will be able to deliver on his promises. ♪ >> this is al jazeera. ♪ marianne: you are watching the newshour live from london. in the next 60 minutes, gaining ground in afghanistan -- the taliban claims to control the majority of the country, but is ready for a cease-fire with conditions. much needed aid deliveries from turkey to syria, guaranteed for another year after a compromise at the un security council.

the international investigation into who is behind the death of the haitian president jovenel moise, as links to the u.s. and columbia emerge. >> and athletes are reassured the tokyo games will be great and matteo barrett td becomes the first italian to win wimbledon final, and he will -- matteo barrettini becomes the first italian to win a wimbledon final. hello. welcome to the newshour. as the u.s. and allies withdraw from afghanistan, it is not just the flags of those countries being lowered, taliban fighters are removing the afghan national flag and assign the group's control is spreading. this image is widely shared by iranian media at a border crossing between afghanistan and iran which was taken by the

taliban thursday. iran's customs administration says trade is suspended with afghanistan because the taliban has now seized two of three crossings and also captured a town. the afghan government is rejecting a claim by the taliban that it controls 85% of the country including two thirds of the border with turgid to stand -- turgistan, but it is the afghan people that are suffering. the world health organization is now warning at least 18 point 4 million people need humanitarian assistance, and 3.1 million children are at risk of malnutrition. the fighting makes it more difficult to get food and medical supplies to the country. the warning comes as a taliban delegation has been visiting the russian capital of moscow, the taliban and insisting it is open to a cease-fire. we have more this report.

reporter: signs of times changing come of the taliban roots rely -- line the resistance of the 1979 soviet invasion of afghanistan, now sending a senior delegation to moscow to discuss the future of the country. the group says it controls 85% of afghanistan. the delegation pledged to consider a cease-fire with the government if ongoing talks succeed in certain criteria are met. >> the conclusion is, both sides' prisoners should be released, the blacklist should be removed him there must be no attacks on provisional capital cities. there should be no military activity in populated areas. trust should be built among afghans and 90 days must be allocated for negotiations. reporter: but reality on the ground is far from that as the roots made major gains, taking advantage of a power

vacuum of u.s. and foreign troops leaving. it claims to control more than half of the 400 afghan districts across more than 20 provinces, including border towns. this week, more than 1000 afghan troops fled after a taliban offensive in the north. taliban fighters on thursday captured a key border pricing with iran. russia warned it will use force if any cross-border violence occurs. >> the taliban have quickly taken many border districts and now has control of two thirds of the border with turgikistan. a russian military base there is equipped with everything necessary to help the republic and if needed, assistance will be taken to prevent aggression or territorial provocations. reporter: last week, the afghan government told al jazeera it won't collapse, but the taliban says it wants an inclusive government that respects

minorities, women and men in education and employment. >> the taliban demonstrated no appetite for any concessions. and they consistently told their own membership, men fighting on the ground, that they have one goal, which is complete military victory and reestablishment of a taliban dominated government without any coalition with any party. reporter: in moscow, the taliban said it wants you military and support for areas under its control, but aid agencies are struggling to get medical supplies into afghanistan. many health workers are fleeing violence. >> and escalating, violent conflict, a pandemic and a natural disaster in the form of drought. all these events are unfolding in the context of one of the largest and longest standing humanitarian emergencies in the world. reporter: afghans are the third most displaced population

globally and have yet to see a peaceful solution to decades of violence. al jazeera. marianne: the un security council is extending by 12 months a mandate for aid deliveries to northern syria. nearly 1000 trucks from turkey bring supplies to millions of syrians every month. russia wanted the a's to flow through damascus to allies in the syrian government, but agreed to a couple must pass the resolution. diplomatic editor james bates has more from the united nations. . -- james: intense negotiations at the u.n., russia's ambassador being friendly yet coy. minutes before the security council met, a compromise deal had been reached, after months in which it looked like russia might veto the authorization to keep the only border crossing delivering aid into syria open.

adil was unanimously agreed that extends operation of the crossing for 12 months. russia said it was a result of direct clumsy with the you -- direct diplomacy with the u.s.. >> we are witnessing a historical moment. for the first time, russia and the united states not only managed to find an agreement, but presented joint text supported by colleagues and the council. we expect this kind of day would become a turning point that not only syria would win, but the middle east and the world. reporter: later, the u.s. ambassador, linda thomas-greenfield, was asked about those comments. >> it is an important moment in our relationship and it shows that what we can do with the russians if we work with them diplomatically on common goals. and this was a common goal that we were able to come to agreement on. james: to be clear, this won't

change life for ordinary syrians. there was one border crossing delivering aid into syria before, there is one border crossing now. in the u.n. says if it had more border crossings, it could deliver more aid. it is not clear whether this is a breakthrough between relations with the u.s. and russia, but the fact that both countries are talking up this moment is perhaps significant. james bays, al jazeera at the united nations. marianne: i returned to the syria border crossing after meeting displaced people in idl ib, and he says people in northern syria desperately need the aid that goes through that crossing. >> we were in the city center of idlib and people were saying they are very disappointed about the discussion in the united nations security council, they were saying that they shouldn't be discussing to close to last

remaining delivery eight point. they desperately need that u.n. international aid. the u.n. should be discussing how to open eu border crossings that will carry aid to people who desperately needed. yesterday, we were at the refugee camps and more than 100,000 people are living under very hard, tough conditions, women, children, elderly people, people who need medical treatment are there, and left with no choice, no options in the middle of a global pandemic. and in idlib, we have a couple medical facilities, hospitals, just dedicated to children. that we could see how nurses, doctors, are struggling to help these people. maryam: you're watching the news

hour live from london. much more coming up -- the drug company pfizer seeks a booster for its covid vaccine as a study shows the jab loses efficacy over time. end in sport, a champion picks up where he left off, but this time across the atlantic. more on that later. ♪ an international manhunt is underway for eight remaining suspects in the assassination of haitian president jovenel moise. i heavily armed team -- a emily armed team murded moise at his home wednesday -- a heavenly armed -- a heavily armed team murdered moise at his home.

many is following events from mexico city. a fragile, uncertain situation in haiti right now. what help or assistance is being offered by the u.s. in colombia in this investigation? manny: there are so many moving parts, so many countries involved. this is an international effort, but really one investigation. one of the latest investigations is a investigation into who was the head of the general security unit, one of the people most in charge of tucking the haitian president. he is under investigation per possible -- for possible ties to arms trafficking. there are unanswered questions about how such a security lapse could happen that would lead to the assassination of president jovenel moise. but again, an international effort and very much a single investigation and a developing story still. lots of new information every day. today, we cyprus conference in

columbia -- we saw a press conference in cold lolombia. columbia a sharing information in real-time, police try to find out who these men work who were responsible for the plot against the haitian president. four companies have been identified, for private corporations identified by colombian investigators with potential ties -- colombian investigators as having potential ties to individuals tied to the investigation. the names of the countries have not been published. end investigators said even though most of these men have been identified as private mercenaries, as being members of colombia's military, there is no reason to believe any are active duty. they are all retired

former colombian military members. one thing that keeps coming up as we talked to political experts in the former prime minister of it haiti, an international effort here is necessary to get to the bottom of what happened and answer many of the questions that are unanswered. meanwhile, haiti have quieted down following the assassination of the president. there was a lot of unrest. there were protests. that has quite down, but things remained very tense. i spoke to one of our contacts on the ground today who said there is a large crowd outside the u.s. embassy, any people hoping to exit visas to reach the u.s., anticipating what many believe is going to be a worsening political crisis in the country. maryam: thank you, for mexico city. other stories we are following, french president emmanuel macron says he is slashing the number of french troops in the sahil

region by half. macron has been trying to reassure african leaders that even though he is reducing military support, he is offering those reassurances. g5 nations face an ongoing threat from sahil. we have more from dakar and senegal. reporter: after this village in burkina faso came under attack from isis, this woman and her children escaped to neighboring mali. she thought it would offer protection. but in mali, gunmen from an al qaeda affiliate attacked the village she was in. she fled. armed groups will always be a danger. >> there is no good, because the fight is trouble. the fight is very, very

trouble. reporter: people she refers to our g5 soldiers backed by the french military, attacking armed groups affiliated with isil and al qaeda. in a summit hosted by france, president emmanuel macron announced details of a drawdown of french troops on the closure of bases in the region while offering reassurance to g5 partners. >> our military presence in the sahil will be based on two missions, it to neutralize the high command of the two enemy organizations print second asian will be focused on supporting the region's -- organizations. this second mission will be focused on supporting the region. reporter: the situation has

deteriorated dramatically. 7000 people were killed and 2 million displaced last year. covenants in burkina faso and mali want talks with the armed groups to bring an end to the violence. french military victories have not translated into lasting peace and while president macron announced a troop reduction of 50% of the closing of military bases, this is not the end of his country's presence in africa. france has military outposts in almost every one of its former colonies. at to that pressure from the united states, who fears that if france steps out, and is reliable partner will stepien. saudi arabia announced a $100 million boost for the g5 sahil. russia is expanding its presence in the central african republic and is in talks for arms sales in the chinese presence in niger has increased 400%. >> we need france for what it can give us, not what we already

have. france has electronic intelligence capabilities which are not in our possession. the new configuration does not deprive us of this possibility. that is something important. france has aerial resources we do not have, which complement our activities which we maintain ourselves on the ground. reporter: but for millions in africa displaced by conflicts in the region, the drawdown of french troops does not mean the end of their troubles, just the beginning of new ones. nicholas hawk, al jazeera. maryam: we moved to bangladesh, factory fire in the country has killed at least 52 people, with fears more bodies could be found. emergency teams are searching the top two floors of the five-story building. many workers are believed to have been trapped find lock doors -- lock doors. alexi o'brien reports this is the latest in a series of tragedies.

alexi: through smoky haze, emergency workers battle a blaze burning since thursday. this was once a food and beverage factory in an industrial town 25 kilometers east of the capital of dhaka, the five-story building now a charred shell. it is believed the fire began on the ground floor and spread quickly because of chemicals in plastic bottles stored inside. the main gate was said to be locked, trapping many workers. they were instead brought out in body bags, covered in ash and dirt and packed into ambulances. [woman crying] relatives waited through the night for news as flames lit up the darkness and smoke load into the sky. >> my brother worked at the sixth floor of the factory. i lost communication after 5:00 p.m.. his phone is switched off. god, help a.

-- help me. >> we came here because my niece wasn't answering her phone, and now the phone is not ringing at all. we are worried. reporter: while some people were rescued from the roof, others were injured while they -- injured when they jumped from the second and third floors to escape. >> the situation is critical. there are roads on two sides of the building. our vehicles can't access the other sides. there is also no way for vehicles to move on, and it is very risky to go higher. we can't go higher due to the immense heat and smoke. reporter: factory fires are common in bangladesh, where many businesses operate illegally and without safety measures. this company employed tens of thousands of low-paid workers and have come under heavy pressure to improve conditions. authorities imposed tougher safety rules after 1100 people died when a garment factory

collapsed in dhaka in 2013. months earlier, 112 workers lost their lives when they were trapped in a burning factory on the outskirts of the city. an investigation has been launched into have the slightest fire started. grieving family members are demanding answers and justice. alexi o'brien, al jazeera. maryam: covid-19 cases across the united states are increasing rapidly, sparking fears of a new outbreak. the 11% rise in a week is being blamed on the delta variant which is now the dominant strain of the virus across the u.s. the latest data is showing more people are being sent to hospitals in areas where there are low rates of vaccination. meanwhile, drugmaker pfizer is expected to seek u.s. and european approval for a third dose of its coronavirus vaccine. this is based on evidence that shows there is a greater risk of infection six months after inoculation, and it takes into

account concerns over the spread of the delta variant. pfizer research shows a booster jab generates antibody levels 5-10 times higher than those after the second dose. u.s. regulators say booster shots are not needed yet, because funny vaccinated people are protected from current variants, adding they will be guided by the science. the pfizer chief scientific officer says data from israel and britain suggests that even as anti-body levels decrease, the vaccine is still 95% effective against severe disease. we are joint via skype by dennis nash, distinguished professor of epidemiology at city university of new york and the rogers school of public health. if you would describe for us, if you can, because a supposed data and evidence is still being clarified, how effective are any

of the vaccines out there against the delta strain of the coronavirus? >> we are still learning a lot about how long these vaccines will remain effective, because the pandemic has only been around for a year and a half. so we are learning as we go. to be sure, it is important to be thinking about the need for boosters and routinely looking at the extent to which these vaccines may result in breakthrough infections, with severe disease. time will tell. but we need to be thinking about it and planning about it because it maybe going forward. but i do agree that it is not the time to be prioritizing a third dose of boosters as much as a more pressing priority that

we have, which is ensuring that highly affected countries and regions of the world with little or no access to vaccines can be supplied immediately. speaking to the variant, not only will this address vast inequities in vaccine access, it will do more to mitigate the spread of the delta variant and anything else, and also reduce the potential for new variants to emerge. maryam: right, because at the moment you have, particularly in the south of the united states, mississippi, louisiana, idaho, less than 40%. you have many people that are still not oxidative -- not vaccinated, which means the virus will continue to replicate and mutate, and that puts everyone at risk. >> yes, the more unmitigated spread we have, the more likely

existing variants will spread and new variants can emerge. and in situations where there is medium levels of vaccination coverage and high levels of community spread, we are going to see more breakthrough infections per but as others have noted importantly, but vaccines are protective against severe disease and the variant. it is not clear how much the booster will be needed to protect against severe disease and death. it is something we need to keep a close eye on. maryam: what is the reason for vexing hesitancy? we know vaccines out the -- vaccine hesitancy? we know the vaccines were, but millions of americans are not getting them and not breaks will still happen. >> i think there is a combination of hesitancy and outright resistance. some of this is ideological, the resistance part. and some of it is through

barriers getting access to vaccine. some places around the u.s. are much more advanced and further along in rolling out their vaccines to large numbers of people than others. but it is really starting to get to a grotesque scenario that we find ourselves here in, with an excess of vaccine and yet an inability to get to the higher levels of coverage that we need to prevent the local outbreaks and surges we are seeing. meanwhile, other countries have raging surges in covid cases and deaths and little vaccine available. at some point, we have to think about the moral obligation we have to get that excess vaccine supply to populations around the world that need it more. no country should be having excess vaccine sitting around during a pandemic. we are all in this together this is a moral imperative. maryam: that doesn't seem to be the priority for many governments right now.

do you think that that is likely to change? what is your sense of the direction the government is taking? are they completely consumed by the delta variant becoming the dominant strain? is there enough awareness that travel restrictions and so forth might not be enough to protect if enough other parts of the world remain vaccinated? >> yeah, i worry, like so many other things, the public health issues are not always at the front of the line in terms of considerations our elected leaders and politicians around the globe are considering. you know, this lack of a coordinated response -- this is all another concerning symptom of this sort of protracted, uncoordinated response to what is a global, common threat.

a pandemic spread means by definition that it is happening on all continents, and the only way to get it under control as a coordinated response that includes cooperation across countries, across borders, and a lot of cooperation globally. it is something our political leaders have not been able to do and if they don't, there will be hundreds of thousands if not millions of avoidable deaths as a result. we have already seen too many. maryam: thank you very much, distinguished professor of epidemiology at the city university of new york. >> thank you. maryam: u.s. president joe biden has called on his russian counterpart vladimir putin to crack down on cyber criminals. last weekend, more than 1000 businesses were affected by a ransomware attack originating from russia. it is believed to be the biggest attack of its kind in history.

our white house correspondent brings us more. kimberly: it is not just concerning the white house, it is concern among ordinary americans victimized by ongoing ransomware attacks. impacts have been out with the ransomware attack on the colonial pipeline that occurred recently. that resulted in americans not being able to fuel their gas tanks, in some cases for up to a week. we also saw the meatpacking industry affected and that affected the supply chain and what gets food to american tables as well. so there has been increasing pressure on the biden administration to hold russian leader vladimir putin to account. remember, this comes in the context of the fact that less than a month ago, the two were sitting side-by-side when the u.s. president very strongly, articulated to vladimir putin, that there would be consequences if these ransomware attacks

continued. even though they are not state-sponsored, in the eyes of the united states, the fact they are happening on russian soil matters. here is what joe biden had say about his telephone call in conversation with not a mere -- vladimir putin. >> the united states expects that this ransomware operation is not, not sponsored by the state. reporter: -- kimberly: in geneva, joe biden put together a list of 60 critical infrastructure areas he said could not be targeted. many people criticized that and said why did you tell him what was critical, and shouldn't anything be off-limits? that is the argument now, that joe biden's meeting seems to have gone to waste, has fallen on deaf ears, and they are

looking in the united states for tougher action from joe biden. what the white house press secretary said in the last couple hours was, joe biden pledged he would engage with vladimir putin diplomatically. that is what this call was about. of the u.s. will retaliate if necessary at the time and place of its choosing. maryam: with the newshour live from london, more still ahead. we meet young directors pitching movie ideas at the world's most amorous film festival. ♪ and the former president of the international olympic committee assures athletes they will have an experience to remember, despite no fans. ♪ >> if you are a lover of thunderstorms, you would have loved the last two or three days, big ones from northern italy through austria and

beyond, wrapped around low pressure, this area full of humid air. below is going north into scandinavia, so those thunderstorms are becoming weaker and weaker as they drift into what is still hot weather. coming up behind, still cooler, disappointing weather for some in england and some parts of france. when the south, europe or maine's largely hot, particularly in spain. scandinavia is quite a contrast as that low-pressure area means a wet day for parts of norway and sweden. to the east, really hot, helsinki at 31. how often do you think of finland in the 30's? the record is close, and 21 is the average. here is a picture for sunday, temperatures in the 30's, not unusual for eastern europe. in spain, 41 in madrid, that is unusual.

it is often hot in spain, 41 is one degree shy of the all-time record for madrid. ♪ >> when it war crime is committed, who is accountable? al jazeera follows a human rights investigator on his unprecedented journey to t french high court. >> i visited every place to make sure the information i wanted to bring. >> his fight for justice for innocent palestinians and their families. made in france on al jazeera. >> a footballer from spain, battling opponents on this pitch and fighting fascism at home and abroad. footballing legend, a warrior

who used his beloved game to help himself and others survive the horrors of a nazi concentration camp. football rebels, on al jazeera. ♪ ♪ maryam: welcome back. our main stories -- a taliban delegation visiting the russian capital of moscow and insisting they are open to a cease-fire with the afghan government with conditions. the group claims to control 85% of the country. the un security council extending a mandate for aid deliveries to northern syria by 12 months.

the program is due to expire saturday. nearly 1000 trucks from turkey bring supplies to millions of syrians every month. and an international manhunt is underway for a permitting suspects in the assassination of haitian president jovenel moi. the u.s. and colomjbia have both helped -- have both offered help to find the perpetrators. in lebanon, the interior minister rejects a request by the lead investigator into the a room port explosion inquiry. more than 200 people were killed when explosive material detonated. we have this report. reporter: it has been nearly a year since the explosion at beirut court. -- port. there is still no accountability. tons of ammonium nitrate was stored in a warehouse alongside flammable materials. that is believed to have triggered the blast. who was responsible for unsafely

storing this material? well, the judge leading the case has come up with a list of suspects he wants to question. they may face criminal charges, criminal negligence, but so far, he has not been able to question them. these are politicians, members of the security establishment including the caretaker prime minister, a number of mps who were former ministers at the time the ammonium nitrate was stored at the port, as well as the heads of to have lebanon's top security agencies. the judge is facing political backlash and it is not the first time politicians have been trying to stand in the way of the judiciary. the previous judge was removed following a court order. he was accused of overstepping his authority. in a country like lebanon where there is a culture of impunity, few believe the truth will ever be known and that justice will be served.

more than 200 were killed, thousands injured, hundreds of thousands made homeless and stale come of investigation has been slow -- and still, the investigation has been slow. it is not yet known who brought the shipment to the country and it is not clear 700 50,000 pounds were inside the warehouse when the explosion happened. many questions, the judge trying to initiate the process of prosecuting suspects, but politicians in the way. the battle against accountability has so far been stronger than the battle for justice. maryam: kate u.n. human rights investigator says illegal israeli settlements could amount to what he calls war crimes. special representative michael link was speaking to the u.n. council as hundreds of palestinians protested settlements in the occupied west bank. israeli forces attempted to

disperse demonstrators, causing several injuries. and for the second consecutive friday, hundreds of palestinians rallied in the occupied west bank against the palestinian authority, angry at the death of an activist two weeks ago who was a prominent critic of the governing party who died in custody after being arrested by palestinian security forces. we turn to a new report by oxfam which has revealed hunger is killing more people that the pandemic. as many as 11 people died because of malnutrition every minute, according to oxfam. the charity is estimating 150 million people are living in crisis, uncertain where their next meal is coming from. at that is 20 million more than last year, blamed mostly on war and conflict, but the pandemic is a contributing factor. massive unemployment and severe disruption to food production have seen prices surge 40%, the

highest price in more than a decade. one of the worst hit regions is latin america. daniel schreiber reports from buenos aires. daniel: the oxfam report calls brazil and emerging epicenter of hunger, where extreme poverty is multiplied threefold to 12% of the population, 20 million people with not enough food. this bakery in rio, it is not enough. >> when i go out with my mom and we walk around, we see children dying of hunger. that is really sad. daniel: there are similar scenarios across the region affecting young and old. venezuela says life was difficult before the lopez, now, much more difficult -- before the pandemic. now, much more difficult. >> we have to go looking for

food. i can go hungry, but not the children. daniel: the oxfam report says the fallout from the pandemic has deepened inequality and exposed it around the world, but wealthy nations have been slow to support development projects and humanitarian crises in hard regions like latin america. >> as they are thinking, people here are suffering. it is not only the covid-19 crisis. it is a combination of factors that have been happening here within the region. daniel: oxfam is calling on governments to stop conflicts that fuel hunger, build more sustainable food systems and support local protection programs. but millions, like social movements across argentina, say they can't afford to wait. >> we are marching because we can't take any hunger, and there is no stable work.

factories fire you immediately. >> the situation at the soup kitchen is desperate because we don't have enough food. and it is not just the unemployed eating there. in the past year, it has been unemployed workers and pensioners. daniel: they are demanding a fair basic wage and and and crippling foreign at payments. the demands are not new, they have been made before, but they are louder and more desperate now because they say the situation is much worse and they need solutions now. oxfam says regions like latin america can feed themselves, solve many of their own problems, but they need help. and global problems need global solutions. daniel schreiber, al jazeera, buenos aires. maryam: lithuania is building a fence along its border with belarus to deter migrants from entering the country.

the 550 kilometer barbed wire fence will cost lithuania $48 million. it follows a drastic rise in illegal migration which lithuania says belarus is encouraging. in the past month, 1500 people have crossed the border into lithuania, 20 times more than in the whole of last year. on thursday, i spoke with the foreign minister of lithuania about the situation at the border and asked about measures the government is taking in response to this rising migration. >> it is not barriers to keep the people out. it is to stop the regime from using and abusing the borders that were probably not sufficiently controlled for. in effect, we are seeing an active crime of war that is waged against the european union, the country and nato.

it is very unfortunate the regime of lukashenko is using people as their choice of weapon against another european country. but we have an obligation to defend the border, which is not only the lithuanian order, it is also a european one. maryam: but we have seen this fortification of european borders in recent years when european law clearly states everyone has the right to a fair and efficient asylum attempt. do border fences and camps risk eroding the eu human rights laws? >> 20,000 students stayed in belarus for several years. i don't think they had their lives at risk. so to say, now they are being pushed away by the regime, we have to ask ourselves the question, what do we do with the regime's actions?

in this case, they are doing something illegal. they are taking away our right that they themselves promised to the people when they invited them from africa and the middle east to come to belarus. now, they are taking this right away. maryam: we know russia has the greatest leverage with belarus, but is lithuania's approach perhaps making the situation worse? you have warned the european union against engaging in direct dialogue with russian president vladimir putin. that is knuckling to resolve anything -- that is not going to resolve anything. >> that is a weird and different case. some eu countries were suggesting we get back to the discussion table. we opened the chapters that had been closed after 2014 when russia occupied parts of ukrainian territory. to my knowledge, the territories are still under occupation, therefore, i don't think bad

behavior should be rewarded by be opening to discussion. if european leaders would find a way to send a message to putin, he would send a message to lukashenko, i would say that that is a good idea. maryam: a weekend of dangerously hot tempers -- temperatures, power cuts and fires appears to be in store for the u.s. west coast. a brutal heat wave across california and nevada as sparked multiple massive wildfires. authorities ordered nearby campsites to be evacuated. temperatures could reach 54 degrees celsius at california's death valley. the state energy operator is warning of possible rolling lockouts on friday. you are still with the newshour in london. coming up, after 144 years of wimbledon, italy finally has a player in the singles final. more about matteo berrettini in

just a moment. ♪ ♪

♪ maryam: the con film festival is underway in the south of -- the cannes film festival is underway in the south of france after missing last year. there is a major opportunity for the next generation. sachse butler met two young directors hoping for financial backing for their projects. reporter: it is every director's dream to come to cannes, and for

this young mexican filmmaker, this could be life-changing. after a residency in paris for the festival program for young directors, he has to pitch a movie project to the france film-funding body. >> it is the first thing i have done this kind of thing. and you have to be confident about your project and who you are, try not to make mistakes while talking. i hope it would be a good experience. reporter: this iranian is another young filmmaker from the program. >> after six months of hard working in the cinema residency, finally, i am here. reporter: the head of the young directors program says it is a golden opportunity. >> six directors are selected to stay in paris for four months and a half, writing their first and sector feature film -- and second feature film.

they receive money so they can think only about their scripts. reporter: a couple of days later at a club, there are nerves and excitement. this is where pictures take place. each filmmaker -- pitches take place. each filmmaker has 5-7 minutes to their story. he pitches his kurdish language film about a teenage boy who tries to find out how his father died. >> in iran, there is no funding for kurdish films. they just want to make film in farsi with a kurdish accent. but it has actually killed the kurdish language. reporter: once the pitch is over, there is relief. >> i think it went well. i have happy it went fast. now it is back and see what happens. reporter: as the winners were

announced, it wasn't the outcome of that they had hoped for. although they lost out on prize money, they undoubtedly leave cannes richer in friendships, experience and memories. al jazeera. >> it will be a huge day for italian sport sunday, the national foot all game playing in the final euro of 2020 and before that, matteo berrettini will line up in the wimbledon decider, first italian to reach that spot in the 144 year history of wimbledon. he beat hubert hurkacz. the number-seven seed who didn't lose serve once in the match took the fourth set to wrap up the victory. he has a chance to become the first italian man to win a grand slam title in 45 years. >> it is going to be a great atmosphere, my first final in wimbledon.

it is just crazy to think about it. and obviously for the italian people in general, it is going to be a tough sunday. but i think we deserve it. it is a great day, a great sport day, and i am really happy that together with football now, we are one of the bigger sports. reporter: berrettini will have his hands full time to stop novak djokovic. the world number one made it 16 wins in his last 17 grand slam semifinals. after taking the first set on a tiebreak, djokovic one next to to be just one victory away from his 20th major title which would bring him level with roger federer and rafael nadal. he reached the final having lost just one set. >> it would mean everything.

and that is why i am here. that is why i am playing. i imagine myself being in a position to fight for another grand slam trophy prior to coming to london, and i put myself in a very good position. so anything is possible in the finals. obviously, experience is on my side, but berrettini has been winning a lot of matches on grass courts this year, winning queens, great form, serving big playing egg -- playing big, so is going to be a tough match for both of us, but i am looking forward to a great natural. >> annual women's champion will be crowned saturday when ash barty and karolina pliskova go ahead and the women's final. barty won the french open in 2019 while karolina pliskova has never won a major tournament. olympics with no fans is not what athletes would have

imagined a couple years ago, but the man in charge of the games assured them they will still have an experience remember. the president of the international olympic committee delivered a message of support to those competing after it was confirmed that no spectators will be allowed after the host city was placed under another covid-19 state of emergency. >> we all regret this decision for not having spectators, for the spectators but even more for the athletes, who will not able to enjoy the live olympic atmosphere. but for the athletes, i think the feeling will be very different because they will know the billions of people around the globe are with them in their hearts and supporting them. reporter: fans can look forward to more olympic content on television and digital platforms than ever, and says athletes should feel encouraged to know that billions of people will be watching them.

>> tokyo is ready. the venues are marvelous. the olympic village is one of the best may be that we have had, so everything is ready to have a great olympic competition. reporter: the u.s. olympic basketball camp is hit by covid-19 at their training base in las vegas. three members of the select team which practices with the main team tested positive and are isolating. the rest of the party continue trading before heading to japan. golf's champion looks in fine shape before the next major open. the spaniard is tied for the lead at the halfway stage of the scottish open. he posted a six under 65 in round two, including six birdies in his opening nine holes. he shares a one-shot lead with two other players. he was playing in a group with rory mcilroy and there was a

bizarre incident before they teed off. spectator wandered on the course and took a club out of mcelroy's bag. the man started a routine as if he was about to hit a shot. very, very strange. he was escorted from the course. inquiries are ongoing. mcelroy missed the cut. jan is a tentacled poet is urging his team -- giannis attentakumpo is doing his best to fire up the milwaukee buck s, scoring 42 points but his efforts ultimately in vain. devon booker with 31 points for phoenix, who won by 14, leaving them two wins away from their first title. the series heads to milwaukee for the next couple of games. british boxer tyson furious said to be deeply frustrated after his trilogy fight was postponed.

theory tested positive -- fury tested positive for covid-19. the bot was scheduled july 24. experts advised it to be put back to sometime in october. neither man fought since fury knocked out his opponent in february. conor mcgregor is also in las vegas and was involved in a fiery press conference during which he aimed a kick at his opponent. i will show you the moment the irish fighter walked on stage to greet fans who turned out to see him. he is in a trilogy fight saturday. mcgregor won the first encounter by knockout in 2014 but suffered a defeat in the rematch this year when he was stopped in the second round. he has vowed to put things right this time. >> this is my bread and butter. this is what wakes me up in the morning with fire in my belly. errors to correct, tactics to

prepare for. >> the are a is not there anymore. a dangerous fighter, but i see a man i defeated and no i can defeat again. >> [indiscernible] and that is the way he is going to go down and he is going to be known for that. it was a fluke win. and i am going to correct it saturday night. >> england' s football team may be known as the three lines come about another big cat will decide whether they get their paws on the trophy sunday. the eye of the tiger definitely on england. he lives in siberia and he predicts the opponents will roll to victory against italy at wembley. maryam: thank you so much. the most prestigious spelling competition in the u.s. has an african-american winter for the first time. >> n-u-r-r-a-y-n.

>> that is correct. [laughter] maryam: the national spelling bee has been going for more than a century. 14-year-old is elite one the event -- won the event. the teenager holds three guinness world records for basketball dribbling. not bad. good for her. much more on everything we are covering right here at aljaze era.com with comment and analysis to take you find the scenes. i will be back shortly with our top story -- the taliban claiming to expand territorial control of afghanistan at a time the u.s. is accelerating its withdrawal. more on that in a couple minutes. i will be back at 2200 with the

gmt bulletin -- back with the 2200 gmt bulletin. ♪ xxk[aaaaaaa

natasha del toro: coming up on "america reframed"... in wyoming, 75-year-old charlie hardy is running for the u.s. senat hardy: i have not listened to corporations, i've not listened to lobbyists, i've not listened to people of wall street. i want to listen to you. del toro: his campaign is run out of a 1970s school bus. it's fueled by tiny donations from his supporters, most of whom he knows. thank you. del toro: charlie's trying to unseat a three-term incumbent, but he's raised only two percent of the funds his opponent has. can charlie win? man: these elections have gotten to the point now where it's all about how much money you can raise. man 2: we need to get back where the people in washington.