♪ ♪ isil closing in an iraqi air base housing u.s. marines. the rebel group close to taking control of a nearby iraqi town. ♪ ♪ it's good to have your company i am david foster. you are watching al jazerra. mohamed fahmy and bahar mohamed now at home with their families, granted bail by an egyptian court on thursday. plus. >> reporter: i am andy gallagher in north carolina, the bodies of the three victims who were shot here on tuesday are laid to rest. we'll bring you reaction from the local community.

♪ ♪ isil forces in iraq are moving closer to a major government base housing hundreds of u.s. troops. fighters attacked the western town the al bagdad and anbar province from two collection on his thursday. it has been we sieges by isil for months now the fighting was a few miles way from the base where u.s. are training iraqis. more of the towns fell under isil control after the group advanced quickly under syrian border last summer. imran kahn is in baghdad trying to find out exactly what is happening down there. what do you know? >> reporter: let me tell what you the official u.s. reaction is. they say they are aware of the reports of isil taking the town of al baghdad-y or trying to take the town. they are aware of skirmishes they say, they are on the outskirts of that town. they say the air base itself is

safe now. there is about 300 u.s. soldiers that are training in an advisory capacity training iraqi troops in that area. this is a real worry for the u.s. their might mere would be one of their base with his their trainers being over run. isil mount this is tactic time and time again. when they want to take an iraqi government base, they take over that and ice it important a launch pad and they have had a lot of success doing this. the difference here is the americans will be able to call in air strikes a lot quicker than the iraqis can and are conte defense they would be able to repel any attack. it is of real concern that they have managed to get so close. remember anbar province, this is a province where a lot of the isil fighters actually come from. they know the territory well. they have some local sympathy there from the anti-government sunni tribes so they are able to mount these kind of attacks. >> and as well as having the air

support around the base which the americans can call in any time they would like, those who are inside the base, if besieged are allowed under the terms of their presence there to defends themselves yeah? >> reporter: that's absolutely right. there is a precedent for all of this. a few weeks ago the canadians came under attack in an air base this a similar situation. they were able to shoot back. they were a able to call in that air support. it's not an ideal situation the americans and the coalition forces would much rather have the iraqis do the fighting for them. there are iraqi troops within this base important well. they will be clearly in the lead if there is any attack. but, yes, there is a precedent for them to be able to fight back. >> we'll leave it there for now imran kahn in baghdad, thank you. that is the latest on what's going on in anbar province, but imran has also been taking a look at battles in northern iraq. the army is fighting isil to regain control of the town of beiji. near the country's largest oil refinery. here sim ran's report.

>> reporter: after 103 days under siege by isil, this iraqi special forces unit is finally free. in mid november iraqi forces retook the base in beiji. but the forces were stretched and having secured the oil refinery they were unable to hold the center of the town. isil took advantage. and pin third degree unit down, every day for 103 days they fought but neither side advanced, it was a stalemate. then just two days ago a breakthrough. reinforcements from the army were able to cut off an isil supply line, help was finally at land. >> translator: we have managed to cut the enemy's supply line. from the town considered the current central point of terrorism. we have advanced further to to the front. now the corridor is under our control. our future plans is to retake

the towns completely. >> reporter: both of those towns are important for them to retake the whole of beiji but it won't be easy or happen soon. >> translator: we have separated the towns the people know how crucial these two locations are. beiji has been in control entirely since 2006. but now we have made good gains by make that go separation. and we are still pushing through. >> reporter: these holes in the road are caused by isil's improvised explosive device that his have killed many iraqi soldiers. this construction equipment that was once used important makeshift roadblocks. on wednesday, president obama said that isil were on the back foot. now that may be the case in some areas, but in beiji seemingly not. the fact that isil were able to pin down an iraqi special forces unit for 103 days, has to be of concern to everyone fighting the group. imran kahn, al jazerra baghdad.

the u.s. senate has now approved ashton carter important the new defense secretary. he will help read the defense strategy in fighting isil. earlier this month he told the senate armed serb sit committee deceiting isil is his top priority. he replaces chuck hagel who resigned in november. the u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon has called for urgent action to stop yemen from descending s in to an, arc anarchy. a coup by shia hugal rebels last week has led to further instability. >> yemen is collapsing before our eyes. we cannot stands by and watch. the country is facing multiple challenges. a dangerous political crisis continues in san yeah, president

hadi, and the prime minister and government ministers and other state officials must be granted freedom of movement. i am concerned by reports of excessive use of force to disperse a peaceful demonstrators and the use of arbitrary arrest and detention of civil society activities and journalists. i call for the protection of human rights especially the rights of peaceful assembly and to freedom of expression. mohamed fahmy and bar there are mohamed are now at home with their families after spending 412 days in detention. an egyptian court gave them bail on thursday. theytheir retrial on charges of colluding with the banned muslim brotherhood will resume on the 23rd of february. neave barker reports. >> reporter: this could be the beginning of the end of an

ordeal that lasted more than 400 days. al jazerra producer mohamed fahmy and bahar mohamed have been granted bail at the start of their retrial. it's come as a huge relief for their families. >> translator: i am going immediately to tell the kids that their father is coming home today. and that life will be beautiful. i'll wait to welcome him back. life has changed today. >> reporter: he was asked by the judge to pay a security bonds of around $33,000. >> we will follow the law. abide by egyptian law and i am sure he will be vicinity indicated by this and completely vindicated later on in this case all falls apart completely. >> reporter: but the judicial fight for bahar mohammed and mohamed fahmy will continue until the charges are dropped. bahar was initially sentenced to 10 years and fahmy seven years in prison. that decision was recently overturned. egypt important highest court of appeals has challenged the evidence presented by the prosecution, saying the proceedings were flawed.

and ordered a retrial. [cheering and applause] >> reporter: earlier this month another al jazerra journalist peter greste was deport today australia, after 400 days in detention. fahmy, who is an egyptian canadian was told by the authority that his his only way to freedom is to renounce his egyptian citizenship which he has done. the three al jazerra journalists bahar, fahmy and greste were arrested in december 2013, they were falsely accused of promoting the banned muslim brotherhood. >> the bail release is a small step in the right direction. but it's a step that should have been taken 411 days ago. there is 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 organizations have been frightened by the fact that these journalists are in jail.

>> reporter: their trial has been widely condemned by the international community and human rights organizations. protesters from around the world demonstrated in solidarity with the detained al jazerra journalists. six other colleagues from al jazerra were sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison. al jazerra continues to call on egypt to have all of its journal iiijournalists exonerated. neave barker, al jazerra. myanmar state journalist say 47 soldiers have been killed fighting with ethnic chinese rebels. the fight back on the border with china. myanmar's government says the troops died trying to stop the rebels from taking over the capital of the region. china's minister has called for calm and says refugees from myanmar are escaping the fighting. the new prime minister of greece says ideal on renegotiating a billion dollars bail out can be reached before

his government runs out of money. speaking in brussels ahead of a key meeting of euro zone finance ministers, he said he's hopeful that a compromise on debt can still be reached. >> translator: this bridge agreement will lead us to a new shall i say social contract with our european partners within six months. a contract for growth, social cohesion and getting greece out of a crisis. the peace agreement on ukraine has been signed, but fighting between government forces and pro-russian rebels continues. both the even u. and the u.s. could impose more shankses if the deal which is due to come in to effect at midnight on saturday sunday is broken. lead presser russia, ukraine france and germany agreed on the plan in the belorussian capital minsk. let's move on.

charles stratford has this report from ukraine. >> reporter: we drove across the fields to the frontline only hours ago the ukrainian military fired rockets at this road. the separatists fighter with us said we should switch off our mobile phones and drive fast. there are a few fighters here at this former ukrainian military base. they say that their primarily role here is to try to monitor ukrainian army movements. we are at a separatist defensive position south of donetsk the fighters tell us that the ukrainian forces are about a kilometer in that direction. they tell us that we can't go in front of this building because there is a danger of snipers. the fighters here are unsure what the minsk agreement will mean for them. >> translator: we will stay here unless we get honored from our commanders to retreat or advance. we are holding this defensive position to help protect the town. >> reporter: the separatist leaders said the agreement could have far-reaching implications.

>> translator: we can't deny ukraine this chance because the whole country will change important a result. the attitude and the people will change. in fact, the people of ukraine we are still with them. we totally consider them our people. this chance is given to ukraine to change its constitutionality which is specifically mentioned in these agreement documents. to change its attitude. >> reporter: the minsk agreement fails to define the status of the people's republics. some of the people in donetsk are in favor of independence. >> translator: donetsk should be independent. unity won't work. to return to ukraine means to be governed by an inadequate government. >> translator: how can we return to ukraine after everything they have done to us? >> reporter: thousands of people have been killed in indiscriminate shelling on both sides of this conflict. three shells his this hospital in accept-controlled donetsk on wednesday night. at least one person was killed. >> translator: we hid where we

could. >> the patience were under the dust. one bed was destroyed by shrapnel. it have terrifying. >> reporter: so many people have died since the last ceasefire collapsed in september. and there is great uncertainty amongst the people here important to whether this latest truce will be immaterial implemented and followed. charles stratford. eastern ukraine. stay with us, we are off to the u.s. pretty soon. still to come on you researchers are trying to stop hospital equipment being hacked. we also have. >> reporter: i am fez jamil in kashmir. we'll speak to a family of a young man who was killed during protests here this week.

>> 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.

♪ ♪ these are the headlines. iceisil forces in iraq are moving closer to a base housing hundreds of u.s. trips of fighters are taking control of the town of al baghdadi in anbar province after attacking from two positions. 47 soldiers have been killed in me an myanmar in four days of fighting with ethnic chinese rebels. they are accused of trying to take over a capital in myanmar. the al jazerra journalists mohamed fahmy and bahar mohamed are now home with their families. the men spent 412 days behind bars in egypt. their retrial on charges of colluding with the banned muslim brotherhood is due to resume 10 days are now. thousands of mourners have been to the funeral service for three muslim students killed in the u.s. state of north carolina

carolina. the police have charged a suspect with murder allegedly after an argument over parking. but the families of the victims say they were killed because of their faith. andy gallagher reports. >> reporter: this was always going to be a somber service full of raw emotion. but the local community was determined that the victims families wouldn't be a lope. thousands came from across the region. so many that the prayer services had to be held in a sports field instead of the local mosque. the loss of the three has shocked this tight knit university town and there is anger amongst many. >> we are concerned that the rising anti-muslim rhetoric in our society maven couraged some to commit violence against american muslims. so we urge the law enforcement to investigate this case important a possible hate crime. >> reporter: craig steven hicks

has already been charged with first degree murder. but it's the early findings of investigators that has upset muslim americans. police here believe that hicks shot the three students in an argument over parking. but their families say it was a hate crime. >> i do want to take this opportunity and i won't spoke much about the investigation today at all. because this is a time to be together. i will just recommit that we are examining every possible investigative angle to include the potential if a hate crime. >> reporter: in a smaller more private ceremony, those who knew and loved them. said their final good byes, but their families and the local community their loss will be deeply felt for years to come. the last few days here have been filled with sadness and displays of solitaire at this. but this community will not be catching the ensuing investigation closely many here remain convinced this was a crime motivated by religious hatred and nothing more. the fbi has now launched their own investigation, but many here

are upset that the deaths of the three students weren't treated important a hate crime from the beginning. >> the fact we have to think is this a hate crime? shows where we stand important americans. important a nation, that's sad why is that the case 123-4678 the exact reason why three young lives were take then such a senseless way may never be known. but it's not going to stop those left behind seeking answers to difficult questions. andy gallagher, al jazerra wendell, north carolina. a u.s. police charge has been charged with assailing an indian physician. he was tackled to the ground in bam where he was caring for his grandson. police were called after a phone call reporting a suspicious man walking in the neighborhood. the u.s. state department says the incident is regrettable. his lawyer says he's been left partially paralyzed. >> the secretary and the state department certainly express our strong condolences to the family for everything that he has been

through. this is being handled by lost authorities and certainly we would address any concerns through private diplomatic channels. now, this is his lawyer, hank her regard. >> he's making a little bit of progress every day. he has very little function right now in his left leg. he's regained movement of his arms but has little grip strength but he's making a little bit of progress. the family hopes and prays that he will make a full recovery. barack obama is heading to california for a summit on cyber security. and there he will meet industries experts about combating the number of threats that there are taking on the hackers is a complicated business. important we report now from baltimore. the people trying to catch the hackers may well be prosecuted themselves. >> reporter: at the johns cop tins computer science department. paul martin is showing his professor the progress he's made in his research project.

he's been hacking in to devices used in hospitals around the world but then making them safe from other hackers. >> these medical devices are everywhere. and they are connected to networks right now and to patience right now. and nobody has really done that much work on looking at the security of these device asks trying to prevent especially the legacy devices from being attacked. >> reporter: it's not just medical devices that are vulnerable to attack, from cars to our homes' power surprise and i don't understand. more and more of our lives are networked all too often with minimal safeguards. under proposed anti-hacking administration announced last month by the obama administration. it's researchers like martin who could be cross prosecutessed for attempting to explore this. >> finding bugs is exhaustive. >> reporter: important an academic martin thinks he would be safer. but is not sure. knows that many other so-called white hat hackers could be liable for prosecution for attempting to filed weaknesses before those with bad

intentions. >> they are propose to go make things that are already criminal even more criminal. i don't think that's going to solve the problem. they are also propose to go share information collect information from private companies and share it with the national security agency. >> reporter: about all of us. >> about all of us, and there are privacy problems with that. that's kind of scare. they are already collect ago lost information now there will be more. and somebody who is a technologies what i can tell you is the problem we have is a lot of very bad software in everything that we use ranging from elevators to toasters. >> reporter: and you are trying to make it better? >> we are all trying to make it better. >> reporter: is there a sense they are going an easier route instead going after corporations whose security standards is lack in the first place. >> it's a problem, you have to get everybody to put on you software. which is a huge battle just creating a new department in washington, d.c. is easier. >> reporter: since president obama's proposals were announced security experts like prefoes or green has raised alarm. arguing allowing prosecutors to go after the wrong people.

even consumers who share their passwords for sites that stream movies but dangerous hackers would be untroubled. but such is the need to be seen to be doing something about hacking it's unclear whether the administration is listening to their concerns. al jazerra baltimore. venezuela's president nicholas maduro says his opponents are trying to stage a coup on tv he said that he foiled a plan to bomb the presidential palace. his opponents say it's totally wrong and the president is trying to draw people's attentions away from the country's problems. police clashed with students on the streets of the capital caracas, the students were taking parts in rallies marking a year since anti-government protests led 43 dead. phones were thrown, petrol bombs too at security offices who were not letting them march. the police responded with rubber bullets and tear gaze there were protests in other parts of

venezuela too. now to the late never our series on organ donations. in germany not many people are willing to be donors and that means some patients desperately waiting for a transplant don't get one. nick surpriser reports. >> reporter: 23-year-old kevin handles applications from people who need an i.d. card to prove that they are severely disabled. this is his. four years ago his heart doubled in size because of my owe carditis without this pumping machine he will die in 20 minutes. he's so tired of waiting for a donor heart he wishes his case would get worse. >> at the moment i am on what's called the normal list. that means i will almost never get a heart because there are too many emergency cases. people in the hospital get a higher place on the list. the only chance for me to get a short to be in hospital. >> reporter: this is one of

several transplant centers who doctors were accuse of changing patient information to move them up the europe-wide transplant waiting list. when the scandal broke in 2012 it had a devastating effect on public opinion and continues to do so. even now more than 60 60% of germans think donated organs willing not necessarily go to the most needy. to win back public trust the government is running ads like this one, but even with celebrities recruit today get people to sign up to be donors the problem remains. three people die every day waiting. 11,000 people are on the wait list. the donor pool has dropped by nearly 1/5 in the past two years. >> people have to accept that transplantation is a very useful method and they have to stand behind this method. and then i think we important medical doctors we have to convince our population and we have to gain again trust.

>> reporter: 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 scares people away. kevin says people have, instead to imagine what it's like to have to watch a loved one die because of organ didn't become available. for now he's just waiting for a call to come quick to the hospital or for his health to worsen enough to move up the waiting list. nick spicer, al jazerra. tensions appear to be rising in the i indian administered kashmir after an 18-year-old man was shot dead during a practice test. his family said he was place cricket. fez jamil has more from indian administered kashmir. >> reporter: people in the village have come out to comfort the family. he was enlargedly shot and killed by security forces earlier this week when protesters began throwing stones at them. the mood here is somber. but at times angry.

people here say he was playing cricket near where the protests happened in indian administers kashmir, and they insist he was not a post tester one of the protesters throwing stones, his father was too upset to speak with us so his cousin spoke instead. >> translator: there has been so many cases like this one of innocent people being killed. nothing happens in those cases cases and it looks like nothing will happen in this one either. >> reporter: the street have been largely empty after the beth death this week and there have been curfews and strikes across the region. some in response to his death. others on mark the anniversary of the executions of a separatist. security forces were posted outside the village to prevent any further protests. unlike previous cases authorities began an investigation in to the killing right away. >> in order to instill the confidence of the public that we are very fair in getting the justice done, every justice will

be rendered. >> reporter: local officials say the investigation will look at why shots were fired. insisting police and paramilitary forces do restrain themselves when faced by stone-throwing protesters. >> but if the protest goes beyond the limit and it's on a large scale loss to the public property or the personal deployed. then the firing can be ordered. >> reporter: in anticipation of the protests, the authorities placeplaced several separatist leaders under house arrest. from his home, this leader says the protesters were peaceful. >> some men used more force to crash the peace from protests, definitely the t*. [ inaudibleinning i believe. >> reporter: life has begun to return to norm until kashmir but the calm here is fragile. authorities say they hope to finish their investigation later this month. businesses have reopened throughout the region and people here are returning to their daily lives.

but many here worry that attacks like these -- deaths like these could lead to more violence. catch up any time with all of the news on aljazerra.com. aljazerra.com. iraqi forces are finally gaining ground on i.s.i.l. not without help from america, and with iraq going broke as the oil business goes bust. how much more blood and treasure can the u.s. afford to provide. i'm talking about a man who had his own boots on the ground and trained its army plus, one of the influential women attempting to shape the future of this region at war. >> we will hopefully, behind the military piece come up with a