>> a truck bomb kills at least 50 people, injuries 200 at a busy vegetable market in baghdad. you are watching al jazeera live from doha. also coming up, two massive explosions rock china's busy port city of tianjin. the head of the u.n.'s mission in the central african republic

is fired after his troops are accused of rape and murder. we begin with breaking news out of iraq this morning. 55 people have been killed in a bombing at a vegetable market in taking bad. police and medical workers say a suicide bomber detonated explosives in the southern city district. mohamed will tell us about this attack and has there been a claim of responsibility. >> reporter: no claim of responsibility yet. but already the death toll has gone up. we have heard in the last few moments from police sources that the death toll stands at 55. they are worried that it will go higher. there are 200 people injured in what is called a devastating attack. suicide truck bomber drove into

a popular vegetable market in the very densely populated area in eastern baghdad. this is a terrifying attack according to the witnesses that we have spoken to. while there has been no claim of responsibility, two days ago there was a similar attack, actually two similar attacks in baqouba in which dozens of people were killed. dozens more were injured. those attacks happened in predominantly shia neighborhoods. this does seem sectarian in nature. there was another similar attack in which dozens were killed and wounded. a very worrying day here in baghdad, just a day before there are supposed to be massive protests. more people coming out to protest corruption in the government, to ask for the return of basic services. will this put a damper or attendance tomorrow, we don't know. security very much heightened at

this hour in baghdad today. >> why is that city be a target of such a huge attack? what message is it sending? >> this is a strong hold of radical shia cleric. it has been the scene of numerous attacks. they are sectarian in nature, done by insurgent groups trying to send a message. they are sectarian in nature. we assume this is one of those such groups trying to scare the population, trying to sow the seeds of sectarianism at a time when the delicate balance is such an issue in this country politically going forward. political parties, sectarian groups must work together to get this country back on track. there is a lot of discontent being expressed towards the government, there is a lot of anger towards the government. this is aimed squarely to sow

more discord and increase anger and sell more chaos here in iraq. >> thank you. two huge blasts rocked one of the world's busiest cities in tianjin. 36 firemen are still reported missing. they registered an earthquake sending shock waves through the city. we have more from the site of the explosions in tianjin. >> reporter: china is unused to scenes like this. sudden and deadly explosions, jolting one of the world's busiest ports. large fire balls illuminated tianjin. some people say it felt like an earthquake. >> i was sitting after watching a film, i had my window open.

i heard a rush of air followed by a second much larger rush of air like a shock wave. i looked outside and saw the smoke. >> reporter: officials say the multiple detonations were caused by explosives store in a warehouse close to a residential area. others describe hazardous materials combusting. at first local hospitals struggled to cope with the tide of injured. this does feel like a disaster zone. people who can get out are leaving. what worries the authorities is the hermes have been contaminated which means nobody know what is they are breathing in right now. officials believe this was an industrial accident. an exclusion zone has been imposed where the investigation into how this accident happened has now begun.

police say the owners of the warehouse where the explosions happened have been detained. >> adriane sent this update from the disaster zone. >> reporter: this is close to the epicenter of the detonation. people say what happened was like an earthquake. everywhere you look, you feel as though you are looking at the aftermath of an earthquake. the devastation is really over a very wide area. the shock wave really had a radius about several kilometers. wherever you look, you see windows smashed out. some vehicles have been completely crushed. it was caused by shipping containers which were turned into missiles. hundreds of people are being treated in local hospitals, many treated for injuries caused by flying glass and concrete. several hundred firemen are still trying to bring the blaze

under control. it's taking place over here in the distance where you can see that jumble of containers and smoke billowing in the background. the authorities still insist what happened here was an industrial accident. but the president is watching things very closely. he's urging authorities to bring the fire under control as soon as possible and assure that everyone living nearby is safe and that the homes are protected. china trying to alleviate fears its currency will not devalue further, the yuan went down 3%. it fell again the following days leading to fears of a currency war. china's trade partners accuse china of manipulating the yuan to make its goods cheaper. authorities are barring

mps from leaving. the secretary general and chairman have been removed from their positions. veronica is telling us what it means for the party. >> reporter: apparently what's happened is that about 10:00 local time on wednesday night trucks full of soldiers surrounded and entered the headquarters of the ruling party. they don't allow anyone to enter or leave. we understand the top two officials of the party, the chairman and also speaker of parliament and the secretary general have been held under house arrest. they have not been allowed to leave their houses. they are surrounded by security forces, they haven't been told that their movements have been restricted. they are not the only officials actually to have seen the axe.

we heard that the president of the country has held an emergency meeting in which he conducted a cabinet reshuffle and we have seen the ministers and deputy ministers of defense and border affairs being reassigned to the former military duties. we have also heard that ten ministers who are also from the military have left their offices for various reasons, not clear who's going to replace them. it seems to be what one aide in thinthe usdp is a coup. this is a dramatic reshovelling of the civilian arm as it were of the military because it hasn't bee bentoing the line asr as the military is concerned. they are under way and the military wants to retain its

grip on power. >> thank you for that update from bangkok. the president has dismissed the government led minister. it's on a national radio program. that move came after months of political infighting between the two leaders of the west african nation. u.n. secretary general has forced the head of the u.n. mission to resign. it follows allegations that peace keepers had sexually abused civilians, including the rape of a 12-year-old girl and killing of a boy and his father. gabrielle reports from new york. >> reporter: anguished, ashamed, angered, secretary general ban ki-moon's response after allegations u.n. peace keepers raped a 12-year-old girl and were behind the killings. >> i believe the disturbing number of allegations we have

seen in many countries. particularly in the central africa republic in the period before u.n. peace keepers were deployed and since speaks to the need to take action. enough is enough. >> allegations of wrongdoing in the central african republic started last year when french troops were accused of sexual misconduct before the peacekeeping operation began. it still prompted ban ki-moon to create a panel to look into it. it's been in operation for a year and a half. it's made up of more than 10,000 troops and police from more than 445 countries. there have been 57 allegations of misconduct by u.n. peacekeeping troops. including 11 case of possible sexual abuse. that's a far higher number than what is previously been made public.

u.n. peacekeeping prague operats started after the u.n. was founded in 1945. there have been 63 missions around the globe. they won the nobel peace price but there have been notable failures. in the congo there were allegations of sexual ex-ploy tags and rape. in the 1990s it came to light that participation in alleged sex trafficking and prostitution. but the peacekeeping problems have gone beyond sexual transgressions. troops in haiti were accused of causing one of the largest khollora infections. he was ashamed they could not stop the 1994 genocide where 800,000 were killed. and dutch peace keepers forced

muslim families out of their compound. the males were rounded up and massacred. now, with this latest scandal, the world's top democrat stepping in to show accountability and change. still ahead, will japan finally offer an apology to the women it used as sex slaves during world war ii? plus -- >> i'm in argentina where thousands of people have been forced out of their homes by the flooding.

>> the top stories on al jazeera. 55 people have been killed when a bomb exploded in a busy market in baghdad. a suicide bomber driving a truck detonated explosives. 44 people have been killed in two explosions in china. the blast in the city of tianjin was so big it was felt miles away from that scene. in myanmar two politicians have been removed from office. soldiers surround headquarters and are preventing mps from leaving. iran's foreign minister met the syrian president in damascus. he avoided giving exact details on what was discussed, but described the exchange as good. meanwhile, there's been no letup

in the fighting in syria. >> reporter: the rebel strong hold was one of several opposition towns. many people were killed and injured. the military regularly attacks these regions, but the latest was in retaliation for an assault on the government seat of power. casualties were caused as rockets and mortar bombs landed in damascus. rebels fire mortars into the capital from the countryside. this lasted for about two hours. many say the attack was a message to the syrian government and its main ally, iran, whose foreign minister was expected in damascus hours later. zarif has been in the capital beirut to promote peace. he has repeatedly called for talks with gulf arab leaders who are worried about acran's influence in the region.

>> translator: we want to extend a hand to cooperation. we are ready to join hands to combat extremism and sectarianism. >> reporter: there are a few details. the plan would involved a cease fire, the formation of a national unity government amending the constitution and holding elections under international supervision. the main problem for the opposition is president assad. >> still the pending issue is the fate of the president assad. the iranian initiative is a saudi condition. the number one saudi condition is that no deal or there is no place for assad in any possible solution inside syria. >> reporter: saudi arabia made that position clear after its

foreign minister met his russian counterpart in moscow. there is a renewed push for a solution. it's led by iran an russia. the international community does agree on the need to find an agreement. but forming the basis of negotiations is proving to be difficult. there are many players in this conflict with diverging interests. some opposition leaders believe iran and russia are pushing for a deal because the syrian government is facing military and economic pressures. but backers are not showing any signs of compromise, at least not until they consider to be their strategic goals. more rain and strong winds are expected in argentina where a series of storms have caused severe flooding. tens of thousands of residents have been forced to leave their homes and three people have

died. >> reporter: trying to take assistance to those cut off by the water, volunteer firemen are working day and night to help those in need as the rivers and streams in the northern part flood the area. experts say 35 centimeters of water fell in a matter of days. this woman is trying to save whatever little she has left. >> translator: i have never seen anything like this. last year something similar happened, but not like this. this is a disaster. thousands of people have been affected. at the university, 80 have taken refuge. we are told hundreds of others have been placed in other schools around the city. this woman and her daughter, they have nowhere else to go. >> translator: we left everything, all our belongings. we are trying to get some clothes and food here, i'm not sure how we are going to go on. >> reporter: this is the second

flooding in the last year, the six in the last four. people have been living in this university for five days, most have already been victims of flooding in the past. that's why they are demanding more government action. the government says they have invested millions of dollars in the area. he claimed that more funds are needed to prevent the river from flooding again. >> translator: we understand that large scale developments need to happen here. we need to broaden the river so it adjusts to the increased water levels. after six floods, more precautions need to be taken. that can only be done by the federal government. >> reporter: many affected live in the poorest areas near the river. they only hope that immediate action is taken so the next storm doesn't force them out of their homes. drought-stricken california

is rolling out a new water saving initiative. tens of thousands of so-called balls are being dumped into reservoirs. they block the sunlight and prevent eve volleyball operation. u.s. scientists say the colorado river is showing signs of protection. the head of the environmental protection agency is facing criticism. the agency may be sued by those affected by that spill. >> reporter: the farmers of ship rock are angry. >> due to the fact we are denied fresh water and access only to water with toxins, we are in a crisis. human rights, the basic human right is to have fresh water. >> reporter: this chapter of the

inavajo nation relies on the river. the leak occurred on wednesday, the ship rock chapter was told thursday afternoon. it wasn't told much. >> they did not tell us any specifics as to how much waste was coming our way or what was contained in it. we apparently were supposed to do our own research. >> reporter: the livestock has to rely on one water tanker circulating the 42 square kilometers reservation. as for the crops, there is the rain. >> it would have to come on a regular basis once a week. and it would have to be substantial rain to soak into the ground. >> reporter: or the season is lost? >> the season is lost. >> reporter: they have released

test results. >> the levels have returned to pre-event conditions. >> reporter: but they are going to wait for its own independent tests. the epa has been criticized. this is the little town of silverton. it's long resisted a major cleanup of mines. it was from here that the toxic waste entered the river. >> they were based on reduction of property values and tourism. silverton is a community that would like to mine. there is reluctance of a federal agency taking control. >> reporter: so for decades, a few hundred meters from tourists catching the steam train, toxic metals were making the same journey. there is a debate, will last week's spill mean concerted action is taken to address 100

years of water way pollution? or will the epa take the fall for its clumsy remadation and things return to pre-event conditions. the epa did cause this spill, but it did not create the problem. the former u.s. president jimmy carter is battling cancer. the 90-year-old was hospitalized and reportedly had a tumor removed from his liver. doctors found the cancer has spread to other parts of his body. the honduras government hopes that a new dna bank will gather blood samples to match records. nearly 0,000 were forced to migrate for safety. families believe they may have been killed by drug cartels or corrupt border officials in

mexico. >> translator: as a ," mother,i want the best for him. if an accident happened and he died, tell me. >> reporter: south korea government says it's monitoring report that north korea's vice premier has been excited. the news agency base in seoul says that he was killed by firing squad in may. a number of high profile political figures have been killed this year. south korea says he was last seen in public in december. and japan's prime minister is expected to apologize for the part his country played in world war ii. shinzo abe is looking for the cabinet's approval of a statement marking the 70th anniversary of the surrender. >> reporter: every wednesday a contentious shared history plays

out. a history still alive in the minds of the young. >> translator: even though lots of time has passed since liberation, japan hasn't settled its past issues and offered an apology. >> reporter: they are here to support these women. japan's army used up to 200,000 asian women in this way, the united states a key ally, called it a terrible violation of human rights. she was taken from her home at age 14, told she would be sent to a factory, instead shipped to military brothels throughout asia. >> translator: people talk about august 15 coming up. for us liberation hasn't come. even now we are still fighting against japan. >> reporter: conflict goes back hundreds of years. the tv show charts an invasion of the 16th century.

but it's the 20th century that dominates relations. koreans were forced to adopt japanese names. they have called on tokyo to confront its past with honesty. the catalog of horrors certainly explains a lot of the continued political animosity between the two countries. that history can also be drawn on to serve present day political differences as well. south korea relied on historical grievance to build its national identity. with military exercises and having them recognized as the east sea as well as the sea of japan. >> it would strip away the fig leaf and putting the change where it belongs. >> reporter: he looks to free it

from post-war restrictions. >> translator: it's to discourage the passivist constitution. a starting point is denying the past history of aggression. >> reporter: as south korea marks freedom, that history bears down heavily on its national identity and relationships. a german teenager who was swimming while on holiday came across something unusual. she found this solid gold bar at the bottom of the lake that she was swimming in. she handed it over to the police. and they said that the 500-gram bar is worth about 16,000 euros. if no one claims the gold, the girl will be able to keep it. you can read much more about that story as well as the day's other top stories on our

website, www.aljazeera.com. our top story this morning is the breaking news out of iraq where we understand at least 55 people have been killed in a bombing at a vegetable market in the capital of baghdad. so much more on that story on www.aljazeera.com. >> i'm ali velshi. "on target" tonight, campaign contributions to get elected, how can they stay ing independent? and more mainstream than ever. tonight we're putting judicial elections on trial. that's because the honor of some american judges is being jeopardized by the potentially corrupting influence of politics and money. in some states judges have to