> in is al jazeera america, live from new york city. i'm richelle carey, here are the top stories - u.s. air strikes hammer islamic state positions in northern iraq. president obama prepares to lay out a strategy for dealing with is. a power sharing agreement between hamas and mahmoud abbas may be crumbling.

president obama will announce so strategy against fighters from the islamic state group on wednesday. meantime there has been a new round of u.s. air strikes against is. officials say they launched four air strikes against is in anbar province, one air strike in mosul dam. they were made at the request of the iraqi government. >> first, the iraqi government ask us for their support in the strike. second, it was the iraqi security forces on the ground who conceived of the operation. they, too, the iraqi security force, air force, is conducting strikes. haditha dam is important for iran. u.s. officials say the strikes were conducted to support iraqi forces.

jane arraf is in baghdad with more on the airstrikes. the air strikes are part of what appears to be a widening front and campaign by the u.s. military against islamic state targets. we are told that they had targets in between haditha on the border. they are as close to the syrian border as the u.s. has so far targeted. that area is seen as key to defeating or containing the islamic state group. they are coming back and forth with weapons across that very porous syrian border. an important component of the fight are the tribal fighters. we are told that there are several thousand fighters on the ground, backing iraqi security forces, trying to take towns close to the city of haditha, and reinforcing support for the haditha dam. one of the rational for strikes in that area is to protect the dam, as well as back iraqi army

troops. now, protecting the dam is key, it says, to protecting u.s. interests, including in baghdad. islamic state fighters opened the floodgates, it could flood areas all the way to the capital. here in baghdad a security spokesman tells us that they are expecting american air strikes on the outskirts of baghdad, called the baghdad belt. traditionally a staging area for attacks, car bombs and other attacks to the south and west. a widening campaign, the beginning of some support by tribal elements, and the continuing fierce fight against the islamic state group. >> jane arraf in baghdad there the head of arab league is appealing to arab nations to confront the islamic state group. he said said is is not only a threat to iraq but other

counties. ipp fight -- infighting between the arab block led to other fighting. president obama made a speech on wednesday, and speaking on "meet the press", the president stressed it doesn't mean u.s. boots will be on the ground. >> this is not app announcement of u.s. ground troops or the -- an announcement of u.s. ground troops or similar to iraq war, but similar to campaigns we engaged in over the last 5, 6, 7 years. >> let's turn to kimberley live in washington d.c. objective wise, what can we expect from the president on wednesday when he has this speech? >> we are certainly getting a sense of what he will say on wednesday from the appearance on the sunday morning talk show and the clip you played. the president expanded to say

the goal of the united states and objectives is to blunt the momentum of the islamic state group, degrade and destroy its capabilities, and gee to the united states is to sh-ipping the territory that it controls. the wt used language -- president used language we heard on friday when he spoke at the close the n.a.t.o. summit, cole ab rat yourself, the goal is to work with allies. there'll be a military element, but no boots on the ground. the goal of the united states will be to work with partners on the ground to push back the islamic state group. i think we both thought we'd hear something. what kind of support can the president expect in the u.s. for his proposals? >> in terms of support the president has a challenge on his hands because there's a lot of

war weariness in the united states. the president also faced a lot of criticism up to this point about not having a clear strategy when it comes to dealing with the islamic state group. those criticisms, specially on capitol hill seemed to be a little more quiet on recent days, because we saw a second day, a gruesome video of the beheading of another american journalist. it united many on capitol hill that there is a need to be aggressive. the president will speak with members of congress on tuesday. that is the challenge though. the american public, the war weariness, the challenge for the president will be to convince them that despite the fact that there are air strikes taking place in iraq, this will not be the equivalent of the iraq war. kimberley reporting from d.c. historic to ukraine, where shelling in the east threatens an uneasy ceasefire.

two homes were hit north of donetsk and explosions held in the port city of mariupol much one civilian and one service member were kill. paul brennan is in donetsk with more. >> reporter: these pictures show the ukraine ceasefire going up in flames, a kilometre from the donetsk airport, this district has been in the firing line, caught in the crossfire between the ukranian forces inside and separatists. the deal in minsk had some members believing the worst was over. they were mistaken. >> translation: we were going to pick up our stuff. i have a baby. we text rare -- temporarily live in a dormitory. we were going to get a chair and clothes. then we had a call saying our house was burning. >> reporter: each blames the other. it seems the separatists fired first. >> translation: they were

standing with a canon, the ukranian army aimed and shot. they were standing here, shot there, and got the response. >> reporter: the responses went back and forth all day sunday. to the east of here, to the east of the airport, we have heard persistent small-arms fire and a burst from a machine-gun. to the north-west we heard the explosions from rocket fire. this is a ceasefire in paper form only. fanning out from mariupol's eastern checkpoint on sunday, tanks were taking up defensive positions on the city limits. they are braced to defend against more of this, saturday night's sustained pound of course, a veilation of the -- violation of the minsk agreement. in kiev they insist the

ceasefire is going forth. >> translation: there is a violation, but it's under control. we didn't have information about civilian casualties, and we are not talking about a cancellation of the ceasefire. faith in the truce it low. >> it's terrifying not just for the people here, but the whole city. >> a few minutes later something in the distance had soldiers pushing people back from the checkpoint. officials from the organization of security and cooperation in europe, o.s.c.e., are charged with monitoring the ceasefire, a reminder of the magnitude of the task, and for everywhere in this country that this conflict is not over yet. to put washington's military commitments into perspective we have a list. the united states and nato agree

to help with the threat in ukraine, and help with squirmishes spilling into lebanon. united states has been active in anti-terrorist occupations in yemen and somalia, and washington agreed to help coordinate a strategy to help fight boko haram, with nigeria, cameroon and chad. joining us is jim walsh, a research associate at mit's security studies programme to talk about this. it's a list. >> it's a busy summer. >> exactly. when you look at the list, is there an over arching theme or similarity that president obama has in these? >> yes, i think in all the cases, maybe with one exception, the president is looking for the u.s. to have a limited presence.

there's a line, and that is don't put permanent troops on the ground to fight other's battles, and the states where the conflict happen, they have to put their act together and bring something to the table. the u.s. can do everything in the world. if iraq doesn't get its act together, if the other countries don't get its act together, there's nothing the u.s. can do to solve the problem. they are limits that the president set out. >> how much of that is because you think the president is listening to what the american public wants or how often does any president, when it comes to foreign policy, listen to what the american people want. >> one of the constants of foreign policy is the notion that you cannot get involved in major engagements and wars unless you have the backing of the american people. it's not politically sustainable. >> i would go beyond that to say

that the president's philosophy of international affairs is one, i think, coming out of the wars with iraq and afghanistan, is one that says listen, we are a great power, but if we fight every war and spend blood and treasure, we will not be a great power, we'll suffer bankruptcy and casualties, it's a judicial prudent use of power, but not wasting troops and dollars when it will not change the outcome. >> critics will say you can't use that approach all the time. there's situations, perhaps libya being one, where the president could have gotten involved soon are, and the president of the united states couldn't have gotten involved sooner, and things would not have gotten this bad. what do you say to that? >> people said that about arming the syrian rebels, the data, for a person studying this, it's

easy to say we should have backed a moderate rebel. the data is not very good. as you may ma'am, the things that control the outcome on the ground, u.s. sending money, writing a check is one. when you look at it historically, hard to influence outcomes on the ground. examples that you cite is is, let's face it. president obama wants to get out of iraq, was happy to get out of iraq. events on the ground in iraq forced his hand. we are back there, but not in the way in the mid 2000s, and i think he would rather not be there. >> you talk about is, everywhere is looking to wednesday about what everyone is going to say, the strategy he will lay out. what does he have to say? >> we have seen hints of it, it is obvious. part is about setting priorities. job one is to secure iraq, to kick i.s.i.s. out of iraq, and make sure it doesn't threaten

other states outside of syria. let's get it done first. the kurds are pushing back with air support, others are getting involved. we don't have to fight the battles, there's land forces of other countries, we have to support them. then is will be pushed back to syria, and we'll have difficult choices. there'll be a reluctance to get involved in a syrian civil war. we'll have air strikes but i don't see us intervening between two sides. bashar al-assad is a war criminal who used chemical weapons against his open people, we can't back him, or the extremists on the other side. i think it's about going after the people we don't like, without sending troops in on the ground in syria. >> seems there's no good choices there. >> limited range. >> jim walsh with mit. i am sure we'll call on you on wednesday. stay close to the phone. an american detained in

north korea is expected to face a trial next sunday. north korea announced matthew miller's trial date on sunday. the charms are unclear -- charges are unclear. he was arrested upon tearing up his visa. a rare and common virus is strickening hundreds in the u.s. doctors have seen a spike in a severe respiratory infection since the start of august. most patients are children or teenage areas, human ennero virus 68 is suspected to be the cause of the illness landing kids in intensive care. jim huli is live in denver. how serious is in? is it life threatening? >> it turns out it can be life threatening if the child suffers from asthma, the case of a 5-year-old who came in though children's. his mum said he woke up and said he couldn't breathe.

she took him to the hospital right away. the doctors tell us they are surprised, if not shocked at this point, at the number of kids coming in here with the symptoms. >> reporter: it was first thought 13-year-old boy had a common cold. it got worse fast. >> he came really close to death. he was unconscious at our house, and white as a coa ghost, blue lips. >> reporter: his condition went from mild to deadly overnight. >> if you have an asthmatic child and they feel sick, and you feel that feeling like should we go to the hospital - you might want to go. >> reporter: doctors believe they are dealing with interal virus 68. >> the onset is within 24 hours. >> reporter: symptoms are

similar to acute bronchitis. >> my lungs start closing up. >> reporter: in colorado, the children's hospital is seeing hundreds of cases in the past month. >> you look better than yesterday. i'm happy to see that. >> reporter: it's unclear to doctors and the medical community why the virus is spreading. there's no vaccine, and antibiotics don't work. september is a tough month for kids with asthma, heading to school at the start of the cold and flu season. doctors recommend if you want to stop the prevent of the disease, wash your hands. if your child suffers asthma, keep them on medication. if they come down with any illness, especially if it's a respiratory disease, call the doctor. time is of the essence with something like this.

it's great advice. a potential rift in the leadership of the palestinian territories. after weeks of fighting, a slow recovery in gaza. >> papa, it's 2014, no one cares if you are gay any more. navigating the wonder years, al jazeera takes an inside like at life as a teenager in america. a preview of a new series "edge of 18'.

in the war in syria, rebel fighters are making gains on the border near the golan heights. we have a report that rebels hope they can cut off a major supply route to the government in damascus. >> fierce battles in the country side. after controlling the only border crossing, opposition fighters want to seize military posts belonging to the syrian army's 90th brigade. >> the aim is to control a

number of posts. we liberated three important posts already. the fighters want to cut the government supply route, but they want to secure a new life line for rebel forces under siege for months in the area. rebel forces want to bolster control. government troops are holding on their position, and na means the battle could drag on for days or weeks. the rebel gains is providing the fighters with a feeling of momentum. >> translation: the goal of the battles is to open a route to the damascus country side, and from there to the capital. >> reporter: within other parts of syria government forces gain the upper hem, and the syrian army battled rebels in northern countryside. the government routed rebels from homes, the capital of the

resolution, and is making gapes in the province of hamas. syrian jets are bombing aleppo and other areas. and areas in and arrangement damascus the army struck reckon stilliation deals with local rebels, ending months of siege and starvation. damascus is more secure since when the war started. the syrian national coalition seems weaning and divided -- weak and divided, unable to convince others to give them powers to turn the tide. as for president bashar al-assad his plans are clear, just starting a 7-year term in office with a promise to end the war and defeat the terror campaign against his country. >> protests are escalating in yemen, where shia fighters

blocked the road leading to the airport. the houthis are calling for the government to step down. tens of thousands have been protesting. they have been rejecting offers from the president to name a new prime minister and reinstate fuel subsidies. mahmoud abbas is trying to win support for palestinian statehood within three years. they may be derailed by hamas. mahmoud abbas is threatening to break off a unity deal. mike hanna reports. >> mahmoud abbas held taught with his egyptian counterpart. a number of hamas members have been arrested in the west bank. the response from hamas was muted. a spokesman for the organization says it would be better for them to bring up direct negotiations

with the media. >> these tension-filled statements are no reward to the people of palestine. we, hamas agreed to form high-level delegations to continue dialogue. in order to ensure the implementation of all the terms of reconciliation. >> the issue was brought up in the meeting of arab league in cairo. speakers insisting that a unity government was essential, if any protest was made to secure a viable state. >> it would appear that it's in the interests of all to maintain unity moves, the political reality is that they need to prop each other up, rather that move further apart. >> meanwhile palestinians in gaza are in need of relief. the infrastructure is in

shambles since the assault on hamas. >> reporter: delivery runs like thissar as crucial now as in the war. aid agencies are providing a life line for tens of thousands of people. this is free drinking water, filtered and safe. those returning to damaged homes, there's no electricity to pump from tanks and wells. the only power station was hit by shells. the fuel and treatment plants were destroyed with generator and tur bip damage. full -- turbine damage. full repairs will take a year, and a temporary fix only offers some power needed before the war it only would give 60% of power. some short falls made up by supplying of israel and egypt. >> it was kat as trophic before

the war, and right now, it's more severe. >> reporter: without the power supply, gaza's sewerage is untreated. the coastline is being polluted with outlets like this, pumping out raw sewerage 24 hours a day. aside from that, there's a health risk from bomb damage to main sewers. this area was filled with raw sewerage, sinking down deep through the sand. nothing could be done to repair the pipe, or to treat the sewage for a whole month. >> there are forwards that underground water supplies for a highly populated area may have been contaminated. >> we are talking about raw sue im which was -- raw sewage which infiltrated the aquifer, needs someone to come today, not yesterday to take samples and give ideas about contamination

of resources. >> reporter: that's one urgent need of many. the fighting has stopped, but little else changed. the people have no option but to cope with the hardship. >> coming up on al jazeera america - monsoon season brings disaster to pakistan's bread basket. with the ceasefire in place. vladimir putin's hold on ukraine is strong. those stories and more as al jazeera america conditions. -- al jazeera continues. get me into college. >> the tough realities >> the bullying became too much to take for me. >> my parents basically hated each other. >> facing our kids >> that's not how life works, apparently. >> look what i have for you... you can't have it. >> i'm not giving up - my father can't take those dreams away from me. >> dreaming big >> i've got to get into at least one of these top schools... there's no way i can't. >> i would like to run for president of the united states. >> confronting fears

>> i have a confession to make. >> i don't wanna have to take out loans. >> i took the pregnancy test. >> making their future, real >> that dream was crushed, you're done... you weren't good enough. >> fifteen cameras, one incredible journey >> let me experience life, let me fly, let me be a bird. >> i know what i want, i know what i have to do to get it. >> revealing, intimate, unexpected >> you will not believe what just happened. >> this is life >> i'm just gonna prove my family wrong. >> "on the edge eighteen" only on al jazeera america

would welcome back to al jazeera america, here is a look at your top stories. president obama is set to announce a game plan against islamic state fighters. the strategy will not involve boots on the ground. the u.s. expands united nations in iraq, defending the haditha dam. a virus is thought to cause

disease to 1500 children in the midwest. 10 states asked for assistance from the centers for disease control. two were killed in fighting in eastern ukraine, including a civilian. blasts were held after pro-governme pro-government army and the separatists signed a ceasefire. it has currently been breached. >> reporter: this is what a ceasefire looks like in eastern ukraine, shelling come into the donetsk airport, hours after a bombardment to the south. >> i don't know why this is happening. there's no ceasefire, and probably will never be. >> reporter: fanning out from mariupol's eastern checkpoint sunday morning, for the first time we have seen, tanks were taking up defensive positions on the border. they are preparing for more of

this. a sustained pounding of the city limits took effect on friday. the government insists that the ceasefire is in force. >> the firing and showing is a violation of conditions. the situation is under control. over the last 24 hours there was no information about civilian casualties. we are not talking about the cease forward agreement. >> for residents, faith in the ceasefire is understandably diminished. >> it's terrifying not just for the people here, but the whole city. >> a few minutes later the start of an artillery round had people pushed back further. >> there was a loud thud in the distance, and the atmosphere here at the check point changed. soldiers ran around. we are not clear what has happened, but everywhere here is very much on edge. officials from the

organization for security and cooperation in europe was charged with monitoring the ceasefire. this was a reminder if needed of the magnitude of that task. a reminder from everyone that the conflict is not over yet. the bombing in mariupol is the latest development in that city. a vital port city which could be the key to vladimir putin's influence in eastern you withdrawn. we have more. as n.a.t.o. leaders gather in wales, skepticism over russia's proposed peace plan for ukraine. >> we call on russia to step back on confrontation and take the path of peace. >> reporter: russia's foot hold in ukraine includes crimea and rebel held territories in eastern ukraine, the vital industrial heartland. pro-russian rebels covert mariupol, a port city giving

moscow a corridor to cixia. if the -- crimea. if rebels fail to secure the port, the gape gives its -- gaingives it influence. >> it raises the limb massy of the -- legitimacy of the government. >> reporter: ukraine is not an n.a.t.o. member. the alliance drew the line, bolstering the flanks with exercises and responding to participation russian aggress n aggression. western sanctions have harmed russia, bit failed to bring them to heel, and vladimir putin continues to deny military involvement in ukraine. gang rape cases have been in the headlines in recent months with high profile cases in india, australia and england.

after a protest with a rape in afghanistan, it led to a swift trial and death sentences for the accused. jennifer glasse are reports from kabul on the strong message prosecutors are sipping. >> reporter: the -- sending. >> reporter: the death sentence came a few hours after being in court. seven convicted of abduction, robe of three women on the outskirts of kabul. the trial was broadcast live and brought international tanks. there were packed courtrooms. demonstrators demanded harsh punishment. >> we want the supreme court and the justice system and afghan government to punish the people as soon as possible so that this kind of thing does not repeat again and again. >> reporter: the demonstrators say this attack against women is an attack adanes all people -- against all women.

president hamid karzai called for the death penalty. police were accused of violating law and physically accusing the defendants who were illiterate and poor. >> translation: security forces didn't respect the right to remain silent or have a lawyer. >> reporter: he criticized the police decision to use tv and social media to update the public, making the identities of the men public before they went to trial. the police chief posted photographs of the women, after they pointed out the me that attacked them. the men have a right to appeal their sentences. this thursday marks 13 years since al qaeda staged a daring and deadly attack on american soil. the u.s. responded on two fronts, afghanistan and iraq, and conducted counterterrorism

operations, including the killing of al qaeda leaders and commanders. president obama is on this anniversary confronted with an emerging threat from the islamic state. courtney kealy joins us to talk about this. you reported on the front lines in iraq, afghanistan, all places that to some degree or another al qaeda had a presence. how potent are they, if at all? >> very much. it's vir u lant. the united states is facing them now. they are willing to portrayal horrifying videos. but al qaeda had a central command instruct under osama bin laden, he gave the orders to fly the planes into 9/11, he was able to get funding. you still have ayman al zawahiri, who came out in a video saying they are starting a new faction and wing. they have an ideology and

influence in north africa, yemen, somalia, afghanistan, pakistan and iraq as well. so do your best to connect the dots between islamic state and al qaeda if the dots are there. >> sure. unfortunately i know how to do this because of way too horrifying incidents that happen. you have ayman al zawahiri, who founded al qaeda in iraq, when i was based in iraq, during the worst of the war in 2005. he was very eager to just show terrible bloodletting and beheadings. he had a reprimand against the current leader ayman al zawahiri saying it's not working, shoot them. he said, "kill them in a different way", he's look the godfather of the islamic state. al qaeda decided that the group

was not listening to ayman al zawahiri, and not following what he said - friendships, no beheading. now they are their own group, they have young supporters, they are alt get the message out because they are hampered by not wanting to be hit by the u.s. i would argue that al qaeda has the influence, the unfortunate trademark of the violent group that wants to wage jihad against the west. >> talk about how the leadership of al qaeda changed three years since osama bin laden was killed. has anything changed? with his presence not being there. >> ayman al zawahiri is not the charismatic warrior, he's more of a director figure head, spiritual leader, fit os fer. he sent messages out. you have other -- philosopher. he sends messages out. but you have leaders that take

their own franchise charge - in the arabian peninsula friendships. >> it's fascinating and frightening. everywhere will look to the president on wednesday when he lays out a strategy for what he'll do about the islamic state group. but the beheadings is getting them attention. thank you courtney kealy. for more, joins us for "the week ahead", at 8:30pm, 5:30pm pacific time. cities in eastern pakistan is hit with the worst rain and flash flooding. at least 170 have been killed across the east of that country, and thousands are homeless says pakistan media. >> reporter: monsoon season in pakistan. days of rain turn roads into riff. in the region of punjab, this country's bread basket crops are destroyed and people stranded in

the flooding. >> translation: last evening as floodwaters entered the area, we climbed on to the trees to save our lives. five of us were stranded for 20 hours. we had lost hope and were not aware that someone would come to our rescue. >> the government would set up relief camps. it sent search and rescue teams to badly affected areas. we treated them after 20 yards. they survived, and we have treated them. that's a great success. >> reporter: many parts were hit by the worst flooding. people in villages were suffering the most. their houses are typically built with mud bricks, making them vulnerable to collapse. >> cities are affected. flooding in the largest city

disrupted commercial activity, forcing some businesses to shut. the prime minister, fnawaz sharf is coming under criticism. groups are calling for his resignation. he's focussing attention on disaster, saying the government will do all it can. students arriving for classes from around the world, the ebola is of concern to college administrators. several american universities authorised screens from student returning from west africa. there's back to school materials at some canadian universities. in west africa, there are concerns about a food crisis. travel restrictions reduce supplies, and bush meat or meat were wild animals is rely against. many rely on bush meat as a protein source. eating it is a factor. the c.e.o. of a biotech firm in

israel denied reports that it's close to developing an antiviral drug. a report said they could mass produce a medicine similar to a drug that two americans used. it's been called theoretical. in nigeria, a quarter of the population is at risk of going bli blind. the disease is caused by going to the water, to get water from the river. river blindness is crippling communities. >> reporter: this is a village deep in the jungles of northern nigeria. its lush corn field conceal a community devastated by river blindness, a disease that gradually blinds its victims. children leading the blund is a common sight. this is a victim, this

50-year-old. >> translation: what hurts me most is i cannot work or hurt myself. i'm at the mercy of others. i want to do much for others. i can't. >> river blindness is a leading cause of preventible blindness. >> the fly that causes river blindness breeds along the river banks and bites people when they draw water or do the washing. up to 130,000 people are believed to have been blinded by the disease in nigeria. it has caused major disruptions. many children are forced to drop out of the school to care for relatives. >> you see men and women wasting away. they cannot work. they can't farm.

agriculture production dropped. >> reporter: effort are under way to stop the spread. including drug and administration programs, and for those that have a chance to regain their sight, surgery. >> we have come far. a lot of people at risk. disease are not only getting the drugs to treat them, they are donated free. they are getting treatment, and we are beginning to see good signs. >> reporter: government age agencies and individuals are dedicated to elimination of a sepury's -- senn tury's old surge. protests in a columbian coastal havage gefr the h.p.v. -- over the h.p.v. vaccine garda sill. families and bolivar are angry, claiming 200 preteen and teenage girls have gotten sick since

getting the vaccine. health officials and president dismissed claims staying that the vaccine is safe. firefighters are making gapes on a fire burning -- gains on a fire burning at yosemite national park. evacuations have been lifted. one firefighter suffered injuries, no homes have burnt. look at how the dust storm rolled into phoenix. a cloud stretcheded across the horizon, covering some parts of the city. wind gusts were up to 40 miles per hour, all kicked up by hurricane norbert off the baja peninsula. the storm is expect to bring heavy rain to the area next. when we come back - a fall from grace. >> abusing a woman, neglecting a

woman, accusations you have power, and bullying are tearing down a mega church pastor. >> it's 2014, no one cares if you are gay. navigating the wonder years. al jazeera looks at life as a teenager in america. a preview of our new series "edge of 18."

turning now to a mega-church controversy, a fourth pastor from mars hill church have left. all part of the nine elders, calling on the lead past or to submit a restoration plan. driscoll is accused of bullying plagiarism and abuse of pour. >> reporter: in the paul pit of mars hill church, mark driscoll

used straight talk to build an empire. >> you are a nag, disrespectful, quarrel some. being married to you is like a life sentence. the guys are scratching on his wall. one more day, just one more day. >> i think we are seeing the slow demise of very talented intuffeduals. >> dr james -- individuals. dr james wellman called pastor driscoll a major figure, flawed but brilliant who appealed to a generation looking for moral guidelines. >> if you are on your computer doing porn, if you do games online. stop it. study the bible. repent, pray, become a disciple of jesus christ, find a woman and marry her. >> how dare you. who in the hell do you think you

are, abusing a woman, neglecting a woman, being a coward, a fool. >> thousands of members reported a dark side to driscoll. members for five years, they ran an aids ministry in africa, the two broke with the church, over leadership and disciplining of two elders. >> he said he would destroy me and my ministry, and make sure i could never administer again. he did what he could to do that. >> smith called driscoll brilliant, and called him a bully and a monster. >> people wonder why i called him a monster. the reality is that he preaches well on a sunday and devastates family from monday to sunday. >> anti-driscoll websites and facebook blossomed. 30 former and current pastors levelled charges against him of playing ourism and church funds,

making himself for important than the church. >> at that point mark driscoll became the brand and all the resources wept into improving the -- went into improving the brand, in the name of reaching more people for christ. i think mark driscoll fell in love with him. >> late this summer driscoll told his congregation he's taking a 6-week leave, but never addressed the charges against him. >> i'm deeply sorry. for the times i have no done my part to live peaceably with all men. smith and others doubt the sincerity, and say they need to see more. >> when he lives, individuals re-emerge a change man, formal hungry man and powerful. i look forward to that day. >> reporter: we asked to speak to pastor driscoll but he is not

doing interviews. his final sermon serves as his statement in relation to the counter situation at mars hill. >> joan rivers funeral took place in manhattan this morning. it was a private ceremony. she died on thursday, a week after she stopped breathing and lapsed no a coma whilst under going surgery. she was 81 years old. tonight an al jazeera documentary series called "edge of 18" premiers, following teenagers preparing for a leap into adulthood. we are introduced to three. >> some of the kids ask powerful questions - where do i fit in, how do i make a difference, how can i better my life, will there be a place for me when i'm out of high school. this is a time of uncertainty

and there doesn't appear to be a clear path. >> my application process is a little different from normal high schoolers, not only do i have to apply for the colleges and get in academically... >> that was pretty. >>..but i have to apply for the dance school separately and audition to these places. so is this mail for me today? >> yes, you have one from arizona. >> whoa hue. >> what does it say? >> i don't know. >> i want to thank you guys for accepting me for me. [ clapping ]. >> this is the university. this is my dream school. >> california. >> yes. >> i always wanted to go to california. >> it's the other side of the country. >> a kid like hanoi, coming out as gay. his father is a very macho character that can't accept it.

>> any problem you have when somebody cried - he's gay. we can't help you. >> papa, it's 2014. no one cares if you're gay any more. >> and yet he has a forthrightness about confronting his parents, that i don't think i had the courage to do. >> it felt really great, confronting my father about letting him know hey, because i'm gay doesn't mean i'm week. >> are you guys coming to bible study? now. >> after high school i have two options, whether or not i should go to ministry full-time or going to college this fall. >> he's a preacher at the age of 17. he's trying to reckon with his faith at a time when his parents don't share it. that teaches us a lot about the power of religion. >> i don't want to be someone

that tells you you can't do ministry. but i don't want you to waste what you have done by not going to school. >> i think the biggest challenge for the kids is how to find a way forward with a sense of both ambitious and compassion. >> my parent have a plan they want me to follow. i'll do what god asks me to do before they ask me. >> i don't want to be gay any more. take the curse off me. >> i fear i won't get in and won't know what i'm doing. episode one of edge of 18 premieres tonight 9:00pm eastern. coming up, libraries are stocking up on more than books. that story is next on al jazeera america.

libraries are struggling to remain relevant. they are striving to work off the books. daniel lack has part four in our series "reading the future." . >> reporter: before the digital age, libraries were temples of books, where they saved lives, four they are struggling to stay relevant. where the shelves stock things oth other than books, they drive. in toronto, they borrow sauce, hammers, plumbing equipment to help them around the home. you don't need a drill, you need a hole in the wall. you take it, take it back and others can access it. >> reporter: just like tools, kitchen appliances are

extensive. borrowing them makes sense. >> space is prime real estate. you need it for cooking. if you have a library where you can borrow aplipss as you need them, you don't have to store them somewhere. >> reporter: the latest library offers seeds and garden tense. they are thriving as the young donate their possessions and give them a new life. >> younger people are more accustomed to it. i think they are seeing the ability to share in context online, and want to see the transition into the physical world as well. clothes for a special occasion, toys, tools and a libike, can b borrowed at the library. it's a concept of sharing. you can breath, the after ride discovered last week did not hit earth - we are here. the chunk of rock called 2014

missed earth by 25,000 miles, zooming high over new zealand a couple of hours ago. i'm richelle carey, "real money" is next. check out the website aljazeera.com. thanks for your time. . >> the streak is over, hiring in august falls to the lowest part of the year. don't despair, i'll tell you why many believe it's a fluke, and there are reasons to be optimistic. india's prime minister marks 100 days in office. i show you hits and misses and why he's a sell e ebb rity in the united states. drugs help americans save millions. there's a spike in the price of previptions. i'll show you why a lot