>> ...people ready then... >> mr. president >> who should answer for those people >> >> taking on the separatists in the east. ukraine says its security forces have launched an anti-terrorist praigs. -- operation. >> hello there. welcome to al jazeera america, live from doha. i'm laura kyle. >> also on the program - accusations of chemical warfare in syria. both sides of the conflict blame each other for what they are calling a gas attack. >> hope for iraq's orphans. volunteers are stepping in. why is the government not helping these children? >> and don't call me a witch

doctor - nigeria's healers say they can treat you just as well as pain stream medics. >> ukraine's government says its launched an anti-terrorist operation to take on the separatists in the east. the interior minister says security forces are working to regain control of a police building, seized by pro-russian gunmen in slovyansk. that down is around 150km from the russian border. russia has been accused of backing the armed groups. correspondent hoda abdel-hamid is just outside of slovyansk and joins us now on the phone. hoda abdel-hamid, we are hearing that the military is starting operations in slovyansk. what are you hearing on the ground? >> well, we are hearing this from the interior minister in kiev.

now, what we know so far is that there is some sort of operation, at least according to some of the residents there. they say they would see helicopters flying in the sky. if this operation is really under way, it could be a great risk for the government in kiev. if it is these people who have taken over the buildings, do have a popular number, there were people outside of the building sympathizers who were giving them that. now, it's not clear yet whether the people have left or not. certainly the authorities in kiev warned residents to leave the city center only this morning. we still have to check if that has happened or not. the bigger picture of what is happening in eastern ukraine -

this - such an operation could cost the government dealer, in the sense that just yesterdid i -- yesterday they were inside the security buildings, negotiating with those that had taken over that building. they were hopeful that maybe some compromise would happen, saying the government promised them to come back with a response to the list of demands on - in about three days. now, if this operation goes on, if it goes on peacefully, then things would be okay. if there's any kind of bloodshed, i think it will reinforce among the sympathizers of the protesters the idea that kiev wants to cross anyone that should have had a federal aspirations, or anyone viewed as pro-russian. certainly it could be a pr

disaster, because the government labels these people as terrorists. residents of this area don't see them as terrorists. that's where the big problem is. >> absolutely hoda abdel-hamid, thank you very much. we hear that the interior minister is indoors. hoda abdel-hamid saying a volatile situation indeed. thank you, hoda abdel-hamid. >> now, syria's government and rebel fighters are accusing each other of launching chemical attacks. bashar al-assad is pointing the finger at what it calls terrorists. the opposition is denying it's responsible and demands the international community investigates. >> it looks like the usual bombing campaign in syria. according to activists the barrel bombs dropped from helicopters contained toxic chemicals. according to witness accounts those chemicals went airborne

after the bombs fell. as people were ferried in ambulances, the person recording this video is coughing and others are covering their mounteds. we cannot independently verify the videos, but syrian tv said there was an attack and blamed the fighters. >> trial judge in the -- >> translation: in the hamad suburbs a group was attacked using gas we are aware that the group are prepared to carry out more attacks. >> act visits said many -- activists said many died. children and adults appeared to have difficulty breathing, as if they had inhaled something toxic. it was not the only reported chemical attack. poison gas and concentrated pesticides were dropped on the outskirts of damascus.

several similar attacks happened in the last few months. it wants the world to take action. a statement by the s&c says: >> the bashar al-assad missed a series of u.n. dad lines to -- deadlines to destroy chemical weapons stockpile. it agreed to destroy chemical weapons after hundreds were killed in an attack. syria tas 550 -- has 550 tonnes of weapons even after the arsenal is destroyed. rebels also have these chemicals. millions of syrians are caught up in the cross-hairs >> al jazeera is demanding the

immediate release of its journalists imprisoned in egypt. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy, and mohammed badr appeared in court on thursday. the case has been adjourned until later this month. they are falsely accused of providing a platform to the outlawed muslim brotherhood. they have been behind bars for 106 days. abdullah al-shami, the fourth journalist in detention has been held without trial sips august. he's been on hunger strike for 83 days. al jazeera rejects all the charges. >> there are 5 million registered orphans in iraq, according to the government. not only have they lost their parents, but they miss out on getting a good education. imran khan has this report. >> this is no ordinary school. every child here is an orphan. in iraq you're an orphan if your father has been killed. in many cases both parents died as a result of violence. they live with other residents

who often cannot afford to educate and look after them. the schools are tucked away in a side street, in a neighbour hood that has seen much of the violence since the american occupation in 2003. >> today though, the children are grateful for the opportunity to be able to learn. >> translation: my father died in 2005. he was a taxi driver, shot by gunmen. my mother passed away two years later. i live with grandparents. i used to feel alone at home. now i come do school i'm so much happier. >> this man runs the school in three different shifts during the day. in total 300 children are enrolled here. it is a labour of love. she has no help from the government and pays most of the expenses hrs. -- herself. >> i set up the school after my husband was killed in the

sectarian violence in 2005. i realised that so many children lost their parents, and i needed to do something. with god's grace i opened the school in 2009, and i run if by myself. i asked the government to hep, our pleaing fall on deaf years. >> there are no accurate figures available to tell you how many residential orphanages and schools are like this, but thousands of children could be attending institutions like this. for many, it's an indication that the government failed in providing basic services. this woman runs a charty called childhood wishes for morality. >> translation: we are seeing more and more orphans every day. security will see that more children will be left without family. we are under pressure, and without real help from the

government these children will be left without a future. >> for the orphans of baghdad schools like this are a life line. those running them fear they won't have the money to keep them open long term. these children, and thousands like them, will be forced on to the streets. >> a program developer and quality director at save the children joins us via skype. thank you for talking to us. why is it particularly difficult for iraq's orphans to get into a school? >> okay. thanks for having me. actually, it is due to the brackets of violence in iraq. it's difficult for all children in iraq to go to school due to the damage to the infrastructure. however, it's more difficult for orphan children, given to the situation you just described in your report. >> but why is that?

>> mainly when children lose both parents or one of their parents, they will end up - they will end up in a situation that some of them need to live with their extended family, and there will be more endanger to - to be, you know, to become at risk of neglect, exploitation, and especially for girls to face early marriage. >> why is the government failing dismally to help the children. >> as i mentioned, the violence in iraq, has created damage in the basic infrastructure. it has - it takes many years to help. of course, it's government, and the international community - they both are possibly to rehabilitate the infrastructure, and especially education.

>> that is where, of course, organizations such as yours step in. what is save the children doing? >> okay. save the children, at the moment, is supporting the iraqi children through protection, child protection systematic, and to work for all children in iraq. at the same time save the children is responding to the displacement for the conflict in anbar. we are supporting the syrian children who have been displaced to iraq. so overall, we have programs that essentially work with women who are mainly taking care of women, households, to empower them to be economically self-reliant, to be able to pay for children's education and be self-reliant. >> i want to get an idea of how

orphans view iraqis. do they have a chance of being adopted. >> many have relatives, and social links are strong. either extended family will take care of them. institutions, government institutions are not enough to accept them, and save the children does not agree, you know, to keep children in orphanages, so we support government and civil society to help them to have a normal life, to be within a family and go to school which are for every children. >> interesting to talk to you. thank you for joining them from iraq. >> thank you. >> polls have opened in guinea. some optimism, but anxiety too. can this election bring chang the people need? and... >> vague us has a -- vague us

has a permissive atmosphere. this is good for art tists, because you have to feel you can do everything. we find the cultured side of sin city after the break. do stay with us on al jazeera.

>> hello again. you are watching al jazeera. these are the stories making our headlines. ukrainian government leaders say they have launched an anti-terrorist operation to take on separatists in ukraine. moscow is accused of backing

armed groups who claim self rule in don ebbing. . >> -- donetsk. >> syria and the rebels blame each other for dropping gas bombs. bashar al-assad olympic games terrorists, and the rebels denay it. >> voting is under way in guinea. a military coup forced the cans legs of a vote in the west african country. we have this report. >> close to 800,000 registered voters in guinea will be deciding the vate of 13 presidential candidates. the race will be between three me. a former finance minister is a flag-bearer of the independent party. this man has a ticket for the

main opposition party for social renewal. >> in man is an independent candidate, and has the support of younger people in the section of the military. >> the candidates are less combative than those of the 2012 election failed by a military coup. >> they don't have quite the same image, and a better cap yst i to reach out to other segments of the class. >> whoever wins the election will have to deal with a crippled economy. a problem involving parcels of individuals, including top military cofucials. it's performing on a military. >> the military would like to see a certain behaviour of politicians. while the politician would like to see a certain way of behaviour. so if they sit down, with the

mutual trust to find the solutions, to establish channels of communication, this will solve a lot of problems. some people are wary of the military and feel it's the cause of many of their problems. in fish markets like this, life has become harder, selling kish, it's not as lucrative it once was. >> traders want jobs for their children. they are hopeful that the election would give them the change they want. >> they have had enough of their country. >> i want change. that's what we all want. look at a woman like me, working in the hot sun, struggling to get something to feet my children. >> people are looking for a lan that will honour campaign

pledges and hope the military will not interfere with their choice this time around. >> now, traditional medicine has been practised for generations in africa. for many it's the easiest and cheapest options. for others, it's not scientifically sound. there's a push in lagos to travel treatment alongside modern medicine. >> this man set broken bones for more than 20 years, using a traditional form of orthopaedic therapy. he took this up from his father, who learnt it from his father. make no mistake. he is licensed, one of thousands of medical praccers recognised by the state of laos. >> if a bone is broken. they tell you about it before formation. in a traditional way i would tell you before six weeks he will walk with this.

>> patients trind traditional heroes more available, affordable and less ipp visive -- invasive. >> my friend had a fracture like mean and went to the hospital. they amputated his leg. traditional medicine appears to be doing as well as it has. >> critics of traditional medicine warn that it's not based on scientific evidence. it's difficult to draw the line between it and witchcraft. >> that's the impression the lagos alternative medicine board has been trying to change. for years it's been licensing, monitoring healers, including herbalists, bone setters and course attendance. the six week course talks about anatomy, and other topics. it's a prerequisite to getting a

licence. the chamber of board is a doctor. this, in the end, he says, is about provides better health care. >> we are trying to have a meeting between traditional doctors and healers. we are talking about a country where we have many doctors. >> lagos is working on setting up a botanic center for herbalists and scientists to capitalize on healthy and medicinal plants. they hope to offer solutions for diseases like malaria. they have been lobbied to establish a hospital, with them working side by side with first irns. the practice is here to stay. it is the natural thing to do. >> the australian-led search for the missing malaysian airliner resumed in the indian o.

one civil aircraft and 14 sheps are taking part in the search. they have narrowed the search on the seabed to an area the size of los angeles, and the batteries powering the recorder's box lasts for about a month and time is running out. taliban has abducted around 100 people in the north-west valleys. it happened at a weekly bazaar, a place known for selling heroin and hashish. 40 men are thought to have been released. >> italian riot police battled anti-protesters in rome. they propose reforms and tax cuts to try to help the ailing economy. there is a high cost of living and unemployment. >> this was the heart of rome on saturday. one of the trendiest treats of

the capital became the scene of some of the most violent clashes seen in months. this was the biggest demonstration against the government, two months after he became prime minister. it started as a street party, and ended in warfare. >> there seems to be some kind of violence. i don't know if you can see there's a lot of stuff thrown at the bys, and there's some pain -- police, and there's some paper bombs exploding. now, this is exactly what authorities thought would happen here, next to the labour ministry. they knew that this could happen, and it is happening right now. >> muslim men protested against issues inherited from other governments, like a high-speed rail think and in favour of housing rights. >> if politics duds not provide

answers, people become straight. that is why we'll fight every day. >> many opposed market reforms. the prime minister made it easier for employers to hire and fire employees. so far italians seem to have been optimistic about proposed tax cuts and spending reviews. at two months in the job, he faced the anger of those that opposed the drive for reforms. >> anger, too, in paris, where left wingers marched against tax and spending cuts proposed by the new prime minister. he is vowing to cut france's public deficit. but the government of the socialist president francis hollande is accused of doing little. they say francis hollande is no different to his right-wing

predecessor, nar cosy. >> on sunday the latest report from the ipcc. the united nations panel on climate change. it is expected to get stuffer on fossil fuels. that will not go down well with some governments. >> plus, a 20-year-old golfer is teeing off with a chance of becoming the youngest winner of the masters. jordan shares the lead with bubba watson. max kooutar and joan us are a single shot blnt them. >> -- behind them. >> for the first time in 30 years, a french minister is visiting cuba. laurent fabius is visiting his counterpart jimmy bruneau. cuba's human rights record was discussed. >> translation: there has been some improvement recently, especially with relationships

with europe. tourist visas have been permitted and foreign investment from allowed. there was some talk. there has been economic partners. they have to speak freely. it's a duty to speak about everything, and, therefore, we have to speak about human rights. >> it's famous for bright lights and slot machines and caberet acts. melissa chan explores how creativity can flourish. >> los angeles, where 40 million tourists flock to cam ble, party and indulge, not to appreciate art. >> we are at the university of nevada las are -- las vegas, and patrick duffy shows us works. he won't deny they have

struggled. las vegas art museum closed in 2009, during the recession. he is optimistic. >> we have about 2 million people that live here every day of their life. we are going to be able to also gather some of those towerists to be interested in our gol ris and institutions. >> some tourists made their way up the strip. a block from the main drag is marty walsh's gallery. >> they really are responding to the colour, the bright lights, not necessarily the lifestyle here, but really the colour. >> artists based here, like tim baving tonne says sin city ipp spires. >> the saying what happens here stays here. this is good for artists. you have to do anything. baving tonne says out here in the desert, you can work while

drawing on the high-profile split. >> it never escapes your mind as it were. >> on the strip the casino has a gallery. some tourists drop in. you know, a good time with the girls. forget your problems. not art. >> not art. >> sorry. >> you con go to the museum to explore art, or they can come to you. that is what is happening. it carries a large intensity. including this one. bring it to the people and perhaps someone will pause to appreciate the art here. >> david lion's abstract pop art synthesises colour, as for many we met on the tour. he can't imagine being anywhere else, but here.

>> don't underestimate las vegas. it's culture coming off the floor and is remade into cool art. melissa chan, al jazeera, las vegas. >> you can keep up to date with the news from the website. there it is, aljazeera.com. >> the obama administration said that it would drop illegal immigrants with no criminalists to the bottom and criminals to the top. did they? that's the inside story.