>> you are watching al jazeera. coming up, calls for guatemala's president to step down grow louder as thousands take to the streets in the capital. lending a helping hand, firefighters from australia and new zealand arrive in the u.s. to help battle fires. and boca tha boca har ram, we me

children. dozens of asylum seekers are dead after the boat they were on sank off the libyan coast. many who died were trapped in the hold when it went down. >> the sea has become a dark reminder of people's dispir raise to escape violence, persecution and poverty. in the latest tragedy, another crowded boat sunk short after leaving libya. >> translator: we are migrating, the boat sank. people died. the libyan save us, may god bless us. we have been forced into this

route, it's the route of death. >> libya is one of the main transit route routes. international smugglers. they are forced to live in poor conditions and lack basic medical care. in another tragic incident, a swedish vessel after rescuing hundreds of people from their boat drifting at sea. but dozens others weren't so lucky, their bodies found in the hold of the boat. >> this is one of the tragedies we have seen a lot in the mediterranean. it's the first time for the swedish crew. it's one of many. >> reporter: the u.n. estimates that more than 2,400 people have died trying to cross the sea so

far this year. hundreds of thousands have made the crossing into europe so far this year in a desperate attempt to improve their lives. many are families traveling with children. the european union is trying to find, to establish a coordinated strategy to resolve this latest crisis. in the meantime the people keep coming. austria's interior minister says more than 70 dead refugees were found in an abandoned truck on the side of the motor way. highway patrol discovered the vehicle. an exact death toll will be released later on friday. the bodies were discovered while leaders met to discuss unified approach to the refugee crisis. >> translator: we are all shaken by the news that up to 50 people lost their lives in a situation where criminals facilitating

illegal border crossing didn't care about them, even though they were on the way to places where they thought they would be safe. the head of europe's anti-people smuggling task force says military operations need to be stepped up to tackle the influx of refugees. it is one of the options to be discussed by e.u. defense and foreign ministers meeting next week. the summit will look at increasing the number of warships patrolling the mediterranean sea. they will consider search and diverting vessels suspected of smugglinsmuggling migrants. the think tank, he explains why libya is unable to resolve the issue of human smuggling.

>> there is big changes. libya is a security approach is completely disorganized. the most important is there are groups of countries, you have final destinations like france and germany. but you have transit zones. they are like italy. they have come from the southern border. libya doesn't feel they want to pick up europe's bill. they don't feel the problems of migration based on the problems of civil war. they don't have the economic or political will to deal with this. you have hundreds if not thousands of different groups operating on the ground now. some taking advantage of a very bad situation, one of civil war. they can abate the trafficking. >> anticorruption protesters are keeping up the pressure on the

president to step down. he's becoming increasingly isolated. david mercer has this update. >> reporter: throughout the day thousands have been filing into the city central park in a show of force against corruption in their government. the president has been caught up in a multimillion dollars corruption scandal that brought down his vice president. on friday the country's attorney general put in a request to have the president impeached for alleged involvement in the same multimillion dollars corruption scandal. people say they are tired of the corruption and they need to have some sort of political change. these protesters are taking place against the background of elections which are taking place in guatemala in a week and a half's time. they may not provide them of

relieve, they say the president's resignation would provide them for a positive start. south korea's red cross asked north korea to consider talks for family reunions. they want them to take place. the issue was discussed last week during efforts to deescalate tensions between seoul and pyongyang. hundreds of families have been separated since the end of the korean war in 1953. the last reunion was in 2014. meanwhile, south korea and the u.s. wrapped up their biggest ever joint military drill. around 2,000 soldiers rehearsed a live fire exercise. >> reporter: this combined u.s., south korean drill is the largest. it comes in the same week that north and south korea concluded

a deal settling what was the most serious tensions, one which included an ex-tang o an exchanf artillery. there is a wartime scenario, but a peace time, which involves south korea responding to provocation. supporting forces and the command post responsible for it. that's very much a physical playing out. the president of south korea response policy to any kind of north korean provocation. and watching on as the exercise is carried out fresh from what many people see as a vindication of the government's stance in terms of the negotiated settlement. she maintains her twin track approach, a harsh approach while being open to cultural exchanges.

we have plans for more family reunions between families divided. also, plans for more than regular meetings. in october there is the 70th anniversary of korea ruling workers party. it could be these new slightly warmer relations between north and south in the last few days will find themselves tested pretty soon. isil fighters say they have killed two iraqi field commanders and five of their body guards in the largest province, anbar. while the prime minister called for a decisive battle to retake iraq's largest oil refinery. >> reporter: iraqis shia militias prepare for an assault. this is the image that they want you to see, that they are confident and ready to defeat

isil. the prime minister says that this battle will decide the future of the islamic state fighters in iraq. he hit with senior officers on the outskirts on tuesday. >> translator: now we will plan to secure the whole situation as the enemy have tried to find a break from the pressure it has demanded. the operations are going smoothly and the enemy has been besieged there. they are trying to open another front to jeopardize the situation. the forces to defeat the enemy's plan is a great success. >> reporter: but the country has been here before. the oil refinery and the town have changed hands several times. but neither the iraqis security forces or islamic state have ever been in full control. fuel refinery is a major source of income, but retaking it and holding it will be a big victory for iraq, a victory it badly

needs. in anbar people still try and flee the violence but are held up at the last bridge crossing. isil have killed senior field military commanders in an attack that's seen as a serious blow to the security forces who are losing experienced commanders and a sign that isil is far from defeated. much more coming up on al jazeera. >> that's not a finished job. that's not a full recovery. >> president barack obama returns to new orleans to mark strides and setbacks ten years after hurricane katrina. and when you are home is a battle ground, how south africa's government is helping women trapped in abusive relationships.

>> hello again. let me take you through the headlines. dozens of refugees when a boat they were on sank. officials say it was overcrowded with about 400 people on board. austria's interior ministry says more than 70 dead refugees were founds in an abandoned truck. tens of thousands of anticorruption protesters rallied in guatemala calling for the president to step down. he's accused of involvement in a

multimillion dollars cuss tops fraud which forced his deputy to resign earlier this year. properly erika making its way across peurto rico. 20 people are missing. it caused extensive damage. it's expected to reach hurricane status as it approaches southern florida on monday. it's been ten years since hurricane katrina devastated new orleans and large parts of the u.s. gulf coast. u.s. president barack obama met with some residents who were able to return. but for many others that hasn't been possible. >> reporter: this isn't president obama's first time in new orleans. he has marked anniversaries before. unlike previous visits, he

talked about the city's rising poverty, addressing a crowd, he tackled the issue head on. >> our work here won't be done when almost 40% of children still live in poverty in this city. that's not a finished job. that's not a full recovery. >> reporter: outside the new $20 million community center, residents waited to catch a glimpse of the president. he remains popular in the community, but many have complaints about what they see as the city's uneven recovery. >> they should have gave it to the people here. the majority of the people was black and poor. >> to rent a home now, one bedroom, is at least $900. so the rental issue for housing, the market just is skyrocketed. >> to compound that, they still carry highly visible scars of a storm that for many changed

everything. to witness the challenges president obama was talking about, you only have to walk a couple of streets from where he made his speech to see things like this, less than half of the population returned to the city. and to address the challenges of weddldisparity. they have made significant progress. the president acknowledged that. >> i'm here to say, i'm here to hold up a mirror and say because of you, the people of new orleans, working together, this city is moving in the right direction. and i have never been more confident that together we will get to where we need to go. you inspire me. >> reporter: the president's focus on poverty and race will be welcomed by many here. but tackling those problems may take many more years.

for seven years it was one of the most established camps in paris, but it's estimated 300 residents will need to find a new home. french police evicted residents. >> reporter: rain wasn't going to stop the clearance of the camp. dozens of people sealed off the area. they salvaged what they could. and in the pooring rain began their search for a new places to live. this is as close as we can get to the camp which in the last seven years has become home to 300 people, including dozens of women and children, most of whom attended the local schools and as of right now are on the move and homeless yet again. a local counselor was on hand to explain why this was happening. >> translator: expulsion of the camp is a court order.

a judge instructed by the town hall which owns the land decided to order the evacuation. the people in the camp have had six months to organize their departure. >> reporter: we only visited the camp which provided some stability. the local counsel complained it received no help from french governments that have shown little patience for them and have been susceptible to the protests of local people. this is one of the 80 families who called this place home. there are we have to sleep on the streets or in front of the town hall. what can we do. if they throw us out, where can we sleep. i have four children. >> closing the camp moves the problem somewhere else. >> translator: every time they are expelled, these people have to move and start again from zero. we have to find them again when they are spread out. we have to recontact them.

we have to find them new jobs, new schools, we have to start again from scratch. >> reporter: they wanted authorities to let them stay, improve the facilities while slowly rehousing them. but this is a time of budgeted cuts a critical housing shortage and the government seems unwilling to reintegrate them. u.s.a. lawmakers have been urged to boost funding for firefighting. they are battling more than 60 blazes across the northwest. >> reporter: it start in late june, but the dozens of fires attacking the state of washington have grown so large thousands of local firefighters are struggling to contain the flames. that's why help has been brought in as far away from new zealand and australia. >> it's not fire season in

australia. we have only one fire of any significance. >> reporter: they are battling a record forest fire season that has scorched more than 400,000-hectares. >> this is driven by the dry fuels. the rugged terrain and the weather, the winds. >> reporter: the fires have burned to a few kilometers south. canadian border. southern interior residents in british columbia are on alert for fear of high winds, dropping showers of hot embers on homes. in washington state hundreds of thousands of u.s. residents have been ordered to leave. >> a lot of those people have followed those evacuations. they are in shelters. >> reporter: a congressional hearing is being held in washington state to discuss how to finance the cost of battling the fires.

the governor has been surveying the damage. >> we hope the wind doesn't do what we think it might do today. >> reporter: nature is not cooperating. they are expected to get even worse this week from tinder dry conditions, high winds and more warm temperatures in the forecast. the dead sea in the middle east is drying. >> reporter: it's one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. the dead sea which borders israel, the occupied west bank and jordan is shrinking. the ancient salt lake famous for its salted water has been losing a meter of its waters every year. a tour guide says the decline of the dead sea and indifference of

neighboring governments has been shocking. >> i see the dead sea as an international property. it's really one in a kind in the world. and it should be an international world heritage. instead, we are destroying it and it's being degraded from day to day. >> reporter: the dead sea is shrinking because 70% of natural water sources are diverted by israel, but also jordan and to a lesser degree syria for farming and drinking water. the rest is caused by israeli potash mining operations. while the situation is worrying environmentalists, they are concerned about the hundreds of sink holes that have opened up around it. some are as wide as 14 fields and as deep as a two story buildings. swallowing up roads and power

lines. >> actually [indiscernible] sink hole development is a drop in the level of red sea and associated with that drop is a drop in the groundwater level and that causes areas that were previously within salty water to be flushed with fresh water. >> reporter: some projects have been launched, but it could take decades to repair the ecological damage. and that until neighboring countries stop diverting waters to the ancient lake, or put in an end to their mining practices, it's all but certain to dry up. boko haram violence has made thousands of children orphans. but one school away from the violence is offering them a new start in life.

>> reporter: this is what boko haram doesn't want them to have, an education. these children's parents were killed by the armed group in northern nigeria. their school and home for now offers them a new start. but the transition has not been easy. >> we are trying gradually to bring them out of the bad experience, at least let them forget about some of the bad experience. it's a process, it's a gradual process and they are coming out gradually from the bad situation. >> reporter: it's been six months since they have been here trying to adjust. the children may be making progress, trying to be kids again. most will live with the trauma they experienced for the rest of their lives. some have seen what no child

should ever see. many are still in shock. this boy was sad. fighters decapitated his father in front of him. he says very little and is detached from the rest. he tells me he wants to be a doctor to help people in pain. his adjustment to life has been particularly hard. the impact of boko haram is physical and psychological. he was shot in the face. he's having nightmares and behaves abnormally. the school has 100 children and more are expected. >> for us to take care of the children in the primary school. it's a matter much determination. we are the determination which will not allow these children to

be disadvantaged in terms of normal growth. >> reporter: back at the school it's playtime. at least to help take their minds off what they have been through, the teachers say they keep asking when their parents will come for them and when they are going home. 24 hour south africa is providing counseling for victims of the domestic abuse. with one in three in an abusive relationship, we have the story from johannesburg. >> reporter: this is jenny. it's not her real name. with nowhere else to go, she came to this woman's shelter.

[indiscernible] i have to do it for myself. >> reporter: jenny suffered years of physical abuse. south africa has one of the highest levels of violence against women. there is a dedicated call center for victims. since the center opened a year and a half ago, it's received more than 4,000 calls, all of them from women and children. they are referred to the necessary services in the area. the center employs dozens of social workers available 24 hour as day. >> we have also changed the way we deliver social services. we never had social workers giving counseling. we recognize that technology can play a vital role in delivering

social services including gender based violence. >> reporter: there are concerns that some abuse victims still afraid to ask for help. south africa's minister of women's affairs. >> the challenge is the issue of the mindset. and moving towards making sure that the change of attitudes, change of mindset. we still have a lot to do. >> reporter: while new laws protect women, there are concerns about how they are enforced. >> when women get killed every day. some get killed with protection orders in their hands. as a country, we have got to go back and dialogue about how the justice system, how police, how do they fail women in this country. >> reporter: for women such as jenny, until her partner respects her rights, this

shelter remains her home. our focus back on the refugees and some of the horrific ordeals. you can find those stories and much, much more on our website, www.aljazeera.com. let's check the team of hardcore nerds. specialising in ecology and revolution. tonight the green game. san francisco's new stadium has solar power, the green group, and recycled water. how green is it.