>> south and north korea test ballistic missiles hours apart, raising tensions between the rivals. ♪ >> hello, i "al jazeera am barbara. you are watching "al jazeera," live from london. coming up -- >> i blame larry nassar, and i also blame an entireystem that enabled and perpetrated his abuse. barbara: olympic gymnasts slammed the fbi for mishandling the sexual abuse investigation into team doctor, larry nassar.

a month after the taliban took control of kabul, afghans sell what they can to feed their families. growing frustration in a mexican city where the government is stopping thousands of migrants from heading to the u.s.. ♪ barbara: north korean leader kim jong-un's sister threatened the complete destruction of ties with south korea after both countries conducted ballistic missile tests hours apart. tensions are soaring in the korean peninsula and diplomatic talks have stalled. they say the latest weapon is an effective counter strike against forces, while the south ramps up its defenses. we have the report from seoul. reporter: this highly provocative missile test was carried out while china's

foreign minister was in seoul -- in seoul for talks, with north korea high on their agenda. >> of course we want to contribute to the peace and stability of the korean peninsula. that means north korea, but also other countries are conducting military actions. we should have joint efforts for region dialogues. reporter: this was his last stop of the tour of asia while china tries to counter the increasing u.s. influence in the region. they risk angering beijing with this launch. south korea is hoping they will use influence to bring it back to the negotiating table, but with each missile launched, that seems less likely, and it shows even china's control over its neighbor is limited. north korea claims to have tested a new type of long-range cruise missile over the weekend,

after a military parade through the streets of pyongyang last week, facing an economic crisis from economic sanctions and the pandemic, combined with food shortages from damaging storms, the show of military muscle is expected as much as a morale boost at home as showing the world it is still a force to be reckoned with. it comes as south korea develops its own military hardware. on wednesday it successfully testfired a ballistic missile from a submarine, becoming only the seven country in the world to master that technology. it also announced advances and supersonic cruise missiles as both koreas continue to develop their arsenals. rob mcbride "al jazeera," seoul. barbara: our guest joins us from washington, d.c. how concerned are they about this recent escalation?

mike: deeply concerned. this was reflected in statements made from the pentagon, the press secretary saying this north korean action is not in u.n. resolutions and destabilizes the entire region. the pentagon spokesperson expressed. for south korea and japan. president biden's envoy is in the region at the moment, holding talks with south koreans and the japanese. the action could be seen as an attempt to put pressure on these talks. it is a massive issue for the biden administration, how it is going to play strategically in the region, given the fact on the top of its list, is containing china, the close neighbor of north korea. the biden administration

attempting to find a way to get some type of negotiated settlement there through putting pressure onto china, to exercise pressure. it does not seem to be working at the moment, in terms of what is happening, a missile race between the two koreas, which is a major concern to the biden administration. barbara: it is interesting timing because an hour ago the u.s. announced a partnership with the u.k. what can you tell us and the impact it is hoping to have? mike: a very that has been announced between australia, the u.k., and the u.s., in terms of sharing advanced technology. top of the list and the first practical suppression of this is to manufacture a nuclear-driven

submarine for the australians using u.k. and u.s. technology. this is significant because the u.s. has only shared technology in the past with the u.k., back in 1958. underlying this is the u.s. relationship with china. no, china was not mentioned at all by the three leaders who spoke, announcing this alliance, but that was the subtext. this is sending a signal to china that the u.s. and its allies are going to step up a presence in the indo pacific region in a bid to counter what they see as chinese expansionism. all these issues coming to a head for the biden administration. yet another level in terms of the way in which the u.s. can maintain its influence over the indo pacific region, without at the same time and has an icing -- antagonizing china and removing the leverage it has at

any attempt to contain north korea. a very complicated diplomatic process, but this alliance, very significant. barbara: mike, thank you. ♪ barbara: u.s. olympic gymnasts have accused the fbi of turning a blind eye to the sexual abuse that they suffered at the hands of their former team doctor, larry nassar. four athletes gave testimony to the committee, which is looking into the fbi's mishandling of the case. mr. nasser has been jailed for abusing hundreds of women and girls. >> the hearing will come to order. reporter: this was a hearing about the fbi's mishandling of the investigation into the abuse by women -- of women and girls

by team doctor, larry nassar. >> to be clear, i blame larry nassar and i also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse. reporter: nassar has been sentenced to up to 235 years in prison, but a justice report found the fbi was alerted to his abuse in 2015 and it did not take the allegations seriously or even alert authorities, which meant nassar continued molesting athletes. >> i told them i walked the halls of the tokyo hotel at 2:00 a.m. at only 15 years old. i began crying over the memory over the phone and there was just dead silence. i was so shocked at the agent's silence and a disregard for my trauma. after the silence he said, "is that all?" reporter: agents lied to the dod

inquiry about what went wrong and they have not been prosecuted for the conduct. the department of justice decided not to testify. this is the latest example of a broken system not just at the fbi and department of justice, but at usa gymnastics and in the u.s. olympic and paralympic committees. they did everything they could to cover up the abuse. the survivors want a full, independent investigation. >> nothing should be off limits. it should go back decades and that has not been done. it is something we have been asking for for years and years. i would like to see all three organizations completely investigated, and the scope of it matters because until we know all the facts, it is just guesswork. reporter: also speaking at the hearing, the current director of the fbi. he was not in charge at that time into -- of the investigation into nassar. >> i am sorry for what your

family has gone through. >> if allegations by world-class athletes are not taken seriously by the fbi, what other hope do victims of sexual assault have? reporter: the athletes feel the official response to their abuse has not been efficient -- sufficient. barbara: it has been one month since the taliban seized kabul, and of the crisis in afghanistan has only gotten worse. many are displaced and drought and famine drove thousands out of the countryside and into cities. unicef says one million children could starve to death if their immediate needs are not met. food is running out and 14 million people could be pushed to the brink of starvation in just two weeks. around $10 billion in assets remain frozen outside of the country. banks are running out of cash and they warned they will have to close their doors unless the government releases more dollars.

we have the report from kabul. reporter: if you are looking for bargains, kabul's general market is the place to be. all items are bought and sold here, but this was not here a month ago. it started after tens of thousands left the afghan capital when the taliban took over. they are selling what they can to make ends meet. as jobs have dwindled, the population of kabul has increased. tens of thousands moved from their home as the taliban took territories across afghanistan. many are sheltering in makeshift camps around the city. >> [speaking non-english language] reporter: the government of afghanistan is doing everything it can to provide job opportunities to afghans. we call on afghans to stay, not to migrate, to help develop the country. though afghans have not seen this kind of peace and security in kabul in decades, people are still concerned about the future.

>> i don't have hope like before. the security is better, but the state of education will likely be affected in the future. reporter: there is a generational divide. this mother said she is happy there is no more bloodshed and insecurity because the taliban segregated people by gender and she believes the moral problems of youth have been resolved. she and her mom came to the bank to get cash. that is in short supply. for hundreds of these people coming to the bank every day, the biggest problem is the cash crunch. every half hour, only a few are allowed inside. they can withdraw about $200 every week. most people here are government employees or civil servants who have not been paid for months. reporter: because of the cash shortage, prices of everyday items are increasing. this student has learned to fix software.

he is losing customers he needs to pay his monthly rent of $700. like many afghans, he is concerned about the future, but willing to give the taliban a few years to see if it is sincere in his promises to make people's lives better. >> may be at the taliban government is doing well and brings facilities for our people, i will stay here. reporter: western countries have frozen afghan central bank assets until taliban makes good on its human rights promises. "al jazeera," kabul. barbara: the taliban says it is training its fighters to form a new military force to defend afghanistan. an acting army commander says consultations are underway to create a professional army. the taliban says it will not tolerate domestic -- international interference in domestic affairs. some are trying to remove afghan

officials from terrorism list. the acting deputy prime minister appeared in a video to deny reports he was in a clash with a rival faction. in the clip released by the taliban on twitter, mullah abdul ghani baradar says he is safe and healthy. he is shown seated next to an interviewer, reading from piece of paper. there were accusations that members of baradar's group clashed with those of haqqani. members of afghanistan's women junior football team have fled. those teams arrived on wednesday. the sports governing body fifa is working to evacuate those remaining in afghanistan. the taliban band women and girls from playing sports in the

1990's, but indicated there would be fewer restrictions now. stelter, in this half-hour -- the indian children shut out of school and forced to work, and the young journalists fighting to raise awareness about them. plus, going where no civilian crew has gone before. four people prepared to blast off on a three day trip into space without any astronauts on board. ♪ >> hello. let's look to australia. lots of sunshine, particularly in the north. looking, and clear, thanks to high pressure. for more unsettled weather, we look to the south. to the southwest, a wet and windy system moving into perth.

rain will sweep across the south, where we have a coastal wind warning out. the southeast is going to stay relatively fine and dry. we have the temperature climbing. last weekend, a hot weekend. the temperature did dip down. we will see plenty of sunshine coming through to sydney. lots of sunshine sunday with temperatures in the mid-20's. in new zealand, we hop over the tasman sea. it is fine and dry in the south island, but the temperature will come down in christchurch. wet and windy weather on schedule with a heavy rain warning for the northeast. very heavy falls in the days to come. as we move to southeast asia, it is widespread thunderstorms and sunshine coming through, with heavier falls across parts of the philippines. that is your weather update. ♪

>> it is one of the world's most powerful and dangerous criminal enterprises, central to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people, and behind the deaths of many more. exceptional access to some of its key players reveal the inner workings of an organization known to many as the blood alliance. inside this in a lower cartel, part -- inside the sinaloa cartel, part 2, on "al jazeera." ♪ ♪ barbara: a reminder of the top stories on "al jazeera."

kim jong-un's sister threatened the complete destruction of ties with south korea after both countries conducted ballistic missile tests hours apart. u.s. olympic gymnasts have accused the fbi of turning a blind eye to the sexual abuse they suffered from former team doctor, larry nassar. four athletes gave emotional testimony before a senate panel, which is looking into the agency's mishandling of complaints. in the months after the taliban took control of the afghan capital kabul, the country is facing a major humanitarian crisis. more than 3 million people are displaced and 14 million could be pushed to the brink of starvation in just two weeks. at least two people have been killed after yemeni security forces fired on protesters. emergency measures have been imposed after demonstrations

erupted across southern yemen over widespread poverty and electricity outages. protesters blocked major roads by setting tires on fire. the saudi-backed alliance is struggling with a complete collapse of services in areas they control. unemployment and spiraling inflation have compounded the misery in a country where most of the 29 million people rely on aid. frustration is growing in southern mexico where tens of thousands of migrants are stuck waiting for a response to their asylum requests. many are struggling to find food and shelter. officials are overwhelmed and lack the resources to deal with the assent -- with the growth in asylum requests. many in the city are surviving by selling what they can on the streets, trying to find work without legal status. it used to be a stop along one of the main migrant routes to

the u.s., but has become the final destination for many, with authorities accused of using excessive force to stop migrants from heading further north. reporter: we are 50 kilometers north of mexico's border with guatemala. to give you a sense of the migrant crisis, the municipality has around 350,000 inhabitants. the migrant population is anywhere between 35000 and 100,000 migrants stuck. it is a mexican government strategy of preventing migrants from moving toward the u.s. and has created one of the largest bottlenecks for migrants on the american continent. we are seeing here -- people here predominantly from haiti, who were at a protest and march where haitian migrants were blocking traffic, blocking

roads, asking the government to give them the necessary paperwork to allow them to go to other cities of mexico where they may have better access to health care. migrant shelters have collapsed. there are concerns over the ongoing covid-19 health emergency, given the sheer number of people crowded together in unsanitary conditions, many on the street. what we are hearing from ourselves is an un-astute -- unsustainable situation in tapachula. barbara: school closures in india have forced more children into work. a magazine produced by young people aims to highlight the problem. elizabeth met some of its journalists. reporter: these are the youngest of journalists, they are working on the next edition of a unique

magazine, by and for young people, about child labor and their rights. >> the stories we write for the magazine are all related to children and inform readers about the reality of our town. when we share the stories with government officials, it helps them understand difficulties children face. reporter: this 14-year-old has been contribute into the magazine for two years. she lives in an impoverished area where thousands of families are employed in the glass ban gles industry. she convinced a family to stop their children from working and go to school instead. >> we have five children and no one to help us. when we were in financial difficulty we asked the children to work. a lot of children here work. at home, our children started helping us when we went through a rough patch. reporter: she sent her children

back to school when her husband recovered from illness and was able to work again, but not everyone would do the same. the glass bangles industry is 200 years old and the industries are known for poor working conditions. many work from home, though. as we walk through these narrow lanes, we can see many children making bangles. they say school closures and an outbreak of dengue fever meant to work because they do not have access to online learning. in this home children as young as six sit in front of small flames, using the heat to join broken glass bangles for up to eight hours a day. child labor is illegal in india, but it is difficult to stop

those working at home. >> it has been doubling because of covid. we can say coronavirus has been impacting it. it has been amplified, which is scary. reporter: the release of this magazine has been delayed, due to lockdowns. the team is putting the final touches on the issue, knowing their work has never been more important. "al jazeera," who tarp -- -- uttar pradesh. barbara: thousands of ethiopians have received aid and shelter after fleeing fighting in the north. the red cross has handed out blankets, kitchen sets, and food. thousands of people have been killed and at least 2 million displaced since conflict broke out in november between the

tigray's people liberation front and government forces. it has since branched out into neighboring regions. they estimate around 450,000 have fled their homes. >> the situation is worse than before. we separated from our families. initially we left with our parents, sisters and brothers, but this time i am separated from my parents and children. my eldest daughter is already independent. the second is nine years old. she is with my parents, but i don't know where she is and i don't know where my husband is. barbara: health care workers in france are required to be vaccinated against covid-19 or face suspension without pay. the mandate came into force wednesday, two months after president macron announced to the ultimatum. around 2.7 million staff in hospitals, retirement homes and fire service members must prove

they have had at least one vaccine dose, or risk losing their job. france estimates roughly 12% of hospital staff and 6% of doctors in private practices have not been vaccinated. environmentalists and scientists in rome are trying to save the city's famous pine trees from a devastating insect infestation. since 2018, and invasive species more common in pine forests of america -- they are trying to beat the bugs. reporter: a sick pine tree in rome gets the equivalent of a shot to cure its ills. >> we cut ahole 4 mm in diameter and inject the tree with a solution and monitor the pressure not to overwhelm the

tree, making sure it gets distributed. reporter: the invasive species has invested thousands of trees across the city. it first landed on italian shores in 2014, likely hitching a ride on wooden ports. it is tough to tell a healthy tree from an ill one. they look for black needles or sap released. when you look up close, you can see the damage being done, like we see on these pine needles. there are dozens of small insects sucking the sap out of the needles which creates conditions for fungus to grow on the needles and suffocate the plant, making it impossible for the pine trees to produce their own food, so they basically starve. rome has been known for these

pine trees since ancient times. artists have sought them out. tourists and locals look to them for shade and inspiration. francesca leads a group of activists trying to save these treasured trees. they pressure politicians to raise money for treatment. >> we are not going to be able to save all the pines, but we still must intervene with force, immediately covering all affected trees, treating it like a pandemic, like covid. the vaccine is to inject them to save them. reporter: biologists say this treatment is too costly to be considered a long-term solution. some experts think they will need to import another insect from north america to prey on this species, a risky prospect.

>> there needs to be a careful risk assessment analysis because we have to make sure the introduction of new insects will not change the environments. reporter: that could take years. until then, activists will keep raising the alarms and funds■@ññ

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