a battle for kunduz the u.s. launs airstrikes on the after ban city with taliban fighters are making advances. ♪ ♪ hello, you are watching al jazeera live from doha. also ahead, five people are sentenced to death in india for the 2006 mumbai traina at. the russian parliament approves president putin's request to deploy troops abroad. and protesters take aim at u.n. peacekeepers in the central african republic.

we begin in afghan that where nato says its special forces have now reached the northern city of kunduz the troops are there to help bolster the afghan army who huh been staging ago a tan against the taliban. u.s. forces launched air trikes close to the airport trying to keep it in government hands. stefanie dekker reports. >> reporter: there are no government troops left here. taliban fighters are now in control of large parts of kunduz city. here they are symbolically raising their at that flag in the city square. this battle is not over. the afghan government has announced a major military operation to recapture kunduz. >> translator: in the first place we should take care of the civilian casualties we have already paid attention and will continue. the enemy has had heavy damages. i don't want to go in to the did

he taste operations. >> reporter: special forces have been brought in and the u.s. military confirmed an air strike on the outskirts of the city on tuesday morning. it's proving difficult for some reinforcements to reach kunduz because the taliban has set up booby troops along the way. on monday they broke open the prison releasing hundreds of inmates most former taliban fighters. taliban commander issued a statement telling residents not to worry and to go about their daily lives but that will be hard with the fighting going on. it coincides with ghani's first anniversary as president and the first year afghan forces are facing the taliban alone after u.s. troops and the u.n. polted last year. this is the boldest in on long

campaign by the taliban to take more control over the country a strong message to anyone watching that fewer teen years after battling coalition forces the taliban can still take control of a major city in less than 24 hours. stefanie dekker, al jazeera. >> the capture of kunduz marks the first type the taliban mass seized a major african since city since 2001. it's estimated that around 300,000 people live there. it's a strategically important transport hub it's linked by highway to his kabul in the south: the border is porous and used for smuggling of afghan opium and harrow en to central asia. control carries symbolic value. it was one of the last taliban enclaves to fall during the 2001 u.n. invasion. let's have the latest now the battle for kunduz and attempt by

the afghan army to recapture if the taliban. tell us first and where you are, your location and the latest you are hearing about the fighting. >> reporter: let me explain, as you can see over a thousand of afghan security forces are stuck in this location it's about 45-kilometers to kuhn dues city, they cannot go further simply base taliban set up ambushes around the road. and also e.u. differents so these soldiers are supposed to retake kunduz city from the taliban now it's two days they are stuck here, they have suffered heavy casualty fighting going on in this location, and a strong resistence from taliban. >> and yet we are hearing that nato special forces have made it to kunduz, tell us more that. what what their mission is going

to be and whether they are engaging right now the taliban. >> reporter: we are hearing that some nato special forces enter kunduz city through by here by plane of course not by road and they are trying to launch ground operation, but it is not a large number of soldiers, we are talking about a small number of nato special forces from kunduz we talked with our correspondent there, they are stuck at the airport, all the security forces, the they cannot go furtr taliban are showing strong force in the city. >> hour are the residents are kunduz coping? >> reporter: yesterday taliban used a mosque loud speaker and announced to the people of kunduz to continues their normal lives, they asked shop keepers

to open their shops and continuing their businesses and they are promising people they are going to stay for long, not a short tile. and they are requesting people to start their normally lives, but, remember, many people working with the government of kuhn dues in a civilian administration offices, they all left and also people are kuhn duekunduzare not sure how the gt will retake the city. would it have heavy fighting and they are afraid. they are trying to leave the city but all the roads around the kunduz city is blocked. >> a complicated situation for the afghan army, thank you very much, on the frontline there with the afghan army as they attempt to retake the city of kunduz from taliban fighters. in other world news a court in india has sentence the five people to death for planting bombs on mumbai's local trains in 2006, 189 people remember killed in the attacks. let's speak to faiz jamil who joins us live from new delhi now. first of all tell us about the details of this sentence.

>> reporter: well, after all the delays, five people have been given the death sentence seven others given life sentences for the 2006 attacks where bombs were placed inside pressure cookers and then those pressure cookers placed inside commuter trains that went after during the morning commute. the prosecution itself called nearly 200 witnesses to the stand which lengthened the trial itself. then the supreme court even got involved when one of the accused contested his arrest under anti-terrorism laws which delayed the trial for almost two years. now the convicts can appeal to a higher court, even to the president of india as a last-tich attempt but that is a process that could take mogs, maybe he have years. >> is the case essentially closed now? >> reporter: the appeals process will begin shortly by the

lawyers after today. but the case is not closed police believe 15 people are still at large including whom they believe to be the masterminds. investigators say they believe that the same group responses foible this is attack is responsible for the infamous 2008 mumbai attacks and many of the victims' families said have they won't feel justice is served until all of those who are accused have been caught and convicted. >> faiz, have you touch. now, 16 turkish workers who were kidnapped in iraq almost a month ago have been released they were first spotted in a town security force have his taken this tomorrow turkish embassy in the iraqi capital baghdad. two other hostages were released earlier this month. world leaders meeting at the u.n. say a long-term plan is this is to combat isil but disagree over how the armed group can be did he feeted the u.s. says the syrian president is part of the problem while russia believes bashar al-assad

needs to stay in power to fight isil. our diplomatic editor james bays reports from new york. >> reporter: a special meeting at the u.n. to boost the coalition against isil. >> i believe what we have here today is the emergence of a global movement that is united by the mission of degrading and ultimately destroying isil. >> reporter: if you listen to words the president chose, you see the problem. there has not been as much progress on the ground as the u.s. would like. >> this is not an easy task. we have isil taking root. >> reporter: taking root across large swaths of syria and iraq. including the syrian city of raqqa, mosul in iraq. >> reporter: iraq's prime minister said his government was making progress, in the last year, they did retake tikrit but lost rah mad and i all the while accord to this tur turkish prime

minister foreign fighters have been streaming in. >> for be terrorist fighters since 2011, we have now recorded down almost 20,000 names from over 100 countries. >> isis' success is the reason for its success it is attract more people because it has created the stat like thing and >> reporter: lack of progress against isil is the no the only problem. there is he not unity among the i want national community russia's foreign minister did not take part in the meeting and iran was not invited. on wednesday the u.n. security council will discuss very similar issues in a meeting organized by russia, the current president of the council. two separate meetings one central point of disagreement the russians say everyone should join with president assad to fight isil, the u.s. say that assad is part of the problem not

the solution. and it's that one point that's hindering the fight against isil and complicated efforts to bring peace to syria. james bays, al jazeera, the united nations. still ahead on al jazeera, a strong show of support for a healthcare group that is under fire from conservatives in the u.s. and the fighting to stay on top. south korea's national sport could i kwan dough has a knew martial arts rival.

>> "inside story" takes you beyond the headlines, beyond the quick cuts, beyond the soundbites. we're giving you a deeper dive into the stories that are making our world what it is.

welcome back. you are watching al jazeera live from doha. nato special forces have now reached the northern city of kunduz in afghan that. they are there to bolster the afghan army who have been staging a counter attack against the taliban. fighting remains focused around the airport. a court in india have sentence the five people to death for planting bombs on trains in 2006, 189 people were killed. seven others sentenced to life in prison. world leaders meet on this sidelines of the u.n. general assembly have agreed that a long-term campaign is needed to defeat isil. the u.s. believes a new leader is needed in syria to defeat the armed group but our a disagrees. russia's upper house of parliament has proved the use of military force abroad. it comes as they are building up their military presence in syria about it supports president bashar al-assad. let's bring in peter sharp live

from moscow for us. tell us about this decision, what is it about and why now? >> reporter: iit was announced y president putin after his meeting with president obama a couple of days ago at the u.n. that russia was prepared to commit aircraft to strikes against isil in the conflict there. so basically this was the federation council rubber stamping that announcement by president putin. saying that these strikes would go ahead and they could come at any time now that the formalities have been completed in moscow. basically we understand six of russia the most advance the fighter bombers have been deployed at an air field near. they would be crewed by russian pilots and crew because syrians are not trained in this and would be committed, we have just

heard to targets inside syria. >> what about the navel exercises, peter, that are starting today after the coast of syria? >> reporter: that's right, beginning today they are lasting seven days, the units are legal under the u.n. convention of the sea, but the buildup of the ships are krausing great concern to the nato and nato and the west, introducing more armed forces. this small fleet of russian ships in to an already highly mill ter iced area which could destabilize the middle east and we have just heard in the last half hour that from the feds raise council in moscow that once again, duh mass russ, president assad has requested more military aid from russia. >> okay, peter, thank you very

much for that. pete are sharp live for us in moscow. meanwhile, israel's defense minister has ruled out any coordination with russia over its operations in syria. that after at russian president expressed concern over israeli airstrikes in syria and called for discussions over the matter. >> translator: israel a regional power in a sense that's situated in this region. and, of course we should respect the interests of the state of israel. israel is not indifferent to what and "america tonight" happening in this country. and at the same time, there are some questions that cause certain concerns about airstrikes at syrian territories. all this should be subject to discussion by the experts and that will continues on a bilateral basis without creating any kind of instructs trues. now to africa and the u.n. human rights chief says the latest wave of fighting in the central african republic could prove catastrophic. gun battles between u.n. peacekeepers and armed groups have killed at least 37 people.

owe coalition of mainly muslim armed groups known as celica took over towns in the north and sink regions in of the c.a.r. in 2012. a year later the christian president was overthrown by the muslim rebels. that sparked long-running titling between his supporters the mainly christian armed group known as the anti-balance ca forces and the sale knighters remember the u.n. peacekeeping force of 13,000 soldiers have been struggled to stop the fighting which has forced more than 400,000 people from their homes, the latest fighting comes week before a presidential election. >> reporter: the u.n. isn't welcome in parts here. all day on tuesday residents put the roadblocks to keep the peace peacekeepers out of their neighborhood. >> the. >> translator: the population is desperate and doesn't believe in these forces any more.

>> translator: we want the departure of international forces to leave because they do absolutely nothing 67 the a u.n. spokesman told al jazeera that they could always do more but they are fully engaged. the spokesman said theup is working with community leaders and government official today put an end to recent communal violence in the capital. over the weekend a muslim taxi driver was killed setting off days of fighting in the streets leaving nearly 40 people dead, scores injured and 10s of thousands leaving the capital. in the chaos some 500 prisoners escaped from the main jail. >> as bad as things are, it pales in comparison to what is happening in the east, hundreds of people are being killed if not thousands, we are only scratching the surface in documenting that. there is a real bush war happening. we are traveling out in the bush and we are come across villages in which civilians are being killed, homes are being burned

and this stuff is not being documented. >> reporter: on monday protesters march to the presidential palace in ban gee demanding the interim president resign and the central african army be rearmed and redeployed. the u.n. backed president has accused the former president and his allies of taking her power away. but the former press says when rebels took over his government in 2013 they assassinated democracy and the country is reeling from the consequences,. world leaders gathered in new york for the u.n. general assembly have pledged almost $2 billion for refugees in camps in the middle east. germany has argued an initiative to accept thousands of refugees and asylum seekers from syria and countries. the refugees donors include members from the g7 group of leading industrialized nations a well well as other european countries and gulf states

hungary's foreign men stir is calling world quota to accept the burden of refugees. the proposal will be raised on a meeting in a few hours. >> this will be about a world quota. because we understand that the major resources -- or the major sources of this mass popular movement are countries which game unstable because of international political decisions. >> in the u.s. the leading family planning agency that provides women with abortions and cheap access to health care is fight to go keep its federal funds, protesters nationwide have been speaking out in support of planned parenthood after republican politicians threatened to cut taxpayer funding, kimberly halkett has the details. the president of planned parenthood faced off with conservative lawmakers for hours as she justified why she believes that the organization

this is a network the health clinics that also provide abortions should receive their annual federal funneled. this organization became the target of conservative lawmakers as of late because of videos that surfaced recently that purport to show executives from planned parenting talking about selling baby parts or fetal tissue for research, for sale and potentially profiting at that from that. it has outraged many law mangers who are had opposed to planned parenthood because it provides abortions which is in violation of many of their religious beliefs. as a result she faced top questioning as she made the argument that planned parenthood does a lot more than just provide abortions. they came to capitol hill with a message for members of congress, don't defund planned marijuana hood they say it's for many it's their only access to affordable healthcare.

courtney was in graduate school sufferering from endometriosis and turn today planned parent had i when she could no longer afford medication. >> i worked really hard to get in to this graduate program and now i need to get a josh not going to be ale to study for this one reason. so planned parenthood made it so that i was able to get the memme medication 67 not everyone in congress sees planned parenthood as a ba neville he want organization but health clinics provide abortions violating the religious beliefs of some members and the comfort after others after video surfaced purportedly exposing planned parent high executives openly discussing the sale of fetal tissue for profit. >> reporter: many in congress are incensed and threaten to go cut the more than 450 million in federal funding for the therein igz, also demanding answers from the president of planned parent

hood appearing before a congressional committee. >> the outrageous accusations leveled against planned parenthood based on heavily doctored videos are offensive and categorically untrue. >> the taxpayers have a right to know how this money is being spent. >> absolute. >> i. >> if tack bayer dollars are being used to free up services that he provide that are ab rents. >> reporter: but others in congress say the hearing is nothing more than political theater. and an attack on women's reproductive choices that has been going on since abortion was well iced in 1973. >> what is under attack is the right of woman to control their own bodies and reproduction of the courtney agrees and why she says she came to well wrong a borings is just a small heart of

what planned parent lid and her motherhood with never have happened without their support. it's a wider ongoing debate over how the federal government spends its money. it's a partisan debate that has been going on for many years, democrats tend to favor more funding for domestic entitle. programs whereas republicans favor spends on the ground defense. as a result, planned parenthood is the latest target in this wider debate but the american public opinion seems to be on planned paper hood's side. 60 are 65% of americans believe that it should continue to receive federal funding as opposed to 29% that believe that it should be defunned president obama is also backing planned parenthood. he says that any legislation that comes out of capitol hill in either chamber and makes it to his desk that attempt it did he fundidhe fund planned parente

would veto. china paying tribute. the new will he reeighted chemicals craig a day before china's national day was approved laugh years. it comes a day best country will be celebrating 66 years since the founding of the people's republic of chime a. more than 300 fence 20,000 people were evacuated from their homes, at least three people killed and more than 300 injured. when it passed through neighboring taiwan. now, south korea's national sport taekwando has recently secured core olympic status but despite 80 million people armed the would practicing the sport

at home the pom layer this is falling. from seoul, harry facet explains. >> reporter: in the hills above south korea's capital a taekwando expert prepares himself. he doesn't practice or teach the national sport these days he's become a master of another korean marshall art. >> it's very quick, very strong. but this movement is very strong, looks like dancing so very comfortable. my instructor immaterial em fa sized tsizesizemphasized to me . >> reporter: there is a debate whether korean or japanese rulers never wired it out but he says it brings hill closer to his country's national hair tanker proponents say it's rooted in its history in at a time when taekwando has moved from martial arts to more of a

point scoring point. it says it's both a martial arts to be practiced in studios and a sport now secure in its oral status. >> the sport has helped extend the global reach but its use of points registering pressure pads has meant a stilted standoffish style often trumping the flowing kicks of the marshall art. it's a problem the sport's president says he wants to fix. >> martial arts taekwando cannot be changed. we have to respect and keep the older traditions. but as a sport, especially olympic sport. you have to change. >> reporter: the spiritual home schools championship underway. the knocks can be hoard but worth it. >> translator: it brings me closer to my friends and i think it's good for my future as well. so i am working harder.

>> reporter: the number of children keeping up the practice through their school years is declining. >> junior high and high school they are more focused in to study. to go to get in to good university. i think that's why the junior high and high school taekwando is not as popular as in elementary school. >> reporter: no pads, no points, no replays, just a kick to the head. or a throw to the floor and it's all over. harry fawcett, al jazeera, seoul. now, thousands of his people are marking the jew i can holiday with many worshipers attending the traditional priestly blessing at a western wall in jerusalem. the festival celebrates the harvest and the raise elie israo wandered the desert for 40 years

after liberation from slavery. you can see some are holding a palm branch one of four items which represent gods presence in all directions. plenty more news on our website arsenal.com. >> new dawn in beijing, the ancient capital of the world's fastest growing country, home to the 2008 olympics. it's the vibrant centre, the super power, where the old wrestles with the new. communism clashes with capitalism and a new global economy is born, swallowing all