mw >> welcome back to the "france 24" newsroom. prime minister al-maliki stepped down from power. the move welcomed on domestic and international levels as the country faces an ongoing sunni jihadist threat. inspection of a russian aid convoy begins. they are concerned the trucks are cover for a military incursion by moscow. thousands in the u.s. hold a vigil in honor of a black teen killed by st. louis police. it has sparked rioting and opened the debate about police fertility. -- police brutality.

caving to mounting pressure, prime minister al-maliki has stepped down as prime minister. the move paves the way for a new poll -- coalition world powers who can stop a sunni islamist insurgency that threatens baghdad. maliki made his announcement thursday during which he stood next to his successor, a fellow shiite. >> i announced before you today in order to facilitate the clinical process and formation of the new government, the withdrawal of my candidacy in favor of the brother. >>, leaky served two terms as prime minister -- prime minister maliki served two terms as prime

minister many view it as a use that fostered tensions. >> baghdad going set up to a new political -- wakes up to a new political landscape as prime minister maliki bows to pressure. accused of dividing a rock down sectarian lines, his departure paves the way for a new government to take on the growing sunni insurgency. >> the mystic pressures meant mr. maliki had to step down. we hope the new designated prime minister will correct his mistakes. >> initially refusing to accept a new prime minister, his departure came as a surprise, putting an end he would try to cling to power prolonging a clinical dead light -- prolonging a political deadlock. >> handing over the post of prime minister shows al-maliki is keen to preserve the safety of iraqis and iraq.

>> we want everyone to work together to achieve a better future for iraq. it is a good move that should have been taken by maliki from the beginning. >> it may be a case of jumping as he was pushed, nevertheless it has been welcomed by the west. the white house has hailed his departure is a major step forward in uniting the country. >> barack obama announced u.s. airstrikes and supply drops have broken the season of mount sinjar where thousands of people from the minority yazidis community have been strande. according to the pentagon, 5000 people remain. patrick told us what the situation is like there. >> the syrian and kurdish fighters tell us the sinjar mountain range is completely under their control and the humanitarian situation is much more manageable with only a few hundred of the many thousands of families left who had previously

been stranded here. it is a very different situation in the valley surrounding us. to the north all the territory previously held by isis, plan through which the kurdish fighters and open to corridor so people could flee, it is still a very precarious situation there. help is still needed for the fighters and people on the mountain. that route is precarious. it is only a kilometer away. yesterday, we heard gunfire at several points. we were warned mortars had been fired earlier in the day. that gives you an idea of how difficult it is for civilians trying to use that road. there was active fighting last night. we heard shelling through the night about 30 kilometers away. it is still a very active zone, very difficult place for civilians who have been caught up in the fighting. >> that was adam reporting from

sinjar mountain. >> inspection of a russian aid convoy is underway. moscow says the nearly 3000 military trucks stopped at the border are carrying food, water and other supplies intended for humanitarian relief in eastern ukraine. kiev and some western officials are worried it could be a cover for a russian military incursion, a claim moscow has described as absurd. witnesses say they have seen russian army vehicles going into rebel held territory. >> the russian aid convoy is taking a break. drivers park about 30 kilometers from the ukrainian border in russia's region. >> it is hot. otherwise, everything is good. the truck is fine. the convoy is transporting different things like grain water, sleeping bags. >> instead of the government

controlled checkpoint in the region requested by ukraine, the russian convoy is headed to the region where much of the border is controlled by per russian fighters. the international red cross must inspect the 280 vehicles before they could cross over. ukrainian authorities believe the convoy is a pretext for russia to send arms to rebels. to counter russia's move, ukraine announced it was dispatching a convoy of its own. >> in this cargo, there are 240 tons of aid. in total between the three convoys, we have 75 vehicles carrying close to 800 tons of aid. >> moscow dismissed the accusations of use may convoy as a trojan wars to bring in military support and allowed ukrainian customs officials to inspect some of the trucks. journalists on the ground suggest it could be a diversion after they witnessed armored vehicles crossing into ukraine

not far from where the aid trucks are stationed. >> for more on this, we speak with the director of the russia study center at the rejects of society, a london-based international affairs think tank. thank you for joining us on the program. the exact contents of the nearly 300 trucks, it remains unclear at this hour. is this an aid convoy or russian trojan horse in your opinion? >> i think as your report suggested that although there were initial concerns the almost 300 trucks may contain military hardware and other weaponry for the rebels, that no longer appears to be the case. i think the greater issue as things stand our team that pulled -- are two-fold. there were reports russian military vehicles crossed over into ukraine crossed the border

during the night. there are reports the humanitarian convoy is being accompanied by russian military hardware. the other issue is once the convoy arrives in ukraine and leaves whether or not these russian military vehicles will leave with it. >> in your opinion, what is putin's in game -- engame? we have recently seen separatist leaders stepping down from their roles. >> i think the humanitarian aid convoy feeds into the broader narrative that couldn't -- putin announced earlier this year. i think it is the case the humanitarian convoy, depending on where the trucks are stationed, may prove an

efficient measure to stop the advance of the ukrainian forces, the antiterrorist operation. it seems to me the basic structures of the potential solution to the ukraine crisis are apparent but have been apparent for a number of months, which is to say the eastern regions would remain within ukraine albeit given more autonomy as part of a broader process of decentralization. ukraine would further its integration into the european union. nato membership would be off the table, not that it ever was on the table. russia would accept ukrainian sovereignty. kiev and moscow would agree to disagree over crimea. >> if we do see military incursion, what moves does the west have? we saw earlier in the month so-called stage three sanctions

being enacted by the u.s. and e.u. >> as your question alludes to, there's clearly the real possibility of all-out war. the humanitarian aid convoy, depending on what happens and where the trucks are stationed may bring that possibility closer and closer. russia's war with georgia in 2008 officially began after russian humanitarian peacekeepers were killed by georgian troops. in terms of how the west would respond to that, clearly there is no possibility of western military intervention in ukraine. as you suggest, i think we would see another round of sanctions and the escalation of the sanctions regime and broader

increasing pressure on president putin, his elite, in which they would have to act. >> thank you for joining us. that is all we have time for on the program. there are reports of another mass kidnapping in nigeria. details are still coming in. early accounts indicate dozens of boys and men have been abducted from a remote village in the northeast of the country. witnesses who fled the violence say suspected boko haram fighters raided the village last sunday. nearly 100 people remain unaccounted for in the town. there has been no official confirmation from local authorities. we will bring you more as it comes into the newsroom. >> pope francis has held his first april mass in south korea -- papal mass in south korea. people packed a sports stadium south of seoul for the first ever papal visit to the region in 15 years. among those who attended were

survivors and relatives of the april ferry disaster. they met with the pope in a private audience. chinese catholics are cheering his five-day visit to their neighbor south korea. many hope it will help bridge the gap between beijing and the vatican. for more, we go to shannon who is standing by in beijing. what kind of relationship does the chinese government have with the vatican? >> a very consultative relationship. chinese catholics are cheering his visit. he sent a telegram of greetings to the chinese president and the chinese people. catholicism was first introduced to china in the late 1200's it has spread. if you go into rural china, you can find catholic churches

easily. after the communist party and mao took over, they began repressing religion and outlawed freedom of religion. they establish their own catholic ordination -- organization. they reject vatican authority. the communist party does. they insist on creating catholic bishops in china. this is not ok with the vatican. the relationship is fraught. the other thing that is added to the tensions is there is one chinese catholic bishop who has rejected vatican authority and withdrawn from the communist party catholic association. he was placed under house arrest, where he remains. there's is real tension between two great powers. the communist party potentially fears the vatican would sway

political power amongst the people. >> thank you for that. thousands of people have held protests vigils across the u.s. in tribute to a black teenager killed by police in missouri. more than 90 cities took part in thursday's national moment of silence after 18-year-old michael brown was unarmed when he was shot and killed by police in a st. louis suburb. his death sparked days of rioting in ferguson, where the shooting took place. >> a peaceful but angry protest in the streets of ferguson missouri. this time, after four consecutive nights of frequently violent standoffs police marched alongside protesters. it marks a change in police tactics in dealing with the fallout of the shooting of michael brown an unarmed african-american teenager. the majority of this african-american community is almost all white, a factor that has contributed to the tension.

they put a local highway patrol captain in charge of security. >> i grew up your. this is my home. it means a lot to me personally that we break the cycle of violence and build trust showing the most respect for every interaction with every citizen. >> earlier in the day on thursday, president obama called for calm in the streets of ferguson, a call aimed at police as much as protesters. police have been criticized for their heavy-handed tactics in dealing with the situation mostly peaceful demonstrators being cast -- dousesd in teargas and smoke bombs. >> this is a place where people work, go to school, raise their families, and go to church. lately, it has look more like a war zone. that is unacceptable. >> witnesses say 18-year-old michael brown was backing away with his hands up on a -- when

officer repeatedly fired at him. police claim the teenager was trying to take one of their weapons. >> you are watching "france 24." let's get a week cap of the headlines. iraqi prime minister maliki stepped down from power as iraq faces an ongoing sunni jihadist advance. inspection of a russian aid convoy gets underway. the ukrainian government is concerned it is cover for a military invasion by moscow. thousands in the u.s. hold vigils in honor of a black teen killed by police in st. louis. it has sparked days of rioting and rehashed the debate over police brutality. it is time to get a check of what is grabbing headlines in the world's press. we are going to start with the controversial russian convoy sitting on ukraine's border.

we are seeing criticism and some paper for the west's lack of response. >> let's take a look at the front page of "the independent." you can see a photo of the aid convoy along the border. there is an alarming headline on the front page that talks about a collision course. it says as eastern europe edges closer to all-out war, why is the west looking the other way? there is an interesting piece by the former moscow correspondent very knowledgeable about the region. she says the crisis in europe can no longer be board. it seems european leaders are more preoccupied by the effect of the food export ban imposed by russia, more interested in that rather than the tragedy happening on the ground. she says this is a civil war being fought in europe and for europe. >> another leading story is the ongoing conflict in iraq.

many papers are focusing on the poorest -- porous nature of the borders. >> "the independent" says there has been a lot of focus on the advancement of isis in iraq. we tend to forget the islamist group is also active in syria. it says as the west dithers over how to respond in iraq the islamist state is making major gains in syria. in the past two days, they've have taken key towns near a laptop. it points out this isn't isis offensive that started tuesday and reinforces the movement -- it points out this is an isis offensive that started tuesday and reinforces the movement. the president of the syrian opposition coalition writes a comment piece today in "the wall street journal." he says our warning about the terrorist group are coming true. he says if you want to defeat

isis, you should help the syrian opposition. he appeals to the west. he says please send advanced military aid before it is too late. >> what are we seeing from the french papers? >> "liberation" has an article that focuses on the catholic church and how the church is reacting. it points out the catholic church has given its stamp of approval to the military response against isis. it wonders if the catholic church is on the warpath. this might seem like an oxymoron. but over the past couple days, church officials in france and abroad have been raising their voice to give their approval to the use of force against isis fighters in iraq saying it is legitimate, necessary. in other words, a just war. this might seem to go against the church's traditional opposition to war and calls for peace we have seen over the 20th

century, but it points out what has changed is the fact the atrocities carried out by isis may seem like too much for the catholic church and especially the targeting of christian minorities. >> in france, officials are said to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the allied invasion of southern france. >> operation dragoon was launched august 15, 1944. french officials will pay tribute to african soldiers who participated in this invasion. one dozen african heads of state will join president hollande today. it has been the subject of controversy. for years, french officials have paid tribute to american, canadian, and british soldiers who participated in the normandy invasion. but the 230,000 african soldiers that fought under the french flag have often been forgotten. let's take a look at one last article. it interviews one of the veterans, a senegalese man.

he's critical of the french answer, the fact that they forgot them. we have not had any recognition from france, and he is very critical of this. >> thank you. it is time for sports update. take a look. >> there was controversy in the final of the men's steeplechase at the european championships in zürich. the frenchman winning the race but disqualified before the final hurdle. that means kowal takes goal ahead of the other two. the russian successfully defended his title in the 110 meter hurdle. britain took silver with the favorite relegated to bronze.

another was disqualified for running outside his lane. the frenchman produced a brilliant strike gold in the men's triple jump -- brilliant jump, the biggest in europe this year. p nor champion was five seconds ahead of the russian. he will run in the men's 800 meter final on friday and is much in the frame for a gold medal trade he took bronze in helsinki two years ago in a personal best. he explained his achievement in the principality by quoting the legend of the truck. >> he said there are days when everything comes together, one day in the year. your stars align for the performance for your actual best. that day in monaco, that is exactly what happened.

i have set records in other races in my career. at a time, it was easy where i often suffer on the track. i was very surprised. >> he admits he prefers races run at a quicker tempo. he has struggled when made to engage in tactical battles on the track. >> i put myself in a good position during tactical races with my ability to change pace. these things are difficult for me. in very fast races even if it is difficult to recover, that race suits me better. >> he won two years ago in helsinki. the russian gold medalist attired in july -- retired in july and now has other rivals to think about. >> if i win by one millimeter or 400 millimeters -- 400 meters,

is all the same thing for me. i'm like a child. i want that medal, too. there are always opponents who will be able to test me. the two most dangerous are the poles. if you see their pictures, i know and you know it will be in the final. i am not going to disappoint my fans and family. >> he has already experienced a european foe and will also face the man who took silver in 2012. he's lost his appeal over a ban for biking. -- biting. the court of arbitration held up the ban after the world cup in brazil. he has joined barcelona from liverpool. he's now free to train with his new teammates and take part in

friendlies. the first test could be october 26. he has become the latest friend player to announce retirement from international football. the defender follows two bringing down the curtain on his international career after he was not selected to take part in this year's world cup. he made 67 appearances for his country. he claimed the honors in stage four of the tour while the former race leader and defending champion was taken away after a serious crash. the czech was thrown into the stands after his old of a clash. avoiding that crash to take the win, the chase leader also emerging unscathed.

the arctic race of norway got underway thursday with the home hope winning. he was in no mood to let him establish a winning lead. the real action in the final 15 k with a succession of attempted breaks. the nordic

' be exploring the long-term impact of living with h.i.v. while antiretroviral drugs have saved the lives of many, the patients who've been taking them for decades now appear to be aging more quickly. also in the program, the virus epidemics which start in animals