>> results of analyses were skewed in favor of the prosecution >> the fbi can't force the states to look at those cases >> the truth will set you free yeah...don't kid yourself >> the system has failed me >> we may be looking at the deadliest day in ukraine yet. there are reports of up to 30 pro russian activists who have been killed. one world leader is warning the country may be heading toward war. >> blurring the line between church and state, a landmark ruling by the supreme court. >> less than an hour away from a new report on climate change. why global warming could already be costing americans billions of dollars.

>> the district takes all complaints seriously and concerns seriously. >> the homework assignment sparking death threats at a california middle school. good morning, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm del walters. >> ukraine could be teetering on the brink of war according to the foreign minister of germany, warning it is just a few stems away from a military confrontation. >> dozens died outside of slovyansk. thirty pro russian activists were killed in some of the country's most intense fighting. four ukrainian soldiers were killed as the army tries to regain control of eastern ukraine. as of this morning, the government shut down the airport in donetsk, meanwhile top diplomats are meeting for a peaceful solution to the crisis. officials from the g7 nations are discussing decreasing dependence on energy supplies from russia. we have the latest developments.

>> the ukraine again government is increasing combat readiness, announcing that many demonstrators who fought here on independence square in kiev, scores were killed by snipers will be allowed to join the national guard, an attempt to beef up the military presence in the southeast of the country, in particular. the town of slovyansk saw some 30 anti-government fighters killed in fighting monday. tension is rising in the region. there is a report that at least one airport there has been closed. >> aljazeera's nick spicier reporting from kiev. nato secretary general rasmussen does not expect the crisis to be solved anytime soon. >> i regret to say that i think this will be a long term conflict, because this goes beyond ukraine. basically, this is about a russian attempt to reestablish a

russian sphere of influence in its near neighborhood in the former soviet space. >> we'll have much more of our extended interview with the secretary general in our next hour. >> global warming is making life worse for many fernandez, the finding of a major climate change study. the final version will be released of the 2014 climate analysis, examining few the u.s. is already paying billions for man made climate change. the study has been available since 2013. just ahead, our continuing currently of that climate report, we'll talk to one of the lead authors and take you on a tour of one of the greenest factories in the u.s. >> the south korean ferry accident has claimed another life. a diver working on the recovery effort, the diver lost radio contact five minutes after going 80 feet underwater to fix ropes attached to the sungen ferry.

when the diver was brought to the surface, he was unable to breathe on his own. he was airlifted to a hospital and died a short time later. the death toll from the ferry accident now stands at 263 with 39 still missing. >> the united nations is involved in the landslide in afghanistan, this video released of officials surveying the area by helicopter. 2,000 people were buried alive friday when the mud slide buried a remote village. it is one of the poorest places in afghanistan. relief efforts today were interrupted by gunfire. >> we were only a few meters away from this aid distribution center when the gunfire erupted. what we understand is it followed scuffles between security forces and those trying to get aid. we've been told up to 10 police officers who were guarding this

aid distribution center were beaten up and suffered injuries. that resulted in this area gunfire by security forces, but this wasn't one, two shots. this was sustained gunfire over two or three minutes. we understand that automatic rifles were used, as well. there's lot of tents here. people sheltering may be women, children and the elderly caught in the middle of this gunfire, underscoring how tense the situation is here. some people have received aid. many others have not received aid here. while we were here shortly after this gunfire erupted, a number of foreign aid agencies quickly left, like unicef and the world food program after this gunfire erupted, very quickly left because of how unpredictable and volatile this situation is. part of the reason why it's

become so tense here is there are people from other areas coming to this place trying to access aid. people who have not been affected by this landslide, which you can see behind me and that is where some of this tension is coming from. the source of the tension is anger at the government, anger that the government hasn't been clear about what it's going to do for the affected people and that is really what's behind this incredibly volatile situation at an area which has suffered a huge natural disaster and where a how man tarian disaster is quickly unfolding. >> that is reporting from the site of that massive landslide in afghanistan. >> victims of a mass race in the congo found dozens of government troops raped 130 women and girls from one town in 2012. monday, a d.r.c. court convicted two soldiers charged with lesser

crimes and cleared the others. lawyers say the ruling is insulting. the conflict in the democratic represendemocraticrepresentdemo. >> there are growing fears girls that were kidnapped will never be found. >> yanked from their bed in the dead of night. 300 young women, ages 16-18 were told they would be taken somewhere safe by men dressed in nigerian military uniforms. they were actually an armed group fighting western influence in nigeria. the girls were preparing for a

physics test. only some names have been released. many of the names are biblically inspired, ruth, esther, mary, hanna, rebecca. two thirds of the girls are christian and forced to convert to islam. families and supporters of the kidnapped girls have been protesting, demanding the nigerian find their nieces, sisters, daughters. the cries of nigerian activists have been echoed around the world. demonstrators from washington, d.c. to london held signs saying bring back our daughters, our girls, a campaign that began on twitter and spread. some girls are targeted by the government, saying they've been accused of working the group to make the nigerian president look bad. those accusations could stir more anger. >> many people are angry with the government's handling of the object ducks, and these

allegations could lead more people to the street. >> as outrage swells globally, the united states is speaking out. secretary of state john kerry called for nigerian president to do more to find the girls. president jonathan then broke his silence. >> we believe that we will get them out. >> many nigerians want more than promises. >> i personally believe that not enough is being done to rescue our daughters. >> that abduction condemned by u.s. leaders. secretary of state john kerry calling the kidnapping of the school girls and uncon sendable crime. former secretary of state hillary clinton saying preventing the girls from getting an education is an unconscionable reason for targeting the girls. coming up at 8:30, we'll take a closer look at that nigerian

kidnapping crisis and what's being done or not done to involve it with the deputy director of africa's human rights watch. >> a neighbor of oscar pistorius took the witness stand today in his murder trial. >> the cry that we heard that early morning was a plea for help. >> was it loud? >> very loud. it was very loud. >> the neighbor told the court he heard a man scream for help, but never heard any sounds from a woman. that counters the prosecution's claims that pistorius and his girlfriend had an arguments on the night of the shooting. he said he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder. >> six people were wounded in a knife attack at a rail station. these are pictures of that attack at the rail station. these say the men used long sword to say attack passengers leaving the trains. officials say police arrived quickly, shooting one attacker.

back in march, 29 people were talked. the government believes that religious radicals are behind the attacks. >> the 2012 attack on the u.s. diplomatic mission in benghazi libya is once again the subject of intense political debate as a result of newly released white house emails. house speaker john boehner decided to set up a special committee to investigate the incident. the white house is calling it more political partisanship. >> the facts of yesterday are the facts today and they will be the facts no matter how often or for how long republicans engage in highly partisan efforts to politicize a tragedy. >> a u.s. ambassador to libya, chris stevens and two other americans died in the 2012 attack. republicans contend the obama administration misled americans about the attack. >> a u.n. panel comparing the

vaticans handling of sex abuse to torture, officials were grilled on monday in geneva, alleging the catholic church violated an agreement against in humane treatment. the church said it only applies to within the confines of vatican city. the panel rejected a similar arguments by the church in february. the committee will issue a final report later this month. >> the supreme court focusing on the separation of church and state, a century's old tradition was upheld for opening government meetings with a prayer. the town in new york opened its town hall meeting last night with a prayer. a in vocation comes hours after the court declared the town was within its constitutional rights to do so. >> it is a landmark decision coming from a sharply divided supreme court. the case comes from the small town of greece in upstate new york where town board meetings began with opening prayers.

by christian clerics chosen from a list of churches. two residents said that practice was a violation of the constitution separation between church and state. they sued to have the prayers stopped. here's what they told john siegenthaler in an interview with aljazeera america last year. >> the town had no written policy. they basically were inviting clergy to do this prayer, and i felt like they were not including all the residents. >> the courtsided with the town and in a 5-4 decision said the prayers were constitutional. >> writing for the majority, justice anthony kennedy called the in vocations ritual, not religious, rooted intra addition. the inclusion of a brief very moan yell prayer is part of a larger exercise in civic recognition suggest it's toage religious leaders and institution they represent rather than to exclude

non-believers. justice cagen disagreed, writing: >> the five majority justices are catholic. of the dissenting justices, three are jewish, one is catholic. the ruling could have a profound impact on local governments across the country. it should be note that had many already begin proceedings with prayer. >> god save the united states. >> aljazeera. >> the high court's decision was based in port on a 1983 ruling which allows prayers at the start of legislative sessions. >> a southern california school under fire after asking students whether the holocaust actually happened. eighth graders were told to write an essay arguing if they believe the holocaust was an actual event or a political scheme to create public emotion.

school officials have received angry phone calls, even death threats. >> the district takes all sorts of complaint seriously and concerns seriously. it doesn't have to come from a parent or student. it can come from a community member and yes, we are working with all parties, because we want to resolve this and make sure that we are teaching our students about the holocaust. >> school administrators have now changed that assignment, making sure that any references to the holocaust not happening of stricken from all future assignments. >> it is a crucial tool of the trade for the men and women who serve and protect. >> your swat guys have them, people that are doing entries and raids will have them. >> of course, we're talking about a flashlight that attaches to the barrel of a gun. in theory, it seems like a great idea. some departments have said they have to ban them. >> do you remember the massive meat recall back in january? you won't believe that may have led to it. >> our big number of the day,

$1 billion, not a good number if you're plan to go fly soon. >> you are looking alive at one world trade center in lower manhattan, the site of the deadliest terror attack in american history. there's a debate brewing at ground zero. we'll explain, just ahead.

the performance review. that corporate trial by fire when every slacker gets his due. and yet, there's someone around the office who hasn't had a performance review in a while. someone whose poor performance is slowing down the entire organization. i'm looking at you phone company dsl. check your speed. see how fast your internet can be. switch now and add voice and tv for $34.90. comcast business built for business.

>> you might want to think about packing lighter on your next flight. that is the subject of today's big number, $1 billion. that's what airlines hope to pocket from baggage fees in the near future. >> pocket they are. the data comes from a federal transportation report out today, showing delta is the early favorite to top $1 billion in baggage fees and charging for changing or canceling reservations. 5% of revenue comes from add on fees. delta made more than any other airline in those fees last year, $833 million in 2013, followed by united, pulling in just

should $625 million. u.s. airways at $527 million and american $505 million in those baggage fees. >> no free lunch anymore. welcome to al jazeera america. straight ahead, guns with flashlights attached have become popular with police nationwide. >> why some democrats are banning them. >> first, nicole mitchell is here with a look at the forecast, good morning, nicole. >> i think those baggage fees i'm the reason your flight today the weather won't cause an impact, but the overheads stuffed with carry-ons because people don't want to fay the fees. >> already in the 60's this morning and with that set up for today, this boundary is a dry line, so dry air on one side, more of that gulf moisture on another side. this is also that humidity level impacting the fire danger as the temperatures in the 90's and 100's. that's our hot spot of the

country once again today. >> the white house is set to release a big climate change report today hoping it will encourage companies to go green like the g.m. manufacturing plant in new york. it reuses, recycles or converts every bit of waste from its daily operations. jonathan betz toured the plant that keeps millions of garbage parts out of landfills. >> every year, this general motors parts plant produces a million manifolds, 10 million fuel injectors and millions more engine parts, but hardly a pound of garbage. >> they put their trash out this morning. that's more than this plant would send to a landfill in a year. >> general motors has spent three years and millions of dollars figuring out how to recycle everything, absolutely everything that would otherwise be thrown away from plastic wrap to cardboard package to go industrial waste. >> we really did not expect to

become landfill free. we didn't think that would be possible. >> especially challenging, oily sludge coming from grinding out small parts like. >>s. g.m. used to send it to an industrial landfill. the team spent months figuring out how to separate the oil from the dust. >> it starts out like this. >> separating them into these two. >> the royal's reused. what happens to the ashy looking substance. >> the powder goes to a waste energy facility used to generate electricity or steam. >> since 2005, 110 out of g.m.'s 161 manufacturing facilities have gone landfill free. >> all that cardboard, plastic junk, it adds up, these to 38 million bags of garbage kept out of landfills like this one every year. >> rochester alone keeps out enough trash every year to fill the beds of 1800 chevy trucks, a

move environmentalists applaud. >> while it's very important that we're seeing progress in fuel efficiency and in other environmental sustainability initiatives, the auto industry is one of the worst contributors to global climate change, so progress is get a, but we need to see more of it and fast. >> g.m. is committed to the product even though it means extra work for employees. >> once they understand the full meaning, it will be better. >> g.m. launched the project to help the environment. >> we just assumed that nobody would want it. we were wrong. >> after spending money on recycling, general motors now makes a billion dollars a year off it. >> somebody buys this? >> somebody pace money for this. >> trash that's truly become treasure. jonathan betz, aljazeera america, rochester, new york. >> in our next half hour, one of the lead authors from the national climate assessment set to be released this morning will

join us to discuss the report plus we'll focus on the politics of global warming with a live report from the white house. >> new information is coming out about a beef recall, affecting 9 million pounds of tainted beef from a northern california slaughter house. the agriculture democratic said the plant wasn't properly inspected. there are now reports that the minutes the rancho feeding company may have had an intimate relationship with the usda inspector assigned to the plant. the f.d.a. also announcing the volunteer recall of organic eggs being district by six dogs investments, packed in dozen and half dozen boxes. some may have been shipped to idaho, kansas, new mexico and utah, and colorado. >> a report from the white house

saying global warming is costing americans billions of dollars. we'll talk to a lead author of the report. >> people tell me that my work is really good. >> if you like guacamole, you're not going to like this one. the finey little othe organisms decimating the of a cad degree crop. >> a history lesson behind sunking treasure.

>> in less than 30 minutes, the white house is set to release a new report on the long term effects of extreme weather changes. >> we have a preview of the study. what are we expecting from this report? >> we're expecting to get the administration's view of what we

need to do to deal with climate change that some sceptics and scientists say do not exist. >> blooding along the coast where more than half the nation lives, more intense hurricanes, crops at risk and drought and wildfires out west. >> this third national climate assessment will be the most authoritative and comprehensive ever produced about how climate change is going to impact all regions of the united states. >> the administration blames greenhouse gases for disrupt org weather.

last june, the president pledged to cut carbon emissions and require more fuel efficient cars. >> our concern is is that if he wants to actually do what he says he wants to do and get the economy and jobs back, this is the last thing this country needs. he would actually be hurting the people he wants to help most. >> the fuel industry is pushing president obama to approve the excel pipeline but that's been put on the back burner. >> in addition to looking at the actual weather impact, also looking at health and energy and transportation, all of that in that report to be released later today. >> thank you. >> here to dissect the report further, one of its lead author, professor of atmospheric sciences at the university of illinois. he joins us from washington, as well. this morning. professor, thanks for being with us. what is new in this report.

>> first of all, thank you for inviting me. what we've learned through observations and many different types of analyses is that climate change is happening now. >> mmm. >> it's happening very rap bidly and the evidence clearly points to that these changes are occurring primarily because of human activities. >> are we seeing the effects, these current present effects of climate change in the country and are the effects universal negative, professor? >> the we are seeing effects throughout the country already and we expect that to -- those changes to get stronger over the coming decades. i can't remember the second part

of your question. >> the report says temperatures have risen. when you look at this graph, you can see in the last decade, temperatures have risen. how much more should we expect temperatures to rise? >> we've already seen a 1.5 rise over the last century. by thent of the century, depending what pathway we follow in terms of these emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gases, you know, we could be as high as nine or 10-degree fahrenheit increases. >> wow. how definitive is the science on what impact climate change has on our weather? >> climate change is affecting severe weather especially. the fact that the background

climate has changed is having an impact on all of our weather, but if you look at things like a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, when we get rainfall or precipitation could come as snow as well in the winter, we are tend to go get larger events. we're seeing significant trends in the increase in severe precipitation over the last 50 years. we're also seeing many more extremely hot days, we're seeing in some parts of the country an increase tendency for floods and in other parts of the country for droughts. >> farmers and companies are start to go adopt to the realities of climate change by changing the way they harness resources and do business. are we entering a new chapter where adaptation rather than prevention becomes the focus and is that worrying to you?

>> there's no question that we do need to adapt. we do need to deal with the changes we are seeing. we're going to continue to see them. climate change is not going to stop, even if we start doing something about it, because we already have put so many emissions of these gases and concentrations have increased so much in the atmosphere that that's going to cause additional effects. we do need to adopt, but at the same time to avoid the worst kind of changes that we could see, we also need to be reducing emissions. >> professor of atmospheric sciences at the university of illinois and one of the lead authors of this report, due out in about an hour, professor, thank you. >> we are already seeing right now new research in antarctica highlighting climate change, scientists say if a particular ice rim on the east end arctic shore melts, sea levels could rise 10 feet. the melting could take 5,000 to

10,000 years to emtip the basin, but it will be unstoppable. scientists have over estimated the stability of east antarctica. >> a state of emergency in effect for 36 counties in central oklahoma as firefighters battal deadly wildfire. it has burned more than 3,000 acres and destroyed at least 30 buildings. firefighters say the whit wildfs 75% contained. the flames have been fanned by high winds and temperatures today will reach 100 degrees. a 56-year-old man who died in the fire sunday night refused to evacuate his mobile home. >> it has been dust bowl like conditions out there. for more, we turn to nicole mitchell. dry is the understatement. >> much like california, that south central portion of the united states, extreme drought conditions, so that combined with the extreme heat we've been

seeing recently is a tinder box. it was supposed to be a controlled burn, but there were a number of fires across the region, this one in oklahoma. conditions add to that. you get heat like again today, we could be setting more records, more temperaturion in the hundreds. that dries out vegetation, and then on top of it, temperatures in the 90s, significant for may. no real moisture across the region until closer to the gulf coast to pick up humidity, but that's not helping in this region. then we've had the winds really kicking up. right now in the 10-15-mile per hour range. once we get into the heat of the day, that exacerbates the situation, wind sends gusts more, so gusting 20-30-mile per hour, whipping this this along. the heat, low humidities and

wind means more fire danger today. this area extends to parts of nevada seeing some of these fire conditions. across the country in general, a little bit more of a disturbed pattern to the northern tier of the country, so some very spotty moisture, not a lot of moisture out here. not until we get into the day tomorrow that we have better chances for thunderstorm, but the yellow is a slight risk for strong storms and this shifts into the day on thursday. we could finally see some rain relief, but it could be very hit and miss and come with the risk for severe weather, so it's a trade-off. >> going into dark places is dangerous for police. a growing number of officers are now armed with military style guns that have the flashlights attached. after a string of accidental shootings, the safety of that gun accessory is now called into question. some democrats have already band them.

>> just like an officer's weapon, the gun mount on a flashlight can light up a suspect or crime scene. democrats all over the country are using them sometimes with serious unintended consequences. >> we've had accidental discharges. >> officers have been involved in three. one woman left slightly wounded. in dallas in 2010, police killed a drug suspect. in new york city in 2012, a 76-year-old man was severely wounded when officers tried to flip the switch on the flashlight and instead pulled the trigger. >> in the situation, things are tense, i think i'm activating the light and i activate the trigger to the gun instead, bam, i have an accidental discharge. >> chief white banned three models of the gun mounted lights whose on-off switches are located in close proximity to the begun's trigger.

>> swat guys have them, people doing entries and raised will have them. >> they were designed for military use, but over time adopted by elite police units. rich white is a former police officer who now owns a denver area gun shop. he said it's training, not the light design at fault. >> that light does not cause the gun to go off. an officer pressed the trigger and gun did what it's supposed to do. it's not an accident when you fired a gun. if you should not, it's next. >> the idea behind the device is fine, particularly special forces, you're operating in a dark environment. the police for the most part aren't really in those situations. >> none of the three makers of the light systems band by denver police responded for an interview request. one said:

>> the sure fire was involved in both the denver and new york shootings. training and improved light designs are the key. all officers must spend more time at the range. >> those handgun mounted lights have been used by police for more than two decades. more than 100,000 now said to be in circulation. >> a major freeway in los angeles closed by a bridge fire. crews tore down parts of the span on interstate 15 as it burned through the night. the blaze was sparked monday by workers cutting steel bars with torches. it caused parts of the huge overpass to collapse on the road blow, the 15 connects southern california to las vegas. it's a popular stretch of road, expected to be closed through wednesday in both directions. >> an investigation into the

circus accident in rhode island now focused on a small metal part. eight acrobats plunged more than 30 feet in front of thousand us. it appears that a steel clip that held that apparatus in place simply shattered. they don't know what caused it to snap. another performer on the ground also was hurt. >> doctors say the first american diagnosed with the mers virus could leave the hospital soon in indiana. the health care professional recently worked in saudi arabia. doctors believe no one else was exposed. 400 cases of the sometimes deadly illness have been reported, mostly in the middle east. a quarter of the patients have died. >> for many people, guacamole played a big role in monday's celebrations, but the people growing them face a tough

challenge. a fungus has been destroying calf cad dough trees in florida. >> the avocado has been called a super food. to many, it is best enjoyed as guacamole, first served by the aztecs of mexico. this woman has been making the dip in south beach for the last three years. she takes pride in the fact that people recognize her recipe. >> a lot of people tell me that my guacamole is really good. >> from the plate in south beach at the groves of south florida is just an hour drive. here, burnt stumps sit killed by disease. it's called laurel wilt and it's spread by beatles. since 2012, the fungus has

destroyed 50 trees a day. trees can fight off the fungus, but they die in the process. >> it's trying to wall off this fungus, and it does such a good job, it ends up killing itself. >> it kills trees in two to six weeks. avocado free roots naturally connect with one another, providing an easy pathway for the fungus to march through tree by tree. there's no cure. the professor with the university of florida institute of food and agricultural sciences says no one should panic yet. scientists are researching ways to decrease the threat to florida's $54 million a year avocado industry. >> our entomologists have several trials out right now where they attracted the beatles to a trap and it kills the

beetles. we hope to offer that as a strategy. >> it will be about a decade before scientists can grow avocado trees genetically resistant to the fungus. there isn't expected to be a shortage anytime soon, so people can keep enjoying their florida avocados. >> although the fungus can travel from tree to tree that's not the only way it's been spreading. beetle infested wood is sometimes sold as fire wood putting other areas at risk. >> guacamole pretty good. >> i love the stuff. >> an expedition finding a legendary ship wreck with sungen treasure. >> are you sure these explorers aren't the first to strike it rich this week? >> indeed they are not. that's part of the legend, a

gold laden ship that sank in a hurricane in 1857. an explorer named tammy thomson extracted $76 million worth of gold from it and promptly disappeared without paying half" investors. a group is hired to finish the job and pay those investors off. they've hit pay dirt. >> more than 150 years ago, the s.s. central america on a trip from panama to new york city sank off the coast of south carolina, killing 425 and sun merging tons and tons of gold. gary kinder is the author of the book about the wreck. >> every one of these ships, steamers would go from new york to panama and from san francisco down to panama back and forth every two weeks, each had a million dollars worth of gold coins and gold bars.

>> a company announced that a robot it sent to investigate the wreck last month came to the surface with five gold bars weighing in at 66 pounds and worth about $1.2 million. there's much more where that came from. >> there were different shipments of the gold on the ship. there was the consigned commercial shipment of three tons of gold, then there was the gold that was on the persons and the liners and then there also is reportedly an army shipment, a secret army shipment of another 15 tons in gold. >> 18 tons of gold are estimated to be on that ship when it sank, even accounting for the three tons removed in the 1988 expedition, there should be plenty of riches left to claim by the odyssey crew, assuming that army shipment is actually onboard. >> if that 15 tons is down there, it could be word hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of

millions of dollars. >> an interesting sign, though, the loss of all that gold in 1857 led to one of america's first financial crisis called the panic of 1857. historians say it took eight years and the civil war for the american economy to fully recover. stephanie. >> absolutely fascinating. >> i love that story. >> well, there is something we thought we'd never be talking about, a new warning about polio. >> vaccines help keep us healthy. >> we thought it was eradicated, turns out it's spreading faster now than it has in decades. we'll talk to a spokesman from the world health organization. >> a missouri man sentenced, never went to prison, now a judge skied he doesn't have to. why he gets a pass. >> they look like giant flowers, but they're not. the discovery scientists made at the bottom of the gulf of mexico, it's not gold, it's our

discovery of the day.

rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi

on al jazeera america >> it's time for our discovery of the day. today's item was found at the bottom of the gulf of mexico. >> take a look at this, government scientists uncovering giant flowers on the floor of the ocean. they thought they were investigating a ship wreck. the robot submarine revealed massive rocks in the shape of flowers with a substance leaking out. >> researchers believe the structures are asphalt volcanos, the first time nerve spotted across the gulf. welcome back to aljazeera america. polio is once again emerging as a global threat according to the world health organization. >> there are now fears that if left unchecked, it could reverse decades of progress.

>> vaccines help keep us healthy. ask your local health clinic to know which you need. >> for 70 years, the world health organization has worked to reduce the spread of infectious diseases and eradicate them where possible. until recently, it believed polio was one that it had contained. through a rigorous global immunization campaign, the organization reduced the infection rate from hundreds of thousands per year to blow 1,000. now, the w.h.o. said it's spreading again and it's become an emergency. >> the international spread of polio to date in 2014 constitutes an extraordinary event and public health risk to other states for which a coordinated international response is essential. >> until the civil war in syria broke out, it had been free of the disease for 14 years. the w.h.o. believes the country has been reinfected from the virus from pakistan.

there, immunization teams have been targeted by armed groups who reject western medicine. >> polio is a viral disease that affects children under the age of five. it's spread through contact with tainted food and wore. once inside the body, it attacks the nervous system. it causes paralysis and can kill within hours, although that is repair. >> this is the second time a declaration of a public health emergency has been issued in the past five years. the first was during the swine flu pandemic of 2009. the difference now is that the vaccine to stop polio is cheap and readably. aljazeera. >> a spokesman for the world health organization i guess at their headquarters this morning. there are 10 countries around the world where pole lestill exists, afghanistan, ethiopia,

iraq within israel and nigeria, but it is spreading across borders now. what has changed over the last year and why are we seeing a massive resurgence of polio? >> well, as you say, we've decided to where we've decided to claire a public health emergency of international concern at the moment because for the first time in a long time, we are seeing polio spread internationally in the low season. the low season, which is january through april is mainly, it doesn't spread then and since we've had so much spread in this time, it's concerning us that if it's already spreading during the low season, what's going to happen during the high season. >> it is spread to go three countries this season alone. why are we seeing it popping up in countries once free of the disease?

>> polio loves instability, because what we need to do, as you mentioned in your previous report, we have a very effective vaccine. it's cheap, it's billions of doses have been produced. it's used, it's effective, but when there's conflict, when there's instability, when there's inability to reach every single child, there's the risk that polio can rei am plant itself in a population. that's what we're seeing in countries that have instability, emergencies, wars, going on, it's much more difficult to vaccinate. >> what needs to be done? what type of coordinated international response is the world health organization now calling for? >> we are basically wanting countries which have experienced this export of the virus and as you say, you mentioned pakistan, cameroon and syria, we need those countries in particular to really step up their commitment

to reaching every single child with this vaccination, with this vaccine, which is so cheap and readily available. we need to ensure every single person is reached in these countries and in the other seven countries where there still is polio in order not to lose so much momentum. since the rad occasion efforts started in 1988, we have reduced the number of polio cases annually worldwide by 99%. i mean, that's so close to eradicating it, and we just need to keep pushing now in order not to have these gains, these fantastic gains rolled back. >> your organization had been hope to go eradicate polio by 2018. with what we are seeing now on the ground in so many countries, is that goal now still possible? >> we believe it's still possible, and we are certainly still working towards that. for the moment, we have seen 74

cases of polio this year, so that's not a lot, 74 worldwide. 59 of those cases have been in one country alone, in pakistan. the number of cases, even in countries which were formally endemic, pakistan has had 49 cases, which is a big improvement, but we really need to push. >> is there a sense you can work with rebel groups to try and eradicate polio despite the on going conflicts? >> well certainly we've seen the ability to work with all sides of the conflict in syria, and we have -- there's a plan which we started in october of last year when we heard of the first case in syria of doing 60

supplemental rounds of vaccination both inside syria and neighboring countries, and we have gone to huge lengths with us and our partners in order to vaccinate every single syrian. i think if we haven't reached any, we certainly tried to reach every syrian on both sides of the conflict. >> thank you very much for being with us. >> let's get a check on the forecast now. >> we want to look at moisture out there. continuing across the country, the northern tier a little more unstable than what we're seeing in the heat in the south. north dakota getting showers this morning, back through the west. it's a very hit and miss, not a ton of moisture with this instability and even a couple of higher elevations and extremely higher elevations, those could be areas of snow. you can see this spotty rain

forecast as we get across the northern tier of the country. unfortunately, where we need it with all the fire concerns, anywhere from texas and oklahoma all the way to southern parts of nevada is not where we'll see the rain today and tomorrow's chances are very isolated. the forecast for the next 24 hours, through the rookies is where we have more of that chance for moisture. a pretty dry forecast. the upside is that if you're having a flight today for example, should be fairly on track. back to you. >> nicole, thank you very much. >> if you want to be happier, you might consider moving down under. according to the annual report of the happiest down theories, australia topping the list for year nobody four, norway, sweden, denmark, canada rounding out the top five. the united states came in seventh, looking at income, health and civic engagement. the saddest places, chad, congo

and the central african republic, afghanistan and yemen. >> the latest violence in ukraine could lead to a full scale war. >> the white house expected to release a major climate change report revealing attempts to slow global warming have not been very effective. >> the supreme court up hold opening government meetings with a prayer. >> also ahead, our conversation with nato secretary general rasmussen about the escalating crisis in ukraine. >> an armed group taking responsibility for the abduction of 300 school girls in nigeria. we'll focus on the control over the wealthiest country in africa of the group.

>> you are looking live at one world trade center in lower manhattan. there's a heated debate brewing at ground zero. we'll is that in just ahead. del and i are back with you in just two minutes. >> you followed their journey across the border >> it was heart wrenching... >> now see how it changed the lives of the people involved. >> i didn't go back to the person that i was before i left... >> an emotional borderland reunion >> this trip was personal to me... this is real... >> long held beliefs >>...illegal in mexico too.. >> learn the language! come here... >>...most ridiculous thing i've heard in my life >> tested by hard lived truths... >> these migrants are being exploited >> beyond borderland... only on al jazeera america

>> cracking down on carbon pollution. the white house releasing an undated report on climate change, expected to detail how global warming impacts every aspect of our lives. >> deadly violence erupting in ukraine, 30 pro russian activists killed, one world leader saying it could be the springboard to war. >> a reign of terror over nigeria, the group taking

responsibility for the abduction of nearly 300 school girls. >> $1,000 starting bid, everyone and everyone, got refund checks in the bank can afford this. >> detroit's future. the city moving to put abandoned homes on the auction block to turn blighted neighborhoods around. >> welcome to al jazeera america. >> climate change brought about by us is affecting our environment in ways big and small according to a critical report warn that go life in america is only going to get worse. >> the white house is releasing this latest climate change assessment. we have the details we can expect. this is a comprehensive report. >> absolutely. we're talking about a 700 page document, and it's the third national climate assessment. the last was done five years ago. more than 240 scientists contributed to the report along with 13 government agencies and experts from around the world,

including the private sector and non-profit community. while the report acknowledging the many steps taken to curb impacts of climate change. most actions have been insufficient and efforts should be redoubled immediately. >> as the president said in his state of the union address this year. >> we have to act with more emergency, because western communities are struggling with drought and coastal cities dealing with floods. >> a new report supports his case. the white house plan to say push this latest assessment more than ever before. >> this third national climate assessment will be the most authoritative and comprehensive source of scientific information ever produced about how client change is going to impact all regions of united states. >> climate change is already impacting the american people, says the report. certain weather he sent have become more frequent and intense. from heat waves to heavy downpours, severe drought in the west to massive floods in the

east, the report warns the average temperature across the u.s. has gone up 1.5 degrees fahrenheit since record keeping began. 80% of that warming has happened since 1980. temperatures are going to rise faster over the next few decades with two to four degrees projected in most areas. sea levels will rise another one to four feet this century alone. extreme weather is causing infrastructure damage, straining water flies in the southwest, reducing fish stocks on the coast. agricultural areas will experience a drop in crops and livestock production due to increased disease and pests, all part of the same pattern of climate change driven by our own activity. >> climate change is a fact and when our children's children look us in the eye and asked if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world with new sources of energy, i

want to be able to say yes, we did. >> the report provides guidance for officials on how to respond to climate change, advicing coastal communities to prepare for rising sea levels and western states on how to better plan for drought and wildfires. >> let's go to mike viqueira at the white house. we just heard from a top presidential advisor who is saying this is the most comprehensive report on climate change, so how much can the president do on his own in response to this particular report? >> there's one big thing the president is slated to do, set himself a deadline of june 1, less than a month from now. that is new severe regulations by the estimate of some in the industry of coal fired power plants. the country gets most of its electricity from the burning of coal. that nobody needs to be told is a major contributor to global warning. the key stone pipeline decision

very controversial. there is a debate about the impact that will have. that permitting is put off until after the mid term elections come november. was, the president can jaw bone, use his bully pulpit. he's going to do that today. he has television meteorologists coming into the white house this morning to give a series of interviews to talk about this issue. >> scientists around the world saying that global warning and effects are proven, 97% lining up to say that's true, but there is political resistance, pushback in washington. what can we expect? >> there's no doubt about it. we're not going to see major legislation passing the congress in the near future. that's just the fact, not just doubters, but plenty of deniers on the conservative side in the senate and house. you're going to see a vote in the senate on whether to approve the key stone pipeline or not. that is just to give political

cover to most estimations. many favor building the pipeline, like arkansas and arizona where they face tough reelections. >> ukraine may be teetering on the brink of war. the prime minister of germany warned they are a few steps away from military confrontation. dozens died outside of slovyansk. thirty pro russian activists were killed in intense fighting. four ukrainian soldiers were killed in clashes with accept are a activities as the army tries to regain control of eastern ukraine. world diplomats are holding summits pushing for a peaceful solution to the cries. we have the latest from kiev. >> the ukrainian government is increasing combat readiness, many demonstrators who fought here in independence square in kiev, scores were killed by

snipers, they will be allowed to join the national guard, an attempt to beef up the military presence in the southeast of the country, in particular. the town of slovyansk, the interior ministry says saw 30 anti-government fighters killed in fighting on monday. tension is rising in the region. there is a report that at least one airport there has been closed. >> fast moving developments. that was nick spicier in kiev. at 8:30, our conversation with nato secretary general rasmussen about the cries and whether he thinks russia is looking to launch a war with its neighbor and what the western response might go. >> six wounded in a knife attack in china. this is at the rail station. the men used long sword to say attack the passengers leaving. they arrived quickly, police shooting one attacker.

the government believes religious groups are behind the attacks. >> the company has operated that cap sides south korean ferry are under arrest, charged with overleading the ship with cargo. a diver working on recovery victims has died. it happened while he was trying to fix underwater rope that is attach to the ferry. when he was before the to the surface, he was unable to breathe and died. the official toll stands at 263, 39 still missing. >> efforts to get aid to people displaced by the mud slide in afghanistan interrupted today by gunfire. [ gunfire ] >> relief is slow for the 4,000 people affected. it is estimated that 2,000 people were buried alive after that mud slide hit the remote village on friday. the site is one of the poorest regions in afghanistan. people are frustrated with the

government's slow response. >> this is about as close as we can get to the aid distribution center with gunfire erupted. just over my shoulder, you can see a large group of men at that aid distribution center. they were caught in the gunfire. this violence which reresulted over confusion over where the aid was going to be distributed. we've been told that the government decided to move it to another location. that information was not provided to those who were desperately in need of what was on offer and that erupted in violence. a number of police officers sustained injuries and that's why the gunfire. this aerial gunfire by security forces was used. it was quite a sustained period of gunfire, which lasted over a few minutes' time and it really underscores how volatile this area has become, this area, which of course has suffered an enormous humanitarian disaster.

these people living in these tents, of course have lost everything. they have very little, and they are basically trapped in the middle between a desperate need for aid and this volatile situation, which has erupted. >> that is aljazeera reporting from the site of that landslide in afghanistan. >> in a close 5-4 decision, the supreme court has ruled government meetings can begin with a prayer. the case began when two women sued the upstate town of greece, new york, which starts uptown meetings with an open invitation from a christian clergy member. they said that view lathes church and state. the high court disgreat. the court previously ruled it was ok to open with a prayer at legislative sessions. it was called ritual, prayers rooted intra addition and not meant to exclude or coerce non-believers. >> critics are calling on the

veteran affairs administration official to resign after dozens of death in a hospital in phoenix. the department says it stands by his record. the v.a. acknowledging 23 people have died because of delays at the hospital. critics are saying that number could be as high as 40. >> the unidentified remains of those killed in the 9/11 world trade center attack will be moved. this is a live look. some relatives are upset they were informed of the decision about a week before by email. new york city's deputy mayor for health and human services said the remains will be transferred to a repository in the 9/11 memorial museum located at ground zero, sparking anger and confusion for many relatives. some reward the site as the most appropriate resting place. others have questioned the wisdom of housing the remains in a museum. >> a state of emergency now in

effect for 36 counties in central oklahoma as firefighters battle a deadly wildfire burning more than 3,000 acres and destroying 30 buildings. it is 75% contained, but they have their hands full. those flames fanned by high winds and today the temperatures are expected to reach 100 degrees. authorities say a 56-year-old man who died in that fire sunday night refused to evacuate his mobile home. >> fire crews will get relief in the coming days, but that could come in the form of severe weather. >> as always, we turn this morning to our meteorologist, nicole mitchell. >> even that is kind of of a spotty chance a couple of days from now. yesterday, all little spots use that here representing different fires. the bigger one that we were talking about in oklahoma was more widespread. somebody was trying to do a controlled burn. that wasn't a fire intentionally set. this time of year, so tinder dry, you need to be very careful, anything like a

campfire or just a cigarette out the window, which we don't like to see anytime, much less in these conditions, can spark a fire. you need to be very careful. temperatures in the hundreds in some cases, oklahoma city at 100, wichita setting records with this heat. that dries out the vegetation, so that makes the situation worse, then add on top of it acknowledge heat spreads all the way up into iowa tomorrow, we could see temperatures in the 90's, dry conditions, no rain in the forecast today, and only spotty chances wednesday and thursday, and then the winds that blow this along and they pick up into the afternoon hours into the 20 or 30-mile per hour range. that's why all across this region, we're looking at red flag fire dangers. the forecast for today keeps moisture well to the north. it's not until the day tomorrow, you can see the green, that's a thunderstorm potential. the yellows is the officer weather and this morphs into the day on thursday. some slight chances, but again,

that balances severe weather even if we get the rain out of it. >> 100 degrees in arizona. >> very hot. >> nicole, thank you very much. >> a southern california school is criticized after asking students whether the holocaust actually happened. eighth graders at the school were told to write an essay arguing if they believe the holocaust was an actual event or "a political scream traited to influence public emotion." school officials received angry phone calls and death threats. >> school administrators have changed the assignment and say they'll make sure any references to the holocaust not happening are stricken from future assignments. >> a day care center in new

jersey back open affidavit children and teachers were sickened by carbon monoxide. twenty were evacuated after smelling gas fumes. 34 children were taken to local hospitals to be treated. the likely cause was construction at a church next door. safety officials have now launched an investigation. >> an incredible survival story in colorado, a woman found clinging to life in her wrecked car five days after driving off a mountain pass. we have details on her incredible ordeal and the rescue. >> i'm here at st. anthony hospital in lake wood outside denver where 43-year-old kristin hopkins was airlifted on sunday after first surviving a horrifying accident, then managing to cling to life for five days without food, water or help until she was finally rescued. police say tuesday, hopkins was driving on a mountain pass, about an hour and a half southwest of denver when she hurdled off that road.

her car flew 120 feet through the air before crashing and flipping another 200 feet frog an aspen grove before finally settling on its roof. state troopers say it's amazing she survived the wreck. >> the crash alone would have taken its toll on her. it's surprising that she survived the crash at all and then to be down there for that amount of days without food an water. >> she was discovered by chance on sunday when a motorist stopped and saw her mangled car down in the woods. firefighters arrived and thought they were there to recover a body, but when they started to feel for a pulse, she put her hand to the window and it turned into a rescue operation. she had tried to write pleas for help on an umbrella hope to go attract attention. earlier today, family thanked the rescuers and staff at the hospital. >> while we're hopeful for her prognosis, kristin was seriously injured with multiple internal

and external injuries. later this afternoon, in about an hour, hour and a half, kristin will be undergoing surgery here at st. anthony to amputate both of her feet. doctors were not able to save her feet due to the severity of the injuries. >> tragic, of course that she lost her feet in this accident, but astonishing that hopkins survived the accident and the ordeal at all. her family said she's in critical but stable condition. she is a single mother of four. police say the cause of the accident remains under investigation. >> aljazeera, lake wood, colorado. >> the capture of 300 school girls in nigeria, a group takes responsibility. >> a potential pay hike for millions of restaurant servers nationwide. the big changes president obama is proposing for america's wait

staff and why not everyone finds them appetizing. >> a very close encounter with a tornado for a guy in italy who had his camera out and ready. that and the other stories captured by our citizen journalists around the world.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. let's get a check now of the videos captured around the world. >> protestors gathering oh used a new york courtroom, supporting a fellow demonstrator. the group chanted for a woman found guilty of assaulting an officer at a demonstration. she claimed she accidentally hit the officer after someone she said groped her. >> a scary moment for alan capturing a tornado in italy in the northern part of the country. he was at an oil control point as the twister passed by his office. he and his colleagues eventually got under their desks for safety. >> in toronto, several videos including this one from a police

officer's dash cam of a bright light in the sky. residents report that go they heard a sonic boom. >> straight ahead, the battle over the minimum wage in washington and why it could mean changes to waiters and waitresses in the country. >> we turn to nicole mitchell. good morning. >> a lot of the country is going to be pretty comfortable even already this morning, 40's across the northern tier, 50's up the east coast. into the central plains, we have the core of the heat. here's what we have going on, a stationery boundary trapping the heat south of it, north of that line, it's pretty typical for this time of year, south of the line, 10-20 degrees above average. what you see cutting, it's not a front. behind that, the really dry air ahead of that is where you get a little gulf moisture, but temperatures with all of that, as i said, 90s and hundreds up through that core, drying things out is helping accelerate our

fire danger in my region of the country. it's the time of year we need to be drinking plenty of water already. >> good advice, thank. >> federal prosecutors are nearing a deal with credit suisse for tax evasion, saying they helped wealthy americans avoid taxes. the settlement could exceed $1 billion, but prosecutors have work to do, convincing a federal bank official that the punishment will not put the bank out of business. >> that news comes amid a strong warning to big banks from attorney general eric holder, saying none of them are above the law. >> there is no such thing as too big to jail. some have used that phrase to describe certain financial institutions even if they engage in criminal misconduct should be considered immune from

prosecution due to their sheer size and influence on the economy. >> in addition, criminal charges following an investigation into alleged tax evasion and money laundering. >> president obama's push to raise the minimum wang stalled in the senate. there was a provision that would benefit workers who mostly work off their tips. the pay has been well below the minimum wage for two decades. they could eventually make about $5 an hour more plus tips. we have the details. >> are you all set? >> cashing out each night, paul considers himself lucky to be a waiter based in the state of oregon. >> only six states in my business pay full minimum wage. oregon we're currently at $9.10 an hour, regardless of what i make in tips, i still all the way that. >> a single parent for 35 years,

palm's found he can comfortably raise three children off his waiter's salary, putting in about 20 hours a week. he now works at an upscale restaurant outside portland and on a good day, tips make up 75% of his wages. >> it can be anywhere from $200 a shift to $500 a shift. there are some of my peer that is work at the high end restaurants that make six figure incomes. >> of course, how much a tip worker makes depends largely on where they work. washington leads all states paying tip workers $9.32 an hour, followed by oregon and for other states that mandate a wage higher than the full minimum wage of $4.75. these are the exception. 19 states still maintain a base wage for tip workers of just $2.13 an hour. >> 70% of workers who earn this wage are women. they suffer from three times the

poverty rate of the rest of the u.s. workforce, use food stamps at double the rate of the workforce and their wage including tips is under $9 an hour. the separate minimum wage for shift workers was tied to be 50% of the minimum wage but froze in 1991 and has fallen behind ever since. president obama's proposal now in the senate would raise the base wane for tip workers to at least $7.10 an hour over the next six years and peg it to 70% of the full one. the restaurant industry warns a hike in that wage would cut dangerously into a restaurant's thin 4% to 6% profit margins, forcing limiting of employee hours, passing on cost to say customers and perhaps shut down altogether. >> one way to recuperate that money is raising prices. that only takes you so far.

if you're going to go to a restaurant and try to pay $50 for a hamburger, nobody would buy it. >> having devote add lifetime working for items, paul homes it stays as long as he's waiting tables. >> if they eliminate tipping, then i am stuck with a flat amount salary, an hourly rate and have no capability regardless of my skills or my performance of improving myself financially. >> david shuster, aljazeera. >> raising the minimum wage would help about 16.5 million americans, lifting 900,000 out of poverty. >> nato's secretary general giving his take on the ukraine crisis. >> i would call it modern warfare. we see russia's hand clearly behind the destabilization efforts in ukraine. >> our extended conversation

with rasmussen and whether the west may have to put troops on the ground. >> a missouri man avoided prison for more than oh decade free again after a brief incarceration. why the judge said not searching his sentence actually helped him. >> i think that it's a very good thing that they are trying to do, get them if i aid. >> detroit's new plan to solve blythe. how the right price could put people in abandoned homes. >> a look now at our images of the day. the music is a cue, a special celebration in japan. priests in japan hanging sacred ropes in the eastern part of the country. they can weigh up to 3,000 pounds.

>> ahead in this half hour, the rebel group claiming responsibility for the abduction of hundreds of school girls in nigeria. we're going to look at this group's reign of terror that's been going on for years and what can be done to stop them. >> a new generation making their voices heard in south africa in general elections there tomorrow. >> ukraine teetering on the brink of war according to the foreign minister of germany. he warned the country is a few steps away from military confrontation. his comments were made as dozens died in fighting on monday outside of slovyansk. ukrainian officials say 30 pro russian activists were killed i understand some of the countries most intense fighting.

four ukrainian soldiers were killed in clashes with accept are a activities. world diplomats are holding summits to push for a peaceful solution to the crisis. >> as many accuse russia of destabilizing ukraine, the leader of nato believe moscow should be treated as an adversary. i spoke with nato secretary general rasmussen and asked about that. >> unfortunately, we see russia act more as an adversary than as a partner. we strongly regret that, because some years ago, we decided to develop what we call a true strategic partnership with russia, but clearly, russia does not act as a partner. >> do you believe that russia's actions in ukraine are tantamount to an act of war as some suggested? >> i would call it modern warfare. we see russia's hand clearly behind the destabilization

efforts in ukraine. first, we saw crimea, which also led to an annexation, an illegal annexation of crimea and i have no doubt that russia is also involved in the destabilization of eastern ukraine as we are currently witnesses. >> defense secretary chuck hagel testified before congress saying that this crisis demonstrates the lack of nato funding. if this came down to a battle between nato forces and russia today, are you confident you have the resource to say win? >> we have all plans in place. we have the resources required to ensure effective defense and protection of all allies against any threat, but having said that, i'm also concerned about

the declining defense budgets. we have seen deep cuts in european defense budgets in recent years because of the economic crisis. during the same period of time, we have seen russia significantly increase its defense investments, and this trend cannot continue, so time has come to stop cuts in europe and gradually start increasing defense investments. >> how would you describe your personal relationship with president putin? >> well, i have had many meetings with president putin, and well, we have very clear positions. i think president putin would like to see nato dissolved, actually, and last time i met him, i told him that my ambition is quite the opposite, my ambition is to strengthen nato

as a framework for collective defense of our allies. we have a very good, professional relationship, but also very firm positions. >> do you believe you will see a resolution to this conflict before you leave the position? >> i regret to say that i think this will be a long-term conflict, because this goes beyond ukraine. basically, this is about a russian attempt to reestablish a russian sphere of influence in its near neighborhood in the former soviet space, so unfortunately, i think this russian behavior will go beyond crimea, beyond ukraine and this conflict will last for quite

some time. >> rasmussen set to leave his post in october said nato has taken steps to strengthen the defense of its allies and called russian military acts in ukraine a wake up call. >> the kidnapping of 300 nigerian school girls sparking protests through the world, officials urged to do more to find those girls. it comes amid claims by the group that it is behind the kidnappings and plan to sell those girls. >> for more than five years, boko haram is saying it acted in protection of its religion.

nigeria's government tried but failed to eliminate the group. a historian said they do not have widespread appeal. >> it is a terrorist group which has assassinated muslim learned and terrorized communities. >> it has taken bold action against civilians and the government. nigeria thanks to oil is now the largest economy in africa, surpassing south africa. wealth is centered in the south. boko haram is based in the north, but launchings attacks wherever it can. in 2010, they engineered a prison break freeing 700 inmates. the next year, it staged a

suicide bombing of united nations building in the capitol. last year, boko haram was accused of murdering 65 school boys. in april, finders again targeted a bus station killing nearly 100 people. mideast analyst says boko haram has a credibility problem, and so does the nigerian government. >> the biggest issue is credibility. boko haram in the mid 1990's started as a group to preyed on the grievances of northern nigerians. they tried to fill a gap where the government was not seen as credible or worthy. obviously, the nigerian government did not manage to step up and fill that void. >> in the past, one problem has been nigeria's reluctance to ask for outside assistance but that appears to be changing, asking for international aid including help from the u.s. to find the

girls and to stop boko haram's violent attacks. aljazeera. >> year joined in studio but the deputy director of the african division of human rights watch. we were talking this kidnapping taking place april 14. what does it say about the nigerian government that they waited close to a month before asking for any international help in finding boko haram and these kids. >> you are seeing protests because the government is answer to go allegations that the as i had napping of the girls was almost forgotten until people started mobilizing saying they wanted the girls back, focusing attention on boko haram and how was it possible that nearly 300 girls could be taken from their school without the government even responding in an adequate manner. >> in the 1980's i kept seeing

in motion pictures over and over again, oh, that's africa, almost as if 200 or 300 school girls kidnapped in africa was somehow ok. is the world now getting it, the fact that this could be any school in the united states and if that were the case, everybody would be focused on it 24 hours a day, seven days a week? >> i think it's the nigerians themselves who have changed, now on social media saying this is outrageous. we don't want to live in a country where 275 girls get abducted and the government doesn't pay attention. the government needs to be accountable. that's in large part the result of civil society and media and expectations that government should comply to standards in government. >> i want to point out that this is not the first time boca has ram has been involved in something this heinous. they attacked six other schools in 2014, seven churches,

bottomed several markets mostly in muslim dominated parts of the country. they are responsible for 1500 deaths just this year and close to 4,000 since their bloody reign of terror began. is the nigerian government powerless to do anything about this or just down right afraid of this group? >> i think it's a little of both. boko haram we are not sure where it's funded or get their arms. security forces have commit add lot of abuses against the local population, and that's alienated the local population and impeded the fight against boko haram. the nigerians haven't south out the international community for help. >> this is a group that changed the doors closed on one school, locked the boys inside and set

the school on fire. when we talk about international outrage, there is a long list of things for the international community to be upset about. >> the group is horrible, they spare no one, they attack muslims, not just christians, tacklerrics and people in markets and churches and have an indiscriminate approach. >> the clock is ticking. should we assume that these girls, missing school girls and i keep saying that over and over again to emphasize the fact that these are teenagers, may be sold enclavery. >> human rights watch did report on the abduction of girls in november by boko haram. some came back pregnant, some with babies. their family sometimes sent them off because of the shame that brought to the families. it's not clear where these girls are, but we worry about how they are. this is going to be a traumatic experience for them. >> what are we to make of the statements by the president's wife who in fact was blaming

some of the people protesting against the government's slow response. >> in fact, she arranged for the arrest of two women after meeting with them in an all-night might go in the presidential villa. one was released and one still in detention. she accused them of falsely representing who they were, but they had come as emissaries from the community saying we are concerned about our girls. there is concern about the reputation of the jonathan government right now. i suspect that's why these women are being intimidated and harassed. >> the deputy director of the african division of human rights watch, i hope not to see you again, but if we do, i hope it is to celebrate the release of the girls. >> i do, too, thank you. >> victims of a mass rape in the democratic republic of congo are upset with a military court's verdict. a united nations investigation found government soldiers raped 130 women and girls in 2012, all of the victims from one town. on monday, a d.r.c. court

convicted two soldiers, clearing most of the others charged. lawyers are calling the ruling insulting. the conflict in the democratic republic of congo has claimed an estimated 3 million lives. >> millions are expected to vote tomorrow, the country overwhelmingly young, 80% of voters under the age of 30. first timers are part of generation born after the country abolished apartheid. the fate of the country is in their hands. >> some of his white friends can't find work. the government's policies that favor black job applicants make it harder for them. >> you can't use race as an

excuse anymore. it's time to move forward. if you are reelected in 2014, which i don't know if i would be too happy with, but if you are reelected, it's time for jobs. >> part of the generation born after the end of apartheid, it's an economic class to divides young people today more than race. some young people don't like the term born free, saying they have different experiences living in what's still a divided south africa. calvin is worried about employment as he tries to navigate out of poverty. >> i'm 20 years old, but i'm still sleeping in the same room with my parents. if i want to take a bath, someone has to go out. when i wake up, i have to go out

so that my little sister can take a bath. >> researchers say only one third of those between the ages of 18 and 19 have registered to vote. >> we are generally seeing a youth that is still quite disillusioned by the current landscape in south africa. they don't feel it is going to make a difference and for some, they have opted out of going out and voting this year in the 2014 elections. >> jared is determined to vote and wants to see more jobs created for all south africans. calvin and his friends need the basics, such as a decent place to live. >> a major concern, four members of the born free generation is entering the workforce. a recent study found a quarter of adults in south africa are unemployed. >> thailand's prime minister is in court over allegations of abuse of power. thai senator's filing a complaint, saying she benefited from transferring her national security chief in 2011. if she is found guilty, the

prime minister could be removed from office and ban from politics for five years. she believes the course is biased and the case an attempt to remove her from office. thailand has been in deadlock since anti-government protests began last year. >> the investigation into the circus accident in rhode island is focused on a small metal part. ♪ eight acrobats plunged 30 feet in front of spectators. a steel clip holding the apparatus in place shattered. they don't know what caused it to snap. another performer on the ground was also hurt. >> a major freeway closed in los angeles from a fire. it burns throughout the night. that blaze was sparked on monday by workers cutting steel bar witness torch that go caused parts of that overpass to collapse on to the bridge below.

the 15 as it's known to locals connects southern california to las vegas. it is expected to be closed until wednesday. >> a city council meeting off the rails in albuquerque, protestors fuming over a recent rash of police shootings. >> council members, and chief of the police forced to run for the doors as demonstrators got rowdy. they called for the police chief to be arrested and tossed fake arrest warrants at the bench. a protestor actually took the president council's seat and gaveled the first people's council into session. 25 have been shot and killed by police since january, 2010. >> the pilot of a small plane that crashed in colorado walked away unhurt. the crash set a house on fire. no one was inside the house at the time. after the crash, the pilot checked to see if anyone was inside, then grabbed a garden hose to fight the flames.

firefighters were able to rescue a dog who was in the garage. >> colorado lawmakers making adjustments to the state's new marijuana law us, working on possession limits for concentrated forms of can bass, such as hash and requiring edibles to be starched with child warnings and given uniform sizes and is that. the colorado house voted in allowing the state health democratic to spend $10 million in medical marijuana fees to study the health effects of the drug. >> uruguay has launch add nationwide marijuana market, buying the drug in pharmacies and growing as much as six plants per family. >> cultivating and smoke legally what they have been producing i will leally for years. the health and recreational benefit should they say be enjoyed by a wider public, free

of stigma and misunderstanding. >> we want to end these myths. these taboos that surround marijuana. the so-called evi evil we'd usey the devil. >> the world is watching, the experiment to tackle the drug gangs, bring marijuana into the open and he can procedure potential. who would have thought operating openly and legally in the heart of the city, dedicated to a debate which with the passing of this law is only now really beginning to open up. >> these books in several languages covering marijuana from every angle. >> we're interesting a period where cultivating marijuana will be legal and academics will want a suitable plays to do research.

>> recent polls show most opposed to the legalization of can bass in uruguay, the government pushing it through with strong criticism. >> the difficulty this government has had is it doesn't know the direction it's goingen. there are contributions. >> users will be allowed up to 40-grams a month, that is to clubs up to 99 plants a year, but deciding how taxes are leveed, who can and can't buy and countless other details have delayed the implementation of the regulations governing the new law. >> there are so many interested parties, the economic, the political, the moral, so many people worry about the consequence, so we're happy the government has been taking its time. >> it's tough being a pioneer. there's nothing to copy, and the uruguay authorities are turk for expert advice to marijuana users

who just a short time ago they were prosecuting. a twist of fortune to contemplate over a now legal smoke. uruguay's president said marijuana smokers in the country will face strict regulations, all pot purchases tracked to ensure that each licensed user will be able to buy no more than 10 grams per week. >> it is a problem seen as one of the key hurdles holding detroit back in its recovery. >> now thousands of homes left behind by their owners are up for grabs to the highest bidder.

ali velshi, a yearlong series, america's vanishing middle class... >> i'm on a mission, that i have to keep this business going... >> three families struggling every day >> we had to pull the whole retirement fund... >> real stories... real people... >>al people...

>> announcer: this is al jazeera. . hello there. welcome to this newshour live from the al jazeera news center in doha. these are the main stories we'll cover this hour. the crisis in ukraine - russia says it will be unusual to hold elections whilst the military is being deployed in the east. aide arrives at the scene of the afghan mudslide. thailand's prime minister gives evidence in a court case that could force