>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ welcome to the news hour, i'm darren jordan. from al jazeera news center in doha, these are the top stories. protesting against proposed sanctions, yemen ease protest. more scuffles between palestinians and israelis near the al-aqsa mosque after friday prayers. and we'll here from the s

somali interior minister on the fresh hopes for the future. thousands of people have protested in yemen in support of ousted president saleh. he is accused of helping fighters seize control of parts of the capitol sana'a in september. >> reporter: this is the biggest show of support for ali abdullah saleh since the popular uprising forced him to leave office almost three years ago. these people came here to protest against u.s.-proposed sanctions against their deposed president. if the sanctions come into effect, saleh won't be able to travel abroad, and his assets

will be frozen. >> translator: the u.s. sanctions are baseless, the u.s. ambassador is a diplomat, who is he to threaten our leader? >> reporter: the cleric who lead the friday prayers, told the crowd the u.s. is colluding with a sunni group destroy yemen. >> translator: i am here to sew solidarity with our leader, saleh, and denounce western interventions. >> reporter: these loyalists are wearing heading bands that say we are ready to die for saleh. these tribesmen are chanting that saleh must be reinstated.

that the current president must go. many people, including the president accuse saleh of being responsible for the houthi takeover of the capitol in september. the deposed president ali abdullah saleh is seen by his opponents as major obstacle to yemen's transition to democrat sick. they are worried with the fortune he aa missed during his time in power, he will be able to exert his political influence for many years to come. >> for the past two or three weeks, the pm, the prime minister has been trying to form a new government. a week or so ago he came to an agreement with the mayor political players in yemen, that they would allow the president and the prime minister to form a

technocratic government. the expect is that government would be formed by now, but as of this evening there is still no signs that the government has been created. sanctions will be passed at 5:00 eastern standard time in new york, if there are no other objections from other members of the united nations security council, what we're likely to see is a meeting, dismissing the president from the party, and possibly accusing him of high treason, and withdrawing from negotiations to form a government. and there's a possibility he may have to step down within the coming days or weeks if opposition to his rule rises any further. and if he does that and there is no government in place, we're looking at an extremely sticky situation. palestinian protesters

fought with israeli police officers. >> reporter: that huge israeli security presence right around the old city ahead of friday prayer and during friday prayers has now filters away into palestinian neighborhoods right across occupied east jerusalem, security forces bracing themselves for another evening of protest in occupied jerusalem, the scene of major protests now for some time. however, in the backdrop of all of that, we are now hearing comments from senior israeli officials, including the prime minister, benjamin netenyahu, appealing for calm. we have also heard from the chief rabbi here in jerusalem, also appealing for calm. but the fact of the matter is

that although the israeli leadership is becoming very concerned about what has been going on with the protests, with the violence, there is still a huge security presence, and that certainly isn't helping calm things down, and indeed we are expecting more protests. whatever the case, this issue, which has been brewing here in the occupied east of jerusalem is very quickly becoming an international concern. we of course have heard jordan raise concerns to the u.n. security council. we also have the e.u.'s foreign minister here discussing the issue with the israeli foreign minister, and the white house has also expressed concerns. so there is a lot of pressure now on israel to calm things down here, and the measures they have been using, heavy security forces and heavy policing tactics doesn't seem to be doing the trick, if you will, and so one would imagine that is why we're hearing these comments, and these -- these appeals if you will for calm by the israeli

government. this comes after an israeli man who was critically wounded in that car attack died. a palestinian man has driven his car into a crowd at a tram station on wednesday, and was then shot dead by israeli police. three people have been killed in the latest anti-government protests in egypt. a teenager died and three policemen were injured during fighting between residents and anti-government protesters. al jazeera continues to demand the immediate release of its journalists who have now been detained in egypt for 314 days. peter greste, mohammed fahmy, and baher mohamed are falsely accused of helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood. they are appealing against their sentences. the people in a town in

southern iraq are slowly returning to their homes after fighters from isil were driven out. imran khan reports. >> reporter: after 72 hour-long battle, the town has been cleared of isil fighters. now, phase two of the operation begins. that means sweeping through the town as well as villages in the area to check for improvised explosive devices and booby trapped buildings. >> reporter: this is the main entrance. you can see clearly the destroyed vehicle that isil used for their offensive on the town. they used stolen humvies and other army vehicles, but we h e swept them out and managed to clear the road. >> reporter: this was an operation carried out without

coalition air strikes. in iraq the battlefield victory in the town has been celebrated as the quickest defeat of isil so far. the prime minister visited here in the days after the initial operation, and the leader of the iranian force reportedly directed military operations himself. this is a crucial city because it's gateway to the south and the key religious cities which are very important to shia muslims. the iranians have long maintained that those cities are a red line, that if they come under isil pressure, the iranians will have no choice but to send in ground troops. isil defeat here is being seen as an important victory for the iraqis and iranians, but in some ways it was relatively easy. the town was the weakest link in isil easterer to and one the group was finding difficult to defend. critics of the operation have

accused shia militias of committing human rights violations, despite that many security establishments in iraq, feel the iran and iraq cooperation is something that should be developed in other areas. as robin reports, the inspiration to join isil may be coming from a georgian reputed to be a top isil commander. >> reporter: it's a far cry from the ravages of conflict, but the valley is a little more than a day's drive to syria. there the war has claimed another of this valley's young men. this woman learned two weeks ago her son had been killed in battle. he was 21.

>> translator: from syria he messaged me several times that he was okay. four days before his death he sent me a voice message. that was the last time i heard his voice. [ sighs ] >> reporter: this area has a history of militancy, here rebels evaded the russians, and in this cemetery cent graves of local men gunned down by georgian security forces two years ago. we asked for an estimate of the number of its citizens fighting in iraq and syria, it declined to comment. reports suggest dozens, men like omar, a georgian army veteran, now a senior islamic state commander. in this small valleys passivist traditions tend toward jihad.

>> translator: the older generation are against them going to syria. we don't want our children to kill or be killed in places like syria. >> reporter: but omar's own admission the young are not hearing his message. many go across town to a new mosque, which preaches a more conservative islam, no one there would talk to us about their faith or those they may know in iraq or syria. the lure of jihad may be strong, but this is a region where jobs and opportunities are so scare many have no choice but to leave. the link between islamic state and the area have attracted attention, but for many the wrong kind. there is a sense that this valley should not be viewed with suspicion, but rather as a economically deprived area, urgently in need of support.

these elderly women sing prayers for peace, forgiveness, and for those this trouble. but they sing alone. and no one is there to listen. robin forest walker, al jazeera. ukraine says a large russian military convoy has crossed into the east of the country. it says artillery and trucks have entered luhansk. moscow has been accused of arming pro-russian separatists in ukraine. >> moscow's policy since the beginning is to insist that it has nothing to do with russia, but whether or not the claims from the ukrainian government about this convoy are true or not, there are many people on the ground in eastern ukraine who are observing a significant buildup in russian weaponry over the last few weeks. the rebels in eastern ukraine have also insisted that they are about to launch a new offensive

and try to take back the cities. you also have nato seeing a significant increase of russian troop activity on the border with ukraine, and you have the ukrainian army under the orders of petro poroshenko, moving to reinforce, key ukrainian cities in the east. none of this looks good for the minsk peace accord. still we have vladimir putin and petro poroshenko paying lip service to that's fire that was agreed in september, but there aren't many people now who aren't saying that what we're looking at is the rapid unravelling of that agreement. still to come here on al jazeera, army chiefs from myanmar are accused of war crimes in their fight against separatists. and a major lantern festival

comes to north korea. the sixth, seventh round i realized i was in for the fight of my life. >> one of the most famous boxers talks to al jazeera about arguably the most famous fight. united nations human rights offices are accusing sri lanka of trying to sabotage its war crimes investigation. sri lanka's ambassador to the u.n. says the allegations are misplaced. >> sri lanka has in my view done more in the last five years since the end of the conflict to address the very issues that are being raised now than any other

country coming from similar circumstances. we also feel that this inquiry is unnecessarily intrusive, and is -- is a challenge to the sovereignty of my country, which is doing all it can to address many of these ideations. we are doing what is necessary, and it is only five years since the end of the conflict, we have done much more than any other country coming out of similar circumstances. we need time and space to get on with the reconciliation process that we have embarked upon, and the u.n. itself has acknowledged that. in the resolution adopted last year, it has requested us to continue with the internal processes. and let us go on with it. we need the time and space to do it. we are a small developing country, and we can't do everything that others want us to do overnight. human rights researches are accusing high-ranking army

officers of war crimes barack obama is due to visit myanmar next week for a summit. >> reporter: they hold high-ranking positions in myanmar's army. now they face allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. the evidence is detailed in a report from the human rights clinic at harvard law school. it investigated how a large-scale army offensive against armed fighters fighting for autonomy was carried out. many civilians were killed, tens of thousands of civilians were displaced. the government claims the report is one-sided and distinguishing civilian and military targets is difficult. the president's office accused the resistance of violating human rights. though the report say observers might not necessarily prompt american government pressure at next week's summit. >> they are saying that they are

not going to push too much on this visit, but they are going to remain their positions from -- that burma must be on track of the reform, and then they are also saying that they are concerned about the backsliding in those reform process. >> reporter: a concern the american president has directly expressed to his counterpart. also out on friday, a report on how the government is dealing with another minority. thousands of them have been turning up on the shores here in thailand and around the region, victims of human trafficking. the report alledges that the government is actively involved. >> myanmar authorities are cooperating with transmagsal syndicates in the human trafficki trafficking. so this has been happening for a very long time. it hasn't received the attention it should have. >> reporter: human rights

activists say when the two leaders meet next week, the accusations highlighted in the reports are unlikely to be discussed in front of the cameras, but they hope there will be an increase in behind the scenes pressure. a regional governor in japan has given the go ahead to restart a nuclear power plant. all of the plants were shout down three years ago. twin reactors are expected to be switched on early next year. transgender muslims in malaysia are celebrating a landmark ruling by the supreme court. it overturned an islamic law which bans muslim men from wearing women's clothes. three judges said the law was degrading oppressive and inhumane. their ruling is expected to trigger other people dealing

with transgender issues. more than 6,000 people w were killed from typhoon haiyan. and as our correspondent reports, life has not yet returned to normal. >> reporter: in this special section of a cemetery, a testament to shared grief. thousands of unidentified victims of typhoon haiyan lie here. the names added later by people who never found their missing relatives. like listen net del la cruz who added the name of three missing members of their family on these crosses. doesn't matter who was buried here, she says, she just needed closure. >> translator: this is the mass grave, they must be here. i feel they are here somehow. >> reporter: typhoon haiyan swept across central philippines a year ago, the strongest storm

on record. it left over 6,000 dead and millions of others displaced. many of those who survived say they still live the nightmare. they are doing what they can to make life seem as normal as possible. but it hasn't been easy. some 15,000 people are still living in temporary shelters, many still in tents like these, no running water, no electricity or latrines. nothing has changed in almost a year. aid agencies continue to play a mayor role as the government has found itself stretched and bogged down by bureaucracy. the official master plan was only signed by the philippine president a month ago. >> we are using different sources of funds, including energy, including our own funds, including national agencies,

which we were able [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: this person didn't just sit around waiting for help. she replanted her farm with seeds from an aid agency. >> translator: we persevered so we could rise and work again. we strove to survive. >> reporter: signs of progress are visible in certain areas, but much has still to be done. officials say it will take years to recover, but no matter how tired and frustrated they are, people here are determined to rebuild their lives one piece at a time. there are new numbers from the world health organization on the ebola epidemic. there have been 13,241 cases in

the three worst affected countries of west africa. the w.h.o. reports there are a declining number of infections in some districts in guinea, liberia, and sierra leone. the linian community in the sta state. has begun policing. >> reporter: when i came back from liberia this is where i was staying for 21 days. this is the room. >> reporter: she is a mother, a wife, and a nurse living in suburban minneapolis. she is also a liberian american who visited the country this summer to protect her family, she decided to self quarantine upon her return for 21 days, she avoided all physical contact. >> self quarantine [ inaudible ]

for the fear i could not touch my loved ones, but i understood that's the only way i [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: she is not the only one taking things into her own hands. she is part of a home grown self policing group in the town of brooklyn park. it's called the minnesota task force against looeb. they gather at the city hall. >> we are people not virus. we are person not virus. we are your neighbors. we are not virus. we are your coworkers. we are not virus. you know? so we want to make sure that sticks because there's a lot of misinformation about what the virus really is even in america. >> reporter: the task force is preparing for what is described as the worst-case scenario, a case among one of their own. >> we are part of the solution, not the problem. we are our neighbors, your friends, your coworkers. we are interested in making sure

you are not exposed to this problem as much as we are. that all right there by joie chen. now hundreds of illegal drug websites have been shut down and 17 people arrested in a major internet crackdown. the raids happened in more than a dozen countries on thursday. it followed the arrest of the operator of the drug website, silk road 2.0 in san francisco. police have seized a million dollars in digital currency. wildlife inspectors in [ inaudible ] have seep the largest manta ray gills bound for china. steph facet reports. >> reporter: marine inspectors have never seen anything like this. they have arrested the man accused of being the biggest

manta ray dealer earlier this year. to arvest these gills almost 40 rays had to be killed. the gills are sold to china to treat diseases like cancer, even though there is no scientific basis for their use. mantas are popular with divers, and threatened with extinction due to their low reproductive rates, and since they are increasingly being hunted for their gills. >> translator: indonesia has decided to protect manta rays, because we have considered the benefits of a living manta ray for tourism purposes are much larger than the dead manta ray sold at the fish market. >> reporter: one kilogram will sell for around $170. in comparison, the government says a single manta ray will

generate about $1 million in tourist revenues. this is the largest amount ever confiscated in indonesia. indonesia's new fisheries minister has called on asian's governments to protect the oceans. >> and they all agree that sustainability of a natural resources commercialization is very important. to keep and to maintain our good relationship as a strategy partner in [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: the chinese government recently stopped shark fin soup from being served at government functions, but a trade in manta ray gills has not been curtailed.

>> we are trying to protect the endangered species, so are working with the communities, including indonesia to -- to do that. so [ inaudible ] with that, i think a lot of efforts have already been -- have been taken, but still more efforts need to be taken. >> reporter: while indonesia has started to educate fisherman to protect manta rays, this was a scene recently. by arresting them they hope that eventually fisherman will stop catching manta rays and other endangered species. still to come here on al jazeera, the united states highest military honor is awarded to a soldier more than 150 years after he was killed

during the civil war, and in sport, the goalkeeper who found himself handling more than just a football. more on that. stay with us. ♪

>> a deadly attack that shocked

the nation. >> the front part of the ship was just red with blood. >> was there a cover-up? now an in-depth investigation reveals shocking new evidence. what really happened? the day israel attacked america. tonight, 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. >> hundreds of days in detention. >> al jazeera rejects all the charges and demands immediate release. >> thousands calling for their freedom. >> it's a clear violation of their human rights. >> we have strongly urged the government to release those journalists. >> journalism is not a crime. >> al jazeera america presents the best documentaries >> i felt like i was just nothing >> for this young girl, times were hard >> doris had a racist, impoverished setting had a major impact >> but with looks charm.... >> i just wanted to take care of my momma... >> and no remorse... >> she giggles everytime she steps into the revolving door of justice >> she became legendary... >> the finer the store, the bigger the challenge >> al jazeera america presents the life and crimes of doris payne

♪ welcome back. a quick reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. supporters of yemen's former president have been protesting proposed sanctions by the united states. saleh is accused of helping houthi fighters seize control of the capitol. palestinians are fighting with israel security forces. a report accuses high-ranking army officials of war crimes. there is evidence they committed executions and torture. somalia is slowly emerging from conflict.

the e.u. and u.n. last week warned that a power struggle between the president and prime minister is risking peace efforts ahead of elections in two year's time. somalia is still building its army. al-shabab has been largely driven from urban areas, but does still control parts of the country. and piratineineineing -- piratet hijacked a ship in two years. >> we don'ting want to talk about deadlines, but we are preparing ourselves lately the meeting in london and we're trying to address that issue. the secure is to build our army and train our army and -- and equip our army. that's -- that's the answer.

and we addressing these issues at this moment. our hope is that we could do whatever it takes within the 12 months, maximum 24 months. we are working hard. the legal framework now is almost complete. then we are going to build the institutions that are going to deliver the elections and we need to capacitate those institutions and then support the proper elections. the first one being the referendum of the constitution, and then followed by general election in 2016 by september. however, this is our determination. is it difficult? yes, it's going to be very difficult. the road is long. it requires a lot of funds that at the moment we don't have those funds, but at this moment, our focus is the legal framework, and followed by building the -- the

institutions. the institutions like political parties, institutions like the independent commission for elections. those are the priorities. one thing is for sure, 2016, beyond that we are not going to have an extended government. we will not extend the period of the government or the parliament. we're not going back to the elders to select. so election is the answer. if we cannot, then the world will be with us, and we will see what it comes. a judge in this detroit has approved a bankruptcy exit plan for the u.s. city. the plan is to erase a $7 billion debt cut pensions and invest nearly $2 million in improving services. this makes it the biggest bankruptcy case in the history of the u.s. the u.s. national security advisor says america is not engaged in any military

coordination with iran in countering isil. the comments came after the wall street journal reported that president obama wrote a letter to iran's supreme leader. >> the fact of the matter is, that isil poses a threat not only to the people of iraq and syria, but to the broader region and the united states and europe, and we are dealing with that threat, but we are not doing so in coordination with the government of iran. secondly, there's no linkage between our efforts to resolve the nuclear issue through the p5-plus-1 negotiations and our counter isil campaign, and we have never made that linkage. so the reports that suggest to the contrary are inaccurate. days after republicans in the u.s. swept control of the senate, president obama has meat with congressional leaders.

on the agenda, boosting the economy, job creation, and education. the house speaker john boehner said republicans intend to repeal obama's healthcare law. we're joined live from washington, d.c. bill, it's not surprising that obama has called this meeting with republican leaders, but are there any issues where the two parties can work together do you think? >> well, there are small issues. they talked about the keystone pipeline and oil pipeline that they might be able to agree on. they are talk about trade agreements. again, that splits the democratic party, but republicans are solidly in favor of free trade and the agreements pending with the pacific rim countries and europe. education is an area that there is general brood agreement. but they have to avoid some of the really big subjects like

obamacare. >> healthcare and immigration are still the big ticket items, the hot potatoes. if congress doesn't act soon, obama could make some kind of executive decision on it. >> that's right. he announced he intends to make an executive decision, and the republicans have warned him if he does that, he is going to poison the relationship. but he has promised to do that, and it will be very difficult to go back on that promise. he paid a price for delaying it until after the election. because a lot of hispanics did not come out to vote and that hurt democrats very badly. that's likely to be the first flash point between the two. >> we know the democrats have tried to down play the implications of the midterm elections, but how much has this reflected the deep discontent that many americans have with

president obama's policies? >> well, it does reflect the discontent. but bill clinton was repudiated by the voters in the 1994 midterm, and two years later he was handsomely reelected. and in obama's first midterm the democrats experienced a similar experience and he got reelected in 2012. this was a referendum on obama's leadership. they have lost confidence in him principally not because they disagreed with him on issues, but they feel the president has an ineffectual leader. he can't get things done. he didn't do anything about putin's advances. he can't keep ebola out of the united states. in that might not be his fault, but he is the president and people expect him to get things done. >> how is this likely to ply out

for obama and his policies in the last two years of his term? >> what we're likely to see is a great deal of con frontation over policies. immigration and possibly obamacare. you have divided government and they are going to have to get along on as many issues as they can. that may be a very limited agenda, but the way things get done in this country is very simple. if there's a crisis, things happen. our government works very well. so if there's an urgent situation in the middle east, or elsewhere, you will suddenly see american government spring into action, but without a crisis, this country is very hard to govern. >> all right. thank you. >> sure. now a spanish court has confirmed tax fraud charges against the king's sister. while it dropped charges of money laundering it is just the

latest in a series. >> reporter: it has not been an easy few years for the duchess. first her husband was accused of being involved in one of spain's biggest corruption scandals. and now princess christina is also a suspect of in the case. it is aledged that millions were misappropriated. being the king's sister may place her in an enormously privileged position, but the court seems determined to prove with that comes accountability. many spaniards would think otherwise. >> translator: it's the royal house. obviously she will be let off of the hook. it wouldn't be the case if she was any other normal spaniard. you see it with our politicians. those who have stolen and been involved in dirty deals. it shows that justice is not the

same for everyone. >> translator: i think it's clear not everyone is equal before the law. the crown is protected more tharn it should be. if she has laundered money and done business with public money, she must pay for that. >> reporter: the trial will take place in 2016, but she may escape if it is deemed she has not committed any offenses. and if so, the case could still be shelled. >> time for another short break. when we come back, we'll have the latest in sport. more on that. stay with us.

♪ welcome back. let's give you some breaking news just coming in. the yemenee president has announced the formation of a new government. it is the latest step to help diffuse a political crisis. now the united kingdom will have to pay only half of its bill. after intense talks britain will pay a total of $1.4 billion. >> reporter: he looks more and more like the odd man out in europe, facing rising anti-e.u. upon at home, david cameron wants to renegotiate his

country's relationship with the european union, and he has loudly challenged a bill of $2.6 billion. >> what i said was two things. was that i wouldn't be paying $2 billion euros on the first of december, and i didn't believe it was right to pay anything like that number. >> be it tan's finance minister hailed a victory, his counterparts agreeing a concession of sorts. >> we will pay in two installments in the second half of next year, and instead of challenging the law, we have changed the laws. so it's a real result for britain. >> the prime minister has warned it risks turning the government against the e.u. there is of course a general election coming up next may. the prime minister has pledged a referendum britain's membership

of the e.u. if he is reelected. it shows what a hot topic the e.u. has become in the economic shifts. for now, cameron's tough line on the budget issue is in line with public opinion. >> and it is not acceptable. it is an appalling way to behave. >> but isolation in europe carries mixed blessings. >> if he wants to get things done with europe, then no. it's the worst position to be. if, however, he is wanting to be seen as standing up to the to the e.u. threat, then in advance of the general election, it is considered not to bad of place to be. >> reporter: britain's big bill from the e.u. presented david cameron with the opportunity to stand up for british interests. it's a stand that may lead all the way to an eventual e.u.

exit. all right time for the sport now. >> thank you very much, darren. we'll start with the latest on formula one. the fastest lap time has been set in both of friday's practice sessions. on the same day it was announced that the [ inaudible ] team which isn't at this race has gone out of business. [ inaudible ] was quickest. but it is the brit that leads the championship standings by 24 points. a maximum of 75 points are up for grabs in the final two races. two of argentina's fiercest football rivals have set up a final match. argentina's leader beat the opponent in the quarter final, already leading from the first leg, a 3-2 win in this game, saw

them going through 5-3 on aggregate. the main issue was the safety of their keeper who was being pelted with various items from the fans. but they won 5-1 on aggregate. [ inaudible ] took over as manchester united manager, he said he should be judged after three months of the season. well three months in, united have had their worst-ever start to a premier league campaign, and ahead of saturday east game, the dutchman is asking for patience. >> i feel myself very lousy for the fans, first place, but also the board, because they have a great belief in -- in me and my staff and my players. i mean when you have 13 points out of 10 matches, you are not

doing well. in the nba, the portland trail blazers recorded their most one-sided victory this season as they beat the dallas mavericks. they outscored 35-18 in the third quarter. [ inaudible ] top scorer with 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds for the blazers. despite their lead, portland didn't ease up in the fourth quarter. this player added 18 more, for a score of 108-87. tony romo is hopeful of a return to action after his latest injury problem. romo and his team are in london ahead of sunday's game against the jacksonville jaguars at wembley stadium. he suffered the injury last month. >> i think we just keep staking it day by day, and see what happens as we move closer.

it's improving each day, and i think we did some things today that were positive. and if it keeps going that direction, we'll have a good chance. [ inaudible ] is the top player. the englishmen picked up four birdies, but a second straight round of 67 for mcdowell puts him at 10 under par. >> yesterday i hit it well. i was pretty clinical off of the tee, and today i wasn't so clinical off of the tee. but i was pretty clinical on the greens. the theme has been a hot putter, and i just have to maintain that over the weekend. knew agencyland a-- new zealand are getting ready to start their tour. the coach left [ inaudible ] out of the squad as he continues his recovery from injury.

>> we don't know if they have changed the game or what they are attempting to do, so i guess there's an advantage in that that they have seen what we're doing. do they stick with the adventurous game they want to play, or do they think to themselves now we'll take them up front. >> reporter: this man will make his debut for england. the 27-year-old is also a soldier in the british army and has served in afghanistan. he was spotted playing for the army rugby team, and was signed as a professional just two years ago. 40 years on from one of boxing's defining fights, george foreman said he underestimated ali in the rumble in the jungle. he has been talking to our

reporter, richard par. >> one thing important about boxing. you must stay motivated you have got to look at yourself as just starting out. this is the first time i have gotten into the ring. and if you think like that all the time, now nothing but win. but when i fought ali i felt like i had already made it. and that's why i lost. >> reporter: it was 40 years ago last week since the rumble in the jungle. what do you remember about the fight? >> can you believe in the day it was called zaire 40 years ago. i thought it would be the easiest fight i had. but as sound four, five, six was coming on. i knew something different was going to happen. and i'll never forget about the seventh round, i realized i'm in for the fight of my life. you don't forget moments like

that. you can see more including his life after boxing. it's on at 2230 gmt later this friday. look forward it to. >> all right. we'll see you then. thank you very much. the battle of gettysburg was one of the biggest turns points of the american civil war. and one soldier has finally been recognized 150 years on. >> reporter: it is the highest military award a united states soldier can receive, the medal of honor, and for hellen it is an award long other due. [ applause ] >> reporter: she accepted the medal at the white house on behalf of her cousin, a 22-year-old soldier who's valor has finally recognized in the

battle at gettysburg. >> to bestow the medal of honor, our highest military declaration, upon first lieutenant, asonzo, h curbing. >> reporter: first lieutenant stood his ground. he was bleeding heavily from wounds to his abdomen and shoulder. >> his first sergeant comes up and says lieutenant get out of here. and he says no, i'll stay here and fight it out or die in the attempt. >> reporter: it is said he lead his men for another harrowing 90 minutes until a shot to the head killed him instantly, historians said his actions made it possible for the union army to fight back against the assault. he received a promotion for his bravery after his death, but his

descendants believed the young lieutenant deserved more. >> he needed that recognition, and people needed to know not only what he did, but what had to be done. people -- people still don't understand the civil war. >> reporter: so for more than 40 years she fought for him to receive the medal of honor, but it took an act of congress in 2013 to pave the way for the president to hand out the award, it's one hellen hopes will help americans appreciate his sacrifice. >> it means that a very fine award was given to one of the real saviors of the union. awful things could happen if we hadn't been able to win that war. >> reporter: a rare honor for an exceptional act of battlefield bravery. amazing story. now if you like looking at lanterns then south korea is the

place to be. the capitol seoul has been transfoerled into a kaleidoscope of color. >> reporter: it is now the sixth year this event has been staged becoming more elaborate every year. it's a way for seoul to promote itself here in korea and also internationally. the organizers are expecting 2.5 to 3 million visitors, and this being korea, of course the practice of selfie photo taking very much in evident. the theme is world heritage all the way there new york's statute of liberty to the process of making the traditional kimchi dish of korea. the organizers are hoping it will lead to a greater understanding of world culture and also offer an incite into the rich culture of korea. >> translator: watching this

festival, people will learn the importance of korean culture, and also that korea has such time honored written records and intangible heritage. >> reporter: this is also a celebration of the district of seoul. this open public space that runs for some 11 kilometers through the downtown area of the city, which is about to mark its tenth anniversary. this was a highly controversial project. this used to be a stream that effectively had become a sewer that was concreted over with a highway built on top. over ten years ago the city took the radical decision to restore it to this public open space that the people of seoul could enjoy. it was controversial and very expensive, but you would have to say on a night like tonight, the people are getting their money's worth. >> all right. that's it for me. stay with us on al jazeera, we'll be back with another

bulletin at the top of the hour. thanks for watching. bye for now.

hello and thank you for joining us. we will follow iraqi troops trying to force back isil. barack obama meets with congressional leaders for the first time since the midterm election.