>> i'm joie chen, i'm the host of america tonight, we're revolutionary because we're going back to doing best of storytelling. we have an ouportunity to really reach out and really talk to voices that we haven't heard before... i think al jazeera america is a watershed moment for american journalism ♪ good morning to you. welcome to al jazeera america live from new york city. i am morgan radford. these are the stories we are following just for you. the battle for iraq making for some strange alliances, plus president obama asking congress for $2 billion to crack down on immigration. and, we are in seattle. get arrested for some types of drug or prostitution activity and you have less than an hour to decide. get help or get booked. we will have that story coming up.

iraq getting some air power from russia in its fight against the sunni-led rebellion. warplanes arrived last night and government forces have been relying on airstrikes during their counter offensive now underway just north of baghdad. the army has advanced within 20 miles of tikrit. >> that's a city that's been under rebel control for nearly telex now. imran khan has the latest from baghdad. >> in the battle for tick tikrit there seems to be a moment of calm quite possibly before the storm. iraqi forces are now about 25 kilometers away from the city. they have secured the villages around the city. they are bringing in reinforcements and provided for a battle. about 25 kilohm tore figure comes from independent forces. the iraqi army are saying we are ready to go in.

now, pro-isil social media accounts are saying that they have also brought in reinforcements, that they are ready to fight and they know the town william and it won't be easy to the west, there is a road that better to the south. the armies say they have secured that road previously parts of that road were in the hands of isil and then we have this hardware that's arrived, these five 25 aircraft that are close support designed to flys to giv them close support. this is a snub to the americans because the americans, the iraqis have delayed the delivery of 34 f-16s. the first batch which are ready and sat on the apron in an air base in fort worth in texas and they haven't been delivered here. at the highest levels, the iraqis have complained saying we need these f-16s now and we need them combat ready right now.

the americans said we will deliver them when we promised to, which was in the fall. so, the iraqis have simply gone around their back and gone to the russians who delivered them within 24 hours. >> the rebellion against the government of nouri al-malaki has made for some pretty strange bed fellows. for example, while isil fighters have attracted the most attention, former officers of saddam hussein's army have gotten involved not to mention sunni tribunal faxes that have their own a gentry a. al jazeera's hoda abdel hamid has more but we should warn you some of these images are disturbing. >> the appearance of fighters of isil has sent a shock wave from baghdad to washington. their black flag flying over war bounty, u.s. made vehicles and equipment after months of widespread sunni protests against the policies of prime minister nouri al-malaki perceived as sectarian. the government crackdown was

brutal, like here in the town of hawiji, it happened last april. a former officer of saddam's guards, he doesn't want to be identified, nor does he want to give any clues of his whereabouts. >> translator: the protests started because of the marginalization of our areas. it reached a point in anbar when someone was detained, you knew he would be killed. families would make preparations for the funerals. >> it's this alienation that purposed many sunnis to welcome fighters from isil in their areas. but they deny isil is taking over iraq. >> this is the extension of the resistance that started in 2003. isil is irrelevant, a sunni revolution my members with military experience. people are humiliated and oppressed. now is the time of reckoning. . >> in sunni areas isil fighters have been waging a hearts and

minds campaign helping the communities. but isil has also a brutal side. this is a video showing iraqi soldiers, all of them shia being herded into a ditch and executed. it was a few weeks ago. still, sunni leaders say, isil does not pose a long-term threat to iraq. >> translator: the tribes in iraq won't accept the isil. it's not to our advantage to fight them now. it will come later. the prior to project site is to fight maliki. the world should help us in our cause, and we will deal with isil. as long as iran is in iraq, isil will remain and as long as sunnis are being oppressed, the fight will continue. >> human rights groups say government forces are also carrying out mass killings. this is a road between sumara and baghdad. there appears to have been a pattern of extra judicial killin killings. every day that passes brings its

share of death and destruction. the risk for iraq is that as the conflict widens, the voices of moderation will be drowned out. al jazeera, erbil. >> members of somalia security forces were shot and killed in mooi mogadishu. they have vowed to stage attacks during ramadan at a suicide attack that killed two african union peacekeepers and a somali officer. >> a second time overnight, after another round of rockets launched from the gaza strip. one hit a building in southern israel sparking this fire. approximately 50 rockets have targeted israel over the past two weeks and today, prime minister netanyahu warned israel is ready to expand air force strikes in gaza. tensions have been escalating since the disappearance of three israeli teenagers on june 12th.

there is more fighting in eastern ukraine despite a cease fire that's been extended until tomorrow night. ukraine's defense ministry believes this video showing government troops exchanging fire with rebels. meanwhile, separatists released a final group of monitors who were captured a month ago. they were from the organization for security and cooperation in europe and all four were taken in the city of donetsk. on friday, rebels also released another osce team. . >> a plea from the white house to congress. the president is asking for more than $2,000,000,000 to help secure the nation's borders from a growing humanitarian crisis. president obama will send a letter to lawmakers tomorrow asking for emergency funds to curb the surge of unaccompanied children who are crossing into the united states from central america. >> our direct message to the families in central america: do not send your children to the borders. if they do make it, they will goat sent back. more importantly, they may not make it. >> according to the white house, obama hopes to give homeland security even more power so they can make it easier and quicker

to deport immigrants back home. also, the president will push for tougher penalties for smugglers otherwise known as coyotes who guide these kids across the border illegally. since late last year, more than 52,000 kids and 39,000 women with children have been caught making that very journey. al jazeera's paul beban met with people in honduras willing to split you were their entirely family or for the possibility of a better future. >> in the stands of a neighborhood soccer field in san pedro sula, alex fernandes told me how much he misses his little brother, axel. we were always together, him and me. it was like that connection between two brothers. i tried to take care of him. yes think he had it in him to leave. now, i am basically alone. >> this spring, 15-year-old axel headed north. i met him in april after he had traveled more than 2000 miles from san pedro sula to nogales,

mention close. after a failed attempt to cross the desert, he surrendered. to the border patrol and was allowed to join his father in houston where he has been living undocumented nearly a decade. his case is now in immigration court. >> back home, alex, a college student told me studies hard and keeps his head down but he said the bad guys had his eye on his popular brother afraid of being forced to join a gang, he decided to leave. >> alex was getting to theancies where he was going to have problems with delien quenc and gangs. they forced him to go to the u.s. >> it is called the murder capitol of the world, grouped zero for gang battles. it's the deadliest city on earth in a country not formally at war. we were told without a military escort, we would either be killed or kidnapped immediately if we went anywhere near alex and axel's home in a part of town completely in the grip of

the gangs. >> this is a typical neighborhood outside of san pedro sula where axle's brothers and sisters grew up. we will not take you to that neighborhood. being here with police protection would draw attention to his family and that's what they are very concerned about. all of these businesses pay protection extortion community. these communities pay extortion money. it's the kind of place where you are either with the gangs or out and axel decided to get out. many who don't get out end up in a place like this, juvenile prison. most of these kids are gang members. prison social worker carlos peneria says they face a grim future. >> what kind of options to kids this age have? is it either the gangs or head north? >> the sad reality is the day they age out and step out of the door of the facility, they are going to find the same situation that put them here in the first place. >> they threw a grenade in here. >> inside is just as dangerous.

a few weeks ago, five kids were killed in a gang clash. in a town square not far from her home, alex and axle's mother, dora agreed to meet me. even here, she was wary of being overheard talking about the gangs and her sons. >> i have to be very cautious to say what i am about to say. there are some things we are not supposed to say here. you join, or you are killed. boys as young as 12, 15 years old had to leave, leaving thise to be the only solution. >> axel is in the u.s. now but he may have to come home. he may be deported. what's going to happen to him if he has to come home? >> translator: if he ended up back here and didn't go back to the states quickly, they would kill him. >> that's what would happen. >> paul beban, al jazeera, san pedro sula, honduras. >> the libyan suspect accused in the 2012 attack on the u.s. facility in benghazi is now on american soil. akmed abukhattalah is expected

back in court next week. he pled "not guilty" to charges of providing material support to terrorists. sweeping the streets, police in seattle are using a pretty unique approach to tacking including enforcement. instead of offering offenders handcuffs they are extended sound advice. sabrina register explains. >> reporter: seattle police patrol the streets on bikes. >> doing okay, ma'am? you are not looking good right now. >> looking for and talking to people using or dealing drugs. they encounter skyler. what's your drug of choice? >> heroin. >> long-time addicts who often get arrested but instead of handcuffs, officers now offer hope. >> we got somebody here that could expedite that today. would you want us to do that? >> yeah. definitely. >> police team up with social service agencies in an innovative pilot program called lead or law enforcement assisted diversion. officers can choose to arrest

non-violent law breakers or put them in contact with a lead counsel lor who can help them get food, housing and medical care. >> he was smoking crack cocaine in the alley. i could have arrested him for that instead, officer burns works to convince michael, this long-time street resident to get help and avoid more jail time. >> this is the seattle neighborhood where police are looking for drug and prostitution activity. the non-violent offenders have less than an hour to decide, be directed to social services for help or be booked. >> you have been sober over a year. >> two years, two months and six days or seven days. >> abraham decided to enter lead after several years in and out of jail. >> it may be 20 miss demeanors and seven felons. >> his case manager connects him directly to the services he needs and makes sure he follows through. >> doing this work not to just do it, you know, get all of these services for them but to

teach them how to do it so they can be simple sustaining. >> services which can be initially costly but king county prosecute thinks long-term, it's the solution. >> we are going to save more money than we invest in emergency room costs and courtroom costs and jail and prison costs. all of those things. we don't expect perfection. instead, we are there to provide that kind of support that gradually leads to somebody getting off of the street and having more success in their life and not being a burden to the public. >> abraham agrees. >> programs like it should be implemented across the nation. >> during patrol, officer burns tells michael he's better off going with this lead counsel lor than staying on the streets. >> let's do it. >> okay. good job. >> it doesn't take much convincing. sabrina register, al jazeera, seattle. >> stay tuned because coming up on al jazeera america, church attacks in nigeria today, the impact of recent violence and

it's widespread among farmers fearing for theirs their lives. >> story coming up next. don't forget to tune in tonight for the week ahead. we will take a look at sexual assault cases in the military that will be at 8:30 p.m. eastern, 5:30 pacific. we're not near a school at all! >> are they working? >> this time i'm gonna fight it. >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america

>> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this...

>> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy, let the journalists live. >> new attacks in northern nigeria where four churches in two separate villages were burned. at least 10 people are dead. >> number is expected to rise. boka haram is believed to be behind that assault. aid groups estimate those rebels have killed more than 3,000 people just this year alone in the village, people say the attacks made it difficult to farm and, therefore, almost impossible to feed their families. argu al jazeera has their story. >> members feel overwhelmed. for three months, they have lived off of the good will of others and they don't know how long that will last.

an attack by boka haram fighters killed nine elders in the family. now the he wouldestly son looks up to what used to be eight households. >> getting him in is tough enough for us. never mind planting acres of farmlands. fa farming is all we know. now we have used up reserves. the men who help have been killed in the last attack. i and a few boys left behind can't do it. i don't know what to do. >> his life and hundreds more has been changed by the stack that killed 53. >> part of the rainy season is gone. farmers should tend crops. >> that's not the case here and in many other communities affected by the violence sweeping northern nigeria, farms like this are idle which means there will be less food in the come year.

>> this he attackevening aped attackers with his wife and five children. 43 members of his community did not. after his business was destroyed, feeding the family became a struggle. >> all of things were burned along with my family's dreams. you could be attacked when you go to farms. we are afraid. sometimes, my children ask me what's going on? and i tell you, it's not a good feeling. government and security forces have assured people they are safe but many feel abandoned. entire communities have been forced to relocate with little or no security, people like him are always afraid their attackers will come back. hammond idris, northern 9 year i can't.

authorities in india have detained two construction company directors after a building collapsed on saturday. at least nine are dead and dozens are still believed trapped. officials say heavy rains and illegal construction might have plaud a role in that accident. building clasps have become common with people being extra floors on top of structures that don't have permits. staying in india, officials are concerned about another big issue mary are sacrificing loch. the population has dwindled so ceph receiver lee, officials are worried the community could die out. al jazeera has more. >> reporter: >> reporter: ever since she was 16, she has dreamed of being an orthodontist and ever since then, she's had little time for anything else between marathon exams and earning her master's degree, she has had no social life, let alone, a boyfriend. >> everything is hectic and the

competition you have and the amount of money you are pumping in, you have to give full attention to it to reach some of it. >> while these are the pressures many young people face today, for nilufer, marriage and children are crucial. her community, the zorastrians or parsis as then another in india are dying out. their population is around 60,000 here because career-driven professionals are having children late or not at all. mumbai has the world's largest concentration of parsis. but even here, numbers have almost halved since the 1940s t community leaders are saying they are doing everything they can to encourage people to marry young and have lots of children. the parsis have made significant contributions to india's economy and culture. the tartar and godridge families have built industrial empires.

others are prominent scientists and entertainers to keep the community flourishing, parsi organizations are offering a range of incentives to married couples, including free fertility treatment. conversions are not allowed in the faith. so marriage within their population is essential. >> when their career is established and they are able to earn enough, they will not move forward for a marriage. >> that's what we are staying. we are giving it on a priority basis. >> also funding a youth group called zing to help young parsis meet each other and hopefully fall in love. they have started a match making service called being coupid we have activities with speed dating, youth activities to get them to meet and hope each other

and hopeful start families. >> some young parsis admit they will only have children if and when they are ready with the community rapidly aging, many in the ordinarily generation fear their rich traditions are slowly dying with them. al jazeera, mumbai. >> today, there are celebrations happening from coast to coast. annual gay pride praised are taking place in new york, chicago, san francisco and plenty of smaller cities as well all across the globe, countries like france, space and mechanic co are also hosting events this weekend and right here in the sgrunings, the lgbt community has a whole lot to celebrate. the supreme court struck down the law a year ago that denied federal recognition to same-sex marriages. since then, these unions have been legalized in 19 states plus washington, d.c. >> don't go anywhere because still ahead, up, up and away. nasa saucer spacecraft gets ready for a mission to mars. plus world cup fever continues. you are looking live at the fans

gathering in rio de januari jan. stay tuned. you are watching al jazeera america.

good morning. thanks for joining us. i am morgan radford live from new york. sglifrnling 5 shan fighter jets arrived in baghdad, the first of 12 ordered by the iraqi air force this past week. now, those planes will be deployed again to the sunni-led rebels as soon as they are adembeled. >> that's expected to happen sometime this week. meanwhile, fighting continues in ukraine despite a ceasefire. the defense ministry released this video showing government troops exchanging fire with rebels in the east. the final group of monitors who were kidnapped last month in ukraine has been released and separatists took the team while they were working in eastern donetsk. then another group of observers was released on friday. president obama expected to ask congress for $2,000,000,000 to crack down on illegal

immigration. since late last year, more than 52,000 children and 39,000 women with children have been caught trying to cross the border. good sunday to you. i am meteorologist ebony dion watching more rain coming into the already water-logged part of the midwest. >> includes minnesota where right now we are seeing a little bit of break in the action but the rain moved off to the south and east of the area. rain coming into omaha. we have a batch of rain that's been moving through kansas. it did prompt severe thunderstorm warnings now. it looks like the flood warnings are what's going to be our concern as we go through the day before those stronger to even severe storms pop up. speaking of the blooding, i want to show you scenes out of the saint paul river, where it crested late last week. flood waters remain in place. this area has seen nearly three times the rain that they

typically get in the month of june over 11 inches, so definitely not needing to see more. as you can see, playgrounds just flooded with all of that rain that has come in. now, we do have more on the way. and it looks like the threat of rain will be sticking around at least through the day on tuesday. so, what we can expect as we take you back to the map, flooding will persist at least for the next three days. the larger rivers are receding but slowly, and we are expecting to see those rivers staying above flood stage here around minneapolis and saint paul through at least next weekend. so really not catching a break as of now. what we are finding is the threat of more strong to severe storms. it looks like we will be deal be with that threat of not only the heavy rainfall but strong damaging wind, large hail and toranados. we have an area of low pressure kind of lifting off to the north and east. it's advance of the front where most of the stormy weather will be found. we will have storms along the northern tier. on the back side, it will be quite windy. around bismarck, winds gusting

30 miles an hour so far today. further south, it looks quite into texas. we are really watching out this area here into western tennessee around memphis. we have had 4 to 6 inches of rain within the last four to six hours. a lot of rain within a short period of time. we are going to see that threat of flash flooding through this evening where we don't have the rain, it will be dry and hot the next few days. western areas of texas dealing with can heat advisories. we could use rain to help cool things off and help out with the wildfire threat that is persisting here across the four corners. we are not going to get it. morgan? >> thanks, ebony. nasa's test flight was quite the success. and while it might look like something out of a science fix movie, this is nasa's newest spacecraft that's actually designed to land on mars. so, it had a big test yesterday when it was hauled 23 miles into the atmosphere by a balloon and then it was released. the saucer is known as the low-density super sonic decelerator. while its parachute didn't exactly fully deploy, it

splashed down safely in the pacific ocean. thank you for joining us and for watching al jazeera live from new york. i am morgan radford. stay tubed because listening post is coming up next. you can always follow us online. have a great day. . >> hello. i am richard gismondi. three al jazeera employees are found guilty. according to their colleagues, all around the news industry, the crime they xrit committed is called journalism. the biggest conviction yet in the phone hacking scandal but

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