check check >> rebels with links to al qaeda seize control of an important city in iraq. in syria al qaeda is also a factor where opposition groups are being split into rival camps. plus bitter cold - reporting record-breaking temperatures, bringing frigid conditions to many parts of the country. >> hello, welcome to al jazeera. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. >> al qaeda's effort to exploit

syria and iraq is gaining traction. more alarming is that violence could set off is sectarian wore with months of sunni anger at the shi'a-led government reaching fever pitch. secretary of state john kerry says that despite the worse nipping situation american troops will not go back. >> gunbattles are ongoing in fallujah where police say rebels have taken hold of the city center. eight have been killed so far. fallujah is one of the two main cities in anbar province. the other, ramadi is also under siege. anbar was one of the most dangerous places for u.s. forces during the iraq war. 1300 coalition soldiers were killed there during the iraq war. >> so far, here is what we know about the fighters that battled the government. they are affiliated with al

qaeda. they are called islamic state of levant. they want to set up an islamic state in iraq and across the border into syria and other countries. al qaeda has taken control of parts of syria already. for more we go to imran khan. >> fighters from the al qaeda-linked islamic state in levant claim to have taken over the main highway into fallujah. one man shouts, "god is great", and points to a burnt-out vehicle claimed it be from iraq's army. iraqi forces travelled to fallujah to battle forces. the frontline moved to the outskirts of fallujah. >> sunni tribal leaders are not allowing israeli fighters to enter the town. it's a sign of how little they trust the government of nouri al-maliki. the prime minister is not

backing down, describing the operation as vital to the security of iraq. >> translation: there's nothing left in that sovereignty. we have to uni-item to fight for those -- yin ute to fight for those destroying processes. >> the sunni tribal leaders in ramadi. the other main town in anbar province have secured the city. fallujah is tense. >> sunni tribal leaders say they've been harassed targeted and arrested by government forces and are calling for the reform of the sahwa, a paramilitary force disbanded when al qaeda was defeated in 2008. with little trust on either side, the baghdad government and the sunni groups are at a stalemate. >> now to syria's war, where

violence is spilling over into lebanon. the same al qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for a bombing in beirut on thursday. five were killed after a suicide car bomb exploded in an area of the city controlled by hezbollah. despite the group's efforts to punish the syrian government's ally, opposition groups wand al qaeda out of syria. the group is accused of hijacking the rebellion. zeina khodr explains why. >> protests are growing. they are more widespread. people in the rebel held syria want the people to leave their country. it is not just protests, rebel factions turned guns against the al qaeda-linked group and pushed them out of some villages. there has been some battles in aleppo and idlib.

they say they captured abusz saber al tunisi, a leader of the group. a newly formed alliance went as far as to declare war on the islamic statement, demanding i.s.i.l. fighters join the ranks of other groups, or hand over weapons and leave syria. >> they are accused of spreading and liberating rebel areas, spilling the blood of fighters and accusing them of her esy. >> islamic state equals the islamic regime. that's why we fight them. islamic front has not announced their status but they have helped us in clashes. >> f.s.a. commanders say they are receiving help from the islamic front. the front had not come out clearly to state its position, but one of its commanders was

tortured and killed, and that sparked the protests. >> isl took him in and executed them. that's what was seen as a hijacking of their process. >> they were welcomed, but it changed when the islamic state took territory and imposed brutal tactics against the population. they have arrested, killed and forced into exiled activists who called for democracy. >> rebels turned their guns on each other. this is the most serious fighting between the armed opposition and al qaeda. some call it a new revolution. it may be too early to compare to iraq's wakening movement. rebel commanders say they are not being ordered by the international community to wage

the fight. the west has been talking about fighting terrorism in syria, instead of focussing on the regime. >> secretary of state john kerry is on his way to jordan and saudi arabia, the second leg of a mid east tour aimed at brokering a peace deal between the israelis and palestinians. kerry wrapped up a 4-day visit to ramadi. kerry said that progress on any resulting peace plan would be fair and balanced. al jazeera's nick schifrin has more from jerusalem. >> john kerry met with israeli and palestine officials 40 times in the last year, and said he is making a little bit of progress. >> it is slow work, subtle diplomacy between people fighting for the last six decades. he's determined to do it. all he is trying to do is create the framework for the guideline

of peace. he's not trying to solve middle east peace. he's trying to get about the two sides to agree on what will happen in the future. what has emerged in the talks is a real sticking point. israel is demanding that the palestinians accept it as a jewish state. that's new. israel and jordon were not asked to do that. israel says palestinians, in order for them to know if they are going to be a true partner in peace, must say israel is jewish u palestinians say, "we have said you have a right to exist. if we identify you as a jewish state we are accepting your narrative about land both claim is our own. >> that fear, john kerry addressed that today, speaking to reporters in ramallah. >> this is hard work. there are narrative issues, difficult complicated years of

mistrust that have been built up, all of which has to be worked through and undone >> palestinians are being asked to concede to israel's demand that they be identified as a jewish state. and the israelis to stop building settlements. israelis say we can build anywhere after the border of west bank and israel because we captured it in the 1967 war. palestinians say how can you build on our land, build homes but a network of roads, a patchwork that basically splits our people off from the brothers and cousins in other towns. kerry acknowledged that, that two sides are speaking past each other and far apart, but remains optimistic. >> we are working with great intensity, with serious purpose,

with a commitment to resolve this conflict that has gone on for many years too long, and which i think presents us now with the possibility of trying to find a framework agreement which would really lay out the end game and lay out the framework for the major issues to guide the negotiations from this point forward. >> and that homework is due very, very soon. kerry says he'll be back here next weekend. it will be the 11th trip in 12 months. >> that's al jazeera's nick schifrin reporting. >> an american ice breaker sent to rescue two ships stranded in antarctica. it went to assist a russian strip that was trapped since late last month, and a chinese vessel that is trapped. the u.s. coast guard is

responding to requests from australian, russian and chinese authorities, and is scheduled to ride in a week's time. >> well, this week we've had plenty of weather for many people across the united states. first of all, i'll take you up here to the northern plains. this is a frontal boundary pushing through. behind it the temperatures are coming down significantly over the next day or so. we'll see wind shield warnings in effect for many people. it means when the air pulls the heat away from your body, meaning your body temperature drops faster. it's a dangerous saying. when it's low you can freeze skin in less than five minutes. these are the states that we are talking about wind chill warnings. plenty of areas, dangerous, do not go outside unless you have to. if you are going out in your

car, do not get out if it stalls out. the issue whenever there's life-threatening conditions because of cold weather. we'll see the temperatures drop significantly overnight. faringo minus 7, minneapolis at minus 19. this is the next weather event, coming to parts of the north-east. wait over there in michigan, where you see the purple. that is about 15 to 18 inches of snow. so far things are looking good across the north-east. we did see almost two feet of snow here. that is on the ground. it is not warm enough for the snow to melt. on sunday temperatures are going to be rising. it is expected to be 42. we are going to start to see the snow melt. watch what happens in new york. on tuesday, dropping all the way back to below freezing with a

high of 13. >> an election in bangladesh turned deadly. we'll have a report from there when we come back.

>> the season for survivors continues in india after a building collapsed killing 14. it happened in canacona, a city in the tourist area. 10 people were pulled out alive. authorities are investigating just how many workers were on the site when the 5-storey building collapsed. >> six people at least have died in election-related violence in bangladesh, despite tight security heading into the polls. 300 parliamentary seats are up for grabs. the main opposition party is boycotting. the refusal to participate leaves half the seats uncontested. ongoing violence forced many polling stations it goes and

many voters to stay away. we understand that many are still afraid to go out and vote. who is showing up? >> right now there's a ban in the capital dakar. buses, cars, private cars and taxis. none are allowed out because of violence. a large number of people are not getting out on the street. it feels like a ghost town at the moment. they are not going out because of the violence. a large reason why the voter turn out has been low, polling stations have been almost empty. a large reason is because there is not much of a choice. there is not much at stake at the elections. the opposition is boycotting and a lot of people who are - a large number of seats are uncontested. there's a single candidate, so there won't be a vote in half of

the elections. in the ones where there is a vote, a lot of opposition are weak candidates, so it's a foregone conclusion as to who will win the vote. for the public, there's not much of a reason to come out and vote in the first place, even if there wasn't violence. >> meanwhile, more than 2 million americans will get a raise. 13 states increased the minimum wage, others may follow. it may not be enough. >> the moment washington d.c.'s city council great to raise the minimum wage to $11.50 over the next two years, an improvement on the federal wage of $7.25. across the country local authorities are taking the initiative. $11.50 is low when you factor in the cost of living, the amount each worker produce, and the

income growth of the top 1%. when you use those benchmarks, the minimum wage should be around $25. increasingly politicians are speaking out about income and equality in the u.s. >> you have companies with record incomes. walmart had $17 billion. the ceo making $7 million an hour. and you want to hold back the people. >> president obama wants to pay workers a fair amount and not keep people from utter depp rah vasion. >> if you work hard, you should make a decent living. >> he is only supporting raising the federal wage to $10.10. that would not have given stacy ardon a decent living. she was earning $11.50 as an ambulance worker. she could only pay bills by

working overtime. >> important stages, i was missing out on a lot, because i spent once a week here, and six days a week at work. >> the economic policy institute in washington d.c. has an online budget calculator that works out how much someone needs to make for a secure living. >> entering stacy's details shows how far from secure she is. $99,422. she's nowhere near that. >> david cooper says if workers are to achieve a decent living, the debate has to be broadened. >> giving them greater ability to bargain. employers held all the cards. >> stacy lost her job as she was trying to farm a union. >> i still organise, go out and campaign. >> she is not giving up on

fighting for a liveable wage. >> as the debate on minimum wage rages on, one study shows it could lift $5 million out of poverty. new york's governor decided to allow the use of medical marijuana. he'll address if in his annual address on wednesday. 20 hospitals will be allowed to dispense marijuana to patients with serious illnesses. 20 states allow the permissible use of marijuana. new york's system will be more highly reg u later. >> china is reporting a human case of bird flu. only 86-year-old is infected with the virus. the victim bought chickens at a local market before being infected. >> officials ordered the closure

of put poult -- poultry markets. >> los angeles is now the latest to say goodbye to plastic bags. >> disposable shopping bags are everywhere in los angeles. caught in fences, in the trees, in the weeds. and they are in the gutter waiting to be washed down the storm drain to the ocean. that is why this city banned them. it's been the law a few days. but angelina knew it was coming. >> i would bring them and leave them in the trunk of the car. it's become a habit. i'm really grateful for that. >> it's a great thing. >> we should be conserving. >> the ban applies to groceries, markets and stores that sell perishable foods. if you come without a bag, you can get a paper one. there are some exceptions.

you can get a chinese take out in a bag. billions of plastic grocery bags are distributed. it was mostly a one-sided argument in june when the los angeles passed the law. >> they become trash, clog the gutters, pol ute the river and trash the beaches. >> if you want to see a fish destroyed, see what plastic does to the fish, to the food chain, what it does to life itself. >> now been 90 city and county governments in california banned or limited plastic bags. one of the prime movers is the environmental group heal the bay in santa monica. >> i think it will have impacts larger than locally. we'll start to see momentum on the issue of plastic pollution, and its consequences. statewide nationally and internationally as we start to see that simply changes like just bringing a reasonable bag

can make a lot of difference. getting shoppers in the habit is the big trip. >> they gave me a free bag. a nice bag. >> you didn't bring it here today. >> i didn't bring it here. it's in the trunk of my car though. >> change is not in the bag quite yet. >> those stores that don't comply can be fined between 100 and $500. >> after two weeks of fun and relaxation in hawaii. president obama is heading back to work in washington. the president swapped sun and sand for the north-east, which is in the grips of a major cold snap. also waiting in washington is the issue of immigration reform. first lady michelle obama will condition to vacation, a birthday gift of the president ahead of her 50th birthday. >> a big change in the florida everglades. >> i'm natasha ghoneim.

anairboat ride is synonymous with the florida everglades. airbeat -- airboat riding is phasing out, we'll tell you why.

>> skimming the swamps in an airboat has become almost synonymous with florida everglades national park. the airboat's days are numbered. natasha ghoneim has that story. >> those who live in the florida everglades say it takes a special kind of person to live here. one of ways they enjoy living here is through airboating. thanks to the new park rules they won't be able to enjoy this pleasure. doyle kennon has expertly nav gated the swamps of the florida everglades in an airboat. he and others like him make up a community of glaids men. his family owns a commercial airboat tour company. >> there's no place like this in the world.

you are out here in mother nature. not stuck in the office. >> i see new people, bring education, show them my backyard. >> coopertown airboat tours was the first airboat company, established by the kennon family in 1945, two years before the government established florida everglades national park. it's one of three tour boat operators in the park. >> it's the history of our nature, culture, what we have done for years. >> this way of the life is about to face changes, due to new rules enacted by florida everglades national park. 2014 is the last year people can enjoy skimming the curves for pleasure in their brist airboat -- airboat. one or two people will have to dock their airboats permanently. tour operators will have to sell their land to the federal government. >> it's unfair. it's my opinion and the opinion of a lot of people.

you are taking away lively hots and our freedom. >> a spokesman says airboat increase rests in the soil. kerbing airboating are restore water and reduce noise pollution. >> living and working in the everglades made this man a conservationist and the 9 mile tour adapted to their airboat incursions year ago. we use the boat as an education at expect for schools and tourists. we'd like to do that for the rest of our lifetime. >> whether or not there's a business to pass on to the great-grandchildren is unknown. so far the federal government has not offered him a fair price and they have not agreed on terms. a park spokesman says after

acquiring the land each business will have to sign a contract and pay a franchise fee. >> i'll fight it as long as possible. >> these are part of the everglades restoration project. park officials will release details regarding airboating, camping, hiking and other ways the public uses the wetlands. >> everglades park officials estimate 1,000 to 2,000 airboaters will be effected by the new rules. >> take a look at the 507 pound blue fin tuna, selling for $70,000 at the first tuna auction of the year in tokyo, japan, down from last year's price of $1.8 million. can you believe that. the winner is a sushi chain over who won four years in a row. >> thank you for watching al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. i look forward to seeing you at 4am eastern.

>> america's cities are a mixed bag. some are thriving. some are sinking. one thing they have in common is this: when they get into trouble they can't look to the state house or capitol hill for help. running cities in the time of austerity. that's the inside story. >> hello, i'm ray suarez. for many american cities the big municipalities for the core of the metropolitan areas it was a rough half century. from the 1950s on many of them