the battle against i.s.i.l., fighters gain for ground in iraq's anbar province. meanwhile in syria government forces make gains in aleppo, pushing back the pois. -- back the opposition. this is al jazeera live from doha. also coming up, mexican police find a grave. hoping for a second term president dilma rousseff appeals

to voters. why muslim pilgrims are concerned the selfie is under mining the importance of hajj. >> the battle against fighters from the islamic state of iraq and levant continues tonne several fronts. in iraq and syria. i.s.i.l. says it has taken more territory in anbar province, even though iraq's army and sunni fighters continue to go after the group. imran khan reports from the iraqi capital baghdad. the furious exchange of fire shows that the battle against i.s.i.l. is not slowing down. backed by tanks and weapons, the government forces are in this town, linking anbar with baghdad, in the south of the country. holing it against yil -- holding it against i.s.i.l. fighters mean supplies can reach the

province. >> translation: we'll never leave the city. this is our homeland that we cannot abandon, because there is a con spir si on the country. we'll fight them, whether they calm themselves rebels or armed groups. we are all iraqi, christians, shi'a, we are all brothers. if they want their rights, it should be through dialogue, not force, and not to have foreign fighters through regional countries. >> reporter: there's only a few kilometres, and i.s.i.l. is keeping up the push. we are seeing coalition air strikes on the border with syria. it may not be the effect the coalition expected or intended. i.s.i.l. fighters are pushed taking shelter in haditha and other towns. what happens after is iraqi army forces and troops surrounded the areas, and the fight is one of shelling and clashes on the

outskirts. the iraqi army have not gone inside the up to s for fear of civilian casualties. >> with large numbers of fighters taking up positions in urban areas, it's highlighted the difficulty of the fight. >> meanwhile, the syrian government is making a concerted effort to take on opposition fighters in aleppo, attacking rebel positions. we have this report. >> the syrian government is on the move in aleppo. it controls parts of the city, such as the central prison, and wants the rebel held country side. on friday government forces attacked two villages, threatening rebel supply lines to the north.

several fighter were reported to have been killed. >> regime forces advanced in several directions. wr preparing to regain areas under opposition control. >> this overlooks the only road connecting the rebel city with towns close to the rebel border. towns that controlled this area controls the supplies to the rebel, the defense unit is in rebel hands. the government assault did not end here. foreign fighters backed by government soldiers stormed other districts north of aleppo. within a few hours the government was in charge of half the district. the opposition fought back. >> some of bashar al-assad's soldiers and m.e.r.s.an air yeas have been killed and others arrested. we are chasing them in areas

where they are holed up. >> the fragmented nature of the opposition fighting on various fronts is pushed further away by government forces. the coalition air strikes against i.s.i.l. strengthened the government's assault. bashar al-assad's forces know they can't win outright, so they are trying to push boundaries, as they have in aleppo. a spokesman from the royal institute services says i.s.i.l. is engaged in two different battles and will have to plan strategies accordingly. >> the strategy, i believe, is in a state of flux. they had an expansionist strategy three months ago, they were making rapid claims, boasting that they'd be in baghdad. they had to roll back, they have lost territory and occasionally they'll make gains, and much of those through propaganda. that is important for them.

what is going to have to do, in the next few weeks and months is to accept that it is going to have to retreat, and will have to adopt a different strategy. in syria they are having to fight on a whole range of fronts. they have got a lot of groups, the al nusra, who is the al qaeda backed group. they are fighting with them, with the free syrian army, and its many factions, and they are fighting with the bashar al-assad regime. in iraq the situation is similar. at the moment the iraqi security forces, the iraqi army, the peshawar, and many shia militias are moving slowly and deliberately, and are not really taking advantage of the air strikes, if they don't do that, it becomes a slow and laborious war. >> a mass grave has been discovered in southern mexico, close to where students went missing.

the students were forced into vans during a protest to support rights. 23 police officers have been arrested in relation to the disappearance. adam raney has been following the story in guerrero. >> reporter: we are here in guerrero, a poor state. the governor of the state and the leading prosecutor held a press conference in which they say they are sending remains from the bodies found at the mass grave to see if they can do d.n.a. testing and other studies to see if they are, indeed the 43 students missing more than a week. we don't have confirmation that these are the remains of the students. they are just a short distance from where the students were taken. parents of the students have been pushing for marathon a week for state and federal officials to get involved. the fact is it took several days

to get the governor to speak to them. when he did, the mayor was under indictment and under suspicion for taking part in the abduction and 43 students. social media, some of the other outlets are reporting that these are the students, we do not have confirmation, all we know is the students haven't been seen, and there's a mass grave and studies are taking and seeing if they can identify the remains as theirs. students occupying an area outside hong kong agreed to remove some barricades following new conditions. crowds are gathering in a commercial district. officials say they'll meet students if the blockade ends i monday.

adrian brown reports. >> reporter: china's government says the pro-democracy protesters are on a road to nowhere. the district is blocked. the students refused to let the driver through. he's so angry they eventually give in to his demands. now the government is demanding that those blockading his office complex relent. and a monday deadline for them to leave the area is looming. if it's only tear gas, they'll stay here, if it's blood we'll find some evacuation plan and we'll come back. hong kong's chief executive has warned the city could be on the brink of tragedy saying the need it for the students to end the blockade, so more than 3,000 civil servants can return to work on monday morning. leaders of the protest movement insists the building is accessible.

they are torn as to whether the battle should continue. >> we need to pay for the democracy. >> reporter: even if it means people losing their jobs or not being able to provide food. do you think it's worth it. >> it's a big conflict. mostly it was calm. time for some of the students to catch up. unsure as to how this will end. >> adrian brown formula 1 driver has been involved in a serious crash. it's been confirmed the frenchman as unconscious. jules bianchi hit a recovery vehicle on the side of the circuit, assisting another car. it took place in other conditions and ended early, following the crash. the bad wlb has been caused by

an alternative on, moving towards tokyo. torrential rains across eastern japan, a number of schools shut and flights cancelled and thousands of homes are without power. government supporters are within striking distance of the town. two soldiers have been killed. katherine sawyer are joining us. for the latest, and more on the advancement of the african gunnion forces to that town. >> yes, we are at the edge. it's quiet now. the joint forces don't expect much of a release. they encountered a lot of

resistance. it's a place about 6km away, where there's heavy resistance from al-shabab, who are launching rocket propelled grenades. there were iud. vehicles have been destroyed. several somalia national armed forces were killed. several soldiers were injured as well. through the night there was proibing from the al-shabab fighters. there was running. some had been left. that's a con certain, that they could carry out attacks. we spoke to the somali deputy chief of defense force in charge for the somalia government, and he told us that they don't

expect much distance itself. there's nothing much stopping them getting in there. they want to make sure there's no major casualties, but everything is still fluid and we'll have to wait and see what happens in the coming hours. >> we'll do that for the time being. thank you very much. >> still to come on al jazeera. nearly 70 years after the battle of lenin grad, a burial for many who are missing. why human rights groups are disappointed at the death of the former leader of haiti.

>> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> this trial was a sham... >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy,

hello again, you are watch, al jazeera. here are the top stories, the battle against i.s.i.l. fighters are continuing on several fronts. in iraq, i.s.i.l. has taken more territory, the iraq army and fighters continue to go after the group. the syrian government is making an effort to take on opposition fighters in aleppo, attacking rebel conditions on friday, threatening opposition supply lines to the large city. protesters are back on the streets of hong kong as student leaders agreed to remove some barricades. earlier leaders said they'd meet if the protesters remove barricades. polls opened following the

resignation in bulgaria. the poorest country in the european union is looking for stability. an unresolved banking crisis led to poor economic growth. in brazil, polls opened there, where more than 140 million are eligible to vote for the next president. incumbents are challenged by environmentalists, and social democratic party candidates. we go to sao paulo, and we have a report on the campaign so far. >> reporter: it's the last big campaign rally before the vote. president dilma rousseff seemed confident and happy, blowing kisses. given an upbeat mood, you'd never know that brazil went in esession. in the final election earring days she leads the polls with

40% of the vote. and they are confident. it's a big global crisis that has affected our country. i think the re-election will bring in proposals to strengthen the markets, getting the economy growing again. the candidate begs to disagree, and dilma rousseff closed her campaign in sao paulo, presenter her face, and the best alternative to the status quo. they are hammering dilma rousseff, and corruption allegations. in the workers party, one in power for 16 years. the brazilian people are tired of so many people of the workers party. we the people are suffering more than the others. >> deep dissfegs and public

services remain with many. with all of the candidates translating it into votes, we think the class in brazil is facing a mystery and challenge to engage part of it. it's not represented by anyone. that is the scenario that the government is facing. it's not clear whether the opposition could do a better job. supporters continue to turn out, if not at the same numbers as years ago. >> the vast majority of people are working class, union leaders and members. that's where they see support. they hold it in force. propelling it. >> that will be up to the 130 million voters who cast a ballot in an election where most call for a change, but disagreeing on who could best

deliver it. brazil's foreign minister is summoning the swedish ambassador. lieberman says sweden is rushing to a decision without understanding the conflict. >> al jazeera continues to demand the release of three journalists imprisoned in egypt. mohamed fadel fahmy have been detained for 281 days, falsely accused of aiding an outlawed muslim brotherhood, and are appealing against their convictions. >> the first person to be diagnosed with ebola is in a critical condition. the man travelled from liberia to texas, and the center for disease control and prevention is continuing to monitor nine people that came into contact with him. >> 70 million people died during

the second world war, a third of them on the russian front. 4 million are listed as missing in action. volunteers are searching battlefields to give them a proper burial. we have that report known as lenin grad, a scene of fierce fighting. >> reporter: the horrors of war lie below the surface. in the forests, they are known as lenin grad. members of the squad are listening to the pulse of the metal detectors, tracking the remain of fighters. the siege lasted nearly three years. 900 days of terror leaving 700 soldiers dead. the diggers filled a museum with what they found beneath the battlefield. among the machine-guns and mortars, the personal effects. this is not a search for the weapons of war, but for the

victims of the conflict. finding the remains, giving them a burial, and a name. >> we have found the soldiers. it helped to find a person and try to find. you can open the capsule, in this case you see unfortunately it is empty, and we wouldn't be able to identify the sollier. >> reporter: it is a job not without risk, soldier ammunition is unstable, volunteers have been kill. among the diggers, this 17-year-old. >> translation: i wanted to pay respect to the people that gave away their lives. i wanted them to be buried properly so they won't renan in pits forever. >> occasionally they give the missing soldiers a name. in her apartment in st. petersburg, ireapa took a call -- irina took a call from the recon significance

squadment -- reconnaissance squad. they found the body of her father, shot down three months into the war. >> translation: i feel proud, unbelievable. i was proud of my father. he was a pilot. i was a child, but he was a hero for me. when they called and said the remains were discovered, it was so exciting. >> reporter: it's not just volunteers searching for the fallen. there's another group of men, stripping the dead of weapons, supplying the lucrative trade and war memorabilia in moscow. they are called the black diggers. at this market outside moscow on display, the paraphernalia of war dug up in forests outside the capital. buyers will pay well for the looted remains. they laid to rest the four

bodies of the men brought up from the ground by the recon significance squadron a week earlier. a moment of quiet satisfaction and consolation for the families of tens of thousands of missing soldiers, knowing that they will not be forgotten. the former dictator of haiti, jean-claude duvalier has died. he was 63 and was known as baky dock when he -- baby doc when he took over the country on the death of his father. human rights activists say it denies victims a chance for justice. we look at his rule. >> reporter: jean-claude duvalier was the son of francois duvalier. known as papa doc, who ruled haiti through terror and intimidation for the better part of two decades. i have been elected president for life. this is what the haitian people,

and the iron will. this is the iron well of the haitian people. >> reporter: upon his death in 1971, jean-claude duvalier, or baby doc took over and proved to be his father's son. inheriting the title of president for life and using the same brutality. human rights watch estimates that the me ordered the deaths of 20-30,000 haitians - political opponents, union leaders and journalists were targeted. most carried out by tonne , part par military, part secret police, who reported to the president. >> because the crimes were widespread, they constitute crimes against humanity. they are not simple murders or torture. they were systematic and widespread year after year. >> many of baby doc's victims

disappeared. >> the torture chambers, in 2011 he showed al jazeera the remains of a cell where he was held with 40 others. >> they hood you, and they hit you over the back. >> tolling elections in -- following elections in 1985 when jean-claude duvalier claimed 99% of the vote, demonstrations took place. jean-claude duvalier went into exile in france, the next year, taking most of the country's wealth. transparency international estimated he stole 800 million whilst in power. in 2011, with haiti recovering. he made a surprise return, calling it a gesture of solidarity. he was taken into custody on suspicion of embezzlement. it took two years for him to be charged with corruption and human rights abuses. he refused to appear in court.

living in a villa. in february 2013 his victims had the chance to face him in court. jean-claude duvalier died before he could be judged. it's sad because history will repeat itself unless there's accountability of crimes. >> the government killed thousands, yifteninging thousands. carrying out torture and human right violations. many are demanding a posthumous trial. >> pope francis opened an extraordinary sin og to look at controversial issues facing the world's catholics. they'll examine responses to abortion,homo sexuality and directors. pope francis is calling a meeting to find out why so many

of the churches teachings are rejected by followers. more than 2 million muslims are attending hajj, many are taking selfies, others say it is sack rilage. >> reporter: according to some clerics, doing this is touristy. stopping to take pictures of yourself while on hajj goes against the spirit of the pilgrimage they say. >> translation: did they come for worship or tourism. if they came for tourism, they can take as many picture as they can. if they are hear to worship, there's no need to take a picture. >> translation: for some pilgrims, it is to document a journey of a lifetime, it's too hard to resist. views on what is a fix fewer of hajj is divided. >> rather than taking selfies,

you should spend it making a start. >> this is a new technology, we should use them. it's a global trend. i don't think anyone can stop it. >> nonstop photo snapping can cause comb agency, especially with -- commotion, especially with 2 million trying to make their way through. with the introduction of new teg knolling yits, include -- technologies, including security cameras for piil grems, and now they have a mobile application to help first-time visitors wade through and experience that country. >> we are taking this to a current day situation, where, you know, the process itself doesn't change, but the - you know, we want to apply the mobile technology to make it more informed, more connected and more accessible, more safe.

so the selfies are one more 21st century addition to this pilgrimage and is unlikely to stop soon. much more on the website, aljazeera.com. a turn for the worst - a man with the only confirmed case of ebola in the united states is downgraded to critical. >> we implore his capt ifs to show mercy and use their power to let our son go. >> those are the parents of american hostage peter kassig pleading to i.s.i.l. to set their son free. police in mexico discover a mass grave right near w