the stream is uniquely interactive television. we depend on you, >> you are one of the voices of this show. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> the stream. next on al jazeera america and join the conversation online @ajamstream. welcome al jazerra america, i am dealt without nurse new york. these are the stories that we are following for you. secretary of state john kerry heading to brussels belgium after more meetings in iraq. journalists arm the world campaign to free our colleagues, those jailed al jazerra journalists. but egypt's president saying he won't interfere with the court ruling keeping them behind bars. and there has been another mass kidnapping reported in nigeria, police once again believe boko haram is to blame. ♪ ♪

we begin once again with the ongoing crisis in iraq, secretary of state john kerry now set to meet with nato leaders today in brussels, belgium. fresh off that trip to iraq where the u.n. says morning a thousand people, most of them civilians have been killed in month of june alone. earlier today, secretary kerry met with leaders in the autonomous kurdish region and renewed his call for a more inclusive government in iraq. lisa stark is? washington. and lisa, what is exactly is second carry hoping will come out of his visit to iraq? >> reporter: well, del, he is communicating that message very clearly, that the u.s. thinks there has to be a unified government in iraq. not just the majority shiites but the sunnis and the kurds, the white house has made it clear that there is a political solution not a military solution that has to happen in iraq. now, that said, secretary kerry did say today that the u.s. is prepared to use its military might if need be.

in an interview with cbs news, the secretary said the president always reserves the right, as he does anywhere in the world in any crisis, to use force. if it's going to be to the advantage of a particular strategy. but kerry added that ultimately air strikes which the iraqi government is calling for from the u.s., that air strikes could be irresponsible if there is no government or military really in place. that said, i should say that the whitehouse is keeping a close eye other this situation. and if things change on the ground it may feel that it has to move in with some sort of force even absent a unified government totally in place. del. >> and lisa, before that as mentioned the secretary met with leaders that is part of the kurdish autonomous region of iraq. why is it so crucial to involve the kurds? >> well, the kurds would be a critical part of any unity government. but they may be a hard sale at this time. they have a very autonomous region. they have secured the borders, they are sitting on the oil-rich

area of kirkuk which would give them plenty of money to run their own government. but secretary of state kerry is urging them not to give up on the political process. >> and also as we have been pointing out, part of the secretary's agenda on his trip to iraq was to urge leaders to have a more inclusive government. now we are finding out that the prime minister nouri al-maliki has agreed to a july 1st parliament meeting. tell us more about that. >> the iraqis held an election back in april and maliki's party did win most of the votes, but not a majority. so he really needs to put together a partnership to form a government. the last time around that took months to do. so maliki has now agreed the parliament will come back july 1st, it will start the process of forming a new government. again, the white house is telling him it must be a unified government and that is what the white house wants. it's saying it's up to the iraqis to determine who the leader is going to be, but del, it's clear they wouldn't mind if maliki stepped aside. they feel he's really blown his chance to form an inclusive

government overall these years. lisa stark for us live in washington today. lisa, thank you very much. and as we mentioned earlier, a thousand people, most of them civilians have been killed in iraq since june, thousands are now trying to find save haven fleeing the fighting. some of those displaced are in u.n. camps in kurdish parts of iraq. today they received medicine and electricity is up and running helping to cool the places there. egypt's president saying he will not interfere with judicial rulings in his country despite the global outrage over the conviction of our colleagues those three al jazerra journal assists. al sisi making those comments to the today at a military graduation. comes after several political leaders including john kerry condemned the verdict. erica has more. >> reporter: this is the sound of silence around the world. from al jazerra headquarters in doha to nairobi to seoul think.

a moment of unity and protest of the verdict that sentenced these three journalists to prison for up to 10 years. the reaction after an egyptian court on monday was far from silent. especially the family of the accused. >> oh, me i god. >> reporter: peter greste's parents were stunned and angry. >> our son, peter, is an award-winning journalist. he is not a criminal. >> reporter: the court convicted the journal assists on charges they supported the muslim brotherhood which has been declared a terrorist organization. but the fight to free the journalists is not over. interim ceo of al jazerra america. >> we are determined to make sure that our journal assists will be freed. and the whole world is standing behind us. >> reporter: that includes the united states. >> it's a chilling and draconian sentence. and, you know, it's deeply disturbing to see in the midst

of egypt's transition. >> reporter: britain. >> egypt has taken a major step in the wrong direction with this decision. >> reporter: and australia. >> what we want to do is to talk calmly and patiently and reasonably to the egyptian government. >> reporter: some fellow journal assists believe the verdict was politically motivated in hopes of having a chilling effect on the freedom of press. michael golden of the new york times. >> in the short-term it does silence the press to some degree in egypt. it makes the press outside of egypt even more vociferous and stronger and you'll see this story ricocheting around the world now. >> reporter: in an interview with pbs's charlie rose, al jazerra english reporter sue unleashed her reaction as one of the journalists convicted in absentia and sentence today 10 years in prison. >> egypt brought in a new contusion only a few years ago where it very much put freedom of press, freedom of preach,

freedom of assembly in the center of that contusion, they are the ones saying their on a road map to democracy. they have heralded this as a pillar of democracy. well, frankly right now that pillar is in ruins. >> reporter: at this point many people are hoping through appeals the verdicts will be throne out. others are hoping for possible pardons now that we are hearing president sisi is refuse to go interfere in the judicial process, it looks like that option is off the table. at least for now. erica, al jazerra. also journal assists from all over the world now showing their support for our colleagues who are still being held in egypt. this more than bbc staffers olding a silent vigil outside their offices in london. barnaby phillips was there. >> reporter: at the headquarters of one of the world's most famous broadcasters, an uncharacteristic moment of silence. and solidarity with the al jazerra team in egypt. >> the egypt authorities are not just robbing three innocent men of their freedom, they are

intimidating journalists and inhibiting free speech. >> reporter: the bbc and other british news organizations are sending a letter to the egyptian president asking him to intervene. many bbc journalists protested because they know and respect peter greste who worked for this organization for years. but the bbc believes that there is a wider principle at stake. that the verdict in that cairo courtroom was an attack on the freedom of the president. this was how the news bullpen ended on channel 4, a leading independent station in the u.k. and this is how al jazerra journal i haves marked this day in our borrows around the world n baghdad. in peter greste's base nig nighe annigh robeand i in our doha hes but how much influence will this have in egypt where they say foreigners should not interfere

with their justice. >> the most dangerous thing is because the authorities feel that they can get away with it because they have a fair degree of popular backing for this. and that's is what marks it up against mubarak, at least mubarak's policies against freedom of expression were widely reviled. these policies now are the same but they have popular backing and that is the most worrying thing. >> reporter: al jazerra and other journalists will carry on protesting. international condemnation is likely to grow. but so far, there is no sign that the egyptian authorities are prepared to back down. barnaby phillips, al jazerra. and earlier today we talked to del fine, she is the u.s. director of reporters without borders, she says this is not the first time th the egyptian government mass tried to silence journalists she says they have do it over again and have done so since the revolution. >> sincal fall of mubarak, all the regimes have tried to repress the media and control the information.

but clearly we have seen that the respect for media freedom has declined considerably since the army ceased power last jump at least 65 journalists have been arrested, but also six journalists have actually been killed since last july. mostly when they were covering pro morsi demonstration. >> del fine of reporters without borders a former news of the world editor has been convicted of phone hacking today. a jury in london finding andy guilty of conspiring to intercept communications while working at the paper. the paper allegedly used communications for it's a stories. rebecca brooks former editor was acquitted of all charges. that now defunct paper was owned by rupert murdoch. we can see development in you crying. russia's president vladimir putina asking russia's parliament to reverse the decision to use force in ukraine. here is the story. >> reporter: the positive move by the russian president have

lied mere putina, what he is doing is revoking a law that came in to place back in march when he was in the process of an ex, crimea, you remember. the fact that he feels that that same long is no lodger necessary when he's talking about eastern ukraine means the prospect of russian troops swarming across the border from russia in to eastern ukraine is receding significantly. that said, there is more than one way to cook an egg frankly and just because he doesn't see military intervention as a strong possibility does not mean, i think, that vladimir putin is somehow turning his back on the events and on the separatists in this part of the world. there is a ceasefire ongoing, by both the separatists and army, that is due t to expire on fridy and frankly, it's anybody's guess what will happen after that. and coming up on al jazerra america. it was once a busy metropolis in nigeria, now just a shadow of it seven. well tell you how a major city is losing its identity and culture. and beginning today, the plant khat is illegal.

we'll explain why it's being banned in britain.

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today we are learning that nigeria's military is investigating another possible mass kidnapping in the northern part that have country. suspected militants raiding three villages last week abducting as many as 91 people. andrew simons has more. >> reporter: the first reports of these massive abductions in over three days, thursday, friday, and saturday of last week, came from the civilian joint task force. it is effectively a vigilante grouping, but it's backed by the state. and people are paid and it is an important part of the defense system for civilians working alongside the army. but the army isn't commenting on this. and the police are not confirming that they have had a formal report. although a news agency is saying that police are investigating actively the reports.

and what is supposed to have happened is this, that in the region of 60 young women were abducted and 30 young men, probably much more than that and there were some deaths, some people tried to resist. and as far as we can ascertain, this all happens in a series of attacks by the insurgents. now, boko haram have a base nearby, that's well known. so the fingers are being pointed at them. but there is still no official confirmation of this happening. >> andrew sim your honor in nigeria. the second largest city once a bustling commercial hub and center for us loom i can learning for then true i a protect wall helped to protect the culture but some of that heritage is now crumbling. >> reporter: it's difficult to imagine that this is anything but a swamp in the shadow of a mound. but this dump site where children pass time is part of the century's old wall i'm

1-time unique example of ancient fortification that drew visitors from around the world and help define and develop the city. >> you feel a real sense of loss. the wallin inning on social value in times of individual or collective identity. people identify themselves in relation to their location within the city. >> reporter: kano was the jewel of the seven walled cities that made up the kings come a center for islamic learning and scholarship. at its famed 15th century market the fusion of smells and colors tells the story of how merchants have blocked here from across the sahara for generations. the walls and gates helped protect it is a commercial hub as far as back as the 12th century. the all extended 20-kilometers parts of it eight meters thick and 11 to 12 meters high. but nature and man haven't been kind. today 80% of the wall is gone.

something that has prevented it from being listed as a world heritage site. it was at the foot of this hill that the city's third king first started building the wall. visitors still come here every year for traditional ceremonies as excavations keep finding ancient clay pots strewn across the site. but there are no guards or gates to protection it. not even a sign to mark it. the 500-year-old di 500-year-olt produce the deep blue cloth popular among tourists. what tinges from cheaper fabrics have taken a toll on the craft. many of the pits are no longer functional. 750-year-old man and others soldier on. >> translator: this is what i have been doing all my life. i inherited it from my father and he inherited it from his, i passed it onto five of my children to stop the trade from dieing. >> reporter: as the city's heritage slow lay fades there have building humble cons

advantages attempt, the u.s. and germany have contributed to restoring parts of the wall. the palace is regularly maintains but many seo visuals have been more occupied with giving the city a face lift. modern structures replacing the last physical reminders of a glorious past. al jazerra, kano, northern nigeria. another dramatic reversal in sudan, a i sudanese woman fred freed from death row on monday has now been rearrested her lawyer says she and her family were take then to custody today at the airport in khartoum. she was first sentenced to death on charges of abandoning islam and then convert to go christianity. she was released from prison yesterday after the appeals court canceled that death sentence. a human rights group urging the international community to stop the ongoing violence in the central african republic. the international federation for human rights warns the fighting between religious groups there is starting to look more like genocide. those clashes began more than a year ago when the president was overthrown by an alliance of

rebel groups. an untold number of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. it's called khat for centurys it's been chewed as a stimulant for africa examine yep inning. beginning today it's been banned in gri britain. lawrence lee explains. >> reporter: this is the last ever legal shipment. khat to arrive in the u.k. fresh off the plain from kenya. members london somalia community want to stock up. usually it sales for around $100 a box the ban means it's selling for two and a half times that. the police arrive today remind people come tuesday, everybody chewing on khat, let alone trading it will be a criminal offense. evidently many here still find that bewildering and unfair. the police say they will try apply ply the law gently, at least to begin with. >> it's very softly, softly approached at the moment. everything we do will be proportionate. that's why i am down here now

advising people that as of tomorrow it will be illegal. we won't be arresting people to begin with, we will be warning them much as we do with canopies. >> reporter: the criminalization of khat is argue odd a mission true of health and social grounds, overuse is bad for you and makes you inert. in banning it the british government went against medical advice. still campaigners against khat say they are delighted. >> with regards torque you know, we don't drink alcohol, we chew khat. i can understand where they are coming from, but i think nobody wants to become a khat ahead 60. for the long-term it's for their own benefit. >> reporter: the other argument is that khat funds terrorism in somalia, yet in both kenya and london people told us that that was both insulting and illogical. >> does anybody here look like they can finance el tha shabob. everybody is fighting just to be themselves. >> they are not happy because they want everybody to turn to

the mosque they don't want people chewing khat and staying in the streets. and doing their business. they don't want. >> reporter: even though the authorities suggest that khat might go funding terrorism you think they have it upside down. the other way around. >> the other way around. >> reporter: despite el shabob opposition to the drug, london's cat traders say the ban will force them to leave london and return to somalia. >> there are not jobs here at all. the only job we have is khat and now we have nothing else left so we have to go back. >> reporter: so the likelihood that khat use will now be driven underground, what's always been seen as a socially acceptable tradition for london s somalis s now a criminal offense. and the national transportation safety board finding the crash of air cran ft we're was result of flight crew

mismanagement. that plain crashed killing three passengers on board. the ntsb said the group failed to monitor the air speed during the ill fated land ago testimony. they say the boeing triple seven come in to low and slow inform it cartwheeled down the runway. >> the investigation of this accident we learned how important it is for pilots to you understand and command their automation and not become over rehraoeufpbt on it. the pilot must always be the boss. the pilot must be be in command. as a result resumed several recommendations between the interface between the cruise and automated system with the crew training on the system. about adding the complexity and the crew's ability to fly manly without those systems. you may recall that one passenger was killed accidentally one over by a fire drug respond to go that disaster when we come back more on what has been a soggy start to summer.

tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5pm et / 2pm pt only on al jazeera america the performance review. that corporate trial by fire when every slacker gets his due. and yet, there's someone around the office who hasn't had a performance review in a while. someone whose poor performance is slowing down the entire organization. i'm looking at you phone company dsl. check your speed. see how fast your internet can be. switch now and add voice and tv for $34.90.

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territories in new york, these are the headlines at this hour. 60 of state john kerry set to meet with nato in brussels, belgium where the ongoing cries let a rook alikely to top the agenda. he wrapped us had i visit there. kerry saying the country, iraq, needs an inclusive government if it plans to ward off isil it happens threat. -y joint's president says he will not help. el sisi making the comments today at a military graduation. and russia less a president vladimir putin asking his parliament to reverse a resolution sanking the use of military force in ukraine putin's request has given hope to the possibility of effective negotiations. ♪ ♪ in case you haven't noticed it seems the world has world cup fever. record numbers watching the u.s. and around the world. and tv sets going up in bars and

restaurants around the world as well. but when mexico played croatia winning 3-1, there were bars involved, but not what you might think. adam rainy has more. >> reporter: the joy and freedom of watching your team score and win a world cup match. hundreds of mexico city's most hardened criminals were granted permission to watch el tree their beloved national squad take on and beat croatia. the man on the drums, a convicted killer who has watched every mexico match in this year's cup. >> translator: just because we are in prison doesn't mean we are going to stop supporting our national team on the contemporary, we are icontrary,. >> reporter: for most of the match the game was scoreless. close calls thrilled and frustrated the prisoners. but in the 72nd minute, mexico began to dominate with the succession of three goals, of course these prisoners and fans of mexico's national team were thrilled at the victory. but just as important is the

result which is a chance for a little bit of diversity to break up the boredom some prison life. >> translator: it's a great distraction for us to be able to share this with our friends and support mexico. >> reporter: while prisoners were rushed to their cells, thousands celebrated mexico city's mainland mark the angel of independence. mexico is a pius country and a the least today the football gods have answered the country's prayers. next up for mexico their biggest challenge so far, the netherlands who have won all three matches. but for now, fans are buoyant, they have beaten expectation to his make it this far. >> translator: our boys gave us an unmanageable moment of happiness, this is best gift our national team could have given us. >> reporter: the power of football to unite and if only briefly let people have a taste of freedom. adam rainy, al jazerra, mexico

city. parts of ohio and indiana slammed with bad weather. the national weather service confirming a tornado did hit parts of brunswick, ohio. roughly 30 miles southwest of cleveland. overall 10 homes they say were destroyed. about 25,000 people there left without power, there is, though, some good news. brunswick police say that no one was hurt, but that only caps off what has been a rather soggy start to summer, end being a soggy spring, wet, miserable went i am goinwinter i am goingd on. >> meteorologist: keep going. there is plenty more. the severe weather yesterday, this is the tornado report with that storm there. just south of cleveland. and this was that area of rain that moved through. a anybody of othe number of othd flooding reports, just that one tornado report. now we are looking at more rain some very heavy rain actually could lead to flash flooding over the same area.

in effect from western new york, north within 1 10 pennsylvania d ohio. for heavy wayne that could lead to quick flooding. the reason for this, that area of low pressure pulling up a lot of moisture from the gulf and eventually the atlantic, focused right on the upper midwest, areas that have a lot of rain here over the past month, well, they are getting a little break but we have river flooding, large scale river flooding happening along the mississippi and missouri river there and a few other larger rivers in the parts of the upper midwest, seeing a lot of reports above flood stage, over 100, they will be cresting later this week, this is the mississippi river at st. paul, cresting at major flooding happening and slowly beginning to drop, but should remain above flood stage for quite sometimes. all these river gauges are above the flood stage in that area of water will begin to move south so we'll likely see more gauges to the south going above flood stage here over the next few weeks.

my lawn looks like a corn feed. dave warren, thank you very much. and we want to thank you for watching al jazerra america, i am del walters in new york. "101 east." featuring locked up warriors is next. with spectacular landscapes- new zealand is a pristine paradise- ranked the freest country on earth. but this south pacific nation has the second highest imprisonment rate in the western world.