sacks has landed in the u. s. a dragon capsule splashed down off the florida coast after a 23 hour return. journey from the international space station for astronauts conducted hundreds of research projects during this 6 month mission. they also welcomes the 1st civilian crew to the space station. ah, you know, with al jazeera, these are our top stories. this, our new humanitarian corridors are due to open to get more people out of the quaint besieged city of mario poll, but ukrainian officials say russia is still attacking the as of style steel plant. despite a ceasefire. atmosphere international says it's gathered evidence of russian war crimes which the kremlin denies. we know they are popped over back to that as characterized rush. yes, conduct of the steely tease from the outset. a repeated pattern,

large in scale, and thereby stating in impact who's in israel as searching for 2 men suspected of a stopping attack in the central city of lead. 3 people were killed and several others injured on thursday. the funeral for one of the victims has been taking place. the attack happened as people celebrated what israel refers to as independence day. a nationwide strike is underway and shall anchor with millions of workers stop and work on friday. it's the latest protest calling for the government to resign. the country faces it's worst economic crisis in 70 years. they've been key losses for britain's governing conservative party and local elections from the boys. johnson's party has lost control of several areas of london, while rivals labor and the liberal democrats have gained ground. hong kong only leadership cans that john lee has held a campaign rally, even though he's not in an election race. former security official will be chosen

to leave the global financial hub on sunday that he's residents have a limited se in who leads them. elections in the philippines will be held on monday with a poll that's being described as the most important in its history. the top contenders are frontrunner for san marcos, junior and vice president. then he robledo marcos as the son of former president, fernando mar, ferdinand marcus, who was ousted in people's uprising in 1900. 86 baffled tornadoes have left thousands of people without electricity in the us state of oklahoma. homes and businesses were damaged and wednesday, night storm, which caused flooding and parts of the state and arkansas or officials the using drones to assess the damage. southern states have been told to brace themselves for yet more severe weather. those are your headlines. i'll be more news continuing hair on al jazeera. that's after inside story. ah.

and gang warfare is salvatore ever be defeated? a state of emergency has been imposed to curb fighting between rival gangs. what's the reason for the increase in gang crime? and can the streets be made safe? this is inside story. ah, ah. hello, welcome to the program. i'm hash hm. how bhalla. he calls himself the coolest dictator, the weld president of wil salvatore there year. buccheri has also been responding

to criticism of a crack down on violence. gangs. critics say the government's get tough approach being used to intimidate them, as well as to limit the civil liberties of or salvadorans. more than 22000 arrests have been made, says buccheri declared a state of emergency in march. international riots grew se arbitrary ross are common, and police routinely infringe basic whites. despite that will carry has an 85 percent approval rate, the highest of any leader in latin america. we're here from our gas in a moment. first, this report from john holland. this is the image that the l salvador government wants to transmit. another suspect to gang member of the streets, his tattoos giving away his affiliation to a criminal band. they arrested more than $20000.00 people in the last month and

a half as a seek to clean the m. s. 13 and barrier way teen gangs out of neighborhoods. they've ruled for decades. but this also is an image of the crackdown. one of many women saying good bye to a husband or a son, as a disappearance of the salvador and prison system. here are others. i love you son . she sang in march after a murder spike, the country declared a state of emergency that many people could be arrested without a warrant. the salvadoran congress has extended that state of emergency to late may, please continue to round up young men or mess inevitably along with the guilty human rights groups. i be innocent. have been taken martha and the loose code out to 0. her son's, one of the latter he sells face most to hospital. she says and helps her get by now she's used the quarter of what she makes in a month at a market still to try me free him. don't get a 2nd 100 percent out on the hunting offender,

but i don't know why the president is doing this to innocent. people have people that aren't guilty. i can find someone's done something they should pay. but the not guilty. yeah. lee, she knows where he is. other women going from prison to prison, trying to find their relatives, look at the crowd here, and the crackdown goes on in the italian district, a well known m. s. 13 stronghold. so just question search everyone going in and out . but an overwhelming number of salvadorans approve of president night bouquet. his actions are hamilton. we have stopped bain extortion. we're not being anything now . the gang members have been being seen. they have practically disappear, and business is flowing, fuller, the longer afraid to come to the city center and walk the streets. so many have suffered extortion rape, killing that even if some innocence have to suffer others believe that's a price worth paying if they can simply be free. the question is,

if at the end of all the arrest confusion of brutality, this will actually work. john hallman al jazeera, 2 main rival gangs, operate in el salvador the mara. salvatore gotcha is more commonly known as the m. s. 13. it originated in the 1970s in los angeles and is estimated to have $50000.00 plus members, both male and female in various countries. their enemy is the bar you 18 or the 18th street gang. it also has its roots in los angeles and with a multi ethnic membership. more than 50000 strong. both gangs are estimated to make millions of dollars a year through illegal drug trafficking, robbery, and kidnapping, to name just a few in a long list of criminal activity. ah lettering in our gas in washington dc. catalina jimenez is president of washington

office or latin america in manchester. calling harding is latin america analyst and director of latin for a consultancy and information service or latin america. also in washington, d. c. hector silver valez is a salvador and journalist and senior research fellow at the american university center for latin america and latino studies. welcome to the program. carina. how should we characterize the wicked murders in el salvador? are they an act of defiance by the gangs? their way of saying to the president that his 0 tolerance approach is not working. there are theories around why you know that we can last. so try and we saw this incredible as i can and number of opponents as committed initially by their members. but what i think is clear and what that, you know,

we can reflect is that criminal activity and the power is still a very present reality. or perhaps because the root cause is of that by and it has no being addressed. when the country implements a, well, we call it in spanish, the manual look what is it hard line item feast policies to address it is a security problems. the results is often very short term and you know, this is because that lead that j situation of violence spread over a country are not truly tackling as well. what i, what i think we saw on that very tragic weekend was a situation that has not been sold. that could repeat itself this by the point is being apply right now, or perhaps because of the point is being applied right now in the need to have

a solid response back when the response to a comprehensive approach to address or in the dozens of the ssl nationalists, you know, i feel measures that do not go into the front of the ok. collins, so you have president with kelly who has been saying for quite some time that it's because of his policy. his approach is toughness. when it comes to dealing with guns and gun crime, that there's been this decline, but actually you have this string of crimes taking place over the weekend. do you see it that way that the government has failed to address the root cause of a problem? or, i mean, there is one theory, which is a website has come up with, in fact, more book alia, done, he'd reach to deal with the gangs to lower the levels of virus for certain privileges. and that this is broken down and the counter spike

is always the library. and i know i probably have it, but it does sound quite plausible because certainly the murderess gone down dramatically since, you know, since it was the country in the world round about 2015 was down to her much love figure last year. but i think it's director of the previous because that, that the root cause is whatever they maybe have not really been gone into having spent lavishly, which is the thing that makes it a popular with many out the door. and he's avoided making any sort of structural changes. and if this deal that he supposedly made has broken down for whatever reason that this may be the gangs way, i guess is that we talk about the root causes. we'll talk about what's

happening, what the government is doing, how are these gangs? but in the mean time, hector, when you have 62 people killed on saturday, the most violent day in 20 years, in el salvador. could this be a mess, but typically from the most aggressive, all these guys, the n s. 13 saying that we are now gaining the upper hand as far as the salvador is concerned? yes, i think they have had the upper hand for quite a while. right now. until now, i would say that in fact, my thinking is that the whole book kelly presidencies based in a pack of some sorts with that with the 2 big gangs. because these gangs have held territorial control over a great portions of the country. neighborhood would be in battle or the countryside,

the big cities for 25 years now. and there hasn't been any government that has been able to address that. these gangs are pretty hardly embedded in the, in the social fabric of soluble. and the way that not just caliber will kill another, probably should have managed to deal with that. terry total control is by making truces or packing with them. that's that, that's the, these packed. i think there are enough evidence this now that there's an on going back with the gangs, and that is so some somewhat fragile pack at some point. and i think what happened is that lena said, and the, and the in black. but that we can, is that the gangs where actually making a payment, something happened. we don't know exactly what happened yet with seeing that fact that had a ripple effect and the gangs that effectively those would be gang saying,

yes we are here, we hold the control of these territories. and if you don't comply with whatever we're asking, this is what, what's going to happen? ok, i'm perfectly capable of doing these anytime catalina. so the president takes credit for why disc wives as an unprecedented decline in the street crime in his salvador. while we all know that this is something that started in 2015 for years before he comes in to paula, should he take the full credit for this or this was the result of a political process thus thought and way before naval kelly. i think he takes grade one week and then he shows the week after that he has to do something because you know, what he took credit for is no longer is no longer happening. i don't think, i mean, i think it made a very good point. i mean, gun violence in somebody's, not

a new phenomenon, is unfortunately thousands of civilians are being victims of, you know, and down by for days now, and they do control and what about the territory, etc. so decreasing violence it's, it's just part of a cycle therapy to serve and comes with environment because the root cause is not there. so i think he can make a for a homicide, and he will be to 0 homicide today. but then you know, later he has to take that back because he says i increase and again, so i don't think the administration of magically has been successful using the buyer. ok, calling. so for quite some time we have top salvadoran officials coming out and saying that they have been doing all the takes to clean up the streets until an investigative media outlet. l farro said wait

a 2nd. maybe there's some dodgy politics here. the government is now being accused of striking a deal with m. s. 13 and m. s. 18. what is it? what it implies? the have the government, all these groups to stop killing people in the meantime, do whatever they want to do. just to give credit to the president that his doing good. well, that's what it does. certainly some documentary evidence has been uncovered that some kind of deal of that sort was that was reached. and as i said earlier, the one theory is that this sudden spiker violence is because this deal has broken down for whatever reason. and this is that's been said, this is been making a statement that look return on. let's turn on the types of balances. one of them credit or whenever they, whenever they choose and it's worth noting also. ready that the sun crackdown abigail has gone in for, in fact

a reversion to previous government's policies. a previous right when government issued iran a party has a policy called super heavy hand in which they are there, that they flooded the streets with military. they rounded people up in much the same way that her car is done and the facts were no negligible in terms of a long term change situation after this. so that could potentially tarnish the reputation over. now you, because the fact that right after those revelations, by i'll fall, we saw the u. s. administration put in restrictions and imposing sanctions on top officials affiliated with the president. yes, and i think this is that the ben up in story because yes, in fact, these whole gang issue has put, there will kill administration and art with washington. i see, no washington has been the tradition of ally of the sellers is a lot of time now. and one of the reasons that it has become bitter is because

it actually be investigation that then fido would out west based in great part in investigations better by a joint task force of an official and u. s. official incense time or so. so the u. s. is pretty aware of this and actually the u. s. has asked for extra edition of 14 m. s. 13, neither is and the book or letting the station while he's attorney general or our guy that was name bible kelly, well, has denied that. and the supreme court has the name that so this is is, is sad, as i said, i developing story and will and, and our gap would that will kill administration and ards with washington. current we have here of the verse center of this debate is 2 of the most brutal notorious gangs in central america, the martyr silva rocher or the illness 13 and ill barrio 18 or the m. s.

18. why, why? why are they so powerful? in a place small country like a salvador i think a. ready country that hasn't truly deal with its legacy. you know, we're a very violent, very tragic. see we're and unfortunately, you know, the process, the benefits i across the process of justice under consideration has never been truly, you know, supported by the government that came to power after the war ended to that. you also have a country now, as you know, very, very troubling a social, economic indicators. i mean, a large percentage of the salary in population very much, you know that communities and do not have access to education united to basic basic basic services. so countries with that, you know,

when we're where you combine that with, you know, why it's also very important and part of our in society, she's having a very diaspora, in this case, in the united states, in that aspect of it also in the board that in last numbers, many instances, whether you have a combination for this type of criminal groups to, you know, to, to be blind. and we know that the quotation have a lot to do with the creation of the mattress in a center, but also to flourish. and then, and, you know, combating criminal violence with state by nancy. so it was a recipe for disaster and i think it be in the long run make these guys are more about what i see your point column. now when you have guns, which managed to set up parallel armies in a place like his salvador, maybe take advantage of the legacy of the country itself, violence, civil war,

and so on and so forth. you have other saying that this is just an excuse by the government, the clam down itself. just unexcused by a government trying to further clamp down on political freedoms and freedom of expression to just for the president to further consolidate his dribble power. well, it's certainly a style just because it does seem self as a providential figure. he's a part of the populace phenomenal, which we've seen in many different parts of the world. when he was elected to 90, he just swept away the 2 traditional parties, which it a lot of personal following. and he cultivated his personal image, the the, the reverse baseball cap,

the constant social media. ready posts the traveling around dressing crowds and very much cost. is that possible? brown, he was a former advertising map, knows all about such things. and yes, i mean, there are indications that he finds a democratic control actually a way to replace judges with people who might be troublesome with people that have to when you look at the sequence events in el salvador state of emergency followed by major reforms of the penal code which, which implies sentences of after 245 years in prison for gang membership. and also you have the new law which regulates the way social media operates, particularly when it comes to reporting on the croc done on the gangs. people see

it differently, see it as an attempt by the government to just build a dictatorship in salvador. yes. i think actually i am pretty sure that the so called crack down on began what it is a crack down on democracy. but this has been the plan of now you tell us he's day one. i think i truly think that he had a plan of that plan west on sunday. they power amounts power over his overwhelming popularity. first part of the plan was take control of congress which did by popular both and then take control of the of the all the institutions. and then what the script found has, has helped him do is precisely that is to finish the path in which he ambitious is himself to be re elected in 2024. and in order to do that,

he needs that overwhelming popularity to stay. i did it as long as he's loved by the seller on people, he will be safe in power. and in order to do that, he needs to get rid of comfortable boyce's, those of critical journalists, or the political opposition. and actually, if you look at the other reforms, especially those to that, to the penal code, their aim to, to silence those most current. we have running short on time here. when you look at the pattern of the gang violence, we're seeing the same pattern in salvador. guatemala, honduras, groups, plain thing because of the fight over a territory. we see that the body of 18 for example, splintered into the southerners and the revolutionaries and something with that has the potential is just to further create more violence and instability. is this something a government like salvage or tiny nation of 7000000 can handle? or this is something that really needs an american policy?

yeah, i think, you know, in general, in writing, getting violence, especially when it comes to these type of guy that us i've not necessarily a problem with one country. i have a spread to city or countries require brought in comprehensive strategies. so i do think we may, we may need, you know, something in there, definitely things that a country a, do you know, you need a comprehensive approach to tackle this type of gun violence and that includes, you know, adjust it before i'm a dependent investigation. community based intervention in those things could be discussed and debated if the president would please, you know, do experts to human rights. and i say she has an end to see the sense. but i don't think the president is missing. i think the president, treating as you know, i mean say a mass in more power for all their reasons beyond, you know, controlling and sure in the us. i know you can have

a real fear in by that. okay. collin, which should be the 1st priority in places like a salvador and central america in particular. the need to tackle instability violence, aren't groups and drug trafficking or going because ultimately as long as those are there, the guns will continue to thrive. well, yes, no role. if player interconnected or the gainesville 10 am 2050, that raises money for them and extend their control of the local communities, whether it's smuggling, drug, smuggling, extortion, i mean, the extortion of the gas companies, for instance, is prevalent throughout central america. and so that, you know, they, they, there's no way of separating it to the point, or is there like to,

or that is that about whether buccheri is going to listen to advice or suggestions . you know, master, he's actually defied the international money making bitcoin legal, kind a courtesy company in the well as a completely new country. and so in the i met him a time by a promise you that this is a story that will definitely revisit on the inside story in the near future in the mean time color. you know, hey man as calling hard in an actor silva about us, i really appreciate you and i thank you and thank you for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website al jazeera dot com for further discussion. go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside. so you can also join the conversation on twitter. i have

that is ha insights for me and the entire team here in doha bye for now. ah, along with we are with missing around the was this hungry money, which is only looking at how to make the next profit, devastating economies, devastating ecosystems. putting a price on the protection of nature. green economy as sounds good, but it was all about privatization of nature. should our environment be for sale? what we're trying to do is persuade people to stabilize decline much. i've given

them a financial incentive to do to pricing the planet on al jazeera. the stage is set and it's time for a different approach. one that is going to challenge the way you think was wor, inevitable. i just want to started to please though that they're not doing the right thing. let's leave simplicity to the headlines. join me as i take on the lies, dismantle the misconceptions and debate the contradictions. do we have a real democracy here in the united states? it's not a political florida, it's a radical insurgency. are mark lamarr hill and it's hard to get up front right here on out 0 from oh, to politics. national pride to early advertising al jazeera world tells the stories behind for songs from kuwait, oman, hatta and era meeting song writers and musicians.

celebrating the social and cultural importance of songs of the go on al jazeera. what we do it, i'll just, sarah is try to balance this story and leave the people who allow us into their lives, dignity and humanity. ah, i'm carry johnston window on the top stories here on al jazeera, you, him on it's helen corridors are due to open to ensure more people can escape ukraine's besieged city of mario pulp. ukrainian officials say russia is still attacking that as our star steel plant there. despite a ceasefire, they report to nearly $500.00 people have made it out of the port city. and about 200 civilians in 2000 ukrainian fighters are trapped in the industrial area. when eastern ukraine russia is pushing ahead with its offensive, cha, stratford has more now from.