community may gain a quiet estuary, but some of their cultural history will be lost. >> kurdish voices say i.s.i.l. can't be defeated without a foreign ground offensive. hello, i'm nick clark, you are watching al jazeera live from doha. also coming up, a potential threat to global security. president obama says more needs to be done to fight ebola in west africa. a chance at democracy eight years after a military

coup. and we'll find outio these indian students are learning to speak chinese. for the u.s. and its allies, the offensive against the islamic state of iraq and levant looks to be one fought from the air. kurdish forces have told al jazeera they cannot succeed if the coalition to defeat i.s.i.l. doesn't put boots on the ground. kurdish forces are concerned the corridor built will not hold for much longer. sue turton reports. >> reporter: military hardware heading west, weapons to help kurdish forces shore up their defenses. this convoy is not enough to hold the line for much longer.

on the front line we talk to the field commander for the area of operations from mosul, all the way to the syrian border. the general is worried. this peshmerga forward position is 10km from the gate. the main border crossing from syria. their direct root to the sinjar mountains. the general says they are battling a superior force. as an army we need everything from a to z, everything from uniforms, small weapons, night vision kits, tanks, and even if we have mortars, if we don't have night vision, we can't see where the enemy is. we need the package. >> can you win the battle on the ground without foreign fighters? >> no. >> he may get his wish, after the head of the u.s. military

could well recommend the 1600 advisors in iraq go on combat messages. the general is getting help from an unlikely quarter. kurdish fighters are taking two bases on iraqi soil. >> translation: these are heavily fortified castles. it's believed ypp controls them, not i.s.i.l. if you control the fortifications, you control the whole area. >> the peshmerga trying hard to hold the line. at the moment it's a fight against time. they desperately need the foreign weapons they that have promised to come up and be trained. the air strikes can sometimes take two hours to get here and reach the position. the target often disappears by then. the general explains how the delay allows the fighters to

disappear into the villages, or to put women and children in the vehicles. >> when we started the operation, the u.s. jets responded quickly. now there's a huge delay. many times we ask 10 times, many times they don't respond at all. >> he believes the aerial bombardment can only do so much. a ground offensive can only win this war. those promised weapons, man power, equipment and expertise cannot come soon enough. >> the top military officer has not ruled out the option of deploying ground forces. he may recommend just that, if president obama's strategy is unsuccessful. many on capitol hill are concerned about how far the war will go, and when it will end. >> pentagon officials went to capitol hill on tuesday, to

convince congress they have a plan to fight the group calling itself the islamic state of iraq and levant or i.s.i.l. 1200 military assessors are assisting or advising the troops on fighting the group. >> the coalition is the appropriate way forward. i believe that will be true. if it fails to be true, and if there are threats to the united states, i'll go back to the president and make a recommendation that may include the use of u.s. military ground forces. >> pentagon officials stressed the focus is on defeating i.s.i.l. >> our focus is on i.s.i.l., and that is the threat to our country, and to our interests, and to the people of the region. >> what you are hearing us express is an i.s.i.l.-first strategy, a fundamental misunderstanding of the entire concept and motivation of free syrian army.

it is bashar al-assad that has killed many more of them than i.s.i.l. has. and for us to say that we are going to go in and help and train and equip these people, and only to fight against i.s.i.l., you are not going to get many recruits do do that, germ. >> reporter: senators criticized the internationally formed coalition for having no mission. >> i have no idea, based on your testimony, what the coalition partners are expected to do, or what we want them to do. >> and with domestic midterms elections months away, senator told hagel and dempsey, the congress is not sure it is worth it. >> i'm spores in any way, shape or form bashar al-assad that he's there. as long as he's there, he's

fighting the same people we are fighting. >> reporter: despite the touch questions, it's unlikely they'll prevent the obama administration to take on i.s.i.l. whether they'll require u.s. ground troops is something no one can predict. yemen's army shells positions, fighting between the groups intensified. let's get the latest from hashem ahelbarra. what has been happening? >> it was a serious escalation, the worst fighting ever on the outskirts of the capital. basically fighters from yesterday managed to controlled an area. a famous tourist attraction, and a summer retreat for the former royal family. until the '60s. then they occupied buildings.

angry population hit back, fighting with the houthis. by the evening the army dispatched a unit. that was ambushed. throughout the whole night, the houthis were pounded from a nearby military base, and we could hear sounds of explosions throughout the night. most of the residents fled the area. we have been talking to people who say they saw dozens of bodies laying on the ground. it's a critical situation. the worst escalation ever since the start of the political send off in yemen. >> the fighting intensified. is there a strategy behind the escalation, do you think? >> the houthis made it clear that they have been discriminated against and sidelined. they emerged from a faction in yemen. therefore they want to be given a voice, they want to be represented, and he'll fight

their fight until they get all their rights. the government says he's ready to negotiate the issues with the houthis. he is skeptical and may be manipulated by iran to spread radical jihad, something critical, something that is divided along sectarian lines. if the houthis control the capital, it will be an all-out civil war. >> that report from asana in yemen. syrian military launches attacks on cities as it battles rebels groups. more than a dozen people were killed in an air strike outside of damascus. further north, shelling in air strikes killed 38 people in the hast two address. the pictures are uploaded online and can't be verified. the u.s. president obama

says the ebola crisis in west africa could threaten global security. he's ordered 3,000 personnel to the region to stop the outbreak. we have a report from atlanta. >> reporter: president obama has been under increasing pressure to confront the ebola crisis sweeping across west africa. on tuesday he announced major plans to tackle on outbreak that claimed the lives of 2,500 people. it's been called a global health and security crisis that could threaten a region. >> here is the harsh truth. ebola is an epidemic of the likes we have not seen. it's spiralling out of control, it's getting worse, spreading faster and exponentially. today, thousands of people in west africa are infected. it could rapidly grow to tens of thousands. >> president obama is sending

troops to the area, committing $500 million to the effort. it's a move that the president says puts the effort to the forefront. >> in liberia, one of the worst-hit nations - there are questions about why troops are needed. >> what kind of troops - are they armed men or medical personnel. if it's an armed troop, i'll question whether it will hep. if it's medical people, great. >> the toll is severe. there's a population of 4 million in this country, but only 50 doctors. the u.s. plans to build field hospitals and train staff at the rate of 5 hunds a week. >> this -- 500 a week. >> the epidemic will get worse before it gets better. the world has an opportunity to save countless lives right now. it has the responsibility to

act, to step up and to do more. the united states of america intends to do more. we'll keep leading in this effort. >> at a congressional hearing in washington, experts are appealing for more cash to pay for medical staff to travel to west africa. there's a sense of urgency to tackle an outbreak that could set west africa back a generation. >> this is one of the biggest relief efforts of its kind, and welcomed by the international community. the u.n. and others say the global commitment may need to be greater if the outbreak is to be brought under control. still ahead - ukranian lawmakers grand autonomy to the east while forging closer ties with europe. divisions within a rebel group make peace less likely in the central african republic.

welcome back. the top stories on al jazeera. the top military officer suggests he hasn't ruled out deploying ground troops. general martin dempsey made the comments to a panel opposing islamic state of iraq and levant and i.s.i.l. the ebola could threaten security. and he ordered 3,000 military personnel to west africa, to try to stop the outbreak which the world health organization says is out of control. ballots closed in fiji's

election. people lined up to cast their votes in an election tipped to restore dem okay asry, frank bainimarama ruled the country since taking over in a military coup and is the most popular candidate. andrew thomas has the story from suva. >> reporter: fiji's current prime minister left it until lunchtime to cast the vote. frank bainimarama has been interim prime minister since 2006. he has never been elected. it was a coup eight years ago that put frank bainimarama in the top job. issuing decrease, he beened -- decree, he banned political opponents, and put stops on media. new chinese money helped keep the economy going. when frank bainimarama announced

an election date, australia and new zealand reopened ties. joely cantanilic is 23 and has never voted. >> we are in a generation final heard. we can choose who we want to run the next government. >> reporter: all appreciate the importance of the moment. >> taking into consideration for the past years, we need to make the right choice. >> reporter: will the election be fair. the fijian media has been behind the current prime minister. an international team has financed out across the country to judge. >> we have been following ballot boxes down rivers. we even chartered aeroplanes to take our observers out to the remote islands. >> there have been minor allegations of irregularity.

for frank bainimarama, it's not so much about power, as it is legitimacy. provisional results should come out in the next few hours. >> a once unified rebel group is split in the central african republic, causing instability in a country at war with itself. part of the reason is money. diamonds and gold, and who controls them. we investigate. >> across the river, not far from u.n. and french forces we arrive at a base of the rebel group that once nearly overran central african republic. the mainly muslim group is active in many parts of the country. this town is a strong hold. there are signs seleka is divided. a claim disputed by this man, general joseph zundako says he

leads the group and has a warning for the international community >> translation: today i can tell you, if you want to disarm me by force, i can leave these with my men and disappear into the bush, and what will become of central african republic? >> reporter: close by is the base and site of another rival seleka general. mohammad delras is from a different ethnic group. the disagreement is about money from checkpoints, and control of the many cold and diamond mines in the region. in the past month 20 rebels have been killed. thousands of people have left their homes because of the fighting. julien lives in this u.n. camp with her six children. >> they went door to door looting and killing. we ran to the cathedral but they followed us. there was a massacre.

thanks to u.n.i.c.e.f., we are being helped, but it's not enough. >> reporter: it's not about religion and ethnicity. at the heart of this is poverty. 2.5 million people need outside help to survive. many don't have access to food or clean water. with a gun you can get food, water and mineral wealth. that is why seleka rebels scattered across this part of the country. now its leadership is fragmenting. making the chances of a lasting peace agreement difficult. china's president xi jinping makes an official visit to india, and will meet with the new prime minister narendra modi as part of a 3-country tour of asia. many indians see china as a partner for the future.

>> reporter: these chinese language students in new delhi are investing in their future. with china's growing influence in the world, they believe learning manneh rein now will way off later. >> in future, china will take over the world. for that it's important to learn chinese, to earn a lot of money. >> reporter: the school has seen a steady stream of students since it opened. directors say one of the objectives is to bring indian and chinese people closer. >> not only training the indian people learning the chinese language, and the culture, and understand the chinese culture. it's growing in recent years, thanks to trade. china's influence on life in india was limited to restaurants like these. in the past few years chinese goods flooded the market,

smartphones being on the increase. new they talk about aid being used. >> reporter: this mobile app was launched created by a chinese business group based in india, the goal to help the companies navigate the rules and bur okay rahs your, a service growing in demand. >> everywhere in china has confidence. we all want to, you know, participate in the scrolls. >> but not everything is running smoothly between the two asian powers. a border war in 1962 left bitter feelings on both sides. and that continues. but like the politicians, some people are also trying to focus on bringing the two sides together. this woman is chinese, learning hinnedi at a university. her hope is to help chinese people better understand india.

>> maybe a teacher. i want to go back to china and teach in the university, i think. >> something she hopes will lead to a better understanding, and prosperous road ahead for china and india. >> let's take this on, and speak to a chairman of the center for policy alternatives from new delhi, good to see you there. what are the two leaders of the world's most populous nations hope to get out of this meeting? >> well, i think number one on the agenda and economist. both countries are looking for investments in india, because india is investment hungry, and china is cash flush. china has money sitting in american banks. 4 trillion of it. and it's looking for places to invest money to get the return. india is short of investment.

it need to create new jobs to meet the demographic budge which is shaping up. we need to make huge investments, in transportation, electricity, seaport. all these are long-determined matters called for. private capital comes in. it's over a 10-year investment plan. china has a lot of say in france. >> china is india's top trading partner, isn't it? >> china is - well, depends, actually, it's our number one training partner. china is our number one training partner. there's a huge deficit, a 40

billion trade devastate. that can be helped partly by investment for china and india. there are issues, aren't there, not least the decades old border dispute. >> in the war, 53 years ago on the border. and we have a skirmish in 1957. after that we have not had a single shot fired. the border is stable, and then we have an arrange including the border management agreement, allowing us to patrol up to the perceived line. when we go to the pershe'sed line of control, we enter china's territory, and we come to our perceived territory. it's an arrangement that works well. it worked. the peace has held for over

50 years. both countries feel that the problem couldn't be resolved immediately. all these matters are discussed in the public. we let history to fought this out. >> good to get your perspective. thank you. bangladesh's supreme court commuted the death sentence of the leader of jam at al-islam, the largest religious party. the leader was sentenced to death for crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence. the chief justice says his sentence is now imprisonment for the rest of his life. >> in columbia seven police officers have been killed and five injured. the group has been blamed tore attacking -- for attacking a convoy. >> they have been engaged in peace talks after a 50 year

guerilla war. >> there has been violence in the streets of brazil, following the eviction of 200 families. police fired bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters. there has been clashes in the past between police and the ruthless movement. and they organise families to move into abandon buildings in an effort to provide more low-cost housing. >> ukraine has moved closer to ending months of violence, the government giving freedom to areas in the east where the fighting has fan place. new deals -- taken place. new deals are strengthening ties. >> reporter: two historic votes in one days, kiev compromising with the east. a law handing powers to rebel held areas, and cooperation with the west, time ratification of

the association agreement with europe. >> ukraine is europe. that is what the ukrainian people said and did. the sit of the whole of ukraine is under this agreement. >> mps made no celebration of the autonomy offered to the east. perhaps fearful of the public's rehabilitation. many believe it's capitulation to the rebels. this crowd felt anger. the past few days have seen more civilians killed and injured in eastern ukraine. the precarious ceasefire is flouted, and if both sides put away the weapons, the kiev government promises an amnesty. regions under rebel control manage their own affairs, but remain part of ukraine. this is something the rebel leadership says is unacceptable. >> translation: you understand

that neither the donetsk people's republic nor the luhansk people's republic has the intention of forming political construction with ukraine. we have won a right to freedom, we are part of the russian world, and to develop in a way necessary. >> reporter: lawmakers may seem out of step with reality, but they are promising what vladimir putin wanted all along - special status for eastern ukraine. if moscow likes the idea of an autonomy deal, the rebels may be more willing to listen. last day of campaigning before the people in scotland vote on whether they want independence. hundreds gather in a small village on the scottish border to support the no campaign. opinion polls show it will be a tight race. if the yes campaign triumphs, it will end a political union

lasting since 1707. >> the mexican army is being deployed to baja california to help thousands stranded. the storm dumped rains, causing flash floods. thousands have been left without homes and power. just nudging in the direction of our website, aljazeera.com. all the news right there. aljazeera.com is the address. >> thousands of casino workers in new jersey have lost their jobs as atlantic city continues to decline while next door in new york the state is ready to gamble on competing bids for massive new casinos. chasing gaming dollars. if you stick around i bet you learn something. it's "inside story."