the commodore had become gentleness. thinkcentre. you could be in the safe enclave and then you went out into civil war. i started off leaving the school, the grand suite for commodore hotel. the next room i was in was underground, the tiny prison. so as a hostage, a route the commodore war hotels on al jazeera, ah 3 major u. s. pharmacy chains that order to pay $650000000.00 in damages to 2 counties in ohio or to lawsuit over opioid distribution. ah, i money inside the saudis, her life from 2 are coming up, taking israel resume relations after years of diplomatic crisis. anger in argentina

over the government's financial policies as the country suffers a severe economic crisis. and the drown lands sedans, floods kill more than a 100 dozens of villages. ah, 3 major u. s. pharmacy chains have been ordered to pay $650000000.00 to, to counties in the state of ohio. this is to address the damage inflicted by the opioid epidemic. a court has found that the pharmacy chain, cbs walmart and will greens, helped create a public nuisance by over supplying addictive pain pills, many of which found their way on to the black market. the pharmacies have said they will appeal the verdicts. let's go to correspond ross and jordan, ph was his life washed, dc ross,

and talk through the background of this case. well, the young 3 a retailers were a sued by 2 counties in north eastern ohio, lake county and trumbull county. and in november of federal jury found the 3 companies guilty of basically dumping billions of pills in those 2 counties. and basically creating a public health crisis, a one that to the local governments, say, almost bankrupted them. they were asking for $2400000000.00 in damages, basically to cover the cost of emergency medical care and law enforcement work. but after a 9 months, including a separate trial to basically try to determine the case for a for punitive damages. the federal judge on wednesday decided that both counties should only get about 25 percent of what they were asking for. and so that's the $650000000.00 figure. however,

that money is going to be used to try to repair some of the worse damage from the opioid crisis in just those 2 counties. now it's worth pointing out that the 2 counties alleged that just between 20122016, some 1400000000 opioid pills were prescribed for a residence in just those 2 counties, 400 pills per person who needs that much. it's not, it's pretty understandable why they now have an addiction, a epidemic in those 2 areas. but this is just one case of about 4000 cases nationwide. this was part of a group of 3000 cases that were referred to this federal judge. basically to try to keep everything a simplified because the same companies are being sued. but another 1000 job cases are being brought in state court. and it's worth pointing out that cbs walgreens and wal mart are going to be the joint defendants in one of those state cases.

that's a case starting in september in the state of new mexico. i get many thanks to that, rosalind jordan, 1st in washington, israel and turkey restoring full diplomatic ties. after years of discord, both countries will be reappointing bass. this attack is foreign minister says that despite the move turkey will not be abandoning its support for palestinians. russell said as well the breakthrough announced it to be from israeli prime minister year le pete. a defined a moment for the 2 states that used to corporate in military and other spheres about who over 10 years had become estranged. and the ticket for the minister motor social that was great to confirm the developments it is let in normal, less my sick on us and that up among the states we plan to normalize relations. there was also the re appointment of respect of ambassador. if you remember, we made a statement in the news conference we held with mr. leopard that we started work on

the employment of ama. that's your positive step came from israel. as the result of these efforts and his turkey, we also decided to appointed ambassador to israel to televi. feel the nations between the 2 companies sold after israel attack garza in 2008, killing more than a 1000 palestinians. but it was the gun floating rate in 2010 that fully severed ties between the 2 camps. rally clues attacked the flotilla, which was carrying monetary and 8th for garza in international waters killing $92.00 citizens. since then, diplomatic ties had been virtually non existent when i guess in one year there will be a presidential election here in turkey. but it inflation at more than 70 percent wants to attract in western regional countries that are security challenges to in syria and the eastern mediterranean basin, turkey. these israel as a strong player and 40 israel turkey is seen as a balancing power in

a region threatened by iran. the final push to man relations started last year in march is rarely present. isaac has august, turkey and metric is present project type out 12 months later, took his foot, administer social visit, the tel aviv. the final major stepped over normalization of relations was when he's ready. prime minister gayla pitt visited on cra in june. it was during that 3 that the 2 sides agreed on a roadmap to fully restored diplomatic ties. however, took you also made it clear that it will not compromise when it comes to supporting the palestinian cause has started him is give it. we have always said we will continue to defend the rights of palestine, jerusalem and garza. and it's important that our messages can buy directly at the ambassador's level intelligence eve. that support for palestinians remains assassins. and even with the full restoration of diplomatic ties, is likely to remain a contentious difference between the 2 companies. this was out of that oh,

to 0 stumble. gallup plays then associate follow which half them house on a non resident senior fellow at the middle east council. global affairs. he says, turkey has been working for more than 2 years to repair ties with israel. it was a process in making. it was a process that goes back to at least for the last 2 and 20 years. there has been done by target to repair the place with the countries with whom it has have quite a difficult relationship before going to election, which will take place in 2023. the government wants to repair ties with, as many antagonists. it's possible in the hope that it will be good for the business climate, but also there is a particular reason for israel because the target is israel also and indirectly messaging towards the washington as wal turkey is trying to buy the f. 16 part. the jets from the u. s, which will require the congress improves the relation the implication of this on palestine. unfortunately, right now at the brother regional level,

the question will be, is brett and then the regional countries for the abrupt report on now with turkey is taking place with very little reference to the police and the issue. and that's what liberty. but i think what happens on the policy problems would have made a gauge on the future evolution of business. because despite all, all this written revelation on israel and the regional countries, the policy new questions still remains the 11 in the room. and if there is any play ops on the road, i think it will even inevitably have impact on the evolution of the rock portion on between the different countries. and israel of people not contain i've been demonstrating against the rising cost of living trade unions that demanding urgent action from the government. they want higher wages as well as unemployment and poverty benefits often seen as one of the world's highest inflation rates. consumer prices of climb, 71 percent in the past year. and

a swarm that has more for when is these are all of a tracy you in the groups in argentina coming out today. they generally support the left leaning government, a fernandez. they recognize that the government is in a very difficult situation, inflation so far the last 12 months has been at 71 percent. some analysts pretty good going to be as high as 90 to 100 percent or maybe more by the end of 2022 to a very serious situation. really hitting work is very, very hard that seeing the value of their wages diminishing by the month 7.4 percent in july, or the latest figures that we have for argentina today, pledging their supports generally for the government of what they're calling for. those who sent the prices, the entrepreneurs, the supermarket, owes us the farmers. they're asking them to try to control the prices, keep the crises down to a livable level, but inflation really is only an indicator of temperature if you like,

of the state of the economy. and the economy is in a very sorry, state with very high and international debt. it's also diligence. i'm phase, so it's very much reduced for a week against the us dollar in which many transactions are done. it on production is very, very low to really argentina needs to make drastic steps towards solving the intrinsic problems, the fundamental problems it has with economy before it can bring inflation down. so very, very serious situation out there at this stage and the government options are very limited while it is cripple without international data. it's very difficult to pay, so against the us dollar. also feeling the pain of syrian c is a civil war crippled the economy and now the government has been forced to raise fuel prices for parts. oh mohammed makes a living selling charcoal,

a single taxi fair and serious capital damascus cost the same as her daily income. so she carries out our errands across the city on foot and dive in by with the calorio. i had a daughter working towards her high school certificate, one of the main reason she failed her class was because of transport. when she registered at a school, she would walk if she couldn't catch public transportation, she couldn't find any. she would need a taxi, which i cannot afford on the alarm, because she says, people in the city have stopped socializing because of the sparling. fuel costs taxi and mini bus drivers and syria struggled to make a living during a decade of conflict. and now the surgeon energy prices around the world, it's becoming tougher. 2 weeks ago, authorities more than doubled the cost subsidized petro phone. if you look it stressful. i have high blood pressure, and i've had 2 strokes,

but i want to live. i don't want to bake. it's difficult for me to big. even a big is make more money nowadays, making is more profitable than the mini bus. in the 11 years since a war in syria began, its local currency has collapsed to barely one percent of its pre war value. and that's leaving little hope for its people. join wolf, al jazeera, iraq's caretaker prime minister as hell, talks with representatives from major political parties, but they have been boycotted by the grape that follows influential she at lead at mcdonald's. father solder has demanded that the judiciary dissolve. parliament hold elections to break a political deadlock. my fate abdur were head has more from baghdad. in an attempt to, in the political deadlock in iraq case, take her prime minister, invited the representatives of political factions in order to reach common ground in order to end the political crisis in iraq. meanwhile, at the southwest movement,

and i said earlier that they're not planning to attend that meeting. meanwhile, supporters of she at lee them up to the southern continue. they're sitting in front of the headquarters of the parliament, sitting up dozens of tents and they say they are not planning to leave the area until their demands are met. their demands include, the poem, be dissolved, nearly elections be held as a way out of this political crisis mean doubt. meanwhile, supporters of their arrival parliamentary look affiliated to iraq, known as the coordination framework. continue there sit in nearby dad's greens on setting up. also dozens of tents, and they say that protesting against what they consider the occupation of the parliament headquartered by supporters of shortly that after the souther. meanwhile, the supreme court in bagdad has adjourned it until the end of this month. a plea that was submitted by a southern affiliated lawmakers, as well as other independent lawmakers requesting the parliament be dissolved. an

early elections beheld as a way out of the current political impass. still ahead on al jazeera ringo riots are in the spotlight as the un human rights chief visits. one of the world's biggest refugee comes i. response. ah, and he is president to light william router says it's time to focus on governing the country to contest election when ah, richard, he has begun the full world copies on its way to the castle, travel package to the her, lo there, it's all about the unrelenting exceptional heat across east asia, not just for japan where we've seen records broken, but also china. now this is a record breaking heat wave. it lasted $64.00 days. an official say it is set to

continue for about another 10 with temperatures touching up to 40 degrees in we have, we could see those figures in shanghai over the weekend. now there is some welcome wet weather pulling into more southern areas, hong kong, seeing the rain as well as taiwan and beijing is going to get a blast of storms pulling through thursday into friday. there will be some recovery in the temperature here as that weather works its way over the korean peninsula and into russia's far east. a pause in the wet weather for japan on friday. and as we moved to south asia, we have seen a pause in the monsoon range across more central and southern areas of india. it's been pakistan that seen the worst of the monsoon rains. and for the 1st time in 55 years, karachi has seen 500 millimeters of rain for this year. we could see that double. you can see the rain continuing to fall that set to continue until next month. and we'll see the wet weather pick up for eastern areas of india. thanks to an area of low pressure strengthening in the bay of bengal. that sure weather update. cats

ha, airway official airline of the journey. when 1960 s a significant decade across the middle east and north africa, it was to dictate when new dynamic movements were launched. in the most of a 3 part series al jazeera well looks at the changes in society as a whole. heaters were looked after and learning methods were closed, the evaluated from education to the changing wills of women, the expansion of the middle class, and improve transportation. the sixty's in the arab was society on our jazeera. ah ah,

we'll come back to watching out. as a reminder, our top story is the cell. 3 major u. s. pharmacy chains have been ordered to pay $650000000.00 to to counties in the state of ohio. the court found pharmacies run by c v. s. whoo mountain. walgreens. help create a public nuisance by over supplying addictive pain pills. israel and turkey restoring full diplomatic ties up to years of strained relations. both countries will be re appointing ambassador's attack is foreign minister said it would not abandon its support for palestinians. thousands of people. argentina been demonstrating of the rising cost of living. trade unions are demanding higher wages as well as unemployment and poverty benefits argentina, as one of the world's highest inflation rates. the governor of ukraine's khaki region says russian shelling is killed at least 6 people and entered several others in a residential district. early on wednesday,

at least 4 people were injured by stripes, navy, southern port city of odessa missiles hit this strategically important coastal town of the taco destroying several residential buildings. so talk is a key link between the odessa region and the rest of ukraine. lost them over on cobra show, there was a huge block, crated neighborhood. bo house left intact. all of them. a birds even houses might have started. everything is destroyed. only the walls remained. everything turned to ashes. in while ukrainian authorities ins parisha have joined nuclear disaster response drills, the exercise is taking place off to several incidents of shilling, europe's largest nuclear power plants. both keep in moscow, blame each other for attacks against the russian control facility. ukraine's energy minister says is government is very concerned about the safety of the site. of course we are concerned that's for sure and that they should with the that this is

jason from the when they start traveling from the piece of it's changed dramatically and of what we are concerned. that's why we're here. that's why we created this group. that's why we was in everyday communication with and we speak to about international partners. fear and human rights chief says it's still not safe for hundreds of thousands of were hanging refugees to return to me until almost 5 years after they fled. brucell, military quack down by lay i've been meeting were hanging bangladesh. she also pressed the government on its human rights record coverage had re reports. during your visit, michelle bachelor, the high commissioner for human rights met with the bundle of the prime minister, share casino, and government high officials, as well as civil society and rights groups. the high commissioner made clear that extra judicial killings and force disappearances where huge obstacles and the pursuit of justice. a race like the concern of all this is allegation,

govern ministers and highlighted the need for an impartial independence and transparent investigation into this allegations, accompanied by the sexual reform, several international and local human rights organizations have the un high commissioner for human rights to press the bank with us government to ensure full accountability for the human rights abuse as that still persist in the country. beschler also raised our concern about self censorship in bung with the media. consequence of the digital security act, we have submitted a recommendation for we feel a revision of certain provisions of the act with a view to ensure the compliance with international restoral understand us preventing application or misuse rationally, also visit the world's largest refugee camp in cox's bazaar on the south east coast made the no show me the must sustain its efforts to bundle in its press to create

conditions for return address the root causes and pursue the b team. she met with several refugees in the camp, but we just thought i found almost like i told her, we do want to return to me and my but we don't want to face repression and persecution again. and that needs to be insured. she assured us the alderman will be presented accordingly. i'm not only visiting here, michelle bachelor said the importance of bangladesh and humanitarian contribution and its historical significance cannot be overstated. unfortunately, the currency portion of the order means that the conditions are not ripe for return . must always be conducted in a voluntary and dignified manner. only when save and sustainable conditions exist in the mar, finally, shocks or bung with a she host to include members of the rowing community in the countries social and economic sectors. while they were in exile, turn with children,

i'll just talk a sentence. rise between serbia and kosovo. nato says it will boost peacekeeping numbers in the region on take any measures necessary to ensure peace. the alliance is chief, un stalson burg, has held crosses, talks with the abyss and cultivate leaders to try to vote fresh conflicts in the balkans. relations happen. strange as the end of july when kosovo declared that subbing identity documents on call number place would not be valid on cultivate territory. the set minority in kosovo reacts had by pushing up roy blocks and foreign guns in the f. e will host read direct talks between serbian president alexander roche on col. surveys. prime minister alban corte on thursday. zurich has more from brussels, nato secretary general leon, salzburg said in brussels that they are peacekeeping mission impossible. k for, he's ready to intervene if stability between serbia and kosovo is at 3. so i

thought them or kept stalks to be the president of serbia, alexander, voltage, and kosovo. prime minister all be in court on a recent vengeance between 2 western balkan neighbors and the day before their upcoming talks in your facility, the dialogue. so be our president said that he and possible prime minister disagree on almost everything, but about the fees and stability were crucially important. lay the specials were 3 years later in july i had a crossover intention to implement a law making all surfaces equal the serbs to use cost of our car plates. also, people from serbia answering possible will have to can reach to not you should exit entry documents reachable to be used as an idea during their stay. this move through good local service could put up our old blocks and sounded air raid sirens, fully fated. the several gunshots have been reported. gossip was thorn implementations of the low for one month and therapy every more drawled books,

but the patients give spade. you expressed a great concern over the grove inflammatory authority, so both sides and cold war to jim quarter to work on de escalation in order to find a mutually agreeable solution for generalization of the relations of serbia and its former province. that declared independence in 2008, several people had been killed in a powerful explosion at a sydney mosque in northern couple. the blast happened during evening prayers on wednesday police avenue confirmed the number of casualties, but say that the mom of the mosque was among those killed cobbles. emergency hospital says it's treating at least 27 patients, including a 7 year old child is not yet known. what caused the explanation can use president like william russo is again calling for unity and says he is ready to get down to the business of governing. he held a media conference today in which he said, people have chosen validus kenny's electoral commission,

gave richard 50.4 percent of the vote, but his opponent rado dingo is disputing the result saying he will change it in court on tv screen. people from all from us. okay. see we listened to you guys. we want to know when did the body of your minimum is going to begin? and i really want to know that expect the dish or mm hm. and therefore, we do not have the whiskey any time. malcom web has more niss from nairobi. it was talking mostly about what they want to do when it from when they take office good. he was very much looking about when speaking with a lot of confidence that that would happen. but it was on tuesday afternoon,

right. we're doing rejected those results and said that him and his coalition would do everything they could legally and constitutionally to get those results overturned. now the constitution give petition is 7 days after the announcement of the result. they were just 5 days left to file a petition to the supreme court waiting to find out. if ryder we're doing is immune coalition, or if other rights groups will file petitions in it, it can be expected at this stage for at least any politically motivated petitioners to keep that card close to that chest. when this happened last time, 5 years ago, following the election, then riley were doing it was at the time leading the opposition. he challenged the election results in court. the petition was submitted right to the last hour before that deadline was met. likely so that lawyers given maximum time to gather evidence and minimum time for any responding to prepare. so we'll be watching over the next

few days to see if anyone will be finding a petition up to the deadline, which will come on monday. a rebel group in ethiopia has proposed a humanitarian truce as the country grapples with drought and the threat of famine b, or rama liberation. army says it's agreed to stop fighting, so 8 agencies can deliver. suffice to effective areas. group also said it will open a humanitarian cordele. if patrice fails, are the largest ethiopian federal state is one of the areas most effected by the drought. heavy rains and flooding of killed at least a 100 people into dawn. dozens of villages that have been destroyed. the government has the floods of cause more damage than the states can handle. hipaa morgan has furniture here, some items there. and had the alley is trying to collect what he can from his home . it was damaged and left submerged by heavy rains and torrential floods. in

a manner going in to dance to 0 state law market lasharon, you know, we never have any food or water. the floods came in the middle of the night while i was working on a night shift to be able to provide food for my family. similar damage and destruction can be seen in houses around the village. more than 700 homes were destroyed in over 50 villages in my neck in the district has been declared a disaster zone. abraham youth family was one of more than 3000 affected by the floods in the region where a hush of the water came in and tore down the front walls. they then entered the rooms and we moved away as they started collapsing around us. all these houses have collapsed and my nagel is now largely sub married homes, are not the only places affected farmland have also been devastated by flood, threatening the harvest season. around november, already nearly a 3rd of the dance $43000000.00 people are short of food and prices have increased

in the past month. government officials say the scale of damage in my neck and is unprecedented. let and number 2, ok and then on we were expecting the damage to be less. so we were surprised by the amount of destruction the flood season usually causes damage. but what we have seen this year is beyond the state's ability to respond. many people are now waiting for help, but with more time shall range forecast and flip expected. they're worried, it may come too late. he will morgan august 0. these 26 people have been killed and dozens injured in forest fires in northeast. and algeria, most of the deaths were in l. t half near the border with nicea firefighters and helicopters are trying to contain almost 40 blazes, which is frightening residence in several provinces. and 350 people and forced to flee their homes. indonesia celebrated its 1st independent stay as its future capital. a national flood was hoisted during the ceremony. in new centera on the

island of borneo, the government plans to move its headquarters away from to casa, which has long been plagued by infrastructure problems and flooding. the government is preparing to officially open nurse and tara by 2024. much more on all our stories on our website. the address is al jazeera dot com teaching. ah, this is our desert these year top stories, 3 major u. s. pharmacy chains have been ordered to pay $650000000.00 to to counties in the state of ohio. a court found pharmacies run by c vs walmart, and walgreens help create a public nuisance. i over supplying addictive pain pills. ross and jordan reports.