talks to end the war in syria underway in new york with major obstacles to overcome. ♪ hello from me, david foster, you are watching al jazeera, life from london. also in this program, kurdish forces in northern iraq ask for international help for the fight against isil. despite a supposed ceasefire, pro-yemen forces ceased two towns from the houthis in 24 hours. and rwanda votes on a referendum that could see the president stay in power until

2034. also the vatican says mother theresa will now be made a saint. ♪ 17 foreign ministers are currently meetings in new york at new talks on how to end the war in syria. they are trying to arrange a ceasefire from january, and then direct negotiations between the syrian government and the opposition. the opposition says it won't agree to a ceasefire unless president assad steps down. and they have yet to solve their differences in the talks to define who is radical. >> on the two important aspects, one is the opposition groups, and the other is a come situation of the opposition and a list of terrorist organization. there seems to be no agreement.

>> our diplomatic editor, james bayes joins us from outside of the talk in that hotel in new york. so what can they hope to achieve? >> reporter: well, you heard about that difference that the foreign minister told me about, about who should be part of the opposition. that's one of the main sticking points. another is the future role of assad. what they hope to achieve is very, very ambitious, here, david. they are hoping to kick start the whole political process in syria after well over 250,000 dead, five years of war, to start in the next month, face-to-face talks between the syrian government and syrian opposition groups, and to have a ceasefire. and what they are hoping to eye chief from this meeting is consensus on the way forward and endorsement in all of that process in the u.n. security

council in just a few hour's time where they hope to pass a resolution endorsing all of this, i have to tell you that is still being negotiated and still no agreement on what was supposed to be the centerpiece of this day. >> whatever they decide there in new york, it has to be enforced upon the ground and that has to be with cooperation of certain opposition groups and the assad government. >> absolutely. and these are not talks involving the opposition. they are not here. and they don't involve the syrian government. although the syrian ambassador will be in the later later this afternoon, if that takes place. but that is dependent on this resolution that they want to pass, and that is, i think the sticking point there is the central sticking point in the role of assad. they are arguing on whether to use the language of the geneva

communique back in 2012 which talked about a governing body, the opposition would never give the role to assad to continue in a transition, so we know what that means. the russians, though, prefer the more recent vienna communique, which uses more fussy language of a 18-month transition period. >> james thank you very much indeed for now. russian fighter jets have carried out air raids on idlib, hama, and aleppo in syria. nine people were killed in the east of aleppo. iraqi medical sources say 11 people from two families have been killed in an air strike in fallujah by u.s.-lead coalition

forces. at least three were reported to be children. they were targeting isil fighters in the center of the city. well kurdish forces fighting isil say they need strong international support and more weapons in iraq. there are at least 25 million kurds living in parts of syria, turkey, iran, and iraq. the iraqi kurdish forces, the peshmerga are based in the semiautonomous region in the north of the country, and despite their plea for help, they are having some success against isil, as our correspondent discovered from the north of iraq.

>> reporter: it's a symbolic day for peshmerga forces here. they regained control of their town from isil fighters a year ago. many isil commanders were killed during the battles, including the brother of an isil leader. heavy weapons were also seized, which the peshmerga are now using. they say most of the captured military equipment is u.s. made which isil stole from the iraqi army. the hardware is a reminder that they can defeat isil, also known as daesh. >> translator: daesh does not have the strength or morale to attack kurdish areas, bah they know we will crush them. >> reporter: these are some of the symbols that they have captured during fighting. but isil still remains strong in other areas on the outskirts of various peshmerga strong holds. isil has carried out many

coordinated attacks across several fronths to breach peshmerga lines. peshmerga forces say they have repelled several isil attacks across the kurdish region. isil fighters are using armored vehicle bombs, followed by bulldozers to fill trenches dug by isil. for now a push towards mosul remains on hold, but soldiers say they are ready. >> translator: this is a critical decision now, peshmerga and the coalition, se support of the iraqi military already have a plan. >> reporter: kurdish fighters continue to complain by a lack of weapons. >> daesh are armed to the teeth. the peshmerga are the ones that are holding the line, defeating

daesh, and they are holding the line for the west. so it's now time that the west starts doing more than air support, they must be crushed here for humanity. it's that simple. >> reporter: but the competing interests of international powers involved in this conflict, defeating isil remains far from simple. turkish security forces have killed 55 suspected members of the pkk according to state media reports after two days of operations in the southeastern part of turkey on the iraqi, syria border. the turkish go announced that it would intensify its efforts against pkk fighters in that area. pkk wanting independence from turkey. but talks between any two parties collapse earlier this

year bringing peace talks to an end. protesters are calling for an end to the turkish security operations there, which have been targeting suspected members of the pkk. ♪ after first of all sitting out peace talks on friday morning, houthi rebels have returned to negotiations with yemen's government in switzerland. they have been upset about the announcement of a humanitarian aid deal, as the two sides accuse one another of breaching the ceasefire, pro-government fighters say they have taken more territory from the houthis. >> reporter: a rare moment of joy against the sorrow of yemen's war. celebrations on the streets of ta den, mark the return of more than 260 prisoners of war. these fighters with the

pro-government southern resistance movement, some of them barely into their teens, were freed in exchange for more than 300 houthi rebels. >> translator: we suffered a lot, the houthis exercised all kinds of abuse. we didn't get any prisoner rights. >> reporter: al jazeera didn't confirm these allegations, but it is clear that both sides have suffered. it was hoped the swap would help the peace talks in switzerland between the warring parties, and perhaps it did to an extent. because the houthis and yemen's government agreed to allow desperately needed today into the contested city of ta'izz. but details in the deal appear to have antagonized houthi representatives. a ceasefire has been in place since tuesday on paper, but hardly in practice. [ explosion ]

>> reporter: the battles continue and humanitarian agencies on the ground say they haven't seen any aid arrive. elsewhere, pro-government fighters say they have now captured houthi camps, destroying their vehicles and taking prisoners. as the fighting drags on, it is estimated four in every five people in yemen now require aid. the situation is more acute for the sick. health services have been badly disru disrupted. doctors here are worried they will soon rount of supplies. >> translator: these children are suffering because we lack medicine and can't perform tests. >> reporter: the conflict has already killed nearly 6,000 people since march, half of them civilians. gerald tan, al jazeera. israeli police say a

palestinians man has been shot and wounded after trying to ram his car into police. the israeli army said about 50 palestinians threw rocks and fire bombs at the forces, who replied with tear gas. no casualties were reported. still to come, a dutch court has ruled that nigerian farmers can sue the oil giant shell in the netherlands, from pollution. and cold, sick, and with nowhere to go, the u.n. says more than 20 million people have had to leave their homes in just six months. ♪

headline stories here on al jazeera. foreign ministers from 17 countries are in new york fore talks on ways to end the syrian civil war. they want to arrange a ceasefire from january, and direct negotiations then between the syrian government and opposition. kurdish forces fighting isil in iraq say they need more weapons and international support. and in yemen houthi rebels have returned to peace talks being held in switzerland despite earlier saying they would pull out. both the houthis and the yemeni government have accused one another of violating a ceasefire put in place before the talks. it was just a few weeks ago

that rwanda's president criticized the president of burundi of trying to get a third term in his country, now people have voted in a referendum that would allow him to extend his own term, possibly until 2034. he has been in power since 1994, and hz been praised for rebuilding the country, but also criticized for stifling opposition. malcolm webb has more from the capitol. ♪ >> reporter: public meetings about the referendum on changing the constitution have been impossible to miss. these people say they want the president to stay in power after he finishes his second term in 2017. he has been president of rwanda since 2000, effectively in power since his rebel group took control in 1994. and now politicians say millions

of rwandans petitioned them to change the constitution on presidential term limits. >> translator: i told him, good luck. we already have 5 million rwandans supporting the change, so it's not possible they can have more votes than us. >> reporter: we have been told that people are pressured into attending these meetings. the government say people come freely. >> translator: we asked our members of parliament to change the term limits because they were an obstacle to us reelected the president. >> reporter: for the last ten days members of parliament and senators have been campaigning hard, not just here in the capitol, but also in towns and villages all over the country, where they have gathered crowds of hundreds of people like this , delivered speeches, sung and danced all in favor of changing the constitution.

but there hasn't really been any visible campaign against it. some opposition figures are in prison accused of inciting ethnic conflict. others have been killed or disappeared. the government denies it is responsible. the democratic green party is one that is openly critical. >> the national commission said it's not organized. it's not provided to do the campaign. so we can't do it. >> reporter: it's easier to find critics in other countries. peter was born in rwanda, but campaigns against the government from london. he says he receives regular threats. >> the election has been arranged in a week.

we think it is illegitimate, we think it will pass because people can't speak freely. >> reporter: the president is popular among many rwandans for bringing stability to a country that suffered so much violence, but others say public opinion is a lot more divided than the government suggests. while waiting for some kind of decision there, voters in the central african republic have said yes. in the first results, nearly 90% of voters voted yes in the referendum. turn out, low, though, at 30%. the proposed constitution reigns in the president's power and expands that of parliament, and creates a special criminal court to try serious crimes. the african union is proposing sending 5,000 peace

keepers to burundi, which it says is on the brink of civil war. they are invoking a rule which allows it to deploy a force without the country's consent. but the move still needs approval from the u.n. security council. at least 400 people have been killed since april when unrest began after the president said he would try to get a third term in office. a dutch court has ruled that the oil giant shell can be pursued in this dutch courts for compensation for spills in nigeria. this decision from the hague follows an appeal brought by four farmers, but opens the way also for many more to launch lawsuits against the oil giant. more from paul brennan. >> reporter: the niger delta

holds some of the world's richest oil deposits. royal dutch shell operates around 50 oil fields there, with 6,000 kilometers of pipelines. farmers have fought a long battle for compensation, but were told they could only pursue shell's nigerian subsidiary, and only in a nigerian court. friday's landmark legal ruling in the hague means the farmers can now sue the parent company. the farmers have been supported by the campaign group, friends of the earth. >> the fact that the court has jurisdiction on this case, means that probably in the future, in similar cases, victims of human rights abuses by corporations or other companies that also have a company here in the netherlands can bring their case to the

netherlands to get justice. >> and of course it's not only about these four farmers, it's about all of the people in the nigher delta who are is suffering from pollution who now can fight shell in their own home country. >> reporter: in response, shell's headquarters issued a statement: being able to sue the parent company in the netherlands could open a door to multi-billion dollars payouts involving hundreds of affects people. campaigners are hailing it as a

legal break through, but the actual liability for the pollution and spillages remains unresolved. there will be more court cases on that in 2016. the man convicted of a gang rape in india while he was a teenager will be freed on sunday. the attack on the 23 year old woman who later died from her injuries took place three years ago. the case fuelled a waive of public protests around women's rights in india. beijing has issued its second red alert this month on air pollution. thick smog and pollution expected to shroud beijing until next week. the red alert is the most severe warning. the situation has triggered severe vehicle restrictions and the closure of schools. european union leaders have

promised what they call an uncompromised fight against terrorism. they called for stronger immigration controls, and a crackdown on weapons trafficking, and asset freezes to restrict the amount of money available for attacks. it was the first time the leaders got together since the paris attacked that killed 130 and wounded hundreds more. a number of people forced out of their homes this year is likely to exceed all previous records according to the latest united nations refugee agency report. think -- figures show the numbers fleeing their countries has now passed 20 million. the number of people internally displaced went up from 2 million to 34 million. and worldwide displacement will reach a record high of more than

60 million people by the end of this year. turkey alone has taken in almost 1.9 million refugees mainly syrians. our correspondent sends this report. >> reporter: this boy is two months old. his parents want to take him and his four siblings to greece. they tell me they know the risks, and they can all die. >> translator: we have no other alternative, no chance to live here or in afghanistan. we can't stay here. we have to go to europe. we want to go to germany. >> reporter: entire families of refugees are waiting here in the turkish coastal town. sick, tired and cold. some have been here for days. waiting for a call from their smugglers. they have to be ready all the time. outside there are more children and adults. they sit and wait. it's cold here. and the winds are strong.

all determined to cross the aegean sea to get to greece which seems close but remains out of reach. >> i'm coming here because we have lots of problems in afghanistan. we are faced with a lot of challenges. we cannot guarantee our life. >> reporter: every morning they hope the sea is calmer. greece is a short distance away, but cross the aegean sea is risky. the journey could take up to an hour depending on whether s -- weather conditions, but this is a dangerous journey. more than 650 people have died this year while trying to cross from turkey to greece. many of them were children. and in the last two weeks, at least 15 children have drowned in the aegean sea. the rights group says the recorded death of refugees using

two other routes in the mediterranean have reached over 2,900, and since october, more than 70 children have died crossing the agreeian sea according to save the children. at the meeting point on the coast, as the right moment came, the first overloaded cheap dingy sets off, carrying refugees happy to leave but risking it all, while others wait as their smugglers prepare more boats. at this small shop volunteers rely on donations to feed the refugees, but they feel helpless to persuade them not to take more risks. >> we feel terrible. we bring them to hospital another day ago, because they were really hot, and they all sick, and one day after they will die in the sea, they drowned. >> reporter: back on the shore, those who didn't make it this

time feel disappointed, waiting their turn to cease their chance between life and death. mother theresa of calcutta is to become a saint of the roman catholic church. she was a missionary who cared for the poor in the indian city of cualcutta. six years after she died the then of head of the church recognized a first miracle. the second miracle was the inexplicable recovery of a man who's brain tumors disappeared. >> yeah, for me, i feel like it's a very wonderful thing, especially she -- she is always a good example to the worldest

sheshlly the world that is filled with [ inaudible ], and she has left also as example of take care of one another. let's here from our correspondent in india. >> reporter: quite significant for india if you look at how many saints india has once mother theresa is canonized, we expect this to happen in september next year, she will be one of a handful of indian saints. she was born in macedonia, but gained indian citizenship in 1951, and just putting this story into numbers there are around 24 million christians in india, and 20 million are catholic. so this is a much-anticipated amount of news for the catholics here in india. over the life work of mother

there theresa, there were sections of indian society that did raise concerns about the religious undertones of her work, a particularly sensitive issue here in india. but lots of anticipation if in fact it is september next year that she is declared officially a saint. ♪ the senate voting on whether to approve a $1.1 trillion spending plan that will keep the government up and running. world powers closing in on that road map to end the war this syria. cutting off isil's finances, a strategy taking aim at their bottom line. and it appears the force is awakening profits