>> after weeks of fighting i.s.i.l. forces break into the syrian town of kobani. hello, i'm darren jordon, you are watching al jazeera live from doha. also, a nurse in spain is infected by ebola - the first time it's been passed on outside of west africa. the kenyan president goes to the i.c.c. and is charged with crimes of humanity. >> it's like i'm flying like a bird. >> it's not for adults that suffer from vertigo. we see the eiffel tower as never

before. fighters from the islamic state of iraq and levant are within the syrian town of kobani for the first time since the battle to take it began. heavy fighting continues with kurdish forces in the south and east of the town. the kurds say they need more weapons to keep i.s.i.l. from taking it completely. >> reporter: the black flag of i.s.i.l. is raised over a hill in the syrian town of kobani. they have been defending the town for weeks, but i.s.i.l. fighters, backed by tanks and artillery have entered the perimeter. there has been reports that the fighters edged closer to the center of the town, and are firing rockets at civilian areas. >> there were fiercest clashes between fighters and the people,

protection and units of y.p.g., and, you know, they responded strongly to i.s.i.s., and stopped their progress towards the center of the city, and they pushed them back again, killing a lot of fighters and destroying a lot of their weaponry. these pictures show i.s.i.l. fighters advancing on the down on sunday, edging closer to positions they now hold. kobani is in aleppo, close to the border with turkey, tens of thousands of kurds fled to turkey because of fighting in syria. on a hill, hundreds gathered to share support for those fighting i.s.i.l. they are angry that i.s.i.l. has not intervened militarily. the turkish authorities dispersed the protesters using water canon and tear gas.

the defence ministers says n.a.t.o. has drawn a strategy to defend the country. >> n.a.t.o.'s article five is clear. in the event that there's an attack on an allied nation, and considered the attack on everyone, and the mutual defense attack goes into action. if there's an attack on turkey, n.a.t.o. will implement divisions of article five of the treaty. >> shells fell on the turkish side and villages have been evacuated. authorities sent helicopters close to the area. it appears no action has been taken to stop the fighting. bernard smith joins us live from the border. i.s.i.l. fighters have entered parts of the town. what more have you been hearing there about the fighting? >> darren, there was a bit of a lull this morning, tuesday morning in the fighting. in the last hour or so it's

picked up again in intensity. the i.s.i.l. fighters got in to the east and part of the south on monday evening. part of the south of kobani, and are trying to take on syrian kurdish fighters from the west as well. and the kurdish fighters in kobani say if i.s.i.l. get in from the west, they are in deeper trouble than they are already. there's fighting going from building to building, street to street. as we mentioned kurdish fighters in the town we mentioned. they need more weapons, more and heavier weapons to hold back the i.s.i.l. advance. witnesses told us that they heard jets overhead last night, and there has been reports from other witnesses that air strikes went in. there has been u.s. air strikes over the past few days. the confirmation to come the following day.

we've not had confirmation from the military that they were active on monday night. >> we know that men kurd are angry that turkey effectivy stood back and has down nothing. if turkey falls, will we see the change. >> there's no love lose between turkey and the kurds. turkey doesn't want to see an autonomous area appear on the border, let alone facilitate something like that. they don't want i.s.i.l. to take the town. they don't want to see bashar al-assad in power. it's in a difficult position. they don't want the turkish military involved in their

fight. what the kurds are calling for is more weapons. the kurds want a blind eye turned to allowing kurdish fighters into syria. turkey is nervous about all of this because it doesn't want to see what it allows the kurds to do. if it helps them, it doesn't want to see them backfire on turkey in the future. >> thank you bernard smith. now, a nurse who helped treat two ebola victims in madrid tested positive for the disease. it's the first case of ebola spreading from one person to another outside south africa. >> the nurse had been treating two ebola patients at this hospital in madrid. one of the sick men was a spanish priest, an aid worker in liberia. in august the 75-year-old bake

the first person to die from the outbreak. the second died days later. they contract the virus in west africa and were brought to spain for treatment. authorities are investigating how the nurse contracted the virus. >> once detected as the ebola virus, we put into action a series of protocols coordinated by the ministry of health. we are working to give the best care to the patient, and provide security for our citizens. >> the nurse reportedly was given the all clear, and mixed freely with friends for two weeks, even taking on overseas holiday before being diagnosed with the virus. a backteariology expert says it's highly unlikely the virus would have spread as she was not displaying any symptoms. >> what we know about ebola is

you are only infective when you are ill. that is the danger time for anybody looking after the patient, not the period between when the virus quietly grows in the person without producing symptoms, so if you have social contact with someone incubating the disease, the likelihood of capturing it is low, zero. >> the ebola treatment center in the capital has been operating at full capacity since opening in september. the survival rate is 50%. as quickly as staff discharge patients, more keep arriving. >> the virus killed almost 3,500 people in west africa, and infected more than 7,000. sobering statistics for a virus that has no known cure. kenya's president is on his

way to the hague to attend his pre-trial hearing at the international criminal court. he is charged with organising mass killings following disputed elections in 2007. we have this report from nairobi. >> he's the first sitting head of state in the world to sit before the international criminal court. >> i am here to address you as representatives of the people. >> kenya's president kenyatta arrived at parliament to tell politicians whether he'd attend his next court appearance in the hague. nearly seven years earlier a disputed election in kenya was followed by ethnic violence. over 1,000 people were killed. prosecutors say politicians were behind it, charging kenyatta and others with instigating crimes against humanity. he told members of parliament that he shouldn't stand trial. >> i will issue a legal notice

necessary to appoint the deputy president as acting president while i attend the conference at the hague in the netherlands. >> reporter: kenyatta's attendance will be watched closely. these people will never forget the day his two wives and nine children were burnt alive. he escaped and buried them here in western kenya. he was attacked at the same time. his scars are another painful reminder. >> i am waiting for the truth, so everyone can know why the family died. if i die tomorrow, my family and clan will want to know. >> the chief prosecutor visited the area two years ago. she blamed kenyatta and his government for refusing to cooperate. the victim's lawyer agreed. >> it is significant that we have not seen a great deal of willingness from the president

allowing the truth to emerge. >> reporter: here at parliament, kenyatta - if he said he refused to go to the hague, he may have faced an international arrest warrant. at a previous hearing, the i.c.c. said they don't have enough evidence to make a connection, because many key witnesses withdrew statements. activists say it's because of systematic bribery and intimidation of the witnesses. >> reporter: kenyatta's lawyers deny it. either way, there's a chance the case may have to be terminated. many wonder if they'll ever see justice. protests in hong kong continue. numbers in the streets have dwindled to a few hundred. protesters and the government agreed to hold direct talks. >> after negotiations and discussions we agreed on three principles tonight. let me specify the three here.

firstly the two sides will facilitate meetings related to the matter. we agree to multiple round of talks. >> secondly the students and government will be on equal footing. thirdly, if a dialogue is productive, the sar government will implement the results of consensus. these are the principles agreed upon. >> lots more to come - skyscrapers tower over mecca, where some archeologists fear anti-islamic history is being destroyed. the world's first womb-transplant baby whose parent hope to inspire couples. keeping us safe on the road...

welcome back. the top stories here at al jazeera, fighters from the islamic state of iraq and levant are within the syrian town of kobani for the first time since the battle to take it began. heavy fighting continues with kurdish forces in the south and east. a nurse this helped to treat two ebola victims in madrid has tested positive to the disease, the first case of the disease going from one person to another outside of west africa. president kenyatta to attend the hague for trials. the president of mexico is promising to hunt down those responsible for the disappearance of 43 students. they have been missing for a

week, and it's unclear if they are linked to the discovery of the mass graves in the same area. adam raney reports from igwara state where -- igwanna state where they don't trust the government. >> reporter: some of the parties say they are missing from the school, and they gathered there. they want their children back. while parents prayed the president tried to show he was in control of a situation he's largely ignored for several days. >> translation: i have tructed members of the -- instructed members of the cabinet to apply the rules of law in relation to those event. we must know the truth. >> parents want results more than promises. >> it's his duty of this country's president to get our children back to us alive as soon as possible. we are desperate.

>> this is the teacher's college where the 43 students, mainly children of poor rural farmers were studying. they follow a leftist tradition seeped in activism. the night they disappeared they took over buses and asked for donations to travel to honour a massacre. that of hundreds of students. it was a typical fundraising push - aggressive, but not violent. it's not clear why they were attacked by police and cartel gunmen. were they in the wrong place at the wrong time? did political activities upset someone? >> they are unanswerable and may never be known. parents say their children are being demonized. >> they say protesting is a crime. the real criminals are free and in the government. >> what we know is 28 bodies

have been unearthed from mass graves discovered in a town where the students were seen. federal experts were analysing the remains. the parents don't trust the government to tell them the truth. they are putting the faith and experts here. they wait days, weeks for the results. they'll keep praying. a lightening strike killed 11 members of a tribe in northern columbia. 13 were injured, as villages took part in a ritual. a police commander said the area was reduced to ashes after the strike in the early hours. an army helicopter air lifted the injured to hospital. >> tom ackerman reports on a ruling clearing the way for gay couples to marry in 30 u.s.

states. >> reporter: minutes before the court announcement erica and jessica married. the court decided not to rule on same-sex marriage bans, and it clears the way. >> this is a great day for the people behind me and all persons who want to have same-sex marriage, or have their marriage recognised. it's a great day for their children. >> altogether 30 of the 50 states and the district of columbia will recognise same-sex marriage. gay rights advocates were disappointed they did not take up cases making gender blind marriage legitimate in other states. >> we are encouraging courts over the country to decide the cases before them as quickly as

possible. we want as many americans as possible to have access to equality. >> the supreme court doesn't always follow public opinion. it seems to be the case. a gallop poll finding 50" of the government approving of it. an increase in the past five years. in tajikize stan farmers have been taking advantage of russia's strained relationship, feeling the gap and sending their produce to moscow. >> reporter: this man has been growing grapes here for 20 years, his produce some of the best in the region. business has been good, but russia's embargo on fruits and vegetables from the european union means that this year his

earnings are sweeter. >> i have sent 20 tonnes to russia, thanks be to god. next year i hope more clients will come to me and i can send more of my progress there. >> reporter: from this small farm in tajikistan straight to market. there may be better times for many that live off the land. not all are benefitting from the growing trade challenges to the west. >> this trouble is very personal for this person. her husband is a labourer on a construction site in russia. up until two months ago he sent home $150 every month. >> translation: the only money i have is the money my husband sends me. now i have to choose between paying bills and buying food for the family. >> reporter: despite the slowdown in russia, he is adamant about going back.

he needs to check that he's clear to travel before going back. >> translation: i'm used to how things work in russia. i can earn more money there than at home. there is still work available. >> reporter: approximately 1 million taj ebbings work in russia and the money they send back is a life line. the growing trade impasse with the west may speed up changes to the migration process. >> translation: over the past two years the russian government put in place new migration regulations limiting the number of workers allowed to go there. we are working on ways to provide more work for our people at home. >> this means that farmers could be new employers, and there's a rush to buy fruit and vegetables. it may help to keep the economy

on track. >> now to saudi arabia, where 2 million muslims are coming to the end of a pilgrim age to mecca. mohammed adow reports. >> reporter: this is the holiest site in islam, a transformation over the past decade has been exceptional. mecca soars over the surroundings with a glitching array of sky scrapers. to the monarchy, a vision of the future and pride. >> our plan is to double the area to accommodate 100,000 people every hour. >> reporter: billions of dollars have been spent to increase the capacity of the mosque in mecca, and in the other holy city of

mad eena. the result is destruction of important sites. dozens of old buildings have been demolished in the past decade alone. it's something many pilgrims do not mind. >> the expansion has been great. i came for hajj in 1985. there was a lot of suffering due to crowding. what they have done is amazing. >> while there's little disagreement on the need for expansion. the authority are accused of not paying attention to the importance of islamic heritage, saying no one should be denied the opportunity to have physical reminders of the history of their fate. >> critics are concerned about sky scapers that fill with shopping malls. it's a concern however, that some clerics say has no basis in

islamic law. >> all of this argument is motivated by ideological factors, by political agenda that these people may have, which undermines, but not really from the valid sharia point of view nor a practical point of view. >> for now, mecca is a huge construction sight, and authorities are not ruling out further expansions in the coming years. turning it into a gleaming metropolis of skyscrapers. >> al jazeera continues to demand the release of its three journalists imprisoned in egypt. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have been detained for 283 days. they are falsely accused of aiding the outlawed muslim brotherhood, and are appealing against their convictions. the first woman to

successfully have a baby after a womb transport has been describing her joy and hopes her pioneering surgery will give hope to other couples struggling to have children. we have this report. baby vincent was born to parents who thought they may never have a child of their own. he was delivered by caesarian at 31 weeks, early, but healthy. vincent's mother, who doesn't want to be identified, was one of several women in sweden that received a womb from an organ donor. hers came from a family friend. >> it's fantastic. it's a fantastic feeling. i felt like a mother at the first time. each if i had years and years of sorrow and loss of hope, at the first touch and when i saw my baby, i felt as a mother. >> like most of the other

transplant recipients vince ents's mother was born without a uterus, a genetic condition affecting one in four women worldwide. >> it's been a long and hard road. we had worries and doubts. still, the science will move forward, and this treatment for this kind of loss of wombs will get more and more effective, and it will be a more fees -- moreesy road for other women to succeed. >> reporter: it's taken more than 20 years of research. there has been two previous attempts in saudi arabia and turkey. both failed. vincent's birth has given hope to other prospective parents. let's go back to the top

store i, the battle with i.s.i.l. for the syrian town of kobani. we understand that u.s. air strikes have taken place on kobani. we can talk to someone near kobani. what are you seeing and hearing on the ground? >> 20 minutes ago we saw air forces on kobani's zone. and we saw after, like, 10 minutes, after seeing or observing the situation in kobani, there were bombs in south-eastern part of kobani, and we saw, of course, black smoke coming out after a bomb attack. right now, we'll await the situation since yesterday. there were heavy clashes going on. right now, since this morning, it will be calmer, but some time we can hear the voices,

especially kalashnikovs, and we'll await the situation, like there is cautious happening close to the turkish boarder. >> we understand that i.s.i.l. attacking the town on a number of scenes. what signs have you seen of the fighting in the town? >> right now, like, especially eastern part of kobani, there's two hl flags staying up there. one is a big hospital in kobani, and a small hill on the east side. we see the i.s.i.l. flags there. but main hill and kobani is under control by y.p.g. forces, and you can see the flags up on the mountain as well. >> that report from near kobani, that town under siege from i.s.i.l. on the syria turkey border. thank you. >> a quick reminder, you can

keep up to date with all the news on the website. there it is on your screens. the address aljazeera.com. all the latest on the battle with kobani, with i.s.i.l. fighters beseieging that town. stories throughout the day here on al jazeera. >> can an employer make a worker do something and not pay for the time? can an muslim inmates demand the right to wear a beard in prison? time for the supreme court to get to work. it's inside story. >> hello, i'm ray suarez.