>> a blow against isil. hedge, i'm maryam nemazee. coming up, two years on from the chemical attacks that shocked the world. thousands of refugees are pushed back as they try to cross the border from greece to macedonia. anand alexis tsipras faces

opposition in his syriza party as members breakaway to form a different group. the white house says that the islamic state in iraq and the levant's second in command has been killed. this is still widely thought to show reportedly killed in a military strike in the iraqi city of mosul on tuesday. the u.s. believes he was prominently involved in the group's financial operations. patty culhane has this update for us from washington, d.c. >> the white house has put out a statement saying that the second in command of the islamic state in iraq and the levant has been killed. his name, they say he is alone were killed by an u.s. drone on

august 18th. now they're highlighting the death saying that this will have a great impact on the islamic state in iraq and the levant because they say that he was primarily responsible for coordinating the movement of movement, weapons, explosives, vehicles and people between iraq and syria. u.s. officials have made claims before. unnamed officials have told members of the media that he had been killed, and it would have an impact. the joint chief of staff were talking about leaders who were taken off the battlefield. we asked about this, and the spokesman of the chairman said that he was talking about a few of the leadership that had been killed at the time. what is clear that in he was killed and repeating that it was a bomb strike in mosul this

week. >> we have been speaking to al jazeera's report center baghdad. >> i've been speaking to iraqis who have information on the inner workers on the organizations as well as the command structure, and he has contacts inside mosul. they've been telling me that their contact informed them that isil did, indeed, lose a high-ranking official. a high-ranking official has been killed, and they still cannot confirm whom. what we understand is that he was a high ranking member, and he was in charge of iraqi's military operation in iraq. so inindeed it is confirmed that he was killed it will be a blow to the organization. but we also have to remember that isil's--this really is predecessor in al-qaeda and iraq, most of the leadership came from al-qaeda and iraq and they learned from the past.

they made sure that the organization will not just depend on a few leaders replacing them, it would be easy to do. but undoubtedly this man has military skills. he's from mosul, so he knows the city quite well. he's also--he knows the people of the area which gives him credentials and gives him the skills that isil needs. and what really makes it isil controls iraq's largest city, and they talked about a plan that has not materialized yet. in fact, isil has taken mortar tore into the capital o in may. they have not been able to recapture this city. in fact, ill controls most of anbar province, so what would be

a victory is if the coalition and it's partners on the ground are able to take territory, killing a leader undoubtedly will hurt the organization, but it will not bring an end to isil. >> the iraqi military defense inflicted damage on isil in recent airstrikes. it has released video of iraqi fighter jets. the iraqi air force strikes forced heavy losses in men and commitment. it's unclear when it was carried out. meanwhile, isil fighters have destroyed an one and a half thousand-year-old monastery in syria. fighters of the group demolished the monastery with a large tractor. the village 85 kilometers from the city of homs, it included a syrian catholic church once home to monks who farmed the countryside until the end of the

17th century. well, in other developments of syria, people have been killed in eastern aleppo. medical sources say that the planes targeted the countryside, and currently under isil control and a regular target for government forces: syria's conflict is still no closer to resolution, and they've been accused of not doing enough to bring it to an end. 1500 people were killed in a sarin gas attack. they're still waiting for justice. we have their story and a warning that viewers may find the images in the report upsetting. >> the dead and the dying. there was no blood on their bodies. no visible injuries. the attack was different than what syrians have seen before. rockets carrying chemicals landed in the damascus surgeon of gouta.

>> it felt like sects before i lost my ability to breathe. i wasn't able to breathe or even scream to alert my friends. i had to pound my chest really hard to take a single breath. i felt like somebody was tearing up my chest with a knife. >> the 29-year-old survived. hundreds of others didn't. two years later he has a new life in the united states, but he remembers that day clearly. >> it was a scene from judgment day. dozens of people, men, women, children, running and falling on the ground suffocating. the terror, the confusion. it was something unbearable. i just didn't know what to do. >> ho happened did. at the time avenues photographer working in syria. he wanted to document the evidence of a crime he believed the world should see.

>> apart from what i need to know, he has shown me. he has shown me. the eyes and the things that are coming out of their mouth. >> although he has covered the war for many years he said he can't forget what he saw that day. >> to me to see a dead body, it's former. when you see them, you think that after one or two seconds the reality becomes what is really going on. >> the reality was before, an activists where he used to film the suffering of people who continued to live under siege. since the attack he has tried to raise awareness. even at the u.n. and u.s. congress. he said it has all been in vain. >> honestly i feel like i did nothing. i feel like after all this talk, all the people that i met, not

just me, like thousands of syrians here, there is no hope. >> the u.n. concluded that sarin gas was used but said it did not have the mandate to blame anyone. now there was aings resolution against the attacks, but the attacks in 2014 won't be included, yet again denying justice for the people of gouta. >> well, other stories we're following, a gunman as shot and wounded three people on a high speed train traveling from amsterdam to paris before being over powered by passengers. the man open fired on the train. the police are investigating. the french interior is investigating the area where the incident took place. >> the greatest caution should

be to exercise. we have to respect the rules. that's why i'm asking everyone to be cautious guarding reports of the suspect. many travel through turkey and greece and others travel by sea. around a quarter of a million refugees try to reach the italian island of lampedusa. some continue their journey deeper into europe.

well, earlier on this was a scene in calais in northern france around 3,000 people are camped there trying to cross the channel into the u.k. we have more now on the situation in macedonia. >> a cold night in no man's land waiting to cross the border between greece and macedonia. the passage was crossed by riot police. rocks were flown and then this. smoke fills the air with police using stun grenades to try to keep people out. then the ensuing chaos there was panic. most refugees here have escaped conflict and few would have accepted this. later more frustration and fear as numbers built up at the border. it was open for a short time and

then quickly closed again. leaving the crowd desperate to be allowed through. the heat and the crush was too much for some. tens of thousands of people have crossed through macedonia's borders heading north during the last month. too many say the authorities used a state of emergency in two border regions. a transit point for many, most want to reach serbia, hungary and other parts of europe. while the border is still being so closely guarded many will have to stay and wait wherever they can on the greek side. >> there are hundreds of women, children, babies, others with medical needs. most of them if not all of them stay in the open air.

we take all necessary measures for those on the borderline. >> macedonia will allow those enter in numbers that it can cope and care for. but by closing it's borders they may create a backlog of desperate men, women and children unsure where they can go next. knowing that they can't go home. emma hayward, al jazeera. >> still ahead for you on al jazeera, north korea's leader hold military to be ready for war as tensions escalate further. and crisis point, some communities in south africa.

♪ >> welcome back. you're watching al jazeera. let's take you to the top stories. the white house says it has killed isil's second in command. he was killed in a military strike near the iraqi city of mosul on tuesday. at least 15 people have been killed in syrian government airstrikes which targeted the town east of aleppo. hundreds of refugees in an tas attempt to enter greece. now all the stories we're following, greece' main opposition parties are trying to form a new government. it follows the resignation of

alexis tsipras on thursday. after 20 members announce they're formering a new party. we report from the capital of athens. >> the notion of a second election in a year appeals to supporters of prime minister tsipras. >> maybe he'll be able to do better. we expected a different deal, but he tried very hard. >> most greeks want more stability. >> it's a bad idea. we're voting every six months. that suggests something deeply wrong with the political system, and it especially effects those of us who are unemployed. we believe in tsipras. he did not stick to his promises, and if a politician can't do that, it's better if he doesn't stand. >> seven months of negotiations resulted in a third bail out loan.

accompanied by districts aterty measures. a long period of uncertainty allowed the economy to slide back into recession despite an out look of growth. feeling the brunt of an eight-year is he resolutio recession. he has now given up his business. >> tsipras is trying to escape. his party now is, did they bring one euro of the millions back. they said they would abolish the property tax and tear up the austerity deal. it was all grandstanding. they did what they were told. >> the he is rig nation has caused an open season on syriza. they've formed different party. the conservatives want to break off those who lie nearer to the political center 37 pro

austerity properties not including syriza, falling short of the 151 they need to governor in the legislature. the conservatives plan to invite moderate syriza and include a series of prime minister other than mr. tsiprs. but the venture seems ambitious. >> he rose from single digits in just a few years. those who wanted to return to its leftest roots and those who lost voters to it, both wanted to unravel even faster, but greek politics are personality oriented. while the appeal lasts, they're unlikely to succeed. >> u.s. talks have followed other global markets and falling dramatically after china has announced manufacturing figures.

it's fourth straight day of losses and fallen over 5% over all this week, and around the world major indices have been falling. and they've fallen 5.2% since monday. it has fallen at its fastest pace in five years. >> north korea's reader kim jong-un announced it will be on a war footing. it has until saturday afternoon to halt the actions or face military action. >> south korea's president visited the military post flanked by national security advisers. the message being von kayed her personal command of the situation as north and south

korea engaged in one of thei their sporadic face offs. >> i want you to take action first and then report later. >> they followed a late night meeting central military commission in which kim jong-un ordered front line areas into quasi war state and commanders to launch surprise attacks against the south. >> the general staff of the korean people's army sent an ultimatum to the public defense ministry saying that the military would launch a strong military action unless they stop broadcasting towards the north within 48 hours. >> these loud speakers at the border are the source of that war far. south korea began broadcasts of propaganda nearly two weeks ago for the first time in 11 years. it's in response to what happened earlier this month on

the demilitarized zone. they planted landmines that maimed two of its soldiers. the village south of the border is the closest civilian area to where they say the first north korean projectile was fired. north korea's provocation is likely to continue. so we're advising residents to stay in shelters. there are some who went out mostly to carry on their daily business, but we'll advise them to come back to the shelter this evening. >> inside it's the elderly and the young who stayed behind. >> living in this area i've seen many drills and heard explosions. but this time the sound was louder and there was an announcement asking us to evacuate. compared to the past i'm more concerned. >> seeking refugee in this shelter is starting to feel like an uncomfortable habit here.

just last year a north korean anti-aircraft shell fell right here, north korea had been firing at propaganda tearing bowl humans launched btear carrying balloons. >> a multi faced service has been held in thailand at the shrine that was attacked on monday. bangkok residents, officials, terrorists came to pay respects to the victims of the bombing. a popular site at one of the city's busiest intersections. ecuador's government has banned journalists were reporting on a volcano that has erupted for the first time in 70 years. but as mariana ca sánchez

reports. >> after 31 years in the news program, he now watches every word he says on air afraid his radio station will be fined by the government. >> if the government disagrees with our content, with their vision on the issues. that includes saying that we're alive. the station even could lose it's operating license given by the government if the anger the president. >> they're shameless, sick, clowns, psychopaths, manipulative and dison the. >> they don't trust the private media and constantly lashes out against it. private tv station has elimina eliminated investigative reports on corruption to avoid the

president's criticism and to prevent punishment. >> there is a law. it's not that you violate the law and you're punished. you're punished even if you don't vie lit the law, and telling the truth does not exonerate you from penalties. >> since it's creation the law has gone after and fined 143 news organizations. only one of them is public. the rest are private. any information aired or published is subject to scrutiny by a panel named by the government. the government-sponsored radio station. they say that the response is to private interests. the aim is to make journalism independent, rigorous and responsible. >> there isn't any persecution.

>> if you want to publish, you have to do it well. >> it doesn't help to improve the quality of journalism. they say that it is being used as propaganda tools by the government. journalists say that the new regulations mean that their outlet could be discredited or immediately punished even if they can prove that they're telling the truth. >> now italy's civil aviation authority has suspended the license of a helicopter pilot who dropped roses on the funeral of a controversial mafia boss. [ music ] >> the funeral featured music from "the godfather" and a

gilded horse-drawn carriage carrying his casket. now some areas of south africa are facing a sewage crisis with rivers of waste going through communities. they're struggling to cope with increased demands, and that's raising health concerns for people living nearby. we have more on the banks of the dam. >> the sewage plant is filled to the brim. it's operating at double capacity because it has not been able to handle the number of people who live here. forming a wide shallow river that skirts th the area of people's homes. cows have been wallowing in it. nearby people try to make a living from the rubbish, it's work made worse by the added

health hazard. >> the river of waste flows from the dam where water is treated before being supplied to consumers. half of the municipalities around the are affected by the area. >> the government ordered south africa's 824 sewage treatment plants, nearly half failed the inspections and 30% ranked critical over all the government said that the water sanitation situation is improving. >> even though we're looking at--we're seeing progressive upward movement, but you cannot be satisfied with where we need to be.

>> a plan upgrade at this plant can't come soon enough. >> these cows are eating grass that is growing in the dirty water. the overthrow of the sewage plant. but they said that they have plans to replace the cowboys and farmland with 2500 new homes. their homes are surrounded by sewage. >> they don't do anything. >> the government insists it is doing something, families have to walk past pools of sewage every day. >> police in denmark have released surveillance video to kick start a manhunt for two art thieves. the man with a broken nose, and

a bust stolen from a leading copenhagen museum on the 16th of july. two men are suspected of stealing it in broad daylight after earlier disabling the alarm. for more on these stories we have more on www.aljazeera.com. "are you a terrorist"? i'm like... "who says yes"? like seriously, "who says yes"? oh... you got me! you're so tricky... here's the bomb, be careful! >> he's one third of the trio "allah made me funny". >> look at this stage master allah. this is a lot of room for a palestinian, you know? >> the group uses humor to combat islamophobia and challenge misconceptions about muslims. amer is a palestinian, born and