that's going to keep me from that's going to keep me from being infected. being infected. india's government condemns a pakistan government for releasing the suspected master mind of the mumbai attacks out on bail. ♪ >> hello there, welcome to al jazeera life from doha. i'm shiulie ghosh. also coming up, we will recover, russia's president is definant. reports of a new boko haram attack in nigeria. dozens killed and more than a hundred women and children kidnapped. and fighting in kenya's parliament over security law

that gives the government sweeping new powers. ♪ india's government has condemned a decision by a court in pakistan to free the alleged mastermind of the mumbai attacks. zaki ur rehman lakhvi has been held in a pakistani prison for more than five years. he is now being released on bail. he is one of seven people charged with planning and carrying out the attacks that killed at least 165 people in 2008. >> reporter: indian intelligence beliefs zaki ur rehman lakhvi and his group planned and trained ten gunmen to attack several targets across mumbai in 2008. a pakistani court has now released him on bail, citing insufficient evidence. india's government is furious. >> translator: he has been

granted bail, which is very unfortunate. i think it shouldn't have happened. i believe all of the evidence provided by the indian government are enough to convict zaki ur rehman lakhvi, and the pakistan government should appeal against this in the upper court as soon as possible. >> reporter: the attack is still vivid in the minds of indians. it lasted about 60 hours, and left 166 people dead, and more than 300 injured. in the wake of the school attack this week, people here in india want both countries to unite against extremism. >> anybody who has been responsible for mass graves in india, and has been released by the pakistanis is obviously a setback for us. >> until they take a stern action on their side, it is impossible to stop theater

-- terrorism. >> reporter: already troubled reslains between the two countries could hit an all time low. russian president vladimir putin has given a definant message on the economy after a week of crisis for the ruble. he said russia's currency will rebound, and the economy will recover. it has been hit by the falling price of oil and western sa sanctions over russia's involvement in ukraine. >> translator: i believe about two years in the worst scenario, and i repeat after that, the growth is imnext because the mourn economic situation will change. >> on ukraine putin said he was hopeful for a peaceful resolution. >> translator: i hope we will be able to reach direct political

dialogue, and settle the situation. >> rory challands was at the press conference and sent us this report. >> reporter: for anyone looking for signs that polonium is a worried man, there weren't really any in this press conference, other than maybe the length of the press conference itself. in previous years these have run into five hours plus. this one was just very brisk, just over three. russia does find itself in some tough economic times, but he wouldn't call this a crisis he said. regarding the geopolitical situation, he believes that russia is only looking after its interests. it's not an aggressor on the world stage. he portrays russia as a bear, a proud animal, and he says what

are they trying to do to this bear in are they trying to chain it up, force it into a corner, and remove its fangs and teeth. so for vladimir putin and for many other russians as well, he is a leader who is standing up for russia's rights and its interests on the world stage, nothing more and nothing less. the armed group boko haram has killed at least 32 people in nigeria and kidnapped many others. it's feared more than 180 including women and children may have been taken. the attack happened in a northeastern village earlier this week. and nigerian court-martial has sentenced 54 soldiers to death by firing squad for refusing to fight boko haram. previously nigerian troops have reported being outgunned by the armed group, and complained of

not having enough ammunition or food. >> reporter: now the verdict on the 54 soldiers who have been accused of running away or refusing to fight the boko haram insurgency in the north of the country has drawn some criticism. there are reporting that the nigerian military are undeequipped and ill equipped to fight the boko haram insurgency. we have seen in the last few months how boko haram fighters have taken territory after territory in the north of the country, although the tide is gradually turning against them as the military reports victory after victory. this is all happening at a time when boko haram issest ka lating violence in other parts of the country. there have been multiple suicide

attacks. and hundreds have been killed by suspected boko haram fighters. and then there are the issues of attacks on various isolated villages and towns in the northeast, the recent one of course is the attack on a town where more than 30 people have been killed and as many as 180 people, mostly women and children have been abducted by boko haram. now the victory being recorded by nigerian military may be significant, but will it be enough? we -- the next few weeks or months will decide that, as boko haram has deployed, we have seen how it has deployed several fighters across the region, and deployed female suicide bombers especially in the northeast to attack targets at random. the army has confirmed at least 100 boko haram fighters

were killed when they attacked a base. it is not clear how many fighters were killed by artillery fire when they returned to nigerian soil. kenya has passed a contentious bill. the police now have the power to detain people without trial and restrict the media. nicole johnston reports. [ shouting ] >> reporter: the new security bill didn't get a quiet reading in parliament. those against it tore it up. some people got so upset fights broke out. it was also a shambles outside. police dragged protesters away. >> this bill is completely unnecessary. they are trying to give more

powers to themselves, and basically manage to clamp on people's freedoms. >> reporter: the government says it needs new laws to fight terrorism. >> the bill will pass, anybody willing to move an amendment should be prepared to come and be orderly. if they are not willing to move amendment we should [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: it extends the time people can be detained without charge from three months to a year, media can be fined over $50,000 for printing material, quote, likely to cause fear or alarm and a covert operation can be ordered without the court approving it. >> we ourselves -- >> reporter: former journalist says the bill is a backward step. more than 20 years ago, secret police beat him up in this building for reporting on the trials of political disdense. >> this bill if passed, then i think the -- all of the freedoms we got under the new

constitution would be like a flush in the toilet. it is that [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: last year nairobi's west gate mall was attacked by al-shabab. it's in revenge for the army operating in somalia. and this month they killed 36 non-muslim quarry workers. kenyans want their insecurity to end, but many are worried political freedom could be lost on the way. yemen's new government has won a vote of confidence in parliament. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: a victory of sorts for yemen's prime minister. it's been over a month since he

formed his cabinet, but getting parliament to approve it was not easy. the party of the post president stood firm. the general people's congress said the government agreed on several recommendations beforehand. chief among them is to protect yemen's sovereignty, all of the citizens, and not implement any sanctions that violate yemeny laws and constitution. many consider these conditions as a means to protect the ousted president. he is accused by the u.n. of hinders the process since his ousting in 2011. but on wednesday the prime minister threatened to resign in protest against houthi gunmen storming the state's oil company. the government is struggling to rule as houthi rebels control

much of the country, including the capitol since september. the rebels call themselves [ inaudible ]. they became the de facto power in yemen over the last month. the group is thought to have the backing of the deposed president who enjoys influence over tribes and the military. they control most of the north and headed south out of their traditional strong hold. they now control military bases and sea ports. houthis say it's a revolution against corruption, the spread of terrorism, and to get fair representation in the government. but critics say the group is armed and funded by iran, which wants to seize power and further the shia cause in the region. yemen has many challenges, but events in recent months are pushing the country closer to civil war.

just a few hours after the confidence vote two car bombs killed at least seven people. the attack targeted houthi fighters. al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula has claimed responsibility. let's get more from the editor and chief of yemen post. he joins us on the line. al-qaeda has claimed responsibility for that -- that car bombing. what are you hearing about it? >> it's al-qaeda. only al-qaeda today in yemen has the -- the power to attack. [ inaudible ] two car bomb attacks, and killing at least nine and injuring more than a dozen, a number of those are in critical condition. this is not the first attack by al-qaeda. attacks against houthis [ inaudible ] on a daily basis. the other day there were four

attacks. today is the first one. so it has happened very often, and today attack on the other side of yemen that is standing in front of the houthis as both military groups are clashing against the other. both calling the other non-believers. >> so these kind of attacks are becoming more frequent. we know that yemen's new government has survived a vote of confidence. is there optimism that prime minister can bring stability to yemen? >> there was optimism months ago when the deal was signed between the government and the houthis, but since then the houthis have gradually gained control of most of the government institutions. so the government is only a base that has no authority whatsoever. the government itself is barred from traveling by the houthis.

so it is very tense right now in yemen as the houthis try to expand, but the government is not fighting back -- it is not reacting, fearing if it does react, it could cause a civil war, that is why the only side that is fighting the houthis today is al-qaeda. and they have successfully killed hundreds of fighters in the last month. >> you are in sana'a, and the houthis of course are dominating sana'a. what is it like living there now? >> the houthis are in control of all of the strategic areas around the country, whether it's the ports, the airport, or military institutions. their goal is to expand. they quickly -- where the government will not be able to stop them, or the government can't raid them or move the military against them, they will not be able to do that, because

the houthis are already spread within the government institution. so very critical right now what is happening, and it keeps the president's hand tied. and even if he wanted to move against them, he could not do that because they are in the institutions already. >> thank you for that. still to come, it has been called the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. the u.n. calls for $8 billion to help the millions of syrians affected by the war. stay with us. ♪

>> it's a chilling and draconian sentence...

it simply cannot stand. >> its disgraceful... the only crime they really committed is journalism... >> 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. >> the stream, >> your digital community >> you pick the hot topics and express your thoughts the stream it's your chance to join the conversation only on al jazeera america ♪

welcome back. i'm shiulie ghosh the top stories. india's government has condemned a decision by a court in pakistan to free the alleged mastermind of the mumbai attacks. zaki ur rehman lakhvi has been held in a pakistan prison for more than five years now, but he is being released on bail. russian president, vladimir putin has given a defiance message on the economy. speaking at his end of year news conference, he said russia's currency will rebound, and the economy will recover. and the armed group boko haram has killed at least 32 people in nigeria, and kidnapped more than 180 others. the attack happened in the remote northeastern village. in iraq, kurdish pes mer ga forces have taken control of a mountain from isil fighters.

it was home to thousands from the minority community and many were killed. now they are joining the fight back. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: we head to the top of the mountains with the man in charge of the volunteer force. this is their fight. this is their -- land. he has brought weapons and ammunition. but it is not enough. to get to his own village we passed towns and villages now controlled by isil. homes the volunteer force are determined to take back. >> translator: we feel we need to take revenge because of what they have done to our people. we want to fight them, to defeat them. >> reporter: this is just two

kilometers from the isil front line, and home to one of the most sacred temples. an hour before we arrived a truck had driven up to the edge of the village packed with explosion is. >> translator: drove a big truck. we fought well against them, and they didn't get into the village, i fired an rpg, and it was on target. >> reporter: his commander says he has left the mountain to meet the kurdish president who promised more weapons. >> translator: i just came back from meeting with the president and asked for support and weapons. he gave his word that we would get them as soon as possible. i'm sure if we got these weapons we would drive isil out of the whole area. >> reporter: but not today. we are soon under attack with. the push on isil positions

surrounding the mountain cannot come soon enough. we were advised to leave, but with isil surrounding on three sides, we had no choice but to climb up the mountain. now we're walking up the mountain, because the town has just gotten under too much [ inaudible ] i can see plumes of smoke already. they appear to be ending at the church we were just filming at. the kurdish forces are pushing on isil to the east and north of the mountains. villages held by isil to take before they can help these people win back their land. isil fighters and regime forces have been fighting for control of a military airport in the east of the country. at least eight isil gunmen have been killed. five syrian soldiers have also died. the airport is one of the regime's biggest strong holds in

eastern syria. in the north of the country opposition fighters say they have regained control of parts of northeastern aleppo. both sides want to control the strategic neighborhoods in the biggest city. victoria reports. >> reporter: this is a crucial battle for opposition fighters in aleppo. it contains the only road that connects the areas. >> translator: on the first day of fighting, we lost about 18 buildings under our control. later we gained control over most of the positions in both the eastern and the southeastern sides. >> reporter: syria's second city has been an urban battleground for more than two years. in recent weeks the syrian military has been closing in on

supply routes. opposition fighters have also lost areas to isil in the east, and the al-qaeda branch in the northwest. they have been targeting the government controlled airstrip. they say intelligence reports confirmed that russian fighter jets arrived there recently. and rebel fighters have seized control of two camps. these are gains which have boosted the morale of rebel fighters. >> translator: the victory we won here represents a victory to us in every corner of the country. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: in aleppo the u.n. has proposed a truce to suspend fighting, but so far neither side has signed up to it. the united nations is asking for than $8 billion to help some 18 million people affected by the war in syria. they want the funds as early as next year, which would help

provide aid and shelter to those inside the country and the refugees outside. nick spicer has more from a conference this berlin. >> reporter: the german foreign minister opened the conference by calling syria the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. top united nations officials and ambassadors from countries surrounding syria painted a picture of infrastructure and social services under severe strain because of the influx of millions of refugees. >> jordan is now hosting a total number of 1.4 million syrias, which is a quarter of the population of jordan. >> iraq is also thankful for the humanitarian assistance it received to help the refugees and their idp's, although it falls short of what is needed. >> reporter: as the war enters its fifth year, united nations is launching a new approach,

coordinating aid to syria and neighboring countries and bringing together emergency and development aid. >> component is now needed in order to get syria ready to receive back the refugees. we need to work for sure in this components in order to try to reduce the social and economic impact in the neighboring countries, but in syria itself. >> reporter: the new u.n. initiative requires $8.4 billion in spending. last year the little over half of the money it asked for, but the hope is this time there will be more money coming up, because a lot of it will be spent on development and donor countries like to spend on development because it has long term effects. it does not mean that refugees will stay refugees, it's just

that something has to be done to help the host countries and syria. donor countries will have to put up the money at another conference sometime in 2015. help is exactly what syria's refugees need right now as winter sets in. zana hoda has been speaking to people in lebanon's valley. >> reporter: the united nations says it is the worst humanitarian crisis worldwide. the needs are great, up to 11 million syrians require help. not just those who live outside of the country, but those who have been displaced within syria as a result of the conflict. it's not only food that they need, and jobs. they need to educate the children. here in lebanon, 500,000 are of school age, and only 25% are enrolled in school. we are at one of the informal schools set up by the united nations, there's 50 of them scattered across the country,

each enrolls about 350 students. as you can see a lot of children are -- are not being educated. and lebanon can only do so much. this country is appealing for help. the government wants $2 million to help 2 million people. 1 million are syrians, and 1 million are lebanese. so this crisis is not just affecting syrians, it is affecting lebanese as well, a lot of them have lost their jobs because syrians work for cheaper wages. so there's a lot of special tensions as well. lebanon needs help, the syrians here need help. most of these people realize they are not heading home any time soon. al jazeera continue to demand the release of our three journalists who have been imprisoned in egypt for 355 days. they were jailed on false charges of helping the outlawed

muslim brotherhood. they are appealing against their conviction. u.k. place are investigating three alleged murders as part of an inquiry into child abuse. it involve politically powerful people in the 1970s and '80s. a man claiming to be abused from the age of seven is also saying that three boys were killed. they have appealed for witnesses and victims of abuse to come forward. columbia's rebels have declared they will lay down their weapons as long as columbia's military doesn't attack. 50 years of armed conflicts cost annest mailed 250,000 live. india has successfully launched its biggest ever rocket, including an unmanned capsule which could one day send astronauts into space. the country is planning to send

a manned mission to the noon. in september india joined the u.s., russia and e.u. in successfully seconding probes to the orbit of mars. you can keep up to date all day long on our website, aljazeera.com. self-declared mislick cleric to take 17 on the motivations behind such acts of aggression. plus, financially fragile small town hospitals are shutting down and having a big impact. how crowd sources apps and twit kerr be more effective than the flu shot in protecting you from some strains of the