a papal pilgrimage - pope francis embarks on a 3-day trip to the holy land, coming with some controversy. a frond runner emerging on election eve. ukrainians head to the polls to choose a new president. russian activists fulfilling their vow to disrupt it. a water squacare in an american

city after ecoli was discovered >> the work will come to get you. trading tinsel town for the big easy. why the bright lights of hollywood are popping up in new orleans good morning, and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm john henry smith. thank you for spending part of your memorial day with us. we begin with pope francis and his visit to the holy land, set against the backdrop of tension and a civil war raging in sfiria. he begins in imam, and travels to the west bank before ending his tour. pope francis touched down less than an hour ago, and will meet with king abdullah. we are joined with the latest.

nick, no question pope francis brought change to the vatican. can it help as they focus on reconciliation in the east? >> yes, those are the main themes. reconciliation, rev fees, papal politics. reconciliation is the official region for the trip. it was 50 years ago, that for the first time in nine centuries, that the heads met and pope francis will continue and celebrate by having a meeting with the spiritual meeting at the chump of the holy scep uture. he'll go to the major jewish site, mt hertzel a place his predecessors didn't visit. israeli officials are pleased about that. they feel that this is an

endorsement of their right to the land. at the same time he's endorsing the idea of the state of palestine. if you look at the agenda, the state of palestine is written in capital letters. they take about visiting the head. he'll be the first pope to fly to bethlehem, rather than going through israel first. >> nick schifrin in imam jordan. thank you for joining us. >> we have time for a question, so, nick, a first-hand look at the fall-out from the syrian law. what are we expecting from the conversation with syrian refugees? >> this is important. pope francis came to highlight the flight of syrian refugees. it 100,000 syrians are fleeing. by the end of year it will be the largest refugee crisis since

world war ii. there's 20,000 syrian christian refugees, and he'll meet with 500 families, including one that this to flee syria through their politics and religion. >> i love nail polish. these books. and this make-up. >> reporter: when 20-year-old marian fled, she only had time to grab her most prized possessions. >> before we travelled to jordan, i felt so sad. >> her favourite memento a ring prescribed with welcoming god's kingdom. what she feels she and her country lost. >> my life was amazing. in syria there is a lot of freedom, more than here. >> marianne and her father fled a city that was a christian sang

uary for 150 years. the war arrived in malula. joseph had to defend his family him. >> they shot at our hour, at me. i had to go outside and shoot. >> he fled 18 months ago, and his family followed. they live more comfortably than hundreds of thousands. joseph feels like he has imprisoned. he fears everything he and his wife was saving for is lost. >> the most important thing for syrians is to educate their children. i don't have an income that would let me send my daughter to courage. >> during a local rally, they may be safer than in syria, but they don't feel free. no one will tell the truth. fear controls them. they fear because the most

prominent christians were at risk. for 50 years pope francis lived and preached in homs. three months after the cameraman killed these scenes, francis was executed. many accuse them of trying to silence christians. "judge us according to patrionism not sect." this week they'll meet the pope and pray for the syrians forced from their homs. >> translation: when you say no you become a free man. in syria, when you say no, you have to face the consequences. >> if i'm afraid of anything, i'm afraid i will not be able to rush. they can't run, and jordan refuses to let them integrate. they are applying for asylum in canada. they feel they have no choice

but to become refugees. they tell me they want to ask the pope for one thing, to separate politics and religion. john henry, that is a message that the pope is delivering. >> nick schifrin in ayman. >> well, there's only been four papal visits to the holy land. in 1964 pope john paul the 6th visited and in 2000 pope john paul ii made his own. the last was from penn debt -- pope benedict xvi and pope francis's visit that got under way an hour ago. coming up at 7:30 we'll take a closer look. luke sweeney will join us to look at the expectations for the trip and the balance of separating religion and politics. breaking news out of

somalia. there has been an attack on the parliament building in mogadishu. six fighters are dead after a car bomb exploded. al-shabab is claiming responsibility for the attack. we'll have more details as they become available. well, ukrainians head to the polls on sunday to pick the next president. the vote could be a crucial step towards resolving the crisis. separatists in the east threaten to block the vote. dana lewis joins us from the capital kiev. it's been a violent run-up to tomorrow's elections. what is the security situation like where you are now, and to what degree is the government stepping up efforts to ensure peace of elections? >> reporter: well, good morning. they say that they are stepping up effort, but, i mean, we know that it is a great challenge for them. in kiev we are told around maydan square, they've been stepping up security in terms of

keeping a closer eye on who was coming past of the camp, who was coming in. they have security people on gates, around kiev and across the country. they are tight nipping security on the polling stations in anticipation of the votes opening at 8 o'clock. the big problem is in the east. how do they get security tight enough. and the answer is they won't be able to do so. they'll be able to in certain areas, in the center of lugansk, and donetsk. it is likely people will not be able to vote. maybe 2 million, maybe 4 million will not get to the polls. there was an incident where people went into a polling station and the separatists took boxes out of the polling station and destroyed them in the center of donetsk. increasingly there are concerns as we move in the next 24 hours, the vote that will see more of these teens of incidents, including someone three a grenade in donetsk into the

military hospital, the ukrainian military hospital and several were injured. it will be a hot run-up to tomorrow morning as the polls start to open. >> fill us in on the key players for the presidential seat? >> well, it's a pretty short list. i mean, it's a long list in the sense that there are 21 people to register the vote. when you take a look at it there's a handful of people on the list taken seriously. one is julia tireshenko, a former prime minister, gaoled for 2.5 years, and came out after viktor yanukovych fled to russia. she has not much traction. there's mr dorfkin, a governor.

he belongs to the same party as viktor yanukovych, the former president. he'll not garner most votes, and then the chocolate king, petro porashenko. this guy has a lot of traction. his team and private briefings tells me that he's polling not only 48%, but closer to 60% and they think he's a good chance of getting this on the first round. he has made a lot of promises to everyone. increased security, he will beef up the military, deal with the separatists, deal with russia, poll the country closer to europe and told me yesterday in a question when he met with some of the e.u. foreign ministers when i asked him about n.a.t.o., he said it's possible if security worsens they'll look at joining n.a.t.o. he made a lot of promises, but the people want massive government transformation.

he has ukraine, russia an one hand giving them a big challenge in the east, and internally in the country. the demonstrators have not gone away, and they will not wait long. he ipp her its the presidency -- inherits the presidency, but has massive challenges ahead of him in office. quite a drama playing out there. dana lieu nis kiev. the u.s. is spending 3.5 million in military aid to thailand over the coup. the state department says aid will stop if the country does not return to democratic rule. [ speaking foreign language ] hundreds of protesters are staking to the streets and don't agree with the way the army seized power. eric shinseki is under house arrest along with officials.

why this coup could a lopping-lasting effects on thailand's chi. in mali, tuareg rebels agreed to a truce. the ceasefire was signed following talks following the talks. the town was the scene of fighting last week. eight people died. 30 were taken hostage, and released. the latest violence is raising fears of instability in the country. secretary of state john kerry will testify over the benghazi scandal. he'll likely be grilled by the house oversight panel. eight of which are republicans. they are accused of intentionally misleading the republic. john kerry was a senator. four americans were killed, including ambassador chris steeches. this is the i think having into the attack. there are now allegations of

misconduct at a veterans hospital. this one in miami. a v.a. police officer says patients are physically being abused, and some are dealing drugs. he accuses hospital administrators of covering up the crimes. the department of veterans' affairs came under foyer as facilities are being vetted, stemming from allegations that some patients died whilst awaiting treatment. >> investigators are looking into a close call for two planes in houston, nearly colliding bid air. the f.a.a. says the air traffic controller was at fault. the united airlines plane was fold to turn right, putting it in the path of another plane:. >> a similar incident occurred

at new york liberty. new run ways rules were ree crated. in arizona, firefighters are fighting a wildfire by letting it go. hundreds are working around the clock to contain the blaze. they are planning to let it burn through flatter land where they believe they retain it. it will grow to 36 square miles, it's unclear what has started to fire. meanwhile in south carolina, friday evening storms packed a punch. hail pelted the northern part of the state. golf ball chunks of ice fell. the severe weather ended as differently as it begone. no major damage reported. >> conditions plaguing the south-west. this may be a memorial day weekend where a rain forecast would be good news. >> meteorologist gooen joins us -- eboni deon joins us to

tell us if relief is on the way. >> it is, but we are watching out for strong storms. some on the severe side. keep an eye to the sky. it's the area in red where we deal with the strong severe storms through the day. abuse of warnings are out. this in plain view has expired. we could be dealing with strong gusty winds. also warnings around lee. until about 15 minutes or so, and that will be allowed to expire. we would be dealing with hail. not a lot of widespread rain. i wanted to show you this area of counterclockwise circumstance u leaks. that is the low that will move slowly cross the southern plains as we get through the next couple of address. along with that we are dealing with moisture. we'll see bouts of heavy

rainfall where it's needed. it is good news. as the rain continues to come obvious, we could end up with three, upwards of four inches of rain over the next couple of address. we'll get it right into the areas that need it. they are areas dealing with severe or exceptional drought, shaded in the dark red, where it is very, very dry. it's not just parts of texas, but back in california, and in texas we see relief for the weekend. as we head into the north-east we are dealing with rain. it will be showery, but not a washout. watch out and take the umbrellas along with you. we are expecting a few shattered rain showers. >> good to see some areas getting relief. >> portland oregon - we are waiting for word on whether a boiled water order will be lifted. officials say routine tests show mild ecoli contamination earlier

this week. they say the water contains bacteria associated with animal or human faeces. the bureau says the worst-case scenario is a case of diarrhoea. >> we'll acknowledge that there's much uncertainty here, more than everyone would like. the guidelines and ves may be interim and fluid, subject to change as we learn more. >> this is the largest boiled water in the history. officials are expected to give an update later. pulling at the purse things - how the latest coup is affecting thailand's bus lipping economy and -- bustling economy and whether it can rebound. >> i'm at heart island, a spot where many bodies are buried. we follow a mother who visits the grave site of her still born baby 18 years later. no beach access - a court

battle playing out along a pristine beach along the coast and why it's off limits to the public.

good morning. welcome back to al jazeera america. om-john henry smith. the -- i'm john henry smith. the effects of the military coup and the affect on thailand's economy. first, a look at the weather with meteorologist eboni deon. >> starting off we are on the mild side. at least for most locations as we head to the upper mid west. it's 59 around minneapolis. it's 50. atlanta is 59. warmer in memphis. back into parts of mid west. this is the area where we feel the heat rising, text doors above average. in fargo 86 degrees. we'll get into the low 80s around the twip cities and around omaha. we are keeping it on the cool side, the clouds mixing in with the sunshine and the backsides bringing in the windows. that will keep us in the '60s,

and 70s. from the end of the holiday weekend. low 80, and staying dry for memorial day. >> thank you so much. the leaders of two rival nations meet on monday. pakistan's prime minister accepted an invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony for his indian counterpart. narendra modi won elections in a landslide and is a hardline conservative, his invitation signalling a shift for the b j.t. party. india and pakistan fought four wars, three over disputed territory of kashmir. the president of south africa has been sworn into an office. several heads of state have been in attendance. the u.s., however, has not sent a representative. president obama did speak with zuma on friday to congratulate him. zuma is expected to get back to work immediately. he'll announce the cabinet on

sunday. a deeper look into a top story, the military coup in thailand. dozens of politicians are under army supervision and backlash is coming from the international community, as real money correspondent takes a look at how the coup is affecting thailand's economy. >> reporter: the world bank classifies thailand as an upper middle income with g.d.p. equivalent of $356 million fuelled by foreign exports, tourism and agriculture. it's nicknamed teflon thailand. despite previous coups market rebound and the economy keeps growing. this time may be different because the country is a global player. >> thailand used to be a rice exporters, but now is a major exporter of auto parts, hard

drives for computers, thailand is a really - it part of the supply chain. >> towards the end of 2013 economist expected to see thailand's gross domestic product increase. the recent that government figures show first-quarter g.d.p. extracted by 0.6 of a percent. it acts for a fifth of g.d.p. political instability estimates that cancellation will cut earnings by $2.5 million. the country expect to have the lowest number of visitors in five years. the bad news does not end there, since the rum blings of this that lasted last year is down. manufacturing dropped 2.7%.

consumes disiped 2.1". experts worn foreign investors fed up may hook to other land. >> thailand is the detroit of the east. we don't see where this is going. we'll look at indonesia. >> the last production, and toyota's threatening if political unrest continues. thai markets were done, but there were no hung drops, that's because foreign investors have been reducing exposures since last year. thailand had 12 coups since 1932. after the recent coup in 2006, the u.s. suspended programs for a year and a half, costing the country more than 29 million. china is lifting a 5-month

ban on a shellfish. it seems focused on a huge clam called the gooey duck. not popular in the united states, the gooey duck is a delicacy in china. they stopped imports after inorganic arsenic were found. washington and alaska were hit hard. despite the ban, growers sold their product to buyers in hong kong and vietnam the u.s. won is major case against china at the world health organisation , siding with washington after beijing applied high import duties on american-made vehicles. this is the latest in a series of victories which the -- victories which barack obama administration hopes will stop of tar effs. >> we are concerned by the

troubling pattern of china's misuse of dumping and countervailing measures. this is the third time the administration took china to the wta for the misuse of these measures. >> tensions are running high. earlier this week the justice department charged five army officers with cyber spying and selling trade secrets. general motors hit by another recall. this time it's putting a stop-sale order on 500 pick ups and s.u.v.s because of faulty air bags. this is the seventh recall in a week. the automaker says the trucks can't be sold until repairs are made. the news coming as a top team has been put together. >> a new lease on life. a man given a mandatory sentence. his case shedding light on a

broken legal system. >> master piece decided - a major break in a large art heist. why they have not yet been recovered.

welcome back, i'm john henry smith , and these are the top stories. after months of fighting and protest preparation are in full swing for the presidential elections in ukraine. russia says it will respect the results, separatists in the east are vowing to disrupt the polls. worried about their drinking water on memorial day weekend, ecoli prompts the largest boiled water order in history. officials are expected to give an update later today. the pope is in jordan on the first leg of his visit to the

holy land. these are live pictures of the the weekend pilgrimage is set against a backdrop of israeli-palestinian tension and a raging still car. the pope will travel to the west bank before ending his tour in israel. joining us to discuss the fist is father lieu betweenie, locations -- betweenie, archbishop for the diocese of new york. we have expectations for the trip, what are your expectations, and what is the significant of this trip in your mind? >> i think there's a few reasons. just as the past few holy fathers came to new york, to the united nations, i think the past few holy fathers going back 50 years visited the holliland. it's something he needs to do. pope francis says his trip is

religious, not political. is that possible in the current climate. >> when he's going, he's going as a man of peace, a piil deprim, a follow -- piil grim, a follower of jesus. when you talk about peace and justice, it can't help but impact the political landscape. >> it will be difficult to balance. pope francis said he'll call for an independent palestine state. how do you expect this to be received given that he's due to visit israel. >> we must not forget that not only is he a shepherd, but a head of state. it's not surprising that he's meeting with the people of jordan and the leaders of the palestinian authorities as well. it's not surprising there. however, i think he's going to be there to kind of build up the local christian community. in fact, he's bringing a bronx native to give him that support,

and be that support to them. >> he's travelling with an interfaith group of people, a muslim as well. >> absolutely. his friend from argentina, a rabbi and a muslim leader. before he was pope, he was friend with them. what an incredible dim ecks to -- dimension to this. >> an incredible journey. we want to ask a question. what sort of reception do you think he'll get? >> before him there has been a lot of situations developing in that. given who he is, i think it will bipping a lot of hope and peace to the possibility and hope to the poor and the refugees and that. i think the response will be positive, and he goes as a witness to the fact that reconciliation, peace is possible. >> you and i talked about it. he's not using the pope mobile.

how concerned are you about security? >> security will be an issue in the holy land. st. john paul ii said the only place he had concerns was in front of the papal departments. when he prepared for the 2000 trip. pope francis took the name. will st. francis go with a bullet-proof vest on. >> thank you for getting up early and discussing this journey with the pope with us. >> a federal judge says a u.s. military can force feed a detainee so he does not die, but urged authorities to consider alternatives and turn over video about how the man was treated. for the past year, lawyers have been trying to stop the feeding of gitmo prisoners against their

will, many on hunger strike to protest their detentions in 1995 drug possession landed a father from florida in prison for life. he spent 19 years being locked up. this case is one of many raising concerns about mandatory assistancing. ricky patterson was 25 when sentenced to life in prison for a crime with no violence or victim. >> to know people did worser crimes than me, got lesser time than me was hurtful. >> his crime, possession of several ounces of crack found in a car during a traffic stop. that and two other convictions meant that he would spend the rest of his life behind bars. as the father of two faced the possibility of dying in prison, he did the only thing he could think of. he prayed.

>> i'm tired of living like this. i know life has something better for me. i'm a better person than how i'm living. >> patterson was sentenced at a time when the sentence for crack was greater than for coke cape. last year they were in prisons serving mandatory minimum sentences. 543 served terms of 10 years. florida is among many states, and the federal system, giving prosecutors decorrects when it comes o -- discretion when it comes to implementing sentences. >> we will not fulfil the prisons filling them with a soccer mum with two or three pills over her prescription. we have the discretion to wave off minimum manned tris. >> stephen harper is a former public defender and said most of the sentences should be

dispepsed with. >> because the prosecutor has that much discretion it's not applied. black people are affected more than white people. >> congress eased the disparity. no exception was made for inmates such as patterson. >> for 19 years he fought to reduce his prison term. last november president obama coluated his sentence. >> emotions overtook me. tears came. >> patterson went to prison, a troubled father with no future, and came out a middle-aged grandfather, with the hope of seizing a second chance in life. a chance thousands serving manned trit sentences are -- mandatory sentences are waiting for. thank you. al jazeera america's new series called "the system", with joe

berlinger explores controversial cases. here is a quick preview. >> it's crazy, no matter what happens if you fire a gun 20 years. doesn't matter why. >> reporter: in 200953-year-old orvery well lee waller was contributed of aggravated assault with a firearm in the state of florida already. >> i firmly believe had i not done what i did that day, my daughter would be dead. >> you can watch "the system. ". it's home to a dark secret - an island of mass agrees for a million unidentified and unclaimed bodies. many buried on hard island are still-born babies. for the first time eight mothers have been aloed to visit the burial site. kath turner met one of the women 18 years after giving her child

up to the city. >> from the air heart island looks beautiful, serene and unremarkable. this sliver of land is a burial site for one million pore, unclaimed people. it's managed by the department of core access, the grave dug by inmates. around 1,000 still-born babies are among the dead. >> in 1995 mj adams and her husband couldn't afford a funeral for their son. they agreed to let the city do an autopsy and bury them. mj was told there'd been no autopsy and no one could tell her where her son was taken. to not know what happened to the body of her child is something that is unacceptable to any mother. >> belined area hunt campaigned -- belinda haunt campaigned and created a data

base of burials and that's how she found mj's late song. it is off limit to the public and relatives. the department of corrections agreed to let eight women who lost their babies during child birth visit the grave site. 18 years after yourselfing up her still -- giving up her still born son, her search ended. >> i never had an image of where he was, i had to look around and have closuring. to see the final resting pleas has given me peace. >> this year 5 new york council members introduced legislation to transfer heart island from the department of correction to the department of parks and recreation, meaning it would be accessible to the public. the issue is yet to be issued for a public hearing. mj's husband walter calls it prison for the dead.

there's veterans out there. there's the first baby to die of aids in new york city bur identified out there. no one can go there. it's wrong, and it needs to change. >> burials on the island go on today. with so much secrecy and restrictions peace for surviving relatives is hard to come by. the island once housed a reform school, a tv hospital and a mental asylum. >> public opinion of the affordable care act is faltering. a new poll indicates americans are skeptical of the federal healthcare plan. half of those polled by the associated press, 43% oppose the law. 13% say the affordable care able to should be refield. the poll highlights how many were unable to enroll because of

perhaps with healthcare.gough. after the housing crisis many banks dight eped up -- tightened up. there are signs lender are loose nipping up, making -- loosening up making the eastern dream a possibility, mary snow from "real money" reports. lending standard remain tight by historical measures, a few lenders have become less picky about who quxes. average credit scores on purchase mortgages 'emmed down to 7 -- edged down from 755 in morning. more mortgages are purchased with lower-down payments. at the beginning of the year 16.4% of loans, non-insured by the federal housing authority

including downpayments of less than 10% up from 20.6% in 2013, and 7.5 in 2010. for example, arlington community federal credit union in virginia offers a mortgage of up to $417,000 with a loan down-payment as low as 3% to qualified buyers. n td bank offers qualified borrowers a product called white step, a 30-year fixed rate with an interest rate of 3.5%, requiring a down-payment of 3%. >> td saw the need for the u.s. housing mark as it recovers. we saw the need to stimulate the market and get first-time buyers no the marketplace. obviously there has been a disconnect in the past yu years. >> critics contend that the new

loans could start the ball rolling. a slippery slope leading to a housing bubble. some lenders disagree. >> the credit guidelines have not been eased. if you look at what happened since the mortgage melt down in 2006 lenders across the country have continued to tighten their underwriting guidelines. >> to be sure credit is tight and as long as it stays tight home sales will remain sluggish. >> the pendulum swung far too far in the direction of overly strict lending standards. it's beginning to shift, as we speak. that is a good thing. >> so for now the door might be edging open a little, but unlike the housing boom of 2006. this time around it appears not everywhere will be allowed in. well, switching gears to the n.b.a. an about-face for the l.a.

clippers who will allow his team to be told. donald sterling gave his wife permission to negotiate a deal. the league has been trying to force out the billionaire. the n.b.a. has to approve deals. league officials have been killed. no donald sterling will be allowed to retain ownership, including his wife. saying goodbye to hollywood. why movie studies are packing up and going to the big easy the cannes film festival prepares to award the prestige awes prize, how women factor into the palm d'or. and the areas that will receive a downpour. >> and live pictures from ayman where pope francis begins a 3-day pilgrimage to the holy

land. al jazeera is back after the break. break.

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welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm john henry smith. let's get a look at the weather. meteorologist eboni deon is here. >> a lot of folks will hit the roadways for the weekend. we are watching two areas of concern where we'll deal with wet conditions. let's look at the big picture. there's an upper level lociing and spinning. it will be a slow mover. it will keep the rain around for the next couple of days unfortunately. there's good and bad sides to this. we need the rain fall and we are getting it in texas, and we'll see the rain coming today and into the next 48 hours. >> thank you eboni deon. there's a heated court battle until north california

over a beach line. a capitalist paid millions for a beach and closed the gates. it left many surfers furious. >> reporter: jonathan bremer is up with the sun considering the quality of the waves. >> martin's speech is about 5 miles south in a se clueded goef. >> secluded, with one way in. >> this is the gate that has been illegally closed. >> the man that paid $37.5 million for it, venture capitalist argues that he's entitled to close the gate. >> this is what is on the other side. >> maybe if there's billions of overabundance you do what you want, you can be as selfish as you want. . >> a court is considering whether a californian law has been violated.

the surf rider foundation sued, alleging that when the gate was locked and painted a billboard and painted over a billboard showing the beach's location he trigged unrest. >> the ability to exclude others from private property is an essential stick of property right that exists. >> it's infuriating that the access could be denied. >> reporter: remarkably the judge visited the spot to see what had both sides arguing passionately in a court room 20 miles from here. >> the issue was so simply - can you put um private property over a piece of property used by the public without permission of the californian coastal commission. >> this is similar to a fight in

southern california where david gavin, tried to block beach access near his home. he settled the suit and allowed a public walkway. while the case is pending the sheriff announced no one would be arrested for bypassing the locked gate. on the day of the judge's visit surfers were making waves. >> the ramifications for this case are huge and naturally. >> jonathan bremer is clear. >> this is yours, this is mine, this is everybody's. >> he may be right, but a judge will decide. it was the biggest art heist in history. 13 pieces worth $500 million stolen from a boston museum in 1990. the fbi says there's been confirmed sightings of some of

the stolen art. the last known was in or around philadelphia. the museum offered a $5 million reward for the return of the stolen artwork. new orleans is known for jazz, cuisine and mystique, and lately film making. it's called the hollywood of the south. tax breaks are getting credit for drawing in the industry. >> reporter: the garden district is a famous neighbourhood. film trues are a common site in new orleans, and formerly those produced in california moved south. it office application companies tax brachts. louisiana is the top location for blockbuster movies.

>> reporter: it's more than about cold hard cash. as the industry matured it led to jobs, opportunityies and established businesses run by local people. it's statement that the film industry created 14,000 jobs, equal to the state's seafood industry. few had anied in they would be so successful. >> there are businesses that started. they are servicing georgia canada, new york and china. >> one of them belongings to this man, starting a hollywood truck company. he has a fleed of 300. his success is down to incidentives. >> the industry affects so many different job titles, and it's one of the greatest economic

development business incentives and sting u lant packages. >> the new-found fame saw skilled workers come from traditional locations. for many, it's a change they don't regret. the work will get you. you don't node to find the workment here you cap be a big fish in a small pond. in los angeles, i don't care who you are, you are a small wish in a big pond. the next time you buy a ticket, chances are the film was made here, in the south. fonew orleans's gape is hollywood's loss. the world media, film critics and movie stars and film lovers are waiting on edgement they'll find out who wins the

most prestigious award. the palm d'or. phil lavelle ropes on the substance on the french riviera. >> cannes palm d'or jury is heavy. with jane campon leading it, bemoaning the lack of previous women winners, the question troubling critics - what gender will the winner be. one female contender for "steel waters", and another, up against 16 men. like this man, whose "winter sleep", has been the favourite. this bleak turk irk tail is three yours in duration. critics gave it their time, because the director is a cannes regular. this is his fifth mim. "grace of monaco" oped the festival. it didn't compete, but set the

top. "mr turner" and where "mike lee" looks at the life of artists. >> you can predict the oscars almost every year. this is like a criminal security. they have to agree. there's really proper debate about what they are doing. they'll want something radicaling it political. >> war has been one of the themes - conflict old and use, from fighting in tim back tu to this, a look at the conflict in chechnya. the search anticipated. the director's previous effort was a favourite. black and white movie, the artist. will the follow up make much

noise. the sun forgets on the 37th keynes. the focus on palm door. it no doubt reached its verdict. now, down there, there is a winner in waiting. there's not lopping until we find out who that is. you can feel the excitement here. well, at the end of the first hour, here is what ber following - pope francis begins a 3-day trip to the holy land. from there he travels to israel. residents head to the polls in ukraine. elections were scheduled for march but moved following country-wide protests. aid may be somebodieded --

suspended to thailand over the coup. >> rain is fouling in the south. i'll -- falling in the south. i'll show you where it's headed and where it is now. >> every saturday join us for exclusive, revealing, and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time. abe foxman >> we'll fight for your right to be a bigot. if you are a bigot, you're gonna pay a price... >> holocaust survivor and head of the ant-defamation league. >> there's an awful lot of hatred floating out there... >> and ending discrimination >> ...as long as the children aren't educated, it's gonna maintain... >> talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america

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fault lines... al jazeera america's hard hitting... >> they're locking the door... ground breaking... >> we have to get out of here... truth seeking... >> award winning, investigative, documentary series. chasing bail only on al jazeera america the holy father in the holy land. an historic pilgrimage for the pope. the controversy about his visit and the selfless decision he made about his own personal safety. >> chaos and carnage on the streets of turkey, a protest leading to a funeral and violent demonstration demonstrations. >> we were instructed to be careful to avoid incidents and

scandals. >> more than 150,000 troops and close to a billion - no, brazil is not going for war. it's for security at the cup. we are looking at hotel rooms. >> mr where there's a will, there's a way. the festival of lights bringing tourists to down under. >> and you are looking at pope francis, embarking on his first leg preparing to hold mass at a stadium in front of thousands of worshippers. welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm john henry smith, live in new york. the pontiff arrived in jordan's capital city two hours ago, day one of a 3-day pilgrimage. the trip is not without controversy, set against a backdrop of the raily tension, and a -- israeli tensions and a

bloody civil war. we report on the obstacles he faces and the bold moves he's making. [ cheering and applause ] . >> reporter:. >> reporter: waving the vatican good buy before a trip to the holy land. pope francis embarks on a trip to jordan, on the 50th anniversary in a meeting, the first between the heads of the catholic and orthodox churches in nine centuries. >> on saturday i'll go to the ho holy land, the land of jesus. it will be a religious visit, meeting with my brother to mark the 50th anniversary of the meeting between paul the vi. paul and andrea will meet again. this is beautiful. the second reason is to pray for peace in that land that suffers

greatly. i ask you to pray for my visit. >> the trip is a pilgrim ig. in a lands marred by religious divisions, every step will be watched by israelis and palestinians. one of them will be a palestine who lived in italy since 1972. he was one of millions not allowed to return home. >> the pope doesn't have an army, but has an exceptional moral and political influence, so every word he says will be counted and lisped to by westerly direction -- listened to by world leaders. >> the trip is part controversy before it started. >> the official schedule states that the pope will visit the state of palestine, a recognition of the 2012 resolution granting palestine a member of observer status, a political statement that raised eyebrows in is ray.

>> the head of the jewish community in rome said that the pope made concessions to israel. >> translation: for the first time the pope will lay a reed on the tomb of theodore h, hertzel. in the weeks leading up to the pope's trip, hate crimes against christians increased in israel and the occupied territories. pope francis refused to travel in a bulletproof car, an indication that trust and interfaith dialogue is have toinger than -- is stronger than his fear of hatred. >> thousands gathered to hear pope francis say mass at a stadium in imam. let's go to nick schifrin. what is on the pope's agenda area for jordan.

>> reporter: i don't even know if you can hear me, there's 30,000 people, and the pope is about to arrive about 100 feet to my right. he'll deliver a message in the stadium of peace, reconciliation. one of the main focuses in jordan is syria, a few hundred miles north. this country has been flooded with syrian refugees, he'll meet 500 syrian christian refugees, hear their cases and highlight how big the crisis is. every month 100,000 leave the country. according to the u.n., this will be the largest refugee crisis. that's when he visits a site where gees us is believed to be -- jesus is believed to have been bob tiffed. it's a -- baptized. to what extent will the israeli-palestinian dispute le covered? >> it's trech earous going to

palestinian areas and israel. the pope is trying to please both sides and acknowledge both of their narratives. on the israeli side he'll go to mt hertzel a place neither of his predecessors went to, the tomb of the forefather. they are pleased, believing it's an endorsement over their right to the land. on the other side he endorses the stit of palestine. if you look at the agenda, every piece of paper, they are visiting the head of the state of palestine. if you hear above - you may not hear me, his helicopter has arrived. it's a message of peace in this stadium to the palestinians and israelis walking the tight rope between the two sides and appealing to both nar tifs. >> a lot of excitement. nick schifrin there. thank you for joining us from

there. in less than two weeks presidential elections will take place in syria. state tv reports rebels in southern syria killed 40 people at the pro-government rally. the president has not made any public appearances in more than a month and is expected to win a third 7-year term. the u.s. opposition is criticising the polls, calling them a farce. an estimated 150,000 have been killed in the 3-year civil war. tensions are mounting in turkey. violent clashes have been erupting. demonstrators denouncing the coal mine disaster killing 300 people. protesters are provoking the violence and the government of istanbul is calling for faum. two people lost their lives in the clashes.

>> reporter: he came to attend a funeral in istanbul. this bystander ended up being shot and died in hospital. 24 hours later this funeral was for him. >> as mourners gathered for a second time at the house of worship they chanted antipolice and anti-government slogans. [ chants ] . >> translation: a police officer with a mask fired from the opposite side, from a corner. they shot the guy here. >> it's not prften that a police bullet -- proven that a police bullet killed him. cc tv from the courtyard outside the religious center she him falling to the ground, safely wounded. istanbul's governor's police rifles have been confiscated.

furky's prime minister -- turkey's prime minister defended the actions of police, working in an intense environment. mask wearers, he implied was not security. >> translation: they said it was the anniversary of the protest. what did they do? they terrorized the neighbourhood, attacking with bombs and fire works. a bomb landed inside the police van and officers were wounded. >> ain't police and anti-government protesters continued. this time police said it was a home-made bomb that killed him. the anniversary of the protest is on may the 30th. the government says that protesters are trying to avert a process. the reason they are on the streets is because police brutality and human rights are more of an issue now, than ever.

what is not in dispute is the poor neighbourhood is an enduring center of trouble. >> it's a scene of a teenager who died after months in a coma, hit in the head by a police tear gas cannesize ter. the recently dead miners were another source of demonstrators' anger. this community feels under siege from turkey's ruling ak party and says the shooting in the courtyard of a religious house is unacceptable. representatives called for protests on sunday. at least 10 other people have been injured in the clashes. now, let go back to ayman, jordan. you are looking at live pictures where pope francis has arrived

for his remarks to the gathered in the stadium. he is scheduled to make the remarks at around 9am eastern time. the u.s. is suspending $3.5 million in military aid to thai lapped over the coup -- thailand over the coup. more aid will stop if the country does not return to democratic rule. [ speaking foreign language ] hundreds of protesters have tape to the street. form -- taken to the street. former prime minister yingluck shinawatra has remained under house arrest with other thai officials ukraine heads for presidential elections on sunday, the first national vote since an uprising toppled the government. it could be a crucial step towards resolving the country's crisis. dana lewis joins us from kiev. fill us in on the key players

for tomorrow's election. >> well, at the beginning it was a long lists, 21 candidates running for president. four or five were taken seriously. giulio tiera schenko was one, forker prime minister gaoled by president viktor yanukovych. you have mr dobkin, a former governor in the east. he doesn't resonate well with voters. the front runner is petro porau schenko. >> in a kiev suburb the truck blares a message. on the eve of the election his supporters and polls say the 48-year-old has history in the bag. on the last day of the campaign, meeting with foreign minister,

porushenko talking like a leader. he is the candiman, the king of chocolate stores and factories. one like the wealthy businessmen seem so have built his empire in an honest and transparent way. >> crisscrossing the country, he has it all. he said he will turp the country towards european prosperity. security - he'll rebuild the army to deal with russian separatists. amnesty for some, not all. >> we'll talk to the people in the streets armed in the east, the terrorists. >> people are on the streets in the east, we are willing to have a talk. people with tare arms - not. >> porashenko emerged

unskateded. he is a foreign minister. and when the violent demonstrations broke out. he was one of the first officials to go to the street, and supported those fighting for change. he denounced corruption, and doesn't rule out ukraine joining n.a.t.o. >> if the security question is rising up, instability, it will not stop after presidential elections. who knows, maybe we should make the decisions. ukrainians are in no mood for false promises. whoever wins the elections have russia to deal with. they won't wait long, whoever wins. at the tent camp they honoured those killed by police bullets. this weekend his father visited a tent saying "i didn't want him to be here", but he told me he'd

stay until victory or pay with his life. his close friend warned porasch, nko must deliver or demonstrations will begin again, more serious, more violent. putting ukraine's next president under the gun. vladimir putin said he'd accept the election results, there's a lot of disbelief and sinic sis that's why once the results are known, the united states, europe recollection the election as free and fair, that will put a lot of pressure in turn on russia to do the same. the drama in kiev playing out. dana lewis in kiev. the heads of two rivals meet, pakistan's prime minister accepting an invitation to

attend the swearing-in ceremony of his counterpart. narendra modi won elections, a hardline hindu conservative. india and pak stin have fought four wars, three over the territory of kashmir. turning to south africa, where the president has been sworn into office for a second term. several heads of stayed attended jacob zuma's inauguration. he is expected to get back to work immediately, announcing a new cabinet on sunday. al jazeera's tania paige is in vittoria. >> zooum re and his party were -- zoomlion and his party were expected to win. he's leading a country where economic plans are increasing. what is the plan.

>> reporter: well, the government has what it calls the ndp or national development plan, a 30-year massive infrastructure develop. this is partly to correct the wrongs of the past, didn't have roads, they didn't have schools or clinics, they need to build those from scratch. also throwing in the future, they need to improve the roads, bridges and ports so people can do business easily, to encourage more business and foreign investors to come and create hundreds of thousands of jobs through building the projects. >> al jazeera's tonya paige in vittoria. we are following breaking news and santa barbara california. seven have been killed in a drive by shooting ram pain, new the uc santa basha karm u the shooter acted alone and is awe

monning the dead -- amongst the dead, found dead in his car. it's unclear if he has hit by an officer's bullet or he took his life. several others were injured. we'll bring you the latest. more than a month and no sign of them. hundreds of school girls kidnapped. before the kidnapping life was an uphill battle in nigeria. al jazeera goes behind the struggle of of being a woman in nigeria. >> it was the single largest art heist in history. 25 years later investigators could be hot on the trail. plus, they pushed the limits of human endurance. sometimes humans don't know their limits. we talk about the dangers of extreme racing in our weekend conversation. and a live look at ayman jordan, pope francis preparing

to say mass at the international stadium. thousands gather as he be gips his trip to the holy land. we'll be right back. back.

a live look at ayman jordan, pope francis prepared to say mass at the international stadium. thousands gather as he begins his historic trip to the holiland. we'll bringing the latest. welcome back to al jazeera america. the biggest art heist happened years ago in boston, 13 masterpieces stolen, worth a total of more than $500 million. roxana saberi reports. the federal bureau of investigation says it's on the trail of the missing art. the world's greatest art heist began after midnight op march 18, 1990. >> the isabella stewart gardener museum were robbed by two gentlemen posing as two police officers. >> reporter: they handdusted --

happened cuffed the guards -- handcuffed the guards, looking them in the base. they have taken art. among them: . >> they walked out, got in the car and that was the last time the paintings were seen. >> after decades the fbi says it has fresh new leads on the missing artwork. >> the agent led the investigation and told reporters we believe that over certain periods of time the art work was spotted. there has been sightings. some art dealers were skeptical since tips came if from black market sources and others trying to get the reward. > i truly feel the paintings are not in this country and are crated or happening on the wall of a well-heeled under ground art market buyer collector.

>> at the time they were stolen, they were valued at $300 million. they are worth half a billion. the fbi has identified three suspects in the case. over the years two have died, and a third has continued to deny knowledge. whereabouts of the missingar. >> let's get a look at what temperatures will be across the nation. meteorologist eboni deon - i see a lot of orange and yellow. >> we have 10-15 degrees above average several doors. folks across the midwest will enjoy it. temperatures going up to 86 degrees. we peak around 72. low 70s is offering. 82 is where we'll make it to. chicago looks like we'll stay in the low 70s, and 78 in indiana. warmer than average temperatures

expected across the south-east, and atlanta. closing in on 90 degrees around birmingham. we are going to keep it on the cool side. here is the contrast. in the north-east we have a northerly flow, a little cloud cough, breaks of sunshine and showers. we are expecting to keep it on the cooler side. a massive festival of lights in the land down under. let's talk about every inch of sydney australia being illuminated for the vivid festival, designed to be a beacon to tourists. andrew thomas reports. >> reporter: they are australian landmarks more usually seep in bright -- seen in bright sunshine. it's winter in sydney - longer nights for a festival of lights that has taken over the city. proegzs on water. office blocks as canvases.

the chance to conduct an orchest orchestra of light. for lucy, the opportunity to bring to light a building was a dream commission. >> we thought it would be great to land a tree making it grow out of the ground. >> it's a vin yet in the day of the life of a tree, allowing you to ponder what used to be here before buildings. >> beautiful as they are, the motivation is economic. a strong australian dollar hit the tourism industry hard. sydney is known as a summer city. the beaches are quiet between june and august. the city needed something to keep the tourists on their toes. >> we were looking for ideas on how to feel hotel rooms in winter in sydney. that's how vivid city was born. >> reporter: running an ice

cream business can about tough in winter during the vivid festival it went up 70%. >> every year it gets bigger. they come when the sun goes down. >> expectations this year are higher than ever. organizers expect a million people to see the lights. they are contributing $20 million to sydney's economy. >> it helps that the winter has been exceptionally warm. outdoor festivals doing well. that looks like a good time. a detainee at guantanamo bay has been on a hunger strike for weeks. a federal judge decided the u.s. military can force-feed him. why critics are lashing out at president obama. >> we are in the same place that we were in october 2008 when

they decided on the death penalty. >> six years later and still no justice. why the couple confessed to murdering a family that still has not gone on trial.

would welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm john henry smith. ahead the political unrest in thailand taking toll on the tourism strip. the impact of the military coup on that nation's biggest business a federal judge says the u.s. military can force a detainee at guantanamo bay so he doesn't die, but urged authorities to consider alternatives and turp over video of how the man is being treated. the decision is reversing a week-lopping ban of force

feeding. as john terrett reports, it comes a year since president obama recommitted to closing guantanamo bay's detention center. protesters in times square demanding the release of guantanamo bay prisoners approved for transfer out of the base, still there, held without charge. >> the frustration stems from the fact that the authority has the authority ci to transfer now. 77 out of 150 men have been approved to leave by every government agency. half the prison could be empty. >> that includes the hunger striker cheered for transfer to uruguay, whom a federal judge ruled may be force-fed via a tube through his nose. the judge critical for refusing to compromise and find a method

that doesn't inflict so much pa pain. >> the prevailing mind-set at guantanamo bay is anyone on a hunger strike is conducting asymmetrical warfare. >> the inmate was representeded for transfer in 2010. he's been held without charge three months shy of 12 years. >> his hunger vibing is a way for him to protest his decontinuation at guantanamo bay. >> in deab's case. the protesters blamed the slow progress on the obama administration. >> the fact that he is there, hunger striking says something about the president's willingness to follow through.

>> that's john terrett reporting. the next hearing for the lawsuit is set for june 16th. secretary of state john kerry will testify and will likely be grilled. republicans accuse the obama administration of interceptionally misleading the public about the 2012 acake. gary was a senator at the time. four minister were killed, including ambassador chris seven. this is the eighth investigation into the attack six years ago a mass murder shocked the united states. among the dead is a 5-year-old girl, 3-year-old boy. the suspects confessed but all these years later there has been no trial. allen schauffler tells us what is delaying justice. >> reporter: there are a lot that would like the delay

explained. there's an abundance of caution because two people could be put to death, and defense attorneys are saying they are doing their job, being as careful as possible. relatives say these delays are tack techal, intentional, and -- tactical, intentional and meant to boost the price of capital publishment. >> that couple face death sentences for shooting her parents, brother and standard, niece and nephew. they describe killing the older couple, hiding the bodies and waiting for the young family to arrive and shooting all of them. 5-year-old olivia and 3-year-old nathan last. >> dear god, how do you do that, a small tiny blond-haired, blue-eyed baby boy in dipers much it's sick. >> pam lost her daughter and two

grandchildren. she watched more than 100 pre-trial hearings. she calls it a circus. >> reporter: is justice being served? >> absolutely not. we are exactly the assume place we were in october 2008 when they decided on the death penalty. >> court-appointed attorney katy ross, a veteran of capital cases represents joe macken row, doing what they are supposed to do, save their client's lives. >> we have to get the experts necessary, bring the motions necessary. >> the defense spend $6 million of county money and their spending one million - also county money. it is said to be inexpensive and cost should be a consideration in sentencing.

>> public officials should have money on their mind. that's what i think. twice the state supreme court reserved rulings, each decision taking months. justices are considering several issues including a request from prosecutors to have the judge replaced. ann murphy called some of the manoeuvring unheard of and strange, but understandable. >> you are talking about executing someone, in the name of the state. they should be concerned about that. will we see more of this? i have no doubt. absolutely. >> for pam, her granted daughter's school work provide memories, but little commst, as she seeks resolution that is years away. >> they need to come down on the damned defense and say muf is enough, we have waited a long time for the trial and we need to have it, and let's get the show on the road.

>> the state's supreme court will hear arguments at the end of june, june 26th, and there's no firm timetable on when we may have a decision. >> al jazeera america's new series "the system", with joe berylinger explores complicated case and this week said explores mapped tri sentencing -- mandatory sentencing. there's new allegations of misconduct at a veterans' affairs hospital, this one in miami. patients are being physically abused and some dealing drugs. he accuses hospital administrators of covering up the crimes. the department of veterans affairs came under fire as facilities are being investigated, stemming from allegations that some patients died while waiting for treatment. new reports that the nigean

army is barely making progress in the search for the missing school girls. troops are ill-prepared, poorly prepared and core up. they have avoided fights, each as the rebel group attacked citizens. many in nigeria are worried about a mass kidnapping. we have this report on how tradition limits the growth of young girls and what is down to empower them. >> reporter: this woman believes she was 13 when her parents married her off. many things have not been heard. one of eight sibling, the family cannot afford to send her to school. they are six, three and one. she's come to the vocational center hoping to peck up a skill. >> i was upset, i couldn't go to school. i'm envious of other girls.

i had no choice but to accept defeat. >> conservative values means that many girls are left without education, forced into early marriage, pregnancies and divorce. as if that was not enough, the kidnapping of more than 250 groups by boko haram, and the attacks on schools, is worsening what was already a bad situation for girls. >> local activists say more than 50% of girls are married off before they turn 15. >> the girls end up stuck in a cycle of poverty. what is a simple routine of the showing up to school is a daily victory over restrictive attitudes and a hard liner war.

>> women's rights advocates have been involved in the campaign, setting up literacy and vocational programs. >> the fight is bigger than them and international donors need to step in. >> existing matters have been overstretched. if you want to go to schools, they make a big appeal to international community, in spite of the challenges, this is the period. >> boko haram has threatened to sell the kidnapped girls. togetherers told girls that they should get married instead of getting an education. in spite of the obstacles marian wants her daughters to go to school. >> one-third of the girls in the

world marry before the aim of 18, and one in in my opinion before the aim of 15. nigeria has the highest rate of child marriage in the world. in mali, tuareg rebels agreed to a cease fire. following talks about between the president and tuareg said in into add. eight died, 30 taken hostage and released. it's raising fear of more violence. thousands of tourists are concerned about travelling to thailand. the military took over the country in a coup. the u.s. is recommending people reconsider nonessential tral. scott heidler reports on the knock-on to the tourism sec sore. >> reporter: these are not the normal bangkok holiday snapshots. last year the city was the most

visited tourist destination, before six months of conflict leading to a coup on thursday. >> it's sad. i won't see bangkok, thailand. everything is close at 10 or 9 or something like that. i try to enjoy it. >> since the military announce the its take over, more than 50 countries issued warnings about travel to thailand. it will increase losses in the $30 billion a year tourist industry, $3 billion was lost during the first three months of the year. this is a popular tourist spots. a lot of tourists were here. a concern for the industry was future bookings. >> if the current decline in tourist dollars continue, it will be 40% down from the normal rates.

>> i'm concerned about the future because tourism is the first industry of thailand. many of my indonesian groups cancelled their trips. . >> reporter: one of the big draws is the night life. there's a curfew of 10:00 pm at night. business is down 50% since the crisis started. with the curfew in place, they shut the doors. >> i can't tell about the full court. i'll put my energy into the club, try to maintain and present the great music. i hope we recover as soon as possible. >> for smaller businesses recovery will have to come past. they need more tourists coming to the site and fewer soldiers. there has been a dozen military coups in thailand since

the 1930s. brazil is gearing up for the world cup, to make sure all goes as plans authorities are investing for than $800 million in security, deploying 160,000 police officers, daniel schweimler with more. >> reporter: the security operation is in place in rio de janeiro for the 2014 world cup. it's the biggest in the region's history. it's a similar story across the rest of brazil. preparations hampered by strikes and protests. >> translation: so there's a specific contingency plan for demonstrations. if needed security forces would act the way they have been. >> reporter: the way they have been may not be how the half or so million visitors had in mind.

these partook in pacifying an fatell ark. security is an issue the world is watching and we'll ask whether what happened here will be transferred to the rest of the country during the world cup. >> reporter: this tiny anti-world cup protest atraghted hundreds of heavily arm police. why so many i asked the officer in charge? he replied "to guarantee the safety of the protestors and ensure that traffic flows smoothly". >> police have learnt a little from last year sth demonstrations, but not much. they have to be careful to avoid incidents or scandals. >> this police training videos show demonstrators what awaits if they attack authorities with

shoes. it may not combat the critics. >> we spend a lot of money on infrastructure we will not use. there's corruption, and frustration. how it will be expressed, we don't know. >> strikes and demonstrations in the weeks leading up to the world cup put the authorities on edge. reassuring the warld of any eve eventuality. >> at the same time trying to find the right way. officials hope the investment pays off. brazil has bun the highest crime rates in the world. they call them the ultimate challenge, extreme races, pushing competitors to the limit - crawling under barbed

wire, jumping in pits. there has been a spike in injuries and deaths at these event. in july 2, 0112, died and another paralyzed after taking pard in the warrior dash. in 2012 the c d.c. found 22 people were sick eped after ingesting contaminated water at the tough mudda, nevada. a man drawned during an event called walk the plapping. joining us to discuss the hidden changes is an assistant professor. thank you for getting up early. > thank you for having me. >> what are some of the hidden dangers of the events. >> people don't quite recognise the risks they are saking by exposing to the less common

exposures. the tough mudda, featuring dropping down a 15 foot drop or crawling through mud. who knows where it came from. or crawling through a small space in contaminated mud. the body is not made to withstand some of the exposures that come with this. >> a lot of these races are designed by ex-members of special forces and they take the level of the level. >> are the obstacles to rough on the average person. >> these were designed for the best, the fittest. they are trained to go through the obstacle the that they may see in their line of the work. when people like you and mow who are average jos or weekend warriors, we'll be less up to the change. the body is not made to withstand things like being

electrocuted or jumping through fire or a change this temperatures. then, if you were a weekend warrior, how do you train? >> there's no way. some of these injuries and deaths are people jumping into these thinks not recognising what it means. >> you're right. i can't imagine have you been electric shocking themselves to get ready for an event like this. before it seemed we were jumping over these event. other endurance events had a share of perills. we'll look at a study in the jourm of sports. 28 runners died between 2000 and 2009. a study found that 14 people died in triathlons from 2006 to 2008. obstacle races - are they more dangerous? >> that's a great question.

any time someone engages in an extreme sport, there are risks. if you think about a marathon running 26 miles or a triathlon, these are what you can train for. if you take the time, talk to a physici physician, it's possible to keep healthy. that being said, the trouble with a tougher mudder is you can't train for these things and you don't know what you are getting into. you have to compare the numbers. there has been 1.5 million doing a tough mudder compared to who did a marathon in 2009. the difference in the types of exposures and numbers we have to take with a grain of salt. in my opinion they are more dangerous because you are deal with exposures different from running, biking, swimming, you are deal with livewires, mud pits. things that are different.

in fact, there was a study by emergency physicians looking at 38 ipp scruries follow a suf -- injuries following a tough mudder, burns, internal burns, hypothermia - what you don't see with other ept. >> do you think the ents need to -- events need to enact more safety, is there regulation required or is this what it is, people read up and come at your own rick. >> they do a good job. the question is how to prevent the injuries that people get at ents like this. one of the level ways of doing that is paying sure you - to make sure that people meed a physical standard. that you are in good shape, and you don't - perhaps you turn in a physical from a physician making sure you don't have unlying medical issues.

dr, thank you for joining us this morning to talk about a popular event. the extreme race ept. >> thanks for having me. we'll move on and talk about our next subject. going forward - excuse me for a second here. it looks like we have just talked about the tough mudder event and we'll come back with more if yous after these messages. p

welcome back to al jazeera america. we talked about extreme racing events like tough mudder and

reached out to organizers and they provided this response. . organizers for wore ya dash provided this response saying: spartan race did not provide a statement. apparently hollywood is leaving hollywood. >> reporter: you may not know the name ed-gutenhaf but you may have known some of his movies "war of the worlds", "forest gump", but now, after 26 years in hollywood, he's doing something he never thought he'd do. >> i'm moving to geulph

stormingia, leaving my wife and -- georgia, leaving behind my wife and daughter. >> thousands have been watching helplessly as high-paying production jobs in california disappear. >> there is not the same opportunity here as there used to be. >> according to a report, hollywood exit, between 2004 and 2012 california lofted 16,000 production jobs. new york added over 10,000. that means most movies are not filmed here any more. >> the number one reason is incentives. >> kevin, lead author of the report talks about tax incentives. new york, for example, offers $420 million in tax credits, roughly four times what california offers. >> it means that other places will add jobs and california

will continue to bleed out thousands until you may as well assume productions will take place in new york, georgia, louisiana and britain. >> it leaves places like the prop shop dressed up with nowhere to go. >> everywhere from equipment, rental, services - they lose too. >> so does california, which is not only losing $2 billion, it's losing bragging rights as the entertainment capital of the world. >> claiming to be the entertainment capital - we made 64% of large features, now we are down to 8%. how do you make the claim any more? >> the sina matographer says you can't. >> this sign may be the only

thing left meaning hoda abdel-hamid. >> a bill will be voted on, it's unclear if it has the government's support. the ending to this drama has yet to be written. if this were a movie, chances are it wouldn't be filmed in california. california's current film making incentive programme is not available to films with a budget higher than $75 million, ruling out most hollywood block busters. a japanese rocket is heading to space. it will be used to map and collect data on disasters and national resources. it will scan and monitor earthquakes, flood and the meting of polar ice and should be operational within the n six months. four giant pandas plays in a crate at a research center in

certain china. the caretaker left it behind. the panned areas turned it into a toy. thanks for joining us this morning on al jazeera. top stories two minutes away including the latest on the coup in thailand, have a great day.

>> welcome to the news hour. we're in d doha and these are or top stories. al-shabab attacks and several people are dead. in thailand hundreds of