? >> talk about a solitary life, we are in a california town that's home to just one man.

we begin with the latest from pakistan where the army is fighting taliban gunmen that stormed an air force base. it attacked around five hours ago. it's used as barracks to house soldiers. it also attacked a mosque and 16 people have reported to have been killed there. nicole johnston is there. what's the latest? >> the latest is the reports are that 16 people have been killed inside a mosque inside that air base. so this really ramps up the scale and intensity of the attack. a few hours ago it looked like

the military wrapped up the attack. but it is now ongoing. it's a blow to pakistani military that the taliban was not only able to attack the guard room of this air force base, they were able to get inside, into the mosque during morning prayers. three security forces have been killed and the pakistani military is saying they have killed 13 fighters. the pakistani taliban has a different story. as i said, they are saying their operation is still ongoing against the military and that one of their fighters has been killed. a morning of high drama, a city that has been relatively quiet up until this point. there has been helicopters hovering above the city all morning, that area is locked down while the operation continues. and we are waiting to see now how long it will take for the military to finally wrap things up there. >> there was that high profile attack on the army public school

last december. why is the taliban attacking the military? >> well, this is likely to be the pakistani military blow-back for the military prague operatis group. ever since the school was attacked when 132 students were killed, the military focused its attention on trying to tackle the pakistani taliban. there's been ongoing operations all over the country. in the big cities, the military has been cracking down on the taliban there as well as in the tribal region which borders here. it's been a big operation in the area, ongoing operations for the last couple of years, only a few kilometers from here. this is the pakistani taliban

saying that it can still strike at the heart of the military, that even though it's under pressure, it still has the resources and the ability to carry out an attack in an important city and right at the military on this air force base. keeping in mind this air force base isn't operational. it doesn't have military access inside such as military jets. there are certainly a military personnel living in the area it's a residential area where a lot of the higher officers have their homes and families. croatia is struggling to deal with thousands of refugees that made their way into the country. it's closed seven of its eight border crossings. croatia has become the main alternative route for people traveling from serbia after hungary shut its border. that's creating a bottleneck for

many trying to reach slovenia with the same of ending up in austria. more than 11,000 people have passed through croatia in the past two days. on thursday there were chaotic scenes as hundreds rushed passed police to board buses. thousands wait in cues to cross over. many people who made it to croatia are trapped. they have been moved into camps and don't know when they will be allowed to leave. we have been to one of those camps in more than croatia. >> reporter: ahmed thought fences were a thing of the past. that croatia would be for him and so many others a route to slovenia. instead, he feels trapped again. he tells me this delay is a complete surprise. and that many here would have

paid a smuggler to help them on their way if they only had the money to do so. >> translator: it costs 2,000 euros to take you from serbia to hungary. >> reporter: hundreds here came from syria. many were met with force from riot police. children injured in those clashes are easy to spot. tensions are very much rising here at this hour. most of the refugees i have spoken with said they expected to be in slovenia. here at this camp more tents are put up. preparations are being made to handle a more influx of people. they don't know when they can leave. one refugee is enraged at the inhumane conditions he and his family have experienced. >> translator: we are being treated like animals. animals are treated better than

us. >> reporter: he's gone four days without a proper shower. and that today things have even gotten worse. >> translator: i wanted to go to the toilet for ten hours. there are women and children with us. what am i supposed to do? i'm embarrassed to go in front of them. there is no cleanliness, no hygiene, nothing. >> reporter: croatia doesn't have the capacity to handle too large an influx of refugee. even this facility is stretched beyond capacity. some begin sitting outside the makeshift camp. others go searching for solutions, looking for taxis, buses, even sim cards. something, anything, that will help them figure out their next move. a mass rally is getting under way in finland's capital. tens of thousands of workers are beginning a strike there. let's go live to helsinki.

what's all this about? >> well, twenty trade unions representing more than 2 million finish workers are calling a one day strike today. they will shut down the country for several hours. the finish government says the economy here is in serious condition. so they have proposed various cuts to overtime pay, be a bow list of two paid holidays per year and other measures that will bring down the cost of labor by about 5%. the unions have rejected this. they say that the center right government is not playing the usual role of reaching a consensus between government employers and employees. and so the country will be shut down. you can see behind me in

helsinki's main square several thousand people gathering to show their defiance of these government proposals. the shutdown includes all rail, plane, all public transport shut down putting the entire country at a stand still all day. >> the government can't afford the demands that the union is placing upon it. so to what extent is this strike going to have any impact at all on the government's thinking? >> it's not so much that the unions are coming up with new demands. it's this model of relatively generous social benefits and pay which has been the rule in nordic countries until recently, is now, according to the government here, unsustainable. so the country has been in recession for three years. the traditional centers of

prosperity which were the timber industry and the technology industry have withered and unemployment is over 9%. the government is now setting another deadline by the end of this month going to the trade unions saying let's work something out, let's come to a compromise so that we can save the country essentially from a very serious economic crisis. yet another eurozone nation falling into economic difficulties. >> thanks. a delegation of leaders from the bloc of west african nations was due to arrive trying to negotiate with an army general who led a coup and captured the interim president and prime minister. three people were killed when hundreds of demonstrators

against the takeover. >> reporter: uproar on the streets. gunfire rang out as people protested against the coup in the capital. people started to come out in front of us, we saw a military vehicle that drove into the people and they started shooting, killing people. >> translator: if we are here today, it's to stand up the interests of the presidential card which is killing civilians and threatening people. >> reporter: it's a dramatic turn of events after an uprising last october when he tried to expand his 27 year rule. a transitional government had been preparing for elections next month until the elite presidential guard took over on wednesday. the man in charge now says the vote will take place, but at a later time. >> we have to discuss it with

concerned actors and civil society in order to establish a timetable for a quick presidential and legislative elections. we don't intend to stay. we don't intend to do more than what needs to be done, unlike what some people think. >> reporter: the general was chief of the presidential guard and long time aid of the former president. his whereabouts are unknown raising speculation of a political plot. many people are concerned the presidential guard does not want an election to happen. >> ever since the country became independent in the 1960s, the army has been the main power. they feel threatened that real democracy is coming. if they allow the elections to go ahead, they will be marginalized and they won't play the political role that they play in the politics and

economics. >> the united nations condemned the coup. the interim president and prime minister remain detained. the country's air and land borders are closed. and the democratic transition has been thrown into doubt. still to come here on al jazeera, we'll tell you about the vote in japan that could lead to a dramatic shift in the country's military policy. we meet the unlikely heros clearing mozambique of its lethal civil war legacy.

>> millions at stake. shady investments. limited oversight. >> super pacs are part of the wild wild west of campaign finance. >> could actor daniel craig be the latest super pac scam victim? an ali velshi, on target, special investigation.

>> hello again. the top storys on al jazeera. pakistani army are fighting gunmen that stormed a base. they also attacked a mosque inside the compound. 16 people are killed there. croatia is struggling to deal with refugees. it's closed all but one of its border crossings. the u.n. security council expressed concerns over violence at jerusalem's holiest site. it's called for calm after

several days of protests. let's take you live to east jerusalem. of course, friday, the muslim day of prior. what's the mood there right now? >> at the moment, it's pretty calm. worshipers are streaming into the old city. those are allowed to enter. all women, no restrictions, any woman can go in. when it comes to men, anyone over the age of 40 is allowed. anyone under 40 not allowed to enter. this is according to israeli police. they have intelligence that the younger men are intending to protest, riot, because there is so much anger as to what's been happening. we know that the authorities here are extremely concerned about this day. thousands of extra security forces have been deployed on the old city. they are border police, they are riot police and undercover.

we'll be going inside to keep an eye on what is happening. it is tense. the compound is an extremely sensitive site for muslims and jews. we have heard international reaction putting pressure on the israeli government calling for calm. even jordan saying our ties will break, one of the best allies in the region if you don't do more to control the situation. what will happen is crucial. prayers to start in just over an hour. it's cordoned off. you can see behind me there are age checks on two points around the area before they can enter the damascus gate. so security incredibly tight. >> thanks. japan's government is making a final push to pass a controversial security bill. if passed it will allow japanese soldiers to be deployed overseas for the first time since the second world war. it's triggered heated debate insight parliament and daily protests against it on the

streets. more from rob mcbride in tokyo. >> reporter: as this marathon session drags on, the opposition parties are putting forward a number of no confidence motions, forcing this crucial debate on the security bills. for his part, shinzo abe is determined they will be passed by the end of this session. he is now up against the clock. the concern is that if these bills are not passed in this session, then they will be hanging over into next week which is a holiday period here in japan. the concern is that the protest we have seen outside the japanese parliament may well be swelled, may well become angrier especially if protesters feel they have a way, a possibility they could talk these bills out of the present session of parliament. they believe this takes japan a

very step out of passivism. this brings the constitution more up to date and in particular, when it comes to the control of the self-defense forces that japan can take a more active participation in security operations abroad, in peacekeeping operations and also working along side american allies. >> ecuador's capital has been blanketed by smoke. forest fires are starting to close in. dozens are scrambling to put up out the fires. the government has asked neighboring countries for help. more now from david mercer who is in one area where the blazes have been contained. >> we are on the outskirts of the capital city of ecuador. you can see the damage that was caused by these forest fires that have been going on for the past couple of weeks.

the low brushes charged. you can still smell the charcoal in the air. if you look up here to my left, you can see a house, you can see how the fire came up to the doorstep just a couple of meters away. hinns of people were evacuated. they are back in their homes now. the fire chief who we spoke to today says the fires have been contained. that's thanks to the arrival of hundreds of other firefighters. it was in valleys that the fires often started. the investment minister says 70% were started by people. the interior minister has put out a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest anybody suspected of starting the fires. we are at the end of a long, hot dry summer. the winds are picking up in the afternoon, creating the conditions that firefighters are afraid could start a fresh blaze. for now things are calm. people are still on high alert.

>> chile's president visited some of the areas worst hit by a powerful earthquake. she promised aid for the victims. 11 people were killed in the 8.3 magnitude quake. it triggered waves as high as 4 1/2 meters in some areas. police in indonesia are investigating more than 20 companies forest fires that caused thick smog. schools have been closed and some flights have been delayed. >> reporter: there's been a slight improvement in air quality. a cloud seeding operation, rain and change in wind direction have helped disburse the mutants in the air. schools that were shut in several states have been allowed to reopen. the thick cloud of smoke or haze is caused by open burning in indonesia where fire is used to

clear land for farming or plantation. it's illegal. but enforcement is weak. this is a problem that not only affects indonesia and neighbors where thousands of people complain of difficulties. visibility is reduced. there is talks that this weekend's formula one race could be affected. they have not been able to come up with an effective solution that can tackle this problem which has become an annual occurrence. but indonesia has promised to step up enforcement. police have detained executives whose companies who alleged to have started some of the fires. mexico has arrested a high ranking gun member. lopez was captured on wednesday. the students went missing in september last year after a protest.

111 people suspected of involvement in their disappearance have been arrested. we report from mexico city. >> reporter: lopez, the man who has been areved, could be a key part in the puzzle of finding out what happened to 43 students abducted last september in mexico. they were kidnapped by the police and turned over to a gang. lopez was part of that gang. his former accomplices and the former head of that gang have testified that he is the person that ordered the killing and then the burning of those students in a municipal rubbish dump. that's the official version of what happened. but since then, just over a week ago a group of independent experts released an over 500 page report. they said it was scientifically impossible that an open fire in that rubbish dump could have burned those 43 students to the

fact that they were unidentifiable. so now it's going to be interesting if the testimony of lopez becomes at any point public and if he can throw any light on what exactly did happen that night and to those students. mozambique has been declared free of land mines. there were 200,000 of them. >> these huge rodents are the unlikely heros in the success in eliminating land mines. the southern african nation is the first country to be completely cleared of the lethal legacy of the civil war. it's been slow work that's taken two decades. about 170,000 land mines have been cleared. it's a breakthrough for the continent. >> minings take away land for

development. mow amazon.com being can move forward to claim that land used for agriculture, development and infrastructure. it's great news for us. >> the land mines may be gone but their effects are clear. it's estimated they have killed or wounded hundreds of people. her foot was shattered when she took a wrong step. it's 16 years since the mine band convention came into force. 162 people have signed on. countries like china have millions of land mines stockpiled. when the ban came into expect, about 20,000 people a year were being killed or injured. the achievement in being declared land mine free could

inspire other countries that it is possible. >> these weapons are designed to kill or maim. while the people may now be safe, work continues on clearing land mines in a number of countries, including sri lanka, angola and colombia. think of the u.s. state of california, places like hollywood or silicon valley spring to mind. there is another side of the state, home to hundreds of ghost towns. >> reporter: this is belarat, california. there are no phones, no cell signal, not even a television and no mail service either. but it does have something. meet rocky novak. for the past 11 years, the one and only resident. he's trying to preserve the history of this once thriving

and wild mining town that over a century ago was an important hub for mineral exploration. >> here's original photos in its day. this is 1898 photo. there's the cam way hotel. >> this town was quite a town. >> bank, post office, they had a store. and had seven saloons, four brothels and a cemetery. >> everything a miner would want. >> just about everything a miner would want and need. too bad they don't have that now. [laughter] >> reporter: today the town is an open air museum. in disrepair, yes. but a couple old buildings are still standing. artifacts still standing where they were left a century ago. rocky represents a last line of defense, a man doing his part to try to preserve a little piece of american history that so many have forgotten about. if he wasn't here, this is a

place that would almost certainly not exist. >> there was nobody here, this place would be gone in a week. >> why? >> vandalized. it would be vandalized. if they knew this place was open, there was nobody here, i mean, this place would be carried off in a week. >> there are an estimated 250 ghost towns in california alone. like this one, they represent the boom and bust gold rush era, history of the america west. but it's fast disappearing with the passing of time. this building once a casino in 1907, today locked up to keep looters away and preserve the rest. that's rocky's mission, to keep the history alive and at least in this ghost town, he's the only man left standing to do it.

there's much more real news from al jazeera featuring stories like that, along with analysis and opinion and plenty of video. take a look at our website at www.aljazeera.com. >> this week on talk to al jazeera, renowned architect david adjaye. he's designing the smithsonian's national museum of african american history and culture on the mall in washington, d.c. >> i think that what the world will see is that the african american story is not a footnote, but probably the lens to really understand america, to this day. >> from a cancer treatment center in rwanda to an affordable housing project in new york, plus dozens of projects in development around the world, adjaye says he is