eye witness when al jazeera, against a backdrop of syrian independence comes the story of military coups regime change and insurgency. al jazeera well explored the life of id boucher shockley. achieving his ambition to be syrian president in 1953, but outmaneuvered by his rivals and struck by the assassin's bullet. al shockly serious master of koos oh, now jazeera ah . after the earthquake, these struggles for shelter, food and water, they've got a song we report from pack tica profit. ah,

so robin watching on there like my headquarters here in the hall. so coming up, the senate passed the bipartisan gun control bill. the 1st such legislation in 3 decades after a recent space of my shootings, and that says the u. s. supreme court strikes down restrictions on carrying guns in the state of new york. both i could also police respond with more tig than was a cabin indigenous pretense to take control of a major cultural center in peter. ah, welcome to the program. the urgent appeals international health. i've got a stones most destructive earthquake in 20 years. at least 1500 people have been killed, an entire villages reduced to rubble. people in particular province are desperate for food, shelter,

and clean drinking water. ality reports from the provincial capital got s. it only took 5 minutes for the lives of these men to change forever. in the early morning hours of the 21st of june, 5.9, magnitude earthquake struck honest on leaving more than 1500 dead and hundreds more injured. a handful of districts in the south eastern provinces, practical and close were the worst head. and the han was at home with his 14 family members when the tremors were felt. the when you move the just to move, it was 130. i am didn't even take a full minute in my family. 10 people including children, were killed. there is a private clinic, but it's 30 minutes away. there is no government hospital here. the remoteness of these villages is one reason why the casualty tool is so high. treating $100.00 the wounded has been particularly difficult as

a son continues to struggle under the pressure of international functions. even the regional hospital here and these, the capital of patio province is struggling to cope with the load while helicopters have been instrumental and transferring the injured and providing assistance, there aren't enough of them to go around. ma la we khalid commander of the 2 or 3 months of the army corps, says they need more helicopters or whatever planes we had enough chemistry and we brought them all from kind of hard couple. of course we still need much more. there's still a shortage for thousands of on the last few days have been full of loss and grief for the top one government, it's been a test, a test of their ability to respond to disaster. your coupon says his community is surrounded by tragedy. monitor the lowest discipline, but last night there was an earthquake and we lost everything. we have martyrs, there, here, there. there are

a lot of injured people. all these houses are destroyed. we lost our mosque. there's nothing left here, only the injured even women, all because of the earthquake. one of the, we're here at the pack army corps, which has become the epicenter of aid for the earthquake relief. all day helicopters take off and land from here, they bring the injured. they also take with them assistance from international aid organizations and from on a organization to bring to the most devastated areas in the country. areas that have very little access to clinics, to hospitals, to proper roads and to any other services. so really what goes on here is extremely important. i leave that the big guys, these houses there are well, earlier we said to belong savari, a journalist in toronto, he gave us an update on the latest developments on the ground. the details are hard breaking. we are continuously getting the ports of the entire families being wiped

and destroyed, for example, as to again while as a former african senator who's currently and gan district, the last 23 members of his family. and he continuously complained to me that the villagers had to basically literally use anything that they had including the and, and follows to basically look for survivors. so 1st of all, the technical teams were never did to basically save people who could have been saved. and now, according to many residents, people need shelter. people need food, especially children who are living under the sky. and, you know, very rainy and sort of chilly conditions where also, you know, getting an account from the taliban where they are painting a very rosy picture. that aid is there in tribes full of food, is on his way for the victims. some of it might be through the reality is the roads

are simply not accessible, you know their lives and they've been lack of helicopters because after august 15th and over is only handful number of helicopters left with the taliban. and it will take, actually years for these very decided you'd communities to recover not only from the tragedy of losing entire families, but also on how they could rebuild is michael holmes, my homes, that were the investment of lifetime. now the senate has just passed one of the boldest gun control bills and decades. the legislation, god support from both sides of the political aisle. but at full fall short of the sweeping changes demanded by gun control. campaigners might kind of have more from washington d. c. first of all, it is the most significant piece of bipartisan gun control legislation that's been passed in nearly 30 years. so in that it is truly significant. you had 15

republican senators voting with a democratic counterparts to pass this particular bill. the measures within it provides millions of dollars in mental health care, improving security at schools, and drastically changes of the way in which people aged $18.00 to $21.00 can buy a weapon, but it does fall far short of what most control gun control advocates the probably the majority of americans, including president biden, were demanding and specific example. a total ban on assault weapons had been called for that is not included in the bull. nonetheless, that is a significant moment because it does signal what the senate majority leader, chuck schumer said as a step in the right direction. and it does come bounce off to that shooting and you've all v and some 5 weeks after that. shooting in buffalo, new york, notable though that both those shooting, we're using assault rifles. however,

the point is, is that it will now go to the house very quickly, the house because said that she'll bring it onto the floor tomorrow. the president will then sign it into law soap from the end of friday. this will become law in the united states, but it's ironic perhaps that this law, the 1st bipartisan gun control legislation in decades comes from the same day that the supreme court strikes down a hidden concealed, gotten carry law that has been in place in new york state for some 100 years. as mike just mentioned that the us supreme court has ruled the central gun laws in new york state, violate the 2nd amendment right to bear arms and must be relaxed. kristen se libby has war from new york arrest for gun crimes in new york or at a 28 year high, a racially motivated shooting in the city of buffalo. recently left 10 people dead . and now gun control activists say the violence is only going to get worse. the

supreme court has ruled new york's law requiring anyone who wants to carry a concealed handgun show what's known as proper cause is unconstitutional. justice clarence thomas wrote the 63 page decision. he says, the constitution protects an individual's right to carry a handgun for self defense. outside the home. the decision was based on a case brought by the new york state rifle and pistol association. criminals are the ones that are causing the crimes in the cities, not, not legal, gun owners, not lawful people, because it's a decision. new york elected officials were bracing for and they didn't hold back their criticism at the court's decision. this decision isn't just reckless. it's reprehensible, it's not what new yorkers want. this keeps me up at night. new york's mer says it will set back efforts to rain in gun crime and gun deaths. former police officer, kirk burke halter agrees when the impact of the more guns on the streets of new

york, and i am of the opinion that does not make a city. this populace safer. and here is why even trained law enforcement offers, trained military personnel quite often don't hit what they aim and we see this all the time throughout the country, right? innocent bystanders, children the elderly and sulk. warf that is struck by stray bullets who are unintended targets. the rolling comes in the wake of high profile, now shootings at a time when pull show, the majority of americans prefer stricter gun control laws. the decision will impact not only new york but other states with similar restrictions including connecticut, massachusetts, and california. the ruling is a set for done control advocates who've advanced legislation to tighten gun laws at the state and federal level. states need to be able to make laws that protect their communities. new york is not like montana new york officials are promising to pass

new legislation to restrict guns in sensitive locations that will satisfy the courts and keep their citizens safe. kristen salumi al jazeera new york will staying with the us. the house committee investigating master's insurrection on capitol hill has held its 5th public hearing. it's focused on the way for president donald trump tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. how did your castro has more congressional investigators say after losing the presidential election to joe biden? in november 2020 donald trump was relentless in his efforts to remain in power so relentless that he called or met with tom justice department officials every day except christmas pressuring the agency to take action on unfounded allegations of voter fraud. we had concluded based on actual investigations, actual witness interviews,

actual reviews of documents that these allegations simply had no murder. trump did find one ally in the justice department, jeffrey clark and environmental lawyer who led the civil division, clark, whose home was rated by federal investigators. this week agree to promote trumps claim that the election was stolen. ignoring the warnings of colleagues, i said this is nothing less than justice department meddling in an election. his reaction was i think a lot of people have mold in this election. it soon became clear trunk. wanted to promote clark to acting attorney general. that was clark's new title in the white house call log on january 3rd 2021. when he was invited to the oval office to dual it out with jeff rosen, the man he would replace. witnesses described, tromp presiding over a contentious apprentice style meeting. i said, well mister president, you are right that i am not going to allow the justice department to do anything to

try to overturn the election. trump was warned, there would be mass resignations at the justice department if he replaced rosen with clark. i said mister president, within 244872 hours, you get up hundreds and hundreds resignation. trump ultimately changed his mind. i'm still worried that not enough is changed to prevent this from happening again. the january 6th committee says after from fail to pressure swing states to change their votes and fail to convince the justice department to do his bidding. mob violence became his last record. oh, witness to say at least 5 republican house members accused of promoting the january 6th the riot thought presidential pardons. in the immediate aftermath they now claim they did nothing wrong. me while trump continues to say that the election was stolen and he calls these hearings a witch hunt, at least 2 more are planned for july. heidi jo, castro al jazeera washington. oh,

still had hail and al jazeera, the ear gives war, told me, crane candidate status to join the blog. it's hailed volume president vladimir zalinski is a unique and historic moment chained to a tree for 8 years formally. does of columbia's fall rebel sit through harrowing testimony? from those they wolves held us hostages. ah, the journey has begun. the fee for world camp is on its way to cattle group your travel package today. and i welcome to look at the international forecasts we have got clear skies now coming back into afghanistan. karen rain, pulling out the way weather will quiet down. it will be largely try for much of a canister if a little on the breezy side. so no side of any wet weather to go on through the

next couple of days, temperatures and cabal. picking up to around 31 celsius by saturday afternoon. much of the middle east stays dry. we have a little bit of lifted. dustin sat across the raving peninsula. here in katara, we will see the humidity picking up or touch. shouldn't be too bad over the next day or so for the nor still some showers into eastern parts of her turkey. up towards the caucuses, still some showers to into the north west of africa, but largely dry was much of north africa, cassius area cloud here. the larry flow pressure just pumping its way out across the western side of the mediterranean central as of africa. well, another showers just hugging the coastal fringes of west africa. so where to weather just coming up towards the gambia, senegal as well. maybe some wet weather though to begin a fossil as well. why be showers? there is a central parts of africa on the easterly ways. semi must be the rifle coming into south africa at present. we could do with a little more that wetter weather, grassy makes his way further northwards and eastward. this weekend, cats are air with visual airline of the journey. join the debate,

wonderful as it is this diplomatic language. it really means nothing on the ground . annette or online at your voice queen is be removed as a safe because she's done absolutely nothing. what these country white man wears the progress. i haven't seen enough racialized, you see sports journals that look like me. you need to listen to those voice perspective. even when it's hard it, when it challenges some of our foundational thinking, this screen on al jazeera, ah, the me talk about what you all just there with me. the whole rahman, reminder of all hope stories,

search and rescue operations of ended and most major regions of got us done after the countries worst earthquake in 20 years. at least 1600 people have been killed. the taliban government slaten urgent appeal for international hold. the us senate has passed one of the boldest gun control bills in decades. the last month legislation dotted by part is under port support, but it falls far short of the sweeping changes demanded by campaign. and the supreme court handed down the landmark retreated gun rights advocate. it rule that restrictions put in place by new york state on carrying concealed handguns and public unconstitutional thought. he claim has taken a major step towards membership of the european union after the leaders of member states voted to give the wart on country you. candidate status is the 1st step and what can be a long process. but as natasha butler reports from you headquarters in brussels,

it sends a strong message to russia. ah, just days off to russia began it's invasion of ukraine. keith apply to join the european union. 4 months later, you leaders at a summit in brussels, approved the request. and put ukraine on the path to future membership, were decided to grant to the 30th through ukraine and moldova. then you are ready to grant to the suitors to georgia. once priorities will be addressed, there can be no batch, a sign of hope for the citizens of ukraine mould of an georgia. in these troubled times, ukraine's president followed me as lensky called the used decision, a unique and historical moment in relations. we have just received the european union candidacy. this is a victory. we've been waiting for this 120 days of the war. and even 30 years of

our independence. it usually takes years for a country to gain candidate status after applying. some you official said fast tracking the process would prove the block solidarity with ukraine as a defense itself against russian attacks. a sentiment echoed by the head of ukraine's mission to the e. u. at a gathering in the city. it's important for the whole country for the whole society, and it's important also for the granular army to have a clear reason what we are fighting for. we are fighting for the future. we are fighting for the modern independence over european country. becoming a candidate country is only a step to be granted. membership is a long and arduous process. the could take many years. some western balkan countries have been waiting for more than a decade for progress on fe. you beds. leaders from the region were also in brussels to urge you officials to speed up the process north, macedonia, albania,

serbia, and montenegro are all candidate countries. the want to achieve full membership with definitely support the candidacy status for ukraine. we also support the candidate status for mold over. we are very thrilled at the georgia is also being given the european perspective. but we also ask our european partners not to forget about or leave the western balcony behind the ease approval. if keith candidacy sends a strong message, not only to ukraine, but also to russia, but despite moscow's fire, power and efforts, keith is determined to look west. natasha butler, al jazeera brussels, the country's wishing to join the european union must meet a set of conditions known as the copenhagen criteria. each potential new member must have stable institutions that guaranteed democracy in the rule of law. human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. they must have

a functioning economy able to compete within the e u. and they need to implement a number of obligations including accepting the euro currency. charles stratford is in the ukranian capital, keith. he says ukrainians, a hearing mixed messages from russia on the ear decision. a pest got a few days ago saying that sir, the russians were very concerned about ukraine's move closer towards europe. specifically, he said because of the deals that are being made in terms of weapons supplies from european and nato members. but then in the last couple of days, we heard from the president vladimir putin who seemed to imply in st. petersburg that he didn't have a problem with it with, with this, or possibly a face saving statement made by him. because the fact remains that the fighting now is arguably heavier in the east than it has been since this war started. it's being described as

a battle of artillery heavy shelling in multiple locations most focus in and around that city of several. the next one of 2 cities that the russians do not yet control in the la guns province. so ukrainians very much up against it in the east. so today's decision in brussels, of huge significance and, and moral importance for this country. now 3rd protest has died in ecuador, on the 11th day of a nationwide strike against the rising cost of living indigenous protest as clashed with police, the capital quito. as after they've taken over a cultural center that had been sealed off by the security forces for week, our latin america is elissia newman has more thousands of striking indigenous ecuadorian st. rushed to take back what they considered their headquarters. the capitals, indigenous house of cultures. in an unprecedented move, the government had ordered the police to occupy it last week, enraging the confederation of indigenous nations. now that they were taking it

there, celebrating, ah, this place were presents or cultures. this is our home, away from home. oh, after almost 2 weeks of a nationwide strike, that has paralyzed much of ecuador, it seemed promising. ah, but not for long running battles between right police and strikers, new legislative, assembly left scores injured. indigenous leaders say they'd wanted to deliver a letter to request that the assembly usage constitutional powers to question president. he had molasses fitness to continue governing the conflict is clearly now impacting not just the economy, but ecuador is political stability. here the palace security was reinforced.

further, as soldiers practice defending themselves from demonstrators, we are only 4 blocks away from the presidential pals. the most highly secured area of all of ecuador at this hour. because the fear is that the indigenous strikers could try to make it break into the palace by breaking all the security gordons as close to the president's resignation, grow the government is offering to negotiate upon gilbert in a lie which our government is doing all it can said the, your voices and protests will turn into effective solution miss a few and once again, we issued invitation running for an immediate dialogue without delay. 6 0, but indigenous leaders said the president must 1st lift a state of emergency and offer proof that he serious about alleviating poverty, including debt relief and fuel subsidies. and so the strike and the confrontations continue with no breakthrough insight. to see a newman al jazeera kito,

equilla former fall rebels have been giving more details about the kidnappings, committed by the group. during decades of conflict in columbia, it was the final day of a peace tribunal. they'd already admitted to war crimes. on a sunday camp, yet he has more from bucket all you study. come in today for 3 as former captives of the 5 gravels. we counted painful details of their abductions sergeant says lasso, said he, still hunted by being chained to a tree in the jungle for 8 years. that's how i get her, maureen. it has cancer. many times i thought it would have been better to just die interest because this chance trained to the neck and to other captors caused us so much humiliation. others like policeman, homeless, duke, it broke down as he described how he was sexually abused, who failures so cannot you as highly? well, you have committed genocide, just like hitler had. you're

a peck of murderous criminals. they who deserved the repudiation of columbian society, them in front of them, often visibly shaken, was the former leadership of the fark. repeatedly, their last commander in chief said he felt ashamed and disgusted by their policies or gorilla with pain in our souls. we came here to acknowledge that in the name of revolutionary ideas, we committed these war crimes and crimes against humanity. for years we condemned hunters of human channels to live in a humane conditions come to suffering that had serious impact on their families. he may, i think i'm a young in 80 channels that po hearings are part of columbia's piece tribunal investigation into war crimes committed during the country, civil conflict. there were many things exchanges. you know, you guys had gone by man. if you came to the camp and didn't know who they were, you can tell they were kidnapped. except when ingrid tried to flee that i had to chain her love of is that right ingrid? hello. and they could be co matter my. oh no, yes. with tennis up, i want to remind you that the reason we are here is not by the time that you

treated them well. you are here for the incident to amounted to torture, said the tribunal as registered more than 3000 victims of far kidnappings. but the total number could exceed 20000, but while victim say they are ready to forgive, many questions remain about specific cases, like the thousands of people that disappeared or die then captivity. and that are remembered here outside of the hearings. is lilian is that would be ins. yeoman, that under the terms of the peace deal, former combatants who collab truly with the tribunal, can avoid prison sentences. but we'll have to participate in restorative justice games and imperfect necessary step forward for a country struggling to heal allison that impunity and just eatable gotta. while millions of people, anything a piano, an agent need a food aid, the nation is facing its worst drought in 40 years, the conflict in the northern to dry region is effecting

a delivery humanitarian organizations say they're running out of money to provide relief as ever. morgan recalls this classroom and adam had my day school and if he has not been to grow region now, host people displayed by conflict. test flight is a farmer who was forced to flee his home when his village was attacked. during the start of the, we're in november of 2020, he and his family members now live here, along with other families and rely on food aid to survive. now, we fled our homes and came here because the militia started killing and destroying i dollar. even in our land, they started killing people and looting homes. as we witness that happening, we were shot out. but luckily we escaped. but take great conflict, has displaced millions of people and left many more in need of aid aid organization have been able to access to gray. in recent weeks, the hundreds of thousands are facing families. and more than 20 percent of children

under 5 or malnourished. the conflicts has spread beyond pe gray into neighboring, i'm horror, and a far regions. hundreds of thousands there have been forth from their homes and are now facing food shortages. and climate change in the horn of africa has worth the humanitarian crisis. in parts of a few young floods last year in on dated most of the grazing lands in southern and insufficient rainfall. this year has resulted in drought killing livestock and displacing thousands of pastora lessons, who relied on them for living the world. food program says it doesn't have enough money to provide sufficient help and it's food and nutritional supplies may run out by next month. the agency says it's already reduced some of its assistance programs to focus on those most in need. people have been severely affected by the people have been just lost. everything people are trying to go back. and this is a very, very crucial moment because people are expecting and if people can not be

in the field, if they cannot dedicate the time energy resources to, to get on the field. now we are headed towards another disaster with those in conflict areas unable to go back home and farm, and those displays by drought losing their livelihoods. millions more could be at greater risk. heber morgan al jazeera and a terrifying moment for us for who fainted during her routine at the world aquatics championships. synchronized sewer, anita laura fell unconscious and sank to the bottom of the pool while competing in b to past her coach dived in to rescue her. she received immediate 1st aid and is recovering while.