♪ ♪ >> good morning, i am morgan rat ford and these are some of the stories we are following right now. seeking support, secretary of state john kerry picks up where president obama left off. trying to get the international community to support strikes on syria. controversial comments in the race for new york city mayor. the current mayor michael bloomberg isn't choosing the leading democratic candidate of running a racist campaign. and there they are celebrateing in tokyo as japan wins its bid to host the 2020 olympics.

smolt♪ ♪ >> john kerry says the world is facing another munich moment. speaking in paris on saturday, the secretary of state compared the use of chemical weapons in syria with nazi germany. the senate intelligence committee says it's authenticated 13 videos that show victims of a chemical attack just outside of damascus, the committee made the videos public on friday. here is the latest from paris. >> reporter: in a day of shuttled diplomacy, the united states top diplomat arrived in favor us sure of one thing. french support for a possible strike against syria. >> we in the united states know and our french partners know that ther this is not the time e silent spectators to slaughter. this is not the time to send a

message, where doing nothing is far more risk ethan responding. >> reporter: franz is now the u.s.' only major ali after the u.k. parliament ruled out taking part in an attack. the french leadership denies that the country is diplomatic isolated. >> we have the same views of 28 european countries, of the arab league and the gulf countries so i believe that while at first sight we seem isolated in the beginning, we now have the support i've wide community and we hope a coalition of goodwill is being formed. >> reporter: so far most countries have stopped short of supporting military action against syria. even france is now taking a more cautious approach prefer to go wait for a u.n. chemical weapons report before ordering a strike. france's decision to wait for the u.n. weapon's inning spec is support goes some way to getting rid of fierce that they are

dragged in to a conflict by the united states. if they decide to strike the country it may well hurt the french president at home. john kerry began the day in lithuania looking for european support. u.e. powers say they will don't play a humanitarian role. >> in the face of the cynical use of chemical weapons the international community cannot remain idle. >> reporter: for the obama administration the challenge is more than international. president obama has to sale his case for war to fellow politicians and the american public. lawmakers are expected to vote next week. but it could be two weeks before obama can get overall congressional support. the case for war being built by the u.s. and france may be losing momentum. al jazerra, paris. >> most americans are against military action in syria. that's according to to a new

gallop poll. that's the lowest level of support for u.s. intervention in 20 years. which includes iraq, afghanistan, the persian gulf and kosovo. syrian american have his been holding rallies across the country rich. al jazerra was in new york city where protesters opposed military action let their voices be heard. >> usa, cia, hands off syria. >> reporter: demonstrators gathered in new york's time square saturday voicing their opposition to any u.s. led attack on syria. >> a military strike will make things worse. >> i don't want syria to be bombed. >> reporter: many of the protesters here say that any u.s. led military strike will result in another iraq or afghanistan. and that america simply can't afford another war. >> we shall not [inaudible]

health and education. >> reporter: lose lucy immigrata decade ago. >> it's going to cause a catastrophic damage to the people of syria. it's going to kill a lot of innocent people and children. >> reporter: the protest was led by the international action center, sarah flounders is the organizer. >> today's rally and it's part of demonstrations all over the country, are to say no to another war. and hands off syria. >> reporter: syrian president bashar al-assad has been a target of worldwide criticism since last month's alleged chemical attackful but in sometimes square saturday he had some supporters. >> it's not true what they say about our president. he is the best president. we love him. we love bashar al-assad. >> reporter: many other demonstrators expressed similar sentiments but weren't willing to do so on camera. at times the contrast was

jarring, peace activists side by side with supporters of a leader accused of gassing his own people. their motives might differ, but on this day both found common ground in opposing military action by the united states. al jazerra new york. >> in syria, it's a very confusing time. many people inside the country want the internal war to end. but they have differing opinions on just how to accomplish that. caroline maloney profiles a group of women who believe the very way to help them is to take up arms. >> reporter: she is a member of the freer is vinnie army. she is with an all-female rebel force called our mother asia named after the wife of the profit mohamed. interesting that they are part of the brigade a largely male-dominated group that want to set up a government based on islamic principles. the group includes both fighters and first aiders. they all used to teach at the same school but are now in the thick of a siev civil war.

>> it's a level of despair that the rebels reach that pushed us to join them on the frontline for moral sport, more than combat support. >> reporter: the women said it took time about of they were accepted by other opposition fighters but they now carry on you want a range of important duties including monitoring the syrian government forces. peace is what these people in damascus are praying for. syrian state tv aired a christian service led by the pope in the vatican on a global day for peace. pope transit called for reconciliation saying war is a failure of peace, a defeat for humanity. i message echoed by others in theininthe syrian capital. >> we need a call to dialogue and refusing the violence and calling for peace. >> reporter: this is the reality a country at war with people very much divided on how to end it. and whether that should include u.s. military intervention or

not. some syrians think they have nothing left to lose, whereas others in the capital are living in relative calm. >> these cities which have not seen so much destruction and bombardment by the regime, they believe that if the u.s. actually is to strike, they might actually have more destruction. >> reporter: others have decided leaving syria altogether is their best option. the italian coast guard rescued more than 700 people on saturday. many of them syrians. but while they escape the violence and others pray for peace, they fight for a new syria. caroline malone, al jazerra. >> of course al jazerra will have live coverage of president obama's prime time speech on tuesday nights. in the meantime, you can get the very latest on the syrian situation on our website algentleman seejazerra.com. the egyptian army has launched

new attacks. reports say at least nine people were killed in in a rugged desert region near israel. security officials say the morrisey supporters have been stages almost daily assaults on security forces and other targets. the egyptian government appears to be focusing on a group that helped toss the knew bar he can. they are looking in to charges that 35 activists, send money from the u.s. and other countries to aid the 2011 up rising. the activists call the accusation false and say it's just an intimidation tool. a violent independence day in brazil asthmas i have protests erupt all across the country. anger at political corruption and demand for better services. in rio police used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up the crowd. at least 10 people were arrested and in other cities, demonstrations were mostly peace. jubilation in japan.

>> tokyo. >> the olympics will return to the country come 2020 as tokyo gets the local bid. >> a lot the thunderstorms across the states, and flood advisories coming in too. coming up i'll show you where to expect the rain and more sunshine. ♪ ♪

my name is jonathan betz.

i'm from dallas, texas, and i'm an anchor for al jazeera america. >>my name is ranjani chakraborty, i'm from houston, texas. >>i'm kim bondy. >>nicole deford. >>and i'm from new orleans. >>san francisco, california. when i was a little kid, i just really loved the news. >>news was always important in my family. >>i knew as a kid that was exactly what i wanted to do. >>i learned to read by reading the newspaper with my great-grandfather every morning. >>and i love being able to tell other people stories. >>this is it, i want to be a part of this. >>this is what really drove me to al jazeera america. ♪ ♪ >> for the first time in over 50 years, japan has been selected to host the 2020 summer olympic games. tokyo beat out the other contenders, istanbul and madrid, as florence louie reports, the announcement was met with jubilation in japan.

>> the international olympic committee has the honor of announcing that the games of the 32nd olympiad in 2020 are awarded to the city of tokyo. [cheering and applause] >> reporter: the host of the 2020 olympics is chosen. and the city widely considered the favorite emerges as the winner. the crowd here couldn't be more delighted. tokyo will now be the fifth city to host the olympics more than once. >> i am on top of the world. congratulations tokyo. our team is the best. >> i am so excited it's the best moment i have ever had in my life. >> reporter: here is what helped tokyo win the bid. superior infrastructure. japan's public transport system is world class. and dependable.

it's hosted big sporting events before and has several facilities already in place, one of them is this. the national stadium. where the 1964 opening ceremony was held. it's set to undergo a billion dollars reburish. reburishment, it's also known for its low crime indicate. they emphasize their reliability and safety. but safety has been put in doubt by japan's nuclear crisis. the fukushima plant crippled in an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, is still leaking radiation. government officials spent the last week trying to reassure the international community that the situation will be under control by 2020. the prime minister even left a g20 meeting in russia early to fly t ahead of the vote. that strategy appears to have helped. so soak yo will have the honor oof hosting the summer olympics

twice, the first was in 1964. this time, the japanese government says it's about the nation's endurance and its people's ability to rise above an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear disasser, al jazerra tokyo. >> an unusual twist in the race for new york city mayor. current mayor michael bloomberg is accusing democratic candidate of running a racist campaign. he is married to a black woman and has two mixed race children, released ads that featured his son. bloomberg says he's using his family to gain support. they responded during a campaign stop. >> very, very unfortunate. and inappropriate as i said earlier. look, we are living a tale of two cities. and ignoring it won't move us

forward. in this whole campaign i have spoken about how we make it a city for everyone. it begins with acknowledging the truth. 46% of new yorkers living at or near the poverty level. people unable to afford to live in their own neighborhoods anymore. millions of stops, many of them done in a way that was unconstitutional and discriminatory. let's acknowledge these realities. and then let's talk about how to move forward towing. i just have to say i think that we have run a campaign about the ideas, about the issues, about how to move this city forward and i am very proud of that. i am exceedingly proud of my family. and as you'll know every meeting, every member of my family, they are each and every one strong and independent, make their own decisions. and we all are proceeded as a family together and it's been an extraordinarily positive experience for us. so all i can say is -- >> he is currently leading in

the polls and the primaries will take place this tuesday. australia has a new prime minister, on saturday conservative challenging tony abbott won an election in a slant slidlandslide victory. he's a catholic that once trained to be a priest. he beaten company bent kevin rudd and that change in leadership and six years of labor party rule in australia. it was a contested election, the violence that followed in 2008 forced thousands of kenyan to his flee from their homes. now the government has begun resettling 8,000 people still living in refugees camps. a report from western kenya. >> reporter: after six years, these people are hoping to get their lives back. each person receives a check for about four and a half thousand dollars to start over. these kenyans are among the hundreds of thousands who were forced out of their homes in 2008. killing more than 1,200 people.

>> we need get rid of this national shame so that the effected people can have a decent shot at life. we need to do this now. >> reporter: this is one of the last camp for his people made homeless by the violence. it's closing just as the international criminal court at the hague prepares to hear cases. they are accused of crimes against humanity. deputy president williams' case at the hague starts on tuesday and it is here where he accused of planning activities that led to murder, forced evictions and rape. but it's also here where williams has most support. it's his home base. some opposition politicians say this decision to vette resettlee displaced now is part of a charmed offensive ahead of his trial. the reasons don't matter for

her, she's just happy to be getting out of her tent for good. >> i am going to look to buy a piece of land. i need to make my decision very carefully. >> reporter: it may be six years later, but as she packs up to leave this at the present time. she is determined to make the best of what has been given to her now. al jazerra, in western kenya. ♪ ♪ >> blue skies comfortable temperatures across parts of the west coast. and we'll get that again today. thanks to off-score bends, america's cup got a lot of sunshine yesterday, more sunshine today offshore winds have helped temperatures warm up too, 70s and 80s inland in parts of northern california. so nice weather here for parts of california, but southern california it is a different story. last night we had severe

thunderstorms popping up and gusty winds bringing in very heavy rain and flash flood warnings coming and going. we are continue t continuing ton of moisture coming up from the southwest and continuing to get the thunderstorms rolling through. the other part of the area we are seeing some thunderstorms roll in is low pressure tracking through montana and the dakotas, early today. now that's going to continue its track as it moves gradually eastward, and we are getting some rain showers, very light, initially, through parts of the northeast. now, we are going to get another round of these rain showers too, as cooler air moves in over the course of the beginning of the week. but we are really watching the heat right in the midwest. it's just down right hot. 10 to 20 degrees above average, we'll start the morning out in to the low to mid 60s to the north central portion of the states, places like minneapolis, 64, plus you head farther south and it's staying a little on the humid side, warm mid 70s. and during the day, temperatures will once again be rolling up to

90 for denver and salt lake city. two places that we had temperatures mid to upper 90s and had record high temperatures the last few days. but we are going to stay cool on each side of the coast, west coast, east coast cooler weather for you. not a lot of humidity or rain rainfall but we could have a few showers because of the moisture coming up from the southwest and in to the northeast. again, cooling off, especially as we move in to the beginning of the week. high temperatures today for the northeast staying in the 70s. getting mid 80s a little further south. but overall, we are on the cooler side. >> firefighters finally have the upper hand on that massive yosemite wildfire which has now been burning for four weeks, dozens of scientistses are studying just how much damage the flames have done to the area. the wildfire has scorched nearly 400 square miles and it's already cost more than $89 million to fight it. fire officials say a hunter

started the fire. a huge roar in italy a documentary about a highway around rome runs circles around the competition at the venice film festival. ♪ ♪ why some critics say the school is setting the kids up for failure.

>> the science of small things has become a very big al jazerra's kristen puts nano technology under the microscope. >> reporter: these scientists may look ready to walk on the moon, but they are exploring another frontier at the atomic level. the university of albany's college of nano scale science of engineering is at the forefront of nano technology research and development. a science that's not just about exploring nature, but also changing it. >> once you make matter small enough, it changes properties. and we have just begun to explore what we can do with particles that are so small that all of a sudden new properties appear. >> reporter: here the world's top semiconductor makers are going small. to develop faster and more energy efficient computers. one of the unique things about this facility is that you have leading companies in the computer chip industry, fierce

competitors in the global marketplace working side by side. not only are they sharing equipment, but they are also sharing ideas. the practical uses of nano technology are endless, students at the college are studying pharmaceutical applications, from treating glaucoma to preventing tooth decay. smaller, more efficient solar panels are also in the works here. >> you could imagine these on the roof of your car. as these things become smaller and smaller they become more flexible, they become lighter. but the performance is good or better than what you get from the old-fashioned big glass panels. >> reporter: design firm eyp is one of the colleges more than 300 corporate partners. they are already incorporating nano technology in to their buildings. >> if we don't know what's going to be on the market in three years, we might not be designing the building to accommodate that. so for us to be here, we

understand what might be coming two, three, four years from now and we can begin to anticipate those things as we design our buildings. >> reporter: new york state officials have referred to the center as a model for economic development. a big boast as it pushes the boundaries of the world's tiniest technology. kristen, al jazerra, albany, new york. >> for the first time in 15 years, an italian film has taken the top prize at the venice film festival. as philip bell reports. >> reporter: when it came there were huge cheers, but little in the way of surprise. italian critics have been adamant all along that one of their nation's movies would take the golden lion. the top award here at the venice film festival. proving them right, john franco rossi's tai tale of a micro community living and working around a major road in rome had been a strong contender for the

start. but eights documentary not a work of fiction. the kind favored by the top director leading the jury. and the decision to a award to the golden lion to this real life account created a drama of its own. >> i am not so happy. because i think that the movie is funny, but a little bit weak, a little bit superficial. >> reporter: if fill mean uh-huh to be a night of coming second. this british movie starring judy dench about the hard break of forced adoption had been a strong contender but the team still walked away with best screenplay. there was a range of genres from hard-hitting stories like miss violence a greek fill about him abuse within a family. and a dark exploration of relationships to aliens kidnapping scotts and turning them in to food like under the skin. the eventual choice got under the skin of mean critics and so this year's venice film festival draws to a close, the critics happy or not are now leaving

italy and going to canada where a much larger affair is under way. this was the world's oldist. it was their zestth anniversary, although there was some controversy, it was on the whole a very happy birthday. >> and that will do it for this edition of al jazerra. i am morgan radford, thanks for watching. as always, you can follow us at aljazerra.com and join the conversation by following us on twitter at ajam. up next, listening post. ♪ ♪ an anchor for al jazeera america. >>my name is ranjani chakraborty, i'm from houston, texas. >>i'm kim bondy. >>nicole deford. >>and i'm from new orleans. >>san francisco, california. when i was a little kid, i just really loved the news. >>news was always important in my family. >>i knew as a kid that was exactly what i wanted to do. >>i learned to read by reading the newspaper with my great-grandfather every morning. >>and i love being able to tell other people stories. >>this is it, i want to be a part of this. >>this is what really drove me to al jazeera america.