a ceasefire deal is reached in nigeria between the government and the armed group that kidnapped dozens of schoolgirls. ♪ hello and welcome to al jazeera, i'm sami zeidan live from our headquarters in doha. also coming up in the show, more casualties in yemen where there's more fighting between houthis, government troops, and al-qaeda. scores of families trapped in libya's second largest city is fighting rages on, the red crescent wants a ceasefire.

an al-qaeda linked group in the philippines frees two german hostages after holding them for almost six months. ♪ well we begin with a developing story out of nigeria where the go says it's reached an agreement for a ceasefire with boko haram. that's the armed group which kidnapped dozens of high school girls earlier this year. our west africa correspondent has been following the events. >> reporter: this is what we know. the defense force has just ordered all soldiers not to attack boko haram strong holds, and boko haram has promised or said it will not attack civilians or soldiers. in terms of the more than 200 girls abducted six months ago, we're told that substantial progress has been made, but there are still talks going on. there's no date yet as to when these girls will be released. we know one condition boko haram

had was they want their top commanders released from prison. we also know these talks will continue into the next few days, so maybe we'll have a better indication of what is going on. in yemen at least ten people have been killed in battles between two groups. and houthi leaders have sent more fighters to the city near an al-qaeda strong hold. the shia minority are facing a backlash. >> reporter: soon after the friday prayers were over in sana'a, there was a clear message to the houthi fighters. houthis are not welcome here. and a pledge to protect their province and their country. it's the most populous province with more than 2.2 million people, most sunni, and the

fighting with shia houthi starts, it could bring a sectarian aspect of the crisis. another came from the top military commander. >> translator: who one can enter by force, by the power of my office under the constitution, my patriotic responsibility and ethical duty is to secure taz. so it is our duty to provide security to citizens under these circumstances, where the strong devours the weak. >> reporter: in the province of ib south of sana'a, fighters gathered their forces. these fighters demand the houthis leave the city. but the group remains unopposed in other parts of the country. it has made significant gains in recent days and weeks,

controlling more than six provinces and the important port on the red sea. they also control the capitol. yemen now has a new reality with the houthis emerging as a powerful force. but many people here question the inaction of the military to stop the houthi advance. some believe a hidden alliance with the former president and the houthis has been formed to settle old scores with their common emmies. to syria now where the u.s. and its coalition partners have hit more positions of islamic state of iraq and the levant. they have been targeting fighters from the group in and around the syrian border town of kobani. bernard smith is on the turkey syria border with this report. >> reporter: a barrage of u.s.-lead coalition air strikes in and around kobani in the last four days have halted the

advance of fighters from islamic state of iraq and the levant. one kurdish activist in the town says bodies of isil fighters are littering the streets. >> translator: isil fighters are still positioned in the southern and eastern suburbs of kobani. we are currently engaged in street battles with them. sometimes they manage to hide. >> reporter: the battle for kobani has taken place without the involvement of the turkish military. the government here wants to target the regime of bashar al-assad as well as isil. but the u.s. only has isil in its sights. kurdish heards from kobani aware strikes alone won't be enough to save their town. >> if they send weaponry and ammunition for ypg, the battle will be -- you know, will end in -- soon, in just few days, but if situation stays -- stays

like this, the battle will be long. unfortunately. >> reporter: on friday afternoon isil shelled close to the board we are turkey. kurdish fighters say isil want the crossing so it can send it wounded soldiers for treatment in turkey. they have sent in more and more fighters as reinforcements, that's partly why the u.s. said there has been an increase in air strikes. they have had more targets to hit. the pen -- pen ja lem may have shifted for now. across the border in iraq, security forces are trying to push back isil fighters there. they have launched operations in the south. shelling in a mosque has also killed nine people in tikrit.

the u.s. general overseaing the operation against isil says the air strikes are effective. >> we're no longer seeing them move around the country in large convoys. now they are traveling in smaller numbers, and this is hindering their ability to mask and shift combat power. we have also seen them alter their methods of come communication which is inhibiting their ability to coordinate and synchronize efforts. so we are having the desired effects, but this will take time. >> rosiland jordan has more from washington, d.c. >> reporter: the u.s. general in charge of operation inherent resolve, the air strike campaign against isil says it's going to take a long time to degrade that group's cape abilities, but he told reporters on friday, it can and will be done. general austin also said it is going to take some time to

enhance and improve the capabilities of the iraqi military. he suggested in his opening statement that the military has suffered from neglect, and that much in the way of coherent and actual ability to carry out campaigns would take some time for the u.s. military and other coalition partners to improve. however, general austin said that the ongoing air strikes against isil targets both inside iraq and syria are basically impeding isil fighters from making significant advances. he did note however that the syrian town of kobani could yet still fall because it's something that isil very much want. he also noted that the province of anbar in western iraq is still very much being contested and that it's going to take a lot of time in order for the iraqi central government to maintain and regain control of that key province. >> reporter: and in syria, government forces continue to target opposition strong holds

in their civil war. at least 70 people have been killed in damascus after air force jets hit rebel positions. >> reporter: survivors stand around helplessly as they survey the remains of a building attorney apart by a car bomb. it happened in northwest syria. several people from the a moderate opposition group backed by the u.s. were killed. further south another rebel strong hold in the capitol of damascus also came under attack. this time from the air. more than a dozen people have been killed. medics with the little resources they have left, do what they can to treat the injured. what started as an uprising against the government three and a half years ago has long descended into civil war. it is estimated the number kimmed in the conflict has exceeded 200,000.

but opposition fighters remain determined. >> translator: the [ inaudible ] behind the syrian army's lines. it was a surprise to them. the whole military command was confused. we had the advantage and dealt a blow to them in their own base. >> reporter: east of damascus fighters used guerrilla tactics to inflict damage on syrian forces. using a tunnel they had dug, they attacked government positions and fought for two days before retreating. these victories, if they can be considered as such, are rare. in aleppo city in the north fighters hold their ground while government troops inch closer. >> translator: only a few meters separate us. we attack and then retreat. the fighting is almost every day. >> reporter: the fighters say

they have to defend this position because it overlooks a supply route used by this regime. in libya at least 16 people have been killed by fighting in the eastern city of benghazi. soldiers loyal to former general khalifa hifter have launched an offensive to regain ground. victoria reports. >> reporter: benghazi is caught up in a chaotic struggle for control between forces from the government and rebel groups. war planes have bombed suspected positions, and people supporting the general's forces have dismantled check points set up by fighters. libya is now under the control of two opposing government supported by armed groups

engaged in daily fighting. in the area south of tripoli these are just some of the families who left their homes to escape the fighting. >> translator: they shelled our house in the middle of the night. my son was injured but when we got him to hospital, the doctors said they couldn't do anything for him, and he died. >> reporter: the town's university has been turned into a temporary shelter, but there's no school here, so the children make the most of what little they have. >> translator: our country is in a state of war, and the schools are closed. we had to leave our homes and come and live here. >> translator: because of the fighting we have missed lots of lessons, which is sad. >> reporter: the non-stop fighting around the area has killed hundreds of people and forced hundreds more to leave their homes. it's a pattern being repeated across the country. violence and rivalries deeply

split libya following the uprising that tommed moammar gadhafi. the rival groups now show no sign of reconciliation, so people continue to face chaos and violence. doug is a lecturer at dartmouth college in the u.s. he has written and edited several books about libya and north africa. good to have you with us. first of all, how crucial is benghazi to the internationally recognized government? they have already lost tripoli in the west, haven't they? >> indeed they have, sami, so benghazi by itself is not crucial, but what is more crucial is really that if benghazi were indeed to be lost to the islamists, and islamists militias are now controlling the west, it seems that the militias have become much more powerful

than their opponents. so they are not just fighting about benghazi, they are also fighting really about the future of libya, and the viability of that government that right now is in tabrook but wants to return to tripoli eventually. so it really is a struggle over libya, not just over benghazi. >> does it look like the military momentum is with those who are opposed to the internationally recognized government? it seems like they are being pushed on every front. >> the situation right now is really up in the air. on a daily basis, some of them islamist militias are making progress, then some days the forces and some of the more secular militias are making progress, but this really is at this point an indeterminate battle that could go either way, and hence why everybody is

calling for international intervention, because we now have almost a dozen international special envoys for libya, and still no one knows what to do. and unless there is some kind of dialogue, the situation will probably remain dire, indeed could even worsen over the weeks and months ahead. >> what is the conflict ultimately over? i know it is often presented as a fight between the islamists and secular militia, but doesn't it have to do with decades of tensions between tribes and different factions who have influence in libya? >> indeed of course it is always portrayed as islamists versus non-islami non-islamists, but indoes go much much deeper. it deals with cleavages that developed historically.

but in the context of libya after 2012 when gadhafi was removed, it really deals with access to resources, getting paid. this is a relatively rich country, and everybody wants to make sure that it gets its share, and even though these militias are cloaking a lot of their ideology, in idealogical terms, really the bottom is every side wants to have control of the money that libya is making abundantly as an oil exporter. >> all right. thank you for your thoughts on that. still ahead, looming famine in ebola's worst-hit countries, food prices are up 24%. plus the opposition calls for a revote accusing the ruling party of fraud in mozambique.

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>> midterms, the series begins only on al jazeera america ♪ you are watching al jazeera. let's recap our headlines now. the nigerian government has reached a ceasefire agreement with boko haram, the armed group responsible for kidnaps dozens of girls earlier this year. negotiations is still underway for their release, though. houthi rebels are fighting al-qaeda-linked gunmen? yemen. air strikes from the u.s. and its allies have pushed back fighters from islamic state of iraq and the levant. the armed group is trying to capture the syrian border town of kobani. more now on that top story,

the nigerian government ceasefire agreement with boko haram. we are joined by the senior special advisor to the nigerian president. >> boko haram this morning announced a ceasefire, and that was reciprocated by the nigerian defense. [ inaudible ] by also [ inaudible ] war front also to [ inaudible ] a reason to also rejoin the fighting and combat [ inaudible ]. hundreds of egyptians have been protesting against the government in and around cairo. they marched in the districts after friday prayers. demonstrators are demanding that mohammed morsi be returned to

power. a keynote address has been made as an awards event in london on behalf of peter greste. the ceremony recognizes journalists who have shown integrity, courage and independent spirit. greste along with mohammed fahmy, and baher mohamed have been detained for 293 days. they are appealing their convictions. mohammed fahmy and greste were sentenced to seven years in prison. baher mohamed received an addition additional three years. an al-qaeda linked group has released two german hostages. they wanted a ransom of

$5.5 million, and called on germany to stop supporting u.s.-lead air strikes on isil forces. >> reporter: confirmation late friday night from the philippine military that the two hostages have indeed been released and are now in philippinian military hands. that follows an announcement from the abu sayyaf fighters earlier in the evening. we were told that there would be an announcement and indeed it came on live on air about quarter to 9:00 local time. they said, the abu sayyaf, that they had been paid the full ransom amount that they had been seeking, $5.6 million. no independent confirmation of that from either the government of the military here, but that

is what abu sayyaf are saying. the that follows intense negotiations. the beheading was pushed back by two hours as these negotiations carried on. and increased military activity as well. the military says they were first taken to the base. they will then be transported by boat here to the city, where a medical facility is being prepared and then they will fly on to the capitol. the genocide trial of two khmer rouge leaders has resumed. they face charges over the killings of ethnic vietnamese. in august the same court gave them life sentences for a separate trial for crimes against humanity. hong kong police attempt to break up crowds gathered at a

protest. police used pepper spray and batons to fend off the large crowd. protesters are rallying against beijing's decision to screen candidates in lohong kong's 201 election. a series of wizards avalanches swept the area of nepal and dozens of hikers are missing. president putin and poroshenko met on the sideline in milan. and talked about the ceasefire in ukraine. let's get more live from rory challands from moscow. is europe looking forward to a warm winter? what is the official side of the

story? what happened in those talks from moscow? >> i think it depends totally at the moment whether europe is willing to cough up the money that ukraine owes russia for the gas that it hasn't paid for yet, at least that's what president putin was saying. he said there have been brood conditions reached for renewing the supply of gas to ukraine. but this has certain conditions. one of these is that ukraine prepays for the gas that it is going to be using, hence for, and also putin was suggesting that it's europe who is -- who has got to step in and back up ukraine, because ukraine clearly doesn't have the money to pay for it itself. >> how much brood progress was made when it comes to other issues between russia and

ukraine? >> reporter: well, not much. i think it's fairly safe to say that there were some fairly tough discussions going on between the two presidents, and other european leaders here assembled in milan as well. and when president putin came out to make his press briefing a short while ago, he was conciliatory, he was smiles, making some jokes, but we didn't hear any news of any particular break through on the cessation of fighting there. he was talking about the agreement and saying that has to be the basis for any formal, proper ceasefire in ukraine. he did admit that both sides in the conflict weren't really pursuing the agreement to the fullest, and that's something i haven't really heard from him before, an admission that the rebels on the pro-russian side

weren't really upholding their side of the bargain. of course he didn't include russia in that. he is still saying that russia is not a party to the conflicts, but seems that although there was discussion, there was no real agreement on what to do next to stop the fighting there. >> all right. rory challands from moscow there. the u.n.'s aid division says it has only received 38% of the almost $1 billion it has a appealed for to fight ebola. it says it has been given just $377 million. but doctors without borders which has been helping treatment the victims from the beginning says what they need is personnel. >> we need more people toment come to work here. we don't need money. we need people. we don't need head we need arms and legs. we need people in the field to

take responsibility. the world food program say prices of food in any affected countries have risen 24%. the worry is of a looming famine in some of the hardest hit countries like sierra leone, guinea, and liberia. mozambique's main opposition group is rejecting the results of the elections, claiming fraud. monitors did endorse the vote as largely peaceful and free. tania page has more. >> reporter: the spokesman has aunderstand noed his party's rejection of the provisional results released so far. they want the election to be annulled and for another election to be held with about

25% of the voting counted, the governing party is heading for a resounding victory, winning about 62% of the vote, and he is holding with about 31%. i have to say that is what is on the lines of what was expected from this election, and it needs to be pointed out that that is a big fall in support for freelemo, which in the last election won 75% of the vote. so it appears as if ronomo has doubled its support. and yet they are claiming widespread fraud and intimidati intimidation. some of the allegations of fraud and intimidation named happened

in only a few polling stations whereas there were 17,000 polling stations all together. and a reminder of course you want to keep up to date with all of the news, just head over to aljazeera.com. you can see our front page there with our lead story. >> announcer: this is techno a show about innovations ta can save lives. it's a show about science by scientists. let's check out the team of hard-core nerves. we go on the road to caltech. dr crystal dilworth is a scientist. tonight jelly fish - how it can