>> i.s.i.l. closes in on an iraqi air because houses u.s. marines. the rebel group taking control of a nearby iraqi town hello, i'm david foster, you are with us on al jazeera. also coming up al jazeera journalist baher mohamed -- mohamed fadel fahmy out of custody on bail baher mohamed likely to be released within hours. the bodies of three victims shot in carolina on tuesday - we'll bring you reaction from the local community

and the need to save water any way they can because of the severe drought in brazil's biggest city. well i.s.i.l. forces in iraq are moving closer to a major government base housing hundreds of u.s. troops. fighters attacked the western down of al-baghdady and anbar from two directions. it's been besieged from i.s.i.l. the fighting a few clms from an air base -- kilometres from an air base where u.s. troops are training iraqi troops. let's go to imran khan our correspondent in baghdad and tell us about what is happening down there? >> this is a serious situation.

americans said there are squirmishes close to the base where the marines are based. it hasn't come under attack yet. we have seen this tactic via i.s.i.l. time and time again. when they want to make an attack on an iraqi army base - the first time in anbar province - every time they want to attack what they do is they take over towns and villages on the outskirts and use it as a launching pad. they have been successful. i.s.i.l. nose the territory really. a lot of fighters are were anbar, fighting it for a number of years. so this will be a formidable challenge for the americans. what the americans have is clearly airpower and they'll be relying on that if there is any attack. what the americans want to avoid is a direct attack. that will involve their soldiers on a war with i.s.i.l.

this will be an iraqi led operation if there's a move towards the base. if we see a move. in previous times we see it within the day or so of them taking over the towns or villages. >> u.s. marines are there as advisors but are allowed to return fire if they are attacked. >> well there's a precedence for this. remember a couple of weeks ago the canadians in a similar position came under fire by i.s.i.l. troops. they then had to return fire. there is a precedence for it. they are allowed to be able to fire back. it's not an ideal situation, because they want the iraqi army to be the buffer zone between them and the training mission that the coalition have with the ground troops. but what they are in is in a good position to call in air strikes. they can talk to their high commander a lot quicker.

so it is unlikely that they are going to get anywhere near the base due to the fact that they'll be able to call in air strikes effectively and we have seen that in other parts of iraq. >> imran khan in baghdad. >> the u.s. senate has approved the appointment of ashton carter as the new defense secretary. carter will help lead the united states strategy in fighting i.s.i.l. earlier this month he told the senate arms committee that defeating i.s.i.l. is a top priority. he replaces chuck hagel who resigned in november. >> u.s. security council is trying to stop i.s.i.l. by hitting it where it hurts - in the wallet. >> the international community has a new weapon in the fight against i.s.i.l. it's to cut off i.s.i.l.'s primary funding sources. oil, ransoms and the looting of

cultural antiquity. >> translation: we took a step in suppressing the funding for terrorists. first and foremost oil. >> reporter: it doesn't go far enough. >> we lament it's a main factor leading to the rise there's no better recruiting tool for i.s.i.l. than the atrocities of the bashar al-assad regime. >> reporter: iraq and syria fighting i.s.i.l. on its home turf welcome the measure. >> we are pleased to see that the council has moved finally in the right direction, towards establishing and setting a wider train work to combatting terrorism. >> this resolution shows the security council is united. when it comes to fighting i.s.i.l. and other groups

affiliated with al qaeda. some of the weapons are not new. it raises the stakes the president of the opposition syrian national coalition wants international help to stop the syrian government shelling of douma outside the capital damascus. there's reports of a rise in civilian casualties. you may find some of the images disturbing. >> it's a city on the brink of destruction. chaos in douma can be seen on the faces of residents struggling to survive air strikes. douma has seen a rise in casualties since the syrian government launched an offensive last week. activists say more than 200 have been killed half in the last few days. the onslaught prompted the president to call on the u.n. and arab league to take

immediate access to stop shelling by forces loyal to syrian president. >> these are crimes that have been substantiated by several international organizations. human rights watch recorded the use of 650 barrel bombs. in order to take the bashar al-assad regime to the criminal court, it requires allies to present these to the court. thousands fled their homes in douma, for those that stayed behind the most they can hope for is a narrow escape from the aerial bombardment. activists say syrian air strikes are indiscriminate with medical facilities and hospitals damaged or destroyed. >> in the last campaign in general, and on douma in particular, the central emergency offices hit. it led to the injury of members

of the medical team. we had to shut down the office in the area because of the destruction. >> it seems that dooma's injured have nowhere to go for medical care or refuge with the syrian government offensive in a second week taking a toll on the state and its residents. >> myanmar's state media says 47 soldiers died in recently fighting with heavily armed rebels. fighting began in shan state. rebels were trying to take over the shan state. the foreign ministry had a press conference saying people had been fleeing to china to escape the attention. >> mohamed fadel fahmy walked out of custody in egypt on bail of spending 412 days in

detention. his colleague is expected to be released on bail in the coming hours. an egyptian court granted them bail on thursday. the retrial on charges of colluding with the banned muslim brotherhood resumes in february. >> reporter: this could be the beginning of the end of an ordeal lasting for more than 400 days. mohamed fadel fahmy, and baher mohamed have been granted bail at the start of their retrial. it's come as a huge relief for their families. >> translation: i'm going immediately to tell the kids that their father is coming home today and that life will be beautiful. i wait to welcome him back. life has changed mohamed fadel fahmy was asked to pay a security bond of $33,000. >> we'll abide by everything in egyptian law. i am sure he'll be vindicated by this and later in this case when it falls apart completely

the judicial fight for baher mohamed and mohamed fadel fahmy will continue until the charges are dropped. baher mohamed was initially sentenced to 10 years, and mohamed fadel fahmy 7 years. it was overturned. egypt's highest court of appeals challenged the evidence presented by the prosecution, saying the proceedings were flawed and ordered a retrial. earlier this month another al jazeera journalist peter greste was deported to australia after 400 days in detention. mohamed fadel fahmy, who is egyptian-canadian was told that the only way to freedom is to announce egyptian citizenship which he had done. the three journalists, mohamed fadel fahmy and peter greste were arrested. they were falsely accused of promoting the mapped muslim brotherhood. >> the bail release is a small step in the right direction, a step that should have been taken

411 days ago. there's no evidence that they have been complicit with the muslim brotherhood, no evidence that they have been involved in terrorism. journalists are frightened. they have been made frightened and their organisations are frightened by the fact that these journalists are in gaol the trial has been condemned by the international community and human rights organizations. protesters around the world demonstrated in solidaritiway detained journalist. six other colleagues were sentenced in absentia. al jazeera calls on egypt to have all of its journalists exonerated. >> a peace agreement on ukraine has been signed but fighting between government forces and pro-russian rebels continues. one person has been killed in the city. separatists are sceptical about

the ceasefire deal. charles stratford has more from the city. >> reporter: we drove across the fields to the front line. hours ago the ukranian military fired rockets at the road. the separatist fighter with us said we should switch off the mobile phones and drive fast. there are few fighters here at the former ukranian military base. they say the primary role is to monitor ukranian army. we are in a separatist defensive position south of donetsk. the fighters tell us that ukranian forces are about a kilometer in that direction. there's a danger of snipers. >> the fighters here are unsure what the minsk agreement will mean for them. >> translation: we will stay here unless ordered from commanders to retreat or vance. we are holding the position. >> the agreement has

far-reaching implications. >> we can't deny ukraine the chance. the whole country will change as a result. the attitude and people will change. we are still with them. we consider them our people. this chance is given to ukraine to change the constitution, which is mentioned in the agreement documents, to change its attitude. the minsk agreement feels to define the status of the people's republics. some of the people in donetsk are in favour of independents. >> donetsk should be independent. unity will not work. to return will be by an inadequate government. >> how can we return to ukraine after everything that happened to us. thousands have been killed. three shells hit the hospital in donetsk. one person was killed.

>> we shit where we could. the patient under the dust. one bed was destroyed. it was terrifying. so many people died since the last ceasefire collapsed in september. there's great uncertainty as to whether the latest truce can be implemented. >> thousands of mourners attended a funeral service from three students killed in north carolina. a suspect has been charged with murder saying he may have shot them after an argument over parking. andy gallagher reports. >> it was going to be a sombre service full of raw emotion, but the local community was determined that the victims families would not be alone. thousands came from across the region. so many that the prayer services had to be held in a sports field instead of a

mosque. the loss of the three shocked the university town. there is anger amongst many. >> we are concerned that the rising anti-muslim rhetoric may have resulted in violence against american muslims. we ask that this case be vetted as a hate crime. craig steven hicks has been charged with first degree murder. police believe he shot the student in an art over parking. the family says it's a hate crime. >> i will not speak much at all. this is a time to be together. but we are examining every possible angle, including the potential for a hate crime. >> reporter: in a smaller private ceremony those that knew and loved deah and razan

attended. the last few days have been filled with sadness and displays of solidarity. the country will be watching the investigation closely. many are convinced that this was a crime motivated by religious hatred and nothing more. >> the federal bureau of investigation launched their own investigation. many are upset at the deaths of the student were not treated as a hate crime. >> we have to think is this a hate crime? it shows where we stand as americans, as a nation. that is sad. that's the case. the reason why three young lives were taken in a senseless way may never be known. >> still to come on al jazeera - the family of two drug smugglers

sentenced to death make a last-minute attempt to save their lives. >> encouraged to give in germany. transplant doctors are not getting enough for donations. you can't miss... >> we got be here to tell the story. >> the final journey borderland only on al jazeera america

>> start with one issue. add guests from all sides of the debate and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get the inside story. >> ray suarez hosts "inside story". weeknights at 11:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. i.s.i.l. forces in iraq are moving closer to an american base housing u.s. troops. fighters are taking control of al-baghdadi near the base and are attacking from two

directions. myanmar state stay there has been four days of fighting with ethnic chinese rebels they are trying to take shan state in myanmar mohamed fadel fahmy has been freed on bail after 412 days behind bars in egypt. his colleague baher mohamed is expected to be released in a few hours. their retrial for charges of colluding with the banned muslim brotherhood is expected to resume in four days. >> a u.s. policeman has been charged. a man was tackled to the ground after he was reported as suspiciously walking in the neighbourhood. his lawyer says he's been left partially paralyzed. earlier we spoke to his lawyer. >> reporter: he's making a

little bit of progress every day. he has little function in his left leg. he's regained movement of his arms but has little grip strength. he's making a little bit of progress every day, and the family hopes that he - and prays that he'll make a full recovery. >> to the latest in our series on organ donations. in germany not many are willing to be donors which means patients waiting for a transplant sometimes do not make it. nick spicer reports. >> reporter: 27-year-old kevin handles applications for people needing an i.d. card to prove they are severely disabled. this is his. four years ago his heart downed in size because of myocart itis. without this pumping machine he'll die. he's so tired of waiting for a donor heart he wishes his heard

will get worse. >> translation: at the moment i'm on a normal list. at the moment i'll never get a heart because there are too many emergency cases, people in hospital with a higher price on the list. the only chance to get a new heart is for me to be in hospital. >> reporter: this is a clinic one of several centers where doctors have been accused of changing patient information to use them up the europe-wide transplant list. when the scandal broke it had a devastating effect on public opinion. more than 60% of donated organs may not go to the needy, believe germans germans. to win back trust they are running ads. three people die every day waiting. 11,000 people are on the wait list. the donor pool dropped by a fifth in the past two years.

people need to accept that transportation is a useful method and they have to stand behind it. and then i think we as medical doctors, we have to convince our population and we have to gain again, trust germany was one of the least donor friendly countries in europe before the scandal, with many suggesting it's a fear of talking about death that scarce people away. kevin says people have instead to imagine what it's like to watch a loved one die because an organ didn't become available. >> for now, he's waiting for a call to come to the hospital or for his health to worsen enough to move up the list indonesian government rejected last minute calls for mercy from the families of two australian drug smugglers on death row. a decision will be made on friday when the men will be

moved to an island where the executions will take place. >> with weeks or days until their relatives are executed the families of two australian men on death row made an emotional plea to save lives. >>..i beg you to take the time... >> chan and sukkar marran were sentenced to death after smuggling smuggling from australia to indonesia. they challenged joko widodo's

rejection of clemency. >> translation: they have done much in prison computer training design dance. i don't see this positive correction - it should be assessed and considered before the president makes a decision on clemency. >> reporter: australia foreign minister julie bishop is urging the foreign minister to reconsider. >> the government will continue to seek clemency for melissa chan and myeran sukka marran. we urge the indonesians to show the same mercy that it seeks for its citizens in the same situation abroad. >> bishop is referring to the 229 indonesians, mostly migrant workers who are awaiting executions. executions have led to outrage, which is why some question how

much pressure joko widodo can put on foreign governments after he has rejected clemency for foreigners. during joko widodo's state visit to the philippines, president aquino made the plea to spare the life of marie jane, a citizen facing execution. indonesia says it will not change its policy. >> translation: countries have the right to protect their citizens. we hope the same countries respect our laws which apply the death penalty. we are not fighting against any country, but against criminals, drug criminals. the country is facing an emergency situation when it comes to drugs. >> indonesia is yet to announce the date of the execution. the lawsuit filed by andrew chan and sukka marran challenging

clemency will not delay them weather forecasters have no good news. sao paulo is suffering from a severe drought. reservoirs are nearly empty, and not enough rain is falling. we look at the drastic measures people are having to take. >> reporter: in this home the awareness of the need to save water transformed everyone's life. this woman and her family use a bowl to catch the water when they wash their hands. when it's full it's used to flush it. a bucket catches the water while the shower warms up. when full it's taken downstairs to be used in the washing machine. the sony water is collected for a second lot of clothes and used to watch the floors or pots and pans. nothing is wasted to economise

on what is a scarce commodity. >> sao paulo is a large city. i don't know what we will do. >> reporter: there are severe shortages in the poor neighbourhoods where the worst drought in south-eastern brazil's history forces them to rush home to gather water before the tap runs dry. we gather water in bucket loads. water is used to store water. brazilian experts - the ongoing deforestation of the amazon is to blame for changing rain patterns. while the cause of the drought may be environmental, the repercussions of economic and political. many disgruntled residents accuse the state of not

investing in sufficient water infrastructure. ahead of what was a foreseeable crisis. it's now in its third year. >> this drought is impacting industry and threatening others. given brazil's dependence on hydroelectric power. >> depending the duration of the drought, we will certainly go into it. there's no reason otherwise. >> afraid of what is to come. there is a plan b. top of the line plastic cutlery. >> if we have no water. there's no other way. >> sao paulo's government held off until the end of the month. in the likely event that it will

rain enough to avoid rationing, in a city of more than 20 million go to the website aljazeera.com. for more global stories. aljazeera.com. on "america tonight" - these center dragged in many elements of argentine society, at the center of it all is the home of president cristina fernandez de kirchner. what does she know what, did she up? >> in county after county across alabama, many court officials are refusing to issue same-sex marriage because of direct orders from the chief justice. >> i support the constate occupation of