>> building a case against bashir al-assad. the u.s. is gathering evidence that he was behind the suspected chemical attack. >> from al jazeera as headquarters in doha, i'm here with the top stories from around the world. the rain has stopped but the water is still rising. flooding for forces thousands from their homes in northeast china. also ahead. [ sobbing ] >> conflicts reports on how many were killed but both sides say they will keep fighting in the democratic republic of congo.

>> the united states says it's gathering evidence ahead of possible military action against syria. the u.s. u.k. and france believe bashir al-assad used chemical weapons in the attack last week. 300 died. >> it was up of defiance. >> we're all hearing the drums of war around us. if they want to launch a war in syria, i think the pretext of chemical weapons is frail and fragile. it is a pretext. >> reporter: the u.nit would bea

breach of international law. >> we hope that the american and european leaders who seek such military attacks all remarks about them have enough wisdom, especially seen that the u.n. security council has not issued permission and apparently is not going to issue any. >> reporter: an u.n. spokesman asked about this, and quick to dodge the question. >> i wouldn't speculate what military action would look like. we have no way of knowing. >> reporter: at the white house they're expressing certainty that chemical weapons were used by the assad regime and warning there will be a response. the president only now having to decide what option to take. >> it's not around the question of whether or not chemical weapons were used in syria on a significant scale causing mass death and injury.

to innocent civilians, to women and children. it's not a question of whether or not the assad regime is responsible. with a is the question what is the ponce to thi response to thr violation of international norms. >> reporter: if the u.s. president wants to launch action, there is no one to stop him. but behind the scenes there is a flurry of diplomatic activity. >> reporter: the u.k. and france are persuading as many nations as possible that the action that they're most certainly to take is morally justified. >> barnaby phillips joining me live in london, they're continuing deliberations, we understand. >> reporter: yes, that's right. there will be a meeting later

today. with what is called the national security council which brings together david cameron's most senior ministers and the top brass of the military. they'll be looking at what military action britain might take. a lot of talk about cruise missiles being fired from a submarine from eastern mediterranean or somewhere in the middle east or use of the royal air force base on the island of cyprus. one thing is very clear. david cameron and other ministers in the government are keen to tie this possible action or you might say this now increasingly likely action to the alleged use of chemical weapons by president bashir assad. >> any action we take or others take would have to be legal, would have to be proportionate, it would have to be specifically to deter and degrade the future use of chemical weapons. let me stress to people this is

not about getting involved in a middle eastern war or changing our stance in syria or going further in that conflict. it has nothing to do with that. it is about chemical weapons and it's wrong and the world should not stand idly by. >> those having the british--the concerns in the military and four generals have come out and spoke on record. over the table he'll be told it's all very well to talk in those terms, but by definition once you attack one side in a civil war, you are getting involved. it's all very well for the british government to talk about how they're not interested in regime change or rather that is not the objective of these actions, but it's been quite

apparent that the british government has spoken very loudly about its desire for regime change in syria over the past two years, and of course there is always the spector of irairan that hangs over this country as it does many others, the questions of legality, proving without doubt that one side is guilty. in a way you might say things are a little bit different here because it does seem almost certain that chemicals weapons were used in syria, whereas weapons of mass destruction were never discovered. there is no doubt that the british government knows this is a hornet's nest, and it could pull in other countries in the region, and extremely unpredictable and dangerous, and they would argue that the danger of doing nothing is greater than the danger of interconvening.

>> thank you, barnaby. at least 16 people have been killed in iraq after a series of bomb attacks on the capital of baghdad. it's believe the areas are mainly shiite districts. 50 people have been injured. the mining chief was kidna kidnapped. it is believed that they were mining on stolen land. the white house is again called on north korea to pardon an imprisoned american missionary. kenneth bae was sentenced to 15 years hard labor on sub version charges. bae's family says he's seriousy ill and in hospital. there are conflicting reports about the number of people killed in five days of

fighting in the democratic republic of congo. after battles between government soldiers and rebels. as malcolm webb reports from the city the military is keeping the death toll a secret. [ sobbing ] >> reporter: the relatives of captain constant lost in a conflict that none of them ever wanted. his men lay him to rest. he was killed in action in a battle with i m 32 rebels. the preacher tells the mourners the mission must continue. witnesses say many were killed on both sides in heavy fighting here over the last week but neither side will say how many. nearby at the hospital in the city of goma the major was luckier.

he survived being shot in both arms when he was ambushed by the rebels. >> the m 23 rebels used to be our soldiers. we served together, and we know some of them personally. nobody likes that they mutinied, but the government is going to deal with them. >> reporter: he's one of a handful of wounded government soldiers here, most of them officers. the there were more injured at this military hospital. relatives come to check on their loved ones. the government has provided some supplies for the injured soldiers staying here. here are some mattresses, sacks of food supplies, here are plastic cups and medical equipment as well. the injured soldiers are staying in a ward over there, but we're not allowed to film inside. the number of dead and wounded soldiers is a sensitive issue. the doctor has flown in to visit. he's part of a delegation sent

here by the president to assess the situation and hand over the supplies. >> there is not very important numbers of soldiers that have been killed. even here in the hospital perhaps we can see that there is around hundred injured soldiers. [♪ music ] >> reporter: back at the cemetery the captain is lowered into his grave. his wife struggles to say goodbye. his comrades are upset, too. they've already been through a lot. both sides have vowed to continue the fight. if they do, there may be a lot more burials to come. malcolm webb, al jazeera, goma in the democratic republic of congo. >> richard is next with the world weather. then sending a strong message or attempting regime change. our course upon department looks at the options the white house

is weighing in syria. than the ups and downs of the dow. for instance, could striking workers in greece delay your retirement? i'm here to make the connections to your money real.

>> the top stories on al jazeera. the united states says it's gathering evidence ahead of possible military action against syria. the u.s. the u.k. and france say they believe the syrian government used chemical weapons in an attack on the outskirts of damascus last week. britain's prime minister cut short his holiday to meet with his advisers in how to respond to the chemicals attack.

>> now just before the break we had a report from malcolm webb on several days of fighting in the eastern side of the democratic republic of congo. he joins us. you say the fighting has subsided, is that correct? >> no, we just heard three hours ago the fighting started again. there has been heavy fighting since early this morning between the rebels and the government soldiers. this is a place just 1 12 kilometers north of here, of goma. there have been helicopter gunships and firing on rebel positions. >> yes, there is that question about the u.n. in 2058 of this. what is the chain of command? how are they coordinating with government forces? are we clear about that? >> well for a long time they've

been haven't taken that mandate to its maximum affect. that has caused discontent among the civilian population in recent years. recently they added a new special interest agree made with a special mandate with new commanders and new top figures. in what seems to be a growing momentum of political will to take action they now seem to be getting more involved. over the last week the intervention brigade assisted the army with the fighting and shelling and artillery. they did not engage with the sandstorms, it was the government soldiers and rebels doing hand to hand combat on the front line. but as the brigade comes into action, and the last of the drops arrive we might see a more forthright approach on there part. >> is this robust attack lead to

the shelling on goma itself and the civilian casualties? >> well, there are shells that landed on goma last week. no one is sure where they came from. they could be stray shells that missed their target. others say it was a deliberate tactic on the part of the rebels, rebels responding saying if the u.n. is going to shell us we're going to cause more trouble and drop rockets on goma, of course the rebels deny that, but if that is the case, it will b become a complicated situation for the u.n. it will be difficult for them to come in and change the current status quo. >> thank you so much. the flood in nort northeast china's province building new barriers along roads to ensure

the safety of its main residential areas. underwater since flooding began on sunday. 33,000 people have been relocated from the city. we're in the province by the riff. river. give us a scale of the destruction, harry. >> well, one sense of scale is the fact that i'm standing on a secondary embankment several meters away from where the original bank sits. they've had to reinforce this area and what they're doing now is they are the river is making its way because it's seeping and leaking underneath. we come by boats and a lot of sandbags have been brought here by boats. simply dropping them over the side trying to plug any leaks. one of the roads we were driving along simply ended because it

had been submerged. 100 kilometers down stream from here there is a very serious situation where one of these dams was breached a few days ago. the river taking more and more of it away until there was a 400-meter gap. that has been the most serious single incident. 03,000 people evacuated. this is a relatively sparsely populated province in china. about 200,000 people in the city and the surroundings. but it's a serious operation they've got under way. a few days ago about 5,000 troops and that has tripled to 15,000. they're doing everything they can to try to stem this rising water. >> presumably there is the red of disease, getting food to those who have evacuated, shelter, how are shorts doing?

>> we have not gotten to the evacuation center yet ourselves. it's been a pretty tough journey just to get here. but yes, it does look very organized this entire operation, and we do hear that people are being housed in gymnasiums and many more will seek shelter with friends and families who are so far in uneffected areas. the reason why this is so much a mammoth task this is the worst flooding in parts of this river in more than 100 years. measured 50 meters in-depth, that's the highest the river has run since 1896. these emergency crews have been mobilized, and commanding that there has been a response

commemorate with the level of threat at the moment. >> thank you. more now on our top story. forces in the region are ready to launch strikes should president obama give the order. but what form could a response take? we take a look. >> reporter: the obama administration said it will respond to this. the use of chemical weapons in syria. but the goal they insist is not to get rid of syrian president bashir al-assad, but to accepted him a message. >> it is not our policy to responds to this tran with regie change. >> reporter: it would involved cruise missiles towards infrastructure not chemical stock piles. >> in terms of shifting momentum on the ground, it's not likely. i think that target strikes are

really more powerful in terms of the signaling that they achieve. and sending a very strong message that the use of chemicals weapons will not be tolerated. >> reporter: many believe the president left himself little choice but to respond. this was one years ago. >> a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons being moved around or being utilized. >> reporter: president obama has been hesitant to get involved in syria. the majority of american people don't want it, and the administration is afraid of who could come to power in assad falls? >> then what happens? who replaces that? what happens to people, is there a bloodbath? does al-qaida and its affiliates gain the upper hand? i think that the idea is to try to calibrate a military action, enough to send a message, but

not so much an as to change momentum on the ground. if there is somebody who knows how to do that, i've never met that person. >> reporter: the obama administration is expected to tell the american people why they feel they need to get involved. it will declassify some of the evidence that it says proves the assad government is responsible for the attack, trying to make the argument that the world needs to do something, but only to a point. al jazeera, washington. >> edwin smith is a professor of law at the university of southern california. he says the u.s. needs solid evidence before taking any action. >> rather than acting immediately, there will be some hesitation until there is some positive response from the inspectors. they do want to base this upon what is found rather than what is anticipated or what is suspected. we've been through that in iraq, and we don't wanting to through that again.

but we are not in this case seeking to change the balance of power on the ground in syria. certainly if you are looking for a form of legitimization of the action, the form of legitimization that occurred especially in kosovo is exactly the kind of support that the u.s. is looking for. to the extent that they can get the kind of support that they've gotten from the united kingdom, from france and a number of other countries expressing their extreme horror at the use of chemicals weapons, that legitimatizes some action. now the extent of that action and the degree of sole u.s. involvement is a much different question to the extent that we were sole u.s. involvement, i don't think any action would go forward. >> the indian currency has crashed. the rupee hit the record low of

68.75, and it's slowing economic growth falling by 91% s 19% so r this year. but not everyone is complaining. we find out who is benefiting from the depreciating rupee. >> reporter: the apearl business is booming thanks to the diving value of the indian rupee. she exports to the u.s. and earns much more for her garments because of the 15% slide in the value of the rupe, against the dollar since may. >> it's beneficial, yes, for us to be exporters. >> reporter: but she doesn't plan to invest her profit in india. >> no, the infrastructure that is being provided is not enough. the electricity is run on the

generator instead of the power. and the fact that you're digging plea hours to reach where you're working. >> reporter: despite her increase in profit she wants to invest overseas. it is not just indian businesses concerned about the working environment here despite encouragement by the government for investment of foreign evident verse. >> reporter: despite measures to lure businesses, direct investment in india fell by 150 u.s. dollars between april and may this year. >> the prime minister of india sits on a pulpit which he has to use to preach. he shouldn't behave like a clerk in a government office pushing files. the impression that he gives is that he's pushing files. >> reporter: with elections just eight months away the government desperately needs to win back the confidence of businesses and consumers.

their poll prospects may depend on it. >> at least seven people have died and over 20 are still missing after a residential building collapsed in western india. the four-story building had 14 apartments. some residents accuse the government of not taking any action despite their complaints that the apartment structure had become weak. in another housing block nearby also collapsed but they had been evacuated. scientists in new zealand have confirmed that bacteria found in suspect whey protein products made by fonterra did not contain any toxins linked to botulism. the scare to several countries including china recalling several stocks of fonterra products. it's analysis is provided to its international customers. emergency crews are still trying to extinguish

california's record-breaking wildfire at yosemite national park. they've contained it by 20% in the last few hours. the fire has been burning for 11 days and has reached a major water reservoir. it is one of several wildfires that has spread across the west coast. thousands are preparing to mark the defining speech of the civil rights movement. barack obama is expected to deliver a speech on the steps of lincoln's memorial. 50 years ago at the same spot reverend martin luther king jr. laid out his "i have a dream" speech. billjimmy carter and bill clintn will also take part of the celebration.

edith lee payne only learned of the existence of the picture five years ago when a cousin recognized her in a catalog. this is her story in her own words. >> i was 12 years old when that picture was taken of me at the march at war on august 28, 1963. when my cousin called and told me that that picture was on a black history calendar 2009 i couldn't believe it i wouldn't imagine why a picture of me would be i in a calendar of historic people. i understood that there were injustices happy to go people that looked like me and to families like mean. it was sorrowful to me to see that and know that, but i still had hope. i believe that what i do now in my life today is largely due to the august 28, 196 1963, march d the times of the civil rights

movement. it's just not right for people to suffer up justices. >> we're going stay together. >> a community activist is somebody that goes on the front lines to try to make the wrongs right and make life better, the quality of life better for other people. >> the top wires are the higher voltage, and it's a ten-foot clearance. you don't want vegetation on those, either. they're in violation. they must clear those lines because it puts your lives in danger. >> reporter: being a community activist in detroit is a duty. it's an obligation. it's something that you have to want to do. >> it's good to come back and rekindle the energy and spirit that i felt 50 years ago. the fact that dr. king is no longer here as well as others who stood with him gives me the challenge to pick up where they

left off, to keep things going, bringing my granddaughters with me is passing that legacy to them so they will keep doing what i've done, what they've done, to keep america to be a better place. [♪ music ]