Hostage at a church in south africa. And corrupt and unprecedented a high profile u. S. Public and blasts Donald Trumps decision to cancel the prison sentence and to his former advances. We begin with a memorial to the victims of an atrocity that happened 25 years ago but is still traumatic for those who lived through it it is the anniversary of the srebrenica genocide where more than 8000 muslim boys and men were murdered by bosnian serb troops as part of a ceremony commemorating the killings some of the victims were finally laid to rest the bodies of more than a 1000 people are still missing this report from sun youve got to go. They came to grief. But in a pandemic far few away able to gather together to remember the dead. Several meets. Once just a regular municipality in eastern bosnia now a town scarred by the very worst of what humanity is capable of and still intra normality scorched by the horror of what came to pass here 25 years ago on saturday the bodies of recently identified remains of 9 victims were laid to rest in the memorial cemetery. Dignitaries gabaa to hear words from International Leaders now and then remembering the lives lost of what was termed ethnic cleansing and acknowledging how the International Community allowed this genocide to happen a quarter century ago the United Nations and International Community favor the people of. This former secretary general kofi annan said this failure on toller history for ever confronting that past is a vital step towards rebuilding trust more than 8000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were massacred by bosnian serb forces fathers and sons forcibly taken from their families. One of those how the women and girls subjected to torture and rape. While the bosnian serb leader is responsible for the massacre spending the rest of their lives in prison many still deny what took place. The government of the bosnian enclave. Has repeatedly questioned the number of Bosnian Muslims killed in stripping and continues to indoctrinate schoolchildren with his rejections of the 995 genocide do we have survived. Experience genocide we are the only country in the region which does not have the law which prevents. So we are becoming. Really. Country in which the extremists can flourish with their statements in the speech the massacre that happened in srebrenica was ruled to be the only want to have taken place on european soil since world war 2 the recognition of that vitally important for the survivors and their families and for the International Community for whom the phrase never again has been outed too often and to little effect. Earlier support. Hes a former Guantanamo Bay detainees now with the u. K. Based Campaign Group but he spent a lot of time in bosnia delivering humanitarian aid and he says the kind of hatred that led to srebrenica still persists today. We remember 70 today but 70 so was it happen in a vacuum and it was a culmination of multiple approaches atrocities that were taking place that led to the deaths of tens of thousands ethnic cleansing mass rape and rape as a weapon of war that was used to impregnate muslim women its so that the so soldiers that you will give birth to the next generation of of of serps the mandate of the United Nations was as peacekeepers now the problem is being a peacekeeper is when one side is much more militarily advanced and has much more firepower and is carrying out atrocities in that sense in that place you dont keep the peace the you stop the aggressor and thats what they didnt do because their mandate didnt allow them to do so i spoke to many soldiers from various United Nations forces who told me that they were deeply upset and troubled that they couldnt they were there was sitting there arent their tanks helicopters and aircraft and armed to the teeth but whats the point of being in that situation when youre not allowed to do do anything about it and though i have been myself a captive the United States american have suffered torture at their hands i will say that United States intervention did actually bring about an end but the end happened after the European Forces let it happen and nothing could be more vivid than what the dutch forces did in trouble needs allowing. Internally did displaced people to come into sharp relief only then to abandon forces. And then of course the rest as we know is history. On to other news and irans latest as the country cant afford to go back into lockdown even though there is now a shop rise in new corona virus infections the number of cases in iran has now topped a quarter of a 1000000 people that delicious care tatty the castle caught we cannot hold tell it cannot make activities any longer that there is no country in the world capable of doing so the only way to break through this tough time is to observe the social distancing recommendations a lockdown is the easiest measure that can be taken against the virus that the economic repercussions of the lock down and resulting resentment among the public we have to ban gathering and this includes weightings funerals and conferences any similar groupings are not necessary we also have to urge all people to adjust their way of life during this period of time as the number of infected cases has risen over the past weeks. As our correspondent in teheran with more. The economy just cant gild it going into this pandemic inflation is around 41 percent the country has seen an increase in unemployment the currency has lost value against the us dollar but also the economy is under u. S. Sanctions so what president rouhani is essentially saying is that the economy cannot deal with it but also he acknowledged that the government does fear that there will be opposition from the public and it was only in november last year that we saw widespread protests against the government fuel price increase but the government trying that made face masks mandatory in enclosed spaces theyve been running campaigns on state t. V. Telling people that the crown of ours is no joke but they do face a challenge according to the Health Ministry adherence to social distancing and some of those regulations started off 80 percent at the start of the pandemic now is down to 10 percent but here at the Sport Centers that have close Contact Sports are not now closed pools of close and reception holds the host wedding ceremonies and mourning ceremonies of have been told not to host those and thats seen as a key factor in the spread of the virus now president rouhani did go on to say that iran has dealt with the virus better than some European Countries something that he said in the past saying that despite all the sanctions iran is still doing well but he encouraged the public to observe social distancing to abide by the rules and to face this challenge together. At least 5 people have been killed during a siege at a church in south africa a large group had been taken hostage near johannesburg more than 14 suspects were arrested police say the attack was over the leadership of the church 3 factions are fighting for control following the death of its leader in 26 family the miller has more now from sweater. Ovo 40 people have been a wristed since they seem to have been a shooting and then a hostage situation at the soul church just behind us just south of johannesburg it seems that there was a factional battle or these 3 factions all of those church when their members with at least 3000000 members across Southern Africa so back till really was about the leadership of the church since the end of the previous leader passed away in about 2016 at the time of his death it seems that he had left behind in a state of at least 26000000. 00 so i wonder standing at this point is much of the tensions around leadership of the church is related to income of the Church Membership of the church and its resulted in a hostage situation that so at least 200. 00 people who look on the premises kicked in the church while these factions battled it out at least 5 people were killed and in fact all of them were killed in a vehicle just outside the church and it seems that they were burnt to death its not quite certain given what the police have said so far but their bodies were found in those but. We also know there is one other person whos been killed and all of the people the race that theyre also members of the police the National Defense was as well as the metropolitan police which really is quite bizarre given as we extend all the violent scene at this church during the course of the day. In the middle of political instability in democratic republic of Congo Justice minister celestin turn to has offered his resignation is a political ally of the former president Joseph Kabila didnt give any reason for his decision but it does follow a fight with president felix. Over proposed laws that would give politicians more control over criminal prosecutions. In mali the opposition is calling on supporters to stay out on the streets after 3 protest leaders were detained. Him is among those arrested in the capital bamako on friday police 5 gunshots and tear gas to disperse thousands who docu pide parliament and the state television the protesters want president. To resign for failing to tackle mali security and economic problems. Singapores governing party has comfortably held on to power despite its worst Election Results in nearly a decade Prime Minister lee hsien loong Peoples Action Party 61 percent of the vote but managed to win 83. 00 of the 93 seats in parliament the opposition won 10 seats which is its best ever performance election happened just weeks after the country emerged from 2 months of lock down the Peoples Action Partys been in power since singapores independence in 1065. On the outcome of the election the popular vote is 61. 2 percent we want 83. 00 seats out of 23. 00 we have a clear mandate but the percentage of the popular vote is not as high as a hoped for. And we lost one jersey. Nevertheless the result prefix broad based support for the p. D. P. Singaporeans understand what is at stake and why we must come together to uphold our National Interest in the news ahead despite Many Americans concerns of a theme park reopening with floridas disney world maybe still be the most magical place on earth and preparing to take on beijing prodemocracy activists in hong kong gear up for an electoral act. Weve got more that intense heat across the middle east time of the next couple days not too much clout showing up on the satellite picture base in pieces the clout there into im on my celebrity drizzly right into the fosse out of the country as he should do at this time of the year its really about the the temperature is 47. 00 celsius therefore baghdad be getting up to 49. 00 in q a pleasant sunshine around the eastern side of the mesa 29. 00 celsius the by rate at also for jerusalem in doha getting up to around 42. 00 over the next couple of days the way in civvies but it is looking rather humid from time to time so sticky feel to the weather as we go on through the next kind of day sunglasses steaming up when you go out those that sort of thing in the hay plenty of heat meanwhile across northern parts of africa play a showers too into central areas just around south sudan Central African republic all the way across into cameroon still some lively showers there even into Northern Areas of nigeria and i shout stretching across much of why. Staffer captain faso saying some very heavy rain from time to time heavy showers there were to senegal and also into the gambia as we go on through the next to die also joshi the shadows they are set to continue across a similar area with the possibility of some localized flooding as. Frank assessments tourism but the income stream is dead in the water whats been the result in purging quite significantly informed opinions there has been a very aggressive political rhetoric that has become very normal in Israeli Society indepth analysis of the days global headlines its time for new policy to say countries i think not only seem to grady but hes great to me this debating team over the whole continues inside story on aljazeera. Take it to the top stories this hour on aljazeera survivors families dignitaries they have gathered in east in bosnia and herzegovina to remember the srebrenica genocide has been 25 years now since bosnian serb troops murdered and i count the men police on. Irans president Hassan Rouhani says the country cant afford to go back into lockdown despite the shop price in new corona virus infections the number of cases in iran has now passed a quarter of a 1000000 and at least 5 people have been killed in a scene at a church in south africa dozens of people taken hostage and he said the attack was even leadership of the. Opponents from outside and within dont transfer Republican Party are expressing their outrage after he commuted basically wipes the prison sentence handed to a long time friend and former advisor schools roger stone who was convicted of lying to congress during the Russian Investigation a republican senator and one time president ial candidate mitt romney tweeted this unprecedented historic corruption an american president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very present its support from alan fischer. He has been a friend a confidant and for a very long time his biggest political supporter. Through his freedom of action political consultant was due to begin a prison sentence on cheezy with the president s granting of clemency that has gone away in my case the. U. S. Attorney filed a motion with the court which is. If the mother investigation had proof beyond a crown strikes report that the russians hacked the d. N. C. And gave the information to wiki leaks thats a lie the statement the white house said roger. As a victim of the russia hopes that the left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump Presidency there was never any collusion between the campaign or the Trump Administration with russia it continued mr stone will be put at serious medical risk in prison hes appealed his conviction and is seeking a new trial concludes roger stone is no a free man. Was caught up in robert millers investigation into alleged collusion between russia and the Trump Campaign in january last year he was charged with one count of obstruction 5 of making false statements and one of threatening a witness the charges included lying to congress during the Russian Investigation about his back channel links to wiki leaks during the 2016 Election Campaign prosecutors said he lied several times to protect donald trump after a trial in washington d. C. He was found guilty initially prosecutors recommended a 7 to 9 year sentence that was criticized by the president. He was sentenced to 40 months in jail fined 20000. 00 and told to complete 250 hours of Community Service several times the president insisted this was a miscarriage of justice and he was considering a pardon for his old friend including this on friday and i think right your son was very unfairly treated as were many before had in the meantime komi and all these guys are Walking Around in voting by the obama record them by my camp they want to believe that what numerous republicans have over the last few days given a political cover to commute the sentence but others want him against it saying it could play badly in the months leading up to the next election adam schiff who led the impeachment process against donald trump said in a statement commuting the sentence of roger stone a crony who lied in obstructed investigation to protect himself is among the most offensive to the rule of law and principles of justice just this week stone tried to stop a sentence going ahead but at a hearing on Justice Department said it was a reasonable step something the president has no. Aljazeera washington. We spoke to Richard Goodstein a democratic policy political consultant and former advisor to bill clinton and he thinks the decision is the act of a president who believes hes actually on the way out under the constitution the president does have this already it unchecked frankly the check now will be devoted. Pure and simple and i actually think that the commutation of the stone sentence to me demonstrates that down from those hes going to lose something he wouldnt be able to do obviously not as president and i think he realizes some level or certainly his advisors to this is this is so offensive to so many people that to do Something Like this only makes sense if you know youre going down so you might as well use every possible d power you have before the last day but thats what i think were seeing here youre the trump camp your attitude has to be i cant really try anything however illegal it might be because it actually gets the president over the finish line in a positive way hes going to let me off the hook so thats i would say the scary proposition or the take away from the stone commutation is that if youre in the trump corner the message is do whatever it is that you think is going to help the president because were going to watch your back the hope is that the voters see it differently u. S. Citizen