♪ key >> changing the face of iraq after weeks of protest, the prime minister unveils new measures. will it unsettle the sectarian violence? >> i am lauren tailor love from london. also coming up, pushing to the polls, harris get a chance to vote in elections after years of delays. escaping violence but expecting new challenges, families struggle to go find security in yes, ma'amep. plus: >> people in sang abore. from colonial outposts. singapore celebrates 50 years of

independence ta ofindependence ta that hello. the iraqi prime minister is has unveiled a wide range of new measures changing the way the country is run. it follows weeks of claims of corruption and inefficiency. of it risks the sec tarnl balance. he wants to get rid of six posts, three dwepty prime ministers and vice presidents. all rep present powerful faxes. nouri al maliki. he has been a pollarizing figure. nobody job of elad allawi. from from baghdad, this report. >> reporter: iraq's government shocked the country with its announcement, that the prime minister and council administer

would seek to cancel positions of some the top leadership. a decree garnering strong reaction on the streets of the capitol. which is a test to the blocks in parliament. if they refuse the prime minister's decision, that means they are the enemy of the iraqi people. they will be singled out and held accountable. >> the prime minister's proposal cancels the positions of three vice presidents and three deputy prime ministers. kept avanti of the measures he is proposing to cut wasteful spending. a lot time of growing national protest, he has been under pressure to clean up a government its critics provide with not providing the most basic of services. on friday, tens of thousands protested in several cities, demanding electricity, air conditioning cloon water and an e

end. hours after the announcement, that sentiment only grew stronger. >> i would like to present a gift to our politicians those who don't understand the essence of policy, those who have been so corrupt over the past 13 years just like puppets these last 13 years. >> protesters are further emboldened. more demonstrations are being called. while the heat may have reached record levels, activists are insisting they will keep coming out on to the streets. >> reporter: the prime minister's cabinet metaphor an emergency session and already approved his proposals. it's not clear when members of parliament will take up the ir. while a semblance of hope is apparent, it's cynicism in ample supply. at a time when iraq is low on so many resources, its patience that has run out. mohammed jamjoom, baghdad. 8,000 iraqi christians are seeking refuge in jordan.

they were 40s today leave their homes by isil. while they are being supported by churches and registered as refugees, many say they want to immigrate to europe and the u.s. a report from the town of souhe. . >> it's been a year since iraq's first group of christian refugees escaped to jordan expelled by the islamic state of iraq in the leaf ant. a special prayer was held in the latin church northwest of the capitol. has beeneed and their disabled daughter may never see iraq again. but they say that the price they are willing to pay to keep their faith because they no longer trust their government. >> how can we be expelled from our homes and towns where we grew just like that and without any rights? we served our army and our homeland. >> christian leaders and diplomatic missions attended the

ceremony as did an envoy of pope francis. in a letter read by archbishop nuncio galantino, appeals to the international community to take action against the continuing persecution of christians. iraq's christians are among the oldest christian communities in the world. we want this to stay. >> that's why we want the christians to stay. we want to save the true identity. >> they prayed for peace. most are not sure they will ever enjoy it in this part of the world. my children have been out of college for two years, we feel we are stlooef breathe and eat. we have nothing to do except wait. >> the percent cushion of iraq's christians began well before isil and. >> that's why most here in sorbedan insist they never want to go backs because they say iraq is the safest place for

christians. they also want to leave this region all together. they are here to apply for sigh lum. and the process of resettlement could take years. >> that's why most refugees who have found sanctuary in jordan's churches are frustrated. the halls of churches have been partitioned with walls to house several families. tabi says he cannot move on until he is resettled in a country that he can call home. >> we are psychologically exhausted. a return to iraq is impossible because the government can't protect us. we want out. we want to immigrate. >> there is a lot of heartache and trauma here those lucky enough to leave iraq are glad they are safe and that their faith remains strong. al jazeera. jordan. >> security forces have arrested a number of settlers in the occupied west bank. an attack on two palestinian homes in duma, an 18 month old

baby and his father were killed and others were seriously injured. the latest from jerusalem. >> reporter: al jazeera learned at least ninisis have been taken into custody in these arrests made byitsisi security forces in what are known as out posts in the occupied west bank. out posts are different from settlements in that they are also considered illegal under israeli law, not just international law. the people who live in these outposts are typically there for ideological reasons and that lends to what we have been hearing from theisitsi government, and that they are, quote, cracking down on what they jibe as jewish extremists. whatever the case, although we understand that these people have been taken into custody, we also hear that some are already in the process of being released and now in the background of all of this, of course, is the case of this family which was attacked and the palestinian village known as duma in which an 18 month old baby was burned to death. his father died just a day ago

and two other members of the family remain in hospital in very serious condition. we hear that there has been no meaningful progress in that case, and so it really does beg the question that while israel is again, as they have been saying, cracking down on jewish extremeits, they seem to be making no headway on the case of two palestinians who died from very serious burn injuries. >>. >> voting underway in haiti after nearly four years of delays. there are concerns over the securities and fears that low voter turnout could harm leaks legitimacy. preleaks surveys he show it could be as low as 15%. rob reynolds documents. >> reporter: in the haitian countryside, life is hard. money is scarce. government services are nearly non-existent.

people here in this village fetch their drinking water from the same stream that their animals wade in. framon has six children with a 7th on the way. the family scrapes by on the meager earnings of her husband, a day laborer. government doesn't provide any services for us. >> the head of the government that leaves her to fend for herself, president marteli was holding a political rally nearby making promises and asking tomazo residents for votes. decades of mis rule, corruption, foreign intervention and natural disasters have left haiti a hollowed out state. functions like the military, healthcare and education run by outsiders, u.n. agencies and non-governmental organizations or ngos. maybe haitians resent then. >> it's like those guys, they cannot do it themselves the let's help them.

but they always want on think for us, to design for us, to do things for us. >> haiti's prime minister admits there is a problem. >> how it has acted the sovereignty of our country, the consequence of a long continuous crisis of instability. >> this university student said haiti would be better off on its own i think they should go. they brought us chollera. they brought us more mezre. >> without help from doctors without borders working alongside haitian physicians, the health system would get worse. education, too, depends upon outsiders ninety % of schools are operated or funded by churches and foreign organizations. one bright spot is policing. the head of the u.n. please forces said the hnp is doing the job of law and order.

it's a myth to think they are not doing it now. i see it every day. my officers are not involved in managing the security across the country as much as the hnp is. >> reporter: officials say sunday's elections will be a major step for haiti toward reclaiming its sovereignty. rob reynolds, i understand where you are, the president is due to arrive shortly to vote. >> reporter: their. we have heard the rumor that the president will come to this voting space you can see behind me, there are a lot of people gathering there. they are hoping to get a glimpse of him. of course, if we get a chance to talk to him, we will see what he has to say about today's voting. now, there have been a couple of incidents so far. we have heard six and possibly more of the biggest voting stations in port au prince have

been shut down because of angry people whose names were not found on the voting list and ballots were not properly read and observers did not get access to the voting places. they were shut down. i want to show you a little bit 69 actual nuts and bolts here this was one of the voting boots. higher is the ballot. you can see. may we see the ballot? we can see how many candidates. this is the list much deputies it. 18 people running for 139 open seats. these are the ballot boxes. these gentlemen here -- excuse me -- are trying to make sure that everything runs smoothly, but we have heard that things are not really running smoothly

in many areas. in fact, i talked to some people here who said that they voted here in the past. they live in the area. it's there their customary spot, and when they arrive, their names were not on the list, and basically, they were disenfranchised. they were sent home. these are the lists right here, as a matter of fact. so everyone is supposed to find their name on here, and again, a lot n, a lot of people

>> the underlying factor here, the important thing about this vote, it's not only that the vote goes well, that people are elected to the proper institutions. those institutions start functioning again and the political culture, you know, is ref i'vesed, but, also, if there is no stable government in haiti, then none of the work that needs to be done on development, on public health, nutrition, education, rebuilding the country still scarred, none can take place unless there is a stable government everyone is hoping there will be at least moderately successful vote and that that sort of political stability can be ref i'ved, but laura, it looks like there are some problems some of the we are just going to have to wait and see. of course, we will be monitoring this all day until the polls close. >> rob reynolds live from port

au prince. thank you very much indeed. still ahead on the program, hundreds of children abused for yea years, a massive scandal that has shocked pakistan. and, 70 years on, japan remembers the bombing of nagasaki.

hello again. a reminder the top stories on al jazeera. after weeks of protest, the iraqi from time to time from time to time says he wants to abolish six top government posts and plans to tackle corruption

and improve services. security forces have arrested a number of israeli settlers after overnight searches in the occupied west bank. voting is underway in haiti after nearly four years of delay. pro-government forces in yemen have taken zinjabar from howe howe rebels. forces local to hadi used tanks provided by the saudi-led coalition to launch their offensive on the province. pro-hadi forces retook adden last month. inan flux have headed in escaping violence in other parts of the country. those who find safety there struggle to survive as caroline malone explains. >> reporter: people living in madi town have to travel long distances to get water. there is a limited supply from water tankers, but it's 10 times the price it used to be.

limited access and there is not enough food to go around we call on humanitarian organizations to accelerate the supply. people are in dire need of the baveningdz including food and medication. diseases are spreading. we need urgent enter. save lifes and stop suffering. >> among those suffering are those displaced families who have come here to escape from fighting in places including the nearby city of aden. in temporary camps with no resources. but they are at least under the guard of local resistance fighters who protect the town. the influx of people into madia is putting pressure on an already struggling medical system. >> this is the only hospital in the province. you we also have to take care of the desperates people who have come from adden t the hospital is full but more people can come

in. >> then there is the issue of electricity. there isn't any. >> is unless you have a generator and can get diesel. it's another challenge for people living in this relatively safe town despite the fighting all around. caroline malone, al jazeera. >> activists in syria have told al jazeera that the strategy of the u.s. backed coalition against isil is not working there and might even backfire. the armed group has lost some territory but it's still controlled by at a time capital, raqqa. a report from across the border in southern turkey. >> reporter: these men are from the syrian city, isil's capitol for almost two years. they are safe in turkey but their hide identities to protect colleagues bam home. some have been killed. this hasn't stopped them and their informants in raqqa from continuing with what they say is a campaign to save their city. their information suggests that u.s.-led coalition airstrikes have done little damage to isil

inside the city. these activists tell us the coalition's overall strategy that's solely relied on the kurds is working in isil's favor. >> the u.s. support for the felt militia has caused anger. the kurds take territory and push the airabs out. many went south to raqqa and many say they fear the kurds more than isil. >> the u.s. is trying to put together an army of own but they will partner with rebel faxes on the ground. there are those who warn against this. >> any force that doesn't fight the syrian government will be looked upon with suspicion. many have national astigmatism gentryas. the u.s. won't work with them because they are religious. >> the new syrian forces are supposed to lead the ground assault in the northern countryside of aleppo.

before they deployed deployed on the battlefield, some have been killed and captured by the al-qaeda-linked nusra front. >> nusra is not the only obstacle. many will not join because they won't fight the syrian regime me say it is men like these who should be given support who consider the government and isil as enemies. it won't be a solution if it doesn't fight against the regime as well. they need to target isil in raqqa because it's the main base. from there, it can move freely to iraq and other areas. >> for now, the focus is to clear isil from the northeast. it would end the armed group's presence alongtie's border and stop the flow of foreign fighters, but this won't defeat isil in syria. the coalition's choice of partners may create more enemies

on the ground. zeina khodr. >> a year is marked since a police officer shot and killed unarmed teenager michael brown. it was held on saturday to remember brown and the weeks of protest his death there. >>. >> this weekend, the activists

who have been so prominent here in the last year have their own barbecue planned for the afternoon. the city has planned a number offents as well including job fairs and school supply giveaway for the local children. the city is calling this a unity weekend. and, you know, as i look around here, i am really struck by the diversity of the crowd. there are white people. there are black people, old, young, white families with children, black families with children. and it is, you know, you asked about the mood. it is a somber day. and the family's pain and how this day brings it back home for the family and the people who were close to mike brown, but there is also a sense of optimism here that things are changing. certainly, plenty of people i have spoken to say they don't think things are changing quickly enough. there is a lot more work that needs to be done. there are people on the other side who feel ferguson has been wrongly portrayed as a racist community and most of the people here are not like that.

the criticism of the police department is overblown but i think judging from the crowd behind me and the conversations that have been happening and the changes that have happened already, including a new black police chief here in ferguson, it's safe to save that there is optimism and people are feeling that things are moving in the right direction although some would like it to be happening quicker. >> police in pakistan's punjab region say nearly 300 children were sexually abused and assaulted by a gang of 25 men for a number of years. so far, seven men have been arrested after video did of their crimes ed. families are calling for a full judicial inquiry. nicole johnson explains from islamabad. >> pakistani police are saying 280 children were sexually abused and assaulted by a gang of 25 men over a number of years. so far, seven men have been

arrested. there are reports that some 400 videos were made and thousands of these ended up on the local market sold for as little as $0.40 did each. the parents are saying that these videos could have ended up abroad, in the u.s., u.k., and europe. reports are starting to come out from the parents and the victims saying that children had been drugged and the families forced to pay money and jewelry to these gangs. hessentially, they were blackmailed by the games. the families are calling for an inquiry. they don't trust the police to investigate this. they are calling for military courts to hear any cases of the accused. this has created a great controversy in pakistan, a great deal of outrage and disgust amongst the public in a country where the protection of children's rights is very poor and many people have little faith in the judicial system which they say is arrive with

corruption. s say". >> the island city state is one of the world's leading economies. the prime minister led celebrations complete with marching bands and a military air show. a report. >> a cast of thousands assembled for a celebration of nationhood on which singapore is the focus of this year's national day. the organizers promised a show no one would forget and they kept that promise. nearly 3,000 square meters of led screens, high-tech projections and a spectacular light show while the lucky 50,000 spec tate orders who managed to get tickets to the venue, a trip down memory lane, including progress, strength, unity and identity. and on it went. the army and the navy on the ground while the air force treated the crowds with some precision flying. the society and school groups

paraded in front of the assembled veeps. money veep. li was the independence leader and first prime minister. his death earlier this year brought thousands on to the streets to pay their respects. his vision created a vibrant economy, respected internationally and the be ve of some who aspire to achieve the same. those who gathered for the celebrations had time to reflect on a moment in history. >> i think the general sense of singapore in pride is there. i feel they have their nationalism and patriotism together. >> you to the view the national, so there was plenty of pageantry but commentators suggested the celebrations will not last long. there are important decisions to be made in the coming months. >> it's a scene set. the prime minister is making remarks about the future, the

ruling party has announced the retirement of several mps. so, i think we are going to see anally sooner rather than later. >> and this is the electorate, young, educated, tech-savvy and aspirational. >> many people i have met these past few days, even expats who have come back to say thank you for the a country, a system and vision that came out of a developing island and transformed itself into a first world economy. they know the present reality that they live comes from the decisions that were made in the past. this unique observation, for now, the party goes on. detail raman, al jazeera, singapore. >> japants commitment to passism is at risk. that's the warning from nagasaki's mayor who spoke at a ceremony marking 70 years since the dropped an atomic bomb on

the city. he urged taking stock over controvertsial new execute laws. find more on our website of the the address for that is aljazeera.com. and watch us live by taking on the watch nowi icon. aljazeera.com. >> this is "techknow". a show about innovations that can change lives. >> the science of fighting a wildfire. >> we're going to explore the intersection of hardware and humanity, but we're doing it in a unique way. this is a show about science... >> oh! >> oh my god! >> by scientists. >> tonight, techknow investigates shrimp safety. >> seafood by nature is a high risk commodity. >> americans love their shrimp, but most of it comes from countries that use extensive antibiotics that could make you ill.