of those societies right now would get a great of incomplete. i'm ray suarez, and that's the inside story. ♪ this is al jazeera america. live from new york city. i'm tony harris. [ sirens blaring ] >> deadly earthquakes, central asia rocked by nature's fury. the search for survivors and the struggle to get help. warning could cause cancer, bacon and deli meet in the same category as tobacco. we know statistically that there's a racial bias that has

been built into the death penalty. >> from the death penalty to jail sentences, the president's plan to reshape america's criminal justice system. ♪ and we begin with a powerful earthquake that has brought death and reinstruction to parts of east asia. the earthquake was centered in the hindu mountains in northern afghanistan, it was also felt in pakistan and as far away as india. the quake damaged or destroys thousands of buildings across the region. it is also blamed for several landslides including this one in afghanistan. the tremor forced a news anchor to get up and leave the studio. jennifer glasse has more.

>> reporter: the dead and the wounded here in afghanistan are in 11 of the country's 34 provinces, really an indicator of how widespread this earthquake was felt. we felt it here in kabul, we are 260 kilometers away from the epicenter in the northeast of the country. the injured in the north, east, central afghanistan, again, across nearly a third of the country, a very tragic story of 12 schoolgirls who died because they -- of a stampede at their -- at their school in northern afghanistan. the girls panicked when the earthquake happened. they panicked and were trampled to death. it is the biggest earthquake that has been felt in decades here. here in the capitol, certainly many people went on to the streets trying to get away from buildings, worried that they might be hurt.

and we do know that the casualty level is quite high here. even worse in neighboring pakistan. one of the big concerns some of the villages are in very remote areas, difficult to get to on the best of days, but in this situation, even harder. so afghan officials are working to get to any affected community. the chief executive officer of afghanistan called an emergency meeting. he asked health officials, doctors, nurses, any kind of health support to go to clinics and hospitals to help those who have been wounded and called on afghan businessmen and non-governmental agencies here in afghanistan and around the world to offer what help -- what support they can no afghanistan to this region, devastated by this very, very large earthquake. >> the earthquake was also felt in pakistan and india. northwestern pakistan was

particularly hard hit. large number of buildings were damaged or destroyed. caroline malone as more on how any quake affected pakistan and india. >> reporter: buildings were hit with the force of a strong quake even though the epicenter was hundreds of kilometers away. video caught the moment the quake hit here. people watched anxiously as the road shook overhead. many injured were brought to this hospital. and in the capitol islamabad, people evacuated from buildings fearing the effects of after shocks. >> translator: it was a severe earthquake we told the students to rush out, and they all started going out. we rushed down amid the shouting and screaming. it lasted for around a minute or more. after five minutes when we went

up the building has suffered severe damage. there are cracks in the walls. >> reporter: people also felt the effects in indian-controlled kashmir where 500-year-old structures were badly damaged. >> translator: that wall in the famous fort has been totally damaged. >> reporter: parts of the metro train line were temporarily halted. it's a seismically active region. ten years ago a similar-strength earthquake hit northern pakistan. this time the quake was deeper, 200 kilometers down, but even so, the damage is clear above ground. caroline malone. al jazeera. now to the unrest between israel and the palestinians. the european union's foreign policy chief met with the palestinian president in brussels. the talks are aimed at restoring peace around the al-aqsa mosque

in jerusalem, the violence continues on the ground, a palestinian man was shot and killed in hebron today. the israeli authorities say he tried to stab a soldier near where the prophet abraham is to be buried. they are also trying to reduce tensions around the jerusalem mosque. >> reporter: over the weekend, the secretary of state john kerry met with palestinian president abbas, and after that meeting he called on leaders to lead. he said that measures must be taken to try to tamp down the violence -- the cycle of violence that has been escalated over the last few weeks, but the statement we have heard tonight here in brussels from president abbas, there was no indication that he was going to make a call for the end to the violence. he was blaming it very much on the israelis, and the key issue that he raised was not only the

fact there was no political horizon, no hope for the youth and young palestinians. he said the israelis had changed the status quo on the al-aqsa mosque. this is the third most holy shrine in israel, and the most holy shrine for the jewish religion as well. and he was saying there were incursions the israelis were allowing. i think that was referring to an increased activity by jewish religious leaders, and they wish to get into the compound to have prayers. he was blaming that very much on the cycle of violence that we're seeing. he didn't make any call for damping down or tamping down that violence, and that, i think, is exactly what we didn't expect because john kerry the

u.s. secretary of state was asking leaders on both sides to try to get this violence to end. we didn't hear that from president abbas tonight. e.u. foreign ministers are holding talks on the syrian conflict. they are divided on whether to include bashar al-assad in any political settlement. also on the table how to deal with the influx of refugees into europe. robin forester walker reports. >> reporter: the promise of 400 extra police from the european union, may come as a relief for the sla screenian authorities, but relief for the refugees. i tried to ask people how they spent the night. not enough water said this man. finally some were allowed to leave for an austrian-bound train. but members of this family had

been left behind. >> one of my brothers, and my sister's husband, the camp, they didn't let them come out. >> reporter: by the afternoon the camp was ready for more arrivals. this is just the latest batch of hundreds of refugees to arrive at this holding facility. the police people to be doing a very good job at crowd control, but the humanitarian effort from what we have seen isn't quite as adequate. aid agencies, such as this one, say more resources are needed, though they stress that the slow screenian authorities are cooperating closely with them. but these volunteers say they have been obstructed. >> to be disallowed to hand blankets to people when we have sufficient to get to the children and family -- i mean this is disgusting. before you even get to

the -- the -- the food issues or the -- the restriction of medical aid to those who need it. >> reporter: the civil protection agency says volunteers need to register with recognized organizations. but the police are stopping everybody from going in there. this is what is happening? >> i think. i'm not from the police, but i think that is -- for -- their security. >> reporter: swamped by up to 15,000 hungry and exhausted new arrivals a day, help cannot come soon enough. inside syria, there is a new push to end the use of barrel bombs. france says it will submit a draft to the u.n. security council on tuesday demanding a resolution. on the ground russian-backed air strikes continue reportedly displacing more civilians across the country. the syrian regime says a

political solution is only possible after defeating what it calls terrorist element inside the country. the former secretary general of nato says the involvement of russia in syria will only make the matter worse. >> you can't both save assad and fight islamic state. you can't both save assad, and stop the civil war in syria. it's very hard to see a long-term sustainable solution in syria that includes assad as part of that solution. if the russians really fight islamic state, i would welcome it. this problem is the russians apparently are also bombing what i would call the moderate opposition, and that's exactly where the russian presence in syria will not stop the bloodshed, but on the contrary

will prolong the conflict. >> you can see more of that interview at 9:00 eastern time. in turkey two policemen are dead after a shootout with isil fighters. it happened here turkey's border with syria and iraq. bernard smith has more. >> reporter: sustained gunfire echoed around the neighborhood. two police officers were killed by booby trap bombs as they broke down a door at one apartment. seven suspected members of isil were killed in the shootout that followed according to the police. >> translator: this was a very important operation planned and conducted successfusuccessfully. two very important isil groups have been neutralized. >> reporter: these were among a series that have taken place across turkey in the wake of the

bombing that killed 102 people. the government says isil was responsible. this is the first time on turkish soil that there has been a shootout involving isil. it highlights the increasing threat the group poses to this country, adding to the security headache, national elections here on sunday. then in mid-november, word leaders head to the southern coast for the g-20 leader's summit. bernard smith, al jazeera. canadian officials are investigating a boat accident that killed at least five people this weekend. it hatch -- happened off of the coast of british columbia. the boat was on a whale-watching tour when it sank. >> it will be days, weeks, if not months to really understand what has happened. this is a very small coastal community, we have a strong

maritime decision. and the whale-watching industry, so people are very aware that the ocean is unpredictable at times, and we do live on a very rugged coast. >> the boat was owned by jamie's whaling station and adventure center. another boat owned by the company capsized in 1998, killing two people. up next a report that could change the way millions of people would eat. why the world health organization is tying processed meat to cancer. and the bidding process for the next big defense contract.

there is a new warning today linking processed meets to cancer. the world health organization now says meats like bacon and sausage are likely carcinogenic. wayne haye has more. >> reporter: for some people the perception of meat may have changed forever. that's because the international agency for research on cancer, which is part of the world health organization has classified processed meat as a cancer-causing substance. it says if you eat 50 grams of processed meat a day, it will increase your chances of

developing cancer of the colon by 20%. in china where meatballs are a large part of the diet, it's concerning. >> in the morning we have to hurry to go somewhere, so parents tend to buy something easy for children to eat. so this might be the cause of -- like they eat sausage or like processed eat every day. >> processed meet is preserved by adding chemicals. now it rates alongside the likes of asbestos, and red meat is in the next list of things that probably cause cancer, like herbicides, lead compounds, malaria, fumes from fried food. the meat industry the u.s. spoke

out. >> it's their job to find cancer hazards, but the body of scientific evidence shows that red and processed meat can be part of a healthy, balanced diet. >> reporter: this is not the first time that certain meats have been linked to cancer. it went up by 25% in ten years since 2003. this report focuses on the ingredients and compounds, but it doesn't focus on lifestyle choices that people who eat a lot of meat might also be making. the w.h.o. classifications help governments around the world find ways of making their populations healthier. >> joining us now is dr. celine. good to see you again.

we're having you on three or four times a day now, aren't we. [ laughter ]. >> come on. it's not as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. >> it's not dangerous, but it's not just about cancer. it's heart attacks, stroke. not just cancer. >> what is the association between cancer, processed meats, red meats, explain it for us, please. >> so as your report mentioned processed meats, in order to process preserve meats you have to add preservives, you might also be smoking them, adding things like salt, sugar and fat. red meat is a little bit different. red meats we see an association, but that doesn't prove that it causes cancer, and i would say we're sort of where we are in the 1940s with tobacco and

cancer. we see an association, but we haven't proven red meat causes cancer. >> but now the evidence is really clear between cigarettes and cancer. it would be on the same path here. >> processed meats we're prettiture that causes cancer, with red meat, we may have more definitive evidence. tobacco you are talk about a 10, 20, 40 fold increase of lung cancer, whereas with red meat you are looking more at something like one-fifth. >> but we're talking about eating processed meats every day for years, right? >> uh-huh. >> and red meat to run up against these guidelines you are talking about red meat every day steaks every day for years of your life, right? >> i can tell you i have

patients who will stop by mcdonald's every morning on the way to work, and have mcdonald's for lunch and meat and potatoes for dinner. >> if you live in these food deserts, there are a lot of communities in this country that don't have the benefit of a supermarket, right? to get fresh vegetables and fruits. so you could foreseeably see some of these people in these food desserts pushing this over time. >> yes, processed meats are really a problem of poverty in the united states. and that's why we see obesity in these communities as well. >> but there are better sources to get lean, processed proteins, right? and i think you made the point

that fish and poultry are better options? >> yeah, and the key is to have a well-balanced diet. fish, chicken, not to mention cheap and healthy sources of protein like beans and lentils. we should be cutting back on red meat, for sure on processed foods, and we could all stand to eat more fruits and vegetables and cut back on the carbohydrates, potatoes, and noodles. >> could a report like this provide the basis for the fda to start to have a discussion about labeling meats? >> we see some labeling changes in the works. so we have had some changes on how the fats are broken down on your food labeling. we're going to now see more specific labels about added

sugars. often portion size is really important. a lot of people will drink the whole container, and that's a lot more than a portion size. >> all right. stop calling me out. doctor thank you. [ laughter ]. stocks well today as investors look ahead to this week's federal reserve meeting. interest rates are not expected to rise due to the current uncertainty with the global economy. the fed left interest rates untouched in september which helped spark a bit of a rally on wall street. the pentagon said it's time to upgrade their bomber fleet. but how much will it cost taxpayers? ali velshi is here with more. >> tony tomorrow the u.s. air force is expected to pick the company that will provide their

next bomber. it has been billed as the most highly anticipated defense contract in years. the winner will get the privilege of selling 80 to 100 long-range -- bombers to the air force. they will eventually outplace the outdated b-1, and we're still flying the b52. now the new planes will fly alongside the stealth. the difference is that these new bombers are expected to be even more stealthy. if you are wondering what more stealthy is, that is not entirely clear, specifics are still top secret. but they are likely to have jamming capabilities, and communication systems that are capable of surviving a nuclear

blast. the first version is going to be flown by pilots and carry conventional weapons, but eventually they will be flown as drones without pie lots and store a nuclear payload. it's an $80 billion contract. and those kind of projects rarely stay within budget. senators in both parties have expressed concerns over how much this whole project will actually cost, so these planes might be seeing a bit of a battle in congress, before they see battle in the air, tony. >> ali appreciate. watch ali velshi on target. a u.s. navy ship has been ordered to set sail soon into part of the south china sea claimed by china. the guided missile destroyer will sail within a 12-mile area near artificial islands build by

china. the freedom of navigation mission could take place within the next few hours. as rob mcbride reports, china is establishing its next five-year plan. >> reporter: it may seem out of place, but this five-year plan comes at an important time in china's development, most importantly, people will be waiting to see what china sets as its gdp targets for the next five years. people are anticipating a figure of well below the current 7%. this comes at an important time for china, as it transitions away from an economy driven by investment in large infrastructure projects, and more into consumerism. an important aspect is how the government delivers a higher

income society, one where people have a greater share in the nation's wealth. >> translator: i don't think the policy is going to change my life. >> translator: i think some industries might do better, like my business, real estate. >> reporter: of course if we have more money, we will spend more. >> reporter: apart there the economic targets are the social goals, such as greater welfare health for the 17 million people in china officially below the poverty line, and possibly further relaxation of the one-child policy. in a society where sometimes the decision-making is not very transparent or even opaque, the five year plan gives one of the clearest indicators of just the kind of society, china wants to see itself become in the future. up next, the lasting effect of ferguson, why the director of

the fy says the shooting and protests have changed the way police do business. and the president's push to change jail sentences and the death penalty. ♪

>> al jazeera america primetime. get the real news you've been looking for. at 7:00, a thorough wrap-up of the day's events. then at 8:00, john seigenthaler digs deeper into the stories of the day. and at 9:00, get a global perspective. weeknights, on al jazeera america.

>> so in the past few months, crime rates have spiked in many american cities. and the fbi director has a controversial as to why. he told lawsuits in chicago that additional scrutiny and criticism of police officers may be contributing factors in the wake of highly publicized episodes of police brutality. >> reporter: he has ignited controversy, he say there is a chill wind blows towards law enforcement. it's the result of a so-called ferguson effect that police officers are backing off from their usual law enforcement duties. here is james comey today speaking in chicago. >> reporter: each time somebody interprets hashtag black lives matter, one line moves away, and

maybe, just maybe in some places because those lines are arcing away from each other, we have a crisis of violent crime in some of our major cities in this count friday. >> reporter: he says he doesn't have hard data to back up his aso asserti assertions. it is against the two-decade-old trend of a decline in crime. >> the available evidence at this point does not support the notion that law enforcement officers around the country are shying away from fulfilling their responsibilities. i think you have seen a lot of local law enforcement leaders indicate that many are actually dedicated public servants who are putting their lives on the line. >> reporter: critics say if

there is this chill wind as a result of the so-called ferguson effect, that suggests that law enforcement actually does rely on abusive or questionable practices with suspects. the state flag is no longer flying at the university of mississippi following weeks of debate. the flag contains the confederate symbol, calling many to call for its removal. they voted 33-15 to take the flag down. university police removed it this morning. in recent months, president obama has been talk about federal sentencing reform, now he is addressing the death penalty. in a new interview with the marshal project, he says he finds several aspects of the death penalty deeply troubling, he said he is struggling to resolve his own conflict regarding capital punishment, and he is taking a hard look at it. >> we know statistically that

there is a racial bias that has been built into the death penalty. we know it is hugely inefficient, takes a long time. we know there have been people who have been on death row who have been freed, because later it is proven they were innocent. we know in the application of the death penalty, we have had recent cases in which -- by any standard it has not been swift and painless, but rather gruesome, and clumsy. >> bill good to have you on the program. >> thanks for having me. >> what are your reflections now on that conversation with the president? and you asked in your question, that perhaps he might be paving the way to announce his objection to the death penalty at some point. maybe before he leaves the presidency, but maybe after? >> he certainly sounds like a guy who is tiptoeing up to that

point -- >> yeah, walking up to that line, right? >> the only thing he now says in defense of the death penalty is he understands how people feel the need to have that punishment for certain heinous crimes, but he talks about the racial inequities, the number of people who are close to being executed. the horrible botched executions that we have seen. my -- my hunch is that -- the main reason he isn't saying that now is he doesn't want to distract attention from other stuff going on. even in the criminal justice area, there is legislation he is supporting, and for him to announce that he was going to sick the justice department on the death penalty would probably be a problem. >> tell me about your project.

>> we're small group of people focusing on a demonstrably dysfunctional system that scoops people up. mostly people of color, mostly people of poor means. locks them up in a warehouse for much longer sentence than other democracies give to their people. rarely gives them the skills they need to survive after prison, and then drops them back in the same communities and expect it to work. >> how do we get to this place where this has become an issue that has garnered so much attention that an organization like yours comes into existence -- i can remember growing up in baltimore and see this happen over and over again, and we find ourselves in this movement. >> it's a number of things.

come of it is represents like ferguson. and at the state level people are realizing they are spending a lot of money to incarcerate people, and it's not working. and states like texas have demonstrated you can reduce the population in prison and also have the crime rate go down. and some of it is you have a generation that has grown up without the crack panic and the willie horton ads, and the fear of high crime, and they have begun to put this on their social justice agenda. >> i remember this weekend listening to ted talk, it was someone talking about this issue, and suggesting that there is starting to be some bipartisan support for taking on this issue. are you finding that to be the case? >> absolutely. there's an overlap. there's a common ground. there are some things, guns for

example, that are not on the common ground, but the fact that there are too many people in prison, that we treat them badly, that that's counterproductive, because we're not making them ready to reenter society. there's a lot of common ground on that. it began, really, actually quite a while ago with evangelical christians who -- who were appalled at the conditions they saw in prisons. it has expanded to include libertarians like ron and rand paul, both who see it as another example of overbearing government. some republican kind of policy w wonks, like newt gingrich. >> right. the justice department approved the release of inmates for non-violent offenses.

>> yes. >> is that a nod to the problem? >> the federal system alone releases 40,000 prisoners every year, just because they finish their sentences. so 6,000 is not a huge amount, but it's a kind of event, and an opportunity to stop and say, okay, what -- who should be in prison? because clearly there are people who should be locked up. i don't think anybody disagrees with that. you can go a lot deeper than just low-level drug offenders, and you have to, because overall they only make up about a fifth of the people in prison. >> what is the satisfaction of this work for you? i mean you can do just about anything in the crazy world of journalism we live in. >> nobody has invited me to be a tv anchor. [ laughter ]. >> yet. >> the satisfaction is it's a great complex of stories. it's -- it's an area where i think we can make a difference just by shining a light on the

problem and keeping people's attention on it. americans in this last year really have begun to pay greater attention as you noted earlier. i worry that we have short attention spans and next year some other bright shiny object might come along. and our responsibility is to sustain the attention. >> great to have you on the program. >> thanks for having me. the fight against isil was on the agenda during talks between president obama and the leader of indonesia today. muslims make up almost 90% of nearby -- indonesia's society. >> indonesia has been a very important partner, and we continue to work on the security elements of counter terrorism, and also countering the message that comes from organization

like isil. and indonesia, i think is uniquely positioned to be able to help spread a message of peace and cooperation within the muslim world. >> the two leaders also discussed the environment. the two talks came ahead of a summit. indonesia is a leading source of emissions because of its forest fires. dozens were rescues int over the weekend. officials say it take weeks to restore power to thousands of people. the storms are making their way eastward right now. and louisiana, wow, is being hit hard today. more than 8 inches of rain has fallen in much of the state, some areas have seen as much as three feet. flooding has been reported near louisiana university and baton

rouge. kevin is here with more on the storm's movement. >> that's right. tony. there is some good news in here. because there is a drought situation going on in texas and louisiana. >> yes. yes. >> so this is definitely going to help them. we have 48 hours of radar right here, and you can see how long it takes for that rain to get out of the picture. but it is a drought situation that is going to be improved. this is the brought monitor from last week. they put it out every tuesday. so we're going to get an updated version tomorrow. but i wanted to show you where some of the worst parts were across central texas. a lot of this is in extreme drought situations, but the rain as you saw is definitely going to help this. and tomorrow this will be updated. i expect to see a lot of those red areas diminished. as we go closer in, you can see the center of circulation that once was patricia right here.

over here in new orleans, in the garden district, they had 13 inches of rain just in the last 24 hours. we are getting rain all the way back here towards parts of tallahassee, florida. and flood warnings are in effect across the gulf coast region now. the area of low-pressure is going to start to make its way towards the north. anywhere from parts of -- lower parts of illinois all the way towards the coast, and by the time we get towards wednesday that same area of low-pressure is going to be making its way up towards the northeast. you are going to be seeing rain, so what that means is we are going to be seeing major problems along the east coast airports. as we go towards new york, it is really just going to be wednesday there, but will be a nightmare commute. >> kevin thank you. now to elections across

latin america. columbians voted over the weekend in local and administrative elections. they are hoping local officials will be able to help disarm and reintegrate thousands of farc rebels. >> reporter: sunday's regional elections in columbia came with something new, peace or at least a taste of it. >> today's elections were the most peaceful and least violent in decades, and they show what we will be able to achieve if we reach peace. >> reporter: campaign violence fell by 60% in the run up to the elections. positive progress brought by the ongoing peace negotiations between the government and the farc rebels. but observers say the lull in violence has made fraud and corruption more visible. a thousand candidates have seen

their eligibility revoked for lying about finances or trying to buy votes. >> translator: the reduction in violence is helping us raise the curtain on a new relationship between corruption and politics in this country. we never had a strong tradition of democratic culture and participation, but what we're seeing now is corrupt politicians who are interviewing new mechanisms to stay in power without the threat of weapons. >> reporter: these could be the last elections held in columbia with the civil conflict raging on. the mayors and governors elected now could be tasked with implementing any reforms coming from a peace agreement. overall sunday's vote showed columbians rejecting far left and right-right candidates. the former mayor won after a decade of left-leaning mayors.

while this party, ended almost empty handed. >> several independent candidates were elected who i think will do a terrific job of implementing any type of piece agreement. but i'm very concerned by the act that a considerable number of both governorships, and majorships were taken by people that have links with the paramill tears or drug traffickers. >> reporter: a conflict scenario for a country in transition that hopes to leave its old conflict behind. and a tight raise in argentina. the presidential race is set for november 22nd. there's a two-point difference between the mayor of buenos aires.

and former comedian, jimmy moralez as become the country's new president. okay. i think that's still christyia crusher in -- oh, got ya -- sandra torres in a runoff. the election was held after the president resigned and went to prison in connection to a corruption scandal. still ahead the effect wind farms in california are having on some of america's endangered birds. and what is happening to homemade copper goods in war-torn iraq.

♪ listen to this, in south carolina, a drug trafficking arrest, lead to the discovery of 10,000 guns inside one house. they include hunting rifles, shotguns, hand guns. everything you can imagine. police say they found the weapons during the raid. they believe the suspect was hoarding the guns, and not selling them. they also say many of the guns were stolen. wind energy is expected to make up a big part of power needs in the next few years. but the windmills kill byrds. tom akerman reports from northern california. >> reporter: just east of san

francisco the open landscape is dominated by more than 5,000 wind turbines. it's also a prime habitat for the majestic bird called the lion of the sky. the golden eagle. in just this area last year, at least 2,000 golden eagles and other protected raptors were killed by turbine blades. this wildlife biologist said when the first turbines were erected in the 1980s, no one realized the damage it would cause. a court recently rejected a 30-year permit that wouldn't require any assessment of the environmental impact.

as older models are mothballed companies are working on newer safer versions. the new machines will produce twice as much energy. the new towers stand tall enough for the birds to avoid their blades as they swoop down on their pray. >> there the standards have been lowered enough to where they are at the point of population stability, for instance, for golden eagles, we don't really know yet. >> reporter: another alternative yet to be tested is a turbine housed inside a metal house. and then there are small-scale turbines attached to tethers. >> you are generating this energy flying these kites in a

circle. >> but it may pose an added risk to the birds. tom akerman, al jazeera, california. and for a look at what is coming up at the top of the hour, john siegenthaler is here. coming up tonight at 8:00 the latest on the damage caused by the powerful quake in afghanistan. hundreds are dead. tonight the latest on the rescue effort. plus the u.s. planning a show of force in the south china sea, challenging china's claim of territorial waters. our jamie mcintyre tells us what could happen during the so-called freedom of navigation mission. and ben carson compares abortion to slavery, raising some questions now that he is leading the polls in iowa. we'll take a look at his stand on some of the issues. and how a singer became president of haiti. the rapper talks to us about the

documentary, sweet mickey for president. those stories and a lot more coming up in about six minutes. for centuries, iraq was the designation for copper buyers. generations of families made their living from selling hand-made goods, but now the industry is dying. >> reporter: for 40 years, this man has hammered sheets of copper into works of art. the hand work was taught to him by his father, who learned from his father. his family has worked from this stall for as long as anyone can remember, but he's afraid he is the last one. >> translator: my sons are not going to follow my footsteps. unfortunately they believe this profession is going to be extinct, they are just a handful of us remaining due to the poor security and economic conditions of the country as well as the

lack of foreign tourists. >> reporter: baghdad's market has been around for centuries. all sorts of goods are sold here, but for generations it was the top destination for traders across the middle east looking for highly prized copper handpy crafts. that only started to change with the u.s.-lead gulf war in 1990. at the time there were hundreds of stalls selling goods in the market, now around 15 shops remain with just five still crafting new pieces. the artisans here say it's not just successive wars, economic sanctions, now nearly non-existent tourism that hurt their population, it is also cheaply made goods. this coffeepot was made in india.

they were assembled by machine, and used cheap material, but they are a faction of the cost. >> translator: when i sell one of my hand-made items, it feels like parting with a piece of my body. would you believe? it's because i spending so much time making each piece. >> reporter: copper artisans are calling on the government to invest in the industry, but few have hope it will. and that is all of our time for this news hour. i'm tony harris in new york. thanks for being with us. john siegenthaler is back in just a couple of moments, and then it is the international hour with antonio mora. for the latest news any time head on over to our website,

aljazeera.com. that's aljazeera.com. have a great evening. ♪

hi, everyone. this is al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler. devastation, searching for survivors. [ sirens blaring ] recovering the dead, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocks afghanistan and pakistan. under fire. >> some places because those lines are arcing away from each other, we have a crisis of violent crime in some of our major cities. >> the fbi