i can't see. techknow. we're here in the vortex. only on al jazeera america. >>. >> u.s. air strikes destroy more i.s.i.l. target in syria. the fighters continue to assault a strategic town. hello, welcome to al jazeera live from doha. i'm darren jordon. the eruption on mt ontake is believed to have killed 30 people. thousands of protesters in hong kong are surrounding government headquarters to demand sa greater say in -- demand a greater say in elections. a bomb blast in kabul, a day

before the new afghanistan president is sworn in. collision air strikes targeted i.s.i.l. fighters surrounding a turkish town. an i.s.i.l. building and two tanks were destroyed near the tank of kobani. kurdish fighters attacked the group on the ground. >> kurd are spread across parts of the north of the i.s.i.l. fighters overran dozens of villages, and tried to take the town, but were repelled by kurdish fighters. stefanie dekker reports. the sound of fighters jets in the sky above kobani, there were multiple strikes on i.s.i.l. positions around the town. this was an ongoing battle and this is not over. as we drive east, we come across a town of kurdish refugees

receiving aid. >> translation: we have been humiliated. there's no water or electricity. there's food, it's not enough. there are so many. there are eight families living in a small house, and we can't go back because they are fighting. >> reporter: 10km east of kobani, we experienced the battle first hand. we are told that the kurdish fighters are in charge of that veil in, and in front of them is a position -- village, and in front of them is a position where i.s.i.l. is on the other side. it's something like a spectator sport, with many people lined up to watch the action. i.s.i.l. has positions around kobani in the east, south and west. as we return to the up to , the earlier hopes of the air strikes have gone. this is an i.s.i.l. attack. they are not inside, but it's an active grant line, making hundreds of kurds cross into

turkey. >> we do not have enough workers. nobody help us, nobody help us, just the kalashnikov. how we destroy tanks. how we can. we are dying here. lots of people. they are dying. >> reporter: kobani is the latest refugee crisis in a war that killed and displaced so many. 3.5 years on, there's no sign that it will end soon. police in hong kong locked down the main protest area were pro democracy activists, have expanded their campaign. thousands gathered outside headquarters following a night of protests. students and activists opposed the decision to screen candidates in 2017. rob mcbride reports. it has gone from a student-led peace protest to a

mass occupation in a matter of hours. thousands of people answering the call from protest ledders, to make -- leaders to make a stand for political reform. now an anxious wait to see what authorities will do next about a process that has been born. demonstrators have been busy to prepare for attempts to clear them, including setting up first aid stations, listening to speeches from activists who have made civil disobedience a way of life. given the turn out, protest leaders believe the numbers are on their side. presenting the crisis for the authorities in hong kong and by association beijing. >> so i think they are waiting for an opportunity to do so. when the crowd here decline, i think they need some kind of patients. >> the police warn that the action is illegal, and those

taking part will face the consequences shut the area be cleared. given thousands taking part, it's difficult to see when and how that will take place. in japan, more than 30 hikers are feared dead near the peak of an erupting volcano. rescuers found them in cardiac arrest near the mountain top of ontake. japanese police will not confirm the death until they have made formal examinations. we go to the capital tokyo. bring us up to date on the rescue efforts. we understand there are many more casualties on the mountain. >> yes, there are. as you mentioned, the rescue workers had been concentrating on the area near the summit of mt ontake, and found a missing group numbering more than 30.

it's believed that they are all dead with reports coming out that they had suffered heart and lung failure. as you mentioned. that will not be confirmed until police doctors confirm that after checking the people that have been drought down from the mountain. still believed to be some people on there, assisted by rescue workers which include defense force personnel. ordered to the area by the prime minister of japan. still a dangerous situation there. the seismic activity decreased a little bit. it is active and a dangerous situation at the mountain. >> the eruption on mt ontake took everyone by surprise. how active it the mountain, why is it popular with climbers. >> it's one of more than 100 active volcanos, and it's popular, many on the mountain. it's popular at this time of

year, and in autumn it's cooler, and thought to be a relatively easier mountain to climb, despite being more than 3,000 meters high. you mentioned that this caught people by surprise. here we are, over 24 hours after the eruption, and officials are criticized for not providing warning that this was coming, because there was a bit of seismic activity in the area leading up to the eruption. no doubt the criticism will grow louder obvious the days ahead as we learn about why there wasn't more warning provided before the eruption. >> wayne hay, in otamy, thank you. a military vehicle has been bombed in the afghan capital a day before the new president was to be sworn in. security is tight in kabul, ahead of the inauguration of

ashraf ghani. let's get more for us from jennifer glasse. this attack is a day before the inauguration, what do we know about it? >> it was under a military vehicle, going off in the square before the gate to the compound. it snarled traffic in the center of town, it came 24 hours before the inauguration of ashraf ghani. it will make security forces on high alert. we expect dignitaries to arrive in the next few hours, before the inauguration. security very tight here in the capital as they anticipate the first democratic peaceful transfer of power in afghanistan's modern history. despite the political agreements, there are big security problems as you say. particularly in ghazni as well.

>> that's right. ghazni there's heavy fighting going on. taliban say they control a number of checkpoints in the area. this is western ghazni, ajeerize stan, 220km west of the provincial capital. it's difficult to get to. the government sint in 100 afghan -- sent in 100 afghan helicopters to back you have the police who have been fighting the taliban. four taliban were hanged in retaliation. fighting has been brutal, going on for a week. it's fighting. we have seen fighting like this around the country, not only in ghazni. fighting in helmand has been going on for months as fighters battle afghan security forces. the n.a.t.o. mission ends here

at the end of 2014. so afghans new government faces serious security challenges ahead. >> thank you. a police officer has been shot in the u.s. city of ferguson, missouri, the same city where a black teenager was shot by a white police officer in august. no one has been arrested. the officer was responding to a burglary on saturday, when shot in the arm. the wound is not considered life threatening. still to come - i'm nick spicer in a hospital, where children injured during the conflict in gaza are receiving critical care. and the waves of change. teenagers in south africa find refuge in gang violence by taking to their surfboards. more on that. stay with us.

welcome back, a quick reminder of the top stories coalition air strikes have targeted i.s.i.l. fighters. u.s. central command says an i.s.i.l. building and two tends were destroyed near the town of kobani. more than 30 hikers in japan are feared dead near the peak of a volcano. rescuers found them in cardiac arrest near the summit of mt ontake. police locked down the square in hong kong where protesters are gathered. more on the fight against i.s.i.l.

the group has been capitalizing in the sunni areas. it's evident in kirkuk, where the sleeper cells operate with impunity. >> in a building site in the south of kirkuk city, kurdish special forces follow up on a tip-off that an i.s.i.l. sleeper sell is hiding here. they discover a container buried under ground. hidden inside a cash e of weapons, ammunitions and explosives. three men were at the site, reportedly just moving to kirkuk after fleeing the fighting and boasted to the officers that they were i.s.i.l. the men and the evidence were handed over to the local iraqi police to be processed and sent to the courts. the kurdish security officers have little hope that the suspects would be convicted. >> translation: many judges of the courts told us their homes are in the south and are not protected. i.s.i.l. attacks them. all are too afraid to put their families in danger as they have

been getting the threats. the judges are soounnis and are nationalistic. >> the sunni population increased enormously as over 100,000 fled the fighting and made kirkuk their new home. it's become a nervous city, with a security force finding it difficult to track down those suspected of being loyal to i.s.i.l., hiding in this community. >> there are two kinds of sunni arabs - some are in league with i.s.i.l., some are against them. it's important for us to give updated information to the air strike so they don't attack the wrong side. it's crucial for us. we have crucial relations with some tribes, and are telling them to stay away from i.s.i.l., we don't want to turn them into our enemy. >> the front line is 30km out the front of the city. >> i have been asked to keep my voice down, because we are close to the i.s.i.l. position.

it's 50 meters away across the river. the problem the fighters have is there are sunni arabs living in the villages. they don't want to kill the civilians. civilians are saying we can't force i.s.i.l. out of the village. a coalition air strike hit a village, killing four including two senior i.s.i.l. commanders. the coalition hub will not laux attacks where -- launch attacks where civilians are living. they won't weed out sleeper cells. only a fully functional judicial system could hope to do that. supporters and opponents of egypt's president hosni mubarak fought each other after the verdict and a trial was postponed. a judge said he needed time. hosni mubarak and security aids were accused of involvement during the deaths of protesters.

al jazeera demand the release of journalists imprisoned in egypt. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have now been detained for 274 days. they are falsely accused of aiding the outlawed muslim brotherhood. peter greste and mohamed fadel fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison. badr mohammed got three years. they are appealing convictions. >> houthi rebels in yemen signed a deal with the government, restoring power to the state. there's little evidence that houthi fighters are willing to withdraw from large parts of the capital. this report from sanaa. >> reporter: it's an agreement supposed to end the conflict in yemen. the houthi fighters were to withdraw from sanaa and other areas, and hand over their weapons to the central government. >> translation: we were not intending to have the appendix

signed, it's an integral part of the document that you have signed. it's to allay confusion. >> reporter: minutes before the signing they were stormy and full of controversy. party leaders were angry that the representative took the trouble to attend the ceremony. they signed away from the media, and only in the appearance of government officials. party leaders made sure to notify the mediator about violations. violations are being committed. what are the guarantees, says this one that the other side will adhere to this agreement. we don't know if this is the same text or whether it's been modified. the u.n. envoy was asked to read out the draft of the append: instead, he insisted it's the same original text without modifications. >> the houthis are in the room.

that, they say, is because they have signed the agreement away from the cameras. all the other party leaders signed, reluctanty, and the numbers of reservations could be more than the number of points in the agreement. >> the state won't destroy its supremacy, and yemeni law in the constitution, if it don't beimplemented, what is the use of signing. it means they should leave the capital. >> once the houthis took over the city, the army and state authorities are invisible. after withdrawing gunmen, they will become one of the major players in politics. >> more than 2 million muslim pilgrims around the world arrived in mecca for haj. another million are expected to join hem in the largest -- them in the largest gathering of

muslims. the hajj will begin next week. an israeli assault in the gaza strip killed over 2,000 civilians. many were wounded. a charity arranged for some to receive specialise youed treatment in -- specialised treatment in germany. >> reporter: a bad infection swells the bone in hamad's leg. here there's a risk of amputation. there's a better chance he'll keep his leg, now that he's out of gaza. he's one of 42 children brought over by a german charity in september. >> most often open fractions, wounds. amputations. lots of legs, arms and most of them are critical ill children. it was a tough journey to europe. two children died on the way into and through egypt.

in part because of delays. it's difficult for residents of gaza to travel, even in normal time. >> in 51 days of conflict, 578 died in gaza, 3,000 injured. few can receive the treatment available here, in germany. >> the charity is called peace village, and has worked treating children wounded in war zones. the gaza kids eat and play with children from other conflicts. you have to lie what scars are unseen in the mind. this boy lost some use of his hands in an explosion, but lost more. his family was gathered in a room when a bomb his his building. they cleared the ruins, another bomb fell, the explosion killing two members of his family. no fear of that here. >> everybody is kind of lovely here, and the volunteers play with us.

i have a lot of friends. >> the children will stay here until they are well, and are sent home. >> a treatment regiment is deviewsed with the inspection this -- devised with the expectation that they will not come to germany again. >> the spanish government says it will appeal to the country's top court, to annul a decree calling for a referendum in catalonia. the president signed a decree. it includes a city of barcelona, one of spain's richest regions. the vote will be illegal. nearly a million people most of them young men leave guage ekize stan every year. the economy relies on the money sent home. the absence is leaving women at a loss. >> reporter: it's wedding season in taj ebbingize tan and

celebrations are in full swing. this young man returned home to get married. once his bride is settled he will go back. community groups warn of tough files for those left behind. >> translation: migrant workers go to the big cities and learn skills. this means they are far from home. this is a big problem. >> reporter: particularly for those looking for the perfect partner. this woman has been trying to find a husband for three years. with 80% of tajiks, men, between the ages of 18 and 25 working in russia, mr rite is hard to find. >> translation: all the good guys are working in russia, there are not many men around, and the ones that are are not well educated and do not earn enough to raise a family.

>> reporter: poverty and a lack of jobs force one out of eight to love the country. the shortage of groops has not only -- grooms has not only changed the dynamics, but challenged the society. most tajik societies are aware of draw backs of having one or more family members working in countries like russia. many endure the challenges in their homes, there's little open discussion about the root causes about the breakdown of family structures. >> long distance marriages are tough and end in divorce. last month, this woman's husband abandoned her with a call from russia. >> translation: it's really hard for me. i'm sick, and i can't afford medical treatment. my husband is not supporting us. i can't feed my children. life will be harder in winter. >> reporter: but for this bride, this is the season of love and

ritual. life has a migrant worker's wife may not be easy. the groom's grandmother is praying that distance doesn't come between the newly married couple. the indian prime minister narendra modi is on a visit it the u.s. to talk business. thousands of indian americans are expected to be at new york's maddison square gardens to give him a grand reception. kristen saloomey has more. the indian prime minister is reason to celebrate. to say this family are narendra modi supporters is an understatement. >> he is coming to the united states. we welcome him. we are excited to see him. >> patel's father spent seven months in india.

foreign investment raised expectations within the underian community -- indian community. >> we need a relationship between the u.s. government and the indian government. it not only helps indians living in america, but helps living in syria. >> indians make up 1% of the population. as a group, it's a successful bunch. the household of indian americans exceeds that of african americans, and many hope their status will be elevated. >> it's a remarkable turnaround for the indian prime minister, who arrived in new york to cheering crowds. until recently, he was barred, over accusations that he did little to stop riots in the

state. 2,000 were killed in the violence. this person is from the south asian solidarity collect ty, starting a -- collective, start an an online campaign. >> we want to know that it represents an ideology that narendra modi is part of it. it's a hindu nations and muslims are coming from the outside, when they have been there for thousands of years. >> on friday, a new york federal court summoned narendra modi to answer a lawsuit. the move is symbolic, unlikely to get in the way of business between the two countries. >> there's debate about how to define the indian middle class. it's a vast consumer market. that is what has always been texting to a lot of american investors. >> those investors are hoping the excitement in the indian

community is matched in washington. now, a new batch of surfers are hitting the beach in south africa's cape town. 250 teenagers from the nearby townships are carve out a refuge from violence, drugs and aids. tania page reports. >> reporter: it's winter and windy in cape town. a warm up is necessary. after a quick jog it's time to warm up the spirits. this is an instructor at wave for change. it targets young people. teaching them to surf. they may have the best gear, and some wetsuits do not fit, but for many, it's the first time someone has shown an interest. >> the kids here are involved in violence. when hear, they face the challenges in the ways, they won the challenge and let them surf

free. >> it's a chance to teach them to avoid h.i.v. it's a unique approach. >> now that the lesson is over, it's time to put it into practice so they are hitting the water. some dream of one day being good enough to compete on the world tour or to catch the next wave. the surf isn't any good. but everyone is having fun. they couldn't afford to pay for this themselves, but the waves for change investment pays off by keeping them off the street and out of trouble. >> i have been learning to surf and life lessons about confidence and how to talk and share when i have a problem at home or anywhere. >> the cold is starting to get to everyone. it's time to go home. over the dues is the township. the wetsuit is gone. this is a reminder that he is helping people from his neighbourhood with lessons that are valuable in and out of the

water. >> now, a quick reminder, you can keep up with all the news on the website. the address, of course, aljazeera.com. that's aljazeera.com. all the latest on the coalition air strikes and the latest on the deadly volcanic eruption in japan. >> 13 million filipinos were affected by typhoon haiyan's wrath. today a third of survivors are homeless in the catastrophic aftermath. we're flying to leyte- the hardest hit island where towns were torn up and reduced to rubble -