blatche. >> a corridor allowing thousands of members of the religious minority to esscape, they have been trapped there for months after threing nearby villages that were captured. more now. >> we know there was a military build up, we drove through right from the mountains across two

the length of northern iraq, just two nights ago, and we saw a build up of military hardware they are saying this evening they are saying that 8,000 are pushed 700 square kilometer whose is just south of the dam area. all the way to the border. for a long time. all the the way to the main mountains which are where we a few days ago. and which isil fighters

have been pushing on for many many weeks. they have been telling us they are running out of ammunition and they are on the back foot. so to say they have been -- if it is the case, i think we should also question as to where isil has gone, they have killed over 100 fighters but really, that really does beg the question, have isil just sort of disappeared into the community. sew it pulled back into the communities and is waiting laying siege if you like, until they wanted to reappear and strike back. >> 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 far from enough to hold back the isil fighters

who launch attacks daily and an effort to control this mountain range. now controlled by isil, homes that the volunteer force are determined to take back macs with explosives. >> they drove a big truck with other fighters providing covering fire to keep us occupied. we fought well against them, and they didn't get into the village, i fired and it was on target. who promised more weapons and revealed the push on the mountains was

eminent. >> unnatural. >> i just came back where i met the president and asked for support. he gave us word we would get them as soon as possible, i am sure we would drive them out of the whole area we are advised to leave, but with isil we have no choice but to climb up the mountain, a five-kilometer hike because the -- it has just gotten too much. i can see plumes of smoke already, they appear to be aiming at the church. the fighters hold their ground for now. the forces are now pushing to the east and

north of the mountains, villages held by isil to take before they can help them. win back their land. >> in the northern syria opposition fighters they say they have regained controls of parts of north eastern aleppo after fighting. the village is one of these key battlegrounds. returns close to the turkish boarder, both sighs want to control important neighborhoods in the country's biggest city.

assistance both inside syria and to the cub's sheltering the millions of stirrian refugees who fled the conflict. 1.1 million registered refugees that's in camps in lebanon. another 1.3 are living in turkey the government figure is much higher than that. the money of syrians now taking refuge in iraq has exceeded 220,000. and more than 130,000 people have made their way to safety, in egypt. it is the worst human tear crisis worldwide. the needs are great. up to 11 million syrians require help outside the country but those who have been displaced

within syria as a result of the conflict not only nod that they need in jobs they need to educate the children, here 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. each one enrolled about 350 students so as you can see a lot of children are not being educated and lebanon can only do so much the government wants $2 million to help two many people, 1 million are syrians and 1 million are help these. a lot have lost their jobs because they work for cheaper wages so there's a lot of social tensions as well, so lebanon needs help. 1.1 million are registered.

most of them realize that they are not heading home any time soon. >> that decision was prompted by the death of more than 140 people. earlier this week. presence sick evidence after tuesday's attack. and gunman stormed the school firing weapons in december nateed bombs.

few a judge ruled there's not enough evidence to keep him behind bars. more now from new delhi. >> they believe his group planned and trained ten gunman, to attack several targets across mumbai in 2008. a pakistani court has now released him on bail, siting insufficient evidence, inyeah's government is furious. >> he has been granted bail which is very unfortunate. i believe that all the evidence that have been provided by the government are enough to convict hip.

the attack is still vivid. it lasts about 60 hours and left 166 people dead, and more than 300 injured. people here in india want both countries to unite, against extremism. in india, obvious oily -- >> i think they should learn from the present case, which has happened where they have been massacred. political leaders are now pressuring pakistan to take a stand. >> if pakistan fails to appeal this decision, already troubled relations between the two countries could hit an all time low. al jazeera, new delhi.

but it maintains sanctions already in place, would be reversed if russia eased aggression. he has sought to ease fears over the economy, and his end of the news conference. we call this the big prez conference and they are not wrong. the ruble fell through the floor. >> as you may know, the situation has changed under the influence of foreign economic factors. i believe the government and the central bank are taking appropriate measures in this situation, we can question the timeliness and the central bank, but generally they are acting adequately.

when it is the u.s. that has missiles across the globe. russia is like a bear, independent and fierce. and stop taking berries and eating honey, maybe then he will be left alone, but no, he won't be. someone will always try to chain him up. they will tear out his teeth and claws. the reaction ranged from admiration to dispair. >> our country is huge, i don't understand why everything is going this way. i don't know why, it is always like this in russia. >> .

>> vladimir vladimir, gives me some optimism, he says the right things, i think he understands how normal people live, it is visible he can sense the situation. russia is not the aggressor, and the united states and always has been trying to keep russia down. for anyone looking for signs that he is a worried leader, there are none. unless you consider the length of this prez conference, just three hours rather than the usual five. al jazeera, moscow they must be worried about a melt down, but they don't seem to have gone soft on

the sanctions front. >> yeah, the rhetorical level, they are saying this is not good for the russians it is not good for anyone else, including the european union how, that has not led to a rogue style conversion on the sanctions front as you correctly say. new sanctions announced by the european union today, that was coincidental, they have been in the pipeline for some time, they target in particular the russian business interests in the crimea, which the european union believes was illegally annexed back in march more sanctions, less well defines but they are saying leaders we understand the long term solution is dialog.

for bearing out this tough game. >> yes, there are. back in august, in response to american sanctions against russia, they impose a total bam that's quite a significant sector of e.u. trade. it runs into the billions. quo haven't seen great public -- in response to this, the european union has been quite smart and quite quick in spending a lot of money to mitigate the effects of this. they spent hundreds of millions of dollars on parishble goods compensated farmer whose have been growing fruits and vegetables that would have otherwise gone to

the russian market. they have been able to do this for some time, it is not clear how much longer they can do it for. at the moment, it seems that leaders are willing to play hard ball to cost the european economy is something they are willing to bear for now. still ahead, 54 nigerian troops sentenced to death for refusing to fight boko haram. all of that when we come back. lap

this up.ed medicineds us >> the verdict on the 54 soldiers who have been accused of running away or refusing to fight the boko haram insurgency, has grown some criticism.

they are ill equipped and that the fighters are more motivated than the nigerian army. we have seen how boko haram fighters have taken territory out of territory in the north of the country, although the tide is turning as a military control to record victory, in the northeast of the country, especially in the north eastern state. this is all happening when they are escalated the violence.

now the victory is being recorded by the military, against boko haram fighters may be significant, but lit be enough to turn the tide, we -- the next few weeks or the next few months will decide that. as they have deployed we have seen how it is deployed several fighters across the region, and deployed female suicide bombers especially in the northeast, to attack at random. the respond was swift and appropriate killed in the fighting. fights have broken out between politician voted through contentious changes to antiterrorism laws.

to detain people without trialny coal johnston has the story. they didn't get a quiet rating in parliament. some people got so upset that fights broke out. >> it was also a shambles outside. police dragged protestors away. >> this bill is completely unnecessary. they are trying to put views of themselves, physical to clamp on people's freedoms. >> the government says it needs new law laws to fight terrorism. >> the bill is passed, we need to move an amendment, should be prepared to come and be orderly. they are not willing to move the amendment, we should go by guillotine. >> under the bill, it

extends the time people can be detained without charge, from three months to a year. former journalist says the bill is a pack wards step. more than won't years ago they beat him up in this building. in this past, then i think all the sames that we got under the new constitution.

and this month, al-shabaab gunman killed 36 nonmuslim workers near the north eastern town. they want the insecurity to end, but many are worries political freedom could be lost on the way. nicole johnston, al jazeera. >> of the seven people are dead after two car bombs exploded in western yemen. it happened just a few hours after the parliament -- they have claimanted responsible for that attack, this targeted fighters in the port city. >> al jazeera continues to demand the release of it's three journalists who have now been detained for 355 days. they were jailed over false allegations that they help the outlawed muslim brotherhood, they are appealing against their convictions and sentencing. the historic shift in relations between the u.s. and cuba looks like

the beginning of a new era, with both nations standing to gain. havana could benefit economically and economically, and as explains from ben necessary aris, it could also help washington come in from the doled cold. >> a photo of that sums it up. welcomed with open arms to a new regional organization of every country in latin america and the caribbean except the united states and canada. more than 50 years called nor the expulsion of the organization of american states it is unite united e united state that has becomen isolated. the highly unpopular u.s. embargo, a thorn that has diminished the leadership in the americas. that's why renewing ties is more than just a gesture to cuba.

it can signal a new beginning. i want to recognize president obama for his brave gesture, one that is necessary. he has taken what is the most important step of his presidency. signals the beginning of the end of a cold war that has marked their lives for generations. and what. >> the shock, in the situation -- >> it will be an economic shock treatment in the positive sense, it will mean more trade, more tourism, and more investments from the united states which will help the people who suffered an embargo for

more than 52 years. >> will be held in april, and thanks to the significant announcement, for the first time in more than half a century, leaders from the every nation, without exception, will be able to sit at the same table. >>beans that arrows. it is considering a proportional response, another u.s. official have said they have now linked the hacking to north korea which depicting the fictional assassination. after online threats to attack cinemas which would chill the film. there is evidence to indicate that we have seen destructive activity with malicious intent that was initiated by an actor. and is become treated by

the investigative agencies. both at the fbi and department of justice. ♪ september they had 400 followers. today, there are thousands of people who adhere ladenism. >> a counter-terrorism expert runs an intelligence firm that bears his name that advices governments and corporation >> the only thing they want is a religious war. >> he led the investigations of the