>> it could be very dangerous. >> i hear gunshots. >> the bullet came right there through the window. >> it absolutely is a crisis. >> real reporting. >> this... is what we do. >> america tonight. tuesday through friday 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. announcer: this is al jazeera. announcer: this is al jazeera. hello, from al jazeera's headquarters coming up in the next 60 minutes - iraqi security forces and i.s.i.l. fight for control in anbar province. there's heavy losses on both side on a mission of reconciliation pope francis arrives in bosnia for a one-day

visit and a vigilante turned candidate in mexico we look to the final in berlin and the start of the women's world cup. and novak djokovic takes a step towards a first french open title. we go to roland-garros coming up we begin in iraq, where there has been heavy fighting between i.s.i.l. and iraqi security forces. most of the violence is happening in anbar. security forces backed from the air by u.s. coalition forces have been using antitank missiles to stop i.s.i.l. suicide bombers driving explosive explosive rigged vehicles. 22 iraqi soldiers at the airbase were killed after i.s.i.l. attacked the bases. in samarra, north of baghdad,

iraqi forces say they killed 55 i.s.i.l. fight ners -- fighters in a bid to push them back imran khan there's widespread fighting how is the attempt to push i.s.i.l. back going? >> well if you are a casual observer of all of this you may be forgiven for thinking that i.s.i.l. is winning. they made significant advances, and pushed iraqis in and shia back. what we see the iraqi security and militia do is take over towns, villages and roads. what they are doing then is using the towns and villages as a staging post, reinforceing them and using them as a staging post to go into ramadi. we are seeing shelling and suicide car bombs which i.s.i.l. is using to great effects on the

air base, which is where a lot of the soldiers from the iraqi army and shia militias are based. there's a tough fight within anbar province. by no means is there a clear winner. there's not one side that has the upper hand. they are both battling for control. this operation is not going as quickly as the iraqi government said at the outset. they said it wouldn't last that long. we have the shia leader saying that this will take a long time. we need a lot of help from the americans, and the antitank weapons that the iraqis are desperate for, are the only way to stop the car bombs. >> the u.s. led coalition is helping from the air. to what extent are very involved in the fights? >> we are seeing the air strikes, and helicopter gun ships. we have not seen that in the

last six months it's a new thing. helicopter gun ships and air strikes can only go so far. i.s.i.l. have an advantage. they have two border crossings leading to anbar province from the bases and syria, they reinforce quickly and move. air strikes go so far. you can bomb the positions. without the iraqi security forces holding the positions and clearing them of i.s.i.l. fighters, they can reinforce. that's the problem with the air strikes. americans have said that it will only be iraqi boots on the ground. iraqis don't want u.s. boots on the ground here they see it as indicative of the u.s. occupation of this country, and don't want to invite the u.s. in. but there does need to be this holding of the ground that the iraqi security forces are trying to take. that's problematic for them.

>> thank you for that. live from baghdad. >> now, over to another battle in afghanistan. afghan security forces are trying to retake control of the nearby yamgan district seized by taliban fighters after they launched an assault. they are said to have attacked the district police headquarters on four nids. nicole johnson is our correspondent joining us live. hundreds of taliban were controlled in the fight. we believe it's ongoing. what is the latest you are hearing. >> that's right, the local police told us they were overwhelmed by the taliban attack. hundreds of fighters. afghan security forces 200 of them they ended up retreating to the mountains. since then we have heard that an operation started to try to retake the distribute.

special forces have been flown in, dropped into the district from kabul, via helicopter as well as afghan security forces. reinforcements sent in from different districts and they have arrived or are on their way to take on the taliban, a serious attack. not the first attack in badakhshan that we have seen. there has been a great deal of fighting between the afghan security forces and the taliban it's a remote place, not even a road going to where the attack is going, so why is the taliban interested in targetting it. >> there are roads going there. you are right, it's a remote area. normally at this time of year the taliban is carrying out attacks and string offensive in the south of the country. some of the southern provinces.

this year they are shifting the focus to the north. there could be a couple of reasons, one is there's less of a security presence in the north. more remote exposed, easier for the taliban to launch attacks to get closer to the provincial capitals which is what we saw in the kuehned us -- kund us province in may. there's a few large criminal gangs in the field of illegal mining. they have a lot of power and control. making it difficult for the central government to really extend to the badakhshan. there's a power vacuum and the taliban is using that to take control and take advantage of the situation. >> nicole johnson live from afghanistan

in syria, the fatah army is consolidating a hold on the highway leading to the presidential home of bashar al-assad. the coalition of rebel groups is moving along the highways between latakia. it captured positions, along the same road. the group has said that its aim is to take latakia, the ancestral home of bashar al-assad. the syrian government is increasing its air strikes on aleppo, fighters jet are trying to wipe out rebel groups and i.s.i.l. fighters who are battling each other for the area. nowhere is spared not even aleppo hospital. >> reporter: with no help or equipment the syrians in northern aleppo dig to find survivors. they are picking through the rubble after an air strike on friday killing three people.

while civilians face bombardment from the air, on the ground they have to dodge battles between i.s.i.l. fighters and various factions. and the latest - several fighters on both sides were killed in the aleppo countryside. it's a focal point for armed groups all operating within it and vying for control. inside the hospital in aleppo the flow of wounded doesn't stop. patients are treated anywhere there's space - on tables and on the floor. exhausted medical teams work for free and with fear that they are the tart. >> reporter: hospitals are suffering from shortage of supplies. the works crews are not getting paid. >> field hospitals are under protests because the main

hospitals are in rue jiftenls this was one of the four largest hospitals in aleppo. medical equipment is strewn across the room in a barrel bomb attack. >> the hospital is significant as it provides most of the surgery wall specialists. in the past year and a half. there has been 11 barrel bombs. >> with no form of protection, and no health system. the people - makeshift hospitals are the only help they can get the leader of the roman catholic church pope francis, held mass for thousands of bore shippers in sary -- worshippers in sarajevo urging them to leave their troubled past behind

them. >> reporter: pope francis arrived at the olympic stadium. he was sitting in a throne made by a muslim. it carries great significant. >> translation: war means children women and the elderly in the refugee camp forced displacement of people. destroyed house, streets and factories, and above all, countless shattered lives. you know it well experiencing it here how much suffering, destruction and pain. >> reporter: in this beautiful town, this area had good reason to reflect on the importance of the vigil. he is a muslim. during the war he was put in a

croat military camp and forced to dig trenches for the soldiers in the hill around the town as they attacked the muslim majority. his marriage to his croat catholic wife did not fail. it's a love story across the ethnic divide that would make the pope's heart burst with joy. >> translation: we gained strength staying together during the war. today we live happily together despite our ethnic difference. >> translation: all the beam from bosnia is thrilled with the pope visiting. his message of peace will make it better. >> reporter: he is president of an association for hundreds of survivors, one of hundreds catering for all ethnic groups. look at the condition. they have not received a penny from any government.

>> there's three presidents a serb, a croat and a bosniak muslim. there's sill segregation. serb and croat want greater autonomy for their own communities. for all of that many say they are ready for greater and greater reconciliations. the question is whether their politicians have caught up with them. >> reporter: the pope met the presidents echoing the call for greater understanding. there'll be more when the former u.s. president comes here to mark the 20th anniversary of the srebrenica massacre. in places like this, you would never no there'd never been a war, and children building on what has been accomplished. it will not be easy the forces of political division have not gone away. more to come on this

newshour. an israeli human rights organization says there's no justice for most victims of settler violence in the west bank we are on patrol with italian border police as they save migrants stranded at sea the countdown is on to the champion's league final in berlin where barcelona and juventus both attempt to complete a season double. to the war in yemen, and saudi arabia said it shot down a missile fired into the kingdom. state tv said it was fired by rebels, hours after three saudi soldiers and a border guard were said to have been injured and killed in an attack on the border. >> reporter: this is what houthi-al lied tv scribes an a

destroyed saudi outpost on the border. anti-government fighters say they took growl of the area in jazan. the saudi military says it defended the attack. dozens were involved in the battle. renegade soldiers allied to former president ali abdullah saleh and houthis were involved. for weeks there has been squirmishes on the 15km border with yemen. on saturday, saudi arabia said the air defense system shot down a scud missile, and they believe the target was an air base in the south-western city. >> the houthis - surprisingly, we didn't expect a saudi invasion. but for the houthis to invade 60 to 70km inside, and continue. this is a serious issue. saudi arabia they must deal with it seriously before it gets out of hand. >> reporter: the saudi-led

coalition began its offensive in yemen, saying it anticipated a revolt after the lebszs. since the air strikes have been hitting houthi positions in several areas. the houthis and ali abdullah saleh loyalists are trying to take territory from tribes loyal to the government in exile. residents in tiaz say their homes are hit by heavy weapons, and pro-government forces are resisting advances, but there are hopes to bring all sides to a settlement amid intense fighting. the u.n. says the houthis, and the president ali abdullah saleh's government agrees to send representatives to a meeting in june in geneva. >> right now it looks very hopeful, and the international community hopes that they'll go to geneva, and resolve it. if the last two months showed the world anything, it showed us by bombing the yemeni people, it will not solve the problems. there has to be negotiations between the various parties. >> reporter: more than 2,000

people died, and over a million displaced in the fighting. for now, all yemenis can do is hope for an end to the fighting. an egyptian appeals court threw out a decision putting the palestinian group hamas on the terror list. the court ruled the armed wing a terrorist organization and extended it against the entire group. it is an offshoot to the muslim brotherhood. the gaza based group is accused of helping to carry out attacks in the pence. the ruling corrects a wrong, and could be a step forward in menneding relations with egypt. they are committed crime against egyptian or security. it may open the gait for the new airline. between hamas and the authorities. i hope that we can move forward

to arrange the relationship. all the time that the situation is occurring it's not helping. it was a decision of the court in egypt, that hamas is out of the jurisdiction i think it will open the eyes of the egyptian leaders, in order to deal with hamas. in order to think deeply and understand that hamas is not the enemy. hamas it not in egypt. now it amounts to pushing the reconciliation. to help gaza be more open. i spent that something positive may happen most investigations into israelis settlers accused of violence against palestinians do not result in conviction. according to an israeli human

right group. 85% of all cases are closed because place fail to investigate crimes properly. >> this person says he lives in constant agony. he said he was attacked by a group of men a year ago that live not from his home in the occupied west bank. he showed me x-rays for 14 fractures for his leg and two to his arm. >> i was harvesting olives when around 20 settlers threw stones at us. i tried to run away. i fell. that's when around six beat me with a rod. israeli soldiers saw me, no one has been arrested or charmed. >> reporter: according to human rights group 85% of police investigations are close because israeli investigators fail to find suspects or enough evidence to lay the charges.

of cases investigated 7% lead to an indictment, and a third of those lead to a full or partial conviction. >> this is with the organization behind the research. she says the reason crimes against palestinians by israeli citizens who live in illegal settlements is unpunished is because some officials appear to condone it. >> translation: it starts from above. there's no will by some commanders to see the perpetrators as outlaws. there are those that believe the motivation serves the country by expanding israel's control over territory. >> settler violence against palestinians in the occupied west bank is well documented. according to the u.n. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in 2014, there were 399 assaults. al jazeera requested an interview with israeli police

officials to comment on the findings of the latest report, but they declined. this man says he's not surprised police officials are unwilling to talk about the fact settlers are rarely punished for attacking palestinians, or the frequency of which violence occurs. after a year of near constant pain, he says he's certain his attackers will never be brought to justice. india's prime minister narendra modi has arrived in neighbouring bangladesh on his first official visit. he's due to sign a landpact that will allow tens of thousands living on the border to choose nationality. they've been stateless. narendra modi expects to sign a raft of trade and transport deals. the chinese operator of a cruise ship that capsized

killing 396 people has apologised. it's the country's deadliest boat disaster in seven decades. the "eastern star" sank. 50 people are missing. it's thought sudden and sever winds overturned the boat. 14 survived. many are missing. south korea has detected in my opinion more cases of middle east respiratory syndrome known as m.e.r.s. 50 people caught the violence. new cases have been traced back to the first patient that returned from saudi arabia with the infection. his wife has recovered. she's the first person to be discharged from hospital it's estimated nearly 2,000 migrants have died or gone missing trying to cross the mediterranean to get into europe. italy received are 46,500 people many rescued by a unit

of the italian arm forces that deal with smuggling. we met some of those officers. >> reporter: their mission is to patrol and protect the borders of italy, including the maritime ones. for a few years it goes beyond that. they are at the forefront of rescue operations of migrants making journeys across the sea. >> translation: saving human lives is gratifying especially when there's children. once there was a baby showing no sign of life. his head was tilted. one of my colleagues massaged his tiny stomach and he started crying. it was emotional. >> translation: when the sea is rough, we need calm bring them on board. once they sang they thanked god that we found them. all were singing - old and young this is a state of the art vessel the newes in the fleet of border police.

an on-board camera can zoom in about 18km away. finding the tiny boats is difficult. the search in international waters south of the italy where other nations are patrolling and from the air. this is a ship from the british royal navy. we are 24 nautical miles off the coast of libya. this is where most of the migrants from rescued. any boat in the area needs to identify itself, otherwise it is searched. >> reporter: further away the german navy carrying out a rescue. see the white dingy on the screen. it was destroyed by fire. the smoke dominated the horizon. they are part of the tritan mission.

>> translation: it consists of joint fleet controls. 6,000 migrants reached the area in a few hours. we called on commercial ships nearby to help. there are no borders in the sea. if lives are to be saved, we'll go wherever they are, ooep beyond the triton area. >> reporter: beyond is the area in bright blue dubbed the safe area. here the italians are in charge of coordinating search and rescue operations. it's here that we saw the group rescue nearly 250 people in little more than an hour a few days ago. thousands more in the past. >> e.u. politicians look at how to deal with the influx unsung heroes like this crew, comb the sea in search of lives to save. now, let's get the weather

with richard. more on the hurricane that is threatening the coast. >> that's right. hurricane blanca is a threat to the coast. there it is down there. now, i want to take you back to track the hurricane which struck the region not long ago. hurricane odile. categories three storm. 11 killed the worst hurricane that hit the california coastline. resulting in there 1.2 billion of damages. >> you can see that this will be a nasty system. although the winds are string, it's a category 3, sustained at 99 kk. it's going in the same direction, and has the same contract, it is expected to weaken. it's to pick up cooler waters around the region. having said that because of a variety of factors, not least el nino we expect the region to

see more that its fair share of major storms. nevertheless it is going to be a weakening storm as it moves to the north, moving through into sunday. i suspect the wind will be on the edge of a category 1, weakening across the peninsula. as it does so, there's potential to give rain. we'll see flooding. huge surfs along the coastline. dangerous conditions. as it moves towards the north, it will turn off, and we'll see it producing heavy rain across the desert south-west of the united states thank you very much. stay with us here on al jazeera. still ahead - candidates in turkey making a last pitch for support ahead of parliamentary elections. >> i'm wayne hay reporting from inside new zealand's high tech system where private operators will be offered cash incentives to reduce reoffending

in sport, a 37 year drought to claim one of the biggest prices in short. robin here with the details.

hello again, you are watching the al jazeera snus hour. a reminder of the top story, there has been heavy fighting between i.s.i.l. and security force, and at the air base 22 iraqi soldiers and shia have been killed after i.s.i.l.

attacked the base. afghan security forces are taking control of the district. taliban seized it after launching an assault in the province. and the leader of the world catholic pope francis held mass in sarajevo urging serbs, croat and muslims to leave troubled pasts behind them it's the fine day of election campaigning in turkey. a parliamentary vote seen as a test for the ak party, the hours count down for the opening of the polls, al jazeera has looked at the ak party rrdecord. we have a look at the foreign policy there's more than 2 million syrian refugees living in turkey. camps like this are symbolic of the devastating war raging there.

these images are a stark reminder of the toll the war is having here in turkey. syrians fleeing the violence seek refuge in cities, like those in the capital, ankara. to date it's crossed the turkish government more than $10 billion to host them. critics say it's support for the syrian opposition and the refusal to do business with bashar al-assad regime worsened the crisis. and suggests that this is not the ak party's only diplomatic misstep. months before the syrian uprising turkey enjoyed relations with damascus. so much so that governments held a joint cabinet meeting and agreed to scrap visa restrictions, and the cosy relations with egypt have soured after turkey voiced opposition to the 2013 military coup. and ankara has all but cut off ties with tel aviv following the 2008 war in gaza, and attacks on a turkish aid ship killing turks later. this is a professor of international relations, and is

critical of the foreign policy. >> turkey is not an immediate power. turkey cannot take behaviour. you cannot take party for one side, and try to change the situation in one country. >> this man moved from the foreign ministry last year to become prime minister. he rejects accusations that the party interests are at the heart of the government's diplomacy. >> we proposed a proactive foreign policy, and based on certain venues, rather than interests, values like democracy, like supporting human turkey's foreign policy not only helped to define the rule of the ak party over the past decade, but created new realities in world politics. the bid to become a regional power won turkey support and criticism.

this man runs a foreign policy thinktank and says that the criticism is not warranted. >> many actors blame turkey and turkish leadership for changing foreign policy orientation. this is not the case. when we look at the regional environment in which turkey is located, we see that the other sides of the relationship, other actors were changed dramatically. >> there's no doubt turkey's role in the world stage has grown when the ak party came to power a senior fellow in turkey and in kurdish studies at the al jazeera center joins me from istanbul. and south australia it's been one thing. the election has been reduced to whether turkey should have a system in place or not.

unfortunately all other important its on the agenda has taken a back seat to the major, to the dominating agenda of the elections. nevertheless, the consequences and outcome of the elections will have significant impact on turkey's policy, depending on who is going to be the biggest winner. for the time being. the ak party is going to have a majority to form the single party government itself. if it does so, then i do - i don't expect any major rupture. thousands of people are protesting in southern germany about the g7 summit. they are demanding action on climate change and are expected to disrupt talks. 19,000 police and military are on standby.

dominique kane reports. yesesling in the mountains -- yesesling in the mountains of bavaria, this is seen an a retreat for the wealthiest. for the next few days it will host the leaders of several world countries. protected by police and military personnel, the g7 will discuss flashpoints and the conflict in ukraine. in recent weeks fighting intensified. particularly near donetsk. this summit is the second such that russia has been excluded from. the g7 says russia's role in ukraine makes a meaningful discussion un-tenable. one says excluding russia is an error. >> the situation is getting from bad to worse. it's dangerous. russians seem to have started these days a new serious offensive, and i mean the

russians it's not the donetsk people, the wild men with cossack uniforms. nothing would happen there without the pushing of the kremlin. >> reporter: the threat of the islamic state is high on the agenda. the group advanced further into iraq and recent months. the u.s. president obama is hoping to hold a series of meetings about i.s.i.l. on the fringes of the summit. >> there's no joint strategy to deal with i.s.i.l. apart from a military campaign. politically, what strategy do we have for syria? >> reporter: as host of the g7 summit summit german chancellor angela merkel is hoping to find talks on ebola and climate change. some say it represent a missed opportunity. the n.g.o. world vision says

lowering infant mortality should be a high priority. >> we have an opportunity of zero on prevental deaths for children and hunger. it's a possibility. it's not just a pipe dream. g7 leaders can start the progress. put on the stable strong commitment to what they'll do to make it happen. that's what we are hoping to see. >> there are thousands of protesters who promised to try to disrupt the proceedings. the authorities put on a show of force to prevent them, with the hope that agreement on the issues is what the g7 summit is remembered for. an estimated 20 million nigerians suffer from mental illness. many go without professional help. there's 130 psychiatrists in nigeria, that has a population of 174 million.

only around 3% of the budget goes to psychiatric help. many have no choice but to turn to traditional healers. >> this woman was hearing voices telling her to harm herself. her family handcuffed herself, bringing her here to a traditional doctor. >> it's believed that she is demon iced. -- demonized, and is using herbs, leaves and other natural ingredients. >> when people come and tell me they have a problem with their head. i pray. god tells me the cause of the problems. these are the issues. when i give them herbs and leafs, god drains them of the problem. >> reporter: most nigerians suffering mental disorders, like depression, anxiety and schizophrenia go to traditional

doctors and healers. that's because there's no treatment for 90% of patients in conventional hospitals. some are referred here to the national hospital in abuja. it's a long way to travel for people in rural areas, and most nigerians live and expensive to get here. >> less than 10% of people with mental health living in nigeria ever get to see personnel. and i'm talking whether they see a nurse, a doctor, psychologist. psychiatrist. according to health officials, there are only 130 psychiatrists in nigeria and more than 20 million people suffering from various types of mental illnesses. >> to close the treatment gap, doctors in nigeria, kenya, garner are starting a trial next month, combining conventional treatment.

it's funded by the national institute of mental health. they believe the trial will improve the services of traditional doctors. >> people believe in them. that's why they go to them. they cannot be ignored. at the same time we need to improve what they do. we can't say we are going to wait for a psychologist or social workers. >> reporter: during the trial conve conventional doctors, nurses and health workers will visit patients like medical facilities. if successful, it's rolled out in as many places as possible. there's worries the programme may be too expensive. in the second part of our series on how countries deal with mental health illnesses we recognise how it's recognised as a serious problem among young people. that's 10:00p.m. sunday here on al jazeera in hondure us thousands

rally against government corruption in the capital. demonstrators are demanding the resignation of the president, after he admitted his election campaign took money from peopled to an embezzlement scandal. he denied involvement the mexican government is sending troops and police to the south because of escalating violence. teachers threatened to block voting. meanwhile, vigilante leaders who took up arms against drug cartels are fighting for a seat in congress. john holman reports. >> reporter: this man is battling the brutal knights templar as a part of the movement taking over swathes of

south-west mexico. he rose to prominence with a trademark sombrero and high-powered assault rifle. nowadays the gun has gone. he's found a job as a candidate for congress. he doesn't think much of the politicians he said that abandoned the state to criminals. he's a bunch of crooks. they lie to everywhere. he sees himself as an outsider infiltrating the authorities that locked him up in gaol, after a shoot out in which his son and others died. >> translation: i have talked to vigilante groups and said that we need to attack from both sides. we need to get into the politician circle, it might make it easier to get what we want. >> reporter: with the uprising petering out, now is the moment. the vigilante movement that exploded has been absorbed by the authorities into a new

entity called the rural police force, complete with uniforms, vehicles and salaries. the problem that provokes the vigilantes remain. crime, murder and a sense of neglect. the doctor is planning to swap the consulting room for a congressional run. she is close to the vigilante movement. the brother was one of the leaders until put in gaol. she continues the struggle by challenging the government in its open arena. >> translation: i want what we lived through - the bloodshed, widows and orphans because relatives were imprisoned to act as a base for change, and help us to decide what we want for ourselves, not through kills or armed uprising, but work and mutual help. >> the killing continued

throughout the elections, and the vigilantes turned candidates proved targets for the local gangs. last month when we shot dead. they called off the campaign stock in town. instead he used time to great supporters in his own village, and implored him to keep his words and not end up like the politicians he's fighting against. stay with us here on the newshour. sport is coming up. >> i'm andy richardson at the women's world cup in canada, where organizers hope women in boots, rather than f.i.f.a. men in suits can grab the headlines. headlines.

a new state of the art prison in new zealand is about to welcome its first inmates. the wane task to prevent re -- main task to prevent reoffending. wayne hay looked at the facility. >> reporter: there's no prisoners here yet. the main purpose when they do is not to have them back. it's not about scaring them straitht, but providing opportunity. >> what we need to remember is the main aim is to get the men into employment. we know jobs is the best path to reintegration. >> the guards are called re-integration officers. they are drawn mostly from the local community. inside the so-called housing blocks it may look like any other prison, but there are added extras. this is a high security wing. here, the inmates have access to computers in their cell.

no internet. they are used for study and, to a certain extent, to plan the day. they have telephones loaded with pre-approved numbers to keep in touch with family members on the outside. when they are not in their cells, almost a thousand of inmates will have access to training and ultimately paid employee. pauley was a young maori before friends convinced him to get out of south auckland and set up a personal training business. he went to gaol three times, and wishes he was given the tools to better himself while inside. >> a lot of us affected - people don't realise what options are available out there for them. we sort of just used to getting stuck in a cycle. and, you know, we sort of are looking for a way out, but it's a matter of knowing where to look. where to turn to, who to ask.

>> if it meets certain targets. the governor will congratulate -- the zost will over incentives for the british run guards. they worry about a lack of transparency when mixing enterprises with prisons. in the business. you need to have prisons. conflicting priorities. >> there has been criticism that the facility will be too soft and will not act as a deterrent. when the door closes it's clear this is a prison where people lose their freedom. now for the sport with robin. >> good to have you along. ten. >> novak djokovic is on course for his first french open title. he was leading 2 sets to one in the delayed semifinal against andy murray resuming at roland garros. murray was forced into a fifth.

novak djokovic clinched it 6-1. he stays on course for a career grand slam. the women's final is underway serena williams taking on lucie safarova. williams bidding for a 20th single's grand slam final, the third person history to reach the mark. she's taken the first 6-3 in 31 minutes football fans are taking over the city of berlin it's the host venue for the champion's league final between barcelona and juventus kicking off in the next few hours. both clubs given around 50,000 tickets for the fans. barca, of course in the fourth final in 10 years. the team of superstars attempting to complete a season treble. winning the spanish league and copa del ray. juventus have not had champion's league success in 20 years.

>> i think it's fair to say a team of players such as messi luis suarez and neymar are the favourites. of course they are the fair to say to win when they are lucky to have such players in the squad. when you make a team such as the others, i don't think we are the underdogs. we have a chance. >> translation: juventus are a great team. we know it will be a difficult final. buffon is a great goal keeper. in the history of football. he's been with me since childhood, when i used to play against him on the playstation. canada is gearing up for the biggest world cup history. over the next month 24 countries will play in more than 50 games as the sporting showcase like never before. organizers hope the chaos at the top of the fifa group will not undermine efforts. >> reporter: with a record number of teams taking part,

tickets sold, and tv viewers set to watch. the world cup should be nothing other than a positive story for the women's game. hosts canada one country taking the big strides forward. >> whether we are a role model to a young child, we get notes from mothers going through things saying "you pulled me through this", or fathers saying "you inspired my daughter and me to be the best version of myself." >> reporter: but the f.i.f.a. corruption scandal means it's men in suits, rather than women in boots that are the focus. the head of canadian football forced to win the rights to host this tournament. we bid for the world cup. the soccer association engaging. in improp riteies, and i said absolutely not. we put our bid - we were the only country that in the end

bid. before this latest crisis, sepp blatter did much to alienate himself from the women's game. when the women were voted on, they were welcomed them by saying ladies, are there ladies in the room. spak now, you are always speaking at home. now you can speak here. it would be hard to top the 2004 gaff when he suggested the best way to promote the game would be if the players wore tighter shorts. for many working in the game, ignoring most of what sepp blatter said, became the best tactic. >> i think people ridiculed him to be honest. people see it as ridiculous. he behaves in that way, but there's tonnes of people in the great women's countries that promote the game and do great things for the game. >> reporter: f.i.f.a. funding helped the women's game grow beyond the stronghold of us and europe.

thailand, one of no less than eight countries making a debut. the next f.i.f.a. president will be under pressure to ensure women's football is essential to its plans. . >> it has to be for the good of soccer. men and women are working together to develop it. everyone is centered. -- interested. all the countries involved are making efforts to work on the women's programme and the men's. 50,000 fans will fill the stadium for the game. hoping the quality of football rather than the quality of control will grab global attention. a baseball spectator in the united states is critically ill after being struck in the head by a broken bat. she was sitting with her husband and son at fenway park for the game between the boston red sox. the back of brett laurie was shattered from a pitch. part striking the woman. injuries are live threatening.

>> it's been 2 years since a horse won the triple crown of racing in the united states. it could end on saturday. american pharaoh won the kentucky derby and praek possess stakes and the -- preakness stakes and can complete the trifecta with the belmont states. affirmed was the last to clinch it in 1978. >> he looks great. i feel confident when we lead him up. as long as he breaks well the gate will be important. this track is deep. it's - can be a little loose. >> it's been almost two years since tiger woods won on the pga tour. the former number one - boots may be cut by a single shot at the tournament. bogied the 15th and 17th holes, and flew to the third round. the 39-year-old is 11 strokes

off the leader finally, the dramatic events of the past fortnight involving f.i.f.a. would be enough to merritt a movie. a film about world football's governing body is hitting the cinemas in the united states. as alan fisher reports, united passions had interesting reviews. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: it's a movie that's been around for a year. it gets the opening this weekend. united passions tells the story of fifa. it's gathered horrible reviews. from the u.k., the guardian called it:. >> the mirror said:. >> and the "new york post" described it: it's the story of

administrators, sports deals and internal politics, in the the usual fare of sporting movements. after corruption charges with those at the top of f.i.f.a. some of the script lines take on additional significance. >> they are good at finding money. you have everything you need to run. the lightest error - i don't know where the money is going. i have my suspicions. >> unit passions has a limited release here in the united states. it's only on in 11 city and a handful of screens. the only cinema showing it it's sharing a screen and the smallest one at that. those that have seen the movie, it feels the theatre with laughter which is unfortunate. it's not meant to be a comedy. >> it's a ludicrous movie, and a ridiculous bit of corporate

grandising. it's coming out the very same week sepp blatter, played by tim roth has retired in a storm of controversy, and many of the top-leading guys from f.i.f.a. have been taken out in handcuffs. the timing couldn't be better. the movie will be available on demand, and for a small fee, people will be able to watch it from home. as long as the files are not corrupted. >> movie reel: remember you're making history it's brilliant. tlov see the movie. all the sports stories are covered in depth on the website. the tennis the football champion's league final. aljazeera.com is the address. aljazeera.com/sport. get your dose of sport there. that's it. >> thank you very much indeed. see you later. and that's it from me and the news team. i'll be back with another half

hour news.

iraqi security forces and i.s.i.l. fighters battle for control in anbar province there's heavy losses on both side hello there, with the top stories on al jazeera. searching for survivors. residents in the syrian city of aleppo comb through the rubble to find loved ones after a government air strike. >> on a mission of reconciliation, pope francis arrives in bosnia for a one-day visit plus an estimated 20 million nigeri