the death toll from a tam peed an indian festival rises for more than 100. ♪ ♪ >> hello from me david foster. you are watching al jazerra. seven aid workers kidnapped after delivering medical supplies, we'll have a report on that. the murder of a russian man is blamed on a paying rant worker in russia. unhappy holidays in gas, a the government is struggle to go pay wages as family prepare for owed. ♪

♪ >> at least 111 people have been killed at a hindu festival in the indian state. thousands of pilgrims were heading to a temple when they were caught enough a stampede. here a report. >> reporter: some of these pilgrims had been fasting for the past nine days. on the 10th day, they went to pay their respects to the hindu goddess. but the fess i have mood turned as thousands of people tried to cross a bridge. witnesses said that rumors spread that it was collapsing. that caused a stampede. one victim said the police didn't help matters. >> my mother is dead and six people from my still i think are also dead. people were living from both exits after worshiping the goddess, suddenly the police arrived and began shouting that the bridge has broken and also charged at the devotees with batons.

>> reporter: it happened in central india. the stampede started on a bridge over the river. and a number of victims are report today have jumped in to the water. the pilgrims were trying to get to the temple on the other side. people across india are marking one of the most important festivals in the hindu calendar, crowd control is a challenge especially during religious festivals. >> the national disaster manage authority has started preparing guidelines on crowd management. we are engaging the experts from very well known indian institute of management spirt there institutions like that who have experienced crowd emergency. >> reporter: though that comes as little consolation for the victims of this latest tragedy. >> a little later in the program we plan to cross our correspondents near to where that tragedy unfolded.

several aid workers have been kid snapped in syria. gunmen abducted them from the red cross in the syrian arab red crescent in the worth necessary western province, here is more from close to the tub i can syrian border. >> we understand that the 6rc staff members as well as the syrian arab red crescent volunteer were kidnapped when they were returning back to damascus after spending three days in the province there. they were assessing the medical needs and they were providing medical supplies to doctors in that area. now, according to syrian activists, they do believe that the islamic state in iraq that's an al quada affiliated group is behind the kidnapping of the icrc staff. now, there hasn't been any claim of responsibility from that particular group. but this is what syrian activists do believe.

now, in another piece of information that we have been gathering the nationalities of those kidnapped are not revealed by the icrc, but information coming from activists do suggest that they are some of them arab nationals as well as foreigners. two bombs have exploded in the syrian capital damascus, reports say people were injured and cars damaged in the city center blasts. syrian states television says its building was also hit. syria's military says it's retaken control of two towns near southern damascus. state tv showing here pictures of tanks moving in to them. there has been intense fighting between rebels and syrian government forces in the capital's suburbs. hundreds of people have left their homes in the suburbs of damascus, pictures up loaded on to the internet appear to show the neighborhoods. rebels say these areas have been surrounded by government forces and they are calling for an end

to a siege. series of explosions across iraq have left at least 25 people dead. dozens bombs designated by remote control in mostly shiia muslim neighborhoods. iran is saying work on its nuclear program will not be put on hold ahead of talks with world powers this week, i ran s urgings the u.s. to ease sanctions. >> we will not allow uranium enrichment to be suspended even for one day. but the extent and level of en kitch. is negotiable. shipping the nuclear material abroad is our red line. >> the south korean government is proposing scaling back on plans to produce nuclear energy under the new policy seoul would produce 22 wees of its energy from nuclear plants, that's half of its target. nuke lan plants have come under scrutiny since the fukushima

reactor was damaged in an earthquake and tsunami in japan. the world's nuclear watchdog the iaea has arrived in japan to review safety at that fukushima plant were the team met japanese official to his assess how the clean up is going. in july it was revealed the plant had been leaking radioactive water in to the pacific ocean. the government has admit it had needs international assistance and expertise to address the issue. the murder of a man is moscow has led to serious rioting the. the kill is being blamed on a migrant worker from asaia. here is a report. [ chanting ] >> reporter: one of the biggest anti-pie grant riots broke out in russia's capitol, moscow, demonstrators forced their way in to shops and vandalized property. they were angry at the killing of a russian man blaming it on a migrant worker of central asian decent. scuffles broke out with police when they tried to stop the

charged crowd chanting slogans. at least one policeman was injured in the clashes which last today for several hours. dozens of protesters were arrested. the city government closed down a highway and cut off all traffic in southern hospital coulmoscow.people in a districtt an uncontrolled flow of migrants has turned parts of moscow in to crime centers. but russian government says there can be no excuse for violence and the interior minister has promise today restore order. >> activate the work in relation to all of the vegetable warehouses which are a constant force of tension. especially in the districts that circle those warehouses. i am asking the head of the moscow police and all managers on duty to quickly deal with hess warehouses, bring about order, make everyone work according to russian law. where they are located, where they work regardless of the region where they come. >> reporter: from these tensions are not new. there have been frequent, albeit

small outbreaks of violence between moscow's slavik majority and minority workers from the ex-soviet caucus states, they accrues the day labors of crime and unrest. and migrants main complain of lg conditions and poor labor. the city's entire active police force seems to be out on the road. it's not yet clear whether this rounds of violence will bring better conditions or a crack down on migrant workers. millions of muslims are heading to mounts o arafat. extra precautions have been put in place to help prevent a rest tory illness that has killed more than half of the people who were killed with infections. this co insights with a muslim holiday, a time when families normally exchange gifts and share lavish meals. in gaza, though, the government is struggle to go pay wages and

people are having to give up many of the pleasures. here sahere is a report. >> reporter: it's business any gaza as people look for gifts. but this year, more than ever, it's proving difficult for ordinary pal till vinnie families. he works for the police. and like thousands of government employees, he got less than half of his september salary. >> i have come to buy new clothes for my little boy. but i found the prizes are out of my range. i only got $280 for last month. instead of $620. we have many commitments, but i can't meet all of them. >> reporter: just before the holiday all 50,000 government employees got a flat sum but nobody knows if they'll get their full salary and many are owed pay from august as well. this is the market, gaza's biggest and pulling of people getting ready. while the sweet sellers are

doing a roaring trade, many families are having to think twice before buying more expensive items for the holidays. the government here says the crisis is a direct result of egypt shutting almost all the smuggling tunnels in to the gaza strip. hamas used to tax everything coming in. some experts say those taxes provided 70% of the government's monthly budget. the economy minister told me that's not accurate but they have still been hit hard. >> the egyptian army operations at the border shutting the crossings and the tunnels, is 30% of our government's monthly income. that's had our ability to base salaries. >> reporter: so while those who can afford it usually buy a sheep or to get for slaughter during the holiday, this year, despite the hard bargaining, many are leaving empty handed. >> on top of the siege on gaza and unemployment and poverty, public employees only got a

partial salary and that has killed the season. >> reporter: like everywhere in the muslim world, here it is a time for family and forgiving. the financial uncertainty means it's not quite as sweet as it might be. al jazerra, gaza. a court in malaysia has ruled that only muslims can use the word alla to describe god and it's a decision that's inflamed religion tensions. florence is live for us. what is this all about, florence? >> reporter: well, this case was brought about because the catholic publication, the harold, objected to a ban that the home minister put in place saying that the word allow among other words is a word that can only be used by muslims. now, this is a court of appeals did he sings meaning a lower court found in favor of the catholic church but today's

decision means the catholic church will no longer be able to use the word allah in their publication. it should be a decision that's only restrict to this. but there are wider implications of this decision. because the word allah is also used as the -- is a melee word for god and used in christian service and also used in melee language bibles so there is a concern that this decision could term the bases for other groups to argue that the word allah should not even be allowed to be useed in churches or even be allowed to be used in the language bible. and that is a main concern of the christian community here. now, church leaders have already come out to say that no matter what -- despite this decision they want to continue to be able to use the word allah in their church services. >> what would happen to somebody say i was in malaysia and being a christian and i used the word

allah what would happen to me, would there be a punishment? >> reporter: no there isn't a punish. as such. because as i -- as i said, this decision is actually just -- if we look at it in my more restrictive sense it was an action brought by the catholic newspaper, the harold because there was a ban put in place to say that they wouldn't be allowed to use this word in their newspaper. it's unclear if this is a decision that can be extended to church services in the malay language but that's the main concern of the christian community here. this is not the final -- this is not the final -- well, the catholic church has said it plans to appeal the decision, it stalstill has to convince the federal court which is the highest court in malaysia that is there is public interest for this case to be heard. >> florence, we thank you very much, indeed. florence thens for us. we have this coming up for you on this program.

>> no. no. no. >> the grannies of kenya fighting back against rising crime. and the launch a new car in i understand near i can't, but not everybody is dancing about it, we'll tell you why if you stay with us. ♪ ♪ balloo and a fresh outlook. including yours.

[[voiceover]] every day, events sweep across our country. and with them, a storm of views. how can you fully understand the impact unless you've heard angles you hadn't considered? antonio mora brings you smart conversation that challenges the status quo with unexpected opinions and a fresh outlook. including yours.

you are watching al jazerra. these are the top stories this hour. two bombs have exploded in syria's capital du damascus. syria state tv says its building was hit and pedestrians walking outside were hurt.

seven red cross aid workers have been kidnapped in the northwestern province of italy. the court ruling in malaysia banning the use of the words allah by nonmuslims have brought protest to his the street. the court ruled that other religions may not use the words. 111 people have been killed while taking part in a hindu festival. thousands of pilgrims were heading to a temple when they were caught in a stampede. let's go there. pretty close to where this all hand, so tell us about the circumstances. we are getting more and more details from not only witness buzz the police as well. police having admitted that they did charge the crowd. >> reporter: well, those are the reports that have been coming out since yesterday when the stampede occurred. now, we spoke to the district

deputy district collector in this area this morning and he said he could not comment on that particular story. what we do know is they were at least 100,000 pilgrims going to the temple which you can see just behind me and maybe 10 or 20,000 pima peer to be standing on a bridge and the reports that there were rumors spread on the ground that bridge that it was going to collapse and this may have caused massive panic amongst the pilgrims and perhaps the stampede happened because of that. however, reports of police charging pilgrim with his a baton isn't completely a surprise. when i attended a religious festival a few years ago this was certainly normal practice as a pressure of crowd control. so it wouldn't be surprising, but we certainly need stronger confirmation. >> okay, i was simply quoting somebody who is named as the

deputy inspector general of police, who has said that this has happened. we do need as you said a little bit more detail on that. but one thing that makes this even satter in many bays is the fact that they were on a bridge that was built to replace one which was considered too dangerous after a previous tragedy when 50 people died. >> reporter: sorry, you were breaking up a bit there. but i believe you were asking me about these kind of incidents in india before. and it is true, mine, at this very place just in 200657 people died in a stampede at that stage. and you know, officials said that they would look in to crowd control measures then, years on another incident has occurred on & this time the district officials have told us that at least 110 people have died, in fact more than that. at least 30 of those who died

were children under the age o of -- well, very young children? as young as one years old. they said there will be an inquiry in to the circumstances of this events and looking in at raise wa*euz to restrict the number of people coming here. they say it's very difficult for authorities on control these kind of crowds, we are talking hundreds of thousands of people, but it remains to be seen exactly what they will do. >> thank you very much indeed. up to 1 million people have lost their teams and 20 people killed by a so clone in eastern india and knocked outcrops the only income for many survivors. here a report. >> reporter: he has been growing rice in these fields for 20 years. it provides a steady income for his family. but because of the cyclone, he

has little to look forward to this harvest season. >> this is my land. i used to farm it. but now look, it's flooded with water, i can't even see my crop. >> reporter: the government's disaster preparation saved many lives, but no amount of planning could have saved the agricultural sector from widespread damage. people here say their livelihoods will bare the long-term brunt of the cyclone's fury. in 1999 a super cyclone demolished this village. this time it's been left standing. but some people who live here say this is both a blessing and a burden. they feel the authorities will be deceived by the lack of physical damage here when delivering aid. >> our village's drinking water source has been ruined. we don't have water to drink, our stock of candles is also finished, we are sitting in the darkness.

i can't find medicine for my elderly parents, i am only just stepping outside my home. >> the storm was heavy. i released my cattle in to the field, but my family and i stayed home. we are now waiting for help. >> reporter: the sigh cone tore through some of the most fertile agricultural areas, the state government h estimates 500,000-hectares of farmland have been affected destroying livelihoods and local food supplies the local authorities are aware of the challenges that they face. >> now rehabilitation is really a big challenge for us as products to the tune of several [inaudible] have been lost in the cyclone. >> reporter: during this time of year, hundreds of millions are indians pray to the hindu

goddess for strene and the courage blessings the people of this state need in abundance as they try to get back on their feet. al jazerra. 19 policemen have been injured in cairo after supporters of a football club turned on them. security forces at the cairo airport fired tear gas and bullets in the air to disperse soccer fans, football supporters fired on them using fireworks. bush fires in australia have destroyed homes and forced thousands of owners to leave the area. the biggest blaze in port stevens. 200-kilometers north of sydney, fire fighters and water bombing helicopters trying to protect the town. high temperatures and strong winds are familiaring the flames, sydney's olympic district home to the 2000 summer games has also been damaged. rescue work nurse columbia still searching for 11 people thought to be trapped under the rubble of a luxury apartment block.

two people were seriously hurt when the 20 two-story tower there collapsed. argentina's president has left hospital after brain surgery, she is said to be recovering well after an operation to remove a blood clot five days ago. she needed treatment after falling and hurting her head in august. doctors say she needs to rest for the next month. survivors of a boat sinking are praising local vellummers for preventing an even bigger tragedy. more than 200 people manage today survive after an overloaded boat capsized on friday night. a at least 39 bodies many the bodies of young children have been recovered from the river. dozens are still missing. france's right wing national front party has won an election in the southeastern part of the country. the party candidate had nearly 54% of the vote.

the national front has a tracted voters with tough talk on crime and illegal immigration, it's also benefited from the government's lack of popularity. the indonesian an government has launched a new car claiming to be affordable and environmentally friendly. but critics say extra cars will only add to congestion on the already busy roads and increase the did he fen dance i on oil. here sa is a report. >> reporter: this is a symbol of the economic growth endless traffic jams in all major cities. more than 3,000 cars here are sold every single day. and there is demands for more. in the middle of an economic downturn the government has launched this car, which it says is cheaper and e environmentally friendly and for those who could never afford a car before. the new car, which according to government should lower gasoline usage was immediately protest bide the governor and

presidential hopeful. >> of course when the central government approve this project, of course i complain to the central government. >> reporter: this is the object of the whole controversy. this so-called green car. in the mid of the debate. these cars are not a car [inaudible] the country will face serious gasoline [inaudible] in the last four years, something that will cost them dearly. recent reports show that indonesia will become the lodgest importer of gasoline by 2018. a weakening currency is lead to go soaring energy costs. >> my concerns is more on missing the opportunity to make reform and loca long-term whethr

not we will be growing at the middle income or continue to be growing at low middle income or moving up to a higher income. >> reporter: with the launch of this car, one of the main concerns is the lack of roads and facilities the government says it is working on it. >> unfortunately, people just try to make the economy, if you produce a green car doesn't mean you don't need need to produce infrastructure, we should have both. >> the infrastructure is not there and the car is already there? >> you cannot expect it within one night, of course. >> reporter: the aim is to deliver 30,000 low-cost cars by the end of the year. although it has just been launched more than 18,000 is 18e already been ordered. a group of grandpa pho* thee fighting back in kenya against criminalcriminals making their s miserable. a few years ago we were there when they had a defense class, now as part of our still growing

strong series, katherine is back to meet them to find out how they are going to get on. >> reporter: learning the hard way, they punch, kick, and scream. this is their way of trying to reclaim the streets of the slum they live in. one of the most dangerous in the city. for years the elderly women have been a soft target for rapists and robbers. then they said enough is enough. they took up this basic martial arts classes to help them fight off unwanted attention. the tactic of hitting hard and shout even harder has worked. >> we say no because just screaming won't help. people will just think it's a domestic quarrel. but if you keep saying no, no, no, people will listen.

>> reporter: we visited these grannies four years back at the height of the violence against them and featured mary then, she has since had a stroke after losing seven of her children. three of them to gang violence. >> i get strength every time i come to this group. it has been a source of inspiration. >> reporter: they may seem old and weak but these women are by no means defenseless. they tell us that this classes have helped them in fair scary situations and no one here dares mess with the grandmothers anymore. 70-year-old beatrice was a tacked at her home a couple of months ago. i opened the door and hit him on the nose with my elbow. he fell and then i stepped on him. and that's when he told me don't kill me grandma. the commotion brought out my neighbor. >> reporter: they all have frightening tales of their harsh lives in the slums but as they

go home i've session they walk with a confidence swagger knowing that they now have more control over their lives and the environment they are in. katherine, al jazerra, nairobi. >> and there is more news and comment on your website. aljazerra.com. al jazerra. >> pakistan... a country with a rich diversity of people and languages. but this multicultural society is being plagued by increasing sectarian violence. >> sectarian violence is at its peak, right now. >> civilians, police and the military have all been victims of deadly attacks. >> if you ask me as to the number of problems, the sky is the limit we are in an absolute mess.