, it can be a struggle to put healthy food on the table. a move by the government decades ago has made it difficult for that to happen. we look closer at a new push to give low income shoppers better access to fresh goods. >> shopping at the seattle farmers market every week. >> apples, cheese, yeah. >> she's been coming here for 20 years, a believer that pretty sure, organic food is best. a workplace injury a few years ago left her unable to work and forced her to seek gover

, enthusiastic about sisi so, come and do business with us.hink that is really the aim at this focus on the turnout. >> is there an international monitoring system in place for these elections? >> there is. the eu has sent 150 or so monitors deployed throughout the country, a usaid funded democracy international, i think transparency international is keeping on, an eye on the vote, a berlin based organization there are also a number of local organization os now it was interesting today democracy international issued a statement calling the extension of the votes by one more day highly irregular and said it further damaged the credibility of the electoral process here. and it declined to deploy monitors during this third day because it was-- it considered the extension of a vote at the last minute such an egregious --. >> how do most egyptians view al-sisi. >> i think there are a large number of people in this country, there is a a large number of people who support sisi, are stridently in favor of what he represents and are just so tired of th

former army sceef abdul fatah al-sisi is one -- chief abdul fatah al-sisi is one of two candidates running. he started the campaign with this message. he said: . >> the only candid challenging abdul fatah al-sisi is hamdeen sabehe. he told his followers: he is the leader of the movement known as popular current, and came third in the 2012 election won by deposed president mohamed mursi. >> the trial of three al jazeera journalists detained in egypt has been detained until may 15th. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy, and baher mohamed are accused of giving a platform to muslim brotherhood, a declared terrorist group. >> abdullah al-shami a fourth shournalist has been -- journalist has been on hunger strike for 100 days. peter greste's father hopes he has the strength to endure. >> his number one priority, as we are hoping for him, is to make sure he keeps himself as wholly together from day to day as is possible. and, you know, no doubt his faith, his belief is that if he can keep doing that then perhaps he may not be too daunted if it runs to, you know, a year's anniversary. >> u.s. presid

in cairo abdul fatah al-sisi supporters took to the streets to cheer on the choice for president. and abdul fatah al-sisi called for a strong turn out in the election on monday and tuesday. >> i ask all egyptians, especially women who prove their deep sense of patriotism by going to vote. i want to ask the young people to participate regardless of who you want to vote for. i want egyptian men and women to know irrespective of religion and ideology that there is something we share, our love and application for egypt. >> the trial of three al jazeera journalists in egypt has been adjourned until june the 1st. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have now been held in prison for 147 days. they are falsely accused of conspiring with the outlawed muslim brotherhood. al jazeera is appealing to world political leaders to secure the release of journalists abdullah al-shami. he has been in a cairo prison for more than nine months without trial. al jazeera rejects the charges against all its staff and demands their release. >> near heart island in new york. a grave site for a

he's not a show-in, but no question el-sisi is most popular. the field marshal, i worked with him in the cabinet, the guy is serious, he has a focus, he is a detailed person, very nationalistic in terms of where he'd like egypt -- and he's very proud as an egyptian. all of these are good, professional attributes from seven months of working together. >> charlie: how committed is he to democracy? >> i'm going to get that. thirdly, i would add to that. she a strategic thinker. he likes to define things. >> charlie: and he was made field marshal by president morsey, was he not? >> i think, yes. but on the question which you're asking, the next egyptian president will learn how to be democratic. he has 35% fewer powers in the constitution than the present one. he does not have authority without consulting the prime minister. he's going to learn. secondly, my kids and my grandchildren, the kids more than the grandchildren, they accept me as a father. they don't accept that i have the whole truth, and they won't accept it from anybody. but it's going

former army chief abdul fatah al-sisi is widely expected to win.f he does, he'll be the latest in a line of military men to lead the country. we have more. >> reporter: in 2011 they overthrow an army general. three years later they are about to elect another one. >> translation: we don't want a political role for the army. his role is to protect, not to rule. >> reporter: it's been over 60 years since the army got involved. the first generation of leaders, were seen as heroes, tasked with liberating palestine and ending the occupation of arab land. they perceived threats. decades of emergency laws previously were made, his son was prepared to replace him, but when the egyptians overthrew him, they saw the despotic ruler and a soldier - the defender of the nation. the army refused to crackdown on protesters. the military helped in the overthrow of mubarak and seen as the save our of the nation and defender of the democracy. it did not last. army leaders formed a military council to form an open-ended transition. they tried to cling to power. militar

they are certain of an abdul fatah al-sisi victory. some young egyptians say the vote lacks legitimacy. >> i will not give legitimacy to a regime that does not deserve it. i will not participate in elections that is practically finished. >> this is a comical play that is pushing us towards one candidate. >> three al jazeera journalists have been held in an egyptian prison for 145 days. the trial of peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed is set to resume on thursday. they have been falsely accused of conspiring with the outlined muslim brotherhood. bernard smith has more. >> reporter: peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed are expected to make a ninth appearance before a judge in a cairo court on thursday. at last week's hearing, the prosecution demanded the defense pay $170,000 to view what the prosecution calls its video evidence against the three al jazeera english journalists. the judge has ordered this evidence to be handed over, and for the prosecution to public its fee. so far, according to an al jazeera

and feel al-sisi would move egypt back to military rule. security is a concern. there have been a number of attacks in the last few months against institutions including cairo university. goal of encouraging people to come out and vote. >> str we want security for the country. we don't want protests. all the young people calling for protests can wait until the country gets on its feet and the security and the poor people are able to make a living. >> reporter: the european union has also sent 150 observers to oversee the election. the voting will take place over two days and turnout will be a good indicator how much support there is for sisi. research shows that over 50% of egyptians support him. not sure how many will be reflected in votes. carr lyon malone, al jazeera. >> parliament sceets are -- seats are going to anti-eu parties. meeting tournament to discuss the future of the european union. >>> voters are considering a change in direction of their own. there was no clear winner in yesterday's presidential election so colombia will hold a runoff in two weeks

the only sign of protest during this election was red paint symbolizing blood splattered across sisi posters. are you alarmed when you look at the larger crackdown? >> yeah, yeah, i'm definitely alarmed. it means that we are going towards a path that is continuously closing. and if that happens, you are leading us once more to an explosion. >> o'donnell: clarissa, this government seems almost embarrassed by the low turnout. >> reporter: certainly they appear to be, norah. cairo's largest mall closed early today to try to push people out to the polls, and they've even threatened to fine people who don't vote. clearly, they're concerned about comparisons to the election in 2012, which drew huge crowds. for them, this is really an issue of legitimacy and a presidential mandate. >> o'donnell: a sharply divided supreme court put new restrictions today on the death penalty. the court had already barred executions of the mentally disabled. today, the justices said florida's i.q. cutoff of 70 is too rigid in determining who is eligible for the death penalty. they said when inmates have i.q.s

al-sisi is a candidate backed by the state, backed by the business elite, and widely expected to win. insurgency of the results may have played into people not bothering to come. certainly, there is an active boycott. we have to remember the largest political group in the country, the muslim brotherhood, is not taking part in this election. they've been the subject of an incredibly harsh crackdown. many of the rank-and-file have been killed. their leaders are jailed. they have refused to take part. as groups like the april 6 movement. officials are saying the turnout is somewhere between in the mid 30's, but that is a much lower turnout than we saw in the runoff that elected mohamed morsi in 2012, which had 52%. >> al-sisi is still guaranteed to win, that he is even made one public appearance during his campaign? >> i'm sorry, could you repeat it? >> that al-sisi hasn't appeared publicly once himself during this campaign, even though his images are ubiquitous threat the throughout the country? >> it is cutting out, but from what i understand your question, al-sisi has run a very contr

but sisi's tough tactics appeal to a lot of people here. that is exactly what liberal activist mohamed nabil, who boycotted today's election, is afraid of. >> reporter: so they are choosing stability over freedom. >> bye, bye, muburak! >> reporter: it is a chilling thought for nabil who first took over tahrir square three years ago to protest the dictatorship of hosni mubarak, and now watches as another military strongmen cements his hold on power. we visited about a dozen polling stations around the city today and it was interesting because we didn't see any big crowds. one sisi supporter even conceded to me that even he was surprised by how few people were on the street. but voting does continue through tomorrow, so it is possible we will see bigger numbers coming out. >> axelrod: clarissa ward, covering for us in cairo. clarissa, thank you. late today, nigeria's defense chief claims the military knows where boko haram terrorists are holding more than 200 kidnapped school girls. he didn't say where, but he said that trying to rescue them

they accuse sisi of staging a coup last july.al activists from the leading movements are not voting either. they fear the future will be a rerun of the past of mubarak. i see a military regime, a crackdown on opposition, and no freedom of expression, no , legalizingrotest all oppression by the police. that is how i see it. >> you think this is mubarak over again? >> yes, it is mubarak over again. >> while opponents to the return of a military strongman, many egyptians are [indiscernible] for just that. nigeria's chief of defense says the location more than 200 schoolgirls that have been kidnapped have been identified. they say the military will not use force to rescue the gross. university of california santa barbara says it will have a day of mourning on tuesday to honor killed on victims saturday night. all classes will be canc el. rodger stabbediot 3 roommates. a clear message and parliamentary elections. in france, the national front topped the polls. in greece, a socialist party won. a report now on the night the top people