>> this is al jazeera america. this is tony harris bringing you the latest stories. secretary of state john kerry calls syria's elections meaningless and a big zero as bashar al-assad is named the runaway winner. tight security in china 25 years after the killings in tienanmen square. and a state that is booming with jobs, but they're the most dangerous jobs in the country.

>> a new video released by the taliban shows the moment sgt. bowe bergdahl became a free man. it comes as president obama receives criticism releasing high-level detainees in exchange for bergdahl. >> reporter: tony, we'll talk more about the criticism in a minute, but first the video released by the taliban released on their website. it was our first look at sgt. bowe bergdahl. >> reporter: a pickup truck delivered sgt. bowe bergdahl. the 28-year-old in his final

moments of nearly five years of ativety as a prisoner of war. as a blackhawks helicopter approached, one person told bergdahl don't come back to afghanistan or you won't return alive. they escorted bergdahl to the aircraft where he was frisked before boarding. while only one helicopter touched down, at least two dozen u.s. military took part in the operation along with aerial surveillance and intelligence. his rescue at first preys praised by u.s. officials is now the subject of controversy with allegations that bergdahl may have deserted his post. brussels defense secretary chuck hagel said that issue will be investigated but not now. >> let's get the facts, but let's first focus on getting sergeant bergdahl well, getting

his health back. getting him reunified with his family. let's not forget sgt. bergdahl is a member of the united states armed forces. he is a sergeant of the united states army. united states of america has and always will have responsibility for getting its soldiers back. other questions and facts regarding sgt. bergdahl will be dealt with at a later time. >> reporter: the deal that freed sgt. bergdahl, the release of five detainees from guantanamo is getting bipartisan criticism because the obama administrations didn't give prior notice. and senator lindsey graham is accusing the administration for trying to score political points. >> i think the white house was looking for a twofer to announce in one week that we are going to withdraw from afghanistan and oh by the way as commander in chief

i secured the last captive, the only captive of that war. that was thought in their mind to be a pretty good political story for that week. it blew up in their face. >> well now with democrats joining critics, the white hou house. this afternoon for members of congress in an attempt to answer some of their questions about the deal that freed sergeant bowe bergdahl. >> randall. stay with me for a minute. sergeant bergdahl's fellow soldiers have claimed that he attempted to desert. yesterday i spoke with one of his former comrades who believe that sgt. bergdahl deserted. >> there is a sense that you

have having been in that unit that he deserted, and he needs to be brought back to justice, and your concern is there is no appetite in the united states to prosecute a man who has been held by the taliban for five years. is that your concern, and that he will be given a pass for what he did to your unit? >> reporter: absolutely. that people will turn a blind eye to what actually happened, and the fact that he walked away willingly and purposely from his post, and that people will accept him and say that he was held for five years, poor bowe bergdahl, and that will be the general consensus. that's wrong. >> okay, rhonda, a couple of questions here. the state department, is anyone suggesting in the details that we know about this swap, this exchange, that it was a bad deal

and bergdahl should have been left in afghanistan. >> if you watch some of our competitors on tv certainly that has been said. >> is it has been said. that deal shoul bergdahl should have been left there. >> because of the allegation that he allegedly walked away from his post. he had been dissatisfied with america's role in afghanistan and he wanted to be with the taliban. let him say. that's what they're saying. but i must say i have not heard answer elected officials or defense department official say that. certainly you just heard one of his colleagues who did not approve of what he allegedly did, but wants him to be brought home. if there are any charges to be brought, to be faced immediately. >> i have a second question, but i think that sums it up perfectly. randall. thank you. president obama trying to find a plan, the g-7 nations

include united states, britain, france, italy, germany and jap japan, russia was supposed to be part of the meeting but president putin was not invited. a piece of ukraine, if that's the top agenda, ending its metalin meddling, and tell us more about that. >> surrounding that d-day visit the commemoration of the d-day invasion. there will be 17 world leaders there, including vladimir putin who has been asking, saying they are going to be meeting with the

leaders of the yo ukraine. he said that it's an advance of the trip in an interview with french media. >> this is all a plan, right, part of a bigger plan for a push for peace. what steps were broadly will the g 7 take moving forward? >> reporter: remember, this was supposed to take place in russia, formerly known as the g-8. the one banished leader president putin, his presence hangs over this meeting. he was not here for this meeting. president obama told a polish audience this morning a time to time again he wants the g-7. he wants the e.u. to come along with tougher sanctions if russia does not reverse course in ukraine, and thus far he's getting a very difficult time getting russia to impose broad

sector sanctions. as we know europe much more linked and inter grated economically with russia than the united states. >> mike viqueira with in brussels. good to see you. german propersgerman prosecutors looking at edward snowed ens statement that the u.s. listening to phone calls. nick schifrin is joining us from beirut. john kerry had tough statements about the elections. >> reporter: yes, if you go to

the irregularities, it's long. no one was allowed to vote. the opposition alleges that the government coerced people into voting. number two, there was so much violence. this was the deadliest conflict in the 21st century. 23, the opposition candidates were completely unknown and one of them said that he was honored to come in second behind president assad. and kerry criticized all that today. he said, look, nothing is going to change in syria from before the election to after. >> with respect to the elections that took place, the so-called elections, the elections are non-elections. the elections are a great big zero. they're meaningless. and they're meaningless because you can't have an election where millions of your people don't even have an ability to vote, where they don't have an ability to contest the election, and they have no choice.

>> now with the regime would argue is this, the opposite. they will argue that they won, and this is the beginning of the political transition or the political end of this war. they argued that they got a lot of support not only from their shia allies but also from sunnies and different sects within syria regardless it's very clear to most observers, tony, that assad will use this election to crush the opposition and continue not to give in to any political opposition. >> secretary kerry is also in lebanon to talk to leaders there to talk about their own political crisis. their focus is also on syrian refugees. >> yes, this is two-fold. basic liquory came here to deliver a message to lebanese politician. elect a president. they have not been able to choose a president, and because of that they're not going to get the humanitarian aid they

desperately need. there is a real refugee crisis, 2500 coming across the border every day. 1.5million by the end of the year. that's more than a third of the population of the country, and you know, they kept their borders open. they paid the price. the world bank said that this country is on a breaking point and the country can't afford it physically and financially. look, if you get your act together and get your house in order, then you can get your money that you desperately need. >> we know that lebanon is a beautiful country. beirut is a beautiful city, i wonder what the lebanese get out of this visit from secretary kerry? >> reporter: yes, really kerry came here with money. he announced $290 million for the entire region for the syrian refugees, and specifically to lebanon, $51 million will go not only for refugees inside lebanon, not only to encourage the world bank to prop up this economy, which is struggling, but also he talked about

propping up the lebanese military. something along the borders with syria. and he definitely came here his first visit as secretary of state to prop up the lebanese and deliver that message. it's not clear if the u.s. connections will do anything to stop the violence. >> nick schifrin, thank you. before he goes to belgium president obama helped poland celebrating a defining moment. the president and other world leaders met in warsaw. celebrating the end of communist rule. president obama had a word for russia. >> bigger nations must not be allowed to bully the small or impose their will with the barrel of a gun or masked men taking over buildings. the stroke of a pen cannot legitimatize the theft of a

neighbor's land. we will not accept russia's occupation of crimea. our nation also stand united so further russian provocation will only call for more isolation for russia. >> holding up as a modele mod dal. david shuster is here with more. >> reporter: it was not the result of establishment republicans were counting on. the senior most senator in the senate, mcdaniel and cochrane are headed to a run off. >> whether it's tomorrow or three weeks from tonight, we will stand victorious in this race. [ cheering ] >> establishment republicans are standing a bit nervously biting their nails and pledging even

more money in mississippi the next three weeks to try to help cochrane. age republican strategists fear that mcdaniel's history of racist and remarks would hurt others in campaign. in iowa joni ernst is preparing for a general electi election. ernst is a military veteran who got strong support from business groups. >> bruce and barack obama, they've had their chance, and they failed. now, right now it's our turn. >> the match up is widely expected to be one of the most hard-fought and expensive

campaigns of the year with the control of the senate possibly depending on the outcome. in montana voters have now reminded the political world there is a limit even in that state to anti-government extre extremism. the highway speed limit was used as an example of government overreach and fire a rifle at a government drone. yesterday he lost the primary to brian zinc who supports abortion rights, gun control and climate change may be the result of human activity. in november zinc will join john lewis and max bacchus. former treasury official got the victory over a tea party lawmaker. he'll take on popular democratic governor jerry brown.

finally annette bosworth was so eager to appear on fox news that she went on the air before checking the election results. >> the associated press that reports that you have lost your race, and that former south dakota governor has prevailed. your thoughts on that and then we'll get to the controversy. >> well, that's news to me. i didn't know that. >> really? >> you know, it's been--i didn't know, so i fount out on national television. >> what is this, like a face pause. it gets worse for annette bosworth. today she turned herself in to the attorney general office indicted on six counts of perjury and six counts of false statements. she submitted petitions to get on the palate and there are

allegations that she falsified things to get on the petitions. now she has that to deal with now. >> that's a bad day. you think you had a bad day. that's a bad day. coming up on al jazeera america, it is one of the best places to find a job right now, but it is one of the most dangerous places to work. we will take you live to north dakota. and an american egyp jailed in egypt makes a plea to president obama for help.

>> giving $200 million to the city that will help cut deep cuts.

the bills are wait forgive governor rick snyder's signature. the labor department said the workplace fatality rate in north dakota is five times the national rate. many who lost their lives work in the booming gas industry. diane from lewis ton, diane, good to see you. what is the safety problem there in north dakota? >> reporter: well, tony, a lot of people coming out here to work are inexperienced, and some say they're not getting very much in the way of on the job training. jobs in north dakota's oil field can pay big bucks up to six figure as year 37 but some workers say the risk isn't worth the reward. ty james is one. he's severely injured his spine five years ago when h equipment being loaded on a truck fell on

him. >> the emergency response people said had the trailer went down another two inches i would be dead. >> reporter: james was lucky. work-related deaths are on the rise in north dakota up 20% in 2012 while they declined nationally. >> any time we see fatalities above zero is a concern for osha. >> reporter: covering north and south dakota with over a thousand active wells and hundreds of oil service companies brooks and his eight inspectors have their work cut out for them. he thinks that inspections have helped osha identify and correct hazards at some dwelling sites but inexperienced workers and even employers are the major problem. >> if we have someone who has limited experience in the industry and do a start up in the company, there are hazards. >> reporter: it all comes down

to training. and the kind of training that rig workers get really depends on the company they work for. company training runs the gamut. one of the north dakota largest oil companies and one of the riggest training programs. no new recruit can start a job without first nine days of hands-on experience with a test rig, classroom training and passing a written test. >> if we have someone who is progressing the way they should, we don't hire them. >> reporter: despite that osha has investigated two accidents there in north dakota that resulted in two worker deaths. meanwhile other companies offer far less training so unions are stepping in to offer training programs for members who don't feel adequately prepared. >> we have to look out for one another. that's the main thing right

now. just looking out for one another. making sure that person goes home safe. >> reporter: ty james said he watched only a training video before starting his job. as he struggles with pain every day the 24-year-old wishes he knew then what he knows now. >> i heard stories, but i guess can prepare you for what you see. i couldn't believe it until i saw it. >> reporter: now the state doesn't require any kind of special training to work out here. it does provide a program to some companies that allows them to send their entry level people in to get some kind of training. >> diane estherbrook in lewis ton, north dakota: a couple of things cropped up in that report, good to have you on the program, there are a lot of oil and gas producing states, and some of them are relatively safe. that's the work you're in. what is so different about what

is going on in north dakota? >> i think the difference is that you really had an explosion in the industry in north dakota in the last three to five years. so as was reported you have a lot of people coming in to the state. a lot of inexperienced workers, no training, and you probably had a lot of new employers coming into the industry. the industry is growing without a lot of oversight, without accountability, and certainly without the adequate training for workers to deal with the serious hazards that are prese present. >> the rules and regulations would make it a safer industry in north dakota? >> the problem is we don't necessarily have the best regulations in oil and gas if you look at the north dakota resolutio regulations.

and they are pretty old. they're regulated by osha, and osha is a tiny agency in the state of north dakota. you look at coal mining in the same general industry, that's a different regulation. they do four inspections every year at each mine in the country. i think beneath to look at the approach and model of safety and health, and if this is the source of energy in our country, change the oversight in what they've been doing. >> 26 days for an employee to get trained and watching an video. you wouldn't hire a pilot with 26 days of training. is this a case where these employees should not be hired realizeless of th regardless of

the opportunities available. >> if they got to put in place training programs for the workers before they come on, they need to do that. one thing about this industry is that it's very unorganized. there are not a lot of unions. the unions have really good training and aparentive progra apprentice programs. >> are you organizing? is the afl/cio organizing? >> yes, traditionally it's been a none union industry. it's starting from a place where you don't have a lot of unionization, and it's in states where the level of union indication is low to begin with. and so yes some of the unions are looking at this. the labor's union is looking at this. they do represent some of the workers involved in the construction aspects of going in and setting up the wells, but

they're not involved at this point in time in the actual extraction and service. >> director of the occupational safety and health with the afl/cio. thank you. >> a 26-year-old jailed in egypt, and his family says his health is getting worse. and how india is hoping new public toilets will prevent deadly attacks on women.

i think that al jazeera helps connect people in a way they haven't been connected before. it's a new approach to journalism. this is an opportunity for americans to learn something. we need to know what's going on around the world. we need to know what's going on in our back yard and i think al jazeera does just that. >> an american jailed in a prison in cairo is bleeding u.s. government to secure his release. his family said his health has been getting worse because of

it. >> tony, this is the third time that he has reached out to president obama on two previous occasions he was very direct but now in a video he is very, very direct with the president. guess what, the president may have to listen because this video has gone viral. >> my life not worth anything to you? has the life of american citizens become worthless? or is it because my name is mohammed. >> his blunt message to president obama smuggled out of cairo's notorious prison has gone viral. the 26-year-old graduate of ohio university has been held since august for allegedly using his cell phone and twitter feed to record egyptian security forces clearing protesters angry at the army for hosting president mor morsi. >> i was documenting crimes against justice, against humanity, against democracicy, trying to chair my principles

with young egyptians. >> reporter: he was shot in the arm during that protest that cost hundreds of people their lives is on hunger strike and said to be frail. he tweeted president obama. the egyptian army put in a bullet in my arm that i paid for with my tax dollars, #riddle me that. now he appeals to his fellow americans. >> i've had my freedom stripped away from me. why? because i was living by the same values and principles that our founding fathers build thi built this great nation on. >> reporter: he blamed president obama of listening to blond hair blue eyed citizens. >> my time, in this period, in my time just happens to be the

one that matters less or not at all. >> and mohammed sultan's family said he was a vocal critic of the muslim brotherhood but attended that protest that was attended by the military because he wanted to support the democratic norms as he sees them instilled in him here in america. tony one footnote, his brother, who is a professor in cairo was arrested at the same time. now he is a member of the muslim brotherhood. he was arrested after he apologized for the way the brotherhood had run the country. >> so we're hope to go talk to mohammed's brother omar. he's not available at the moment but we hope to get him on before the top of the hour here. john terrett with us. the head of the u.n. operation to destroy syria's chemical weapons will not meet the deadline. 70% of syria's declared stock pile is near a military base in damascus. they're asking t for a

guarantee that the weapons are safely removed and destroyed. separatists have seized two bases in luhansk. the intense fighting has forced many residents to flee the city. >> the exodus of civilians has started in luhansk. women and children there. but the ukrainian government has spurned moscow's call for the corridors to be set up through the front lines to allow them safe passage. after another night of intense clashes in the city, some of the girls and boys ended up on the school bus without their mothers. >> who is going to look after them, one woman demanded. they're being driven across the russian border. a look at the streets and country where they were born.

anxiety etched on their faces not knowing the dangers they would face on the road ahead, but leaving behind a city now engulfed in a war. the bright sunshine belied the somber mood. it was a day filled with funerals. the people of the city and it's leaders came to pay their respects to the separatist fighters who died this week defending their self-declared republic. no one knows how much more candles will have to be lifted from the dead. they're calling the offensive anti-terrorist operation. the people hearsay the real terrorists are the one who is are now in power. the border guard behind me is still refuse to go surrender. they're being attacked each night. >> reporter: surrounded by high-rise apartment blocks. the residents here were still

shocked and afraid. the streets where they take their dogs for a walk. now splashed with blood and spent bullet casings. we join the family funeral of a separatist fighter shot dead. a paratroop veteran of the occupation in afghanistan, he survived four years of bitter fighting there only to be killed in his hometown by ukrainian snipers bullets. >> a body of shots was fired over his brother's game. the bitters war is always a civil war. this will not be the last time that bullets fly above the pine and populars of this graveyard.

>> in libya unknown gunmen fired a grenade. in the latest sign of the country's growing instability. ahmed was not at his office during the attack. his predecessor still refuses to step aside. saying the supreme court must validate this election. shia rebels after airstrikes killed 19 people from both sides. over the last few days rebels have been trying to take territory back from the military tribe. a third teenage girl in india has been found hanging from a tree. the country has been in an uproar after two other girls were found hanged after they were allegedly gang raped. the girls from attacked while allegedly going to bathroom in a nearby field, a necessary practice for half of india's population. they are considering building

public toilets to avoid being alone again. >> the wails of these women have filled the village for a week. they're mourning the death of two young girls who were allegedly gang raped and murdered after leaving their homes at night. the attack had shocked the nation. the family says local police had refused to act because they are from what is considered a low caste or the so-called untouchables. >> if the authorities had wanted my daughters would have been found alive. they told me to wait for an hour and a half, and my daughter would return home. but then this happened. how long can i tolerate this? >> reporter: so his 12-year-old daughter and her 14-year-old cousin were found hanging from this mango tree at dawn after walking in the fields to go to the toilet. he says the neighbor heard their screams but instead of helping him, the police abused and

slapped him for making a complaint. >> there is no doubt that the incident is very unfortunate. the government has taken steps and all five accused have been arrested. the government has started a probe in the case. it is being directed to insure justice to the victims. >> reporter: but in the village people are angry at the state government and the police for failing to protect women. >> these men have no fear at all. they think the government is theirs. we can catch anyone's daughter and do anything. we can get away with even shooting anyone. they think they can do anything to us. >> reporter: a steady stream of applications have been visiting the villag village, offering $8,000 in compensation, but families have refused to accept saying their daughter's dignity

is not for sale. the families of the victims say they want the perpetrators tried and hang. they say there is no fear of the law here and punishment is the only way to stop violent crimes against their women. al jazeera, india. >> the largest round up of gang members in new york city history took place today. making news across america. this sounds huge. >> reporter: that's right, tony. more than 100 members from three gangs were arrested today. they're accused of two homicide and more than 60 shoot negotiation harlem. the investigations stem from the murder of a 18-year-old high school basketball star three years ago. in boston the fbi said the friend of the marathon bombing suspects sent thousands of dollars overseas. he's accused of deleting computer files and lying to investigators about his friendship with the tsarnaev

brothers. and in texas the south by southwest crash suspect made his first appearance. the 21-year-old drove through a crowd at the music festival in march killing four people and injuring 22. that night rashad owens was driving without his lights on and a patrolman tried to pull him over. at the time the police had a warrant out for his arrest for kidnapping his daughter during a custody battle. in new mexico the last of the americans who developed an unbreakable code during world war two died today. chester nez was 93 years old. nez and 28 other in nvaj ros navajos sea os helped break

code. the drivethe police defend a man was never in law enforcement, and, in fact, the detective he pulled over works for the unit that tracks down phoney officers. >> so it's kind of funny until you think about the mayhem this 20-year-old kid may have caused posing as a fake cop. everybody is happy he's off the streets right now. see you later. >> powerful storms with baseball-sized hail in some areas. it has led to flash flooding, and dave war warren is here with more on what we can expect. >> meteorologist: we're looking at more storms. not nearly as severe, but still the potential for strong thunderstorms even some rotation detected in these storms.

now you can see it moving across kentucky into west virginia. these are individual cells as opposed to a strong line of long-lasting severe weather with damaging wind. it could get individual strong storms here. few severe thunderstorms warnings in effect as well as the tornado watch. the attention it there for these storms to begin to rotate. we're seeing row station through these storms. now the severe warning, with the potential there for the next few hours with the storms to begin to rotate. here's where this entire area is. it's under a watch damaged from yesterday is all clear. the storms came through nebraska and iowa and illinois. now in parts of montana and wyoming, a few storms developing there. a severe thunderstorm watch is in effect: the areas that saw rain yesterday is seeing flooding, and still the severe threat is with us today.

>> good to see you. thank you. have you heard this story. germany chancellor angela merkel was a letdown from a friend of hers who was trying to win cash on germany's version of who wants to be a millionaire. so a germany lawmaker tried merkel for his phone a friend lifeline. he needed help on a $680,000 question. he hoped his boss might know. but as you heard she never picked up the phone call. he walked away making $170,000 for charity. war world two veterans are headed to france to pay their respects, what some are calling the last reunion. - all the way.

al jazeera america, take a new look at news.

>> first lady michelle obama wants all veterans to have a home by the end of 2015. veterans make up 12% of all u.s. homeless. recent statistics show that there are still nearly 60,000 veterans on the street. the va has been under extreme pressure in recent weeks over allegations of poor healthcare. veterans affairs administration said more than 500 world war ii veterans die every single day. more than 16 million americans fought during that war. with that in mind some groups are calling this year's anniversary of d-day the last reunion. some vets who were headed to france to pay their respects. >> hey, good morning, bill. >> reporter: bill caldwell is 86, but the united states army thinks he's 88 or maybe even 89. >> so this is you when you enlisted. >> reporter: that's because on

august 7, 1943, when he was just 15 years old, caldwell lied about his age to an army recruiter. he was hoping to be a pilot. >> they said we need paratroopers. i said, what is a paratrooper? i had never heard of them. well, they train you and then drop you behind the lines about 20 miles, and if you survive you getting to home after the war. that was his answer. i said, well, i'll take it. >> reporter: at 2:00 june 6, 1944, at the tender age of 16 caldwell leaped into the darkness over normandy, the first waves of the 166,000 allied troops who would land in france on d-day. 73,000 of those troops were american. many wouldn't live to see the end of the day much less the end of the war, and time has further thinned the ranks of survivors. almost a thousand of america's

world war ii vets die every day. [ band music ] >> reporter: combat engineer alfonso villa is 92. he was one of the first americans to hit omaha beach. he was wounded, returned to combat and made it all the way back to the outside skirts of berlin. >> they would sit back and shoot rockets at us. >> reporter: elmer mcguinty known as lucky. he flew combat missions over europe. by the time that d-day rolled around, he was on the ground training the men who would fly that fateful day. a few days ago, elmer alfonso and bill met up at the airport headed to where they made history. at the ticket counter, she got choked up just to check them in. >> it was a huge honor to meet them. they are a part of history.

>> as this small "band of brothers" mated their way to the gate their fellow travelers honored the bravely and sacrifice of the greatest generation. they're calling this d-day the last reunion. and what they accomplished will endure forever in the history books, it will soon fade in living memory as those who survived the longest day say their last gu goodbyes. >> thank you for your service. have a good trip. >> 25 years after tienanmen, china is trying to keep the anniversary quiet, but some is cleverlily hidden. first a lawsuit by inmates at the pelican bay prison has turned into a class action lawsuit and may have the potential to change rules on solitary confinement. >> thanks, tony. there are 500 prisoners at the pelican bay prison who have been held in solitary more than ten

years. the lawsuit claims this amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, a violation of the eighth amendment to the constitution. what's it like being held 22 hours a day in a windowless 8 x 12 cell for ten years? we'll ask an exonerated death row inmate who knows firsthand. join us at the top of the hour for "inside story."

>> in the florida ration for governor rick scott is trying to fend off a serious challenge for democratic and former governor charlie crist and latino voters could play a crucial role. >> reporter: as it does for most people, politics boils down to the personal. mom yolanda came to the united states from puerto rico and said she cares about the economy. her three college-age sons were born in the u.s. and are worried about paying tuition and finding

jobs. they vote because they want their voices heard. hispanics comprise 14% of florida's register voters. the candidates for governor are courting them even speaking directly to them in spanish. republican governor rick scott began airing spanish-language ads in april. his campaign said it's the earliest any candidate in the state has rolled out spanish ad. scott has spent $1 million on them. we asked the torres family what they thought of this ad? [ speaking in spanish ] >> reporter: it eye lights scott's rise from housing to the boardroom to the mansion. >> the spanish culture is based off of respect. to me when you're speaking my language, and it sounds so butchered, it really shows disrespect. >> reporter: democratic challenger former governor charlie crist is also charging

the hispanic vote. the campaign has a spanish website, but yolanda said so far she's not impressed by the efforts of either candidate. >> to me it's a cover up that they're talking in spanish but not doing anything for the spanish community. >> reporter: in florida nor hispanimore hispanics are registered. there are more 10% registered democrats than republican. >> florida is a country to itself. this may sound crazy but a politician in florida must speak from both sides of the mouth, and they must speak in english on one and spanish on the other. >> reporter: hispanic in florida have demonstrated they can sway elections. they helped president obama take the state in 2008 and 2012. natasha, al jazeera, miami.

>> china is very hard to keep today's 25th anniversary of tienanmen square quiet, but in hong kong hundreds of thousands of people held a silent vigil to remember those killed in 1989. rob mcbride have more. >> reporter: they've been holding this candlelight vigil every year since the tienanmen crackdown. now it's the children from those first proesters half a generation on to take up the flame. >> this is a tragedy, and i feel that i have a duty. >> it depends on how our people determine democracy in china. >> reporter: the prospect of china's democracy was the subject of a conference that could only happen here and not mainland china where talk is strictly controlled. >> in fact, a major turning point in modern chinese history.

>> reporter: angry perhaps people were remembering this anniversary saw the first counter protest by pro-beijing activists. small in number but big on revisionism say not as many people died in tienanmen square. thousands believe otherwise. the numbers have fluctuated widely but in recent years organizers have been able to count on crowds well in excess of 100,000 each anniversary. people come to go commemorate the crackdown and it seems to be driven by growing fear of their own political future in china. a maturing generation of local people like steve and his friends believe they owe it to their children to instill those democratic values. >> we need to let them know what happened so that their future depends on our government. >> reporter: with china's increasing influence here, so,

too, a growing uneasiness among many that the candles could one day be snuffed out for good. rob mcbride, al jazeera hong kong. >> a google search of tienanmen is blocked in china. they have 200 people hired to monitor that, but people are using creative ways to get around the censorship. >> reporter: one of the ways tribute message are getting out there, putting the anniversary dates inside pictures like this one. this person tweeted out this picture. now he's holding cards here. he's at tienanmen square and you can see that it says 8964 for june fourth, ak-47. and take a look at this picture. this one was also tweeted out. this says 6/4 shaved in this young man's head. and this picture that was photo shop. this says 25, 64, 89.

and also a coffee shop in hong kong has been using creative art work on their lattes. this year more words were added to the list of blocked searches including may 25th. that's a code that had a been used in the blocks. and also terms like tank. the tank man. this iconic image we've seen over and over. an artist made this with little yellow ducks. so the term big yellow ducks was quickly censored. >> that was censored as well. >> that's right. as well as legos. because this image appears with lego. >> it goes on and on, and it's clever, and their afinding ways t--they are finding ways to get

around it. that's all of our time. "inside story" is next. if you would like the latest on any of the stories, the latest update go to our website at www.aljazeera.com. www.aljazeera.com. . >> maybe you've seen it in the movies. small windless cells. prisoners allowed out only an hour a day. isolation from other inmates. solitary is still a widely used pinment but now prisoners are fighting back against its use. in courts, even through hunger strike. it's the "inside story."