lock somebody up and throw away the key >> it's a nightmarish alternative reality, sometimes you can't win... >> an original investigative series. al jazeera america presents the system with joe beringer this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i am thomas drayton. let's get you caught up on the top stories we are following at this hour. boko haram now the target of what's being called total war by african and western leaders in paris. meanwhile, renewed assaults on al-qaeda strongholds in yemen. figre fighters struggle to control blazes. >> coffee might be considered art.

>> good to have you with us. a war against boko haram. >> that's what nations who attended a security summit on the group have called the strategy to end attacks. nigerian president goodluck jonathan along with west african heads of state and western leaders met in paris for the summit. jonathan said the group isn't just a nigerian problem but rather, an al-qaeda operation, all across west africa. our tim friend has the details. >> reporter: a hasteily called summit at the request of the nigerian president grappling with an apparently insurmou insurmountable problem as the leaders gathered in paris to declare what they called total war on boko haram, there was news of another attack across the border in cameroon. >> translator: what we have

decided today, coordination of intelligence, exchange of information, centralization of resource allocations, military prince, especially in lake chad. >> lots of talk of solidarity but these leaders still have a long way to go in combatting boko haram. the president admitted they were a surprising efficient fighting force. >> almost nothing from the summit about the abducted group of school girls in nigeria that sparked the latest crisis. the leaders have no idea where they are. an exchange deal is ruled out for the military rescue group is fraught with new danger. the nigerian president defended his failure to visit the region. it would do no good, he said. >> the interest now is to locate the girls, where they are. these girls are not held in chibok. but why did the president go to chibok? if the president goes to chibok

today, it does not solve any problem. >> the leaders desperately need cross border cooperation crucially lacking between nigeria and camaroon. leaders say it's a bigger problem than that now encompassing a group with a group of proven al-qaeda links. they head home with a problem unresolved. tim friend, al jazeera, paris. >> the number of countries awe sufficienting nigeria in the search for the 276mill missing girls have increased. the u.s.,uk and france have officers and in china, canada and israel say they will provide equipment. french are deploying soldiers to five african countries to assist in what they called the containment of al-qaeda-linked groups. simon mcgregor wood has more on that commitment. >> lush french country side is about as far from the is a harrah as you can getsahara as

you can get. these troops are gearing up for their new mission. blackhawk helicopters simulate dropping small teams in remote locations. this is a french art i willery regimen taking these mortars as well. on display, the tiger helicopter, french made and packed with the latest repry as they did in marchley last year, french troops will be seeking out an elusive enemy across thousands of kilometers of remortgage desert. according to the french, the threat is growing. >> translator: terrorism in africa is global. we intervened in marley not just to secure regional security but our own. security in marley means the security of west africa, france and europe as well. >> the french say this new deployment is designed to present armed groups linked to

al-qaeda from rearming, regrouping and destabilizing the region once more. they say it's about containment, not solving a problem. they admit they could be on the ground for many years to come. frechl already have military area presence across the region. this new deployment will extend counter terrorism operations with new basis in marchley, chad, nijer and ivory coast. host governments are said to welcome the move and francois harlan appears to have the backing at home for a long-term commitment? >> we understand, contrary to the americans, it's not just about the you mid-term victory. you need to make sure the post-conflict phase goes well. you need to stabilize. so you need to stick around for a long time. >> the french calculate such intervention carries minimal political risks. french casualties have been light so far and despite spending cuts, it's something they can afford for now.

but as with any military operation, that has a vaguely defined goal, it's easy to send troops in. harder to know when to pull them out. simon mcgregorwood, al jazeera in eastern france. >> we will have more on the nigerian situation coming up in just a few moments. the unrest in africa is prompting the u.s. to increase military presence in the region. according to the state department, the pentagon is sending more troops to the base in susly. officials say the move is in response to recent threats against u.s. interests in other countries, especially in north africa. it's been less than a month since the yemeni army launched an offensive. the u.s. considers the al-qaeda wing to be one of the most active and the yemeni government says they are gaining ground. al jazeera's hasim albra has more. >> this is the town in yemen's shabwa prove incident. fighter jets, rocket launchers

and tanks are shelling al-qaeda positions here the army says, these are fighters killed in the offensive. and these are bunkers and tunnels dug by al-qaeda to move safely in the front line. the armed group retreated, leaving behind weapons and explosive devices ready to be used in suicide bombings. security forces say they have stopped many revenge attacks and intercepted cars packed with explosives in the capitol soma. >> we have defeated al-qaeda in this area. their fighters have fled. we will make sure the terrorists will never be able to return here. >> now, this is where the army is concentrating efforts, hothe last stronghold. top commanders putting plans for a final mission to recapture the

town. >> al-qaeda fighters say they are muslims but they kill our people. islam is innocent of these people. >> reporter: but the government is fwhooek theerz. trieb tribesmen have the final say and their support is crucial for the government to win its fight. it's been now three weeks since the start of the military offensive against al-qaeda. the army says it's a matter of days before it restores control over shabwa and albian. many fighters have retreated to reminnesota ruralaries. >> fierce fighting in eastern libya has left 43 people dead and nearly 100 wounded. the crashes involved troops loyal to a former general who defected. the acting prime minister says the offensive was launched without government approval and called it an attempted coup. they were against religious

militias in benghazi. rebels who helped overthrow mumar gadaffi have formed armed militias and are refusing to give up weapons. >> fighting in eastern ukraine, a peaceful solution seems dim. paul brennan reports. >> reporter: the residents were woken early on saturday by the sounds of explosions and gunfire. in one skirmish it seams ukrainian forces were around a train carriage. mortar bombardment were visible as was the anger of the people here we not be pushed out of here. this is our motherland. our children and grandchildren are living and will continue to live here. why do they come here? why are they shooting at peaceful people? people can no longer live here. >> in the city of harkiv, a broad coalition of mayors have convened a second round of a national dialogue sponsored by the osce. the separatist leadership which

yoelz donetsk,slav slovyansk and lunask. and kiev won't sit down with people it calls terrorists. but in kiev the acting prime minister remained upbeat. >> i am fully convinced distinguished ambassadors, we will succeed. we will always overcome all of these difficulties. we will become stronger than we are today. the separatist stronghold, the saturday market is a sorry site these days. shattered windows, half empty stores and worried people. when this is happening here, i don't know who to telephone for help. they are killing us. our own army. >> the marketplace, of course, is the place where you deal, where you trade but there is no expectation here at least for an imminent deal with the kiev government. there is the fer haven't desire for stability, for peace, but

there is no appetite for reconciliation. paul brennan, al jazeera, slovyansk. in turkey, search separations for the coal mining disaster that struck last week have been called off after the last missing miners were found. two bodies were pulled out of the mine today. the death toll now stands at 301, 485 miners were rescued alive. protests have erupted across the country as grief turns into anger at the government's small response. celebration continues in india as modi prepares to become the next prime minister. his victory tour brought him to the holy city of india. as al jazeera reports, the crowds had high hopes for modi as well as high expectations. >> the celebrations continue. party workers gather at the headquarters in new delhi, sweeping victory has stunned this nation. newspaper are describing this event as momentous. many are just coming to terms with the enormity of this

historic moment in indian politics. >> the numbers we achieve in this election were expected. i was sure. it's down to the modi. >> i think corruption is the first priority. if you tackle corruption, then inflation will come down automatically and make life easier for everyone. >> modi left his home state for delhi on saturday to claim his prize: the prime minister's office of india. the journey from the airport to the bjp headquarters was awash with cheering crowds. thousands lined the route, young and old trying to get a glimpse of the country's new leader. modi won an outright majority, the first politician to do so since 1984. there was a moment to savor and reflect on. security is tight around modi. sips his victory, a new cordon of security surrounds him everywhere. he won't have as much freedom as he did during the election campaign.

india has seen two prime ministers assassinated in the past. no one is taking any chances. the bjp local celebrate the victory. behind the scenes action ministers are being appointed and the final formation of the government to finalize. modi, himself, will be sworn in as india's num prime minister early next week sohail rahman, new delhi. >> the newly declared war against boko haram, the results of the security meeting in paris. an international human rights warrior who returned to northern nigeria where he reviewed many boko haram victims. it's great to have you with us. i would imagine this was an intense and emotional journey for you. what can you tell us about the findings of your trip? >> yes. there were three, i suppose, major findings. one is that we continue to have

a lack of a strategic human impact mitigation strategy. even while we are there last week, thousands were still fleeing from nigeria in to camaroon. the second thing that struck us was the idps within nigeria are still not being catered for. the third thing was that there are people who are being revictimized by boko haram we found a lady whose husband had been killed by boko haram, her home destroyed. she had to move and live with her uncle and then they came to her uncle's place, you know, some months later and killed him as well. so for some people in northern nigeria, it just never ends. it rains and it poors. >> we hear many stories that have been ongoing for years. you and before congress this past week briefing members on the situation but this wasn't your first briefing on boko

haram. has the kidnapping of these young girls as we mentioned changed the result? we specifically have a few technical issues. we will get back to i am manuel agobi in a moment. the battle continues in southern california. as crews work. investigators make arson arrests. we will have the latest on the situation in just a moment. also, fighting back despite overwhelming outrage. clipperse owner donald sterling isn't giving up. stay with us. you are watching al jazeera america. ♪

what is this place? where are we? this is where we bring together the fastest internet and the best in entertainment. we call it the x1 entertainment operating system. it looks like the future! he has a phaser! it's not a phaser! it's my phone! he can use his voice to control the tv. you can use your woice? my voice. your woice. my voice. "vuh," voice. his voice. your woice? look. watch sci-fi. [ female announcer ] the x1 entertainment operating system, only from xfinity.

. welcome back. we want to get back to the situation in nigeria and the declared war on boko haram. joining us once again is e mman obagi. apologize for the interruption. you and before congress briefing members on the situation. this wasn't your first briefing. has the ab duction of these young girlingz changed lawmakers' opinions at all? >> i have to say that the

congress of the u.s. has been way ahead of the executive with regard to the situation in nigeria. and so, we have certainly had quite a lot of interest from the congress in the last couple of years. it was the executive that was turning deaf ears to all of our warnings about boko haram. what has happened this week, though, is that already a lot more offices paying attention to us. you don't walk into an office in boko haram and get blank stairs. you actually people who are knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. >> african leaders as you know have declared war on boko haram. what are they up against? how strong is this group? >> this group in its -- in the last 10 years has shown its ability to operate across borders seamlessly. as i was mentioning earlier,

when i was in cameroon last week, there were at least two attacks that impacted cameroon. one was the killing of two cameroonian soldiers which led to being shot down on us and after an attack on the village across the border in nigeria, thousands more were fleeing from the village, trying to get into cameroon. i should mention there was actually a third factor which is that boko haram blew up a bridge linking nigeria to cameroon. this is a terror group that separates effectively across the region. remember that boko haram was operating, had training camps in somalia, recruiting people from niger, trained in somalia, sorry, and northern mali. so, it's definitelya going to be a challenge for africa's leaders. >> we know thousands of people

have been killed by boko haram in recent years. something needs to be done. i am annual obege, national human rights lawyer. thank you for your time. fire fighters appear to have gained the upper hand in southern california. a dozen fires have been burning in san diego county since tuesday. the flames are mostly contained now and residents are returning home as evacuation orders are lifted fires are dying down but for some, the crisis is just starting al jazeera lease a barnard, what is the situation right now, lisa? >> reporter: firefighters are making progress with cooler temperatures and lighter winds. as we drive around, much more than flames. we are seeing this: lots and lots of roadblocks in the area. police are not letting residents pass. they are very strict. we spoke with one woman on this side who said her husband is with her dogs in their home on the other side of the line and officers will not let her back

in. police are, though, letting in those residents whose homes have burned to the ground on the other side of the tape. we went with one couple to their home high on a healed before this road block in eden valley area. they stared in disbelief of the outline of the house they lived in for 33 years. it was three levels now ash and nails and burned wood, scenario neighboring homes have been lost, too. this was the cocos fire that burned 20,000 acres in the past few days according to cal fire. he evacuation orders have been limited from many spots. some are returning home todayfieding everything in its place. others are anxiously hovering at the road closure. i am unsure what they will find. others are having fears confirmed. >> we really had to see it for ourselves especially before our kids get here? >> they grew up in the house flames are too close. i wanted to stay but i didn't

want my wife to worry about it. we both left. >> it's a huge loss. we have got our family. we have each other and that's what counts. >> there are still 40 people at red cross shelters, a local high school. >> number is down from 240 on thursday. we have spoken to a lot of people who have cars full of suitcases and food and jewelry, and important documents, poor outages are 1 reason police are giving for keeping residents out. there are flare-ups, a few flare-ups today but they have been extinguished quickly because fire fighters are right there with rigs and they are keeping an eye out for any spark that may come. fire crews are focused mostly on the fire at camp pendleton but they are getting the upper hand on that and some evacuation orders have been lifted there. and we do know, tom, that there have been three arson arrests since these fires began. >> a tough situation for fire fighters in and for residents. our lease a barnard, thank you.

let's talk about donald sterling, the embattled owner of the la clippers isn't giving up his team without a fight. sterling sent the league a letter saying he won't pay the $2.5 million fine and rejects his lifetime ban. the letter also threatens the nba with a lawsuit if his funishment is not re-sended. new league commissioner adam silva banned him for life after he was heard making racits remarks on a recording. the 29 other owners have taken steps to force him to sell the fran schiez. he has owned the clippers for 33 years. he is co-founder of the sports management group, game inc and sports law at rutgers university. good to have you with us. >> sterling, he is not going without a fight, is he? he hired an anti-trust attorney, max beltzer -- bleacher rather. >> he is a fell octagenerian, one of the most well respected

anti-trust attorneys in the country. he has known donald many years and i think he is ready to take the nba for everything he can. >> what's the basis of this argument? >> sure. there are a couple of different arguments they are going to use. thursday, the nba received a letter from belcher saying they were planning on litigating the matter, that they were refusing to pay the $2.5 million fine that adam silva had handed down to donald sterling and will use a couple of different legal arguments. the first is that they believe that there is an anti-trust violation in the sense that donald's due process rights were violated and then they claim that he did not violate any specific area of nba by-laws, which is probably likely the area that the association is going to use to try to revoke his franchise license. >> we all know this comes down to the tape. doesn't it. >> it does. it does. >> how will that factor in? >> a big factor. the biggest thing is that in the state of california, it is

illegal to error somebody somebody without their consent. there is a lot of controversy as to whether or not donald's girlfriend did have his consent. she had time -- at times said he consented to her recording things because he had forgotten things. but the bigger issue as well is that he is claiming that he did nothing wrohere a few weeks ago he went on anderson cooper and apoljuiced for the statements that he made and said that he made a mistake. how could you say that you didn't make a mistake in your letter to the association but at the same time go on television and claim -- come back to bite him. without the tape, you don't have a legal case here moving forward as far as the nba. >> that's a very interesting point because let's say that they do go to court and they ruled that the tape is inadmissible as evidence. the nba is going to say that, well, we may not have a tape, but the reaction of the public is just the same. the fact is that there was a national outcry regarding his

statements and under the mba by-laws, particularly in in particular section 13 d there s isap a section that they do not do ethical contract. >> he signed an agreement. let's talk about this $2.5 million final he is refusing to do. can thhe do that? >> sure. if he refuses to pay, he can sue them for that. but ironically, by not paying the $2.5 million in a way, he is violating the by laws. so he is only shooting himself in the foot by arguing that he doesn't have to pay it but at the same time, he is not arguing that he is violating the by-laws. >> are there consequences? >> there could be. it depends. it seems like he is if is able to bring this torto court and get a case, it could be years in terms of litigation and that might be enough time for him to hang on to the franchise. >> what's the next step here? what are the openers doing?

>> going to move ahead and after the season, have this vote and they need to get three fourths of the 29 owners to vote to push him out of the league. but i think before that, en if they do that, his attorneys are going to file an injunction in the state of california to prevent him from doing that, to prevent the league from taking away the team. >> many layers. doesn't it. >> it does. it does. >> appreciate your time. thank you for joining us. >> still ahead here on al jazeera, it's an expensive and daily dispute. schools serving meals that students simply don't want to eat. the result is horrendous amounts of food being thrown away. and one midwest town's expensive struggles to rebuild six months after being devastated by a tornado. stay with us. this is al jazeera america.

welcome back to al jazeera america. i am thomas drayden. here are the top stories we are following at this hour. at a summit in paris, african

leaders announced a total war on boko haram. nigerian president goodluck jonathan is attending the meeting hosted by the french president. they are trying to find because to fight off the group which has proved to be an increased risk to west and central africa. it has been a month. the u.s. considers the yemen wing known as al-qaeda in the arab peninsula to be one of the most active. the yemeni government says they have defeated al-qaeda in the southern province. fire fighters have taken control of most of the wildfires in southern california. nearly al dozen large fires have been burning there since tuesday. they have torched about 20,000 acres near san diego. as this wildfire crisis begins to wind down, al jazeera's rob reynolds spoke to some researchers who are already preparing for the next one. >> reporter: a wall of flame leaps high into the aranda

blizzard of sparks whirl and spin as scientists probe the secrets of one of humanity's oldest tools and it's immemorial enemy: fire. this is the u.s. forest services state-of-the-art fire research lab in riverside, california. where university of california scientists and their students are busy gathering fire data. marko princ i have a ch overseases the research we are trying to help fire fighters to better plan, prescribe and to fight wildfires. so for that, we have a controlled fire under controlled conditions and we are looking how fire spreads. what are the things that influence fire and how fast it spreads and we are hoping that information will eventually be of use to fire fighters glenn

sendsors. thrower swindspeed make smaller fire. in this experiment, the flames didn't reach the upper canopy of vegetation. higher wind speed settings create many infernos. by the time the experiments are finished, the laptops researchers use are covered in ash. big wildfires are on the increase across the western u.s. scientists say. in part, because of dryer conditions and higher temperatures due to climate change. this year's fire season has started early as widespread drought turns forests into tender boxes. davewise says the laboratory research will augment fire fighters' practical experiences. >> these experiences here will allow us to describe what fire does from a very fundamental standpoint with equations and really understanding the complexity of fire. >> one thing is certain: fire will always be with us.

it is a force that can never be eliminated but it can be better understood and that could save lives. riverside california. let's get a check on thegat. rebecca joining us as we edge. weather plays a major factor in battling fiwildfires. >> the drought led to active wildfire so early in the season. temperatures are warming up. we have several days of record heat in the southwest. speci specifically southern california. today is a different day. cooler air as the winds have shifted to on shore. >> cooler air has taken tours down to los angeles, 82, but that hot air mass continues to push eastward. so we are still hitting triple digits into places like arizona and new mexico. nine degrees of cooling for los angeles. >> little bit of cooling came in with some marine air, the winds alternates calmer with that marine air out of the

west/northwest. gusty for san francisco but where the fires are closer to san diego, near carlsbad, we are seeing lighter over all as you get farther east, as the heat gets going, the air warms up, gets hotter starts to rise and we start these patterns of day time winds. >> that's what's going to happen today with low humidities with palm springs only around 6%. we have got a little more moisture starting to work its way inland. going to take another day or two before you really notice that for the fire fighting efforts anywhere from california and if we see anything develop farther towards texas. a red flag warning, essentially an issuance of an alert to professionals that go in and fight these fires. they know they have tinder-dry conditions in the and the winds. everything is primed and reain southwest because of the drought conditions extending farther to the east. as we look at our satellite picture, you see the water vapor in the atmosphere. this bright orange indicates

very, very dry air. you can see that in the last 24 hours and much wetter air mass starting to move in. we have rain showers farther to the north. washington state and parts of oregon. getting a little bit of rain shower activity working across the olympic mountains into eastern washington and northern idaho. your temperatures right now, cooler for the west, 63 in seattle and we are starting to get temperatures warming up here on the east coast, 82 for miami right now, a little on the humid side. more details about what to expect the rest of the weekend coming up. >> you can use some relief in southern california. i tell you, rebecca stevenson, thank you . six months ago today, a late-season tornado tore through the city of the washington, illinois. 600 homes were level offed and another 400 were damaged as the community bounces back, diane esterbrook says one of the biggest obstacles is the clean-up costs. >> throughout washington, illinois, you can hear progress.

homes are going up everywhere. many next to those still bearing scars from the ef 4 tornado that plowed through here last november. >> this will be our front entry. >> lora cox is building a new ranch style home where her two-story house stood. >> how much did your insurance cover for this? >> the basic house, it covered everything. >> while washington is on the mend, the financial pain of the tornado still lingers. residents and businesses got roughly 28 million in federal disaster aid. but city government got nothing. it spent $12 million clearing away debris and now faces other costs. >> that's going to be actually cut out and redone. >> the mayor gary manier says thousands of cuts need fixing. >> a thousand dollars? >> gosh. probably three or 4,000. >> reporter: there are disintegrating sidewalks and potholes that need repair with a water and sewer system that needs replacing.

costs manier fears could bankrupt washington. >> our budget is 18.8 million. we spent 12. it could be 26 million. it doesn't take a math genius to figure out it could. >> when i will know initially applied to the federal emergency management agency for aid, it estimated the tornado caused $6 million of damage to nine counties. >> amount was far below the $17.8 million threshold required by a government formula. aid was rejected. the state appealed the deposition putting the damage closer to $21 million. fema rejected the request a second time saying the impact was not beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments to necessitate additional federal assistance. >> i was very disappointed, but i am over it. >> manier thinks insurance and state funds will cover some costs but not everything. >> the mayor doesn't want to raise property taxes to pay for this recovery because he is afraid it could discourage some

homeowners from rebuilding in a town where only about half of the 600 people who lost homes have applied for building permits. >> somebody on the fence saying, i am going to build or not rebuild, if i raise your property taxes, you are probably going to make that decision and live in the next city over. >> laura cox things higher property taxes are inevitable but is rebuilding anyway. >> you are okay with that? >> i am. i am. particularly when i see our taxes at work. >> cox is confid he want washington can emerge from the physical and financial storm and put this difficult chapter behind it. diane ester brook, argues, washington, illinois. >> we should point out the harsh winter slowed down the rebuilding process when washington city saw more than 60 inches of snow. record flooding not seen in more than 100 years has swamped the balkans. some were stuck standing on top of homes waiting for help. on friday, both bosnia and serbia appealed for international help after declaring a state of emergency.

the stofrmz have triggered more than two 20 olan slides and killed 5 people. >> schools are trying to include more whole grains, sfrufruits a vegetables. los angeles unified is leading the effort but seem to be losing the battle along with lots of money. jennifer london has this report. >> reporter: from trays to trash. >> usually, it's really gross. >> hundreds of schools across los angeles, this is what throwing away up to $80,000 a day of food looks like. >> i see a lot of kids throwing away like most of the healthy foods like bananas. >> calculated over 1 school year, that's $14.4 million. >> this is not okay. >> david binkel, director of food services for la unified school services says he can do little to stop it. that's because new federal requirements for the national school lunch program require students to take at least three

food items including one fruit or vegetable. otherwise, districts won't get reimbursed for meals. >> means students are forced to take food even if they know they don't want it, won't eat it, and will end up throwing it away. >> obviously, we believe in health and nutrition. but at the same time, what we don't believe in is that we should have health and nutrition that's going straight into the trash can. >> the other reason why so much food is going straight into the trash can: federal law prohibits schools from allowing students to take uneaten food off campus. in an effort to minimize waste, a number of schools have sat up share tables where people can leave unopened food, bananas, carots and others can eat it throughout the day but even with the share table, a lot of food is still ending up in the trash. david bunkle says this is happening at schools across the country. >> what we are trying to do is raise the awareness, the education, that this is not a district issue. this is a national issue.

>> the reality is that waste is being created because the students aren't liking what's being served to them. >> marla kaplan is a representative with the school nutrition association, a lobbying group representing 55,000 school food providers. >> i think the requirement to having students take three items, i am okay with that. i think we would like a little bit more flexibility. for instance, a plum, which is a very, very popular item with children, we can't serve it because a plum isn't a half a cup. and in order to meet a half a cup can we could afford two plums. >> the national school lunch program declined our request for an interview. but cited a recent harvard school of public health that looked at four boston schools over four days and found that the new standards did not result in increased food waste. david bunkle says that's not what he has seen at la unified and even before the new

regulations were finalized, bunkle ibbed a 31-page report calling on the usda first to do away with the 3-item requirement and... >> secondly what we would like to see is the allowance at the federal level in a policy memo or something very quickly to happen to be able to allow the children to take the food away from the meal program or after school or something that they could take and put in their backpack to take home with them. >> school districts have a lot on their plate when it comes to serving it meals. but getting them to eat it... >> sometimes, it gives me a tummy ache. >> two or... is proving hard to swallow. >> this weekend in al jazeera america, we will debut an 8-part series examining the legal system called "the system" with joe berling jer. the host and executive producers describes the origin of the

series. >> we just spent a year looking into the criminal justice system because we have problems in our prison system. there are extreme racial inequitties. there are too many wrongful convictions. there are problems with how evidence is gathered. there are problems with pleasing strategies. we have a great justice system, but sometimes the system runs off of the rails and that's what this series is about is shining a light on injustice. mainly the series focuses on those systemic problems that land people in prison. sometimes they are guilty but the sentence doesn't match the crime and sometimes, people are put in prison for things that they shouldn't be in prison for. it's due to things like the phenomenon of false confessions, counte counter-intuitive to think someone would falsely confess to a crime. it happens 1 in 3 african-americans in this country can expect to go to prison at some time in hair lifetime. >> doesn't mean one in three

african-americans are bad people. it means there are policing strategies and social economic strategies in place that trap people of color and people lower on the socioeconomic scale. the prison population incarceration rate has gone through the roof in the last two decades. over 700%. we are a country that has 5% of the world's population and yet 25% of the world's prison population. the police generally do the right thing. the prosecutors generally do the right thing, but with the advent of dna technology over the last decade, so many people have been exonerated for crimes they didn't commit, i think we as a country have become sensitized to the fact that, you know, wrongful convictions do happen. there are huge problems that need to be addressed. >> the system with joe berling jer premieres this sunday at 9:00 p.m. eastern, 6 pacific right here on al jazeera america. next, the eyes of the film world are on the south of sfraninfran

thecannes festival. and the phrase "coming to a screen near you."

america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now film makers hoping to make it big know that giving that break can be almost impossible but increasingly, they are going for a different method of getting movies out there. al jazeera phil lavell reports from the cannes film festival on cinema's changing face. >> big names, big scandal, the big apple, but no big screen why welcomed in new york. this film, the disgraced politician but you will struggle to find it here in cinemas. it's being released exclusively on the internet, an ever popular

tactic for directors, it seems diy is in year. movie makers often find themselves beholden to film distributors but controlling how their movies are released, they regain some of the power and often save money in the process which ties in with having everything now, now, now. remember, if a film is released in a cinema, you have to physically go there to see it. if it's released online, all you need is one of these or, say, one of these and you can enjoy it wherever you may be. star trek may be a hit. star wreck enjoyed success thanks to the net. as far as it is concerned, the web is the only way to go. >> you have a direct connection for your fans, you have been working with fans for ages. you know exactly how to sell the film to your fans.

giving the access there is, it'sible the best way. it serves the best, the film, itself. >> economics was released in theaters but not before viewers had a chance to buy and watch it online. there is a push at cannes to bring power to the pixel, putting the makers in control with a healthy warning. >> the fact you have put something on line doesn't mean anyone will see it. you have to have a good story and film or a good piece of work or something that has some interest to an audience. >> sky got an exclusive online release and was so popular, the seek we will is now in production bringing it all into focus while the big budget block busters may stick to the old way of doing things for now at least so for the smaller film makers, there is nothing to lose by helping themselves at the canne film festvan value. >> the buzz at cannes is bill

wymon. >> good morning. >> beyond the parties, the premieres, why is this festival such a big craw? >> it's the biggest and most glamorous and most whatever festival in the world. you have all of the film presidents, the film studio heads, the money people. you have the directors, actors, actresses. these are the most pampered people in the world. gathering for 10 days once a year to celebrate themselves. at the same time, it is a film festival and a prestigous one. there is a jury, generally headed by a famous actor or director. they watch a number of films and distribute a few prizes. the grand prize is the second prize. >> went to liam davis, a cowen brothers. the golden palm. last year, that went to a film called "blue is the warmest color". >> you talked about the jury i found interesting tcannes

president, the only woman to have been awarded the pom 'dor made comments about sexism in the industry. what can you tell me about that? >> she did. i remember 20 years ago when someone like she was nominated for "the piano," and you thought maybe women are making inroads into this rarefied era of film direction and 10 years go by and what? sophia coppola once and big low once. and i think it's about time that the people in hollywood who actually dispense the money and who hire these people really be confronted by a pretty obvious not just gender bias but racial bias as well that this has gone on too long. there is a lot of white men who make a lot of movies for not very much money and that lose a lot of money and so, the argument that, oh, women directors or black directors, for example don't make successful movies doesn't hold water on that level. i hope we will see more activ m

activism. >> meaning it will change? it is about the memories. what are some of the big films? >> grace of monaco, the buzz film got roundly trounced by all of the crittins. i don't know if we will hear much about that anymore. there is a really cool movie called map to the stars by david chronenberg, a one-time horror director now master of world cinema that has robert patterson and julian moore. i would keep an eye out for that. >> mow welcome to new york, the story of the disgraced french presidential candidate. >> that's by able ferrara, a ferocious director and it lord knows what that film will be like. it will be available on demand. >> anything goes at cannes. ferrer had an experience with a prankster. was a's what was that about? >> a prankster of some sort

dived and tried to put his head up her dress while she was standing there next to kate b n blanchet blanchette. every year there is a controversy. you have bozos on the set there in canns, people looking to make headlines, starlets parading up and down. once a year, there is a scandal of some sort like this. i don't think it's very meaningful. >> t.v. personality trying to make a name for himself. >> bill wyman, good to see you. thank you. thank you. >> glen greenwold who has led the reporting on edward snowden says more revelations are yet to come. he spoke to john seeingen that willer who asked him how many agents had to be removed were endangered or removed? >> none that the u.s. government has identified. nobody has been injured or in any way harmed as a result of our reporting. the united states government makes these claims without any evidence every time there is unwanted disclosures going back

to the pentagon papers and it turns out to be false and without evidence and that's certainly the case here. >> greenwold tells seigenthaler about the snowden documents that have not been released. see his interview on "talk to al jazeera" coming up at the top of the hour. nasa wants budding scientists to shoot for the moon. it conducted the student launch rocketry competition. the event took place in utah with teams of college students law firming rockets that they designed and built themselves. the rockets had to fly at least a mile high. the winner is the one that does it with the most style. nasa has yet to announce the results. coming up next, cups of coffee as a canvas? >> in the sense that it makes you wonder. >> the baristas that are making art out of lattes.

a science, we have had a good cup and a bad cup but maybe there is a little bit of art involved as well. at least that's what dozens of baristas would argue for in australia. they are competing for world's best latte artist inside the competition. >> baristas as artists. cups as canvass. this is coffee culture in its literal sense. competitors from 32 countries giving their run for the title of world champion lata artist, their their very best shot. >> they represent their art and skill and industry in one cup of coffee. >> more than a froth of an industry. nelson's regular haunts are these hallowed halls. as an art critic, he has his

favorite artists. >> boticellit clarity, august, sumpuous, central and monet, an analyst, a lyricist. >> can art be expressed in phone a difference between a mann monat and a maciato. some insignia that bloz to the royal house of, you know, some lord that there is almost stroonl inside at a time league: buzzing. one of the things that you might hope for.

am to prompt them to say something. it's not art in the way that, you know, raphael did art. um, it's not having to fulfill some weighty agenda but it is art in the sense that it makes you wonder. >> nelson isn't one of the formal competition judges. they will choose their winner over the next two days. it might be a while before caricature in coffee comes to a cafe or gallery near you. expressionism in a foam-top expre espresso, it is the latest screen. ays. >> creative. the world's best latte artists on sunday, women keep you updated. we have our favorite cup of joe which gets larger and larger. >> will do it for this hour. i am thomas drayden in new york. "tay to al jazeera" is coming up next. cheers for news updates around

the world. head to aljazeera.com. thanks for watching. there are enormos costs to having this ongoing surveil an. >> gleann greenwald has led the talk on the security leaks and he said more revelation are yet to come? >> among the biggest stories are left to be reported. >> the journalist believes there is a limit to the public's right to know. everybody acknowledges some limited discriminating. it's out with a newk