@amoratv. >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ahmed awad bin mubarak krooer ♪ >> hello, welcome to the news hour. i'm martine dennis from doha, and these are our top stories around the war. seeing the world through isil's eyes, al jazeera's exclusive report. meanwhile in kobani, isil fighters are being pounded from the air and their advance into the syrian town is now said to

be slowing. police in hong kong are investigating claims its officers used excessive force against protesters. and just a few hundred protesters remain on the streets. nuns on a bus, the american sisters taking on big money in politics. ♪ al jazeera has gained rare access to isil fighters as they battle iraqi forces. the group has killed a number of journalists over the past few months, but does occasionally allow a select number to join them and film their activities. the video you are about to see was filmed in the north of iraq, and provides an incite into their tactics and to how well they are equipped as imran khan

reports. >> reporter: this is a previously unseen look inside an isil assault. on sunday the group hoisted their bullet ridden flag above a village in northern iraq. the iraqi army sent in helicopters that dropped bombs on the group. isil fight back using anti-aircraft guns. the assault beginning at midday and isil fighters are confident. they chant god is great. and isil remains, isil expands, the unofficial slogan of the group, but as the iraqi army push closer, they change tactics from offensive to defensive. using captured iraqi army humvees has cover they stand their ground. they are in effect using u.s.-made weaponry and armor against iraqi forces.

thissing isn't an amateur army. isil is well equipped and uses tactics that will be familiar to armies the world over including making full use of the terrain. as it gets darker, the iraqi army seems to have beaten back the group and it retreats to villages it controls. this is typical, take over the village or retreat to safe havens. surrender isn't an option. imran khan has more now from bagdad. >> reporter: from anbar province which is one of the main front lines for the battle against isil, politicians there, certainly the provincial council have been very vocal saying there needs to be international boots on the ground to defeat isil. they are calling for aircraft support craft to go in.

the australian special forces that the australian prime minister was talking about are the kinds of forces that will be crucial if you do put ground troops in to somewhere like anbar province because they are able to call in air strikes a lot quicker. they are able to use the tactics and communications equipments they have in conjunction with the americans. they work very closely with the americans. so it's a better fit. but the iraqi government is very clear no foreign troops on the ground. but so far nobody is looking at putting anymore troops further into iraq embedded with iraqi forces. and that's what many sunnis are calling for, they are saying, the air strikes aren't working,

and we need these ground troops. u.s.-lead air strikes have been intensifying in syria, and that seem to have allowed kurdish fighters to make small advances in kobani. they have been battling isil for weeks now. just days ago, you may remember john kerry said preventing the fall of kobani was not an essential part of the coalitions goal in the region. let's go live now to bernard smith who is on the turkish side of the border. and you are just a stone's throw, aren't you away from kobani, so it must be rather reassuring to all of those kurds who have gathered around you that finally they are seeing the air strikes having cosome effec. >> reporter: i think what is significant is what has not been coming across the border in kobani. for the weeks we have been

reporting here, and behind as we have been hearing gunfire and artillery fire. no artillery fire and hardly any gunfire. and the u.s. has confirmed in the last few minutes, 18 air strikes around kobani today, and that adds to the 21 air strikes in the previous 48 hours. those 18 air strikes the u.s. say destroying 16 buildings amongst other things containing they say isil fighters. so all of those air strikes seeming to have a real impact on isil's ability to gain ground in kobani and the kurdish fighters say they are retaking ground. >> it might be a little bit too early to say whether this is helping to defuse tensions between the kurdish fighters and the turkeyish government.

>> translator: the fall of kobani would make us very sad, and we would do whatever we can to prevent it. but were they when other areas were falling? >> so it sounds very much as though the turks are maintaining their position, in that they see kobani as part of the whole syrian problem and not something to be dealt with on its own. >> no, indeed. the turks have been saying for a long time -- they say isil is not the biggest problem. assad, and the syrian regime is as big of problem in syria, and the turkish president has made no secret that he wants to see assad go. so they see terrorism in general as a threat to turkey's

stability. but just from this position while the turkish military has been keeping a very close eye on what is happening, it is the air-lead air strikes that are helping. one man said it had taken out a building, and they have been able to retake in that town three different positions because of that -- because of those air strikes. >> an interesting moment then in this battle against isil in kobani. thank you very much indeed. bernard smith our correspondent on the turkish side of the border with syria. a renegade former general in libya is vowing to retake the city of benghazi. mohammed has more on the struggle for libya's second-largest city. >> reporter: eastern libya is

bracing for a serious escalation of violence. the former general announced he is about to launch a new offensive to liberate benghazi, libya's second-largest city from what he calls terrorists. >> translator: the heros of operation dignity, they are now fully prepared to achieve their goal, namely to liberate the city of benghazi. it is a city worthy of living. it has sacrificed the lives of martyrs to the terrorists bullets. >> reporter: the opponents have promised to counter his attack. they call themselves the benghazi lions, and released a video in response to the threats. >> translator: we want have any assault against the household of the revolutionary fighters. the response will be in the same manner. you are nothing but agents to

america. and you will meet the same fate that the collaborators have seen. this is a clear warning to you. >> reporter: they drove forces from their main bases in benghazi, killing dozens of fighters. the city is now in control of religious militias. on wednesday the forces called for an armed uprising, urging young people to carry weapons and fight the militias. violence and rivalries have deeply split libya since the topple of gadhafi. and things got worse after several groups opposed the newly elected parliament, leaving the country in a state of political paralysis. all right. let's go to hong kong now and have a look at exactly what the situation is on the street. there you see several hundred,

perhaps protesters who are maintaining their vigil. the authorities are saying that the police officers who appeared to have beaten a handcuffed protester which is on video and shown all over television channels in we regone will be removed from their positions and an investigation has already begun. and that's the scene now. we have this report after more than two weeks of demonstrations, some of these protesters are now starting to question just how effective they have been. >> reporter: the barriers are closing in. in recent days the temporary bamboo gate at this intersection has been settlely moving towards the center. police are calling this area a high-risk zone because residents and business owners are angry over the closure of the main thoroughfare. so far most of the protesters

campaign has involved obstructing major arteries of the territory's business district. while getting worldwide attention, many are now questioning how effective the movement really is. >> i think this protest movement has taken a turn for the worse. because some chinese officials are now labeling this as a revolution, not a protest. now a revolution needs to be put down, and i think on this point of fact, we should all take attention. >> reporter: beijing is watching the scenes very closely, but has repeatedly said it is ultimately the hong kong government's responsibility. it is becoming more difficult to product how the protesters will react. hong kong's government under china has never faced a situation like this.

police are now facing allegations of excessive fort. reports say there were at least 2,000 protesters, many were blocking a heavily used underpass. this foot saage is from a local station. it has prompted investigation. the victim happened to be a member of the opposition civic party. >> you don't know if you can trust the police. they are supposed to protect the people, but they are doing something else. >> reporter: while the protesters try to hold their ground, it's becoming clearer that has their numbers get smaller, the rift with the government is getting bigger. we have got a lot more to come here on the al jazeera news hour, including a second health worker in the u.s. has tested positive for ebola, just as the w.h.o. warns there may soon be 10,000 new cases every week in

west africa. women working for some employers in the u.s. are now getting financial help to freeze their eggs, so they can focus on their careers. and in sport we hear from the reigning african footballer of the year as his team looks to qualify for the continent's most important event. ♪ now a second health-care worker in the united states has tested positive for the ebola virus. the nurse fell ill with a fever on tuesday and was immediately isolated in hospital in dallas. she and another infected nurse have been treating the liberian patient who died of the disease last week. 76 healthcare workers who were involved in his care are currently being monitored for symptoms. the u.n. envoy for ebola is

urging countries to give help now or pay the price later, and the w.h.o. says there may soon be 10,000 new cases of ebola every week in west africa. erica wood reports. >> it's running faster than us, and it is winning the race. >> reporter: experts issue a warning saying the virus's spread isn't slowing, instead it is increasing its reach geographically and in numbers. >> we either stop ebola now or face an entirely unprecedented situation for which we do not have a plan. >> reporter: right now there are 1,000 new cases of ebola being registered each week in west africa, but the world health organization has warned that will likely increase five to tenfold within the next two months. and an even more concerning statistic, while the virus was thought to be killing half of those who contracted it, the w.h.o. says victims now only have a 30% chance of survival. those who's countries it has

affected the most have called for a united approach to stop the outbreak. >> above all, what we require is a sense of hope. a sense that the united nations and the community of nations that it represents will not abandon the fight, will not fail us, and will not relent until the scourge of ebola has been removed. >> reporter: but even with the aid that has been coming in from the international community it is feared it still may not be enough. >> we either bring all of the possible resources and people that we can muster and make them available to the affected countries so that the outbreak is tackled as energetically as possible now, or we wait and see the situation reach the point that w.h.o. has suggested it can, with as many as 10,000 cases a week, and then we will be facing a much, much tougher

battle. >> almost 4,500 people have died since the outbreak started. but this limited treat, fear, and stigma, in some of the worst-hit countries, the real number could be higher. the fight is regularly described as a race against time. but it's a race many are now saying we are losing. the best hope may be stopping it in its tracks by finding that ever-illusive cure or vaccine. mozambique ans are voting for a new president and parliament. they find themselves weighing on a number of serious issues. it is expected the economy will grow rapidly this year, so where is all of the money going? the ruling candidate is still expected to win.

they have been in power since 1974 when mozambique became independent. the most serious challenger is a former guerrilla leader who only came out of a hiding a few months ago. okay. we can talk now to our correspondent tania page who is live in the mozambiquian capitol. there are a lot of international observers there to monitor how this event goes. how is voting going? are people turning out enthusiastically? >> reporter: they are, absolutely. but we're near the end of the voting day if you would like. polls close in just about 45 minutes, so the queue behind me as dwindled to a handful of

people. a while ago i was talking to the leader you just mentioned and he said he heard one of the opposition strong holds that they had run out of ballot papers, which he thought was quite suspicious, so some concerns certainly there. but he did say because of the electoral reform he managed to force through this new peace deal we signed with the government last month, that he thought that this election had the best chance of any since independence of truly being free and fair. >> and you are mentioning the figure who has been prominent in mozambique's history since 1975, and his late appearance on to the scene has thrown a lot of the predict shuns. how does it look for him? because he could really do well. >> reporter: he could do well. he's the most recognizable, most

well-known, most famous of the three presidential candidates. the candidate of the governing [ inaudible ] party is really not that well-known. a former defense minister, but he is not one of the big names of this country's politics if you like. you know, he has stood for president for all of the last elections and has lost every single one. however, he spent about a year, year and a half in hiding, and during that time, having canceled the first peace agreement signed, he built up a bit of a myth around him, which lots of young people find exciting. so he has had some of the biggest crowds at his rallies. >> and we must remember there voting for a new parliament as well. tanya thank you. serbia and albania's national football teams are awaiting their punishment.

why? the european competition had to be abandoned after a drone flying the albanian flag dissolved the game. >> reporter: this was the moment sports and politics clashed on the football pitch. a drone, bearing an albanian banner flown over serbian players during a euro 2016 qualifying match between the balkan rivals. a serbian player grabs the banner. albanian players rush to protect it. the match abandoned, the player brawling, while the fans entered the pitch. after the match an official called it regretful but wasn't taking sides. >> you have all seen what happened, and i cannot comment on who is to blame or what to blame or what happens. i will report that together with

my colleagues and bring it to uefa, and uefa will decide on what will happen further. thank you very much. >> reporter: there is no love lost between these two nationalities who have been at war on and off the pitch. serbian fans leaving the stadium on the streets of belgrade, and albania supporters like these. >> translator: probably the consequences of the war in kosovo lead to this situation today. what they did to us there in kosovo, i believe that is the root cause of this, and it is not going to end well. >> translator: they show themselves how they historically truly are, a criminal nation. this was a football match and they turned into it a war arena. >> reporter: the albanian team reportedly returned home to a hero's welcome. on twitter the prime minister wrote they had given the country

pride and joy. where politics and sport intersect, in this case it is politics that appears to have won. let's go live now to belgrade and talk to our correspondent. and clearly this football match is more than just about football, isn't it? and the fallout is going to be heavily political? >> reporter: yes, of course, particularly because a historic visit of albanian prime minister was scheduled for the end of october. so this is historic in the rank that previous visits of albanian president to belgrade happened in 1946, so you can see how long ago it was. so in that -- in that light, everybody were concerned whether this incident, which happened yesterday evening at the stadium, which is right behind me, whether this incident will effect that. but just half an hour ago, i

read a statement from the albanian defense minister, and she said this will not effect the visit of the prime minister, and this will be a new step in the relations between serbia and albania. those two nations have been long engaged in various tense moments, incidence, even wars, last incident was in 2008 when albania recognized the independence of kosovo. but there is another thing right now which some politicalists are questioning. this match which is a highly -- very risky match with thousands of police officers and security officers monitoring this match, somebody was successful in bringing $1,000 worth of drone carrying a banner through that highly security place. so tomorrow, vladimir putin is

arriving to belgrade, and somebody is questioning whether this will be possible, and instead of drone carrying some flag, could carry some explosive device. and that's what security analysts are concerned about. >> tense times at the moment. thank you very much indeed. now more than 2 million french people currently live abroad outside of france. and the opposition there in france says the president's economic tax policies are pushing even more of them to leave. immigration is nothing new for the french. as nadine barber reports from london. >> reporter: lunchtime in london, and at this french bistro, business is brisk. these brothers started out in paris but he says they wouldn't have had the same opportunities if they stayed. he cites difficulty getting bank loans, and the extra tax they

pay. >> to find the location, find the money and the rest of it takes a long time and a lot more difficult. >> reporter: officially there are 1.6 million french citizens living abroad. but with between 300 and 400,000 french people living in the u.k., london is said to be the equivalent of france's sixth largest city. for france's right-wing opposition, say the president's economic policies have made things worse, but that only accounts for a minority of those leaving, and economists say a lack of growth is the real problem. >> the french economy isn't growing at the moment. unemployment is 10.5%. and 24% for youth. and certainly taxes are very

high, particularly on businesses. the market is very regulated, so both, if you want to start a business, and if you want to find a job, there are good reasons to leave the country. >> reporter: someone else who has done just that the coowner of this bakery. he is one of the latest generation of french people to settle here. and he says he doesn't regret it for a minute. >> once you want to walk out, you don't really get rewarded in france. in u.k. you can work as much as you want, first, and you -- at the end you -- you -- you can -- your salary -- you feel it in your salary, i mean you get rewarded. >> reporter: so for now britain is the place where many young

french people are making their daily bred. much more to come on this news hour, including taking you on the world's most dangerous taxi ride. and in sport the kansas city royals edge closer to breaking their 30-year playoff drought. ♪

>> who is ready to drop everything to fight? that's inside story. >> hello, i'm ray suarez. some of the richest and most powerful countries on earth are gathering intelligence, making war plans and getting ready to pound the army that's taken over