a boat show to break the bank. super yachts on display on an international exhibition

kurdish peshmerga forces have launched a ground againstive to try and take the town in i.s.i.l. this would effectively cut off the supply lines between i.s.i.l. strong holds, iraq, syria and northern iraq. 7000 troops are battling. sin gentleman fell to i.s.i.l. last year, tens of thousands of people from a religious minority were trapped after fleeing mount sinjar. what's the latest? >> reporter: i can tell you that the president of the region is in the sinjar area and monitoring operations there. this operation has been dubbed operation free sinjar. it is taking parts in the east,

south and west. what they're trying to do is cut off a very key highway that links topel towards mosil. kurdish peshmerga were saying there were other political parties, it is not true, it is just them. they're in charge of this operation. they've already taken four key villages that they are now using. staging basis to mount an operation into sinjar town itself. things are moving rapidly. the game change is the air support. there is heavy bombing going on from the aircraft, fighters jets being used. that's very crucial because that allows them to weaken i.s.i.l. what is going on here in the broader context of the battle? >> reporter: the broader battle

against i.s.i.l. is very difficult because there are a number of opinions on how. take, for example, in the west of iraq, i.s.i.l. control a large amount of that territory and the sunis there, which are predominantly key in that area. it is up to us to be able to take the fight. we don't need the mobilisation forces to lead that for us. here in northern iraq the occurreds say sinjar is kurdish territory. hopeful mosil which is also i.s.i.l. held territory and it has been for over 18 months, that is an are rehabilitation operation that needs to be done by the iraqi forces. also syria, what do you do with i.s.i.l. in syria? well, there's a number of options being played there. the number of players there. you see it's a very complicated situation. this operation, though, is very key for the kurds. if it's successful and over quickly, it will be a decisive victory against i.s.i.l.

thanks for that. on to malta where european and african leaders are holding talks on the refugee cries. they're trying to stop the stem of flow to the continent. lawrence lee, how are things working out so far? >> reporter: well, from the european perspective, not i think as well as they might have hoped. clearly the europeans need to go away from this summit to be able to say something to their own populations about trying to sort the problem out, the burden, as they would see it. there's so much disquiet in europe about inability to manage the numbers, even sweden is closing its borders as well from this morning. it is an enormous problem for europe and they will no doubt talk up that's successes within half an hour or so from now they're going to sign this trust

fund, nearly two billion euros which they want to offer to africa in return for the help to repatriate thousands and thousands of illegal migrants. they will be saying to help sending money back more successfully. that's very important to african economies. maybe helping students from africa learn in europe. these little things around the edges, they may say that they're able to achieve, but the really big issue, which is getting african support for the repatriation program, that isn't working. if they can't get agreements to odd that with a majority of african countries, they will have to get into bi lateral deals. very messy. they will basically kick it down the road. the you're pen-- e.u. has set

the end of next year why are the nations reassistant to these plans and what would they prefer? >> reporter: well, i think there's a number of things really. for a start they don't like in principle what looks very much like a breathalyzered, an a very small run for that. a senior european said to me last night it is only a sweetener and given the scale of the problem, economic war, two billion euros is absolutely nothing. i think there's a lot of resent many as well from a lot of african countries as regarding european racist, and consider countries having a colonial past. it was africans who my greated and and ewe rope is reaping the whirlwind of that.

they don't like any of those things. they think it's entirely cynical. bear in mind, though, too normally africa is in a weak position in terms of negotiating trade, agricultural agreements and things like that with europe. on this, because africa recognises this is a crisis for the e.u., it does give them a little bit of a better bargaining position. i think that's to some extent is why some countries in africa are digging their heels in and resisting what europe wants to do that's the current picture. we will see how things will develop over the next few hours. thank you. the death toll from refugees trying to get to europe continues to rise. 14 people have drowned of off the turkish cost. 27 people were rescued. as reporting from lesbos, many of those are economic migrants who make the dangerous journey in search of a better life. >> reporter: these days it seems like they have both all the time

in the world and no time to spare. with somes as tattered as their clothes are frayed, they wait for a bureaucracy to decide. will they be called migrants or are they considered refugees. at this camp where the wait to be registered sometimes stretches out for days, these four men testimony us those designations have become practically-- tell us those have become meaningless. >> translation: i have brothers and sisters. i am the oldest in the family. i came here to serve them and get them out eventually to make their lives better. >> reporter: afraid their relatives back home will face reprisals if identified, the men all in their 20s, all colleged indicated, asked to remain anonymous. >> translation: i have a diploma as a technician, but i wasn't making knoche money to take care of my family. it was impossible for us to live on the wages i made. >> reporter: none of them wanted

to their leave homeland but say they ultimately had no choice. >> translation: we looked all over morocco for opportunities and couldn't find them. you can't get work unless you are connected. you have to know a person who knows another person, who knows another person. for the rest of us, the people who don't know people you stay poor. >> reporter: since other men from north africa in this camp told us they wished to make it toity lee. i asked if that's where these men want to end up-- italy. practical in unison they all respond they just want to get to a country, any country that will give them a chance. >> translation: i'm the oldest in my family's household. i'm only trying to make sure i can make money to send back to them. in morocco there is no life, no money, no future. >> reporter: they're fully aware their circumstances may not be considered enough of a hardship, that further on down this perilous road they may not be grand political asylum. like so many other men, women

and children they will push on as soon as they get the clearance to go >> reporter: while the men weep spoke with here may not be fleeing death, destruction and warfare, they say their journey is still a desperate one and that they have as much a right to pursue a better future for themselves and their families as anybody else here does meanwhile military-- myanmar's military leadership has congratulated aung san suu kyi on wing the elections which has put her party on course to take leadership after 50 years of military rule. russia's president has ordered an investigation into allegations of doping against russia athletes. on monday an official report was issued. >> reporter: until now russian sporting authorities have remained defiant in the face of

doping allegations, but with russia facing possible suspension from world athletics this weekend, the russian pity has struck a more conciliatory tone. after meeting with sports chiefs, the president said russia must do everything possible to eradicate doping. >> translation: we must carry out our own internal investigation and ensure it's the most open. i want to stress this, the most open professional cooperation with international anti-doping organisations. here in russia we must do all we can to get rid of this problem. >> reporter: on monday, the world anti-doping agency recommended russia be suspended from world athletics, including the olympic games for repeated and systematic doping offence. it accused russia of running a state-sponsored program. its report said there's' deep rooted culture of cheating by russian officials coaches and athletes. it also alleged that money was demanded from top athletes to bury medical tests which would

have exposed the use of performance enhancing drugs. on tuesday kremlin questioned the evidence behind the report and the russian sports minister denied doping was endemic, but president's comments announced new measures to clamp down on doping. >> translation: we can improve the quality of testing. we want to seriously consider tightening administrative responsibility and maybe think about a criminal responsibility and thirdly, today we want to increase the responsibility to the federation. >> reporter: the director of russia's anti-doping laboratory in moscow has resigned after w.a.d.a. stripped the lab of its accreditation. the i.a.a.f. council decision on whether to ban russia is expected over the weekend australia's p.m. is trying to reset relations with indonesia as he visits the country. it is malcolm turnbull's first overseas visit as p.m. many has seen this as a charm

offensive after recent tensions. plenty more sometime coming up on the program. seeking british investment in the wormed's fastest growing economy. india's p.m. is about to arrive in u.k. to tree and woo business leaders. plus afghanistan's ghost schools while classrooms are empty, teachers have been collecting their salaries.

>> "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. the top stories here.

kurdish peshmerga have laumplygd a ground offensive to retake the western town of sinjar f from i.s.i.l. the supply line have been c has been cut off. european and african leaders are hold willing talks on the refugee crisis on malta. the ue is trying to reach an agreement to flow the stem of people to the copped nent. australia p.m. is in indonesia in an effort to reset relations. . it is the worst drought to hit the ethiopia in decades. united nations is warning that more than 15 million food people will need aid by january. crop yields in the worst areas

are down by 90% this year due to draught. >> reporter: this man's harvest is ruined. every plant is dead, he tells me. we have nothing now. he like hundreds of thousands of farmers in many parts of the country is the victim of a phenomenona that neither he nor his government can control. el nino. the hot winds originating in the pacific have wrapped the lives of millions of people across this region this year. the well he used to used dried up a few days ago because many people from surrounding villages had no choice but to use it. he sold one of his three cows to buy enough food to give one meal a day to his children. he says he has received no help from aid agencies or the government. we have nothing to eat now, he says. we need food and water.

in some parts the livestock are dying. we spoke to one herder who said he has begun to receive food aid. he said 40 of his cows died and he only has five left. the cattle died first. now the draught are getting worse, goats and cows are beginning to die too. it is the worst draught to hit this country and others in the region nor decades. around 8.2 minimum i don't know people need help here. it could rise up to 15 million next year unless donations. the government here says its emergency food program is helping, but it admits it needs urgent assistance. aid agencies tell us malnutrition cases in the area are rising, but they praise the government for what they say is its crisis management and fast reallocation of budget money.

but the approximate $100 million given by international donors since october is nowhere near enough. the u.n. say they could need at least three times that. a spokesperson told us in this is a very different situation to the 1980s when a draught compounded by political unrest developed into a familiarine and killed hundreds of thousands of people. >> translation: the government is trying hard to save the life of its citizens and successfully relocating money from its budget. during the previous drought we lost a lot of lives an animals now because of government's action and progress we as a country are more resilient. >> reporter: for many people like this man struggling to feed their families, just how long can their resilience last? health officials in the west bank say a palestinian man

was killed when undercover israeli defense forces stormed the surgery unit of a hospital. the incident happened at a hospital in hebron. the 27 year old was shot five times when he tried to stop the forces arresting his cousin who was undergoing treatment. 81 palestinians and 10 israelis have died in a wave of violence since october. the indian p.m. modi will begin his first official visit to the u.k. in a few hours. he is hoping to attract british investment to india. he will hold talks with hissish counterpart at david cameron before making a speech at the houses of parliament. afghanistan's government says at least eight million children are enrolled in school, but it is alleged that as p many schools are bogus or only have a fraction of the students they claim. in the last of our three part series, the forgotten province,

jennifer glass reports on the schools. >> reporter: the children of this area say they want to learn, but their school in this tin ape area is empty. they say they haven't been to school in weeks. >> translation: the teachers come two to three times a week, but they don't give us anything to study. >> reporter: the teachers do, however, collect their salaries, the afghan human rights submission say there are hundreds of these so-called ghost schools in this province. >> translation: i cannot say it's exactly 70 or 80% or more or less than that, but i can tell you the situation of education here is worrying. last year we monitored one district out of 52 schools only three were working. >> reporter: in this village the u.n. built school has a padlock on the fait. no sign of learning here. there are supposed to be six and seven teachers and dozens of students. the salaries of the area's teachers are being paid.

he has 225,000 students in 812 schools and that none have been closed by violence, but he can't prove it. >> translation: because of security, we as education officials are not able to monitor in order to control and make sure that teachers and students are actually at the schools. >> reporter: he says the security isn't a problem at the two schools we visited. the monitoring teams also visit regularly. when we showed him our video of the schools, he couldn't explain why we found them empty. he blamed the lack of classes on irresponsible teachers and parents unwilling to send their children to school. that's not what the parents there say. >> translation: when we asked the teachers why are not you educating our children? they claim our children are not coming. when we sent our boys, the teachers are not there. >> reporter: but the money continues to flow.

teachers' salaries alone are about a half a million dollars a month. no-one knows exactly where the cash goes, but there are widespread allegations at least part of it ends up in the hands of taliban and other fighters through extortion and corruption. >> reporter: the schools that do have students are in areas that can be monitored like here in the capital, but elsewhere in the province thousands of children have no schools and no teachers. local education officials have known about the problem for years, but don't seem to want to do anything about it. jennifer glass. central afghanistan it is a school exam that practically stops south korea in its tracks. these exams can open the door on future jobs, even marriage prospect. 6 about 0,000 are believed no have taken this test this year. >> reporter: it's the kind of excitement usually generated by kpop stars or actors.

these girls are greeting school mates arriving for the exam. >> translation: we think we should muster up more energy so our senior classmates can have more energy. that's why we're cheering harder than for other schools. >> reporter: emergency services are on stand by to deliver late comers. for parents who spent small fortunes on tutors and countless hours of study, there's nothing left to do but pray. >> translation: my daughter studied hard. i felt bad watching her. i wonder erred whether kids need to go through this, but society is like this so she can have a good job and have a happy life. it is a bit painful >> reporter: this is exam taking as an extreme sport and at an extreme cost, emotionally to the children and financially to the parents. 90 minute drive you find a

school day starting like few others. morning assembly is tending the vegetables. a time for conversations rather than lectures and for sampling the season's first radish. in is a boarding school designed as an alternative to the high pressure learning that so dominates education in this country. >> translation: normal high schools focus on college entruants. i wasn't going to achieve a good outcome in that exam. i was interested in reading and writing more than my peers. this school helped me to develop these things. >> reporter: this type of education is rare. just a few dozen describe them as alternative. often private schools studying goats into the night. -- goes into the night. >> it is not simply educational policy. it is part of culture.

deeply rooted culture or values. >> reporter: outside a buddist temple in seoul they have laid out extra mats for the parents to pray, sometimes all day where the students take the exam. in a land dominated by so-called education fever, alternative schools like this one seem destined to remain isolated outposts. harry faucet new evacuations have been called for at the site of one of brazil's worst mining accidents, bhp biliton unveil the main had failed to explained why mining waste broke through two daysise placing lots of people. 8 were killed and 21 are missing. the ceo have pledged to help the victims after their visit to the site on wednesday. >> pleasa make no mistake, of

the people of brazil, the people have my absolute determination that we will fully help you in rebuilding your homes, your community and your spirits the drop in global oil prices in some gulf states telling citizens to watch their spending, but organisers of the boat show are counting on existing boat owners help them to exceed in sales. >> reporter: for the captain of this super yacht, this man waxing and wiping are all in a day's work, work that he does with the commitment, meticulous attention to detail and a lot of passion. >> if you are a company, you should know everything about the boats, about the yachts. this is like your wife, you know. it's more than taking care of your wife, this boat. >> reporter: this boat and her

sister, 135, are the stars of the third eedition of the boat show. at 41 metres, this floating palace is the biggest super yacht docked here and some of the world's coolest boats are also on display. 120 manufacturers and dealers are exhibiting their latest boats, jet skis, gadgetss and gizmos for enthusiasts. >> this is giving access to clients and continuing to show what we are up to these days and as april custom builder-- a custom builder we need feedback to grow the company and develop new model >> reporter: more than 15,000 people from 54 countries are expected to attend. last year's show generated nearly 30 million dollars in sales, but the global decline in oil prices has had an impact on gulf economies.

some states have told citizens the governments may not be able to subsidise purchases. of >> there is a lot of hypothesis around here. so we came back to the government to start talking to them, what we have a division on a mission for the show, and how we're going to brand and place that on the map. on the international shows. >> reporter: organisers say this region is one of the biggest markets for luxury yachts. it's also a hub for the production of world class boats, and as global oil prices continue to fall, sales of luxuryous yachts continue to go up. manufacturers are banking not only on sales during the show, but also on making the right contacts for lucrative sales in the coming months

going to the u.s. where wild fires in southern california are continued to burn. the so-called brush fire in the valley is amongst several blazes out of control. one of the fires in the draught stricken state has destroyed at least 20,000 acres. fire warnings are still in place. with spectacular landscapes- new zealand is a pristine paradise- ranked the freest country on earth. but this south pacific nation has the second highest imprisonment rate in the western world.