>> united states steps up supplies of weapons to saudi-led coalition. fighting houthi rebels in yemen. [music] >> you're watching al jazeera. good to have your company. i'm david foster. also coming up in the next 30 minutes. remembering the victims and demanding fantasy security. kenyan students hold a protest in nairobi. and killing 15 police in an ambush in western mexico. and they're short charging the researchers to breathe new

life into your phone. so the united states says it is now speeding up munitions supplies to the saudi-led coalition fighting houthi rebels and their allies in yemen. washington also say it is increasing its intelligence share to help stop the houthies from taking more of the country. more than 550 people have been killed and 1700 injured in fighting in yemen over the last few weeks. unicef the children's agency, 17 children are known to have died in the last few days. even though that is an official figure the real number is thought to be much higher. warning of a catastrophic situation in aden and they want an immediate truce to allow in

aden a team of surgeons. they're hopeing to find medical supplies on wednesday. >> saudi-led airstrikes in yemen claim more casualties among civilians. some are being treated at the main hospital in the capital of sanaa. the united nations have expressed concerns over the wising death toll among civilians since the start of the military campaign almost two weeks ago. international aid agencies say that they're unable to reach many of the people affected by the fighting. living in an area that has been hit. her son was injured in an attack targeting a gas tanker. >> if the children were in the position of my child what would the response be? look how awful our situation is right now where your children are burdened like this and we're homeless from our houses like this. may god punish those who

displace people from their homes. >> saudi army officers deny accusations that target civilians. they blame the houthies for moving their weapons to civilian areas. the coalition has called on army officers loyal to the houthies and former president ali an abdullah saleh. >> we're targeting the houthies and the soldiers loyal to saleh and saleh ties. wherever they go our message to them is that the yemeni army, you have to join the legitimacy and ban the rebels. >> these are houthi positions at the moment they were hit by warplanes. in a strong show of support for the saudis, the u.s. said its speeding up weapons supplies to the coalition. on the diplomatic front china and russia are working on a new resolution. the move is aimed at stopping violence and resuming political

talks among yemen's rival factions. >> china is deeply worried by the recent developments of the situation in yemen. we call on all relevant members of the party to commit to a cease-fire and stop all fighting. we also call on them to resolve the crisis political dialogue to quickly restore yemen's stability and legal order. >> but on the ground the fighting continues. forces loyal to president abd rabbuh mansur hadi say they're driving houthies from areas in aden saada. the saudi-led coalition said that it's attacks will continue until houthis pull out from the cities they control and president hadi is reinstated. a demand rejected by the houthies. al jazeera.

>> well, the arabic correspondent has this update on the coalition's daily briefing. >> regarding the updates from the airstrikes, the spokesman of the forces stated in the press conference in the daily press conference he confirmed that they have targeted many weapons and ammunition storages. he stressed on something. he stressed that there are many and huge number of storages in yemen. they are targets now. one important thing he added. he said that he's trying to limit the troops' movement inside yemen. the houthis militias, and he also mentioned that they are trying to prevent any kind of support that houthies might receive in yemen by targeting

the infrastructure that they are using, and in the end of the press conference he said one important note. he said in response to one of the questions that iran and hezbollah are involved in training houthies militia. >> well, let's get more now we know who is suffering, no doubt about it that the civilians in particular children as well amongst them are bearing the brunt of what is happening. but do we know in anyway, same or form who is has the upper hand militarily. >> well, they say for the time being have managed to undermine the military capabilities of the houthies and forces loyal to ali abdullah saleh. but we haven't got to that level where we can say that there is a

collapse of the chain of command within the forces loyal to ali abdullah saleh and the houthis. they're still able to send forces to aden there are hold out in areas in downtown areas despite the mastiff airstrikes. this has been quite delicate for both sides. the houthies still insist this is a fight that they will continue for as long as it takes. until their demands are met and they consider themselves the legitimate authority in yemen. >> thank you. calling on iran to join in the debate in yemen.

>> saudi arabia had asked for support for land, sea and air forces. >> the united nations security council called for humanitarian access to the palestinian refugee camp yarmouk in syria. most of the camps are overrun by isil last wednesday. after several years of fighting in concern, the top u.n. official suggests that the security council suggest emergency measures to evacuate people from there. they forced to flee already and they're staying in a temporary camp. >> we heard that they're breaking walls and there are

clashes. we did not know anything when they became closer, they said that isil fighter were killing women and children. when the syrian army entered they moved us to another convenient where we were safe. they secured a road for us. >> we could not see them but we heard they were beheading all the young men. they asked for civilians to leave the camp, but we did not believe them at the we heard that they killed some people who left and we also heard that they took some civilian youth. >> the iraqi city of tikrit officials say that it is safe enough for the people who had live there had to return, as charles trait fort reports. >> many buildings in tikrit remain deserted.

the islamic state in iraq and the levant overran saddam hussein's hometown in june. security forces are trying to reassure people its safe to return. >> we are in control of security. we control all of the government buildings and we have secured the residential areas. >> the iraqi military victory here was helped by u.s.-led coalition airstrikes. evidence of atrocities committed by isil was discovered in this mass grave last week. it's believed to contain the bodies of iraqi soldiers. >> i came to this place to look for my nephew. i was told he was killed and buried here in di crete. >> iraq's prime minister has been visiting the kurdish north. he repeated his promise that the iraqi army would work with kurdish forces to take back control of the province of nineveh. >> we are here to cooperate and

coordinate on a joint plan to deliberate the people of nineveh. we will work with all the sides including all the religious sects, to lib liberate all of the people. >> isil still controls huge areas of northern iraq. most of the western province of anbar and various areas north of the capital of baghdad. >> malaysia's parliament has introduced a law that introduces indefinite detention without trial, a policy revoked three years ago. it was passed after 17 people were detained on suspicion of planning attacks in the capital of kuala lumpur kuala lumpur. >> 62 turkish military office who were jailed for plotting to topple the then prime minister

erdogan has been acquitted. other officers were acquitted in the same case last week. the judge ruled that some of the digital evidence against them was inadmissible. among that evidence documents said to be from 2003, which used a typeface, which did not exist until 2007. turkey's restored access to social networking sites the day after they were blocked over images of the hostage held at gunpoint. he decide last tuesday in a chutea shootout between security forces and his captors. there are photos of him holding a gun to his head. the court ordered that for twitter and facebook be banned until the images were removed.

>> among other things they say they need compensation for the families of the 148 victims. the building of a memorial in tighter security on college campuses. they stopped at the office of the president kenyatta to present their demands. it's been just announced that ken kenya's president bank accounts has links suspected to al-shabab. not only are a vast number of bank accounts associated with terrorist. >> yes this is going to come as a shock to many businessmen who own big businesses in the city of nairobi and also in many parts of the country. at least from the central bank of kenya first of all starts

with a list of organizations that it says it has declared terrorist organizations. it starts with al-shabab the mumbasa council, which is an organization that operates in the coastal parts of the country. and then isil, the islamic state in iraq and the levant. and also boko haram the group that operates in northern nigeria. but then there is another list which is of people are associated with al-shabab and it's starts with the man who is considered the mastermind of the garissa attack, and goes all the way to companies hotels, money transfers and companies which the somali community is very well-known to have invested in over the years. and i must say again that 95% of

the people on the list are people associated with al-shabab are considered--are somalis and include some governmental organizations. >> this sort of begs the question, and that is, if the shorts were able to get a list of that's names and banks in a relatively short space of time and put them on the prohibitive list those lists must have been available to them for some time. why did they not put them on those lists and are there suggestions that they haven't done enough relative to what happened in garissa. >> it is a very good question, and it is one that we're going to be reporting to the government and officials because as you say it's such a short time for them to have compiled that's very long lists. i very much doubt that this is a very comprehensive list, and it

is because it just includes, for example, all companies that are operated by somali businessmen and these lists also is the who is who of the somali business community, and definitely this community, as it has always claimed, is going to claim that they have been targeted for no reason. but also it is, as you say if the government had this information before, why did it wait until the attack happened for them to declare these people associated with al-shabab and freezing their bank accounts. obviously, there is going to be a huge backlog of court cases to challenge the government's move. and it will be interesting to see how the situation develops from now on in. >> indeed. thank you very much, indeed. >> still ahead here on

al jazeera will there be race reform in the city of ferguson. the people there voting in their first council election since the killing of michael brown. and the world's worst performing currency is now the best. how russia's ruble is fighting back. back.

>> we have the top stories for you. the united states say it will be speeding up weapon supplies to the saudi-led coalition which has been targeting houthi rebels in yemen.

unicef the children's agency said at least 74 children have been killed since the end of administer. the u.n. security council has called for humanitarian access to a palestinian refugee camp in syria a week after it was attacked by isil. and individuals being held in the kenyan capital to remember the 148 people killed by al-shabab gunmen at a kenyan university last week. hundreds of students called on the government for better security measuress oncomouses. on campuses. really turkey's president has met and signed memorandum of understanding that covers economic and cultural relations. 15 state police in mexico have been killed in an an ambush

by suspected gang members. it is the second major assault on security forces in the region in less than a month. drugs, cartels are regarded as one of mexico's biggest security threats. jonah hull joins me live from mexico city. these guns and gangs are so powerful in their own particular areas, why they felt it necessary to ambush the police and carry out these massive number of murders? >> actually, it's rare for mexican cartels to get involved at this level. 15 police killed, and we've been talking with analysts and experts here. they say it's the biggest number of police killed in a single attack in all of the drug wars, in all of the years of the drug

war. in this case to answer your question it was in retaliation of police killing a local leader two weeks ago. this was a well choreographed attack on them. they ambushed them on the highway as the police convoy went through and shot down 15 officers here. so this is a cartel that is known for its drug smuggling more than anything. it has access to the two oceans on either side of mexico, and also a good land route to traffic drug and the know how and international contacts to do that. that's it's main form of business. experts thought perhaps the police were getting too close to them, and this was a violent signal for them to back off and stop attacking them and their drug trade. this is a cartel that has not been above extorting the local population and local businesses, so this could another sign for the police to leave them alone.

as you mentioned in the introduction this is not the first attack they mounted in recent times. this is also a big headache for president enrique peña nieto. he has been able to arrest or kill many of the heads of the cartels in mexico. but then when he does that there is another cartel or head who springs up in its place. >> we got the picture john, thank you. the u.s. republican senator rand paul said he will be running for his party's nomination to be the next man in the white house. he's the second person after ted cruz to formerly declare his candidacy for the republican ticket. >> we're going to take our country back from the special interests that used washington as their personal piggy bank.

the special interests that are more concerned with their personal welfare than the general welfare. the washington machine that gobbles up our freedoms and invades every nook and cranny of our lives must be stopped. >> the people of ferguson in the state of missouri are voting in first council of elections that have been since an unarmed black teenager was shot by a white officer. thetwo-thirds much ferguson residents are black but it's city double are council are white. rob reynolds is our man and sends us this update. >> there has been a steady trickle of voters coming here at the voting place here.

ever since the events of last august when the unarmed black teenager was fatally shot and the civil unrest that developed after that and continued into november when that white police officer was not indicted by the local grand jury people here in ferguson have looked towards this day this local election day as the opportunity to turn some of that popular outrage into a political change and something constructive that mighty merge out of it. of course, many people have also wondered whether the majority black population in this community would use this election as an opportunity to come out to the polls and vote for black candidates. at the moment the six members of the city council only one is

african-american. a lot of people are hoping that that will change after today. there are three seats open on the city council. and eight people are running for those seats four of them are african-american candidates. now this is a small community. the change that may come out of this election may come out overnight, but this community still has to do a lot of work in terms of complying with some orders that have come down from the federal government, the department of justice. the reform the way the city works, the way the police force here, which is overwhelmingly white, again, a majority of the african-american community and other items. this today is at least is a start. we'll have to wait and see how many people do come to the polls you. historically the turnout has been very low in elections of this nature, but this time it

might be different. >> how about this for a turn around beat, the ruble has hit yay high to against the u.s. dollar and euro. it lost 40% of its value last year. what has happened? here is rory challands. a plunging ruble that's so late 2014. this season, the first quarter of the 2015 the ruble is the best performing currency in the world. >> indeed, it has been up 20% from its lowest point in the end of january. the scenario that everyone was forecasting at the end of last year is not realizing. >> she puts it down to a slight rally in the price of oil and an ukrainian cease-fire that although repeatedly violetted it does seem to have calmed the conflict. when it comes to why the rubble is strengthening analysts are unanimous.

they think oil is a factor, and that is something else still having a bigger influence. >> the russian compilation felt more currency than bite. >> so it's normal people when are up loading dollars? >> yes they're looking for savings. >> this is all of it perplexing, time to scratch the head and nurse a few financial losses. but there won't be sympathy here for currency traders who made the wrong bet. it is still far away from where it was last year. russia is mired in double digit inflation and the beginnings of a recession.

>> and stanford university in the u.s. they've invented something that could well revolutioners the revolutionize the electronics industry. this could fully charge a cell phone in just one minute. it's a safer way of doing it, and it is greener than current models. let's hear from journalist paul marx why this is so important. >> they've made significant break through in working out which materials to produce decent power. very fast charging without the risks of lithium, which is anyone who has looked at youtube will know. smart phones and laptops bursting into flames when they're damage: there is another company in israel that

is trying to make a very fast-charging battery that succeeded to charge in 30 seconds. they claim to have a phone charging in 30 seconds this year. so massive research. >> take a look at our website for more information on that. www.aljazeera.com. hi, i am lisa flesher and you are in the stream. nonprofit hospitals are supposed to take care of people regardless of their ability to pay. why then are some suing patients for millions. and the is i.r.s. doing enough to stop it? could this be the beginning of the end for the cable television industry, a new internet t.v. services are capturing consumers. and a new battlefiel