arming america's police only on al jazeera america . >> support in the pipeline. agreements for financial help from iran. you're watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up. [ gunfire ] on the offensive. the iraqi army said its getting closer to driving isil fighters out of the city of tikrit. fears dozens of people have been killed as vanuatu is hit by a

severe cyclone. >> we have report on how men from the former yugoslavia are now fighting in the war in ukraine. >> hello yemen houthi group which took control of the capitol last year has strengthened economic ties with iran. a move that is causing regional alarm, tehran has pledged $1 billion a year to support yemen. internally opponents have formed a new national alliance. >> reporter: there is a power vacuum in yemen and iran seems to be capitalizing on it. iran has found a willing partner. a houthi delegation has just returned from a two-week mission from iran with an economic aid package, a houthi spokesman said that iran is pledging to expand

a port, help build power plants and provide yemen with another oil to last a year. the houthis say that the support will boost the economy and bilateral relations. a spokesman said that the only ones getting a boost from the deal are the houthis. >> the iranian interference is merely about military support from some militias or militia groups. iran has never supported any country economically. the most important point here is the yemeni $8 million a day consumption of oil. i don't think iran can afford that kind of money. >> reporter: it follows the announcement of the direct flight between two countries for the first time. the inaugural flight from tehran proud aid workers and supplies. but many fear that it will bring more weapons to arm the houthis. yemenyemenis continue to protest

the power grab. many have rallied in sa naa as the president is in aden. >> the editor of the yemen post based in the capitol of sanaa. he said there is a mixed reaction to this new coalition. >> it reminds us of the 2011 up rising. this is not an anti-houthi coalition. it's more of a coalition that tries to unite the country a militant group controlling the country. the northern provinces are now

divided. >> in libya there have been clashes between else affiliated fighters and the militia group backed by the tripoli based government. one man is reportedly killed and two others injured. it's thought that they came under the attack. 150 isil affiliated fighters have been reported to be involved in the fighting. the iraqi military is holding its position on the edge of tikrit as it tries to flood out fighters from the islamic state in iraq and the levant. iraqi forces are calling for reinforcements as they try to regain control of the city. they've already secured northern and southern parts of tikrit, but isil fighters are still holding about half of it. the control would give iraqi forces the momentum to move towards another isil stronghold in the city of mosul. isil has been trying to repel kurdish peshmerga forces. they blew up a bridge in gwar in iraq.

we have this analysis on the situation on the ground in tikrit. >> essentially what militia commander say they need this time to get reinforcements in tikrit. they managed to take back part of the city, but still isil controls about half of it. even in areas where if is not in control any more, they have left behind boobie-trapped buildings and explosives everywhere and neighborhoods ringed by snipers. that's really what is taking so call. they're calling for more militia reinforcements as well as explosives experts. they need them to go neighborhood to neighborhood, essentially, street to street, and clear some of those explosives before the iraqi troops and militiamen can move further in. militia commanders say that's expected to take a few more days.

but then again the worry is who is going to maintain control of the city? which force will be able to hold it after they drive out isil. isil has been engaging in battles in other areas where they're driven out. near kirkuk there have been battles with peshmerga forces. in samarra there were airstrikes that followed an attack on an army post. isil managed to capture more than ten iraqi soldiers. and that's not the only place. in the north in the town of gwer 40 kilometers from erbil they say that isil has blown up part of a bridge. that bridge was previously blown up by peshmerga forces, but then to halt the advance of fighters to erbil. the fact now that isil has destroyed the remaining part of that bridge could indicate they're coming back into areas

where they have been driven back previously. >> well, the battle against isil is taking place across several fronts, and shia clerics are calling for more support from militias who are backing the army. we have that story. >> reporter: this is how iraq's military wants to build advances in tikrit. iraqi forces making head way despite suicide attacks and boobie-trapped buildings. >> i think it will be liberated soon even sooner than expected. >> reporter: what the videos don't show are the shia-backed militias. their official leader was instrumental in the owns if i if ioffensive in the north. he has been spotted in key

locations in iraq, and now reported byly in tikrit. he is believed to be leading the fight against isil in the city. but his influence goes beyond the battlefield. many believe he's being used in propaganda as a general who never loses a battle. here he's giving advice to those battling isil. >> the shia need experts. if you see high expect expertise, you'll be able to help more people of yours. the iraqi people. >> they're relying on boots on the ground to take back areas but they have struggled against isil. iraq's sunni neighbors say that they are an extended arm of the

iraq's military, and that he does not hide his gratitude for iran's support. >> the iraq must build a statue for what he has done for us. i must tell you that americans cannot liberate the village. they're giving us tank with our own money. the iranians are helping for exchange for nothing. >> they're trying to address the fierce of the sunni population but they want more than speeches. >> we hope that the words will be turned into actions and all those who attack civilians and their properties should be punished severely. >> as militia begin celebrating taking over tikrit, it is still far from over. al jazeera. >> on the eve of new talks with iran, u.s. secretary the state john kerry said that it is not clear if an interim deal is

within its reach. they want to produce enough nuclear material to build atomic bombs. >> from the beginning beginning these talks have been tough and they've been intense, and they remain so. we've made some progress, but there are still gaps, important gaps. and important choices that need to be made by iran in order to be able to move forward. >> now, the united nations is prepare to go lead recovery efforts in vanuatu. it was hit by one of the most horrific storms in the region. the cyclone made landfall on friday with winds of 270 kilometers an hour.

in the days ahead it's expected to head towards new zealand losing strength as it does so. well, communication with vanuatu is largely down, making it difficult to make a true extent of the damage. >> venturing out of their homes to see the situation left by tropical cyclone pam. vanuatu, a group of island in the pacific were hit by winds up to 270 kilometers an hour on friday. the category five storm the most severe on the scale uprooted trees and tore apart stores and homes. power was cut and as the storm raged residents could do little but wait. >> i have my back against the door and i'm living to the roof which sounds like it's lifting. this is not some--all they can do during this is think about

people in vanuatu who have absolutely no shelter. this is going to be a horrific humanitarian disaster. >> as pictures of the devastation in the capitol slowly emerge, the real concern is for those living in smaller villages, and on the outer islands. aid groups say it's possible entire villages have been wiped out. >> it's been very, very destructive cyclone and hitting a country that has using a lot of traditional housing for shelter. >> the u.n. said there are unconfirmed reports that dozens of people have been killed in the northeast. vanuatu's president away to attend a conference in japan is unsure what he'll be return to go. >> i am speaking to you with a heart that is heavy. i do not know what impact

cyclone pam has left us to. >> thousands of people from evacuated to shelters, returning only to find their homes destroyed. the u.n. is deploying a rapid response team to aid relief operations, and pacific neighbors are also on hand. >> this are destructive winds rains, flooding landslides, sea surgeons. tropical cyclone pam will impact several islands. >> cyclone pam is forecast to pass north of new zealand next. vanuatu has born the brunt with downed power lines flooding, making it difficult to exist. >> 30 people are killed when a ferry sinks off the coast of myanmar. [applause]

and the u.k. honors a man who led the struggle against british rule. camp last resort on al jazeera america >> this is the true definition of tough love

>> sunday night. >> 140 world leaders will take the podium. >> get the full story. >> there is real disunity in the security council. >> about issues that impact your world. >> infectious diseases are a major threat to health. >> "the week ahead". sunday 8:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. >> a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. houthi rebels in yemen say they've reached an agreement with iran to boost the country's economy. under the deal iran will pledge around $1 billion a year to support yemen. the iraqi military is holding its position on the edge ever tikrit as it tries to flush out flighters from the islamic state in iraq and the levant. and the united nations is

planning to lead recovery effort efforts to vanuatu. cyclone pam hit the region in the earth hours of saturday. few could predict the scale of the civil war that would follow, back then isil did not even exist. the anniversary of the start of the unrest approaches questions are asked if more could have been done. >> reporter: no one in the west predicted what isil would become, but they should have. at the time the focus was on the aftermath of the arab spring. in 2012 in the middle of what was now a full-blown civil war the syrian military was accused of committing human rights abuses and brought this warning from barack obama. >> a red line for us is that we start to see a whole bunch of

chemical weapons being moved around. >> a year later, he had proof that chemical weapons had been used. he tried to build support for military intervention, it did not work. >> the united states had just come off two wars in the middle east. and there was no appetite for a third. >> reporter: inside syria isil forged in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of iraq was operating in mainly sunni areas. then it was on to northern iraq, where u.s.-trained iraqi groups dropped their guns and ran. when isil fighters came within 40 kilometers of the capitol. erbil, the u.s. air war began. but it was the beheading on of american journalists got the

attention. >> here is a country iraq, where the united states fought a decade long war now a new group of insurgents are taking territory. i think that had a powerful effect on americans as well. >> kins the start of the conflict the they have begged washington to give it better weapons to fight the assad regime. but it's been to no avail. it's only now that the u.s. started to training opposition fighters ironically, not to fight assad but to fight isil. >> if this group were to take control of the territory, the regime will have to leave them alone or they'll have to fight the regime. it's possible in the abstract tradition the regime would leave them alone. i think it's very unlikely, though. >> it's too simplistic to suggest that had the u.s. gotten involved in the war earlierer it could have stopped the spread of

isil across the region, but it is clear that the efforts of president obama to top his on footprints have not worked. >> narendra modi is the first leader indian leader to visit the area of the tamil strongholds. we have the latest from jaffna. >> reporter: the indian prime minister making several really important points. we did hear him talk about india's support for industry sri lanka and reconciliation. they looked at bringing peace to

the communities. just hyped me you see the historic public library, a symbol of culture of learning. it was burnt down because of the war. it has been rebuilt and it's very significant. he came here and met the chief minister of the area, the governor, and watched a cultural performance by school children, but his message is not just political. it's about that affinity between india and sri lanka an affinity that has been strained. but here in the northern province not only is he talking about india standing side by side in its pursuit of a future for all communities in this country, including the tamil minority, which he said would bring equality, justice dignity and peace for all and he did talk very much about the fact that the tamil national alliance he spoke to should not be rocking the boat, and should

acknowledge that it is just two months since the government took office and there is much work to be done in giving equality and addressing the grievances of the tamil people that the government may need more time. >> chin said four people were killed when myanmar dropped a bomb. we have more about myanmar. >> reporter: this is the worst spill over of violence since fighting began in kokang region more than a month ago. but this latest incident was serious enough for the chinese

fighter jet and would like myanmar to investigate the situation, report back to china and punish whoever was responsible for the intrusion into chinese territory. this latest airstrike comes just a week after a shell from myanmar landed in chinese territory. there were no casualties in that incident but it suggests there are heavy bombardment in the area. now the kokang region has been under a state of emergency since mid-february so a few independent reports coming out from there. these two latest incidents suggest there is heavy fighting going on in that area. now this is not the first time that fighting in myanmar has spilled over into china. in 2013 three chinese citizens were killed when there was fighting between myanmar and independent army that spilled over into china. this will make china

increasingly worried. it not only does not want to deal with a refugee problem people displaced from the fighting crossing over into its border. but a more complicated position of non-intervention not meddling into its neighbor's affairs. >> rescuers have so far pulled 160 people from the sea and brought them to safety. 26 are still missing. the conflict in ukraine is not just being fought by ukrainians and russians. also some former yugoslavia also lining up against each other in the battle against eastern ukraine. reports from the dr. zagreb. >> this is where a young man was brought up and this is where he is now.

in the bad lapds of eastern ukraine fighting for the russian-back the separatists. that's him on the right. and here he is amongst a group of serbs helping the separatists in the battle for debaltseve. greetings from serbia, they say. we spoke through the internet. why, i asked him, was he fighting in a war in another country? >> we serbs owe a great debt to russia. it has saved our country many times and when i saw it was the fascists from the west were doing i could not stay and watch on television. i will stay here until our victory, and i don't care if i'm locked up when i go home. >> we traveled from serbia to neighboring croatia and this is the capitol zagreb, and from this country too, men have gone to fight in the war in ukraine. only these croates have joined a

militia allied with the ukrainian government. croatian government said they're not worried. the numbers involved are small. but i asked the foreign minister are these men breaking the law by going to ukraine to fight? >> no, they would be breaking croatian laws if they were joining terrorist organizations. >> but our information is that they're fighting for the battalion, which is almost a freelance group with the ukrainian army. >> which is still not--doesn't fall under the category of terrorist organization. >> i met a member of a group that's in touch with the co croat fighters. >> they're paid about 100 you row100 euros a month, which is

less than minimum wage in croatia. they get support through the internet. i wish them good luck. they'll need it. >> some of those who have gone are veterans of the balkan wars of the '90s. some are extremists from the margins of society. ukraine's war is causing ripples here in former yugoslavia. >> a new statute marks 100 years since mahatma gandhi. >> memorialized in bronze mahatma mahatma gandhi joins only ten other other state's men . >> i hope as gandhi takes up residence in this great square

at the heart of our politics and our democracy that we can all be blessed with the wisdom of gandhi, today, tomorrow, and generations to come. >> the statue is based on an image of gandhi during a visit to england in 1931 at the height of his fight for independence. >> even in this struggle he admired britain, valued many of the things that it stood for and cherished its friendship. >> britain dominateed india for 200 years, but now india owns iconic british bands. in recent years india has overlooked british trade favoring the likes of france and germany, and britain wants to change all that have. this, of course, is a statue of a great man. this is a british charm offensive.

>> is this honoring a great man and securing lucrative indian trade agreements, isn't it. >> it's not at all. if you look around, you'll see statues of nelson mandela abraham lincoln, winston churchill. >> reporter: he was a thorn in the side of the british empire but gandy's philosophy of non-violence resistence influenced many around the globe. the tolerance that led to assassinations of a hinn to you nationalist. but hegandhi also had powerful critics especially those bent on preserving the empire. winston said: today churchill and gandhi are awkward neighbors. for some he's an unlikely

addition here next to the seat of british government, nevertheless his statue stands as a cautionary reminder that power fades, and empires rise and fall. >> we have much more on our website at www.aljazeera.com. >> in 2009 peace came to sri lanka after 26 years of civil war. >> government troops had crushed the tamil tigers - a guerrilla force which had waged a brutal insurgency seeking self-rule for the tamils c a minority making up about 12 percent of sri lanka's population mainly living