>> real news keeping you up to date. >> an informed look on the night's events, a smarter start to your day. mornings on al jazeera america >> held hostage in syria for noorl two years, now free, an american journalist released by the al nusra front front. . >> hello, coming up in the next 30 minutes, a big victory for the islamic state fighters in syria. they have been celebrating on the street to take control of the entire province. israel's prime minister says the offensive in gaza will continue as long as necessaries.

more palestinians killed in o r overnight strikes. >> i'm dom a i'm joining indigenous australians to reconnect them with their culture and ancestors art. >> welcome to the programme, we begin with what is happening out of syria. martin dempsey will rem the u.s. go -- recommend the u.s. go after islamic state fighters if they become a threat to security. it gives them control of the province. we'll take a closer look at that. but first, the latest on the u.s. journalist freed in syria after spending two years in

captivity. peter theo curtis has been handed over to a u.n. representative in a deal mediated by qatar. >> reporter: in this video bostion based journalist peter theo curtis appears to be reading from a script. >> i have everything i need, everything has been perfect. food, clothing and friends. >> family say they do not know the terms of the negotiations, but his mother nancy said in a statement we were told by representatives of the qatari government that they were mediating for field's release on a humanitarian basis, without the payment of money. peter theo curtis was taken captive two years ago. by al nusra front, released into custody to the u.n. in golan rights after nearly two years in captivity. curtis was a new name.

he changed it after publishing a book, after he faked being a muslim to get information. his release came on the same day a funeral was held for james foley, the journalist beheaded by the islamic state group. a rare moment of success. celebrated for one american who is finally headed hope. -- headed home. >> qatar's foreign military has released this statement saying: . >> tom ackerman has more from washington d.c. >> u.s. officials say that

curtis is expected to arrive home soon, to be reunited with his family. at the same time secretary of state john kerry says the u.s. is using every tool at its disposal to get the release of four other americans held in captivity in syria by various groups. the family said - gave a little more detail to the media about the circumstances of his release when they said that they approached the qatari ambassador to the u.n., and at that point avenues of communication were open with the captors, who had at one point asked for millions in ransom. and once a proof of life video was produced establishing that curtis was alive, the wheels turned and he was released. the family insists that no ransom was paid, and they have no reason to believe otherwise.

>> as mentioned the top u.s. military commander says america will take action if the islamic state in syria threatens the u.s. or europe. the islamic state has taken control of the strategic syrian air base, the last government stronghold in the north-east of the province. we have this report. >> these pictures appear to show what syrian military's last-remaining outpost looked like before the attack. the images were posted online by the islamic state group, and we can't verify them. the newsagency says the military removed after battles. the islamic state group says it's in control of the base, and the 93rd brigade. the airport is located between raqqa and the resort. loud speakers in mosque were used to declare victory. more videos online showed

celebrations after the fall of the base. >> translation: islamic state group appears to be using professional combat operations. this shows fighters planning with aerial maps. and then carrying out a suicide attack days before a time push. the fierce fighting claimed more than 500 lives on both sides, making it one of the bloodiest battles for control of a single base. >> we are the islamic state. we are going to kill bashar al-assad. i swear in front of everywhere here. >> in recent weeks, islamic state has taken over three major military posts, including division 17. the advance has been helped by the surrender of other factions between raqqa and their resorts. the control of raqqa province by the islamic state group shows them expanding and tightening

grip under their control. it is making gains in places like daara and homs. propaganda is more stream. these are the bodies of islamic state fighters. men were shape kicking heads of shoulders, pictures too gruesome to air. syria entered another level of uncertainty, but surely a bloodier future. syrian rebels calling for international support against the bashar al-assad regime are squeezed between government forces and the islamic state group. >> the u.s. says an rick yoi government if it is to succeed needs to unite all sanctions. they have welcomed haider al-abadi, who is reaching out to sunnis as he forms a new government. let's get more from the kurdish north of the country, looking ahead, we are expecting the

prime minister designate to address the press core and his interview, or his statement live on iraqi television. he has a lot to discussion beside forming a government. >> well, he does, but what we are looking for is some sign as to how close he is to form the government. we have spoken to political leaders. they believe whilst he is under pressure to come up with the new government in less than two weeks, they are not there yet. he is likely to give a statement, rather than take questions. and perhaps an indication or a call for unity. it's not just the sunnis he has to raeach out to, it's the kurd, playing an increasing role in the fight against the islamic state group. if we think about the challenges facing him. it's not incorporating the specific groups, it's what do

you do after you form the government. this is a long road ahead. he is getting that international support. we mentioned the u.s. what has been the fallout of the iranian foreign minister's visit. what are people saying about that? >> well, the iranians are obviously naib hours, and on top -- neighbours, and on top of that they are allies. closer than some factions would like, but you can't dispute that they are a powerful neighbour, and they have a role to play. that's recognised by everywhere, even implicitly by the united states. one of the things about this conflict, it has brought together the most unlikely of allies, working towards the same goal, defeating the islamic state group. on the ground kurdish officials tell us they are continuing to make military gins, they say they are close to tyking the town of zammar, west of the mosul dam.

you'll remember it was hard fought over, a tough fight the the islamic state fighters are left, and kurdish forces are trying to disrupt their supply lines, they have made progress overnight. >> we'll see what happiness as time progresses. we'll come back as the prime minister designate speaks. israel says it carried out 16 air raids on gaza on sunday night, one woman died. these are pictures from the strikes, the israeli prime minister says the operation will continue until the aims are achieved. since israel began its military assault on gaza on july the 8th, 64 israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed. 2,123 palestinians have decide in the violence, including 577 children. 11,000 palestinians have been injured. the nations says 71% of the dead are civilians.

>> our correspondent is in gaza, on the scene. let's begin with an update of overnight events leading into monday morning. >> what i can tell you is that 11 houses were targeted, two mosques, and three missiles were fired at the southern border crossing. the border crossing in the south is rafah, it separates egypt and the gaza strip. and i can also tell you that as well as since that night we understand that three people have been killed, bringing the death toll in the last 24 hours to 14. three of those are children of. >> relative calm where you are. the talk of participation cease fires, ebbs and flows, as does the position and comments made by all the parties. >> where do the politicians on both sides of the conflict stand

now? >> publicly both sides seem to be firm in their position that they'll continue fighting. in the background there seems to be a sense of the sands appearing to shift, although we have been talking a lot about the number of israeli strikes over the past 12 hours since midnight or so. i can tell you there hasn't been any rocket fired from here in the gaza strip, into israeli territories. now, that could mean that the palestinian factions here in the gaza strip are moving towards a ceasefire, again i want to stress could mean it. we don't know for sure. things can change. a lot of pressure is put on the various factions in the gaza strip to put down arms and get back to the negotiating table. and a lot of pressure on the israelis to do the same. so far it appears the golf between the two sides remains to be very wide.

>> following events with you, we leave the viewers with live shots coming out from the strip. you have seep smoke emanating in the distance. another israeli strike on the strip, and we'll get more details on that incident was the day progresses. more to come on al jazeera - including -- >> if a dog is hit, they pick him up off the street. they let that baby lay there for four hours. >> ferguson prepares to lay michael brown to rest. courting chinese investment. president mugabe in beijing to seek hep with their flagging economy. stay with us.

welcome back. you are watching al jazeera, a reminder of the top stories - fighters from the islamic state group say they seized a maiming your military -- major military base in north-eastern syria. it was the largest stronghold. more than 500 were killed in the fight in rafah province. a u.s. journalist has been freed after nearly two years captivity. peter theo curtis was captured in object 2012. he was seized by the al nusra front, seen as al qaeda's representative in syria. >> israel says it has carried out air raids in gaza.

they least three dead, israel has been bombing gaza for seven weeks. prime minister binyamin netanyahu said the offensive could continue for some time. so the u.s., where the parents of michael brown, the unarmed black man shot dead by a white police officers in the u.s. two weeks ago called for calm ahead of their son's funeral. mr brown will be buried in st louis later on monday. his parents called for a day of silence. brown's death led to two days of violent protests in st louis suburb of ferguson, where the teenager was shot. the killing has inflamed racial tensions. police in riot gear are no longer on the streets of ferguson, protests have been peaceful. calls for the arrest of the police officer who killed michael brown are as loud as ever. ricky nelson is struck by the same notion as many black

men. it might be him. >> it could be any one of us. everyone knows that. another young man was shot. it's no different. black men, america - it's simple. cut and dried. i grew up in the same circumstances. same. >> reporter: the protests have gone from sometimes violent to sombre. the protests are foggy. the shooting of michael brown by darren wilson highlights the disrespect with which they are treated by authorities. >> you would not treat a dog like that. if a dog is hit. they pick him up off the street straight away, they let him lay there on the hot concrete. blood splattered out of his head. >> at a funeral on monday, brown will be laid to rest.

the issues raised will not. the church is huge, the funeral is open to the public and thousands are expected to attend. so many that they are likely to spill out on to the street, a sign of how deeply the killing affected the community. brown is only the latest to die at the hands of police. police shoot a black man in america on average twice a week. most here hope to ensure this time makes a difference. at least here. i don't think people will for get. i think they'll learn from the tragedy. maybe they'll promote more change with the police department. >> ricky nelson has a hope. >> what do you think will come of all this? >> aside from this man being prosecuted and going to gaol for the rest of his life. i know they'll shoot black boys in the street. that's my goal. >> as moun's funeral marks an pd of sorts to his story, the

investigation could decide whether a new sense of quiet remains on the streets. now, al jazeera is demanding the release of three journalists gaoled in egypt. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have been imprisoned for 240 days. they are falsely accused of helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood. in june mohamed fadel fahmy and peter greste from given 7-year sentences. mohammed badr affidavit an extra three because he had a spent bullet in his possession. lawyers for the three men filed appeals against their convictions. >> the nigerian government rejected boko haram claims that it create a calla fat in the north. the radical armed group made an announcement on sunday. taking over a town in the nearby state in a separate incident book attended a facility in

borno state. 35 police men from there are missing. zimbabwe's president is in china seeking aid to revive his country's struggling economy. rugg is expected to -- mugabe is expected to ask for aid. >> when the west turned away. china stepped in. years of economic sanctions and government corruption made their lives difficult. president robert mugabe seed farms and crushed political opponents. in my opiniona, lured by resources like china and platinum stepped in in a big way. officials say investment held their country and china should not be grid sized. >> i can talk to the world bank,

and there's no money on that scale. this is so people who are saying in or that about china. there are no blind economists. they have an axe to grind. they can't look at things able toively. china invested 3.7 billion. 100 billion more than the united states. today the chinese is widely exchanged on the streets of zimbabwe's capital. an indication of the high level of chinese trade and investment, not just in zimbabwe, but across the african continent. the visit is part of his role as part of the african development community, and he is expected to ask beijing for a bailout package. with high unemployment analysts say his country needs the cash to avoid an mick melt down -- an economic meltdown.

china says the numbers of shops rise. it will promote zimbabwe as a tourist destination. >> a new prime minister has been sworn in, after toppling the government led by shin yingluck shinawatra. >> he officially became the 29th prime minister after an endorsement letter was read. that was convened and the general held a press conference. it was the reading of a statement, a 10 minute long statement, where the general detailed ambitious goals for the nation, that he says he wants to lead reform. ranging from everything from

education to reform to infrastructure, and ambitious and ambitious lists. this is something he's been promising since the coupe. looking forward. he will announce by october. his cabinet. that will help him carry out his goals. in is something that will be a challenge. word is that the cabinet will be stacked with brass, with the commanders of the armed forces here. the ambitious goals will be a high achievement from any politician or government. let alone someone, and a group of people used to running military and not civilian governments. that's probably going to be announced, the cabinet by object. it will be interesting to see how he unfolds the programs and keeps the deadlines he has made. >> ukraine's president petro porashenko says he'll raise defense spending. he made the announce on sunday.

pro-russian separatists in the east healed a show of strength -- held a show of strength, mocking the ceremonies in kiev. >> reporter: in the city of donetsk, pro-russian separatists held an alternative ceremony. dozens of prisoners captured during months of fighting were paraded through the streets. also on show, destroyed ukranian military hardware. as the rest of the country marks 2 years of independence, the separatist fighters are loyal to moscow. donetsk has been under bombardment for weeks. hours earlier the shell landed on this hospital mortuary. in the ukranian capital, a different screen. thousands celebrated independence day with a show of might. the government promised to send

much of the hardware. president petro porashenko used the occasion to announce a $3 billion increase in spending. >> reporter: the event have become for us a wall, not official by announced, but a war, that is ream. it'll go down as the great war of 2014. it is a war against external aggression. for the honour and glory, people, independence. >> in eastern ukraine, not far from the fighting, the people of slovyansk staged their own celebration. >> there's confidence here that the ukranian forces are back in control. several weeks ago slovyansk was the center. now this fall group of people is showing loyalty. it's hard to imagine everywhere

here feels the same way. quietly, behind the scenes, ukranian forces are doing everything to eradicate sympathies, it's a normality, but not quite. dozens of downs have been recaptured from the separatists in the last few months. only a few kilometres from here, ukraine is divided and at war. neve barker. in australia, aboriginal rock art which may date back 20,000 years is being rediscovered. an expedition is under by. andrew thomas reports from arnhem land in the north-east of the country. >> reporter: lily bennett's doesn't fish as often as she likes. turtle is a treat, something he barbecues when she goes out bush. it's not just the taste, but what is represents. connection with history and

culture. >> is it important for you to come back here? >> yes, it is. >> why? >> my grandfather and dad roamed around the area and lived here when my father was a little boy. >> reporter: no one lives in the remote part of arnhem land. for thousands of years nomadic aborigines romed. now descend ants are coming back, announcing their arrival through calls to the ancestral spirits. your family has been here before, see. that's special for me to come. the focus of the trip is to look for ancient rock art. in 1967 dozens of pictures from discovered, some thought to be 20,000 years old. the area was so tough, the trip was not repeated until now. this time with the help of a helicopter. it's bringing the descendants of the art sift to see if they

within spot what the 1967 missed. because as ach as an art expedition, this is a cultural one. >> the idea is to give mij nous people rifty and culture, a chance to reconnect. >> for decades it was to take aborigines away from their land. breaking ties did little to pull many out of poverty and dependence. some think it's part of the problem. ernal when people visit, it gives them a sense of begonging and identity. it men's with their life in general. it will last two weeks and it's hoped more art will be found. as important is those looking

can find links with the past, and with those, a better future. of course, you can follow all the stories we are covering on al jazeera by logging on to the website at aljazeera.com. news, views and opinion updated 24 hours a day at aljazeera.com. italy. >> ♪ hello. i am richard ginsburg. you are at the "listening post." hot august night in missouri. coverage, mainstream, social media and an american journalist pays for the fighting between the u.s. and the islamic state with his life and the news media in hong kong where the