would it have made a difference? i don't know. we'll see. that's the show for today. >> the u.n. considers sanctions against five high-profile yemenis as fears of a sectarian war grow. hello, this is al jazeera, live from doha. i'm adrian finighan also ahead - kurdish forces get a boost in their battle against i.s.i.l., and the syrian town of kobane cuba sends hundreds of medics to west africa, making it a key player in the fight against ebola. plus... >> i'm nicole johnson in pakistan. we'll report on whether these

giant windturbines can help the country's chronic electricity shortage al jazeera learnt that the united nations is considering sanctions against five high-profile yemenis, including the former president. the list includes the president's son and three top leaders of the diplomatic rebel group. james bays has more from the u.n. >> reporter: they have been talking about sanctions in yemen for months. in february the u.n. security council put in place a sanctions regime. until now there has been no names on the list. that may be getting closer. al jazeera's learnt from arab diplomatic sources that there has been two reports in the last week or so from the expert committee set up by the security council. and they are proposing five names to be included in any

future sanctions. they are high-level names including the former president of yemen, and his powerful son. he was the head of the republican guard, the elite republican guard, and now is the ambassador to the united arab emirates. on the list, three key houthi leaders. they control many towns in yemen, and the capital sanaa. it will be up to the security council, and its sanctions committee on yemen to come up with the next step. there'll be those, i believe, at the united nations who will believe that sanctions at this stage, particularly on the houthi leaders, could make the situation worse, rather than better let's bring in al jazeera's omar al saleh on the line from sanaa. what are we to make of this, omar? are the right names on the list, and the fact that the former

president saleh is on the list suggests that he's involved in the unrest in yemen. >> it's significant if there is evidence that the former president is involved in this. there were a lot of talks for months trying to convince, sending messages to the former president not to be involved in the hindering the transition. now it seems that is what the aim of this investigation. the other thing it suggests and proves is the possible involvement. because the president and his party - the president has gone. his party remains, he is an influential figure with control of certain institutions, as well as the military. it's a significant do. now, i don't know how it will

reflect on the ground. will it help the new political process that the prime minister is trying to form. some suggest it could hinder the efforts, and make it worse. >> omar al saleh, thank you - reporting live from the yemeni capital sanaa kurdish forces in kobane appear to have repelled an overnight assault on multiple assaults in and around the syrian town. i.s.i.l. forces stepped up attacks after learning that kurdish fighters were resupplied with weapons and may get for fighters. turkey said it will allow and help kurdish fighters gets from iraq into kobane. >> reporter: as dusk fell over kobane, syrian kurdish fighters made use of turning the battle

for kobane in favour of the kurds. from the kurdish government a major change of policy to offer more help for kobane's defense. >> translation: we have facilities for the peshawar forces to go to kobane in support. we'll hold talks on the matter. >> reporter: it's been warned that they don't believe the kurds in kobane are fighting for a united syria. >> translation: like i.s.i.l., they want to control a certain area of syria, we think this is a threat for the future of syria, territorial borders and its democracy. >> reporter: this video from a free syrian army fighting alongside the kurds shows the extent of the devastation in kobane, and the intensity of the fight. the kurds have complained of being outgunned by fighters from the islamic state of iraq and levant. now they say the weapons dropped by the u.s. are very, very good, but they'll need more to push

i.s.i.l. from the area. >> translation: the weapons will help. we need more heavy weapons to push out i.s.i.l. completely. the fighting will not be over soon with just the weapons. no one asked about peshawar crossing into kobane. if we get them and weapons, the fighting in kobane will be over soon more than 130 u.s. coalition air strikes flattened i.s.i.l. positions. there will not be enough to stop i.s.i.l.'s advance. turkey, concerned about arming groups allied to its enemy p.k.k. has not allowed weapons into kobane. now the secretary of state john kerry says it will be irresponsible and morally difficult not to help the kurds. they have, after all, resisted i.s.i.l. fighters for more than four weeks. it would be a damaging psychological blow to the coalition were kobane to fall -

a fact that i.s.i.l. commanders would also be aware of a roadside bomb killed four african soldiers in the capital kabul. the defence minister said it struck a bus. the taliban claimed responsibility for the attack the first batch of an experimental ebola drug developed in canada has been sent to the world health organisation. there's no proven treatment for vaccine against ebola. the canadian drug is one of three drugs developed. it's shape promising signs when tested in monkeys. human trials have just begun. if safe and effective, the w.h.o. could decide to distribute it cuban president raul castro said he's willing to work with the u.s. and plans to send 200 more medical staff, in addition to the 165 there - making it the

largest contribution by any one nation. >> reporter: some believe a lacklustre international response allowed the ebola virus to enter europe and the united states. latin american leaders fear their nations can be next. they held a meeting to discuss the spread of ebola. >> translation: if this threat is not contained and resolved in west africa with an immediate effective response, backed by adequate resources, coordinated by the world health organisation and the united nations, it could become one of the most severe pandemics of the history of humanity. >> reporter: despite the relatively small size, cuba is deploying hundreds of staff to fight ebola, and is calling on the united states to partner with it. it is an uncomfortable invitation for the u.s. american-born policy reports

direct cooperation. for now it is diplomatically estranged from cuba. the cuban government needs to take certain steps for the relationship to improve. >> the cuban president says the longstanding grievances will hurt efforts to coordinating a high-level response, and is calling on the u.s. to do more. >> translation: cuba is willing to work shoulder to shoulder with other countries, including the united states. according to the cuban health system and its modest experience, coordinated will power is needed cuba often deploys doctors and nurses to regional crisis, like in the aftermath of the haitian earthquake in 2010. >> meeting the crisis will require that we draw on each other's collective experience. >> reporter: while the u.s. secretary of state praises the latest cuban response to the

ebola crisis, it has done little to warm diplomatic relations between cuba and the united states. human rights watch says that egypt's government arrested 132 protesters since the start of year. at cairo university students shouted slogans against the government. students across egypt were protesting government laws restricting political dissent in universities. egypt's president said he can't grant amnesty to three gaoled al jazeera journalists because the judiciary is independent. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have now been in prison for 297 days. they are falsely accused of helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood, and are appealing against their convictions. al jazeera continues to demand their immediate release. still to come here on al jazeera...

>> i'm in india's coastal state of pradesh where people are trying to recover offer the cyclone fears for ecuador as work begins there to extract oil. >> since 9/11 the us has spent has spent billions of dollars on domestic counter-terrorism operations. >> i wanted to be in on the big game and to be paid top-dollar for it. that's it. >> many of these involved targeted informant led stings. >> to them, everyone in the muslim community is a potential informant or a potential terrorist. >> america votes 2014 on al jazeera america focusing on what matters to you >> what are the issues that americans need to know about? >> everybody needs healthcare... >> lower taxes... >> job opportunities... >> reporting from the

battle ground states... >> alaska... >> kentucky... >> iowa... >> local elections with national impact >> we're visiting with the people making the decisions... >> covering what it all means for you... >> ...the mine shut down, it hurts everything... >> i just keep puttin' one foot in front of the other... >> we're fighting for the future of our state >> for straight forward unbiassed political coverage... stay with al jazeera america

hello again from doha. a the top stories from al jazeera - the united nations sa considering sanctions against high-profile yemenis, including the forker president, his son and three leaders of the houthi

rebel group kurdish forces in kobane appear to have repelled an overnight assault against i.s.i.l. kurdish fighters were resupplied with weapons. the indian stayed of andra pradesh is recovering a week after cyclone hudhud. government-ordered evacuations prevented many deaths, but the damage to the environment and buildings is worth billions of dollars. >> reporter: usually the fishermen pull boots out of the water. this was hundreds of meters inland, driven by the force of cyclone hudhud. this fisherman says his village was flooded which sea water. >> translation: the government alerted us to move to a higher place. we tied up the boats.

they were swept inland. the whole village was underwater. i have never seen such a disaster. >> reporter: it's a disaster everywhere has to pick up from. residents are trying to get their lives on track as rebuilding after the cyclone goes on. the final cost of the damage is being calculated. it is likely to be high as the damage is severe. nearby they bore the brunt of cyclone hudhud. once famous for their greenery, the trees are a burden. food is being distributed, but weeks later many are surviving without the basics. >> translation: it's been like this for five days, there's no power or water now they are giving us rice and vegetables. i have never seen a cyclone like this. >> reporter: district officials say they have a lot of work

ahead of them. >> we need water, road access. commodities we are giving. vegetables, yes, and water. >> reporter: the airport is damaged, but has reopened, allowing emergency supplies to be flown in. electricity has been restored to most of the city. the damage has been done. and government estimates suggest it will take 10 years and billions of dollars for life here to return to normal pakistan's electricity shortage means that blackouts can last for more than 12 hours. the government is trying to harness the winds to generate power. progress is slow. nicole johnson has been to a wind farm.

>> reporter: the desert landscape has been transformed. 100 giant turbines tower over the scrub, harnessing the power of the wind that rips through southern pakistan. 24 companies have licences to develop wind farms here. so far three have started. >> our country, pakistan, is blessed with this wind corridor. it starts from the arabian sea and extends up to the city, 160km inland. and 60km in width. >> reporter: if the entire wind corridor was covered in turbines, it could generate twice as much power as pakistan needs. >> you can get 50,000 megawatt from the area. this is the reason that you see so many have been put in this place to achieve maximum power. >> reporter: the energy generated here is sold to the

national grid. the government is subsidizing the cost of leasing land for companies to establish wind farms, and the companies expect investments to be paid off within five years. it's not only pakistani companies investing in wind electricity. turbines built from china are behind me, and a turkish company is producing wind electricity. pakistan needs 20,000 megawatts of electricity every year. it only has 15,000. the shortfall means for hours every day people have no electricity or have to rely on generators much the government's policy is to reach 1,000 megawatts of electricity from alternative energy. so far it has less than a quarter of that. >> after terrorism, energy is a big problem. >> reporter: this advocate for green energy says not enough is

done to bring investors in. >> i would say the pace is very slow. if you ask me, if they really want to resolve the energy problem in the country, apart from the commercial sight. they have to use new technologies. >> reporter: back in the desert the wind has picked up. investors will be happy about that. after all, more wind means more money leaders of the two sides in south sudan's civil war accepted mutual responsibility for the violence. the president and rebel leader issued a joint statement saying the fighting has taken a great toll on the people. they met after signing a ceasefire deal in august. thousands had died the u.n. condemned the use

of rape as a weapon of war in south sudan. the u.n. special representative on sexual violence in armed conflicts said both sides were guilty and rapes were perpetrated on the basis of ethnicity. we revealed that nearly three-quarters of the victims were under the age of 18 and the youngest was just two years old in hong kong police and protesters continue a standoff hours before a planned meeting between student leaders and the government. protesters want hong kong to choose its own leaders without interference from beijing. an estimated 18% of species living in ecuador's national parks are unknown to scientists. the threat of oil extraction means they could be destroyed before they are destroyed. david mercer has this report from the reserve, a bio diver

diversive place. >> reporter: for the past year this man has been following spider monkeys and notes what he's doing. "we do what they do", he tells me. "when they rest, we rest. when they move we move." . >> translation: our job is to record and observe. we are in a private each environment. >> reporter: the monkeys come down to scoop up mineral rich mud. after a decade watching each other, the monkeys trust the scientists, who are rewarded with rare in site into their world. the unique biodiversity draws scientists from around the globe, the parks a refuge to mammals, and a single heck tare of forest is home.

it could be at risk as work removes oil from an untouched corner. >> it's the value of the oil under the rainforest leading ecuador's government to agree that extraction can take place. some scientists argue that what is above the ground could be worth more this woman and her husband say the plants could hold the key to saving rain forests. a third of pharmaceuticals come from nature. a fraction of trees and plants have been identified. unlike oil, it could offer long-term jobs. >> in particular, the young leaves stand out to us as being where we should be looking for future medicines, and nowhere in the world is this pharmacy got more participation than here in the area of ecuador. >> reporter: that is this man's work. he personally catalogued 80

species. it's a decisive moment. and any new development will not stop with oil. >> translation: after the oil companies arrive people will look for land, cut the trees and hunt the animals. oil exploration marks the start of the problems. >> reporter: back with the monkeys, the team continues their work. with oil companies approaching and the drone of generators in the distance, the future of this unspoilt world is hanging in the balance. the u.s. city of detroit is under investigation by the united nations for violating human rights. it is accused of denying residents the right to water. thousands of households had supplies terminated due to unpaid bills. john hendren explains. >> reporter: it's a damning

conclusion. united nations investigators called one of the biggest cities in one of the biggest nations in the world a human rights problem. >> you have a manmade perfect storm. a denial of access to water threatens a wide range of human rights. >> reporter: detroit, bankrupt and owed $100 million has shut the taps in thousands of homes. they target the most vulnerableful. >> they are having an impact on low income americans in detroit. imagine you are choosing at times to pay your represent or your water bill. pay for medical necessities, or pay your water bill. these are not choices we expect people to have to make in one. richest countries in the world.

>> reporter: in this majority black city that left a racial divide. >> we have been robbed. the people in the city of detroit have been robbed and the water rights is one of the last things. >> reporter: ironically the water shut offs is happening in michigan, in a state chose native name means great water. it provide 20% of the world's fresh water. u.n. officials recommend restoring water to all that can't pay. one problem is detroit's infrastructure. the population plunged from 1.8 million to 700,000 now, league a sprawling inefficient system, one of the most expensive in the u.s. for some, rising water bills rival a down-payment on a car. >> water bill of $4,000. >> reporter: the findings might be embarrassing for a bankrupt

city in a state that has taken over its finings. they are not enforcible. there'll be no unpeacekeepers here. the city surrounded by the great lakes treating access to water as a great right, joins the ranks of violators > lufthansa extends their strikes. the strike on monday caused disruptions to short and medium haul flight. staff are angry over changes to retirement benefits the chief executive of the french oil giant died in a plane crash in moscow. his private jet collided with a snow plough while attempting to take off. three crew members were killed. russian investigators say the driver of the snow plough was

drunk at the time of the accident. australia former prime minister gough whitlam died at the age of 98. many regarded him as a transformative figure who introduced progressive policies. he'll be remembered also for how he was removed from office. >> reporter: he was australia prime minister for three years. gough whitlam's impact was out of all proportion to time served. that is partly because of what he did, but also because of the controversial way he was removed from office. a privileged background made him an unlikely leader of the labor party that has been in government for more tan two decade. -- more than two decades. wh whitlan ended conscription.

he gave aborigines rights to their ancestoral land, established diplomatic links with britain, and replaced the anthem. the reforms from expensive. in 1975 the upper house used a power it never had, blocking government plans by refusing to approve their cost. to whitlam's amazement, the governor general resolved the stand off by sacking him. the australian prime minister dismissed by a map most assumed had ceremonial power. on the steps of parliament the governor general secretary read out the dismissal ending with a tradition god save the known. -- quip. -- queen.

well may we say god save the queen, because nothing will save the governor general the protests were fierce. whitlam himself accepted his dismissal, expecting australians outrage to swim behind him in a forthcoming election. it didn't. labor lost in a landslide. much of what he achieved endured. >> gough whitlam would like to be remembered as a great visionary reformer. he'll be remembered more as a labor martyr. the events of the dismissal in 1975 framed him. >> after leaving office he became an elder statesman, representing the country abroad and giving prime ministers something to lo live up to. it will always be his dismissal. for that, an appointed representative of the queen sacking an australian leader is

ipp dellably etched on the australian psyche you don't need a tv to watch al jazeera any time day or not. get your fixed of the unique al jazeera brand of real news by heading to the website aljazeera.com and clicking "watch now", on the right-hand side. >> with so many eyes focused on the u.s. senate changing hands, maybe not enough attention has gone to state capitals. a lot of governors are not having an easy walk to re-election, and there's plenty at stake. it's "inside story." hello, i'm ray suarez. governors have been reengineering state government in unconventional, press setting ways. for criticho