ca at the time times listing on your screen. freed by isil, hundreds of yazidis are released by the armed group in northern iraq. ♪ ♪ hello, i armor teen dennis, welcome to al jazerra, we are live from doha. coming up on the program. at least five people die in rioting in niger during protests against the magazine charlie hebdo. greasegreece arrests four people within an alleged belgium terrorist cell. and this is the scene in manila where around 3 million people

have gathered to celebrate the pope's final mass on his tour of the philippines. but first isil has released more than 200 captives from the minority yazidi community in northern iraq. they were transport to kurdish-held territory. it's not yet clear why they were leased. the yazidi captors many of who were were elderly were take to hospital for check up. thousands were believed to be killed or kidnapped by isil after its advance across large parts of northern iraq. mohamed adow is our correspondent there. >> reporter: this is an incidents or development that raises more questions than answers. they say most of these people have been held by isil in mosul.

they are believed to have been transported through the town before being released at this frontline. it's very unclear why they were released. it's very unclear what we know thousands of i can't yazidis mainly girls continues to are he main in the hands of isil fighters. police in greece have arrested four people they believe have link to his a terrorist cell in bell yum. belgium police saying there no, sir to link them with the plot that was foiled tuesday. several a 10 terror raids were carried out. a shootout left two suspects dead. five people charged with participating in terrorist activities. we can go live now to our correspondent who is in the greek capital athens. what more have you managed to find out there and about this intriguing link with events in belgium? >> reporter: this is what we are expect to go hear today from greek police, they are at the

moment cross-referencing dna and fingerprint data they have received from the belgium police with what they are takeing from the chief suspect they arrested on saturday here and what they hope to find, what they say they are 80% sure they will find is that this is the man that the belgium authorities are looking for who is alleged to have been the mastermind behind future attacks in and around belgium. because of the telephone connections between his cell phone and the cell phones of pima rested in belgium. that telephone data was found by belgium authorities after the thursday raid that you referred to and the suspect here in agent athens was located with the help of the cia. >> and do we know anything more than about this prime suspect who it's thought then, is in the greek capital? >> reporter: we know that he is reported to be of moroccoan decent as are apparently the other three men possibly more

who were arrested with him in athens in a residential neighborhood saturday late more morning, early afternoons even we do the know know what his cross-border movement have been, we have only been told by source that his he and his accomplices have been resident in the country for only four months aircraft very short period. we do know nowhere they came from. how they entered the country whether it was lil' or not. whether they had come from the middle east. >> john in the greek capital athens will keep us you up-to-date with develop little on that story which will clearly develop later today. belgium is deploying up to 300 armed soldiers at key sites in several cities, actioning as backup to to police in areas considered terrorist targets. europe is high other letter after two attacks in paris last week. but one of those attacks was against the satirical magazine

charlie hebdo. the most recently published edition has provoked more protests over the cover image which features a cartoon depiction of mohamed. in niger churches were set on fire and five people killed on the second day of rioting. pakistan and yemen have also seen violent protests as randolph reports. >> reporter: crowd of men gather outside a church, angry about the depiction of the prophet mohamed on the cover of charlie hebdo. they attack the church, rip pages from the bible and then set fire to the building. christians say they fear scared and dread more attacks. >> translator: i follow the love of god. i am a true christian i know what religion is, it's not about stopping other religions doing their work. >> reporter: niger is a former french colony, in other parts of

the capital protesters set fire to the french flag. >> translator: they offended our prophet mohamed that's why we didn't like this. this is why we muslims are trying to protest. but the state isn't letting us, that's why we are angry today. >> reporter: churches across the town were attacked. protesters also targed french-owned businesses, a police station and burned cars near the city's main mosque the french embassy ordered its citizens to stay in doors frosts against charlie had he hebdo magazine in other parts of the world. in pakistan protests broke out after friday prayer and continued on saturday. lawyers across the country boycotted the courts causing the postponement of 15,000 trials. >> translator: the law needs to be passed on an international level under which these terrible people cannot hurt the feelings of muslims we don't medal in

other people's religionses in the same way they they should not have the right to say anything about our religion. >> reporter: similar protests took place in yemen. the country's al qaeda branch claims to have cared out the paris attacks demonstrators in the capital sanaa had a warn for this western media. >> translator: this is a message from the yemeni people enough insults against our prophet mohamed if you don't stop mocking our prophet, you will regret it in the future. >> reporter: there was a wave of protests in syria a country crushed by almost four years of war. the widely distributed cartoon has caused a stir in a number of muslim countries but the angriest reaction so far appears to be in france's former colonies in west africa. randolph, al jazerra. one of the two brothers expected of attack the charlie hebdo office on his january 7th has been buried in a unmarked grave in the city of raps, he had settled there several years

ago. the mayor of raps on rans objected to his burial there believing it could be a place of pilgrim i believe or trigger violence. two french nationals have been detained in yemen because of suspects links to al qaeda actual it's yemeni branch has claimed responsibility to the tottenhamattack on charlie hebdo. >> translator: two french nationals have been arrested and being interrogated. in regards to the presence of foreign elements in yemen we believe that there is up to 1,000 foreign fighters or more in the country. the united states has freed a prisoner held on as an enemy combatant for 13 years. he has now flown home to qatar. he admitted one count of conspiracy to provide material support to al qaeda his lawyers say he only pleaded guilty in order to be able to return home to his family.

libya's tripoli based self-declared government is meet to go decide whether to send representatives to u.n. backed peace talks in geneva. libyan factions including the elected government in at that have agreed to attend the talks, they are aimed at forming a unity government and ending fighting between rival militias. government in syria have launched an assault on kurdish held territory. fighting broke out where government forces are trying to set up new checkpoints kurdish forces have controlled much of the region since the syrian army withdraw three years ago. five civilians were reportedly killed in the fighting. kurdish fighters say they seized vehicles ammunition and weapons from the army in a count air salt. syria's state news agency says the army has evacuated more than a thousand people from the rebel-held city of douma. some of the hungry and exhausted

evacueeses said they remember shot at trying to be stopped. they were taken to a ref gentlemen shelter. al jazerra is continue to demand the release of our three colleagues who have now been in prison in egypt for 386 days. mohamed fahmy peter getter and bahar me ham he had were falsely accused of helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood. charges they denied. an peels court in cairo has ored a retrial. lawyers for party and mohamed have filed to be deported from egypt. brazil and the netherlands have recalled their ambassadors to indonesia to protest against the execution of two drug offenders. they were among five foreigners condemned to death despite pleas for clemens i step vaessen reports from the capital jakarta jakarta. >> reporter: most of them have been on death row for 10 years they included a dutch national

films in 2004 shortly after being sentenced to death for producing the drug ecstasy after the president refused their request for pardon the prosecutor general made the announce think. in total 135 prisoners are awaiting he can cushion, about half of them convicted of drug-related dreams. according to the national narcotic agency up to 50 indonesians die every day as a result of illegal drug use. >> translator: the impact of drugs on our society is unmanageable. it's not only ordinary indonesians that use them, but also government officials. so we consider this an extraordinary crime. for this kind of crime need a maximum punishment. >> reporter: human rights organizations have condemned the decision by the president to care out the executions they accuse the man also known as. [ inaudible ] of using a double standard arguing against the execution of indonesian

nationals convicted abroad but supporting the same punishment as home. >> he does not show his commitment to uphold and be an example in asia on upholding respecting human rights law. >> reporter: these are the first executions since the president took office three months ago. but the government says many will follow later this year, despite pressure from foreign governments to spare their lives. step vaessen, al jazerra jakarta. all right let's go live now to the philippine capital manila whereas many as 3 million catholics have braved pretty wet weather in order to see pope francis hold mass. this the last day of his tour of the philippines and indeed the last day of his six-day tour of asia. this is the park. and as you can see thousands it is estimated that 3 million people have turned out and are attend this is mass, this is a mass that apparently is being

dedicated in part to those who lost their lives in the typhoon of -- typhoon haiyan of a few years ago, this is an incidents that has really resonated with the pope. he's been down to tacloban in another part of the country and spent time there talking to those who survived. unfortunately that part of his trip was kerr tailed somewhat because of the inclement weather. but nonetheless this has merged as a major theme of the pope's tour. so there you can see pope francis who seems to be very popular indeed in the philippines, the fill pines, of course has something like 80 million catholics. asia obviously being a very important continent for the roman catholic church. that's the scene live there in manila. pope francis there addressing around about 3 million people.

♪ ♪ ♪ a lot more to come here at al jazerra including the new home for refugees from fighting in afghanistan. but where is the help they were promised from government leaders? action! >> cling up society with soap tv. why the thai government is choosing television to teach.

right here on al jazeera america.

let's have a look at the top stories here at al jazerra. isil fighters in northern iraq have released around about 250 yazidi kurds many are elderly and have been taken to hospital in irrelevant bill for check ups, they have killed thousands of yazidis in its advance across northern iraq last year. more protests are called for in niger later on sunday. three fires were set on fire in the second day of rioting of the protester are anger at charlie hebdo's front page cartoon that depicts the prophet mohamed. millions of roman catholics in the philippines have gathered to hear an outdoor sunday mass in manila. this is the final event of the pope's six-day tour of asia. and his final day in the philippines, victims of typhoon haiyan which devastated the country in 2013 are being remembered during the mass.

the president of chad has called on other african country to his join in the fight against the nigerian-armed group boko haram, he deployed the troops in to neighboring cameroon on saturday. there his men will join their counterparts to proceed in to northern nigeria where they will hunt down members of the armed group. cameroon has faced repeated cross-board air tacks from boko haram in recent months. the united nation says it's planning an offensive against rebels in the eastern part of the democratic republic of congress only the fdlr fighters were given until january 2nd to surrender or face military action as malcolm webb reports from the u.n. camp some rebels have laid down their weapons but many more remain at large. >> reporter: these fighters from the rwandan fdlr have been on the run in congo since the genocide in 1994, now they have

surrendered, they hold a parade in the u.n. camp where they now stay. they are among a minority of fight that's came out with their families before a 2nd of january deadline. congo and the u.n. say they will attack those that remain in the bush, we were allowed to meet with one the government says its leaders committed genocide in rwanda before that. but he tells us he came to congo as a refugees and joined later because he had little choice. >> we were eight children in nigh family, the others were all killed in the camps and the forest when the army attacked. then later they sent militias after us, i thought when will it stop? that's why i joined. what would you do? >> reporter: but after so many years living at outlaws people here are not in good health. these u.n. medics treat the sick it seems people here have to do what their commanders say but most would probably now be better off back home in rwanda. the fdlr's leaders say they want to go home but first insist on a

dialogue with rwanda to address the injustices of the conflict. >> translator: in other countries, the u.n. is handling conflict with negotiations but in this region they are not. they decide to launch attacks on innocent people it's an injustice and unacceptable. >> reporter: but the rwandan government refuses to hold tacks and say the people in the cam -- and so the people are stuck in limbo. each tend is men meant to accommodate two families but they are all full and there is not enough space and they want to ventedder and go home but that's just one of the problems. the u.n. meanwhile, says that the fdlr are not cooperating. it says the older and weaker fighters have been send here, and all the stronger fighters and the best weapons are still in the bush. the u.n.'s chief of demobilizing armed gripes in congo says the camp is full only because the leaders aren't allowing anyone to go home. >> the whole idea was to be followed by repatriation, however the fdlr has made it con

tip gent on certain political conditions that so far don't look lick they are going to be realized. >> reporter: these boys played football with a homemade ball. all the younger pima wrong the fdlr were born to congo, they have grown up in the midst i've conflict of an older generation, their counterparts in the bush may soon be attacked. here in the camp they are safer but waiting for their leaders the politicians and diplomats to determine their future, malcolm webb in congo. u.s. police have faced a barrage of criticism over the recent killings of unarmed black men but police supporters have also been making their voices heard. from washington, d.c. a report. >> reporter: organizers fell short of their goal of creating a sea of blue to show support for the police on saturday. the exasperation of those that did gather was deep. >> we were just tired of no support for our law enforcement

officers. if you look around, whether it's the media whether it's just walking down the street, there is lack of support every request. >> reporter: since the police killing of unarmed black teenager michael brown last august regular demonstrations around the country calling for reform. the organizers of this march feel the public is forgetting the police butt their lives on the line every day. >> reporter: should people worried that a young black man is 21 times more likely to be killed than a young white person, for example? >> no, i don't think so. we need to look at the statistics. and i think that -- that honestly, if you are not outdoing the crime then you will be okay. >> reporter: when a 12-year-old kid is killed within two seconds of a police officer arriving at the scene isn't that something weird? >> i don't know the details. >> reporter: we have video and -- >> i don't know all the details there are two sides to every story. >> reporter: that 12-year-old

was tamir rice, who was playing with a toy gun in cleveland ohio in november. last week further video was released showing that he was not given immediate medical attention after being shot. and that his 13-year-old sister was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed as her brother lay dieing nearby. investigation in the incident continue on. friday it emerged that north miami police were using mugshots of young black teens for target practice. a member of the national guard noticed her brother's photograph at a shooting range. >> and i was like why is my brother being used to target practice. >> reporter: the local police chief denied it demonstrated any policy of racial profiling. and insisted that no disciplinary action would be taken. >> we utilize a -- an array of pictures. it's another incident resonating with those calling for reform. at this event in washington the demonstrators seemed unable to understand why those who have pledged to risk their lives to protect and serve the community are being questioned. al jazerra washington.

now, in a continues of the that you in relations of cuba and the united states, members of congress have flown to havana, the cuban capital for talks, diplomatic relations were restored just last month. and the last political prisoners freed as hopes rise that the u.s. trade embargo on cuba will be lifted soon. the united nations says violence in afghanistan has driven around 140,000 people from their homes last year. about 800,000 of them have moved to other parts of the country whilst others have left the country completely. jennifer glasse has more from the capital kabul. >> reporter: at the camp on the outskirts of kabul the families keep arriving. five in the last month alone. fighting in helmanned province. they didn't arrive all at once,

group by group over the past for you are years they left fertile farmland gradually becoming too dangerous because of war. >> translator: we don't have anything. our men go out to try to find work sometimes they find it, sometimes they don't. they bring us a little foot and water. >> reporter: the camp have no he legs tries at this, sewage or running water. the people have to pay to fill up at a nearby well. hundreds of families in camp alone, most fled fighting in other parts of the country and hope that coming here to the capital would bring them better opportunities. but there is no school here for the children. no mosque. not even a graveyard. community leaders say the government promised a lot but has given them little. but they won't leave. >> translator: we won't even think about going back, it's a very difficult situation people won't think about going back. they used to farm there they

won't be able to do that if they go back. they are still bombing and mines there. >> reporter: some afghans who decide there is no opportunity in afghanistan decide to leave. that's what abdul did in 2010. he paid smugglers to get him to norway. he was returned to afghanistan in 2013. he now councils afghans who are planning to leave legally or otherwise. >> the reasons are insecurity, the reasons are unemployment. so that's -- those are the reasons that it's pulling these people or encouraging the young afghans to leave afghanistan and go for the search of a better and safer life. >> reporter: but hundreds of afghans have died trying to get to that better life. he says every step of the journey is risky and dangerous he should offers afghans other alternatives information about visas, refugees settlement programs. but even with a new government, afghanistan's immediate future doesn't look promising. and he says that means afghans

will continue to look for a way to leave. jennifer glasse, al jazerra kabul. the egyptian actress has died at the age of 83. renowned for her beauty and melodic voice she was called the lady of the arab screen a star during the golden era of egyptian sin match she appeared almost in 100 films almost -- often with her exhusband omar sharif. tapping in to popular culture in an effort to battle corruption in highland a soap opera based on real life crimes, but not everyone believes a tv show will get the message across. >> reporter: soap operas in thailand are widely popular they trace their roots back to the 13th century when the kingdom first put storytelling on stage. the military government recognizes this. the prime minister changed the time of his weekly address so it

wouldn't interrupt prime time for soap operas. but he's taken it a step further tower tap in the massive audience the government is now producing its own soap opera. the anti-corruption commission has started filming a tv series that will drama ties well corruption cases in thailand. >> i believe in this project even though it's propaganda. when we do good things, you should not worry what others might say or think for those involved in corruption, they didn't seem to care what they did or how it would affect our country. >> reporter: the first episode is about a property developer who used substandard materials. it led to a building collapse that killed 14 people. star power has been brought to the series, thai action film star plays a heroin in an episode now in production. >> ii am really proud to be in this series, most of my work is

entertainment, but i was not hesitant to accept the role of this series at all. i am proud to be part of a force to develop our country. >> reporter: so while they are filming on the other side of bangkok here at parliament house at the same time a real life corruption story is playing out the former prime minister is facing a hearing on corruption in her rice subsids i program. wasting for time the producers have already scripted a program based on this case. they'll change the name in the episode but little doubt to the thai viewers who the story is about. >> translator: this series might help increase the awareness of corruption but to change the attitude or behavior on the issue we need more than this. the level of viewer understanding of corruption will depend on how they connect with the characters. >> reporter: but for most thais there might be a disconnect. because most of these soap on -- view soap op operas as he is

skipism and en taint think. to change the national perception it might take a little more than a well choreographed fight scene. scott heidler, al jazerra bangkok. and reminders that all of the day's top stories are on the al jazerra website. aljazerra.com. >> in 2009 peace came to sri lanka after 26 years of civil war. >> government troops had crushed the tamil tigers - a guerrilla force which had waged a brutal insurgency seeking self-rule for the tamils c a minority making up about 12 percent of sri lanka's population mainly living here in th