>> european ships rescue 3,500 migrants in the mediterranean in just one day. hello, welcome to al jazeera. live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead - turkish president recep tayyip erdogan tries to extend his powers. voters go to the polls in parliamentary elections tense in mexico on the eve of a vote. we report from guerra state,

riddled with drugs and violence. >> and juventus beaten 3-1 in berlin by barcelona, for the fifth time we begin with a migrant rescue in the mediterranean, where more than 3,400 have been saved on saturday alone. 15 operations have been carried out in the past 24 hours. vessels from the british royal navy and the irish italian and german navy's have been involved. people rescued at sea are taken to the italian ports. we have been following the mediterranean migrant crisis, and we have this report from the island of lamb bed ussa. -- lamb bed usa. >> 15 rescue operations carried out on saturday are over. the migrants were found in nine different wooden fishing boats. in those you have people below deck and next to the engine and

more in six different rubber dinghies, and they are the ones more at risk of capsizing or drowning. now, they are brought back to the islands in. arriving in lampedusa. and more in sicily and we don't know where the rest will arrive. it's a logistical nightmare for the italian islands in. many end up in mainland italy. some ships are heading to the area of the southern mediterranean, an area that is under e.u. mission called the triton mission. they are heading there because they could very well be more rescue operations in the hours or days to come. it's usually on weekends that

it's usually on weekends that there's an uptake in the number of boats leaving the coast. when i was in libya i was told it's because when the libyan weekend starts an thursday, to sunday morning, there's less people on the streets, it's easier for the traffickers to transport a large number of migrants to the empty beaches from where they leave from. if we compare the numbers of this year to last year at this time, there's an increase of 30% of migrants. there's an estimated 1 million waiting in libya to make the crossing. these arrivals are an indication that it could be a busy summer for the ships patrolling the mediterranean in honour people in turkey will head to the polls in a parliamentary vote seen as a performance test for the rule ag ak party. turkish's constitution requires the president to be above politics, recep tayyip erdogan has been campaigning hard for

the ruling party. a large majority would allow recep tayyip erdogan to change the constitution and transfer the prime minister's powers to the president. the candidates represent 20 parties, 56.6 million are eligible to vote. 5% outside of turkey. choosing candidates for the 550 available seats in parliament. we have this update from istanbul. >> reporter: this is a crucial election not just for the justice and development party, but the entire nation. at the heart of the legislation is the issue of changing the constitution the ruling development and justice party declared an intention of changing turkey's parliamentary democracy into an executive presidency to do that they need to win 330 seats in the 550 parliament. if they get that number they'll be able to call for a referendum for the people to vote and

choose if they approve the new constitution, if they won two-thirds of those seats in parliament, then they'll be able to change the constitution right away. now, if that happens, the opposition says turkey is shifting towards a dictatorship. the ruling ak party argues that the current constitution was written under a military coup in 1982 and turkey deserves a better civilian constitution in modern turkey. >> a professor of political science in istanbul says that polls show that turks are not in favour of a system where there are no checks or balances on the president. >> well, i mean all the opinion polls so far indicated that turks don't like this vladimir putin like situation with no checks or balances. it the be difficult for recep

tayyip erdogan to realise his dream there has been a day of intense fighting in iraq. both sides are trying to gain control of anbar. imran khan reports from baghdad. >> reporter: the aftermath of an attack on an air base in anbar. the battle for the iraqi outpost is filmed by i.s.i.l. fight ers keen to show their advance in ramadi is not slowing down. the mounting losses suggest they are right. 22 have been killed. most iraqi soldiers and shia militias that fled ramadi. the u.s., which has been carrying out air strikes says even so the strategy will not change. so the plan continues. to the west of samarra, military commanders say its entering the second phase, backed i u.s.-led air strikes, soldiers and

militia continue to control pockets of terrain. >> we reach the most strategically important pockets of terrorists. we have seized total control of the area that we are standing in. we have secured the area and provided security for the residence. we were backed up in the operation by artillery and army jet fighters, it was a surprise, and we managed to accomplish the mission. >> reporter: the task now includes control a dangerous mission. i.s.i.l. attacks killed dozens in the past few days. i.s.i.l. has shown ability to advance on several fronts when iraqi forces have been attracted. power is keep before the focus is on ramadi. >> in many ways the counter battle for anbar is one for control of its roads and smaller towns and villages. iraqi security has had success in taking back the roads, using them as a staging post for the

battle to retake ramadi. the i.s.i.l. fighters have an advantage. they have two major border crossings from syria to anbar, and are using them to great effect for reinforcement, giving the iraqi security forces a serious challenge syrian rebels captured villages close to the port city of latakia and control parts of a motor way linking aleppo to syria's mediterranean coast of the we have the details. >> reporter: they call themselves army of conquest. and they appear to be living up to their name. they have taken over a number of villages after intense fighting with regime forces. it gets the army of conquests closer to the key part of the latakia. >> translation: the assaults

began with a barrage of fire by heavily weapons, tanks and machine guns. this map shows why the battle is important. the syrian regime has lost control over parts of aleppo and now rebels control the motor way linking idlib with latakia. it is the ancestral home of the bashar al-assad family and their allo wight september. the latest rebels games consolidates their power in idlib. the capital fell in march. the syrian regime lost control of a city last month. meanwhile, rebel groups regime forces and i.s.i.l. fight each other in neighbouring aleppo. the province is divided. the syrian regime is on the back foot here. it will not give up the coastal province of latakia without a fight. the survival of the bashar al-assad regime and the allo

wight sent to which he belongs is at stake there are reports of new air strikes targetting houthi rebels in yemen and the city of tiaz. al jazeera learns that 17 houthis have been killed in violence in the southern port city of aden. the rebels died fighting against forces loyal to yemeni president a palestinian group says it has carried out a rocket attack on ash call some. the military said the rockets landed in an open area and has not reported injuries much the air force said it struck a tart in the northern gaza strip in response to the attack. >> to mexico up to 40,000 security forces have been deployed ahead of elections on sunday. there has been clashes in parts of the region people vowed to disrupt the midterm vote. adam raney reports on what is at

stake for mexico's president president peno nieto won office promising to reform mexico and usher in age age of equality. we have so far not seen either. poverty is deep rooted. massacres involving security and corruption made pena nieto the most unpopulated president. >> this is the first time independent candidates could run. it could show can dants have lost control. >> if the electorate sends a message it would do wonders for the economy.

>> mexico has success stories. products are pumped out for export main to the united states. >> reporter: this has been one of the main economic engines in mexico. business leaders say the county never reached its full potential. it's hoped that can be reached. this factory owner says reforms are not just enough. >> we need to make sure big structure reforms become value. and we need to make sure we implement them and create value out of the reform. it's not enough to just change the law. we need to implement. >> it points to the ruling p.r. i party and allies winning the most seats in congress. if the independent group beats the candidate for governing, it could lead to as much weakening

of the election. these elections will not decide whether pena nieto stays or falls, but will give pointers in what we can expectation for the second half of the term. >> in campaigning his predictively not been without violence. several candidates have been killed. dozens attacked, and there's a movement led by ballot burping teachers calling for a boycott of elections, if the government is unable to hold the election in parts of the country it will be seen as a failure, a failure that peno nieto and his party can do without and residents of mexico's baha california peninsula are boarding up businesses and stocking up on fuel in preparation for hurricane bianca. it's in anticipation of a category 3 storm, expected to make land fall by monday.

authorities warn outer bands could start to hit within hours activists in brazil have taken to the streets of rio de janeiro to protest against sewerage and trash-filled beaches. and accuse authorities of failing to fill the waterways ahead of the olympic games. >> barcelona are the european football champions after beating juventus in the champion's league finals in berlin. thousands of people have been celebrating the victory on the streets of barcelona and spain. and their team beat juventus 3-1 at the olympic stadium. the club has completed a domestic treble winning la liga and copa dell ray the crisis tops the agenda for summit at g7. then the m.e.r.s. virus outbreak in see yeah claims that the

fifth victim. good to have you with us. i'm elizabeth puranam in doha. these are the top stories on al jazeera. 15 rescue operations have been carried out in the mediterranean sea. 3,400 migrants have been saved after making the dangerous journey to enter europe. voters in turkey will go to the polls on sunday. the parliamentary vote is seen as a performance test for the ruling ak party. a large majority will by lou recep tayyip erdogan to

change -- allow terdrecep tayyip erdogan to change the constitution transferring the prime minister's powers to the president barcelona beat juventus in berlin. thousands are celebrating on the streets of barcelona and spain more than 17,000 police officers and military personnel have been deployed to provide security for the g7 summit in germany this weekend. thousands of protesters are expected to try to disrupt the proceedings. topping the agenda is the crisis in ukraine, and the lampedusa spread. -- islamic state of iraq and levant spread. dominic kane sent this report

nestled in the mountains, the g7 will discuss many flashpoint. fighting intensified near donetsk. it's the ston summit that russia has been excluded. the g7 says makes the g7 says russia's role in ukraine makes a meaningful discussion untenable. 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 continuing threat of the islamic state is high on the agenda. the group advanced further into iraq in 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. that may be right or wrong. politically, what strategy do we have for syria? >> reporter: as host of the g7 summit german chancellor angela merkel is hoping to find agreement with other leaders on issues like ebola and climate change. some say it represents a missed opportunity. the n.g.o. world vision says lowering infant mortality should be a high priority. >> we have an opportunity for zero on preventable deaths for children and zero on hunger. it's a possibility. it's not just a pipe dream. >> g7 leaders can be catalytic, they can start the progress. that's what we are hoping to see. there are the thousands of protesters, who promised to disrupt the proceedings as much as they can.

these came from across germany to dependent how strong they feel. some were involved in scuffles with police as the march progressed. the authorities put on a show of force, with the hope that the issues is what it is remembered for russia's president insists that his country is not a threat to n.a.t.o. comments come as the baltic countries prepare to ask for a presence of n.a.t.o. troops as a deterrence. russia says rebels are backing those in ukraine. >> only an insane person and only in a dream could imagine that russia could join. people are speculating on fear

with regard to russia pro-russian forces held funerals after a fierce battle. family members gathered to pay respects. this week has been the deadliest in the region since a ceasefire in february. a main opposition leader in burundi called on the president to disarm government-linked militias and allow independent media to resume operations. there has been protests against the president in parts of the capital. president pierre nkurunziza is seeking a third term in office. it plunged the nation in its worse crisis since the civil war ended in 2005. >> once pierre nkurunziza is in the race there's no democratic election. because it will be thrown away.

then once we have violated the constitution, which other law will apply? that's the problem. so i think pierre nkurunziza and his party don't even analyse the situation as it is. they are going as tray and they don't want to be advise said. >> western equatorial state in south sudan launched a back to learning campaign. it's a $42 million initiative trying to get thousands of students who dropped out of school to go back. >> kim vinnell reports. >> students from across the town come together for a celebration. and a call to action. >> marching through the streets of the provincial capital, the young people are carving outs a new part to south sudan. one where on the face of poverty and violence education comes

first. >> as long as we have peace in the states, i feel that education will prosper, and will grow better. but, of course, if there is still insecurity in the country. education will fall apart. >> western equatorial state has seen space of violence in recent weeks. officials maintain the attacks are random. the united nations children's fund at the back to learning campaign says education will be key to achieving future peace. >> there's plans to get 40,000 children back to school in western equatorial and every state in the whole country, to total 400,000. so far we reached about 80,000 reopening more than 100 schools, but have some way to go. >> the odds, they know are stacked against them. 10 years ago a girl here would have been more likely to die in

childbirth than to finish primary school. schools remain under resources and understaffed due to a lack of funding. scenes like these are few and far between in this young country. a 22-year civil war ending with independence from the north. violence in 2013 as those loyal to the president fought with those backing his former deputy. those here say the right to education must endure as the students hold the hope of a stable future. now, the number of people killed in china's yangtze river disaster has rich to 406. the "eastern star" capsized on monday 14 survived the accident a fifth person died from middle east respiratory syndrome or m.e.r.s.

there's 14 now cases brings the numbers infect in mid-may to 64 when a man with the virus travelled home from saudi arabia. >> reporter: the outbreak in south korea is the largest outside the middle east. people are worried, many are wearing masks. >> translation: we should not go near patients where m.e.r.s. patients have been isn't the virus airborne and isn't it contractible with contact. >> reporter: there's no evidence it can be transferred through the air, but can be transmit by droplets if someone sneezes or touch a surface with infected hance. a man in saudi arabia was diagnosed on may 20th. >> translation: i urge citizens to cooperate with the government to prevent further spread of m.e.r.s. by watching their hands and minding coughing. >> reporter: m.e.r.s. can cause a fever, dyer year and in the

worst cases kidney failure. 1800 have been quarantined in south korea. hundreds of schools have been closed as a precaution. the first m.e.r.s. cases were diagnosed in saudi arabia in 2012, 900 have been infected there. the virus tried back to people in jordan, but is thought to have come from bats and cam else. it's appeared across the middle east. including the united arab emirates and qatar, small numbers in europe. the world health organisation says that there's no evidence that the disease can spread teen people but it is sending a team of experts to south korea to stop the outbreak from spreading until highly congested hong kong mental illness among the youngs is seen as a problem.

rob mcbride reports. >> having suffered as a teenager this woman is well equipped to deal with others problems. part is no one talks about it. >> if we talk about it, schools think it indicates they have a problem, so they'd rather not talk about it. if they do they never use the words suicide or depression. with her partner she's developing a computer game that aims to help. in this desert island adventure, young people at risk can be identified by the choices they make. >> we thought if we approach it from a clinical perspective, from a game that it's fun and engaging it opens up a dialogue with schools. pressure to excel academically in a highly competitive city

starts as soon as people put on their uniform. suicide rates are no higher than elsewhere, they have been on the rise. a study found up to 60% of students surveyed showed signs of depression. >> if young do not face enough stress there's the political dimension, the occupy street process demanding democracy was a source of upheaval. demonstrators may have left the streets, but the sense of political uncertainty persists. >> reporter: according to some the protests provided a relief, the failure added to a sense of despair. >> when people see the hope failing to put up to the stress, because they have a hopeful future. they have the motivation to live on continue. >> there may be causes for

depression and anxiety, but innovative ways of dealing with them are being developed by the same young people. young people. and just a reminder keep up to date with all the news on the website >> this week on talk to al jazeera, the actor. wendell pierce >> the first line of my obituary will be, wendell pierce who's known for playing bunk moreland, the detective on the wire, dies today at 110. >> he's best known perhaps for his role in the hbo crime drama the wire but pierce , who grew up in the historic african american neighborhood of pontchartrain park