protest, plus. >> i'm imtiaz tyab. coming up, we'll layer about palestine yankees and israelis about the effects of disengagements that are still being felt today. >> hello, south korea has criticized a speech by japan's prime minister shinzo abe expressing remorse for the country's aggression during world war ii. president park yin hai dmm his statement on friday shinzo abe, expressed remorse for the sins of the past but should not be owe pliedged tobliged to apolog. >> former cabinets with consistent and sincere acts so that it can gain trust from neighboring countries and international society. the japanese government must especially solve the issue of sexual slaves victimized by the japanese military immediately and properly. >> both countries are marking 70 years since japan's surrender at the end of world war ii. shinzo abe was at a memorial service in tokyo. the emperor also echoed remorse. >> translator: the feeling just overwhelms me. never again will we have to suffer the devastation of war that's what we pray. i'd like to send my heart felt condolences with hopes for peace. >> harry fawcett, another expression of remorse, but clearly japan's leaders in south korea and china are not satisfied with those remarks. >> reporter: certainly china not satisfied with shinzo abe's remarks. talking about the words of military aggression, also saying that he should have made a sincere apology. i think criticism from south korea is a little bit more nuanced. president park gun he talking about the way abe had made the statements and saying there were more than a few things regrettable in what he said, but noticing the fact that they held previous prime ministers' apologize, as you said in your introduction, the need for screasouthkorea to have japan ae for its action. >> should we be entirely surprised what he said given his overall policy in japan at least if you talk to his critics he's been accused of being somewhat nationalistic in his approach to japan and the way it's seen in the region. >> i think shinzo abe would own up to being a nationalist at least in his definition of the term. he is very keen to use this anniversary as something of a watershed, a way to say look, we have apologized, in this way, and we will maintain those apologies going forward. but he didn't make his own personal apology. that is one thing which is obviously creating these problems in china and in south korea but what he's keen to say is that future generations of japanese people shouldn't feel obligated to apologize into the future, that's why he wants to loosen some of the pacifist restrictions on japan's ministry, the usual scenario would be fighting abroad potentially in defense of u.s. troops even outside japan's japs territorial area. that is his policy, and so it's not surprising that he's making these sorts of remarks even now on this very sensitive anniversary. however it is not something that is necessarily shared by any sense of the imagination with the japanese population as a whole, 66% are against his pacifist breaking, into, finding it difficult to convince many people in japan of the rightness of his arguments. >> harry fawcett live for us in tokyo. >> staying in japan people in the southwestern city of kawashima are preparing to leave their homes because of a possible volcano eruption. kagashima is about 50 kilometers from a nuclear reactor that was turned on this week. people in the area of multiple blasts in china, tienjin, a team of nuclear and biochemical specialties have been deployed the to the area. families of individuals lost in the explosion were demanding information on their loved ones, officials rejectthem until the meeting concluded. >> we were watching and seeing there was an explosion in tienjin, we couldn't cawct our son. >> the u.s. flag has been raised over the restored american embassy in cuba signaling the warming of ties between the countries. john kerry is the first secretary of state to visit cuba in 70 years. our latin american editor lucia newman has more from havana. >> reporter: it took more than half ocentury but the three former marines who 54 years ago took down american flag to close the american embassy in havana lived to see it returned to the same flag pole. a ceremony that was as moving as it was historic. >> for more than half a century, u.s. cuban relations have been suspended in the amber of cold war politics. >> outside the embassy gates hundreds of cubans watched the ceremony like tatiana, who hadn't been born yet when the countries severed ties. >> i give thanks to say i was here to see this. the first u.s. secretary of state to visit cuba since 1945 spoke in english and spanish. knowing his words were being broadcast live on cuban state television, john kerry acknowledged the differences that continued to separate the u.s. and communist cuba. especially issues of democracy and human rights. >> they would be equally unrealistic to expect normalizing relations to have in the short term a transformational impact. after all, cuba's future is for cubans to shape. >> at a joint news conference, cuba's foreign minister made it clear, cuba expects washington not to interfere in their affairs. >> on the basis of respect and equality. >> despite being under strong domestic pressure secretary kerry did not invite cuban dissidents to the embassy ceremony but this was not only flag raised on this day. clearly opting for a compromise there was a second flag raising ceremony at the ambassador's residence in which a large reception was held, in which dissidents were invited, and many opposed diplomatic ties. miriam leva a long term activist. >> we need openness and this is the most important, openness. >> and openness poignantly represented by the flying of this flag. symbolizing that cuba and the united states are no longer enemies but neighbors. lucia newman, al jazeera, havana. >> new talks have begun to close the u.s. prison at guantanamo bay in cuba. u.s. defense department says it is evaluating new sites in the u.s. to house detainees. the pentagon is looking at facilities in kansas city and south carolina. thousands of iraqis have marched through baghdad to back reforms announced by prime minister haider al-abadi, coming in response to weeks of political corruption and u unsatisfactory public services. mohammed jamjoom has the story. going i'm left with no other options but go out and fight corruption. >> reporter: the medical student and activist like so many other members of his generation says he tired of feeling despair and decided to do something about it. >> reporter: we created groups to help our friends and families because they are all in need of important services that aren't being provided. the most basic ones are electricity, clean water, and jobs. >> reporter: now he meets regularly with a growing group of like minded activists discussing and debating strategy they use every tool at their disposal to plan demonstrations. social media has become as important as physical publications and spreading the word. >> all these protests are peaceful in nature. >> but it's not just violence he wants to avoid. he wants to keep politics out of the protests, too. so far it's been working. later in the day as thousands gather in tahrir square, the feeling is a jubilant one. rallies like this one, the crowd feels empowered. men and women of all ages can be spotted throughout. but it's the youth groups who really dominate here. many clearly enjoying themselves as they chant against corruption in iraq's judiciary. >> friends consider this to be a remarkable moment. the beginnings of a civil society movement this will empower them and so many other iraqis to demand much-needed change. ♪ >> reporter: the group can barely contain its excitement. at long last, despite all the challenges ahead of them in their country, they feel a budding optimism. >> i'm happy and i'm feeling proud because our groups are becoming bigger and bigger. friday afternoons we are gathering in the most peaceful manner. >> while this movement may still be in its infancy, relief for old and young is growing faster than anyone expected it to. mohammed jamjoom, baghdad. >> we're going to take a quick break. how the government is using currency, to undermine protest. plus. >> we're here to fully get into the nuances of everything that's going on, not just in this country, but around the world. getting the news from the people who are affected. >> people need to demand reform... >> ali velshi on target >> hello again, top stories on al jazeera. south korea has depressed dissatisfaction with the speech of shinzo abe. hoping it would include apologies for the sexual treatment of women during the war. the u.s. flag has been raised over the restored american embassy in cuba signaling the warming of ties between both countries. john kerry was there for the event. the first secretary of state to visit cuba in 70 years. now saturday marks the ten year anniversary since israel began the withdrawal from the gaza strip and parts of the west bank. are israel dismantled 21 settlements in the gaza strip and four in the west bank. the last of the israeli soldiers and security personnel finally left the strip in september 2005. but israel continues to control all aspects of life in the territory deciding who can enter or leave, along with control of gazan air space. imtiaz tyab has the story. >> there's no shortage of work to do in these fields. every day palestinians cultivate this land. growing fruits and vegetables. rafa is one of them, until ten years ago, he never believed he could grow his own vegetables here. it was home to 8500 israelis and large israeli presence, also off limits to most palestinians. all that's left is a few disused buildings. he's happy that the soldiers and settlers left. he's angry at how things are now. >> translator: we live in a big prison. we can't move outside the gaza strip which makes life hell for us. owrptiooccupation, we palestinis deserve dignity. >> reporter: although israelis withdrew from the gaza strip, it exerted its control over gaza and its people through its on going economic siege and repeated rounds of military violence. the so-called disengagement of gaza sharply divided israeli society at the time when the deadline to leave on august 15th, 2005, the remaining settlers were moved by force. she lived there for nearly 20 years for what she described as ideologic reasons. she says many of the israeli settlers who were forced to leave still haven't been able to rebuild their lives. >> i'm angry at my government who didn't know how to cope with the hardships of the people and still people are leaving here in temporary care, ten years after. >> that aifnge anger is overshad what is called the so-called gaza disengagement. after israel pulled out, violently seized power shortly afterwards. since then hamas has conducted three wars with israel, and israel has made reconstruction almost impossibity. while they say they don't know how much more suffering they can endure they are happy that the settlers are gone. >> imtiaz tyab joins us live from gaza strip. it seems pretty clear from both sides that a lot of anger and bitterness remains. >> reporter: indeed, a lot of anger and bitterness both on the descraifl side and in gaza. i'm here in goosh katif, an umbrella name for all the settlements that remains. a few outbuildings are here, effectively disused, a bit of graffiti on the walls and really just sort of gives you a sense of the shell of what was once israel's settlement program here in the gaza strip. another building here an administrative building used at the time of this settlement. the settlement which had been in the gaza strip for many, many decades and was home to around 8 8,500 settlers. there is a university here now but life while the stler settlee here, i'm here with yad laham, yad, tell us what life was like ten years ago before the israeli settlers withdrew from here? >> before the engagement, the situation was too tough and difficult for us because the israeli army and settlers controlled all aspects of our lives. settlers always attack our homes here in am nawasi to reach the schools in the city and universities. patients couldn't reach the hospitals, some pregnant women were miscarriaging at the checkpoint, even the bodies of our dead people we couldn't get it to the cemetery in the city. and the life was so, so bad. >> reporter: you paint a very vivid picture of what life was like while the settlers were here. they've now been gone for ten years today. what has life been like in this area since they left? >> yes, at first we hoped that the gaz strip would be open on the rest of the wall and create much job opportunities and improve our economy and fracture. infrastructure. but the opposite happened, the israeli army imposed a seefnlg osiege onthe gaza strip and turt into a big prison. >> that was yab, painting a picture what life has been like ten years since israel disengaged from the ga gafs gaz. >> thank you, imtiaz. thousands were marking the second anniversary of the breakup of protest camps by security forces. hundreds were killed in 2013 where supporters of ousted mohammed morsi had gathered. three people have been killed in fighting in southeastern turkey. the military were attacked bip outlawed occurred stan workers s party or pkk. opposition chromed institutions in syria answer lea syria's alee started to use turkish currency. zeina khodr has the story. >> they hope the syrian economy will collapse. >> the islamic court welcomed the decision and the people welcomed being paid in turkish lira. >> when the civil war began in march 2011, one u.s. dollar could be exchanged for 47 pounds. the rate now is at least 190 powptdz. tharepounds. the decision will help people because of the lira stability against u.s. dollar. but there are others that think it may be part of turkey's plan to create a safe haven. >> what you might call a de facto zone, we might say the opposition's decision might be in advance getting ready to governance in this area somehow. >> reporter: the turkish government hopes the military campaign to get rid of, it has been years since the government lost control of much of northern syria. but it has been fighting to keep the western half of aleppo city which was once syria's financial capital and there are errors that its main ally rawn is suggesting placing the divided city under international protection as part of a peace deal. the opposition's decision to stop using syrian pounds in the north, is sign that there is no, zeina khodr al jazeera, beirut. flood waiters in buenos aires have been forced to rece recede. one of the affected areas the town of olivera. >> even in the province of buenos aires they were forced to leave their house when the river flooded the area. >> translator: i cried, that is the only thing i could do. thinking about what we went through. it's the second time in a year. if they don't do anything this will continue and continue and we will lose everything. >> maria is one of the thousands affected by the flooding in the province of buenos aires, people told me when they saw the water was coming inside their homes they left the fridge and some of their belongings to try to save what they could. so people like maria know what to do when the river rises. but that is not the only place, people like leonard leonardo oao explains? >> it's getting worse. >> several days before people can move back. >> the government doesn't do enough to preent think of from hatching, we see this over and over again. >> the opposition seems in agreement with him. >> that plan was developed in the '90s, it is already 20 years old and so we do not have ail the details of this plan implied, as a consequence of that several parts of the staple are not in a good condition to can come by the water downstream. >> people here struggle for months to recover from the floods which came in for hours and plofs for days. they want the government to do what's necessary to prevent them from losing their homes again. al jazeera, argentina. >> hundreds of couples are gathered young and ol to comem rate thold aregathering gathering new york city, the iconic photograph was taken that day in times square. tonight, black votes matter. why so many african american men are missing in the polls. plus history in havana, how so many americans could profit from opening of diplomacy. the watts riots in los angeles started when a white highway patrol officer stopped a black motorist suspected of drunk driving. on lookers rushed in. many believed they were witnessing another