tv News Al Jazeera July 20, 2015 1:30pm-2:01pm EDT
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more on every screen. digital, mobile, social. visit aljazeera.com. follow @ajam on twitter. and like aljazeera america on facebook for more stories, more access, more conversations. so you don't just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. al jazeera america. >> time now for a reminder of the top stories from al jazeera. after decades of hospital italy the united states and cuba have formally restored diplomatic ties. newly opened embassy in washington d.c. the american embassy in havana
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has been reopened. act of terror. the bombing in a cultural center in suruc has been attributed to be islamic state. outgoing fifa president sepp blatter has been victim of a comedian's prank in zurich. british comedian managed to cover the president with fake bank notes. blatter sed he would be said he would be stepping down as president.
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leaving uncertain when the new election would be held. >> ladies and gentlemen we have to plead here first. otherwise i will not be able to speak to you ladies and gentlemen, when we speak about football. this has nothing to do with football. i'll be back in a few minutes thank you. >> joining us live from washington d.c david larkin, co-director of change fifa, which san organization aimed at making fifa more transparent. before we move on to anything else i'm sure you've seen those pictures. are you surprised that blatter didn't take take it with more humor? or even pretended to be? >> they say pictures say a thousand words. you know for those of us who watch the situation for a long time ironically that might be the case with regard to that
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picture. it is an organization that had a long troubled history it was a funny joke and it's a shame he didn't take it that way. >> no he didn't. there's going to be an election apparently sepp blatter will step down. february, not that long, say short of a year from when actually this whole is scandal eruchted. is it tenable that sepp blatter will leave fifa after all this time? >> it's ironic, you have a man who announced he was resigning and reneged on an idea that he was resigning. we have to wait nine months for his departure. what's ironic is this is a man who has overseen this organization's very long history yet he deems himself right to oversee the reform of the
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organization. if we know anything from history it's that mr. blatter is exactly the wrong man to lead reform. >> do you think that's the last chance for fifa or us journalists we love to talk about it but actually when it's going to come round to the next world cup people will still love football and the world cup will be the biggest sporting event going? >> well it's the biggest sporting event going but i think you have indications that this was an organization that is no longer viable. it needs top-down reform. and this is kind of you know it goes to the heart of the negotiation between the public and sport. at aen broaderat a much broader level. the least sport can do is the open administration and accountability to the public. >> looking ahead to the future a little bit who do you think would be the best successor to sepp blatter when it comes to
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putting fifa back on the straight and narrow, certainly changing its image? >> well i think we've got in fifa a cultural problem you know with great respect to the people in fifa. we need a breath of fresh air. this is an organization that is pervasive cultural problem. you look at great business books like you know, jim collins who study organizations what you really deduce is when you have a culture and organization in crisis you night a completely new culture to replace it and nothing less than that is going to really be enough to change this organization i'm afraid. >> you don't think no matter who succeeds sepp it doesn't make a difference the actual person at the helm? >> it does but we've got to have somebody from outside this culture. we've looked at what's being proposed as yet another task force with more conflicts of interest with more people who
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are not independent. we've tried this mum times and -- multiple times and it's failed. we need an independent person apart from this culture to remake this organization from top to bottom. the ones who should not be part of the process are the ones that have been parts of it for avery long time. nothing short will do. history proves that to be true. >> thank you sir for sharing your views. taking you back to our top story now, the historic thawing of relations between the united states and cuba. we are waiting for anews conference to begin between cuba's foreign minister bruno rodriguez and u.s. secretary of state john kerry. while we wait for that, the largest community outside cuba
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lives in miami. andy gallagher is there. andy we saw the historic pictures of the cuban flag going up at the now new cuban embassy in washington, d.c. in general what's the feeling in miami over all these developments? >> reporter: well, as that flag was hoisted this morning at around 10:30 there were perhaps 15 people on the corner in little havana, the same faces i've been watching over the years very vocal very emotional very upset in this normalization of relations between the u.s. and cuba. but these days they are very much in the minority. there have been huge democratic changes. there are a million cuban americans here and their attitudes towards cuba have somewhat softened, and improved over the years. they think this restoration
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normalization of relations is something worth giving a go. after all many of the people in miami still have family in cuba and they think they have been suffering under the embargo. they are all willing to give it a go. many people are just waiting to see what happens. many people also very happy that this has happened that this normalization of relations is still going on. this morning had banners saying president obama is a scoured for even talking to the castros. these incidents are welcomed but with reservations. >> there are quite a few politicians in florida that are vocal critics and potentially could be huge stumbling blocks to further normalizing of relations. >> reporter: well, they could be. one of the big stumbling blocks is the emg bar go in place for 50 years and that can't be taken
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apart unless congress votes on it. certainly republican congressmen are not going to vote to dismantle the embargo. what people complain about this change in relations are the concessions they see the united states making to cuba. whilst cuba doesn't appear to be make concessions back. there are still people in jail in cuba, there is still no democracy in cuba, all of these things are major stumbling blocks for those who want progress in cuba. president obama says the only way the progress to take place are people traveling freely to cuba and influencing in that way. many politicians in this country won't budge on removing things like the embargo. >> and andy, let's remind the viewers that wheeze are now waiting for that news conference between the secretary of state
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john kerry and bruno rodriguez we see those pictures, state department they are due to address that news conference in a few minutes. we'll cross to it when they start speaking. andy, how much interest is there in miami right now for that be news conference, i know there were demonstrations but do you think this is something the whoafl miami feels or do you feel ultimately it is just the protesters against the normalization of relations? >> it's a great question. you know it's something i get asked often having lived in miami for ten years. really, life doesn't stop here in little havana, because there's a prrchtion press conference.
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people can go backwards and forwards fairly freely. president obama has made lots of concessions that people can send more money back to cuba. they are all very interested. many people in miami still have system and relatives in cuba. it's not because the street comes to a standstill because these things are happening but hard lyoners turn up very vocal and emotional. ten years after this happened tens of thousands of people were celebrating here. there has been a sea change in attitude with cuban americans here. they think the embargo didn't really work, ultimately they feel it made the people of cuba suffer, three are willing to take another path and willing to see what happens in the months and years ahead.
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>> andy, having spoken to cuban americans in last months and years, what do you think they'll hear, from the press conference with john kerry and bruno rodriguez, one thing that would change their minds and make them more optimistic about this de tante? >> i think many cuban americans would like to see the regime change. they would like to see the castros out of power, democratic elections less oppressive powers over in cuba. they know that is going to be a slow process between now and then because there are lots of problems. relations are normalized but there is still a long way to go before either of these powers is happy. the cuba remains unhappy about the embargo they say that really makes the people suffer but at the same time, the american government really want to see those big changes
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democratic elections prisoners released, more freedom on the island but all of that will take years and years years. there's no question about that. freedom of travel the ability to send more money back to their families in cuba, these are all good things for cuban americans living here in miami. but remember there's some other things happening here, more nuanced things. cubans are still making that dangerous crossing between cuba and the united states, because they believe if that relationship is noirldzed that wet foot dry foot, they get mead status, they think that may go away. that's causing more cubans to risk their lives to make that crossing because they ultimately see this normalization in relations making wet foot dry foot go away. there are lots of things happening in miami lots of nuanced things that you perhaps don't think are obvious but for
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the majority of the people it is a wait and see with a great deal of caution and hope. >> we're playing a bit of a waiting game ourselves. between the u.s. secretary of state john kerry and the the cuban foreign minister, bruno rodriguez. most of the reporters sitting down here so hopefully it won't be much longer. in the meantime, andy gallagher joining us from miami. andy just remind us what the main sticking points still are between cuba and the united states because yes we have the embassies and the flag has been hoisted but things are far from resolved and there are huge ideologic differences between cuba and the united states. >> yes i mean and they are huge. the embargo from the cuban point
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of view is the biggest. they see it as an essential economic blockade which makes their people suffer. but there's no way a sitting u.s. president is going to get rid of that embargo. remember that embargo will not be diminished unless congress votes on it. there are still huge hurdles for both of these powers to get over but this is nonetheless hugely significant. there are many people here in miami and little havana who are born in cuba or born here in the united states that never thought they would see the day a cuban flag would be hoisted over an embassy. that is something people believed would never happen. so in many wages this relationship has changed phenomenally and hugely, there has been a sea change in little havana with a population of about a million cubans.
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no do you believeno doubt that there will be lots of diplomatic work. as i've said time and time again since the announcement in december people here are hopeful but really cautious that the obama administration takes the right path, doesn't give the cubans too many concessions and ultimately get something in return. >> you were mentioning there andy all the hard work the diplomats have to do but there are some politicians that will try to stop them even when it comes to the appointment of the u.s. ambassador to cuba. just how strong are the forces against this de tante in the u.s? >> well, i guess the central figure there would be marco rubio who is the republican senator for miami. also a presidential candidate whose parents came from cuba back in the 1950s. he's someone who vehemently
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stands against any noicialsation. he does have support because he has good points. why are we dealing with a regime like the cast castros he believes there should be no concessions a sitting u.s. president shouldn't even be sitting down with a castro at all. i would say in the last ten years i've been here the change in attitude with the cuban government has changed drastically. there would simply be hundreds of people here very advocate vocal speaking with one voice. that doesn't hatch in part because the older generation is dying out their voice is are fading away and for the newer generation there is the belief that the embargo didn't work, made the family and relatives
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suffer. they want to see something different. they want to see a change in policy a different attempt and perhaps the chance for americans to freely travel to cuba and see this all for themselves. it's almost as if youto they want to sigh a different approach and try to change attitudes in cuba and get the changes they want. no one feels it is going to happen overnight. it will take years lots of gentle diplomatic moves but ultimately they see this as progress and moving in the right direction. >> andy gal ger gallagher reporting from miami. thank you very much for that. reminding the viewers we are waiting for that news conference with secretary of state john kerry and cuban foreign minister bruno rodriguez. when it does begin we'll bring it to you.
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safety and security to his nation. muhammadu buhari's visit comes two months after his election. presidentobama has praised buhari, for improving his country's economic prosperity. a ship has reportedly been sunk off the coast of libya. air force commanders of the tobruk based government say the two ships were attacked because they were carrying fighters and weapons. there's been no independent confirmation of the strikes near benghazi. >> u.s. defense secretary ash carter has been meeting with his counterparts in the middle east. first cabinet minister to visit israel since the signing of the
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agreement with iran. carter is scheduled to meet with netanyahu on you tuesday. imtiaz tyab reports. >> world powers and iran over its nuclear program the u.s. secretary of defense who is here in israel had a joint media briefing with his israeli counterpart moshe yalon. they of course spoke very glowingly and endearingly about the relationship the two countries have had for quite a long time. however they also discussed how they didn't agree on the issue of iran. let's hear now from the u.s. secretary of defense ash carter. >> friends can disagree about whether it will work and will be watching iran very closely to see. but there's no disagreement about the ultimate objective.
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we cannot allow iran to have a nuclear weapon. >> mr. carter will also be meeting with the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu. mr. netanyahu has been the most fierce vocal and public critic of any kind of deal with iran describing it as a mistake of historic proportions. however, in saying that he's not alone in the criticism of this deal reached between iran and global powers. mr. carter is also visiting countries like jordan and saudi arabia with the same message that this is a good deal and it is a deal that will lend to the security of the region. but as we've been saying nations like israel and indeed other countries here in the middle east very suspicious about this disagreement, this agreement which has now been passed unanimously by the u.n. security council. >> despite calls to delay burundi's presidential elections polls will open in the country
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tomorrow after weeks of political unrest. professors have been called for pierre nkurunziza to drop his bid for a third term which they believe is uncoornl unconstitutional. haru mutasa reports from bueno bujumbura. >> staying indoors until after voting ends. she doesn't want her face shown fearing her family could be targeted if she is found criticizing the government. >> police say this is necessary
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they believe some people are armed and they want to cause trouble on election day so they're patrolling volume style neighborhoods confiscating weapons. nearly 100 people have died during months of unrest. more than 100,000 have fled the country. most opposition parties say they couldn't participate in tuesday's election. >> we know that the current president is not authorized by the execution constitution. >> to delay the election, the government says whoever wins needs to be sworn in by august 26th according to the constitution. >> anything beyond that will leads to a political vacuum and the president could be actually accused of high tree treason.
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>> soldiers who took part in the statemented coup in may if they make good on that threat people hoping for peace may have to prepare for worst. haru mutasa, being al jazeera bujumbura. >> when i.s.i.l. fighters be overtook yazidi they killed but also took charge of yazidi boys. >> this boy who doesn't want to be identified, was taken to a camp like this after i.s.i.l. fighters took over his town in northern iraq. >> translator: they told us how to decapitate people. they told us about the koran. they showed us how to carry out
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an attack and how to use weapons. they also played with our minds saying they wouldn't go back to our families in iraq. >> in june last year tens of thousands of yazidi people were forced to leave their homes in northern iraq after their town was seized by seel i.s.i.l. fighters. some escaped to sinjar mountain. thousands of others were captured and yazidi men were killed. women and children were either trafficked as sex slaves, forced into marriage our killed. some boys were sent to i.s.i.l. training camps. >> once they showed us the beheading video of the pilots and other videos where they carried out attacks and other executions everything was there. we saw how they were shooting. they brought it to us every week and they showed us. >> this boy was sent to a camp in the syrian city of rah raqqa.
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he and other prisoners were told to practice beheadings on doms. >> after five months at the camp he escaped along with his brother but they say many others are still had victims of the seemingly never ending conflict. erica wood, al jazeera. >> brittbritain's prime minister david cameron was unveiling his five year plan to be fully inclusive allowed small groups to be incorporated. to defeat i.s.i.l. there needs to be an effort to make everyone in britain feet a sense of belonging. >> we have to confront a tragic truth had there are people born
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and raised in this country that don't really identify with britain and who feel little or no attachment to people here. indeed there's a danger in some of our communities that you can go your whole life and have little to do with other people with other face and backgrounds. when groups like i.s.i.l. seek to rally our people to their poison ow cause it can't but feel belonging. rubik's cube title 19-year-old flex19-year-old felix zembeg, finished in 5.5 seconds. speed cubers as they're dubbed racing for best times. unbelievable how anyone can do it at all. that is it for now. going to be back with more in just a few minutes. i hope you will join us then.
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>> tdges. this is al jazeera. >> hello there i'm barbara serra. this is the newshour from al jazeera. coming up in the next 60 minutes. cuba and united states restore diplomatic ties after a half century. >> draft resolution has been adopted unanimously. >> the u.n. security council endorses a nuclear deal between iran and western
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