the battle for kirkuk, kurdish peshmerga defends the iraqi oil town against the isil on slot. ♪ ♪ hello, this is al jazerra, live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead, demanding change, mexico's president agrees to calls for modifying policing methods. but to the plans go far enough? tackling india's pollution problem. an environment the tribunal orders old vehicles off the streets of new deli. and big ben is broken. we look at the cul cultural dece

of the port city. ♪ ♪ there has been fierce fighting near the key iraqi oil city of kirkuk, kurdish peshmerga forces launched an operation to retake two areas from fighters from the islamic state of iraq and the levant. they were backed up by air strikes from the u.s. led coalition. iraq's finance minister says the fight against isil could cost a quarter of the country's budget. >> reporter: a battle for kirkuk, for days, isil fighters had been advancing towards the oil-rich city in northern iraq. and for a brief moment. they gained control of the military base and a individual on the outskirts. but the kurdish peshmerga forces staged a counter attack. >> translator: the rockets fell inside our house so we ran away and left everything behind. >> reporter: al jazerra saw that fighting up close.

as the peshmerga pushed isil back from key gas and oil facilities. >> translator: coalition war planes have carried out several air strikes on isil posts. we have also relied on the peshmerga and iraqi security force to his repel isil. >> reporter: kirkuk is just one facet of a much larger security challenge. violence is a daily reality across iraq. one that has the finance minister asking for nearly a quarter of next year's budget to be devoted to defense and for the military to be cleaned up. >> definitely we will recommend strongly that there should be some serious deep-rooted reforms. and the military security establish the to fight corruption, mismanagement, to make sure that they get the right weapons, they get the right salaries, they get the right support.

>> reporter: shoring up the military is seen a nonnegotiable as iraq tries to regain stability at a time when it is confronting so many enemies on so many front. al jazerra. syrian activists say government air strikes have killed dozens of people in the isil strong hold city of r.a. qqa. there some been multiple attacks against the city this week, additional air strikes in damascus reportedly killed at least 30 people. syrian rebels have been battling isil in the country side and aleppo. al jazerra cannot independently verify these pictures. in other word news, mexico's president has unveiled major changes to the country's police forces he's been under pressure since the kidnapping of 43 students a two months ago.

he wil will allow congress to dissolve local governments. giving the central government control over often corrupt police forces and the way in which crimes are dealt with at the federal. state, and local levels. including guerrero where the students disappeared. it's a third attempt to improve police operations in mexico in the past decade. a report from i gall a in guerrero state. >> reporter: two months of protests have finally forced his hands. mexico's president in a tell televised speech announce that go he will now take control of local police forces. >> translator: we are clear only through the state of law can we defeat together the challenges of insecurity, corruption and immaterial pine thanimpunity. mexico is being newly tested. faced with this mexicans cannot fall in to pessimism nor abandon

our hope if a better future. >> reporter: this is the epicenter of crisis in mexico, iguala, a mall city where 43 students disappeared and were allegedly handed to cartel members by the local police. it's feared they were then executed. this is what is left of what they are telling me ways really luxury office of the iguala mayor. protesters burnt it down he is in prison because he's supposed to be a part of a drug cartel with his wife. and this is supposedly happening in many places armed mexico. this is the situation, that the president is going to have to deal with. the president says that he will send congress a plan to reform the justice system, and establish an emergency hot line to citizens to report crimes and corruption. but it's too late for many residents of violent towns like iguala where cartels fighting for control of drug routes. president vowed to sends more troops to conflict zones like

southern mexico. >> translator: we don't believe anything the president says, he goes on foreign trips while the country mourns. >> reporter: peña neito promised changes years ago. but at home he's been criticized and accused of corruption. >> translator: we want him to do things instead of announcing changes that will take place in the future. >> reporter: the announcement was an attempt to calm a wave of anger swing the nation. the people say they are tired of promises. it's changed -- it's change they want. al jazerra, iguala, mexico. south mesh's largest economy may be preparing to change course. the brazilian government has named a new finance minister. the former treasury secretary has a reputation as a fiscal conservative and it's hoped that he can jump start brazil's

flagging economy. as treasury secretary he kept a tight grip on spending and helped brazil secure its credit rateing in 2008. egypt has increased security ahead of anti-government rallies planned for friday. that didn't stop protests from take place in ale alexandria and around cairo overnight. soldiers and police have been deployed across the capital. friday's demonstrations say we want the country to be run according to islamic law. al jazerra continues to demands the release of on three journalisted who have now been in prison in egypt for 335 days. peter greste, and the others were jailed for helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood. they are appealing against their convictions. in india, all old vehicles

are supposed to be off the roads of the capital because of worsening air pollution. it noted new delhi's air quality was deteriorating. some studies suggest police levels are higher than in beijing. first of all, the environment assistenvironmentalassists are t what did they say exactly? >> reporter: it's saying that, quote, it's an undisputed fact that the air pollution is new delhi is getting worse every day, something that anyone in the city can readily agree with. what the tribunal wants is all vehicles over 15 years to go through a pollution control check before being allowed back on the roads. that goes for all public transportations including taxe , buss and rickshaws. studies show that the air quality is terrible. and some in parts of the city worse than beijing as you said.

>> what happens now then? are the vehicles going to be forcely removed from the roads? >> reporter: not likely soon. if at all. the tie brown has given the government until january 9th to comply with its ruling. but by law all rulings can be challenged to the supreme court within nineties days. in fact, the government has the government has disputed some of these these studies even from the world health organization showing that the air phraoupgs is bad but not as bad as all the other studies show. on top of that they suggested reducing the powers of the natural green tribunal which it has been in odds with several times i in the a past. >> thank you very much. the price of oil has hit a four-year low after the opec decided against cutting output. the 12-member oil cartel will

retain production at 30 million-barrels a day. the world is consuming record amounts of oil nearly 90 million-barrels a day. there is more than enough to meet demands keeping the prices low. even more to be added as shale oil production increases in the united states. it's taken over saudi arabia and russia to become the biggest oil did & gas produce never the world. jonah hull reports. >> reporter: not all of opec's 12 members can afford to see oil prices fall for long. but with deeper park nets an increasingly competitive marketplace, saudi arabia holds sway here. it and the other gulf producers said no change. >> in the interest of restoring market equilibrium, the conference decided to maintain the production level of 30 million-barrels a day as was agreed in december 2011. >> reporter: before the meeting, some members were hopeful, like iran, shackled by international sanctions over its nuclear

program. >> a am not sure in this meet buggy am sure that we will do, because opec, as i said, have faced many problem like it before and has managed it with. [ inaudible ] >> reporter: many oil producers have little else to sustain their economies, they have come to rely on the high prices of recent years. >> let us hope that we can come to an agreement around the table here, because it impacts many of our economies very particularly. >> reporter: but the saudi oil minister knew something they didn't. he was type lipped. >> get the hell out of here and go there. >> reporter: okay? >> reporter: why is that, sir? >> i don't want to talk to anybody. okay? go. >> reporter: analysts seo peck's decision is good news for consumers. >> as long as opec continues to produce at current levels and without a change if the dynamics on the supply or demands side, it's very hard to see how crude oil prices can do anything other

than slide further, and we'll get a taste of that on monday when the u.s. markets return from the thanksgiving holiday. and, yes, it looks as if lower oil prices are certainly here for sometime to come 67 the message from opec seems to be don't pan i believe, we have seen prices far lower than this before, the market will correct itself. but the risk for owe spec that it may be seen sass a hostage to market forces it can't control. far less be a potent influence than it once was, jonah hull, al jazerra, vienna. still ahead on al jazerra. flooding brings new misery. forcing the u.n. to declare a new state of emergency. plus huge hail stones hit the australian city of brisbane leaving a trail of destruction. >> robert kennedy jr., >> american democracy is rooted in wilderness... >> his fathers lasting influence >> my father considered this

part of our heritage... >> coping with tradgedy >> the enemy of any productive life is self pity... >> defending the environment >> global warming is gravest threat... >> every saturday, join us for exclusive... revealing... and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time... talk to al jazeera, only on al jazeera america >> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> this trial was a sham... >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy, let the journalists live.

welcome back. a recap of our top stories on al jazerra. there has been fierce fighting near the key iraqi city of kerr kirkuk. kurdish mesh ferg a forces launched an operation. mexico's president has unveiled major changes to the country's police forces in a bid to stamp out corruption. following widespread protests over the disappearance and suspected killing of the 43 student two months ago. and in india, a an an envirt tribunal has directed all old cars off the rode noting that new delhi's air pollution set

didding word. the unites nations has declared a state of emergency in gaza following extensive flooding in the strip. about 100,000 people are still homeless after the war in july and august and the heavy rain is adding to their suffering. gerald has more. >> reporter: days of winter storms inundate the gaza strip. rescue teams assist people and vehicles trapped by the flooding while residents and business owners do all they can to protect their belongings. >> translator: we are removing our goods last year a lot of it was detroit and we weren't compensated. >> translator: we left our home because of the rising water level and the rain. the situation is very bad. everyone has had to leave because of the heavy rains. >> reporter: the u.n. relief and work agency is supplying emergency fuel to help

sanitation facilities. the rains have overwhelmed the sewage system in some areas and water isn't draining out of gaza city fast enough. in one neighborhood workers are trying to create a new catchman area. >> as a result heavy rain water from all over the city is now flowing to this pool. it's now flooded and the pumps cannot work properly to empty the pool. >> reporter: the flooding complicates matters for the 10s of thousands of palestinians already living in temporary shelters aura wrong rubble. reconstruction still hasn't begun three months after the war with israel left large situations of gaza in ruins, and now people there are faced with yet more misery. gerald tan, al. a massive storm has hit queens land in australia causing flash flooding and cutting power to thousands of homes. several people were injured when

large hail stones sparked barts of brisbane. andrew thomas has more from sydney. >> reporter: weather experts say what happened that "america tonight" that two huge storm sales combined to create what they have described as a super cell thunder form. what that means in practice was these very strong winds, heavy rain and huge hail stones, these lumps of ice in some cases the size of golf balls, even tennis balls tearing down on the city, smashing war wind screens and people's windows as well. strong winds bringing down trees on top of cars and on top of people's property and the rain flooding people's houses and massively disrupting the transport system. already a spokesperson for the insurance industry of australia says 3,000 insurance claims have been lodged heatalling around $20 million they picture that bill to go up on.

they expect the financial bill to be around the $100 million mark. what's remarkable is that no one was killed given the damage. and just reports of 12 minor injuries, so quite incredible that despite the huge amount of damage no one very badly injured. the big clean up is now underway. at its height nineties thousand homes were without power. the premier of the state of queens lands where brisbane is said that he expect 80% of homes in the brisbane area to be reconnect today the grid by the end of friday. hope francis begins his first visit to turk on friday, becoming the fourth pontiff to visit the country. he's expected to use the vice toyota show support to the christian my or at thises of the middle east. and he -- minorities of the middle east and will meet the president at the presidential palace. the main point of the trip is to try to reignite the roman catholic and orthodox churches which split nearly 1,000 years

ago. hundreds of thousands of people have been displace ed by the ongoing military operation in pakistan. they are living in tents and as winter sets they have been left exposed to the elements. a report now from there. >> reporter: intensified military operations in the federally administered tribal regions has displaced over a million people. some of them have arrived in camps. and other places and despite the fact that the federal disaster management authority has said that these people will be well looked after, there are no tents available. people that we spoke to, said they were facing hardships, their families needed clothes for the winter. and there was no food to eat. whatever little distribution effort is underway, is being undertaken by the world food program of the united nations, but these people will need help and they will need it soon. it's winter here in pakistan, the children don't have warm clothes.

there is a crisis because there is a lack of water in places such as this. and therefore the crisis has to be managed before these people turn age are you. now, we have been able too see a lot of anger here because people are complaining that their government has left them in the lurch and not given them the assistance that they had promised. now, millions of americans have celebrated thanksgiving in the basement of a small church in st. louis, missouri, a group of people came together to eat and give thanks, many of them had been strangers three months ago but were brought together after the killing of teenager michael brown. now the story. >> reporter: this was about thanksgiving tradition. but this was also about the police killing of unarmed teenager michael brown. catherine mcdaniels, miss cath to everyone was feeding those gathered from automatic around the world as she has

since the beginning of the protests. >> i have a responsibilities to my community. my family. we didn't know each other 111 days ago. today we are one extended family. so it's my responsibilities to offer what i can. my role in the movement is care, comfort and nutrition. >> reporter: catherine is about to graduate from culinary school. as the protests grew, she asked a local pastor how she could helpful cook was the answer. >> we was dealt a blow. we all know that. i just want my family to know that they loved. this is a time for us to come together, to did he brief, to love on each other, to share food, break bread together. that's what tonight is all about, giving thanks, because look we have this going on in our life, we got much to be grateful for. >> reporter: for catherine what's happening on the streets of ferguson, st. louis, and around the country is a battle

somewhat neglected by our own generation. >> this saints your grandmother's civil rights movement. this is 2014 and we still confronting the problems that our brothers and fathers confront the back in the civil rights era. we have to do better now. see, so my generation came along and we fed off of what they d we didn't fight and keep the fight going. so now because we didn't keep the fight, our children have to fight. >> reporter: as we talked after our interview, 14-year-old avery game takes a seat next to miss cat. they were strangers three months ago. they got to know each other because avery would always be forcefully playing the drums at every demonstration around here. michael brown's death hid him hard. >> they had no reason to shoot him. he could be out there playing the drums with me. he can be doing something that he wanted to do. they said he dies before his graduation. i just don't want to be like that. having police shoot me before my

graduation. that's how i feel. >> reporter: this year thanksgiving in st. louis was just not like the others. al jazerra, st. louis, missouri. thailand's military rulers have started impeachment proceedings against former prime minister there. a hearing will be begin on january 9th overhandling over subsidy program. he was removed from power in may after being convicted of abuse of office. voting in presidential and parliamentary elections in namibia this friday. the first time electronic ballots have been used in africa and more than a million people are eligible to vote. tania paige reports. >> reporter: shacks built illegally on the edge of the town sparkle in the sun, but the shine of the capital has worn off for many young people who came here look for a job. four out of 10 young people, those between the ages of 15 and

34 are unemployed. the government makes few attempts to stop the sprawl of shacks here but near wealthy suburbs, things are different. these young men have been suspended from the government's youth league for protest is against it by trying to grab this plot of land. >> we are concerned the people that represent 60% of that population is young. so we have. [ inaudible ] we have seen the antagonism. we have seen the indifference of the young people. >> reporter: their party has led independence from south africa. they also suffered under the racist poll at this i is policid that meant millions of black people lost their lands. >> reporter: this attempt of a lands grab may not have lasted long but it succeeded in drawing attention to the issue you of lands ownership and the issues of young people. although the government says it won't tolerate land grabs in the city. the gul govern he go governing .

he says the issue have his been highjacked bite party's young leaders. >> people are dieing for lands. they must get it in a a methodical way, an organizedded way. [ inaudible ] an agenda of creating the new government. is ungovernable. >> reporter: voting for an opposition party without a job he's often tempted by friends who have turned to crime. >> they get you at some point. you are always looking for work, don't look for work, crime is easy, why not focus this side and let's do this thing together this side. you just find yourself always derailing. >> reporter: today there are a few positions that might suit him. he is refuse to go give up hope. tania paige, namibia. the. now to yemen where the southern city of aidan was once

a vibrant cultural center the but the city's land marks bike big ben in the house of french poet have full e fall then to d. from aidan, a report. >> reporter: this is where the influential french poet arthur lived in the late 19th century. but the historic building was recently sold to a businessman. under the new owner, aidan's renowned tourist attraction has become a furniture store. a picture of rambo engraved by a french artist many years ago is the only sign he was ever here. an activist, she's been lobbying for years for preserve aidan's heritage. >> translator: my colleagues and i repeatedly told local authorities please do something about these buildings. but our calls were ignored. aidan is my identity and my

history, if i cannot preserve it, i will lose my past and my future. >> reporter: this was the palace of one of aidan's most powerful sultans. it's now a museum run by mohamed who shows me the balcony from which south yemen's independence from british rule was proclaimed almost 50 years ago. the museum once had hundreds of gold coins from the roman era. they disappeared in thousand nine. the curator at the time is still in prison, but the priceless items were never recovered. some people believe there is a political reason behind all of the neglect. >> translator: the central government is destroying aidan's arctic true and history because it was the capital of yemen's south republic. they are killing the spirit of the city.

>> reporter: aidan's tear taj foundation chaired by. [ inaudible ] has an annual budget of $5,000. that's not much in a city of forts and palaces that need repairs. most have to be renovated by the aidan big ben tower, build in 1819. the clock has stopped running. it used to chime when the seaport city was the most cosmopolitan center in the region. this is a general sentiment among people in the south that neglect to go repair the land mark buildings was politically motivated to undermine the identity of the region. now as this movement gains momentum. people in aidan see the respiration of historic sites as a crucial step towards preserving their legacy. al jazerra, aidan. aidan. a come cano in southern japan has started spewing laugh actual it's the mountain's first

eruption in 22 years. the ash rose as high as one kilometer high and disrupted flights in the area. japanese authorities have list aid level two alert. there is plenty more on our website. usual address, aljazerra.com. >> the war to end all wars didn't, but it did change things in ways big and small. world war i began 100 years ago this summer, and we live in the world it made. it's the "inside story." >> hello, i'm ray suarez, 100 years ago the leaders of europe failed to head off a war they find of stumbledto