combination. >> explosion with fire. hidden beneath our feet, ageing pipes leaking deadly risks. a system so bad we can't afford to fix it. sara hoy on the dangers we can't see. >> that right there is a dangerousous combination, if you dropped a match, that could light on fire. >> an indepth report on crumbling america and behind the seconds ahad of the world cup. what brazilian police hope to sweep off the streets. we go to the favellas - on the clean-up and the crackdown. good evening thanks for joining us, i'm joie chen. we begin with a look at the criminal justice system. many times it depends on ordinary citizens coming forward and helping investigators to catch the culprit. it's not as easy as it sounds. studies going back to the 1930s find that witness misidentification is to blame for most. as many as three out of four wrongful convictions. when it comes to crime and punishment, juries almost always convilent if there's -- convict if there's eyewitness testimony or if the witness has a solid alibi - proof they couldn't have done it. >> when the verdict came back and it was guilty on all counts, the courtroom erupted - give him the gas, kill his areas. >> reporter: that's what they said. >> yes, i heard them sniggering and laughing. everyone thought he had the right man. police department, prosecutor's office. most of the people thought they had their man. >> reporter: before prison changed everything kurt's story was simply. raised on the maryland fishing and crabbing like his father and his father's father before him. bludsworth left home only to join the marines and was honorably discharged. he'd never been in trouble with the law until the early hours of august 9th, 1934. bludsworth was 22 years old and sound asleep in his cousin's houses. >> i remember looking at the clock. flashlight in my face, pistols drawn. "step outside, you are under arrest for murder of dawn louise ham ill dop, -- hamilton, you son of a bitch", someone said. >> dawn had been murdered two weeks earlier. >> i stuck my made in the place, and that was the last time i saw maryland for 8 years. >> reporter: that's the time you were in prison. >> yes, two years in death row for something i didn't do. >> reporter: a sketch was put out based on a description by two little boys. the cops used an identikit to help children describe the face. sounds like mr potato head. >> it is, it's a random box of eyes, ears, nose. they start with an out line, then the hair, eyebrows and nose. >> using the accrued tools, kids assembled an image they didn't thing looked like the suspect. >> they asked the kids what the moustache was like. he said it was a full-man chew. a woman who lived in a complex na bludsworth briefly lived in, saw the drawing and she said it looked lick kurt. his -- like kurt. his picture was plastered offer the news. by the time witnesses saw him, anyone watching tv in baltimore knew what kurt looked like. >> everyone in court said they watched me on television the weekend, before i was in the line-up. >> do you remember the line-up. >> i do. the two little boys never idea me in a line up. two weeks later they called the police and said look, it's number six, their parents. that's the position i stood in. >> there were three other witnesses who picked him out. >> the witnesses were half-heard and mistaken. i never said they were lying, they made a mistake. >> you were picked out. >> a photo array. >> reporter: a photoa array you were picked out. the witnesses believed... >> i think they believed with a little help. i think they had a little help. >> reporter: not a shred of physical evidence linked bluds worth to the crime. five witnesses testified he couldn't have been there. testimony from eyewitnesss who identified him as the man that took dawn into the woods was enough to convict him. >> from the time i was arrested to the moment i was released, i told anyone and everyone that i was an innocent man. i used to sign correspondence that way. respectively submitted kurt nobel bludsworth, aim - an innocent man. every letter. >> reporter: in prison he was a vor ashes reader. by chance he came across a british crime story about a prisoner exonerated by a nofel approach in 1992. >> reporter: science saved you. >> it was. it was d.n.a. >> reporter: bludsworth was the first person in the united states exonerated by d.n.a. testing, which found that despite what witnesses said, kurt did not kill dawn hamilton. >> i was sitting in the cell. i came out of the yard. it was in april. a guard stuck a post-it note - i'll never forget it - saying urgent, call your attorney, urgent. he said "kurt, you're innocent man". >> i though that. when are you going to get me out of here. >> the d.n.a. proofed that bludsworth didn't do it, but another prisoner was the real prisoner. kimberley roughner closely assembled the description with the phoo mann chu moust ash. the county police decline to talk about it. an hour's south his name is a reminder to police and prosecutors about what can go wrong. >> i will tell you there's no police officers, prosecutors, or judges who want to punish the wrong person. >> a former prosecutor heads the internal affairs unit of the police department. how goods are people as witnesses? >> not as good as they think. >> reporter: he arrived prosecutors to change procedures. in late april this year, prince georges county pd became one of the first to do away with a traditional 6-pack photo array. the kind used in kurt's case. in favour with a line up in which the witness considers each suspect one at a time. >> we give to to them as six individual photos. we ask them to flip through, look at all of them and make a decision. and take their time. >> homicide detective bernie wilson says it helps them pick the right subject, not just the one that looks like. he did say officers can unintentionally influence a witness. even if they are honest, unscrupulous, they may give off an unconscious cue, they may be excited or dejected if you don't select the right person. >> reporter: he introduced a blind process, where the witness and detective doesn't know if the person is in the pictures. >> if you do that, we'll get a truer result. do you believe what happened to you couldn't happen to a guy today? >> in, i don't believe it. depends on the jurisdiction. you cap send a person to death row in the yate by circumstantial evidence. >> reporter: kurt doesn't get back to the water often. he's an activist. he was instrumental in getting maryland to repeal the death penalty. >> witness identification is a reason wrongful convictions happen in the united states. he want reforms to be more widespread. >> i tell people if you are arrested don't say anything, shut your mouth, cover your face, you see people hide their face. there's a reason they do that. >> reporter: why? >> someone could misidentify them and it happened main times. we are not infallible. we make smacks. if this could happen to me, my intellect tells me it could happen to anyone. looking ahead -. >> they have you have told me it wasn't my fault. they should not have heaped more shame on mow. i was filled to the brim of shame. i did not need any more. a fall from agrees at a south carolina university, and how the reaction of a faith-based community shattered a victim's trust. sara hoy with an exclusive report hillary clinton on "america tonight". out and do something heinous it's goanna happen... >> when is enough...enough? >> i'm not sure why you didn't learn from your last incarceration >> some prisoners try to get it right >> i'm trying to go to school and get a nice job >> you're only 22, you can turn this around... >> and some just don't >> he actually told people in the halfway house, that he was amazed that they had given him parole >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america >> guns... >> there are two to three million guns in a population of only 8 million people. >> ...and gun laws... >> after those laws came in, there have been no more mass shootings... >> how different countries decide... >> their father had a gun... their grandfather had a gun... >> who has the right to bear arms? 5 days: guns around the world a primetime news special series all next week only on al jazeera america the crisis facing migrant children in the south-west is gaining attention as thousands of undocumented kids cross the border on their own, facing shocking risks. it's hard to imagine making a dangerous journey, even at grade school age. hundreds do on a freight train that attracts criminal gangs and corrupt police. along the way sometimes they find salvation, as rain -- adam raney found. >> reporter: meet the petronus. this group of women feeds migrant riding a train carrying them to the u.s. border. they semen, women and -- see men, women and children who dream of a better life in the united states. their leader has done this for 20 years - waiting for the train. it's known as "the beast" for death and destruction that it leaves in its path as it carries migran migrants. this train is nearly empty. they know another will come, that may be full. at the shelter she meets now arrivals wanting shelter and wants to hear their stories. >> translation: migrants are considered merchan days. everyone wants to take -- merchandise. everyone wants to take advantage. do you think you are a criminal to leave your country, why did you leave? >> i went to lock for work. life is too dangerous in honduras. my kids can't study. they killed one of my sons. they grab him at school. >> reporter: that's why he brought his youngest secondful. >> where are you from? >> gauta malla. >> reporter: this woman faces a tough chose. her husband was murdered. >> i have six children. they asked for what i couldn't buy. all i could do was give them my heart. whatever happens, i'm not going back. i can't. my youngest is four years old. it hurts when i can't give them what they need. >> reporter: these women soothe their pain in the only way they know how - offering them a whom-cooked meal. the work starts early. tas rush to prepare food for hundreds of migrants. they don't know what time they'll arrive, but they know they'll come. the train passes once every day >> translation: it doesn't matter where they are from. all we know is they are hungry and want a better life. if they find it in their country, they can leave. leaving the family is nod easy. . >> reporter: she's convinced people in the town to help, however they can, whether it's fresh baked pastries or tortas, norma comes calling. she has gained support from those in power. recently the mexican president presented the petronas with a human rights reward, a rare moment when the government shined the light on the people. far from the spotlight are thousands of migrants who disappear unnoticed op their journey through mexico. they are caught up in a world run by criminal gangs. >> translation: they are easy prey for those that abuse them. robbing them, taking the little they have. when they don't pay, they are thrown from the train, they are mutilated and sometimes they die that way. >> reporter: the father from honduras saw people meet that fate. >> translation: there's a lot of danger along the train, the bodies you see are thrown off by those trying to extort them. we saw people thrown off the train because they didn't have $100. >> reporter: in april, verra cues sued the railroad companies running "the beast", saying this were compoliceant in awe bus. the trains speed through stations where they used to stop. migrants are taking greater risks to jump aboard. meanwhile, there are more arrests and deportations by mexican authorities. >> a leading activist says the only way to protect migrants is to give them a visa to cross the country, something the government will never do. the government doesn't want to allow migrants free transport. it goes against u.s. politics, and much of the money earned it's torting, kidnapping migrants goes into the pockets of authorities. the mexican government and the private railroad company refuse to speak to us despite requests. activists say women and children are macking the journey, like this boy. we ask where he is from. honduras. and is he getting on the train, yes. is he alone? the boy says yes. for the petronas it's been another long day. the petronas is approaching. they have a few moments to pack the food and toss to hungry migrants. the work is fast and dangerous. migrants feel a rush, despite the risks. >> this day like every other the petronas come to the tracks to give food to the migrants making their way north. many are not getting on the train because it's dangerous some are walking along the highway. >> reporter: others walk in the train's wake. it is a brutal and long journey. this father and son left home three months ago and have been walking since pt the odds are -- since. the odds are against them. they hope to reach the u.s. some day. after a break - f.i.f.a. and the favelas. away from the glitter of the world cup, the cold truth of life in the host country. brazil's bid to clean up crime in the favelas, and why residents say it's not enough. eye first match of the world cup wrapped up. the run up to soccer's biggest event plagued by boycotts to bad planning and a controversial programme aimed at making community safer generated an angry backlash. the government called it a clean up. residents say it's a clap down. we have this report from the favellas. >> reporter: these are the images that brazil didn't want to world to see in the lead up to the world cup. heavily armed police changing fire. there's 58 people, 38,000 killed by gunshot injuries. brazil is the world camp yn in football and homicides. >> reporter: getting ready for the world cup has been costly. hundreds of millions spent on the favellas, the slums. raids are driving out drug dealers and drim. observers say they came at a price. >> the military police in rio de janeiro are some of the most violent in the world. to put it in perspective. forevery 37 arrests, someone dies among the latest 26-year-old douglas pereira, a dancer, tv personality, shot in april. >> translation: douglas was a happy boy, smiling. he doubt kids in the neighbour hood music. >> reporter: his body found steps away from the copacabana beach. news of his death sparked protests. >> translation: the police we have here are killers. police who kill, who lie. thugs are the ones in the uniforms. >> reporter: rio de janeiro is home to the favellas, tightly packed communities, with views of the city and the life below. we travelled to this favela to get an assistance on how the world cup and press effort changed the results. here pacific agency reduced homicides. known as a violent drug haven, it's now mostly a haven for the poor. beyond the overcrowding there's business savvy. this woman lived here her whole life. >> translation: before the pacification i was a business woman in the community. e i sold sowedas. >> translation: three years ago the government offered the residents incentive to work with tourism and entrepreneurship. i'm working in the community and i spend more time with my family. >> reporter: as we walk there the favela we come across store after store selling t-shirts. next to it is app open sewer, a reminder that there's a lot of work to do in areas like this. >> translation: obviously it has pros and cons. it's still a process. it's only been five years. >> reporter: robert is a security expert based here for a decade. he says a few years ago this business wouldn't have been possible. >> this is one of the oldest favellas. it had a significant amount of violence taking plates in it. had you been here 10 years ago, and i had been, and attended a party. you'd duck or dodge and avoid points. >> reporter: intr the police pass -- enter the police pacification yupd. e perform perform. >> it's a programme from 2009 to bring a new face to the military police of rio de janeiro. they were launched as a reaction to a previous mode of policing which was highly oppressive. it was intended to change the model and doctrine, to put a community face on the police. at the heart of the model is that the police go into a community and move in permanently. >> translation: today marked five years that i haven't lost a friend. today i don't have to bury friends. >> dana is a showcase for the pacification project. within the favela there are divided opinions. many are skeptical about the timing of the raids. they say the government cares more about profiting from the world cup than the welfare of citizens. vick for is a life-long resident and soccer fan and he says it has soured his love for the game. >> i lived here all my life. the upp arrived five years ago. many have not receive investment and services we expected. victor's family lived in an area slated for eviction. police evicted local families. it comes with a warning, a tag on each house. >> reporter: what am i looking at? >> this is what happened in the favelas. they marked the houses without people's authorisation. i'm not not trash. we are human being, favela res gents. on hour outside of rio we found recent victims, they say they have nowhere to go. >> translation: they came while we were sleeping, kicking us out of our home. we have nowhere to sleep. but the world cup stadiums are being renovated. >> reporter: with the olympics in 2006 observers say the numbers kicked out of homes will be increased. >> teresa runs a local nonprofit and says the government encountered more resistance as it expanded programs to other facilities. >> these communities are larger, it's harder to control. as a result, there has been a huge backlash by residents in the communicate yes. young people protesting. the community stopped calling it classification and are calling it occupation. >> reporter: this policeman was in charge of security. >> there was talk that police used excessive, unnecessary force. can you comment on that? >> translation: initially when we came in it was with tanks, guns and helicopters. yes, it was violent. over time, with 24 hour a day preps, the mission is more about protecting people and keeping them safe. >> reporter: others say it's hard for the favela residents to trust the police force. >> we have a 200-year-old police force that has never been reform. this was a first attempt. you have to look at the history and realise police were created in a time to do a few things, to protect the monarchy and repress rebellion. for thousands of fans, it may be an attraction. but for the people who live here, there are winners and losers, and many wonder what will happen when the eyes of the world are not looking at brazil. two days after his death, pereira's mother found a note. >> in the favela many discriminate against us. there's prejudice and people tolerate it. we are sons of the same father, creator of the earth, in the harts of all the people. coming up next - an unseen threat. be neath cities large and small. an explosive force - how crumbling america endangers all of us. first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news. it was an explosion that levelled two east harlem buildings that raised concerns about ageing infrastructure across the country as a gas leak was suspected. beneath so many of our american cities thousands of miles of old metal pipes are unchecked and unrepaired even though everyone knows they are a risk. how serious is the danger in crumbling america? the report from our correspondent sara hoy. >> reporter: eight people killed, 70 injured when a building exploded in east harlem one morning in march. this woman was in her apartment in the building next door. >> translation: when that happened i thought i was going to die. i thought the building was going to collapse, i wondered what would happen to my kids, four were at school. >> reporter: the blast happened less that 20 minutes after a neighbour reported a smell of knas. >> two buildings collapsed. >> translation: i was hear in the kitchen, i was cooking and heard a big explosion. >> reporter: outdoors, panic set in. >> i thought it was a bomb. i don't know what came into moi mind, you couldn't see in the street. it was full of smoke and dust. . >> reporter: the mendoza family were placed in temporary housing provided by the city. the memory of the blast haunt her. >> translation: with any noise i'm scared. i was cooking and the alarm wept off. i was about to run out. >> in one word - devastating. >> reporter: according to the national transportation safety board which is investigating the explosion, a 125-year-old gas main running occupied park avenue was leaking near the buildings that ex-meded. the -- exploded. the spark is a mystery. the deadly blast cast a spotlight on ageing pipes carrying gases in new york and throughout the country. >> older cities are vulnerable. >> if there were a problem, an explosion. we are talking about a residential neighbourhood. this environmental scientist is on a mission. using a customized car, outfitted with tubes, he and his team scoured boston and washington d.c. looking for lacks. like several cities in the north-east. the gas mains are cast iron, outdated technology, prone to lack. how bad a leak is it on 7? >> that's high, 70,000 parts per million, 70% gas. over the explosion threshold which is about 5%. if you have a spark. >> which could be anything, a communication line. >> that is potentially dangerous. >> reporter: in january his team released d.c. findings. nearly 6,000 gas leaks, over 1600 miles of road, 12 potentially explosive pockets in manholes, two the average per cities. jackson returned to recheck the leaks. >> we'll insert this. >> reporter: this is what you have done cross the city. you go from mann hole to mann hole. >> we do that when we find a high concentration, otherwise it would take forever. >> reporter: natural gas pipeline failures cause an average of 17 fatalities, 68 injuries and $133 million property damage annually. con edison is responsible for the gas mains where the explogs took place, the investigation hasn't determined whether they are at fault. a crew was dispaped at 9:15 -- dispatched at 9:15am. two minutes after a call. the gas happened at 9:30. >> the only indication of danger was 15 minutes earlier when a gas leak was reported to con edison. conned despatched a team. >> since the blast new york's public service commission, overseeing 19 gas companies told state legislatures: if they are at fault, they could face a loss of $29 million, if performance standards are not met. con edison's spokesman said it's not about the money. >> penalties are there, they serve as a strong regulatory message that this has to be taken seriously. many of our workers, or 15,000 employees, live and breathe in new york. their neighbours use con edison, they do too. for their safety and everyone's, we want to make sure nothing happens. it's in everyone's interests to do a good job. under the commissions regulations they receive a yearly regulation, with performance based on damage prevention, emergency response and management. cop edison -- con edison was the only company to improve in all areas. >> reporter: how common and dangerous are leaks? >> most of the time we are called by people that smell gas and it's a type 1 lack. there are other lacks. they do not pose a threat. they are the vast majority of leeks. why can't the utility company fix it? is it that simply? >> no, it's not. it's a complicated costly job. a lot of focus is on the hold stuff in the ground, and a lot is performing well. it's not a question of going and remacing something because it's old. if we were to replace every piece of cast iron in the system dating back decades, you are locking at a $10 billion price tag, just in our system. you look at enormous costs to customers, something that probably would be like throwing money down the train. >> reporter: spending the money is not just up to the gas companies. utilities determines how much can be spent on repairs. weined national grid while they replaced pipes. >> we are installing about 2300 foot of 12-inch wrap steel pipe, and is part of our programme to increase the reliability. >> national grid replaces 43 miles per year. in new york city, boston, chicago. they were built and started to grow in the 1800s a lot of the systems were cast irp. >> should people be pawniced, worried about the piping under their cities? >> it is an older system. in the last 10 years we reduced the leak rate by 49%. almost half. >> the last was connected to a gas leak. explosions are not common. >> they are rare. we take things like that seriously. part of the programme that we embark upon to replace and modernize the pipes is to do that, operate in a public safety manner. >> the words give little comfort to ms mendoza as she returns to a home though no longer feels safe. >> translation: i'm nervous to come back. i don't know if the gas is down properly or not. when him there we were okay. we were scared but okay. and ahead in our final thoughts - a salute to the stars and stripes. long may it wave. the inspiring union in honour of national flag week is coming up next. you see the blast scars from a bomb that went off... ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5 eastern only on al jazeera america finally from us you may have heard about flag day, june 14th. did you know a week is devoted to honouring old glory and reminding us of what forged the flag. the "star spangled banner" stitches the fabric of the past to the future. adam may looks at the flag and the national anthem it inspired. >> it is tattered, it is fragile. we like to think it embodies the idea of america and its democracy, that it's still here. it's 200 years later and the flag is still here. >> reporter: she's talking about baltimore's fort mcgart ety flag. flown 200 years ago and on display at the smithsonian. for a limited time the old flag has a new companion. borrowed from baltimore. it's the original star of-spangled -- star-spangled flag lyrics. >> it's a perfect marriage to bring the original lyrics that francis scott key penned with the flag that inspired the words. >> reporter: pairing the flag and the lyrics physically is a first. emotionally it's nothing new ♪ oh say can you see ♪ by the down's early light ...♪ it's familiar to americans, we know the words - the first words anyway", but how did "the star-spangled banner" ball the anthem. >> the anthem gets more publicity. >> reporter: this ranger devoted his life to history. he's the chief of interpretation at baltimore maryland fort mckenzie monument. his mission is to bring the distant past to life. >> this is the power of place, people love the anthem and the flag. they need to understand is the fort mchenry, literally on the exact original ground on which we stand. the star-spangled banner flag is turning 200. the historical society researched the original play, and recreated it as accurately as possible, down to the very last stitch. >> one of the major sources i looked at was the report from the smithsonian. looking at what it looked like. taking it to a weaver and saying "can do you this?" i wanted to fly it. it's important or something like this. away we went. >> reporter: a team of devoted seamstresses attend, assisted by others wanting to continue a strip much there was a divvying up of duties, who worked on the stroips and who sowed the stars. >> from a quilters point of view, the stripes are passed and sewn in long centres the the stars are apply cade on top. >> she's stars, omstreeps, that was the -- i'm stripes. that was our nickname. she was responsible for stars, me for stripes. get the hand underneath and the thumb on top. you want that a quarter inch, go down and touch the finger. using the thumb and finger, backhand the fabric, it pops up and that's a stitch. >> you are going to let me put a stitch in this. >> absolutely. rmps we go down. >> put it all the way through so we don't bend it. >> reporter: oops, i made a mistake. 200 years ago baltimore was a boom town. the prish had not given up the idea of getting former colleagues back in line. angered by the british trade restrictions america declared war on the british in what is known as the war of 1812. >> this is what they were shooting. >> it's an ball. it didn't explode. they didn't call them canon balls. >> reporter: what did they call them? >> shot. >> reporter: in 1814 it inspired a national anthem. the beginning of the war was not plain sailing. >> we were not doing well. to have a symbol visible to the british is important basically just to say "we're here, we are not going anywhere." . >> reporter: the commander of fort mchenry wanted to raise a garrison flag, 30 feet by 42 feet - large enough to be visible to the amarda of ships. a local flag maker was commissioned. she was maid 405. she's making a flag for a fort. how many teems has she done this before. she expect the flag to last two or three years and sheway make a new one. >> reporter: mary worked in a small area located outside downtown baltimore. mary, five family members and a servant worked for six weeks, peacing toot the flag, sometimes working by candlelight. >> reporter: the material called budgeting cost about $12,000. add in labour cost for the 2,000 that worked on it. there's a price tag in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. talk about inflation. there could have been more work involved if the state count was accurate. >> 15 stars and 15 stripes. when that's new state, there's a new star and stripe. >> reporter: sailing on a schooner brings america's past within arms reach. 200 years ago marks an important anniversary. the star spangled banner was written, an ode and a victory of the british bombardament on fort mchenry. >> how did the guys react. it must have been intimidating? >> there were three teems as many ships in that invasion than in the united states navy. >> reporter: francis scott key was in a ship in the river, negotiate ag prisoner release. he was four miles from fort mchenry, it's marked with a buoy. mop do not know that frances scott key could not see the outcome of the battle. >> it's muddy, raining, americans are feeling helpless. say can you see. he can not see the flag by dawn's early light. can you see the flag by down's early light. and then he reflects. >> reporter: out on the water where we see the key bridge, key wrote a poem called "the defense of fort mchenry", setting the words to the tup of a favourite song. he had a thing for a british drinking song called "anac rrk e, mrk." he liked the tune a lot. i think he composed other poetry it fit it. he had it in mind. >> reporter: you know the song. >> ip do. >> reporter: will you sing it. >> i'll try ♪ to anacreun in heaven ♪ has he sat in full glee ♪ the true songs of armony... instead instead. >> so say can you see by the dawn said early flights... >> reporter: do you see the american flag differently now before you started working on the projects. >> yes, this is personal. it's my flag. this will fly soon. that's our flag. it's very emotional. >> it was the first true national symbol that we had. we didn't have national architecture. we couldn't say we invented the english language. what do you have? >> you have a flag, a red, white and blue representing what the country stands for. >> a flag flying in the face of an enemy with simply beginnings. >> it's the star-spangled mapper. long may it wave, the land of the free and the home of the braf. our correspondent adam may saluting the flag. that's it for us here. monday - a fall from grace at a christian university. we have a report into the investigation underway. that is monday on "america tonight". if you'd hike to comment on the stories log on to the website aljazeera.com/americatonight. you can meet the team and tell us what you'd like to see. join in the conversation on twitter or facebook. goodnight. we'll have more of the "america tonight" tomorrow. >> this is where the typhoon came ashore. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. >> al jazeera, nairobi. >> on the turkey-syria border. >> venezuela. >> beijing. >> kabul. >> hong kong. >> ukraine. >> the artic. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. this is al jazeera america. i'm thomas drayton in new york city, let's get you caught up on the top stories. the iraqi army says it recaptured two towns as it beefs up security at its embassy in baghdad. people gather in ukraine's capital to honour 49 servicemen killed by separatists in a plane crash. a mother's prayer as the