clsz soldiers in the democratic republic of congo try to crush rebels in what they say is a final assault. [ ♪ theme ] . you are watching al jazeera live from doha. ahead - the crackdown on the muslim brotherhood continues in egypt. the last senior figure in hiding has been arrested. a bush crash in india - 44 killed. we'll have the latest from new delhi. >> plus... >> in the ecuadorian amma zone, where the government has given

the green light to drill for oil. [ ♪ theme ] >> right now in the democratic republic of congo government troops are shelling the last strong hold of m23 rebels, the fighting is close to the border of rwanda. our reporter has been with the soldiers as they prepare for the final assault. >> they've been fighting hard for days, and they are getting ready to fight again. they are congolese troops and have taken a stripping of towns back from the m23 rebels. they hold one town on the edge of the border. >> these congolese tanks are getting ready to move into position for what the army says is a final push against the m23 rebels. the soldiers are anxious. the morale is high.

they've had several victories in recent days. no one knows what will happen next. further back from the front line, here are some of the men they have been fighting. they are rebels who surrendered. now they are prisoners of war, so we can't show their faces. the conning jolees army -- congolese army says it has captured many. >> we have proof and identity cards of uganda and id cards of rwanda. >> meanwhile, the tanks drive to the front line in preparation for the attack. the villagers know what is coming, so they move away with their possessions. these piglets are more scared than she is. she and her family have lived under the rebels for more than a year. she doesn't like it. >> the rebels are bad. they take women.

they steal people's animals and at harvest time they take the crop. every family has to give them five buckets of food every season. the tanks are in position. the villagers start to run. as the sun sets, the shelling begins. these soldiers get ready to advance. they are nervous. it's the beginning of a battle they hope will be the end of the war. another senior leader of the muslim brotherhood has been arrested in egypt. an interior ministry source says rami abdel rahman was taken from a house in new cairo where he'd been in hiding. he was a deputy leader of the muslim brotherhood. we'll go to our correspondent in

cairo. what have you heard about the arrest? was it significant in the context in egypt? >> it's unfolding. we understand that rami abdel rahman was picked up several -- esam el-arian was picked up several hours ago, and is one of the senior leaders at large. he's accused with inciting violence and aiding criminal acts. that's the language used in charges against many of the muslim brotherhood members who have been picked up, including the former president mohamed morsi himself. it comes a day after the trial that is supposed to be under way against the three leaders of the muslim brotherhood after it failed to get under way when the presiding judge pulled out, reduced himself and said it was impossible to try a case in which the defendants can't come to court. they couldn't come to court because security was so bad. all of this in the context of

mohamed morsi's trial due to start. you can see this as a furthering of pressure on the muslim brotherhood. the government here - the courts called for the assets of muslim brotherhood to be seized. this is part of what could be seen as ratcheting up the pressure on muslim brotherhood prior to the trial of the ousted former president. >> most of the leadership is behind bars. is there a sense in egypt that the muslim brotherhood is a spent force? >> i don't think you could necessarily say that. certainly the representation of the muslim brotherhood on the streets is down compared to what it was months ago, years ago. they are still a presence on the streets. the anti-coup alliance makes its position known. hundreds of people, thousands of people take to the streets. we see people, students leaving campuses and going out and ticking the streets and protesting. you can say that there's

certainly an element of muslim brotherhood presence on the street, but it's not nearly as strong as it was months ago. >> thank you very much. al jazeera's dominique cain on the phone from cairo. >> syria's deputy state president has been sacked. qadri jamil is believed to have met the u.s. ambassador robert ford in geneva. >> many syrians flee the violence. more in the country are in need of help. aid agencies have been unable to get access to most areas. it has not stopped community groups from stepping in. in the suburbs of the capital of damascus, a group is organising activities for children, and giving them trauma counselling. al jazeera spoke to a woman working there. >> translation: life shouldn't stop. we tried to establish a

committee for women and children, providing the kids basics of drawing and handicraft. the committee organises exhibitions and educational centres for children who enjoy taking part and click to draw. we were shocked to discover how much the children have been effected by the war in syria. for example, a lot of the kids will draw pictures of cemeteries with the names of their loved ones on the tombstones. they have made boxes for detainees in which the children put bread. they have been shown ways of making bread, cracking firewood and how to wash things. >> we haven't had electricity for 15 months. we do the activities manually - like weaving wool, for example. women use wool to knit sweaters and hats which they swell to make a living, keeping in mind that because of the government siege wool is not allowed in any

more. we organised a first aid workshop. every house needs someone trained in basic medical care. no one knows when their house will be shelled. we'll continue our efforts and work until our last breath to provide support and help our people. i'm convinced god will bless those who have mercy on earth. >> a bus caught fire between bangalore and hyderabad. the bush crashed into a road barrier and the fuel tank exploded. let's go live to jam ill. what detiles have you heard about the crash? >> well, so far we know that at least seven people survived, including the driver and a bus cleaner. the driver, himself, told police that he was trying to overtake another vehicle in the early hours when he was struck by a road obstruction, causing

the fuel tank to explode and catch fire. one of the local media reported that the bus, a private vehicle, had an automatic locking system, which may have trapped in many of the people, which is why we may have had a high desk toll. an investigation is underway. >> bus crashes are common in india, in 2011, 113 died on the roads. what contributes to this high-road death toll. >> there are several factors, including the lack of safety education and bad infrastructure in the country. many of the crashes happen in the non-urban areas. while there is less - the infrastructure is there, it's in poor condition. it's not paid, the construction, that comes at any time. a lot of the travel happens in the early hours. visibility is reduced. it may have happened in this

case as well. >> now, another problem that happens, which is why we have a high death toll is because many of the areas are far away from emergency medical help. by the time the news gets out that there's a crash, and emergency crews get there, it's too late for many people. according to the government statistics, to put it into another perspective, there's a road death every five minutes in the country. that will increase to one in every three minutes by the year 2020. >> thank you very much indeed. that's our correspondent france jamil live from new delhi. >> the captain of the cruise ship that ran aground at the italian coast has been accused of showing off in front of his lover. a maldivan dancer testified. we have this report.

>> it was the second day of test mopy in the "costa cordia" trial. the ship's captain arrived to the back of the makeshift courthouse. he faces multiple charges - manslaughter, causing a shipwreck. a family that lived on the island testified that the captain attempted a salute as a failure, ending in a shipwreck that killed 32 people. among the witness, a maldovan dancer. she made no comment as she entered the courthouse. during questioning she refield she and the captain had been involved and confirmed that she had boarded the ship as a non-paying passenger hours before the crash. >> i want to say that today is the second time i died. the first time was the crash. today i died a second time because of the people finding

out something that i tried to hide for two years in my life. >> testimony heard from a bridge officer suggested that the captain did not abandon ship as early as thought, evidence that he was not in the wrong. >> translation: at least the issue of the captain abandoning ship is being discussed. we are pleased that the captain substantiate abandon early. >> 19 months on, several victims blame the captain for the disaster. it's alleged the ship sailed too close to the island when it crashed into the reef. the moover made following the collision was madness. as the trial continues, the captain's lawyers will maintain that he hept passengers -- helped passengers, rather than leaving them stranded. >> coming up - jooublation in

the west bank assist israel frees palestine prisoners many behind bars for more than 20 years. >> plus... >> translation: those forced to leave were shut. >> plus the trial of two senior leaders of the kmer roouj regime continues.

. welcome back, you are watching al jazeera. the top stories: the u.n. says a threat from the m23 movement in the democratic republic of congo is almost over.

government troops are trying to retake the last town in the east of the country that is held by rebels. >> another senior leader of the muslim brotherhood has been arrested in egypt. an interior ministerry source says esam el-arian was taken from a house in a cairo suburb where he'd been hiding >> a bus crashed and doubt fire between bangalore and hyderabad in india. 44 dead, six passengers and the driver made it out alive. >> at the u.n. backed khmer rouge trial in cam bodia, it's in the final stages of a trial of the two most senior leaders arrived. the men are accused of crimes against humanity. the court is looking into the removal of people from the capital 40 years ago. let's go to al jazeera's correspondent following the trial in pyongyang. what has been happening in court

today? >> well, this is a second-last day of final statements from both sides, we heard from prosecution lawyers and lawyers for the civil parties. they've been rebutting defense statements. the fourth expulsion took place under inhumane conditions and not made with record to the safety and security of the people. it set the tone for how khmer rouge soldiers treated the population. there was a disregard of basic human rights of the population. people were given no choice whether or not they wanted to leave piyong penn. some made the journey wearing only the clothes they had. there was no time to pack food, or whether you were healthy, sick, young or old. they all had to make the journey to the countryside without knowing where they were heading

to. there was no food or medicine. many died. >> a city of 2 million emptied in less than a day. it's normally busy streets quiet. 17 april 1975 marked the start of a reign of terror for many cam bodians. that morning khmer rouge soldie soldiers marched into the victory as victors. the people welcomed them. hours later they were ordered to leave for the countryside. this person was living in pyong penh. >> we were told the americans were planning to bomb the city and we could return in a few days. anyone refusing to leave was shot. >> he remembers being forced to march for a week. his 3-year-old didn't five, he died of disease and starvation.

>> the khmer rouge was trying to create a utopia. they ended up killing 2 million people - intellectuals, teachers and anyone accused of being a spy. few could have guest that in the early days of the regime's rule. >> this was a french photographer in the city when it fell. he never imagined the evacuation would be the subject of a war crimes trial. >> it was the end of the war. it was no more than that. >> he and other foreigners were told to move to the french embassy. some cam bodians tried to join them. most were turned away. >> this is the gate that made the difference between life and death in 1975. it's been moved to the embassy's gardens. foreigners were allowed to leave. many cam bodians had to stay

behind, abandoned to their fate. nearby is an inscription ha reads, "this gate opened then closed on the death of a million cam bodians", it's a reminder of a final past that khmer rouge survivors hope will not go unpunished. >> what is so significant about the trial that is underway. >> well, for many survivors they see it as their last opportunity of getting just. initially there were supposed to be four defendants. one passed away this year. one was declared unfit to stand trial because she has alzheimer's. leaving only two, brother number two, and the other was khieu samphan, and nuon chea, the first was the former head of

state. they are men in their 80s. the survivors are getting on in years and want a verdict. the court is not expected to deliver judgment until the middle of next year. there's the issue of cost, funding, whether there'll be funding to hear the other charges levelled against the p men, the charge of genocide. at the moment they are focussing on the forced expulsion and execution. >> thank you for that report live from phnon penh. >> a group of south korean politicians visited north korea to visit the shared industrial zone. it was closed for five months. there are no plans for the 21 members of farment to meet officials -- parliament to meet officials from north korea. >> israel announced plan to build houses on land israel

wants. this comes after 26 palestine prisoners were released from gaol. it was part of a us-brokered deal. the decision to release them has been met with anger and anguish from some israelis. stefanie dekker has more from the west bank. >> the celebrations started early, family and friends gathered outside the presidential headquarters to await their return. >> i am thrilled. the world is too small for my joy. i'm finally going to hug my son. >> and the moment they were waiting for. the former prisoners emerged as free men. >> president mahmoud abbas welcomed them home, promising the people that no prisoner would be left behind >> translation: there'll be no final agreement until all prisoners are freed from israeli gaols. >> the men spent 20 years behind bars, convicted of killing

israeli citizens. many believed they should remain in gaol for life. here they are seen as heroes. 21 were released in the west bank, and five returned to gaza. >> translation: i miss my mother. i can't describe what it feels like to be free. >> then it was all over. everyone couldn't wait to get back home. where the party was just starting. the prisoners are being welcomed back here. they spent 21 years in prison. they were sentenced to life. their families say they never thought they'd live to see this day. . in brazil police detained around 90 people after violent demonstrations over the killing of a teenager in sao paulo. groups of young men looted shops and blocked a major highway.

the protest broke out after the shooting of 17-year-old douglas rodriguez by a police officer. police say the shooting was accidental. peruvian prime minister jimenez says he will resign. the former human rights lawyer leaves office after a 15-month period of calm. he was criticised after dismissing concerns about crime as hysteria. he names the regional president as his successor. >> and nearly every member of the united nations general assembly voted to condemn the united states economic embargo against cuba. it's the 22nd consecutive year the 180 nations voted in favour of a resolution imposed by cuba calling for the end to an embargo. the united states voted against. the cuban embargo cost the country $1 billion since it was imposed in 1962.

>> translation: the blockade is extraterritorial and a violation of international law, laserating the sovereignty of other states. it's a transgression of international rules governing foreign trade and freedom of naviation. the cruel inclusion of foodstuffs is a hostile and unilateral act that should cease. >> the u.s. congress gave intelligence chiefs a grilling over america's spying activity. the national intelligence james clapper said they do not spy regularly on other places but others do. >> a pakistani teacher and his children appeared before the u.s. congress speaking of the horror of a drone strike on their village. they are the first drone strike survivors to appear before politicians in washington. >> ecuador is abandoning plans

to have rich companies pay it not to drill. they are allowing oil exploration in a private een part of the -- pristine part of the county. >> there's a saying that the jungle will save us all, among the tribes of the amazon. the most divers area of the planet sits over a large deposit of oil. a few weeks ago the ecuadorian government gave a green light to oil drilling in the heart of the amazon. >> translation: for us the amazon is our supermarket. the jungle is our pharmacy, all our medicine is there. with the pollution it's gone. >> all large animals are gone, he said.

ecuador's president said texaco caused damage in the amazon. his answer for the world to pay ecuador $350 million to leave it untouched. but his plan failed. the government now defends drilling in the basin. it's for the greater good, this government ad says - a media campaign comparing drilling to the short-lived pain a baby feels when getting a vaccine. >> environmentalists are against drilling, but everything it brings - contractors, roads, heavy traffic, and this is happening here. this is a zone with tropical rain forests and where heavy drilling has gone on.

>> marches to the capital has started. >> communities from the amazon trek for five days to demand on audience. >> translation: we don't want oil companies. our mess im to them is leave us alone. >> many here want a referendum on oil drilling. >> translation: as a woman i want to defend our territory for the future of our children so they can continue to live in harmony with the jungle. >> the indigenous movement played a role in toppling three ecuadorian presidents during the past decades. now they have a warning for this president - let oil companies into the jungle and he'll pay a heavy price - so will the planet. >> now, a couple of stories we are specting to develop later on al jazeera. u.n.'s top man on syria due to

meet president bashar al-assad in damascus. lakhdar brahimi, who represents the arab league sat with the foreign minister. it's likely to be a difficult meeting with the president because he showed no sign of being willing to step down. >> four french men on their way home after being released by al qaeda. they worked for nuclear companies and have been held for three years. they've been thrown to an airbase in france and be greeted by an unpopular president francis hollande. >> >> we are being invaded by aliens - not really. it's the 75th anniversary of orson wells radio adaptation of "war of the worlds" terrifying many people in 1988. we'll have a report from there later wednesday here on al

jazeera. >> now, the 19th annual festival has kicked off in paris with a fashion show featuring masterpieces made of chocolate. they braced the catwalk, wearing designs by a world-famous chocolate maker. that's tonight's inside story. >> hello, i'm libby casey in washington. as the obama administration races to fix the healthcare.gov website, critics are turning up the heat. the latest issue, how many americans who have to pay for their own health insurance now