mexico's government says dang members have confessed to killing dozens of missing students. ♪ ♪ you are watching al jazerra live from our head caught nurse doha. also ahead, african mediators say the two sides in south sudan's civil war have agreed to stop fighting. the u.s. says it is almost doubling the number of noncombat troops in iraq to help in the fight against isil. and one year on, the victims of typhoon haiyan in the philippines are remembered. ♪

♪ hello, mexico's government says gang members have admitted to killing the 43 students who have been missing since september. and then burning their bodies. but tear families say they won't accept the news until they get scientific proof. rachel lavin has more from mexico city. >> reporter: these charred bones and teeth may be all that remains of the missing 43 university students. they were kidnapped by local police in the mexican state, and turned over to a drug gang nearly six weeks ago. the attorney general played a video in the press conference on friday. >> translator: i know the he enormous pain of information we obtained pains the families a pain that we all share. a large number of people. [ inaudible ] >> reporter: in this taped confession, members of the drug

gang reenact the killings. they show investigators how they lined up the bodies, some were suffocated while others were shot. >> translator: the suspects said they killed the survivers and then threw them later in he a trash dump where they burned them and made sure the fire kept burning for hours. >> reporter: if these confessions prove to be true this, could be one of the worst massacres in decades of innocent people at the hands of local police and politicians working together with criminal gangs. president enrique who has been criticized at home and abroad for his handling of the crisis promised to punish those responsible. >> translator: the government will do its post clarify what bt happened. we will arrest everyone that participate in these a bomb that

medical crimes. >> reporter: hours after the attorney general spoke the parents of the students held their own press conference and refused to believe that their children were dead. >> translator: i know and trust in god that they are alive. they said many times they are dead. but we have faith that they are alive. >> reporter: they are insisting on scientific proof. and that independent forensic experts from argentina analyze the dna. mexico's attorney general says that he has sent the dna samples to austria. it will most likely be a matter of days, if not weeks, before those results are given due to the terrible condition in which these corporations wer corporat. afghan leaders say the two sides have agreed to stop fighting. officials said the government and rebels led by the former vice president have committed to end the conflict without conditions. more than 10,000 people are

believed to have been killed. and a million forced to flee from their homes. victoria reports. >> reporter: after almost a year of fighting, south sudan's president and his former vice president turned rebel leader have finally reached a compromise. the two warring sides met in the ethiopian capital and agreed to an greet ceasefire. >> the parties commit to an unconditional, complete and mediad to all hostilities. and to bring the war to an end. as of the date of this resolution. >> reporter: he welcomed the deal but said further consultations need to take place before it's implemented. >> they are still insist that go the president and prime minister, vice president, the

prime minister were saying for ease of implementation of the peace agreement this should be shouldered by the two warring parties. >> reporter: the problem is, the two sides have promised to stop before and just carried on fighting. so penalties will apply to individuals who break the terms of this agreement. >> those responsible for such violations, which will include, but are not limited to, "a," a maximum of asset freezes. "b,." [ inaudible ] of travel bans within the region. "c," denial of a supply of arms and ammunition. and any other material that could be used in war. >> reporter: a massive humanitarian crisis has developed in south sudan as

people have escaped the fighting which broke out last december. the conflict has killed more than 10,000 people in the world's newest state, caused over a million to flee and driven the oil-rich country closer to famine. neighboring governments as well as south sudan's people will soon know how workable this latest agreement is, and whether it will last. victoria, al jazerra. well, the u.s. is sending 1500 more noncombat troops to iraq. it's doubling the number already there. the troops will train iraqi and kurdish forces battling fighters from the islamic state of iraq and the levant. roz lynn jordan reports. >> reporter: some 1400 u.s. troops are in iraq to help the military try to keep isil fighters from taking control of their country. now more u.s. forces are headed back to the nation they left in 2011. think the pentagon says that's because the iraqi military needs and wants even more help to repel isil's advances. >> they are going on the offense now.

and what this is designed to do is help them continue to be able to do that. to improve their capability and their competence on the battlefield. >> reporter: the majority of the troops, 870, will work directly with nine iraq and i three kurdish brigades helping them improve their fighting skills in real time. while 6030 other troops will advice the iraqi military leadership on big picture matters. command and control. strategic planning, logistic and supplies. >> no reintroduction of u.s. troops in a combat role in iraq. >> reporter: the obama administration has two immediate challenges. getting dong give the pentagon $5 billion more to continue the war against isil, and getting the legal approval to keep u.s. forces in iraq. some legislators say the administration should have asked for congressional approval back in august when the air war against isil began. but others suggest the laws pass today launch the afghan and iraq cars are sufficient. >> it's clear and understand

that the president had the authority to do whatters doing. congress needs to make some decisions about the money. >> reporter: top military leaders will have to justify why they are expanding the train and assist mission when they seven on capitol hill on november 13th. and they can expect tough questions about why they think the u.s.' efforts in iraq will be successful this team. roslyn jordan, al jazerra, washington. iran evans is editor and chief of the web magazine war on the rocks and he says the deployment of the extra troops doesn't come as much of a surprise. >> we saw this from senior military leaders who were hint that go we needed troops over there to be deployed but not fighting to be involved in training, advising and assisting a rack i forces, we saw it field tested over the last few weeks and it doesn't come as a surprise. i think the air strikes have been successful in limited ways, slowing isil's momentum towards

the krg and some parts of the rest of iraq. but they haven't delivered the result that i think some in the white house hoped. the president set very ambitious goals, he said the goals of destroying this entire group which controls large swaths of the syria. accomplishing that would always require more than what the president initially authorized. the real question is should that be our goal and is that a realistic goal, given the unwillingness of the american people and many in the white house to be involved on the ground in iraq in force for a sustain the period of time. yemen has formed a new government in an effort to pull the country out of its political crisis. the 36-member cabinet includes shia houthi rebels that seized the capital in september. rebel leaders said they would withdraw their fighters once a cabinet was formed. and the u.n. has impressed sanctions on yemen's former president and two leading houthis accusing them of stoking sectarian tension. joining us from the capital and

speaking of the president, people watching to see how he will react to the formation of this new government. >> reporter: well, there are members of his own party representatives in the new government. but however yesterday when he was talking to people who gathered here in the captain is nah to show support for him and to denounce the united nations sanctions against him. he said if he's being targeted by the united states states of america there would be more instability and it would spread on other countries. his own party is holding an emergency meeting today and we can expecting them to come up with decision about his whether to back this but government. >> tell us what we know about the government that's been put together.

>> reporter: prime minister in the post said this is a government that is very inclusive and that it takes in to account the preserving the national unity of yemen. it's a government that represents -- that includes people from the shia houthi rebels, from the sunni party, from other parties, technocrats, people who represent different areas, the south movement. and also businessmen. and the aim of this government was to first of all to answer some of the demands of the houthis. the hall is said that the moment we are confident this is a government that is going to work forward for the stability of the country, we will pull out all fight fretter country. now we are waiting to see whether the houthis are going to pull out from sanaa or no. having said that we have to take in account the sanctions have

targeted two top leaders of the houthis could have an impact on the houthis' decision on whether or not to pull out of the capital. it's a very delicate situation. we have to see how the different political factions are going to react to this government. but the general sentiment here in yemen, that this government could be yemen's last chance to put an end to the -- to the power vacuum. >> okay, thank you. reporting from sanaa. still to come on al jazerra, one year after typhoon haiyan struck the philippines we are live from one of the worst-hit areas. and find out how cuba is promoting its medical services in the international market.

♪ ♪ the top stories on al jazerra, mexico's government says drug gang members have admitted to killing 43 missing students. the attorney general says that they confessed to burning their bodies and dumping the remains. african mediation say the two sides have agreed to stop fighting the meet eighters say economic sangs wil sanction saye placed on anyone who violates the deal. the u.s. is sending 1500 troops to iraq, they will train and assist iraqi forces fighting isil. an alliance of iraqi soldier and iranian advisers have recaptured a town from isil in

southern iraq, they drove the fighters back without the help of coalition air strikes. and some military analysts suggest that this form of cooperation could be the best way to mount future operations against isil. imran kahn reports. >> reporter: after 72 hour long battle. town has been cleared of isil fighters. now phase two of the operation begins. that means swing through the town as well as villages in the area to check for improvised explosive devices and booby trapped billings. >> this i >> translator: this is the main entrance, you can see clearly the destroyed vehicle that isil use for their offensive on the town. they used stolen humvees and other army vehicles, but we have swept them from the other side and managed to clear the main road. there was entirely booby trapped. >> reporter: this was an operation that was carried out without coalition air strikes.

instead, a number of shia militiamilitias cooperated withi soldiers and iranian advisers to drive isil out of the town. in in iraq the battlefield victy is being celebrated as the quickest defeat of isil so far. the prime minister visited and the leader of iranian army directed the fight itself. it's crucial because it's a gateway to the south and the key religious cities which are very important to shia muslims. now 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's defeat is being seen as an important victory for the iraqis and the iranians, but in some ways, it was relatively easy. the town was the weakest link in isis territory and one the group

was finding difficult to defends. critics of the operation have accused shia m militias of committing human rights violations, despite that, many in defense and security establishments in iraq feel that the iranian-iraqi cooperation is something that should be further developed in other areas. imran kahn, al jazerra, baghdad. one year since typhoon haiyan swept through the central philippines, people have been march to go remember their lovered ones, 6,000 people were killed in that storm. thousands of people walked to the city. a seven-meter wave surge wiped out practically everything in its path when it swept ashore in november last year. marco is joining us live from one of the areas hardest hit, where margo you were there exactly one year ago, what do you see now? what has changed? >> reporter: well, quite a lot has changed indeed. it has been the year.

but the problem is there doesn't seem to be any major plan is what many of the people here are saying, relief workers seem to be working at different paces from each other. there is no coordination, that is at least what is being felt. now, of course the government is saying that isn't the case and it's not a fair criticism of them. but what has been happening here today is that more than the rebuilding, people have been remembering the dead. under the circumstances a day here that none of survivors say they will ever forget. in this special section of a provincial december tear, a testament to shared grief. thousands of unidentified victims of typhoon haiyan lie here. the names add the late added lae who never found their missing relatives. she aided the name of three missing members of her family under these crosses doesn't matter who was buried here she

said she just needed closures. >> translator: this is the mass grave, they must the here, i feel they are here somehow. >> reporter: typhoon high i don't know swept across the central philippines a year art, the strongest storm on record, it leftover 6,000 people dead. and millions of others displaced. many of those who survived say they still live the nightmare. they are doing what they can do make life seem as normal as possible. but it hasn't been easy. some 15,000 people are still living in temporary shelters. many of them still in tents like these, no running water, no electricity, no latrines. nothing has changed here in almost a year. aid agencies and private organizations continue to play a major role in rehabilitation efforts as the government has found itself stretched and bogged down by bureaucracy. the official master plan that would have also released funding was only signed by the philippine president a month

ago. >> even without the signature we have been rebuilding the items listed on the plan. using different sources of funds, including ngos, including our own funds, including savings of national agencies, which we were to do that. >> reporter: she didn't just sit around waiting for help search he replanted her farm with seeds from an aid agency the new crops with be harvested faster and more frequently making her more money than ever before. >> translator: we persevered so that we can 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. >> you say they are determined to build that i recall lives one

piece at a time. ddo you get the impression they are kind of living this new normal situation and also what more do we know on the areas that really need to be improved upon? what's going to be done? >> reporter: well, there is still a lot that needs to be done in terms of infrastructure. a lot of main roads are not still open the way they should be. you only have two lane streets cutting through many of the main arteries of the city. that's slowing down transports of much-needed supplies as well for construction to continues as it should. aside from that, there are actually still areas where there is no electricity. 15,000 pimas we saw there are still living in temporary shelters, many of them without running water, without much shelter really to begin with. because they are in tents that get very, very hot during the day. when it rains, which it often still does here, anybody insides that tent just gets drink wered again. there still no early warning system to do with typhoons like

haiyan. for example, something like this at the lost governor and the city mayor is saying should be considered the new normal with climate change, this had sustained winds of some 300-kilometers per hour. they expect to see more storms like that in the coming years. now what, can the people do to avoid them? basically there is no warning system in place yet. what happens here is when the winds get strong and the rains get hard, people themselves have to evacuate the areas that are slightly more elevated just to feel slightly safer. now, there is still a lot to be done here, city officials being rather hopeful saying it would take three to six years, many of those who are having to rebuild the city themselves think it will take much longer than that. >> thank you. the european union is giving the united kingdom more time to pay off a two 1/2 billion dollars bill. they told brussels the original price tag too high and the

deadline too short. but as jonah hull explains the compromise has not eased tense relations with our un. >> reporter: he looks more and more like the odd man out in europe. facing rising mteu opinion at home. british prime minister david cameron wants to renegotiate his country's relationship with the european union and he's loudly challenged a budget top up bill of $2.6 billion. >> what i said at the time of hearing about this surcharge 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. >> reporter: after a meeting in brussel on his friday, britain'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 actually changed the law. so it's a real result for britain. >> reporter: the prime minister has warned that the budget demand risked turning the

british public against the e.u., a threat in part designed to show voters that he's taking a tough line. there is, of course, a general election coming up next may. the prime minister has pledged a referendum on britain's membership of the european union if he wins the election. a new poll published shows just what i hot topic the e.u. has become in the wake of the budget dispute. it shows a shift in favor of britain leaching. 41% for, 38% against. 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 we live. >> reporter: but isolation in europe carries micks 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 for britain in response to the threat, then in advance of the general

election it's not too bad a place to be. i don't think it's a position that you can sustain being in the european union in the long run. >> reporter: britain's bill from the e.u. presented david cameron with the opportunity to stand up for british interests. it's a stands that may lead all wait to an eventual e.u. exit. jonah hull, al jazerra, london. well, president obama has met the leaders of both houses of congress for the first time since the republicans swing gains in the u.s. midterm elections. on the agenda was boosting the economy, job creation and en education the two sides are assessing what can be done in the coming months despite years of confrontation. and in the u.s., a judge has approved a bankruptcy exit plan for detroit. it went bust three years ago in the biggest city bankruptcy case in u.s. history. and a new rescue plan will wipeout $7 billion worth of debt.

allowing the city to invest nearly $2 billion in improving specifiservices. 17 people have been arrested in the major crack down on the so-called dark internet. they are used for illegal activities like the sale of drugs, weapons or money laundering. the raids happened in more than a dozen country on his thursday, they followed the a rest of the operator of the drug website silk road 2.0 in san francisco. in cuba the government is developing its medical facilities to attract more foreigners looking for cheap and reliable treatment. its robust healthcare system has made cuba a top medical tourism destination in recorrect years. but the government now wanting to even further as daniel reports from havana. >> reporter: i said medical treatment in cuba was the best thing to happen in his life. he is from angola and had an accident in age eight which left mime walking with difficulty and

unable to play football. the young real madrid fan says he hopes to be up and running soon. he's one of thousands of foreign patients given high quality medical carat cuban hospitals. paid for by those that can afford it. free for those that can't. >> translator: cuban medicine is both nation and international. it has a spirit of solidarity which is in our constitution, taking our expertise abroad helps our own development. >> reporter: orthopedic special lift went to school with fidel castro, he's one of architects of cuba's health system. he treats patient from across the island, sends medics to africa and lat americ latin ame. and has opened hospitals. treating all cubans and taking their ex-tease abroad. but it's a two-way process a and they are hoping that by opening up their economy, they'll be able to develop and enhance expertise like this.

these are dr. alvarez's invention on his display at the havana trade fair. medical services currently earn cuba billions of dollars a year. the fair is design today attract more foreign investment. and increase the sale of cuban expertise and equipment abroad. >> translator: cuban medics work in more than 60 countries. that's more than 50,000 health workers. >> reporter: while cuba boasts abandon staff, medicines and equipment are often in short supply and, infrastructure is crumbling. dr. alvarez blames the u.s. trade embargo enforces for more than 50 years. >> translator: we have had to look for markets abroad for both equipment and medicine. we have had to go far. it's not the same medicine in the u.s. as it is in iran or china. >> reporter: when cuba set about revamping its health system, its aim was altruistic to simply treat those in need. but with its economy struggling,

it must try to sale to the world what it does best. he is one happy customer. daniel, al jazerra, havana. just a reminder you can always keep up to date with the news on our website. aljazerra.com. >> the october numbers mark the longest stretch of 200,000 plus per month job growth since 1995. from the election day results would you have known it? it's inside story. >> hello, i'm ray suarez. for days and there are hundreds of thousand people dropped ballots in the mail, and then in