unrest continues in israel and the occupied territories. palestinian is shot dead by security forces. ♪ hello from al jazeera's headquarters in doha, i'm jane dutton. the taliban says it is withdrawing from the city of kunduz, but warns it can take it back whenever it wants. and syria divides opinion as democratic candidates take to

the stage for their first debate for the u.s. presidential nomination. one palestinian has been shot dead in jerusalem. police say he tried to stab soldiers at one of the old city gates. since the start of october 31st palestinians and seven israelis have died in the violence. hundreds of palestinians are hurling sense to at israeli security forces in bethlehem in the occupied west bank. israeli soldiers have been firing tear gas in response. the violence started after a funeral for a palestinian shot dead by israeli forces on tuesday. israel's government has unveiled tougher security measures to tackle the unrest. hundreds of soldiers are being deployed in israel's urban

areas. the israeli government says it is not going to return t the -- bodies of palestinians who have carried out attacks. let's go to mike hanna in west jerusalem. let's talk about the fatal shooting that happened in the last couple of minutes or so. what happened? >> reporter: well, the police have released details as to their version of represents. a palestinian allegedly attempted to attack some police officers outside the damascus gate of the old city. he was shot and killed. none of the officers were injured. once again, independent verification of exactly happened, difficult to ascertain, whether or not, for example, an attempt was made to arrest the palestinian before shooting him dead. but this followed a day of something of a lull in the ongoing conflict.

west jerusalem, the streets virtually deserted for most of the day, and a degree of tense calm, people awaiting the implementation of the security measures that israeli cabinet has announced, jane. >> tell us more about those security measures. >> reporter: once again the police have been given powers and instructions to conduct blockages of various east jerusalem neighborhoods should they wish to. they can actually cut off particular areas, particular points of occupied east jerusalem. also more soldiers have been deployed in israeli cities. this is a very unusual development. some six companies of soldiers have now been deployed to patrol alongside police. but probably the most contentious and controversial security regulation of all is

the fact that the government says it will not return the bodies of those who carry out attacks on israelis. in the past the bodies of people who attacked israelis without israeli ids were curried in remote areas as the government is suggesting it will do this time. but never before has an israeli government taken the bodies of people who do have israeli ids, and obviously have family ties in the region, and refused to return the bodies, and also threatening to bury the bodies in some remote location, which means the family would have no access even after death. this is something deeply, deeply controversial, and something that in palestinian eyes is very much the crossing of a red line. >> thank you for that mike hanna. taliban fighters in afghanistan say they have withdrawn from the northern city of kunduz to protect civilians.

afghan troops rushed to recapture the town two weeks ago. it was the taliban's biggest military victory in 14 years. jennifer glass is in kabul. >> reporter: the taliban says it left kunduz city to avoid civilian casualties and to preserve the strength of its fighter for what it says will be future operations. their presence will have long-lasting implications, because they targeted government officials, women activists and journalists, causing many to flee. this woman says she became a journalist to show other women there are opportunities in afghanistan. she loved her job as a reporter in kunduz until the taliban came and forced her to leave. she fled to kabul, leaving most of her family behind. after she left her father was killed in the fighting. >> translator: i couldn't go to his funeral, the road was

unsafe, and also i'm too recognizable. my mother was grieving. i was the only breadwinner for the family. i could not go and see my father for the last time. >> reporter: she had been threatened even before the taliban entered kunduz city. the fighters raided the station and stole all of the equipment, records and video files. a few photos are all that remains. now her fiance in kabul is worried. >> translator: now that she is here when i go out with her, i feel we are in danger, and i don't let her go out alone. >> reporter: the taliban have pulled out of kunduz city, but there are taliban fighters in surrounding districts, and she doesn't think it will ever be safe to go back. >> translator: i thought the taliban would behave well towards ordinary people. but i was wrong. people who work with media, government, social activists and

especially women, the taliban will never treat them properly. once again the dark ages we experienced in the past could happen again. >> reporter: the director of the tv station says he wants to return and rebuild. but the taliban stole about a hundred thousand dollars worth of equipment. >> translator: the international community gave lots of aid in the past, but i think the assistance won't be like it used to be. >> reporter: the taliban have tlented employees of kabul's two most popular television stations because of their reporting in kunduz, and taliban offenses continue around the country. in hellmann province an offensive killed 21 afghan policeman and the taliban still control the main road between kabul and kandahar, the country's two largest cities, stranding hundreds of passengers along that road, and stopping

transit between those cities, and although their attack on monday night was repelled by afghan security forces, the taliban still continue to fire rockets on gasny city. sergei lavrov says the u.s. has refused to send a military delegation to russia to discuss coordination in syria. >> translator: attempts by the west and particularly by the u.s. to put a break on this process, are leading only to chaos, anarchy, and rejection by many other countries. russia will try to make sure that security is observed throughout the world and in russia as well. there are reports that iranian troops are arriving in jair to help a government

offensive. the syrian army has been backed by lebanese hezbollah fighters, and the russian air campaign. zana hoda has the story. >> reporter: iran provided much needed support over the years, political, military, as well as financial, they don't hide the fact that they play an advisory role in syria, that they have military advisors on the ground, but they official line has been no, we do not have ground forces in syria, but we have been hearing reports from pro-iranian sources as well as pro-iranian media, saying that thousands of iranian troops have arrived in syria to take part in ground operations alongside the syrian government as well as the lebanese ally, the shia armed group, hezbollah. these reports coincide with a visit of a top-ranking iranian official. he is in damascus holding talks with syrian officials. he is talking about a positive

outcome as a result of the ongoing coordination between russia, iraq, iran, and syria, but on the ground, yes, the assault led by the government as well as russian air strikes have really pushed rebels back from -- from a number of front lines, placing the rebels on the defensive. they are no longer on the offensive. but these reports about the presence of iranian troops undoubtedly significant, because as of late and ever since russia joined the military effort in syria, more information has been coming out, saying that iranian troops are on the ground, and they are helping the syrian government, and many believe this is a message from iran, that we're still here, we're still a player, and we still have a say in syria, and we do not want to be left out of any political talks to find a settlement, because there is no doubt russia's intervention really has put russia in the spotlight of efforts to try to

find a political solution. iraqi prime minister says a new mission to retake ramadi from isil fighters is imminent. the city is the capitol of anbar, the country's largest province. thousands of sunni tribal fight ores have agreed to take part in the battle. but sectarian infighting has delayed the offensive. >> reporter: in a carefully choreographed message to isil, these fighters chant we're not afraid. they belong to tribes who are opposed to the armed group, and have just completed a training program with the iraqi military. the graduation was at tended by sunni tribal leaders, a show of unity as the government prepares for a major offensive to retake

ramadi from isil. >> translator: our message to the central government is these are your sons, and we want them to be recognized officially. >> reporter: they have been trained to be part of what is being called the national guard. a proposed arm force for each of iraq's provinces. it is meant to address concerns in predominantly sunni areas, that powerful iranian backed sunni militias, are trying to gain control. a bill seeking approval for the controversial plan has stalled in parliament with iraq's deep sectarian divisions largely to blame for the political dead lock, as a result the prime minister hasn't been able to launch a new offensive against isil in anbar, despite promising to do so for weeks. >> translator: there is no trust between the government forces including the so-called popular

mobilization forces and the sunni tribal fighters, and that's why there is a delay in the up coming offensive. >> reporter: this isn't the first time iraqi forces have tried to liberate ramadi from isil. it first launched an offensive in july, but it was halted after sunni tribes complained shia militias were becoming too involved in the fighting. the prime minister's strategy in isil-held anbar province has been described by some analysts as a complete mess. still it would be appear he is determined to retake the capitol ramadi from the armed group, but until he breaks the political dead lock, and addresses sectarian concerns, he'll have a hard time doing so. still ahead on al jazeera, bitter pill for india's pharmacists, we find out why they are pushing back against

the online sale of medicines. and the new garnenning initiative in guatemala to help fight malnutrition among children. ♪

♪ hello again, these are the top stories on al jazeera. one palestinian has been shot dead in jerusalem. police say he tried to stab soldiers at one of the old city gates. and there is a tense standoff between palestinians and israeli security forces in bethlehem in the occupied west bank. taliban fighters in afghanistan say they have

withdrawn from the northern city of kunduz to protect civilians. afghanistan government troops rushed to recapture the city two weeks ago when the taliban stormed back into their former strong hold. sergei lavrov says the u.s. has refused to send a military delegation to russia to discuss coordination in syria. wlbt there should be a no-fly zone in syria has been hotly debated in las vegas. the gamble k capitol hosted the first debate for the first democratic debate. >> reporter: the backdrop, the sheer opulence of the wynn hotel in las vegas. here the play ground for the rich and famous, the democratic hopefuls pledged they would tax the people who party here to help those who work here.

front runner hillary clinton used a private email server during her time as secretary of state, reinforcing the idea that she is untrustworthy with the majority of voters. she called the investigation political. >> the american people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. >> reporter: the sharpest disagreement between the three candidates came on the issue of a no-fly zone in syria. >> what i believe and why i have advocated that the no-fly zone which of course would be in a coalition, be put on the table, is because i'm trying to figure out what leverage we have to get russia to the table. diplomacy is not about getting to the perfect solution, it's about how you balance the risk. >> a no-fly zone in syria, i think is a very dangerous situation, could lead to real problems. >> you have to enforce no-fly zones, and i believe especially

with the russian air force in the air, it could lead to an escalation that we would deeply regret. >> reporter: they argued that this would be a election that highlights the growing divide between the rich and the poor. brazil's ruling party has won an injunction on whether to impeach the president. she is facing charges of manipulating government counts. opposition parties were trying to force a vote in the letter house. a church has been burned down and at least one person has been killed in indonesia. it is believed hundreds of muslim men attacked the church, setting it on fire. the demonstration last week by an islamic youth group called for a number of churches to be

destroyed. the group claims the churches were built illegally. >> reporter: another religious attack in indonesia. a muslim youth group in the islamic province demanded the closure of ten churches who are operating without proper building permits, and local authorities didn't meet their deadline, the local youth group took the law into their own hands and burned the church down. one person died. the government sent reinforcements to the area. now tensions have cooled down quite significantly. at this stage it's not clear what will happen to the other nine churches that are still operating without building permits. the christian minority in the area is now living in fear. indonesia has also been at the center of religious violence. this latest attack is now seen as an important test to the government of the president, who have committed themselves to

defend religious tolerance in this nation. hundreds of thousands of pharmacies across india have shut down in protest against the online sale of medicines. >> reporter: these protesters say they are the only ones that legally can and should be allowed to trade medicines in india. up to 850,000 chemists are on strike nationwide. they are concerned about growth of india's online pharmaceutical business, and what they say is the government's unwillingness to stop its expansion. >> in present law, online pharmacy is not allowed in india, because [ inaudible ] if anybody wants to do the retail pharmacy, they have to do in the supervision of pharmacists, physical, visibilities must be there. physical [ inaudible ] must be there. >> reporter: some critics say the strike is yet another sign of traditional indian businesses

resisting change. shoppers jostling at chemist counters to buy medicines is a familiar scene across india. often no prescription is needed. as access to healthcare has grown, so too has demand for medication. but those who can't afford it are looking for alternative and easier ways of getting what they need. online pharmacies hope to capitalize on the growth of india's tech salvy middle class. they see big potential. their confidence is boosted by customers like this person who relies on a regular supply of medicines because she is

diabetes. she uses an app, customers up load prescriptions to an online portal and it takes care of the rest. >> translator: sometimes i have to go to more than one pharmacy. with this app i can get whatever i need in one place. the medicines are delivered to my home on time. >> reporter: the app started up in july and already has 80 clients. it only connects customers to chemists and doesn't trade or transport medicines. >> we want to [ inaudible ] we want to [ inaudible ], and so that they can compete with their big [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: the government is yet to regulate the online sale of medicine, but these chemists want to make sure their concerns are heard well before any policy prescriptions are made. australia has vowed to find

justice for those killed in the malaysian airlines plane that was shot down by russian-made missile. 38 of the passengers who died were australians. a dutch investigation has confirmed that mh-17 was hit by a warhead. several countries accuse pro-russian separatists of launching the missile. the united against corruption campaign has been organized by the national union of metal workers. they argue the money lost to corruption should be spent on a minimum wage increase. guatemala has one of the world's highest waits of malnutrition of children. an initiative for gardens in schools is raising hope as david mercer reports. >> reporter: in this small

garden is western guatemala, children are sewing the seeds of change. today these girls are harvesting a native plant high in protein. the students are proud of the bounty. the payoff for months of hard work in their organic school garden. >> translator: we start off preparing the land and mixing the earth. we make the beds, plant seeds and water them. then we harvest the vegetables, take them to the school and eat them. >> reporter: with the majority of children here suffering from chronic malnutrition, local teachers have wanted to introduce organic gardening for years, but it wasn't until they partnered up with an ngo that they turned this dream into a reality. >> translator: the world needs real change makers and the best place to start is with children, by teaching them to grow their own food without the chemicals that can cause health problems.

>> reporter: specialists from the ngo give weekly classes to students and teachers in soil preparation, water harvesting, seed banks and more. already they are producing a hundred pounds of food a month and in just a few years the school garden should be running out any outside help. >> translator: we have groups made up of parents, teachers and students. little by little, they will take over the decision making in order to improve the project. >> reporter: in the school kitchen, mothers take turns preparing healthy meals, using produce from the garden, a commitment from both parents and teachers that is having a dramatic impact. >> translator: the students used to have very low grades, in just a few months we have seen a big change in their work. they see the change in their attitude towards school. >> reporter: this student inspired her mom to start growing herbs at home.

it's the kind of knock-on effect that could transform familiar list. >> translator: we benefit too, because our children teach us what they learned in school. >> reporter: fighting hunger from the roots up, while giving children opportunities to lead their communities in a new direction. david mercer, al jazeera, guatemala. that's one of the world's best known graphic artists who's images are everywhere, but his name is much less well know. in that may be about to change as his work goes on display in london. >> reporter: the tower of babel, shown from a bird's-eye view friday mc usher. he said he wants to show the building from above, since that's where the action took place. the top of the tower where god gave different languages to people and scattered them across the earth.

normal rules of gravity don't apply. a staircase switches back on itself. it was the inspiration for the video game echo chrome. the name mc usher may not be familiar to all, but his images are everywhere. despite popular appeal, his work has largely been ignored by museums. >> he is so famous with ordinary not arty people that it can't be good. it's a cliche way of thinking. >> reporter: the reclusive dutch artist worked on his own at home in a studio. islamic tiles, the 11th century palace in spain were a huge inspiration. he took the geometric images and moves on to patterns of identify call shapes that seamlessly interlock and can be repeated endlessly. more interested in solving

difficult puzzles than his art, he couldn't be bothered with fame and fortune. he often turned down opportunities to work with celebrities or branch out in film. visitors are encouraged to make their own selfsies, just as he did more than 40 years ago. fans have more than a 100 prints to examine. they appear easy. what has been more difficult is his work fining its rightful place on museum walls. also in london, the natural history museum has chosen its wildlife photographer of the year. canadian amateur photographer, don gatoski, won the top prize. capturing the moment of a fight between the arctic fox and his

cousin. there was more than 42,000 entries from 96 countries, the competition has been open for more than 50 years. you can check out those pictures and the news by logging on to our website, updated 24 hours a day, aljazeera.com. violence this morning in bethlehem where security forces used tear gas to break up protests. now israel is stepping up its security to try to stop attacks. president obama reconsidered u.s. troop numbers in afghanistan as taliban fighters pull out of a strategic city. and fireworks very fact, how the democratic candidates made their case in last night's debate, and bent the truth. ♪