good afternoon. welcome to al jazeera america live from new york city. i am morgan radford. these are the stories we are following just for you. secretary of state john kerry arriving in the middle east to meet with egyptian officials and address the violence in iraq. plus these are the school girls who avoided boka haram. we will tell you how they have been coping since classmates were kidnapped. they are gearing up to watch team portugal go up against the red, white and blue.

♪ >> the islamic state of iraq in the lavant is making major gangs in iraq as they advance toward baghdad. rebel fighters took over three more tongues overnight as well as a strategic border crossing with syria. there is a very fluid situation unfolding right now in iraq's biggest oil refinery in bajai. the iraqi army responded by sending in 50 military tanks to the city of haditha. the army has also responded with airstrikes over mosul where isil fighters took over about two weeks ago, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to flee. now, the fighters seem to have sites set on ramadi, the capitol of iraq's largest province. the latest from baghdad. >> reporter: the movement is not all across the western iraq,

this is a key area because isil controls the eastern parts of syria which neighbors iraq. so this gives them apply route so they took the border and they took it without a fight. the army there withdrew forces. the government is telling us that the withdrawal was tactical to allow them to regroup and launch an attack. the fighters are surrounding haditha and the army is sending reinforcements to fight them. you mentioned ramadi. it is the key capitol of an bar province. parts remain under isil since january. i think the isil was trying to reinforce their positions against the government forces. they are further east to the east earn province. they managed to take the village north of tikrit. we understand there is fighting on the outskirts of that area.

now, very interesting development in mosul. isil fighters have destroyed a statute for virgin mary outside the church. they didn't harm the church. however, they knocked that statue down. the last 48 hours or so, they knocked down a few statues for poets and artists. i think in terms of life, electricity and fuel there, people are suffering and saying that there is -- they are very short and they desperately need it. >> meanwhile, the leader of neighboring iran is speaking out against the united states. he says we strongly oppose the intervention of the united states and others in the domestic affairs of iraq. he went on to say iraq's government and people would be able to end this crisis themselves. the iranian government said it would which were lending military aid for the shia led government in baghdad. john kerry vicinities egypt

where he need -- e visits visi visits. let's go to washington, d.c. john terrett, thank you. ? >> good morning. >> what did john kerry have to say? >> good afternoon. we knew secretary carry was going to the middleast. we didn't know where. it turns out to be egypt, in cairo this morning. he has three meetings on the document today not only as you were saying but with the president who has been in tower 10 days and with the foreign ministers and the head today. the united states recognizes egypt has gone through a difficult transition since the arab spring but there is a strong desire here in washington for that to succeed because the two countries are strategic partners. now, not all is sweetness and light however. secretary carry pointing out the u.s. not happen with certain political and judicial interests. the al jazeera three who are being held. secretary carry saying he would

president for the president to comment on that in the days and weeks ahead. on iraq, secretary carry saying the u.s. not to plame what's happening today and looking for a political solution guided by the people. it doesn't have a dog in the race or care who is the prime minister as long as the iraqi people choose that prime minister and that that prime minister represents all iraqis on isil which secretary carry calls isis. he said it's important to get rid of them in case they turn iraq into a base for terrorists. >> isil is a threat to all of the countries in the region even today in our conversation with president al sisi and with the foreign minister. both expressed deep concerns about the impact of a group like isil and what it means to the region. no country is safe from that kind of individual of terror. >> secretary carry moving to jordan and later in the week to europe where he will address

nato. his job there with allies about local and international politics as they pertain to iraq right now. >> some pretty strong statements from secretary carry saying no one is safe, but the reality is kerry wasn't the only one speaking today. we also heard from israel's prime minister speak okay iraq. what should we take away from those comments? the prime minister is here in washington, d.c. he has been doing the rounds of the sunday broadcast today. and his main action is a 2.message. number 1, do what you deem necessary regarding isil. but number 2, do not let iran get hold of nuclear weapons. don't let iran dominate as it has done in syria and lebanon. don't let iran dominate in iraq. he was speaking here to meet the press. >> what you are seeing in the middle east today in iraq and in syria is the stark hatred

between radka shiites and sunnis led by isis and others. both camps are enemies of the united states. when your enemies are fighting each other, don't strengthen either one of them. weaken both. i think by far, the worst outcome that could come out of this is one of these faxes, iran, would come out with nuclear weapons cameabilities. >> would be a tragic mistake t would make everything else pale in comparison. >> prime minister netanyahu appearing down the line on meet the press this morning. we are going to here from the president, tomorrow, he has been taping interviews with msnbc, cbs and cnn and his breaths will be similar to what secretary carry is saying but he will say the political leaders in iraq need to pull together in order to bring peace to their country. morgan? >> thank you. john terrett from washington.

it is always a pleasure to have you staying in the middle east, a verdict in the trial of three al jazeera journalists jailed in egypt is scheduled to be announced on monday. the three have all been detained since december. they are accused of collaborating with outlawed muslim brotherhood and barnaby film in hopes has their story. >> you are watching closely the trial of al jazeera staff and journalists in egypt. >> it's a message that has resonated far and wide. journalism is not a crime but in a free society, reporters need to be able to speak to all sides. the men in the cage have paid a heavy price in defense of this right. peter greste, mohammed fatmy and mohammed, respected journalists who have been behind bars for 176 days. the egyptian authorities accuse them of spreading lies, of having links to what they call a terrorist organization. across the world, many disagree.

many have spoken out in defense of the al jazeera team. >> we would like to live in a world where we can go about our legitimate, lawfully business without interference as anybody could, as a doctor or a lawyer, anybody could and should be able to do. it's not about democracy. it's about that simple freedom, not saying journalists are above the law, not saying there are special rules for journalists but in this instance, instances like this, if they are simply doing their job legitimately, people should not be obstructed in the course of doing that and put in prison. its crazy. >> campaign events have taken place in at least 30 countries around the world. more than 69,000 people have tweeted using the hash tag, freeajstaff. those people have sent out a total of over 181,000 tweets and those tweets have reached more than 74.4 million twitter accounts. >> the al jazeera campaign has attracted enormous support from

people you belieall over the wo the challenge for any social media campaign is to translate success in the virtual world into results in the real world to turn the retweets and son-in-law petitions into actual pressure on people in positions of power. >> after all, the most famous don't always come out on top straight away. campaigners helped peaster greste's family raise signatures calling for his release. they feel it made a difference. >> egyptian authorities respond to international pressure. we are aware of that. the feedback that we have heard from families are that knowing that they are there with thousands of people behind them gives them the strength they can actually go in and have the conversations, know they are backed up by thousands of people. >> now, the three wait for the court's decision. they and supporters all over the world feel this case has already gone on far too long barnaby

phillips, al jazeera. >> al jazeera rejects all charges and demands the immediate release of all of its journalists. israeli troops killed two palestinians today in their search for three missing is rail he'll teenagers here they say a man approached soldiers in an intimidating manner and a hospital in ramallah say they received the body of a man kill killed. israel has been conducting raids in the west bank in their search for the boys who went missing near an israeli settlement. hamas which operates in the west bank has neither confirmed or denied any involvement. meanwhile, a new round of violence claimed 10 lives in nigeria, suspected boka haram gunmen raided villages in the northeast on saturday. the communities targeted are close to where 276 stool girls were kidnapped. 57 have am could home. a report from nagaduri. >> these are the school girls who managed to avoid capture by

boka haram fighters. their classmates are missing. the pain shows. but somehow, they are preparing for their final exams. their teachers believe talking about what happened helps. >> we have talked and we ran out of the room. >> their school principal is here. she has lost count of a number of appeals she has made for the release of her pupils. she is not giving up. >> there is nothing i can say. to plead with them. we have sisters, daughters and granddaughters. they should feel sympathy for these innocent girls and release them. >> all of the girls have been brought here to the state capitol not just for continued education but also for better security. teachers say they are doing remarkably well managing it relax an concentrate on studies despite the fact that they are away from home and they don't

know what's happened to their classroom friends. . >> but those with close friends missing are getting more distressed by the day. >> it's painful that we are separated together with them. what i ask you is just to help us to find our mates for us, please. we are asking you to help us, please. >> no one has a positive answer. more than two months after their friends went missing. the state government is trying to get schooling back to normal. >> we relocate these students where it's safer and provide security and continue with normal schooling. >> only the safe return of their friends would make that possible. andrew simmons, al jazeera, northeastern nigeria.

>> the family of an american solid killed in afghanistan is now preparing for his funeral. army private aaron topin was one of five troops killed in friendly fire last week. the 19-year-old's body arrived yesterday in chicago and will be buried tuesday in his hometown in illinois. hundreds of undocumented immigrants detained in texas will soon be transferred to california. nearly 300 central americans my grants will be flown to san diego and to el centro for processing. the government hopes this will ease the pressure on texas border patrol agents and officials say they are overloaded with illegal crossings since october, the texas boarder patrol hazard over 170,000 people all who are trying to enter the country illegally. staytude because coming up on al jazeera america, you are looking at live pictures right there on a sunny day in rio d de janiero, brazil. a big day of world cup

excitement. we will see what they have to say about the big game between portugal and the red, white and blue.

. >> today's first game of world cup action is underway right now isbell jum goes up against russia. rio isn't the only place buzzing with excitement. it's tight where south korea goes up against algeria and soccer fans can can't team u.s.a. in action later today against portugal. if u.s.a. advances, they will progress out of what some call the group of death". >> portugal has been overrated.

>> my heart says we will win 1-nil but my head says 1-1 draw. it will put the u.s.a. through the group. >> let's back up. the u.s.a. beat ghana 2 to 1 on monday and also portugal was soundly defeated 4 to nothing by german. well, the u.s. has never won the world cup. in fact, it's best finish came back in 2002 when it made it to the quarterfinal round and while history may not be on team u.s.a.'s side, people are still excited let's go to al jazeera's andy rosgen live in chicago. andy, could it be true? could u.s. team win the world cup? >> that's a hope. it's like christmas morning for soccer fans here in chicago. here on a big streak in the middle of grant park. you see back there, the giant screen they will be watching today's match against portugal starts at 5:00 o'clock chicago time and they are expecting upwards of 10,000 people action maybe more here to fill up the street. see some of the construction work going on.

get this, the park doesn't open for business until two disappointed but we have fans lined up. they are excited. it's two hours away. they are still lined up. you know, it goes to show when it comes to soccer, big fans come in little packages. >> the kid in the hot green soccer shoes he just got this week, whoops, is cyrus sir e a boy with an illness brought up on by world cup. >> my mom says i love ball so much i have ball fever. >> mom is happy to indid you know him? >> not just i want my kid to play here in the u.s. this is a sport played in every single place in the world. and it's a sport that you don't need much. you need one ball. you don't need shoes. >> the fans are just wildly interested soccer parents at this playing complex on chicago's south side and the fields are just astroturf but the kids and it may be the coaches here are dreaming about playing for the u.s. team one

day for now, they can't wait for sunday's game. >> i am stoked. it's going to be a great game. >> the television ratings for world cup are at all all time high. the city of chicago is adding more soccer fields but the question remains: why doesn't soccer, known as football outside of the u.s., catch fire in the u.s. the way it does in other countries? >> we have an american dream and i think that's the mexican dream if you will, you know, their dream is to grow up, play soccer, get on yut of poverty, support parents, have a good life. >> the kids can't wait for sunday's game against portugal. here at chicago's biggest seller of soccer stuff, they can wait for ever. they have had to hire triple the amount of workers and since monday's game they have done triple the amount of business. >> we have little things where people come in against the game and tries to get everything. i want a jersey with a name and number on it. can i get hats and scarves?

>> looking at some of the merchandise because this is my last name. if the u.s.a. doesn't make it to the finals, this is the team i want to win. >> while these kids may not become soccer stars, the excitement is giving them something to chase. >> and morgan, look who we found right here in front. in front of the line here for this match. >> we really found it important, you know, to get in front to watch this game? >>vé