the u.s. and russia talk as moscow launches airstrikes in syria. ♪ ♪ hello, this is al jazeera live from our head quarters in doha. also on the program, afghan forces say that they have retaken parts of the northern city of kunduz. the future of oslo peace support up in the eras mahmoud abbas says palestinians are no longer bound by them. a new spin on a board game to help south african children deal with abuse. ♪

♪ rival air campaigns over syria have led to confusion on the ground and more diplomatic tension between the u.s. and russia. bicycle sides have agreed to hold talks as soon as possible. on wednesday, moscow launched airstrikes in syria. it's first such attack outside the borders of the s soviet unin since the end of the cold war. russia says it's only attacking isil positions but it's been accused of attacking syrian fighters instead. >> we all want syria, democrat i can i nighted, secular syria which is a home for all ethnic groups whose rights are guaranteed, but we have some differences as for the details on how to get there. >> the narrative of as soon as possible, perhaps even as soon

as pas possible but as soon as tomorrow. having a deconflicts conference, meeting, discussion whatever can be done as soon as possible. >> russia has has long been an ali of syria president bashar al-assad and has warned of any attempts to overthrow him. u.s. and nato are questioning moscow's intentions in syria. rosalind jordan explains. >> reporter: you russian fighter jets flying around the city the hommes, russia says it was targeting isil eighters. vladimir putin says he was committed to helping his long-time ally defeat the group. >> translator: we will support the syrian army, only in its legitimate fight specifically against terrorist groups. secondly, the support will be from the air, without participation in ground operations. and third, such support will be limited in times. as long as the syrian army is on

offensive. >> reporter: the airstrikes started one day after u.s. and russian military leaders agreed to hold so-called ce don flick talks to make sure neither side fired on the other by mistake as they both go after isil. but instead of talks, what the u.s. got on wednesday was a verbal notice one hour before the russian jets took off. the defense secretary was not pleased. >> fighting isil without pursuing a parallel political transition only risks escalating the civil war in syria. and with it, the very extremism and instability that moscow claims to be concerned about and aspire to fighting. so this approach, that approach, is tantamount as i said then to pouring gasoline on the fire. >> reporter: but carter said he wasn't surprised. given the russian's recent buildup of helicopters, fighter jets and troops at the air base.

the obama administration has long suspected russia of doing so to help president bashar al-assad win a long-running civil war. the secretary of state warned russia not to use isil as an a excuse to keep assad in power. >> assad has rarely chosen himself to fight isil. as the terrorist made inroads throughout large swaths of syria and iraq, raining, enslaving and murdering civilians along the way, the syrian regime didn't try to stop them. instead, it focused all of its military power on moderate opposition groups who are fighting for a voice in syria. >> reporter: it's not clear what it will do if future russian air strikes go not after isil fighters, but instead after the fighters opposed to bashar al is al jazeera sad. rosalind jordan, al jazeera. >> let's take a closer look at the russian targets in syria. moscow says it carried out

strikes against eight isil targets. most isil strong holds are in eastern syria. but it appears that isil's de facto capital was not hit. the syrian opposition says warms remember dropped in hommes and others, and the raids focused on command posts not held by isil. well, a syrian opposition leader says the strikes have killed at least 36 civilians. >> translator: we urged before that the russians are intervening in syria not to fight isil, they are intervene to go prolong the life of bashar al-assad and support the continuous killing on a daily basis of the syrian civilians. the united nations has raised the palestinian flag for the first time. but that symbolic moment has been overshadowed by palestinian president mahmoud abbas' declaration that he's no longer bound by the oslo accords, he's accused israel of breaching the agreement signed in 1993 which were meant to provide a basis for peace.

our diplomatic h editor james bays. >> reporter: raised for the first time at the united nations, the flag of the state of palestine, following a decision by the u.n. general assembly observer states, there are two, palestine and the holy sea, are now allowed to fly their national flags. the ceremony was attended by tal stun vinnie president mahmoud abbas and the u.n. secretary general. >> i sincerely hope that a successful peace process will soon yield a day when we inform the -- unfurlal palestinian plaque in its proper place among the family of nations as a soften member state of the united nations. president abbas put all the blame on the israel is and said

he needed to raise the alarm about recent violence which he says was caused by israeli incursions and told the james bertha israel has not been abiding by the is oslo accord they will not either. >> translator: we will not be the only one following these, while israel vie let's them. we therefore declare that we cannot be bounds by these agreements and israel must assume all of its responsibilities as an occupied power. >> reporter: is this the bombshell that president abbas said he would drop or just an empty promise? there are more more questions than answers, how will it change the way his palestinian authority working on on the west bank and what would be the reaction from palestinians there and in gaza. al jazeera spoke to an official from hamas. >> i think it is just words. it's just a speech.

all the time you are talking about occupation, palestinian state, two-step solution, peace process, coexistence, peaceful negotiation, but they are reaching the conclusion that all of these these are lies, illusion. >> reporter: the israeli palestinian conflict will remain in the u.n. spotlight. the israeli prime minister benjamin net too speaks to the general assembly on thursday. james bays, al jazeera, at the united nations. so just what are the oslo accords the landmark agreements between israeli and palestinian leaders were signed in 1993. it was hoped they would help facilitate a peaceful revolution to their long-standing don flick. it was the first time israel and the palestinian liberation organization through its chairman yasser or fat formally recognized one another. the accords did not stipulate but inflamed a two-state vision, a career age of a palestinian state alongside israel. but that would require

significant compromise and leaders knew that would still lay ahead. off the back of the oslo accords, control of the major palestinian cities in the west bank and gaza strip was transfers from the israeli military toy a newly created palestinian authority. while the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu responded to press abbas' u.n. speech his office said it was deceitful and encourage incitement and lawlessness in the middle cease and he said: now, in other world news, fighting is again underway in parts of kunduz city between the pal ban and the afghan i'm. the taliban have managed to retake areas they lost overnight. it took three days to retake the area, at least 50 people mostly civilians were killed and more

than 300 others just reports say taliban fighters are still nearby. let's bring in al jazeera's continue evened joining us from 130-kilometers from kunduz. it appeared that they had retaken the afghan forces had retaken parts of the city, but that's not the case anymore, is it? >> reporter: we are getting reports of a very, very heavy fighting around the center of kunduz city. what happened last night, there was a heavy bombardment by nato so the taliban pulled out from the center of the city. they hide in the area where the civilian residents area around the city and today they are back fighting afghan security forces. just a few minutes ago i talked to one of taliban commander, he was telling us that they don't have any plan to leave kunduz city that soon. and they said that they have

already established their government there. they appointed a governor, police chief, evening the district chief and now afghan fors are facing a very strong resit defense in the residential area around kunduz city. >> the interior ministry spokesman said that the afghan -- the taliban fighters had suffered heavy casualties. but it looks like civilian casualties are also very high. >> reporter: both sides claims that they have caused heavy casualties to other side. taliban are claiming that they have killed a number of afghan security forces. it's hard to clarify that independently because there is no access for journal i haves in the area, but -- journalists in the area, we just know heavy fighting go on and the people, the residents that live around kunduz city are very worried, they are concerned what will happen next. they are concerned about the heavy bomb board.

in the area last night one resident told me it was like a dooms day there was a heavy bombardment. now it's the civilian caught between the hospitals sources are telling us that at least 300 people were injured and over 60 dead. many of them are civilian women and children are among them. >> thank you very much indeed. bringing us the latest there on fighting between the taliban and the afghan army in kunduz, thank you,. still ahead on the program for the first time a war crimes trial to destroys press herb cultural heritage. plus. >> reporter: i am adrian brown reporting from the region in china's far west where they are preparing to mark a sensitive anniversary that not everyone will be celebrating.

♪ ♪ welcome back. our top story on his al jazeera. the syrian opposition says dozens of civilians have been killed in russian airstrikes. the u.s. is questioning moscow's intentions in syria as it enters the conflict. both sides have agreed to hold talks as soon as possible. fighting has resumed in parts of kunduz city in northern afghanistan between the tal can and the afgha afghan army. palestinian president ma moved huh bass has used his speech at the u.n. to declare he's no longer bounds by the oslo accord. he accused israel of breaching the agreement signed in 1993

which were meant to provide a basis for peace. there has been another explosion in a chinese town a day after seven parcel bombed killed people. in reports of new injury coming a day after seven were killed following blasts in multiple locations. china is celebrating its 66th national day. ♪ ♪ >> more than 50,000 people gathered to watch the ceremony. the events commemorated the founding of the communist people's republic of china. a 7-day holiday will follow. ♪ ♪ >> and another key date is being commemorate ed in the far west of china, people are marking the

60th anniversary since becoming an autonomous region. a top ranked leader gave a speech to mark the day during a visit to its ethnic hard lan, but at adrian brown reports, not everyone there is celebrating. >> reporter: a sensitive anniversary in a troubled corner of china. the streets decorated with bunting as well as posters, trumpeting the communist party's achievements. but outside the city, little sign of celebration. people we met in this village were all ethnic muslim, some old enough to remember when the people's liberation army marched in. >> when i first saw the soldiers i was so young, i was so scared. i cried. >> reporter: but she says her life is far better now. >> translator: we have enough to eat and enough clothes. live was really hard before. >> reporter: talking to foreign journalists carries risks and so

none wanted to give their names. >> this man complains of discrimination. >> my boss has hun but he stopped hiring people after those attacks carried out. >> reporter: the government insists that they are treated equally. but rules ban men over 60 from growing long beards and women from wearing scarfs. >> translator: wearing face veils and gown is his not a traditional of the people or other muslims. it is the costume of extremism. >> reporter: 60 years on, they have little to celebrate say their exiled leaders. >> it represents occupation, colonization, repression, they will be forced to participate in festivities that celebrate

china's national day. they have no choice. >> reporter: a difficult place for journalists to operate. we were detained several times and warned not to talk to anyone. the police roadblocks reflect the official nervousness. it follows a series of attacks in the region, including one a week ago. the government blames groups that want an independent homeland. chin's government appears to have a twin strategy in no region, continue the campaign against those groups it blames for much of the recent violence and while at the same time pro promoting the area as a bridge head for a new silk road reviving the fabled trade routes linking china with central asia and europe. this region is very strategic. the size of western europe, but with a population of just 11 million bordering eight countries. the government di denies represg

culture. today it is less than half the population, some worry that the silk road project will lead to even more chinese settlers and so altering the balance still further. adrian brown, al jazeera. in yemen, government forces backed by the saudi led coalition have retaken control of the damn. the forces loyal to the president cease seized it. it was the last extr strategic d presence. they are trying to push towards the capita i capital sanaa. 16 ticker you can construction workers kidnapped in iraq nearly a month ago have been welcomed home by their family. they were aqueducted by suspected shia gunmen from a stadium they were building on the outskirts of baghdad. the can i nappers say they were

leased after a u.n. backed deal supported by turkey. >> translator: i am reunited with my family and that's all i wanted. thanks to our statesmen, that's all i can say, i didn't think about myself i thought about my family. >> we were always longing and yearning, they treated us very well where they kept us, we didn't have any problems. we are very thankful. now 50 years ago one of the worst massacres in modern history took place in i want yeaindonesiaand was then coveref 1 million people suspect of being communists were murdered after a failed coup. 50 years later survivors and relatives urge the government to finally tell the truth. step vaessen has the story. >> reporter: mass graves untouched on beaches all over the holiday island of bali. hidden evidence of a massacre most tourists donald know about. >> translator: this mass crave

contains four big holes, each hole has 45 bodies. my friend had to help bury the victims who were shot right here by soldiers. it was quite messi. so my friend helped organize the grave. >> reporter: according to witnesses, mass graves are scattered all over indonesia. some are under tourist resorts. on october 1st, 1965, indonesia woke up to find six generals murdered. it was a failed coup attempt blamed on communists. that day the military and youth organizations allegedly aided by the cia started a killing spree against everyone who was assume to be a communist. he managed to escape. he was on a military death list because he was heading a cultural organization. when he was eventually caught the killings had stopped. and he was sent to prison for more than 10 years. >> translator: the horrors that happened but it's throwed in the garbage after killings, a baby

thrown in to the air and killed with a bay net. this horrors, how can i not be sad how can we say silent? what happened was wrong. >> reporter: it's been half a censure and it's massacres of a edge haded communists are one of the most sensitive and darkest episodes of indonesia's past. mass graves and villages like this one are silent witnesses for a blood bath that has yesterday to be recognized by the country's leadership and the international community. it's the history that still defies indonesia. due to a lack of justice human rights lawyers have started an international people's tribunal about the killings of 1965 a symbol i believe court case that will convene in november in the netherlands. >> translator: the international community and the united nations can't keep silent about this any locker. we want they want to pressure or better to help indonesia to keep its legal obligations.

>> reporter: indonesia's human rights commission has called the anti-communist purge crimes against humanity. but the government has yet to follow-up on its findings. >> translator: if you will apologize to who should will a prop guys. who will apologize to who? that will be a long process. we will look for a good way to put an end to this. >> reporter: the government says it has started a process of reconciliation, but it's not clear if the truth about the massacres will finally be revealed on the millions of indonesias who were taught the killings of communists were justified. step vaessen, al jazeera, bali. now a man accused of destroying historic sites in northern mali has appeared before the international criminal court in the hague. in the first case of its kind ahmad is accused of war crimes over the did he instructio destn a mosque in timbuktu.

>> reporter: this man is accused of destroying precious cultural heritage, i lessoned to the charges against him at the international court in the hague, and identified himself. >> translator: i am from the tribe of al zarqawi, i was born about 40 years ago. i am a graduate of the teacher's institute in timbuktu and you was a civil servant in education in the mali government beginning in 2011. >> reporter: it was in 2012 that the rebels with links to al qaeda, occupied the fabled city of timbuktu. they set about destroying a number of tombs and mosques which offended their own strict interpretation of islam. hundreds of years of history smash ed in to dust. accord to this prosecutor, he was a zealous member. he could become the first man to

be tried for car crimes committed against buildings and culture. although human rights groups hope that courts will examine other allegations against him and his colleagues. >> these atrocities include rain, sexual slavery and forced marriage. we believe it's important for the criminal court to take in to account the credible evidence that's been provided within the national system about these further scopes of crimes. >> reporter: tim buck true in its day a center of islamic learning suffered badly during the occupation. he will next appear in court in january 2016. the i.c.c. hopes that the case against him might deter others who destroy cultural treasures in other parts of the world. barnaby phillips, al jazeera. british prime minister david cameron has ruled out paying reparations for its countries in

role in the caribbean slave trade. he made the remarks during his trim to jamaica, the caribbean countries say european governments are responsible for slavery and genocide. mexico has extradited 13 alleged drug traffickers to the u.s. including two prominent cartel bosses they have been housed at the maximum security facility in mexico which was the scene of a dramatic escape by jaoquin guzman. mexican officials have refused to comment on whether these ex-straw dingses are link today el chapo's escape. the south african government is supporting a new board game for schools meant to address a very serious issue. the game teaches students about sexual abuse, how to preprevents it and how to report it. tania page has the story. each roll of the dice lands the players on a new question.

design today educate about domestic violence and sexual a beautiful it's called the live board. >> it says make a symbol for a rain awareness campaign. >> reporter: it's been dropped by the cares foundation which help says victims of rain with the support of the south african government it will soon be available in schools across the country. the group with the best answer win a points. >> most people like playing games so i think they are going to learn more from it if it's in a game. >> it doesn't matter if you have a wrong or right answer just give each other adviser new information about saying no to this. >> reporter: the issue is you important in all country with high levels of violent crime. almost every week there is another horror story of a child or baby being rained. that's why she will never leave her 18-year-old disaimed daughter home alone. >> translator: it's very difficult to raise a special child. i can't go and look for work art all. i can't be aware from her in case she is raped.

>> reporter: it's a fear shared by many parents here. the scale of the problem is huge. uncief says that in subsaharan african countries one in three girls and one in five boys suffer some form of sexual violence by the time they have turned 18. but a lot of it goes unreported kids who are in trouble can call child line. >> we can a sit sift you. >> reporter: most of the 300,000 people who called last year just needed advice, 16,000 calls were serious enough to be referred to police, police officers also watch over students playing life board, they they are here to explain the how law and spot any students mows reactions may indicate that they are victims of abuse. time is running out to educate the students and nba their formative years. >> hopefully molding and shaping and challenging some of the the attitudes of the youth today is going to create a bit of a safer environment for tomorrow.

>> reporter: whether they are rapping, drawing or talking about it. the result is the same. an easy fun conversation about a very serious topic. tania page, al jazeera, johannesburg. and a reminder that you can keep up-to-date with all of the news on our website aljazeera.com. >> this week on talk to al jazeera - sonia manzano, otherwise known as maria on 'sesame street'. >> i can't believe i did it. if someone had suggested that this was gonna be my future, i would have suggested that they commit themselves to the nearest insane asylum. >> manzano also wrote for the children's television series and would share in 15 emmy awards. she was a trailblazer - the first leading latina on american television. but after 44 years, manzano is retired. >> it's very hard for me to get