s the only alternative people have. borderland only on al jazeera america >> we will die for it. >> words from egypt's president in response to deadly attacks in the sinai peninsula. >> hello you're with al jazeera. i'm martine dennis. also coming up. new hopes for peace talks in eastern ukraine. >> we have agreed now to deploy the international force. >> accepting in the troops.

the african union is taking on the nigerian armed group. >> thousands pack the streets in madrid in support of spain's anti-austerity party. >> but first egypt's president has avowed to drive out terrorists of the sinai peninsula. saying that they will die defending the territory. egypt is facing a huge wave of terrorism. they have established a huge force fighting in the sinai. two attacks killed 45 people. a group who has claimed allegiance to isil has claimed responsibility for the attacks. >> this confrontation is very difficult and very tough and very bad. it will take us long time. the egyptians are now all paying

the price. the sons of the army, the sons of the police are all paying the price for the sake of this country. >> we will never leave sinai. we'll never leave sinai to anybody else. sinai is ours, and we'll die for it. >> abdul fattah faiyed. said that they'll need cooperation from ill israel in sinai. >> he's talking and not asking the people who is responsible but talking about who is our enemy. how we should all be together. supporting together. supporting your armies supporting your troops. he's talking about a meeting not with the national defense council but with the army council. this operation will be based in the suez canal area, not in

iraq. the second thing, it will be headed by those already in the mission. and so we cannot say that it is a new group. just classifying a new group fighting in the sinai. the second element regarding this issue that already is complicateed matters between egypt and israel. because in sinai there is no total freedom for egyptian troops to move on sinai so it need maybe some arrangement some talks with regarding the amount and number of troops and the soldiers in sinai especially in the area which is called the sea area, which is

very close to the border with israel and gaza. >> well, president sisi's address came shortly after news that egypt has banned the military wing of hamas. in cairo designated brigades a terrorist organization. the military accuses the leadership in gaza of helping fighters carry out attacks in sinai peninsula. hamas and egypt had a close relationship between the ousted president mohamed morsi was in office because of the group's link to the muslim brotherhood. they have responded signaling that they would not accept cairo as an immediate nate mediateor for peace talks with israel. a number of people have died in a series of explosions in and around the iraqi capitol. at least three people were killed in a blast near a car repair shop. five others died in another

explosion. this time at a sheep market. two soldiers were also killed when they were targeted in a bomb attack. this comes as iraq's prime minister has been hosting a security summit. haider al abadi address various religious and political factions across the country. it is aimed at reconciling religious groups. the government is hoping to create the united front against the islamic state in iraq and the levant. we have the latest from baghdad. >> reporter: national conference is taking place at a crucial time and on the ground in the fight against isil has been a crucial past few days as well. even when the airstrikes and the military gains that kurdish forces are making in the north and shia militias with the iraqi forces are making in the rest of the country there are places where isil is creeping back in. in the west a senior leader was

killed when tankers of explosives rounded into his guesthouse. and in kirkuk heavy clashes in the past few days, two senior peshmerga commanders including a major general killed by a sniper today is said to have been killed in those clashes. around the country as well in the province of diala a massacre by masked gunmen. and that was part of the backdrop of this conference that the prime minister addressed. he said, in fact, that iraqi security forces and anyone acting outside of the law would not be considered anything but outlaws. he said killings and kidnappings were no better than terrorism. he called for national unity. >> they put an end to isil. we could can put an end to isil through our government reforms.

we have to be determined to defeat isil on the american security and social front. if we do this, we'll defeat our enemy sooner than we think. >> that unity could be hard to come by. across the country are soony tribes who debate whether they'll join in a fight against isil. they're essentially looking at what they're being offered. many sunni leaders say it is just not enough. it's prompted fears that across the country as well this fight against isil although in many places were being beaten back is not a fight that the iraqi government can win in the long term without reconciliation. >> well, kurdish forces known as the peshmerga say they've managed to push isil fighters out of the northern iraqi city of kirkuk. they seized the city in june when the iraqi army abandoned its decisions there. kirkuk has been under repeated attacks by isil fighters, hoping to take control of the oil fields surrounding the city.

>> reporter: in the heart of kirkuk in broad daylight, the islamic state of the iraq and llevan make their presence felt. before storming the empty building the attack on friday destabilized the security situation in this northern city. it was part of a coordinated assault that involved isil fighters attacking kurdish peshmerga positions west and southwest of kirkuk. kurdish peshmerga soldiers told us that they ended the hotel siege after a two- gun battle. it was a fierce fight for a six-story building that previously gave the islamic state fighters a good vantage point. >> kurdish commanders hearsay isil objective was to capture the city of kirkuk. it failed to do that, but it

managed to send a message. the armed group wants to show it has not been defeated, especially after it suffered recent setbacks on the battleground. kirkuk has long been a dangerous city. over the decades various people have laid claim to this oil-rich region. friday's attack was not the first time isil tried to take control. >> we know that isil wants kirkuk. in fact, they have been telling the supporters it is a matter of time before kirkuk will be theirs. >> kurds did lose ground when they pushed around three fronts of kirkuk. it was an aggressive attack, the worst in months. >> isil attacked us from many directions. at the beginning they were able to surround us, and we lost our positions. >> kurds since managed to recapture most areas including a small oil field. but that was only possible with the help of coalition airstrikes. the peshmerga are facing a

well-armed enemy and isil's offensive here still has not ended. al jazeera, kirkuk. >> in yemen four people have been killed in the latest violence. at least three people died in fighting between the military and southern separatists in large province. one soldier has been killed in a bomb blast in the southeast and three others were injured. meanwhile thousands of people are protesting in several cities around the country against the houthi rebels. this is showing the demonstrate necessary ib in the south. they have used live ammunition to break up protest there is. efforts to resolve the political crisis appear to be crumble more than a week after the president and his government resigned. now fighting between ukraine's army and pro russian separatists have killed 15 ukrainian soldiers in the last day. three civilians also died in the fighting east of the country.

ukraine has sent a thousand soldiers to shore up border defenses in the odessa region in the south. most have been placed along the country's border with moldova's region which has close ties with russia. talks between russian rebels and kiev leaders have been canceled. >> there has been considerable amount of hard ball gamesmanship whatever you want to call it, surrounding these talks. it was supposed to take place on friday but it didn't. kiev's representative, the former president of the ukraine never turn up. he never turned up because he said that's the dawn separatists had not sent the right people to the talks. they shouldn't have sent representatives. they should have sent their leaders. now what we heard from the separatists is that their leaders would only show up once

the terms of an agreement had been signed. and also once the ukrainian army stopped shell. now given all that it is, perhaps, surprising that these people are sitting down and talking with each other in minsk at all. the front lines have changed considerably since the minsk peace acords signed in september. the rebels and separatists have taken a lot more ground. we have flash points in mariupol and donetsk in the last few days. it is possible that there could be some peace agreement some sort of cease-fire, but having said that there was one that happened before back in september. one gets the impression that this conflict will only really achieve some sort of resolution once all the factions,

separatists and most importantly russia decided it can't get any more out of this by fighting, and it's not clear that that point has been reached yet. >> still to come here at al jazeera. >> they did something stupid. they don't deserve to die. >> last-minute pleas for indonesia to spare the lives of two australians who are on death row. and the world's largest dairy exporter faces a difficult year ahead. find out why.

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>> hello again. these are the top stories here at al jazeera. egypt's president is vowed to drive out what he calls terrorists in sinai saying his army will die defending the territory. iffattah al sisi says that egypt is facing terrorism. at least ten people have died in a series of explosions in and around the iraqi capitol. a blast killed three people and five others died in another explosion at a sheep's market. two soldiers were also killed after their patrol was startinged in a bomb attack north of the capitol. >> in iraqi hired al abadi address leaders from across the country. they hope to create an united

front against the islamic state in iraq and the levant. now to the african union summit, which is taking on boko haram during it's summit, they have agreed to send forces to combat the problem. they say that boko haram is not a problem just for nigeria but for internationally as well. >> they've been around since 1992. they have attacked cameroon, it's definitely not a nigeria-only problem. it is about time. i'm glad that the african union is focusing on it. they're saying, look, we give help. we're the big guys. but the institution of boko haram are different because the attacks have been different the army has struggled.

president jonathan, the one thing that has been criticized for the most, corruption may an second. boko haram's inability to crush them. the man challenging he might win. he made crushing boko haram his claims that he can do a better job. he understands them. he can do a better job. my expectation is that even though they do not like for people to come and get involved in security, this is an exception because of the size of the problem because of the elections. so my expectations, whoever wins is actually going to make a bigger effort, and get bigger support, more intense support both from the africans and even the international community. i'm picking this up even in washington. washington wants to ratchet up its support for nigeria to deal with it because people are asking questions. why so much help against isis

and why so much focus on what happened in france, but boko haram's issue has not gotten much attention. >> thousands of supporters of the spanish far left party has-rallying in the capital of madrid. the party is hoping to repeat the success of the tsapras party, which won in greece last weekend. they want to end austerity measures imposed by international creditors. we have reports from the spanish capitol. >> reporter: yes, we can. that famous political slogan has become the rallying call in madrid too. parents, children, retired people and students, they all came out in the winter sunshine. >> we're fighting because this is over and we cannot go on like this.

>> as you can see there are a lot of people here and what these people want is change. the government we have at the moment is lying to us. >> officially this is a march of political change in spain. it's also a show of strength by a new party that is shaking up the established order. >> everyone here knows what the party is against: corruption, big business, the control traditional party and their sense of entitlement. what is less clear is what they would pursue to make changes as promised. >> they have captured the public mood. ordinary people are sick and tired of an austerity program which in their view is simply causing more hardship. >> we are dreaming, but we take our dreams seriously. in greece they did more in six days than many governments did in many years.

>> this is one of the biggest rallies in madrid in recent times. if podemos can translate this turn out in the votes in the general election it may be just a matter of time before it becomes the party of government. jacky rowland al jazeera, madrid. >> a funeral is being held in southern pakistan for victims of a shia mosque bombing. thousands gather to honor those who died. at least 59 people were killed in the attack on friday. the sunni group said it was behind the attack. legal options running out for two australians on death row in indonesia. the men are among a group of convicted drug smugglers sentenced to death by firing squad. in australia the looming execution has fueled the public campaign for clemcy. andrew thomas reports from sydney.

>> in a sydney warehouse actors ors are rehearsing a very personal play. bondai dreaming is life on bally with lives so bleak they imagine lives. the play parallels the story of two australians. two years ago two were arrested in bally for heroin smuggling they were given death sentences. appeals have been exhausted. indonesia executed six other foreigners last week. these two could be next. for the bondai dreaming actors who visited their real life counterparts, time is running out. >> we do what we can for these guys. i'm an actor i'm just trying to do the best because i care about my friends. >> the play aims to raise money and awareness. >> this play was first performed back in 2008.

back then there was hope for the characters real-life counterparts. that hope is now all by extinguish. this play has an urgency it has not had before. in australia there is a frequency of campaigning well-known australians. >> we stand for mercy. >> families have gone on television to plea. >> they're good kids. everybody makes mistakes. they did something stupid. they don't deserve to die. >> campaigners say they have rehabilitated in prison enter someone sukumaran has become an artist and taught other prisoners. >> if the aim is to reform yourself the boys have done that. >> and the australian prime minister has called for clemency but the brazilian and dutch governments were ignored two weeks ago and they have not yet said if relations will be severely damaged if executions go ahead. president widodo resolute.

>> it is difficult to deal with international drug gangs in indonesia. [♪ singing ♪] >> on thursday there was a vigil and concert in sydney. the call have mercy. it seems unlikely that australia will be able to save two of their own. al jazeera sydney. >> on sunday we'll be reporting from west java on the extent of indonesia's drug abuse problems. al jazeera explains why the new government is continuing to punish drug traffickers with the death penalty. that's here on al jazeera on sunday. 75 years since the first social security benefits were issued in the united states

offering a financial lifeline for millions of people. but with the number of workers continuing it is now under threat. >> after working for most of their adult lives donna and her husband henry are now retired despite savings they rely mostly on a monthly government check to pay their living expenses. donna said without her husband's help and government assistance. >> i would be homeless. i would have to give up my home. >> she's not alone. it's estimated without social security benefits most female retirees in the u.s. would be poor. that's why social security was created back in 1935 at the height of the great depression with so many jobless the u.s. congress created social security to lift millions of boor poor elderly and disabled americans out of poverty. president rose set signed it

into law. >> the first check for $22.54 or about $389 today was issued to ida may polar. she had never married. had no children, and social security was her only support until she died at age 100. for most the average check runs $1,100 a month. enough to cover basic living expenses. but that lifeline that many have depended on faces an uncertain future. when social security was created there were 153,000 beneficiaryies beneficiaries. contrast that to today where there are 59 million americans cashing social security checks totaling more than $860 billion each year. and unless the u.s. congress changes the program funds for disability payments will run out next year. by 2033 money for retirement

checks will also be dwindling. that's why many advocate raising taxes on high-income earners to cover the shortfall. >> there is a shortfall. and if you make for than $180,000 a year, you don't pay taxes on social security taxes on that. >> i don't feel optimistic about it being around for my children and possibly even for my grandchildren. >> whose retirement years without congressional action may be less certain and secure. al jazeera. washington. >> new zealand is the world's largest dairy exporter, but farmers there are facing a difficult year. we have reports now in new zealand's north island.

>> this is the heart of the new zealand dairy industry where the hills are usually lush and green. from the province, like most of the country, it has been a long, hot summer, and the moisture in the soil is disappearing. forecasters say there is not much rain on the way, and dairy farmers are preparing extra feed for their cows. but ironically the dry may produce a positive. >> the production will drop a lot, and the market will increase the price. >> that's exactly what the new zealand dairy industry wants to hear. it's the largest exporter in the world. it could increase supply from other markets and decrees supply to china the price has crashed. most dairy farmers in new zealand supply to fronterra.

>> there is a feeling among farm necessary new zealand that most of them can observe one bad year but not two in a row. now everyone is looking to the future to try to predict exactly where the global dairy industry is headed. those watching the markets believe the reduction in price was more of a correction than anything else. the industry will pick up. they believe the slump will not have too big of an exam on new zealand's solid economy that relies heavily on exports. j we still see see it continuing. isit has hit a soft patch but i don't think it will effect the sector. >> we'll look at our expenses, our business model and we might have to make some changes for the future. >> the good news is, they have

forecast moved down because of the supply and the weather. >> don't forget you can always find out more about our top stories and more at the al jazeera website. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher, and you're in "the stream." marijuana legalization. many believe it's not a question of if, but when. but taking it off the streets and putting it in the stores, is it really safer and better? my cohost, rajahad ali, is here, and he's bringing all of your social media as always into the program.