only on al jazeera america. >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello there, and welcome to the news hour, i'm shiulie ghosh in doha. with all of the world's top news stories. coming up in the next 60 minutes, russia says its jets are launching air strikes inside syria against isil targets to help president bashar al-assad. afghan forces send reinforcement to retake kunduz. thousands of protesters have taken part in anti-corruption marches in south africa.

and digging and diving for gold, the philippines is accused of failing to protect children who risk their lives in the rush to mine the valuable metal. ♪ we begin with the u.n. where russia's foreign minister has been chairing a security council meeting of isil and other groups. it comes as moscow says it has launched its first air strikes against isil targets inside syria. president bashar al-assad had asked for help from the russians and has welcomed moscow's decision. the kremlin says the military operation will be limited to air strikes. the move is likely to increase tensions between russia and the west. the international community has criticized president vladimir putin for russia's increased military presence inside syria.

>> translator: we believe that there is a need to include the islamic state as a separate entity on the anti-terrorist sanctions list of the security council. any delay would be counterproductive. >> well more than four years of fighting in syria, control of territories changed hands many times. the war has often left the government forces on their back foot. the political vacuum left the door open for the islamic state of iraq and the levant to make huge gains. most recently in the central corridor. the syrian opposition controls large parts of the north and southwest, making gains in dara and contara. and there have been addressed in the northwest. the ypg have also been battling isil for control of their

territory. and this is what government forces control. so little that president bashar al-assad conceded that his troops are overstretched. our diplomatic editor, james bayes joining us from u.n. headquarters. and sergei lavrov has been speaking, and he wants to see more coordination against isil and more dialogue against syrian parties. >> reporter: yes, he wants to see that, and that is something that is not very contentious in many ways, but he wants to see it in conjunction with the government of president assad, and this is the key sticking point between russia and the u.s. and the u.s.'s allies, is that russia would like a coalition of everyone, including assad, put your differences with assad down and fight -- everyone fight isil and others like the u.s. say, no assad is the problem, he bred the conditions

that formed isil and in fact they claim that assad's forces with their aerial bombardment are killing more people than assad. you are hearing the general statements from everyone. but that's the key difference between these different countries around the security council table, still not heard from the u.s. yet. we heard a short time ago from the french foreign minister, he again, and it's something that the french have adopted in the last few days is talk about a turkish idea. the idea of a safe zone being carved out in northern syria, along the turkish border, a no fly zone so you could protect people would them fleeing as refugees inside syria. turkish idea getting pretty strong french backing. not clear where the u.s. stands on that idea right now. but it's not something they have supported over the last four and a half years or so.

other news coming from the security council as they continue their meeting is that russia, and this came out in the speech from vladimir putin on monday, that they were proposing a u.n. security council resolution on the idea of a grand coalition against isil. well, i can tell you from security council diplomats, since this meeting has started they have circulated a draft of that resolution. we haven't got our hands on it yet, but i think we have an idea of the brood parameters of that. he believes this coalition should be under the control and coordination of something that is somewhat obscure. it's called the military staff committee of the united nations. it's something that was laid out in the original u.n. charter, of course the u.n. now 70 years old. it has become a dormant committee. he said that should be reactivated and should lead the fight against isil, but the key difference is about the role of

participate -- president assad and whether he should join in this process or not. >> masses will have been complicated by the fact that russian air strikes have started in syria, russia saying look we're just taking on isil target. there has been doubt cast on that by the u.s. and france, who accuse russia of targeting syrian opposition. but i wonder what the reaction has been to that. certainly there will be a ramping up of tensions. >> in the speeches there was no mention of those air strikes yet. the french foreign minister said it has to focus on isil alone. i expect he'll get more

questions in the next few minutes, because he is about to leave and is going to the press conference room. and i suspect also we might hear about this, when we hear from john kerry. he is likely to be speaking in the next hour or so in this security council meeting. clearly these speeches have been long prepared and this russian air action, these strikes have only happened in the last few hours, so i don't think some of the delegations have updated their speeches to reflect these very recent developments. worth telling you too, when they made their way into the meeting, i did try to ask the undersecretary general ban ki-moon about this, and the special enjoy of the u.n. for syria, both ignored my questions. i asked the chinese foreign minister about he certainly relied, you'll have to ask

lavrov. >> okay. james. they are obviously staying tight lipped at the moment. james bayes at the u.n. in new york. 16 turkish workers who were kidnapped in iraq have been released. security forces have now taken them to the turkish embassy in the capitol baghdad. two other hostages were released earlier this month. large numbers of people are leaving kunduz after the taliban seized control. u.s. and nato special forces are supporting the afghan army in taking back the city. but afghan security forces tell al jazeera the fight has been tougher than planned. mohammed jamjoom reports. >> reporter: as reinforcements arrive, and heavy fighting continues, afghan security forces struggle to regain control of kunduz from the taliban. >> government problem is first

of all the people, and second is mine -- they put the mines in the road, and a big container on the road that is full of mine and the explosive equipment. >> reporter: the captain and his fellow fighters haven't been able to reach their target yet, insisting that because taliban fighters are hiding amongst civilians, the fight so far has been much harder than anticipated. even here south of kunduz, these forces have repeatedly been ambushed on the main road and hit by improvised bombs. >> we retake the kunduz province, that's our responsible. >> reporter: afghan government forc forces are desperate to regain the city. the loss of kunduz is being seen as a major setback for afghanistan's go and one of the

bigge biggest victories for the taliban since 2001. now anger is on the rise in parliament with some politicians calling on the president to resign. >> translator: we don't want to hear lies anymore. the government keep telling us they are sending troops, but it's almost 72 hours that people inside the city have been suffering from a lack of food, water, and electricity. children and women are dying inside of kunduz because of hunger. >> reporter: many residents are fleeing kunduz, fearing for their lives, and while the number of dead and wounded is unclear, aid workers fear many more civilians may be killed or injured if fighting continues. in india, five men have been sentenced to death for the mumbai train attacks nine years ago. 189 people were killed.

seven others were sentenced to life in prison. the indian police believe there are more suspects still on the run. faiz jamil reports. >> reporter: five people have been give then death sentence, seven others sentenced to life for the 2006 blast where bombs were placed inside pressure cookers and then put on computer trains which went off during the morning rush hour. there have been delays, but the prosecution itself called nearly 200 people to the witness stand, which delayed the trial there. then the supreme court got involved after one of the accused contested him being arrested under anti-terrorism laws, which delayed the trial for almost two years. the convict can appeal to a higher court and to the president of india, although that could take year. but this case isn't closed yet. police believe 15 accused are still at large, including whom they believe to be the

mastermind, and many family members have said until all are caught and convicted, they won't feel that justice has been done. at least seven people have been killed in a series of explosions in china. they struck a hospital, local market, bus station, and several government buildings. chinese leaders have today tribute to those who died in the struggle for independence. ♪ >> reporter: the president was also at the ceremony in the square. the newly created commemoration was approved by chinese politicians last year. it has been 66 years since the republic was announced.

one group in the nepal planes are ethnically close to the area. at least 40 have been killed since august. many accuse nepal of being behind the blockade. india has been critical of the new constitution, saying it is not brood based and concerned about vie elect opposition spilling into its territory. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: this is the no man's land between nepal and india, on one side is the nepal city, and the other is india. now, this border point is one of the most important points for nepal as almost all imports come

through this check point. but as you can see, nothing is moving, and it's been almost a week. as a land-locked country, nepal is entirely reliant on its imports from india. many see the blockade as a welcome pressure for kathmandu. >> translator: today [ inaudible ] suffering our indian neighbors are putting bombs on our wounds, what is wrong with that? >> reporter: this area has been under an enforced shut down. the root of the process has been nepal's new constitution. people say that the constitution does not give them enough fair eventation in the national assembly. they are also against the current demarcation of the federal state. coupled with delays on the indian side, and process over here, the problem has been getting worse. earlier we talked to who is

perceived to be the next prime minister of nepal. >> [ inaudible ] and you asked how long it can survive? this cannot been the [ inaudible ] because it is not necessary, and there must be some confusion somewhere in nepal, there is no confusion. >> reporter: with each passing day and night in kathmandu being obstructed further, people say that kathmandu leadership will finally wake up and address their demands and aspirations. do stay with us here on al jazeera, we have got more to come, including, burkina faso capitol under lockdown. plus, separated from their

adoptive parents, we'll tell you why these children aren't being allowed to go home to their new families. and in sport find out why the swedish team have been cutting corners ahead of their champions league game against real madrid. ♪ the interim president of central african republic has returned early on wednesday after leaving the u.n. general assembly in new york. the u.n. human right's group say the battles have killed at least 37 people. let's take a look back at what started the conflict. in 2012 a coalition of armed groups took over towns. in 2013 the president, a

christian was overthrown by silica rebels. that sparked clashes between the two forces. austin underpeace-keeping force has been struggling toing curve the violence. the latest fighting comes ahead of presidential elections. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: the u.n. isn't welcome in parts of bangui. residents kept putting up roadblocks to keep peace keepers out of their neighborhoods. and u.n. troops kept taking them down. >> translator: the population is desperate, and doesn't believe in these forces anymore. >> translator: we want the departure of international forces that do absolutely nothing. we want those who have committed crimes to be tracked down by the justice m is. >> reporter: a u.n. spokesman told al jazeera that they could always do more, but they are

fully engaged. the spokesman says the u.n. is working with committee leaders and government officials to put an end to the violence in the capitol. over the weekend a muslim taxi drive was killed. that set off days of fighting in the streets. in the chaos some 500 prisoners escaped from bangui's main jail. >> as bad as things are in bangui, it pails to what is happening in the northeast. we're traveling out in the bush and we're coming across villages in which civilians are being killed, homes are being burned and this stuff is just not being documented. >> reporter: on monday protesters marched to the presidential palace, demanding the president resign and the central african army be rearmed

and deployed. the underbacked [ inaudible ] has accused former president and his allies of trying to take her power away. but he says when rebels took over his government in 2013, they assassinated democracy, and the country is reeling from the consequences. government forcing in burkina faso are searching areas in the capitol for members of an elite unit behind a short-lived coup. on tuesday troops retook the bare -- bar racks. our correspondent has more from. >> reporter: the military is still trying to flush out the remaining presidential guards who haven't surrendered. this is an operation that started last night when the military brought out artillery tanks to try to flush out the

presidential guards that remain at the presidential barracks. there are about 1800 of them. only 300 have surrendered. so many more are out in the lose, including the coup leader. last night in a statement he said that he feared that many were dead. there's no tally yet of how many casualties, now many people have died so far. thousands of people have been marching through south african cities accusing the government of failing to act against corruption. church leaders, trade unions and opposition parties are part of the protest. the president has been widely criticized for using state funds to upgrade his house. and his government is accused of undermining anti-corruption bodies. among the worst affected are desperate asylum seekers who

have to bride at every step. >> reporter: some of the people most vulnerable to corruption in south africa, are those most desperate to stay in the country. the queue of asylum seekers is already long here. this young woman has been coming for days to try to get her papers extended. she has paid the equivalent of $10 just to queue, and is likely to pay more once inside. >> [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: and can you get anywhere without paying the money? >> no, you can't. >> reporter: a report found this to be the most corrupt [ inaudible ] office in the country. government has been trying to clean it up, but on the morning we were there, it was easy to find people who paid bribes. >> what can i do? >> reporter: corruption is rampant in government.

in the last 20 years, estimated government corruption has cost south africans about $70 billion. in 2013 to 2014, financial year, only 14% of municipalities received a clean order, and that was an improvement. in that year there was $6.5 billion in unauthorized and irregular spending. now this man does his best to avoid doing business with government. he has paid bribes just to get the paperwork necessary to apply for a construction tenor. >> yeah, it's very wide, because it's just a known. it's a known, because there's no way you can get something for nothing. >> reporter: among the government's many anti-corruption measures the public service commission. it has handled 16,000 cases. it say whistleblowers need

better protection. >> once people report something, at the end of the day they will suffer. and it's difficult to prove. >> reporter: corruption in the asylum process also means that people who may not be genuine refugees can pay their way in. but the asays lum seekers say they have no choice but to pay. amnesty international has released a report outlining the extent of the illegal diamond trade in the central african republic. groups are profiting from the sale of conflict diamonds. an export ban only diamonds was put in place, but that meant the trade continued illegally. many of the mines across the country are taxed by rebel groups, forcing locals to pay

protection money to earn a living from working there. in the democratic republic of congo, thousands of legally adopted children have been forced to stay in orphanages for up to two years. the restrictions are because of child abuse charges and trafficking. >> reporter: there is no electricity, something this 7 year old hopes she won't experience in france. she was adopted three years ago, but her new parents aren't yet allowed to take her out. >> translator: my father died. i don't know where my mother is. i think i would like france. i would live in a house, go to a good school and have enough to eat. >> reporter: it is estimated that hundreds of children are stuck in orphanages like this, because the government has refused to let them go.

>> i have some case some couple who has not children -- children in their -- in their family. they need to adopt for -- make their -- their family in a good position. some parents are interested for helping children who have not parents, people who -- children who's parents are disappear. >> reporter: cases of child abuse and trafficking have forced them to tighten the rules for international adoption. >> translator: it was really getting out of hand. some people saw it as a way to make money. they would literally steal children from villages and sell them to foreigners. >> reporter: many children in the drc have parents with hiv and aids. many people can't find work, families say they struggle to make ends meet, and you see a lot of children on the streets

on their own. libby was told her travel to france has been postponed indefinitely. it's not clear how long she and others will have to wait. there's more to come here on the al jazeera news hour. including heated exchanges in the u.s. congress as the head of planned parenthood is grilled over the alleged selling of fetal tissue. plus curing blindness, a ground breaking operation that could return people's sight. and south korea's national sport, taekwondo has a new martial arts rival. stay with us. ♪

>> you have kids here who've killed someone? >> award winning journalist soledad o'brien takes us inside the violent world of kids behind bars. will a new experimental program be their last chance? >> i have to do my 100 percent best so i don't end up in a place like this again. welcome back. i'm shiulie ghosh. russia says it has launched its first air strike in syria after parliament approved the use of military use abroad. the syrian president, bashar al-assad has asked for help from the russians, and welcomed

moscow's decision. sergei lavrov has spoken at the united nations security council. the meeting is being held to discuss the fight against isil. sergei lavrov says there should be more coordination between those on the ground and forces outside of syria. he also called for more dialogue between syria parties. and large numbers of people are leaving the afghan city of kunduz that is now under the taliban control. the fight against isil is continuing in iraq. the u.s. along with the iraqi government have been battling the group for over a year now, but now russia is also getting involved. moscow plans to have a command and control center set up in two months. meaning there will be now two international command and control centers in the fight against isil. >> reporter: you don't have to

very far in baghdad to find evidence of iranian involvement. but now the russians are taking the lead, setting up a command and control center with the iranians, the iraqis, and the syrians. the man in charge of the national security and defense committee says a budget will be al aloe -- allocated and a base set up. there are now two international command and control centers. a russian one, and an american one, which has been running since the air strikes began just over a year ago. and what most iraqis will be asking how much cooperation will take place between the two. a group of al jazeera staff who was convicted in abcensus in

egypt have asked for a pardon. they received jail sentences but were pardoned by president sisi last week. >> reporter: the fight is not over, justice not yet done. that was a key message at a news conference in new york where al jazeera journalists announced they are in the process of formally requesting a pardon from president sisi. >> we're announcing that i have formally lodged my application. the paperwork is in. it's in the system, so we're doing everything we can to help that process forward. president sisi now has the opportunity to follow up on the commitments that he has already made publicly. >> reporter: last week al-sisi gave a presidential pardon to mohammed fahmy, and baher mohamed, they have been tried in a trial human rights groups call

a sham. they are now free. >> i still love this job. i believe in it. >> reporter: but seven other journalists were tried and convicted in abcensus on terrorism charges. they have not been jailed but risk arrest in dozens of countries. >> we really feel even though the guys are out of prison, we're kind of still imprisoned because we go about our daily jobs without fearing being put in prison. so the message is give us the pardon, let us put this behind us, and help egypt's image. >> reporter: in an interview with the associated press last week, the egyptian president was asked about the journalist's case. >> translator: it's very important for you to rest assured we're always keen on solving issues and problems,

especially those in journalism. >> the government of egypt blamed journalists for their country's bad image. but nothing has done more to tan initial their image than the government's only actions. >> reporter: it's unclear when or if al-sisi might rule on the pardon applications. a leading family planning agency in the u.s. that provides women with abortions and cheap access to health care is fighting to keep its federal funding. protesters nationwide have been speaking out in support of the group, planned parenthood after republican politicians threatened to cut tax-payer money. the president of planned parenthood faced off with conservative lawmakers for hours as she justified why she

believed that the organization, should continue to receive more than $450 million annually in federal funds. this organization became the target of conservative lawmakers as of late dauz of videos that surfaced that report to show executives from planned parenthood offering baby parts or fetal tissue for research for sale, and essentially potentially profiting from that. this has outraged many lawmakers, who are already opposed to planned parenthood because it provides abortions, and as a result, she faced some suffer 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, don't defund planned parenthood. they say for many working class americans it's their only access to affordable healthcare. courtney was in graduate school,

suffering from inmeet rios sis, she turned to planned parenthood to preserve her fertility. >> i worked really hard to get into this graduate a program, and now i'm looking at, i need to get a job, and i won't be able to study for this one reason. so planned parenthood made it so i could get the medication. >> reporter: not everyone in congress sees them as a bah he neve lent organization. they always provide abortions. videos reported by showed planned parenthood executives openingly discussing the sale of fetal tissue for profit. >> reporter: many in congress are incensed and are threatening to cut the more than $450 million in federal funding for the clinics, and demanding answers from the president of planned parenthood 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. >> absolutely. >> and if taxpayer dollars are being used to free up services that you provide that are aberrant. >> reporter: but others 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 legalized in the u.s. in 1973. >> what is really under attack is the right of women to control their own bodies, their own reproduction. >> reporter: courtney agrees. that's why she says she came to tell congress abortions are just a small part of what planned

parenthood does, and her chance at mother hood would never have happened without its support. this debate is part of a wider ongoing debate over how the government spends its money. democrats tend to favor more funding for domestic and entitlement programs, whereas republicans tend to favor spending on defense. as a result, planned parenthood is the latest target in this wider debate, but i can tell you that the american public opinion seems to be on planned parenthood's side. currently 65% of americans believe that planned parenthood should continue to receive federal funding as opposed to just 29% that believe it should be defunded. i can also tell you that president obama is backing planned parenthood. he says that any legislation that comes out of capitol hill in either chamber and makes it to his desk that attempts to defund planned parenthood, he

will veto. the only woman on death row in the u.s. state of georgia has been executed. she died by lethal injection on wednesday after the georgia board of pardons and parole denied clemency, despite pleas from her children and a letter on behalf of the pope. she was convicted of orchestrating her husband's murder almost 20 years ago. nows of children in the philippines are risking their lives in gold mines. human rights watch says children as young as nine are working illegally across a third of the country, and the government is failing to protect them in. 80% of the country's gold comes from small scale mines. the government in the philippines has addressed that report, in a statement it said:

well report author says the government needs to do more. >> there are thousands of children working in the philippines gold mines. they dive underwater at risk of drowning. they dig in deep pits that may collapse or where they may suffocate, and they process gold sometimes with mercury, which is a toxic substance. conservative speaking it is at least thousands, it may be well over 10,000 children. you realize for example in the underwater mines in these deep pits children are still working there. children's health are still at risk. we documented the death of a boy who died in an underground mine just a year ago, and basically the government is turning a blind eye to these sorts of issues. it is not doing enough to really

make sure that state support reaches these most vulnerable people who are really in one of the most hazardous types of work there is for children. surgeons in london say they have made a break through in curing common adult blindness. almost 600,000 suffer from amd. the potential cure would involve taking a single stem cell from an embryo and growing it into a patch of cell tissue. the tissue is then transplanted into the eye. the processor that performed the surgery said the new procedure will replace the damaged tissue and make it easier to cure the disease. >> it's a form of regenerative medicine, such that we can replace a damaged part of the body, in this case in the retina. and what we're able to do is

replace the damaged layer of tissue, which is affected in age-related macular degeneration, and transplant in a healthy and normal layer. this project has been going on for 15 years in preparation for this, and what we have been able to do is successfully grow this layer, develop a technique and a new surgery, and instewment that allows us to transplant in, and we were able to show that we were able to successfully transplant this thin single layer of cells into a patient with the disease. you are with al jazeera, still to come -- >> i'm daniel, where they are very excited. and find out why this

formula 1 driver is going nowhere fast.

♪ women call back. now entrintricate patterns are the core of india's textiles. there is a new exhibition opening on sunday in london. >> reporter: a palace used in the 18th century for pleasure trips around the country. a swatch of a blanket from the 3rd century, well-preserved

shreds of fabric with patterns that feel contemporary. the fabric includes 200 different items, the majority from their own collection. luxurious clothes. integrately designed and painstakingly made wall coverings. and actual parts of bugs embellish this fabric. part of the exhibition is devoted to explaining how fabric became a symbol of protest, national identity. cheap machine-made fabrics imported from europe, put thousands of indian weavers out of work. >> this message of self reliance was important, inspired gandhi

to ask self rule, and he saw how fabric could be a symbol of national identity. so he called on the nation to spin and weave their own work. >> this is by a contemporary indian designer. an increasingly global demand for indian design, all part of the dynamic nature of the fabric of india. time for all of the sport now. here is andy. >> thanks so-so -- so much shiulie. real playing without two key players for wednesday's game against the swedish champions. >> we have to respect all of the

teams, and we have to experience that when you go on the pitch without this mentality, then you have problems. >> we haven't got that amount of money. so it's impossible for us to get on that level anyway. and that's a part of football today. there are two or three or four big big money clubs in the world and real is one of those. >> united have just got on top of the english premier league but did lose their opening european game 2-1. >> reporter: it's manchester united versus wolfberg here. united go into the game cautiously optimistic. sitting top of the table right now, of course. but that caution comes from their last outing in the champions league. defeat that many people expected them to win, of course the injury to luke had an effect,

but united know there's still a bit of work for them to do. they have problems tonight with two players missing. as for wolfsberg there's no l so far they have been pretty steady, fourth place so far. 3-3-1. but their record in england is woeful, they will need to improve on that. united will look to capitalize on it as they look to take their first three moint -- points this season. this team coming from a goal

down to beat the japanese 2-1 at home. [ inaudible ] won this title back in 2013. the return leg coming up on october 21st. mclaren formula 1 team insists [ inaudible ] will still be driving for them next season. they have been struggling for reliability and are second in the championship, despite having two former world title holders behind the wheel. >> the drivers are wrestling with their motivation, because clearly we're not where we want to be, and that's a healthy environment for the media to speculate and probe and prod, but we have two world champions on our team. jenson is contracted for two years, and fernando 3. that's really the beginning and end of the story. >> reporter: south korea's national sport taekwondo has recently secured core olympic

status. but despite 80 million people around the world practicing the sport, at home the marshall art is actually on the decline. harry fawcett explains. >> reporter: a taekwondo expert prepares himself. but he doesn't practice or teach the national sport these days. he has become the master of another korean marshall art. >> it's very quick, very strong. but the movement is very soft, and it looks like dancing, so very comfortable. always by instructor emphasize to me, always practice with national lines. >> reporter: there is some argument over the history of the sport whether it began more as a village game or a marshall art. but rather doe says it brings him closer to his country's cultural heritage. proponents say it is still rooted in its history as a time

when taekwondo has moved to a point-scoring sport. taekwondo says it is both. >> referee wants more action from these heavyweights. >> reporter: it's use of points registering pressure pads has meant a stand-offish style. >> and we've taken you back to the united nations because we're expecting the pal tinnian president to speak. there he goes. so this is the united nations general assembly speeching. and president abbas is about to speak. let's listen in. >> translator: mr. speaker, president of the general

assembly, excellency, mr. ban ki-moon, secretary general of the united nations, excellencies, heads of delegations, ladies and gentlemen, i come before you today from palestine to sound the alarm about what is happening in jerusalem. indeed extremist israeli groups are committing repeated systemic incursions on the al aqsa mosque, to impose a new reality, and divide the [ inaudible ] thus allowing extremists under the protection of israeli occupying forces, and accompanying ministers and

members to enter the mosque at certain times, when preventing muslim worshippers from accessing the mosque at those times and freely exercising their religious rights. this is the scheme that the israeli government is pursuing in direct violation of the status quo prevailing before 1967 and thereafter. by doing so, the occupying power is committing a grave mistake, because we will not accept this, and our palestinian people will not allow the implementation of this illegal scheme, which is aggravating the sensitivities of palestinians and muslims everywhere. i call on the israeli government before it is too late to cease

its use of brutal force, to impose its plans to undermine the islamic and christian sacred site in jerusalem, particularly its actions at al aqsa mosque. for such actions will convert the conflict from a political one to a religious one, thus creating an explosive situation in jerusalem and the remaining occupied palestinian territory. ladies and gentlemen, excellencies, it is my honor to come before you to speak on behalf of the state of palestine before your esteemed general assembly in this session, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of the united nations. the united nations, which has made the promotion and protection of international peace and security and the preservation of human rights, its most central focus.

the question of palestine was one of the first just issues brought before the united nations from its inception, yet and regrettedly this issue has remained unsolved. as the organization and its members continue to be unable to end this injustice inflicted upon our people and to assist our people to exercise their right of self determination and freedom and their independence as a sovereign state. ladies and gentlemen, i ask you to reconsider the history of the question of palestine, and the relevance united nations resolutions. you will realize the obvious truth; that is that an historic injustice has been inflicted upon a people, and a homeland, a people that have lived peacefully in their land, and made genuining intellectual,

cultural and humanitarian contributions to human kind. these people do not deserve to be swallowed by the sea, or spending its life going from one refugee camp to another. yet, regrettably it's just cause remains at a stand still after the passage of all of these years. our people have placed their hopes on the countries of this organization to help them to gain their freedom, independence, and sovereignty, so that their wish and rights to their own states, like all of the peoples on earth can be achieved along with a just solution for the palestine refugee question in accordance with general assembly resolution 194, and the arab peace initiative. is it too much to ask?

mr. president, ladies and gentlemen, we are advocates of rightness, justice, and peace. why palestine was partitioned into two states, according to the [ inaudible ] which was established 67 years ago, the second part of that resolution still awaits implementation. palestine, the observer state at the united nations, deserves full recognition, and full membership. it is unconscionable in light of all of the enormous sacrifices we have made. [ applause ] >> translator: it is unconscionable in light of all of our enormous sacrifices, our patience over all of these years of exile and suffering, and our

acceptance to make peace according to the two-state solution, based on international law, the relevant united nations resolutions, the arab peace solution, and the context brood map, it is unimaginable that the question of palestine remain unsolved for all f these decades. mr. president, the continuation of the status quo is unacceptable, because it means giving in to the logic of brutal force being inflicted by the israeli government. this government continues its illegal settlement expansion in the west bank, especially in occupied east jerusalem. it continues its blockade of the gaza strip, thus deepening the immense suffering of our people.

this is done in defiance of u.n. resolutions, and agreements signed between the two sides, between us and them under international auspices. here we recall the words of the late israeli prime minister in 1976. when he stated that israel will become an apartheid state if it continues to occupy the palestinian territory. he described the israeli settlements on palestinian land as a cancer. this is what he has said. why do they do that to us? the persistence of this matter

prompts us to ask, do the votes by democratic countries against palestine related resolution and palestine's legitimate rights serve peace and those who believe in the two-state solution, or do they rather serve and encourage extremists, and deepen their hatred and racism, make them believe that they are above the law to the point where they commit the burning of the palestinian family, a whole palestinian family in the town of duma in the west bank. claiming the lives of a child and his father and mother. what is left of the family is a four year old child, an orphan who