>> they say his apologies for the war don't go far enough. japan's prime minister is criticized by china and south korea. hello, you are watching al jazeera live from doha. also in this program, people near the scene of the deadly blasts in china are evacuated because of contamination fears. we meet the young iraqi activist at the forefront of protests against corruption.

we take a look at efforts to put a shine back on the city that was once known as the pearl of the orient. hello, china and south korea have criticized the speech by japan's prime minister marking 70 years since the end of the second world war. on friday shinzo abe expressed deep remorse, but future generations should not be obliged to apologize. japan should have been a statement on its aggression as well as its responsibility. it said japan also should have offered a sincere apology to the countries affected and made at a clean break with its past rather than being evasive on a major issue of principle. south korea's president said japan's prime minister should

have gone further with his apology. he said the comments left much to be desired. he called on japan to match its actions. >> from now on the japanese government should back up their actions with consistent and sincere acts so i can gain trust. the japanese government must solve the issue of sexual slaves victim ohioed by thized. >> shinzo abe was at a memorial service. he echoed abe's words of remorse. >> translator: the feeling just overwhelms me looking back on the past and the deep regret towards the war. never again will we have to suffer the devastation of war. that's what we pray.

i would like to send my heart-felt condolences for world peace. >> a memorial event attended by 5,000. he talked about his renewed sorrow and also the feelings of deep remorse over the last war. prime minister abe talked about never repeating, pledging that japan would never repeat the horrors of war and also that it would face its history squarely. however, he didn't, as with his previous two speeches at this event speak about the damage and suffering inflicted by japanese forces. that's a departure with how predecessors have handled the event and it reflects what happened on the eve of his anniversary day. statements marking the 70 years since the end of world war ii. he renewed the apologies made by

predecessors so they would be unshakeable in the future. he didn't make that personally. that was noted bi noted by the h korean president. more than a few things have been regrettable, calling on japan to show through its actions that it was backing up those previous apologies. shinzo abe wants to see this as something of a water shed. it's clear that that history still very much dominates relationships with neighboring countries and play as big part in domestic politics as well. >> people near the seen of multiple blasts are being evacuated because of contamination fears. the death toll in the port city has risen to 85 by the still burning at the scene. a team of nuclear and biochemical specialists has been deployed in the area.

firefighters at a press conference demanding information on their loved ones. the security officials stopped them and locked the doors until the briefing had concluded. >> translator: they didn't notify us about it. we were watching the news and saw there was an explosion in tianjin. our son is a firefighter and there was a team of firefighters who lost contact. the news says there are firefighters that have been sacrificed. the u.s. flag has been raised over the restored american embassy in cuba. john kerry was there for the historic event. he's the first u.s. secretary of state to visit cuba in 70 years. our latin america editor has more from havana. >> reporter: it took more than half a century, but the three former u.s. marines who 54 years ago took down the u.s. flag to

close the american embassy in havana lived to see it returned to the same flag poll. a ceremony that was as moving as it was historic. >> for more than half a century u.s./cuban relations have been suspended in the amber of cold war politics. >> reporter: outside the embassy gates hundreds of cubans watched ceremony. >> translator: i felt so much emotion, it did not fit inside me, she said. i give thanks that i can say that i was here to see this. >> and the cuban people -- >> reporter: the first u.s. secretary of state to visit cuba spoke in english and spanish. knowing his words were being broadcast live on cuban state television, john kerry acknowledged the differences that continue to separate the u.s. and communist cue barks

especially issues of democracy and human rights. >> it would be equally unrealistic to have a transformational impact. after all, cuba's future is for cubans to shape. >> reporter: at a joint news conference, the foreign minister made it clear, havana expected washington not to interfere in his country's internal affairs. >> our government is willing to normalize relations with the united states on the basis of respect and equality. >> reporter: despite being under pressure, secretary kerry did not invite them to the ceremony. this was the only flag raised on this day, opting for a compromise, there was a second flag raising ceremony at the ambassador's residence where a large reception was held in which dissidents were invited. one of those who accepted the

invitation was a long time activist who says renewed ties will benefit cuba. >> this is an isolated society. we needed openness. >> reporter: and openness represented by the flying of this flag, symbolizing that cuba and the united states are no longer enemies, but neighbors. new talks have begun to close the u.s. prison at guantánamo bay in cuba. it's evaluating new sights in the u.s. the pentagon is looking at prisons in kansas and south carolina. president obama pledged on his first day in office to shut down guantanamo bay. thousands of iraqis marched through baghdad. the measures came in response to

weeks of protest against corruption and poor public services. we report from baghdad. >> reporter: tired, seemingly endless road blocks, they decided it was time to hit the streets. >> translator: i'm left with no other option but to go out and fight corruption. >> reporter: the medical student and activist like so many other members of his generation, says he's tired of feeling despair and decided to do something about it. >> translator: we created groups to help our friends and families. we are all in need of important services that aren't being provided. the most basic ones are electricity, clean water and jobs. >> reporter: now he meets regularly with a growing group of like-minded activists discussing and debating strategy, they use every tool to plan demonstrations. social media has become as

important as physical publications in spreading the word. and conveying their most important message. all these protests are peaceful in nature. but it's not just violence he wants to avoid. he wants to keep politics out of the protests, too. so far it's been working. later in the day as thousands gather in baghdad square, the mood is a celebrating one. with iraq's parliament having passed reform measures in response to rallies like this one, the crowd feels empowered. men and women of all ages can be spotted throughout. it's the youth group whose dominate here. many clearly enjoying themselves as they chant against corruption in iraq's judiciary. they consider this to be a remarkable moment.

the beginning of a civil society movement that will empower them and so many iraqis that demand much needed change. the group can barely contain its excitement. at long last, despite the challenges ahead of them and their country, they feel a budding sense of optimism. >> translator: i'm happy and i'm feeling proud because our groups have become bigger and bigger. we are keeping up the momentum, friday after friday demanding our basic human rights and doing that in a legitimate and peaceful manner. >> reporter: while it's in its infancy, renewed hope for old and young is growing far faster than anyone expected it to. still ahead here on al jazeera, when we come back, drowning in debt, now flooding

with migrants. greece uses a ship to process migrants. and how children are coping with conflict in south sudan.

>> our american story is written every day. it's not always pretty... but it's real. and we show you like no-one else can. this is our american story. this is america tonight. >> hello again, the top stories on al jazeera. china and south korea criticized a speech by japan's prime minister expressing remorse for aggression during world war ii. shinzo abe should have offered a sincere apology to the countries

affected. people near the scene of multiple blasts in tianjin are being told to leave because of contamination fears. death toll has risen to 85. the american flag has been risen at the cuban embassy. homeless and hungry and hunted by recruiters for armed groups, it's the reality for many children in south sudan since the country plunged into civil war. we traveled to one of the areas most affected. a few young people are getting help in the united nations camp. >> reporter: 14-year-old peter watched soldiers kill his uncle when the family fled from their village, his neighbors browned as they tried to cross a river. now he and his family are

struggling to live in this camp. he says soldiers have already tried to recruit him. >> translator: if i join the military, i will maybe kill someone or kill myself. i will solve my problems with education. >> reporter: the children here are enduring the trauma of the civil war. it started nearly two years ago after the president fired his deputies and the fighting began. there are teachers here who are trained to offer what little psychological support they can. >> they don't listen to teachers. most of them, it's like they lose hope. >> reporter: there are also some recreational activities designed to remind the children of better times, to help them cope. they might be safe here, but

they are still suffering. there is not enough food, water and shelter to accommodate the thousands that keep arriving at the gate. the camp's population has doubled since the beginning of the year to 124,000 people. this is a screening room at a unicef clinic. it's full of children, but they are quiet, none of them are playing. they don't have any energy. unicef says an estimated 248,000 children in south sudan are suffering from severe malnutrition. this three-year-old is one of them. she's sick, too. >> translator: there is no choice for us. we'll be safe, we'll tolerate it even though there is no food for us to eat. >> reporter: as difficult as conditions may be for peter and others like him, they are within reach of assistance. humanitarian organizations are worried about the almost 1 million people they can't help

right now. anthony is the acting director for the again u.s. give us a sense, first of all, of what life is like for so many people there with all of this conflict around them and some of the challenges that aid workers like yourself are dealing with there. >> reporter: the war in south sudan has been on for the last 20 months. over 2 million people have been dismissed andisplaced, forced fr home. we know that over 250,000 children are severely malnourished. what it means is that families unable to produce from the land,

they are desperately depending on humanitarian aid to provide for day to day needs. but even families are struggling to provide food on their table. to meet basic family needs, healthcare as well. >> and where is the problem most acute? is it for children and is it the basic food insecurity that is the main challenge there? >> reporter: it is. the last 20 months of the conflict, that children in this case have been most affected, about 250,000 children that are severely malnourished. these children, it means they are susceptible to disease, they are not able to go to school. families have been forced from

the land and their ability to produce and families depend on aid to meet their needs. >> a desperate situation for people there, particularly children. thank you for joining us. eurozone finance ministers approved a third bailout program for greece. the first part of an 86 billion euro, $96 billion package, maybe sent to athens next week. it will help the country to avoid default on its debt. the greek parliament voted to accept the conditions. including the sale of state assets. the eu is planning to give greece more money to deal with the influx of migrants. thousands of people are crossing the mediterranean sea. >> reporter: more than half of all migrants to the european

union travel the short distance from turkey to greece arriving on islands. a passenger ferry with full crew and facilities has been deployed to act as a floating reception center. it's the latest measure struggling to cope with the influx. on land for a second day, there are long cues to enter the local sports stadium where immigration papers are being handed out. it's a sweltering container for those desperate to continue their journey into the heart of the journal union. it's not greece they have come for. but germany, austria and other countries where they believe they will find work and protection. >> we are awaiting since 7:00 this morning. we came, we arrived here since yesterday, we get nothing. we are staying here under the

sun. >> itself near bankruptcy, greece made a call for help. >> almost 50,000 migrants arrived in july compared to less than 6,000 last year for the same month. earlier this week the european commission approved the national program for greece that amount for 474 million euros. >> reporter: the money cannot come too soon. every day brings scores of new arrivals. some rescued from unsea worthy vessels. they are now a quarter of the island's population. some kiss the sand when they arrive. most have no intention of staying. >> police have used tear gas to

disburse demonstrators in cairo. they were marking the second anniversary of the breakup of camps by security forces. hundreds of people were killed in 2013 when police raided camps. turkish army says three soldiers have been killed in fighting in south eastern turkey. the troops were attacked from the pkk. turkey launched an operation against the pkk and isil last month. striking doctors in ghana voted to continue their protest over pay and working conditions. they have been on strike for two weeks and refusing to see patients in public hospitals. the strike is putting pressure on the government. it's trying to cut a budget deficit in exchange for help from the international monetary

fund. sri lanka will vote for a new parliament. they have been working hard on the campaign trail to convince voters. >> reporter: this is perhaps the hardest election campaign in the political career. the former president can still pull a crowd. but what he really needs is supporters to vote for him. >> translator: i'm disappointed when i see this. after the war ended, they left the country and now they are back. the investors are all leaving. this government is telling lies and they came to power with these lies. that's how they do politics. >> reporter: to make sure his message is heard beyond campaign rallies, roger is turning to people, such at this lieutenant in the army. he lost his legs seven years

ago. his injuries are a permanent reminder of the final stages of a long civil war which he's credited with ending. >> translator: he does what he says. he's a strong leader. that's why we like him. for him i'm ready to sacrifice my life. >> reporter: the traditional base is deep in sri lanka. but after losing in january, he's moved to the northwestern district. volunteers campaigning are finding sympathetic ears. most people belong to the majority community. tens of thousands of families have relatives who are serving in the military or have done. the former president needs them to vote for him. but not all military personnel he wants led are convinced of his political comeback. >> retired flight sergeant

admires the former president for his wartime leadership. but he doesn't think his return to politics is good for sri lanka. >> translator: if he becomes prime minister, he won't allow the president to work independently. he will interfere and there will be conflict. >> reporter: the new leaders have eager to remind people they voted for change a few months ago. >> translator: people sent him back to his village. people elected a new president, prime minister, cabinet. people are going to change their minds. >> reporter: he thinks otherwise. we asked him why they should back his return to politics. pointing to a cheering crowd, he told us to ask them. >> activists in the philippines are calling on the government to do more to save buildings under

threat. some were depolished to make way for commercial properties. three of our preserving heritage series reports from manila. >> home to the most famous monument. the shrine marks an area where hundreds of filipinos were killed during the spanish period. it's where the popes gathered and protests resulted in revolutions. but the monument is one of the world's threatened heritage sites. it's all because of this. a commercial building that many here say has disrespected what many consider to be an important part of the nation's identity. there are many heritage sites like this one across the capital, manila. >> it has a rich legacy. a lot of it was lost in the war.

but even that loss is tempered by the fact there are clusters of buildings. >> delab dated, many have been demolished. the metropolitan theater was a testament to the richness of the history. it was built in the 1920s, at the time when the country was slowly carving its own cultural identity. now, the metropolitan theater has been a symbol of manila's decay. its restoration is to happen soon. thanks to a breakthrough between government agencies. it's been abandoned for decades. and what we can see now is what the theater used to be. >> there is so many people connected, from so many generations. the older generation, the younger generation artists and

even the ones who watch the artists. >> reporter: those working to protect sites, it is more than just fighting for delap dated buildings. >> the appreciation has lasting effect. it is the appreciation of the cultural property that allows us to become a country. it creates an awareness of the filipino genius. it is that genius that holds us together. >> reporter: manila was once called the pearl of the orient. but not anymore. the middle classes have left. but restoration efforts like this promise to revive some of that lost glory. hundreds of couples young and old have gather in the heart of new york to commemorate the end of world war ii with a kiss. couples reenacted the photo of a

sailer kissing a nurse. the kissers have been identified. many have claimed to be the couple. it marks the exact location of the kiss. lots more on our website as always, www.aljazeera.com. international piano superstar lang lang. >> the art, you know, it's about, you know... the distance and in and out, big picture, precision. >> billions of people around the world have seen him perform. at the beijing olympics... the world cup in rio... even jaming at the grammys. >> as a musician we will collaborate with great musicians. >> lang lang grew up in an industrial city in northern china. his father was a tough task master, demanding he practice 8 hours a day... once even urging his young son to com