>> iraqi forces and their shia militia allies settle on a mission to stop isil advance. hello there. i'm felicity barr. this is al jazeera live from london. ireland has voted in favor of legalizing gay marriage. no. homes no families, a welfare crisis. we lack at how children are coping after nepal's earthquake.

and the symbol of french optimism celebrating citroen's 60th anniversary. >> iraqi forces and the u.s.-led coalition have begun their fight against islamic state in iraq and the levant in anbar province. coalition airstrikes have argentinaed armor targets. losing control of k ramadi. >> there has been military progress against islamic state in iraq and the levant. shia militia have captureed the

town and pushed imout that have town, which is seven kilometers from ramadi the capital of anbar. the iraqi forces were sent to the area to stop isil from advancing further. isil has managed to take towns and cities--excuse me, towns and villages since it captured ramadi on sunday. the capture of the area, the aim is to protect the military base, which was really under threat just earlier today. >> the base is the staging grouped for the government's counter offensive against i believe so in anbar province. in a show of support for the troops officials discussed the military plans that are put in place there. but even before that military operations begin. the base is already under threat.

>> we are now on the front line and the positions are heavily fortified. the enemy are trying to reach out, but we're repelling them and we'll recapture anbar soon. >> but before doing that they need to maintain their defense line a few kilometers from the base. shia paramilitary forces have moved into this area to stop isil's advance in the east of ramadi. isil seems to have a strategy. losing the base would be a major military setback for the the government, which does not have many areas to stage set backs. all that would bring the armed group closer to the capital of

baghdad. regular forces are weak and not ready, and the government has failed to bring sunnies into the official forces. calls to rethink the strategy against isil. >> the only way to top them stop them is to give them guarantees. mistrust is deep. real reconciliation needs to happen. and sunnies need to know what will happen after isil is defeated. >> they have repeatedly demanded a say in running this country. they have not wanted to join to isil but to give back through. it is a critical time. so far isil has mapped to gain grouped by exploiting those particulars. al jazeera baghdad.

>> at least 14 people have been killed. there is said to be there was the use of barrel bombs. government soldiers have been killed in the northern city. activists say rebels attacked the soldiers as they were withdrawing from a hospital on the outskirts of the city. now the 250 soldiers who successfully made it out of the area. they have taken control. >> saudi forces have targeted yemeni fighters after reports of skirmishes along the border. houthi gunmen reportedly fired mortars on the border between the two countries. saudi arabia said that it responded with artillery

shelling. well in southern yemen fighters loyal to the the exiled president abd rabbuh mansur hadi have been fighting in aden. the u.n. said it's inspectors have taken charge of an iranian strip loaded with aid supplies docked in djibouti on its way to yemen. it agreed to a inspection. 2.5000 tons of supplies are on board. many are seeking refugee in djibouti. the conditions are desperate. we visited one refugee camp in northern djibouti. >> under the burning son in an all-butt deserted areas.

many cross their way across the desert and the sea. >> many are finding it impossible to stay here. some of us are diabetic. some of us have heart problems. we can't continue in this heat. >> there are more than 1,000 refugees here. the u.n. appears to be struggling to cope. many of the refugees still have not been allocateed tents and inside the store room there is not a great deal in the way of food or clothing, for that matter. locals have been dug up digging up sewers the smell is enough to make you throw up. >> the international community has not fulfilled its obligations, especially the

gulf. they should come here and see how we're leaving. the heat is unbearable. people are getting sick. >> although they say that conditions at this refugee camp are dyer. the united nations said it's doing it's best but with the inflict of california doing the and unless they act fast things could get worse. >> a donor's conference is due to next week. >> we hope that the international community will move forward in providing support. >> all of the refugees we spoke to tell us how they were terrified by the constant shelling by the houthies and forces loyal to the former president ali abdullah saleh who they say were targeting homes and residential areas. finding a self place for their children was all they could think about. now those children are safe from the fighting, but they are by no means out of harm's way.

deceases could ease lipread spread here and many have already fallen sick. the hope continues is that the world will hear their calls for help. al jazeera northern djibouti. >> military commanders from several arab states met to discuss a joint military force. it will be used in regional cries and deal with the growing threat of armed groups. this has been long an ago of arab nations since signing the packet pact 65 years ago. a demonstration that became famous after at protester was shot dead. she died on the anniversary of the revolution of ousting its

president. ireland's referendum results are expected to be announced. homosexuality was decriminalized in ireland just 22 years ago. tim friend joins me now in studio. this is a fundamental shift for a largely catholic country. >> it really is, and i think we're looking at an historic day in ireland when it was just a couple of decades ago that homosexuality was decriminalized. >> 1993. >> of course, it leads the church in some difficulty

because they have or have been useed to influencing social policy. they've been used to heiring their power over the majority and was of course they've been robbed by these abuse scandals and public trust that their power is on the way. i think what we are a seaing is really a significant moment where the church will have to settle for a lesser role in our society. >> it's interesting to see who voted in favor. it looks like it's going to be an overwhelming yes vote, and you would think that probably it would be the younger generation who would have voted in favor but it can't be just the only. >> that is true. many came from holidays abroad to make sure that they got their voting in. they've really been engaged by this campaign and it's been a

clever campaign fought out on social media. and of course there are older people who are able to come out from living behind the shutters and live their lives apart from society. and i suspect there are many church goers who are still loyal to the church, but feel at this point it is wrong to oppress someone because of their sexuality. it is a pretty fundamental change and there is a sense of euphoria in that scare square in dublin at the moment. >> tim, thank you very much, indeed. still to come on the program, more than 40 are killed in a gunfight between police and armed men from the powerful mexican drug carr tell. and'sand ethiopian's economy

is growing but how many are really benefiting? [beeping] ooo come on everybody, i think this is my grandson. [lip syncing] ♪little girl you look so lonesome oh my goodness.

♪i see you are feeling blue ♪come on over to my place ♪hey girl ♪we're having a party happy birthday, grandma! ♪we'll be swinging ♪dancing and singing ♪baby come on over tonight

>> the new al jazeera america primetime. get the real news you've been looking for. at 7:00, a thorough wrap-up of the day's events. then at 8:00, john seigenthaler digs deeper into the stories of the day. and at 9:00, get a global perspective on the news. weeknights on al jazeera america. . >> hello, welcome back. a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. the iraqi forces begin to fight back islamic state in iraq and the levant in anbar province. intense fighting over the past five days. battling houthi militias in several parts of the port city of aden. and ireland is about to become the first country in the

world to legalize gay marriage by popular vote. at least 43 people have been killed in a gunfight in southwestern mexico. the gang involved is in the battle in is believed to be a powerful drug cartel. [ gunfire ] >> that sound was gunfire and these people were killed in a shootout between police and gang members in michoacan state. when the ambulance arrived 40 were dead, one was a police officer. the federal officials say that police were attacked by gunmen and returned fire that ended in in the ranch. >> the shut out was pro longed from approximately three hours

three different parts of the country. this is the new generation drug cartel. they recently shut down an army helicopter and killed 15 police in an ambush. the government send in a 10,000-strong force to take back control. those killed in the shoot out could be from the cartel. >> as federal forces move into the new generation cartel territory analysts say that it's inevitable that this confrontation is going to take place. but that's still not the picture that the mexican government wants nationally or internationally as they try to shift the picture from one where organized crime is deeply ingrained. >> smaller outfits like the new generation cartel have emerged to take their place. >> that will definitely change the nature of the threat. and it should ultimately--there

will ultimately be a neat to change the josh of response. >> it is not clear what exactly happened or why the death toll was so high, al jazeera, mexico city. >> thousands of people are flocked to the capital of el salvador for one one of the country's most revered religious leaders. he was assassinated in 1980. he was regarded as as a champion of the poor. this brings him one step from saint hood. 18 fighters and an unknown number of soldiers have been killed in southern somalia. a the mannedder says that the footing did.

>> the number of people killed in a grenade attack in burundi has raise on it six. 30 were wounded after an explosion at a market on friday. those opposed to the president's third bidpresident's bid for a third term as president. elections get under way in ethiopia on sunday. the prime minister has promised fair elections and is expected to do well in his first test since taking power in 2012. huge pro government rallies have taken place. opposition parties accuse those in power of surviving descent.

ethiopia's economy is one of the strongest growing at 10% per year. but not everyone is benefiting. >> this is a country under construction. workers are busy day and night paving roads and building bridges. they also construct a new light-rail system to stitch together the ends of the capital. this is the first light-rail project in sub sahara africa. >> in is a reflection of the government's ability to negotiate with international financial institutions, and countries like china where massive borrowing and many grants are coming in. >> part of a government policy to open up rural ethiopia where most of the agriculture production takes place. everywhere you look something is

being built. the sky lane has changed in the past five years. and the development of economy growth officials say that will give them landslide victory in their elections. >> this country was known for its poverty. there was a time of hunger. now it has success. >> but many still live in abject poverty. we met a woman in the outskirts of the city. she has four children and sells sawdust. >> this is how it works. i want call it work. i have to work all day i still come become and buy food. nothing else is will do.

>> many will take dangerous journeys across the desert and across the sea. many don't make it. the government says its trying it's best. >> we created 8 million jobs. 8million is a population of fairly sized nations. we've done that. we have to create opportunities and convince people to seize opportunities, too. >> the problem of the of poverty, and many find lack of opportunities. many can't help but be impressed with the country's transformation. >> u.n. chief ban ki-moon is calling for help in the growing migrant crisis in the region. myanmar will take part of a

conference. many have been displaced. many of them are persecuted rohingya. floods in china with torrential rains have moved thousands of people in temporary shelters. this is the scene in the city. it has caused buildings to collapse and large areas of crops are damaged. i the united nations children charity is worried about the emotional tollel any pal's devastating eric has on the young. many not only lost their homes but also their families and the country's welfare system is in crisis. we have reports from kathmandu.

>> 46 children have just been driven from the district, allegedly by relatives. these children from the villages have all lost their homes. many have lost family members. but this mission was designed to prevent child trafficking in the wake of a disaster. unicef's child protection officers say children are far better off staying with their parents, even when families are in crisis. >> and as for any other emergency we have to be honored that the families of desperation are not pushing them to send them away, to trust in other people. >> we met the children at the private school where they were being kept for the time being.

nobody pulled my mother and brother out of the debris for three days said 12-year-old esther. i found them. her sister is in shock. we have no help, said the 11-year-old. for three days we ate nothing. then we dug up the debris and eight rice and salt. we were afraid to go back because the mountains might fall on us. >> it's been three days since these children came to this school in the outskirts of cat man do. they've been told they have to go back to the transit centers where that were in place. when they called, they learned that the transit centers were

not ready. >> we help entire families. >> a week later the government finally prepared a transit center. although the parents preferred to keep their children at the school in kathmandu but the children will have to go back to the district. >> i don't know why we're being sent back. we prayed that we could stay and go to school here. >> these children who have already survived a disaster are now being shuffled back and forth between well-wishers, the government and administration organizations. as nobody has asked them what they would preserve. al jazeera kathmandu. >> a group of female activists have been given to cross the border between north and south korea around 30 activists are

expected to cross the demilitarized zone of the two countries, which is still considered to be at war i on sunday. >> jean pierre is in love. it's a passion that consumed him for much of his adult life and the object of his obsession is a car. this is the citroen the name means goddess in french. and for enthuseiasts like jean pierre the cars commands religious do devotion. >> it was really a car unlike any other with a high level of comfort that could not be found

anywhere else. >> it was a symbol of french national prize. president de gaulle adapted it and the presidential palace had a fleet of them for ceremonial occasions. the car retains it's cult status today. the distincttive lines and sleek design brought it's enthusiasts. >> people had never seen anything like it before. a futurist design, a space age design bringing an air of confidence that characterized the post-war period. the car included many technical innovations. headlights that swivel as the car turns the corner, and the

suspension system that cushions the bumpiest of roads. >> it was really something new in the car world and if you drive it it's like floating in a boat on the road. >> enthusiasts clearly love the design and the driving experience. but the car also embodies a more confident, optimistic era and in these uncertain times that's very seductive. jacky rowland al jazeera, just south of paris. >> well, it's also the 60th anniversary and many have been showing off in dress rehearsals in vienna. >> the show is expected to be watched by 200 million people around the world. the first time that australia is among the finalists. it was given a wildcard because of its strong fan base.

much more on most of our stories at our website. the address is www.aljazeera.com. www.aljazeera.com for your international news. >> i'm russell russell in the pacific northwest. >> it's exactly the habitat that has been missing for 100 years and that they desperately need.