>> civilians leave the iraqi town of fallujah as the army prepares to retake it. >> hello, welcome to al jazeera america live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead - at least 24 dead and an election with virtually no opposition. the bangladesh government is set to win by a landslide. >> talks to end south sudan's power struggle stall as the sudanese president prepares to visit. >> the coldest temperatures in two decades.

forecasters say a life-threatening freeze will hit the north and central u.s. >> hundreds of people are fleeing ramadi and fallujah, following days of violence. the islamic state of iraq and levant has taken over part of two key cities in anbar province. the military is preparing to retake fallujah. many people have abandoned their homes and are heading towards another area that is stable. >> united states supports iraq's fight against al qaeda, but will not send troops back. i will not go into the details, except to say we are in contact with tribal leaders from anbar province, and we know they are

showing great coverage as they reject terrorist groups from their cities. >> and this is a fight that belongs the iraqis. that is what the president and the world decided some time ago when we left iraq. >> so we are not obviously contemplating returning or putting boots on the ground. this is their fight. we'll help them in their fight. defense analysts say iraq needs technological assistance from the u.s., not ground troops. >> america will be involved, but as the secretary of state says, it will not be with mann power, it will be with advance intelligence, technical intelligence, tactical and not with boots on the ground. >> american boots pulled out and the iraqi troops, security forces are not asking for mann power. i spoke to the foreign minister is a month ago and asked what

they needed and would they need american forces. they said, "no, we have millions of troops in the military and inside the police. we don't need mann power from america, just advance technical capabilities. >> al qaeda-linked fighters gained traction in sunni areas because of widespread anger at politicians in baghdad. the shia-led government is perceived to be ignoring grievances. imran khan reports. >> after a standoff lasting day, the iraqi army is ready to go into the city of fallujah, and fight the al qaeda-linked group. the agreement to do so is hard-fought. local tribes insisted they be part of any operation. other tribes in the area have disagreed. >> translation: the tribal revolutionaries will fit to protect fallujah, and we will take on anyone from the

sectarian government and repel the dirty act by the central government. >> the standoff is an indication of the tension between sunni tribes in anbar and the shia led government. now prime minister nouri al-maliki has his agreement and is poised to act. >> translation: there's increased coordination between the army and tribesman. i think this issue will be resolved within one or two days to expel the armed groups. >> one or two days is optimistic. the israeli army sent out a video against the i.s.i.l. they are limited to the cities. others are on the border with syria, and getting rid of the fighters. only adding to the woes of the iraqi government are increasingly vocal visitors. >> we call on the government to

meet demands of the people, not relate to terrorism by any means, if there's a further escalation of violence in iraq. worst things may happen, because of what is happening in the region. >> the reason is simply. general elections are scheduled for april. all the political parties will be looking to get themselves into the best positions and force nouri al-maliki to take the blame for the worst position in iraq, a fact underscored by car bombs ripping through the capital. >> an al qaeda-linked group in iraq is on the ground in siia and has come under attack from other fighters in aleppo province. >> syria's armed opposition is pushing forward with what seems to be a coordinated offence iagainst the islamic state of iraq and levant, the i.s.i.l. the al qaeda-linked group is

pushed out of its base, a war has been declared by some rebel forces who believe i.s.i.l. has not been working for the interests of their revolution. the foreign fighters created many states in many areas of the rebel-held are north, imposing laws that many believe are brutal. i.s.i.l., for its part threatened to withdraw its fighters from the frontlines if attacks against it continue, warning that regime forces would be able to retake aleppo. >> in an audio recording the i.s.i.l. said it was being stabbed in the back by some groups involved in a conspiracy that seeks to get rid of al qaeda before planned peace talks in geneva. >> rebel commanders deny they are waging the war on behalf of the international community. there are some people who believe it has to do with

geneva. >> what you are seeing now is fighting over who is going be the negotiator with the regime. and so far there is no unified opposition. actually, there is a lot of infighting in order to produce a negotiator. >> the syrian national coalition, the main political coalition in exile threw its support behind the battle asking the international community to recognise what it said was the importance of supporting revolutionary forces as partners in the fight against al qaeda. >> the syrian conflict spread throughout the region, so has al qaeda's influence. the islamic state of iraq and levant emerged in iraq a view years ago. the vacuum caused by the war in syria allowing it to set up base, and now it has a presence in neighbouring lebanon. it claimed responsibility for the latest attack targetting shia supporters of the group

hezbollah. the war against i.s.i.l. may not have only been declared in syria. authorities in iraq and lebanon are also trying to wipe out the group. this may not be an easy battle. another reminder that syria's war does not have borders. >> the leader of opposition body the syrian national coalition has been re-elected for a second term of six months. jaba secured 65 votes. former syrian prime minister emerged from exile in jordan to fight for the position, but won 52 votes. the syrian national coalition is backed by the west. >> bangladesh's main opposition party extended a call for a nation-wide strike after dismissing elections as a farce. 21 were killed, including an opposition leader. three died in election-related

clashes. the prime minister sheikh hasina's party is certain to retain power after an opposition boycott. we have more from jonah hull. >> unsurprisingly. the awami league won a majority as a result of the one-sided election. 105 of the 147 seats have gone to the government at least. and given the seats that would have won uncontested two-thirds result in parliament is assured. turn-out figures may go up as the day goes on, the electoral commission putting it at or around the 40% mark, surprising a number of people, the media in consensus on sunday, that the turn out was low, and, indeed, look at that. that's a head line of the daily star newspaper, turn out low in deadliest poll, the turn out could have been the lowest ever.

precedent suggests, as it did on election day, that the strike brings violence out on to the streets, frustrating efforts to begin a dialogue towards what happens next in the country, as long as the parties remain at loggerheads, little progress can be made. the government will try to sustain a government, but it seems likely that it may be day, perhaps longer of violence and turmoil ahead. >> a diplomatic push to end weeks of violence in south sudan is coming from an unexpected source. sudan's president omar al bashir is due to meet his south sudan as talks between salva kiir's government and the rebels stalled again. gerald tan explains. >> april 2013, sudanese president omar al bashir on his first visit to juba since south sudan's independence. it marked a stunning turn of events, following two years of

frosty relations with the neighbours newly engaging in all of out war over the disputed border. omar al bashir is returning to the south, to address internal fighting that has killed 1,000 people since december. >> this is a surprise of the crisis that the government in juba appears to be mortgaging national credentials, so serious is the challenge to authority. for the past three weeks fighting has been raging across south sudan. the national army as rebels loyal to the deputy sacked in july. it says it began as a coup attempt. the warring factions are sending negotiation teams to neighbouring ethiopia. the ceasefire talks can't get off the ground. the rebels demanded the leaders

be free. >> we came to talk peace without conditions, and come and release the people so we talk, is a condition, and we are not ready to accept any precondition. >> the political struggle has another dimension. the president is from the dink ae community, his opponent nuer. his supporters are settling long-standing scores with gunfire. >> it's forced more than 200,000 people from their homes, and the u.n. is scrambling to protect them, hoping to avert a humanitarian crisis. the government and the rebels want peace, but there's little sign that either side is willing to lay down their weapons. >> lots more ahead. when we come back - running out of the water and patience. what some in serbia have to do

to get around a toxic water supply. >> indian farmers look to import milk after contamination fears. that's all ahead.

>> hello again. the top stories an al jazeera. thousands are fleeing the cities of fallujah and ramadi. after days of fighting with tribesmen and al-qaeda-linked fighters. >> the main opposition party in

bangladesh dismissed the elections as a farce. the bnp boycotted polls ensuring a ruling party victory. 24 people have been killed since sunday, including an opposition leader. >> sudan's president omar al bashir will visit counterparts salva kiir on monday. talks have stalled aimed at ending the fighting. thousands have been ki.d >> al jazeera is demanding the immediate release of three staff members held in custody without charge for a ninth day. baher mohamed, mohamed fadel fahmy and peter greste are accused of spreading lies harmful to state security and joining a terrorist group. al jazeera says the lies are fabricated. peter greste is an award-winning correspondent who reported extensively across africa. the three are held in toura prison outside cairo.

>> african asylum seekers in israel are gearing up for a second day of protests, demonstrators want a new open-ended law to be abolished. sunday saw the largest-ever protest by migrants. several thousands asylum seekers started a rally in tel aviv. >> 14 died at a stampede at a mosque in china. it happened during a religious sir moany. many were injured, four in critical condition. >> jab niece prime minister shinzo abe wants to explain to leaders in china and south korea why he visited a controversial sign. beijing were furious when shinzo abe went to a shrine honouring japanese war criminals. he wants to meet to diffuse

tensions on territory disputes and historical issues. michael is a researcher at the massachusetts institute of technologiy and explained the possible mettive of shinzo abe's comments. >> the quote was i basically said what i want to say about yasukuni when i went there. i haven't changed my opinion, there you go. if china or south korea, the governments were looking for something more, they didn't get it. that's to be expected. shinzo abe's position on going to yasukuni, and other kinds of conservative movement actions are part of his general political program. we are going to probably see a lessoning of tensions and confrontation. at least japan will work hard for that because they want to have nice atmospherics for the arrival of barack obama in the

spring. the united states role is fraught because the u.s. is the military ally of both south korea and japan which has a territorial dispute and united states is in some kind of competition with china while being japan's ally. this is a dicey position for the united states. it's trying to balance all kinds of different agendas, not the least of which is that it owes japan and china a tremendous amount of money. these things come together and make a difficult package. to think that big brother america will come in and make peace is a little bit too hopeful in my view. >> a severe winter chill in the united states is getting worse. people in some areas are warned to stay indoors and stock up on supplies. forecasters are predicting record-low temperatures. we have this report. >> it's known as the polar vort

ex, an area of cold air that vetles the arctic -- circles the arctic. a forecaster said it was like the whole enchill arda lunching into the u.s. having been pushed by warmer air to the north. half of continental united states experienced cold weather of the like not seen in decades. combined with wind chill it's recorded and forecast leading to rapid frostbite and hypothermia. >> areas that are even accustomed to cold temperatures have not seen this degree of cold air in at least 20 years. in some cases we'll see record lows or highs set. and some of those records date back into the late 1800s, 1900s. >> officials caused a city

accustomed to freezing temperatures, not to be complacent about what is to come. >> cold temperatures expected are more than an inconvenience. they are serious, dangerous and pose a health risk of the the nudging of it south wards is a reminder of interconnectedness on the planet. >> you have to take the totality of the cold and how the outbreak in the united states counteracted by an intrusion into northern lat tuds. it is forecast to linger over the u.s. until tuesday. >> many venezuelan women are risking their lives in the pursuit of beauty. we have this report from caracas on the growing number of licensed clinics, and the young ladies who seek their services. >> these are some of the most beautiful women in the world. from all over the country, they

come to compete for the title miss venezuela. winning the crown is a dream for many where people spend up to $2.5 billion to look good. >> after oil, the beauty trade is the second-most profitable industry. it comes at a high price. ask this man whose 29-year-old daughter died whilst getting liquid silicon but ox injections. she went to an unlicensed clinic and died within 24 hours. >> translation: it's shameless. these people kill for $75 to $125 to inject someone. my daughter died for $125. >> now he and his wife are raising their twin grandsons, believing that peer pressure pushed his daughter to risk her life. >> translation: the government

is not informing venezuelan women about the risk. the procedures are deadlier than cancer because they kill within 24 hours. venezuela is a world destination for plastic surgery. nearly 4,000 people go under the knife every month. the silicon is illegal here, but most women buy it online or go clinics. >> translation: if the patient is lucky enough to survive, he or she could have chronic pain in the chest, biceps and face. discolouration of the skin, abscesses throughout the body. >> despite the health risks venezuelans are injecting themselves, nearly 2,000 people per month, according to the association of surgeons, a sign that many are willing to pay the

ultimate price. >> in saudi arabia fully people have been seriously injured after a plane was forced to make an emergency landing in a city of medina. amateur footage shows flames coming from the year of the aircraft when it hit the runway. it suffered a technical malfunction and the crew reported problems with the rear wheel. the pilot managed to land the plane after two unsuccessful attempts. >> an environmental group has evidence that japanese are killing whales. the sea shepherd group filmed a dead minke on a ship inside a whale sanctuary. they are calling on australia and new zealand governments to stand up against poaching. it's killing wales of scientific research.

the taps have run dry. it's been more than two weeks since residents of the area have been unable to use municipal water supply because of toxins caused by algae. >> the plastic cuts are a sign of discontent. this is the people warning the authorities that they are running out of the patients. 60,000 don't have access to drinking water. >> i'll urge people to not vote in next elections. politicians are like the algae. they polluted the environment. >> translation: when i went to see what was going on, it was worse than a garbage dump. it was a shame on all levels of government. >> drinking water is driven from distant sources, or bought bottles from shops. orthodox advise is on wednesday

and meals prepared from improvised supplies. looking after the household is complicated. >> translation: it takes longer to make lunch for family and clean and wash, half an hour longer than it used to. >> businesses have been affected too. in this bakery water is essential for making traditional flat bread and the local pastry. the owner says they made a new job title - water boy. >> translation: we have a boy who carries the water and other obligations. we have to keep business running. >> an attempt to clean the lake was unsuccessful. the local public health body confirmed the concentration of algae was high. it's thought algae levels are twice the permissible level.

>> local authorities stay the lake is a natural progress. but human negligence. residents hold the authorities accountable. >> the municipal governments wouldn't give us an interview. over the phone they said that teams are doing their best. there'll be another attempt to clean the lake, but it will not bring a lasting solution. they couldn't confirm when people will get drinking water again. residents say they'll protest outside the municipality building until demands are met. >> our recent milk contamination scarce in china and new zealand may help the indian dairy industry increase exports. we have this report from the western states on how it plans to step up to the challenge. >> milking the traditional way. millions of indian women are the ones spearheading production at village level.

she began in 1966 with one cow. she now has 15. she's one of more than three million across india. she's part of a cooperative, a system growing in popularity amongst indians for the past 50 years. >> it takes time to build up a herd like this. with support, i'm earning enough money to educate my family. my daughter came back from america as a qualified pharmacist. >> mill yields are low, quality is high. farmers only use what was produced for their needs, any excess were sold locally. with the cow, the breeding techniques improve, so too the herds and milk. excess milk is collected in milk stations. farmers' contributions are computerized. the people are the owners. 80% of the cost price to the

consumer goes to the farmer. india's milk production is set to increase according to government figures in the next 12 months, seen as a provider in the light of recent contamination scares in china and new zealand. it's something that people are up to the challenge. >> i expect in the next five years. we expect minimum 5% increase in production. by 2020, milk production - i'm very sure. >> the strength of the indian milk industry is farmers prefer to organically raise the herbs. advanced mechanisation has made the product safer for consumption. >> milk production has increased three fold and has the capacity to produce milk for its own people and the export market.

if there's a contamination crisis. india could come to the rescue. >> and as always there's lots more on the website, aljazeera.com. get the latest on all the stories. hi, i'm lisa fletcher, and you are in "the stream." we'll look at why non-violent protests could lead to historically harsh punishment. ♪ our digital producer, wajahat ali is here, bringing in