rare footage from the front lines in the fight against i.s.i.l. peshmerga forces say they've killed more than one hundred fighters. welcome. this is al jazeera live from doha. also ahead on this program. >> we must never surrender our american values to racist, to the million airs with big

mouths. anger in india at the release of the man convicted of the gang rape and murder of a woman in a bus in new delhi. plus. singing for their sup ear. we will tell you about the scheme helping families to stock up for christmas in south africa. the top story, kurdish forces say they've killed more than 100 i.s.i.l. fighters in iraq in the past few days. more than two dozen peshmerga troops were also killed in some of the most intense fighting seen in months. al jazeera has retained rare footage. some footage may be disturbing in this story. >> reporter: these soldiers have reported an i.s.i.l. attack. don't approach the body there, the soldier can be heard.

that's a dead suicide bomber. most i.s.i.l. fighters are foreigners and take drugs from the positions. later, they drop a body on a vehicle. this is the future of d.a.e.s.h., as they call i.s.i.l. this one gos, this is our land and we will be with them. these are some of the intense attacks faced by the peshmerga in recent months. i.s.i.l. fighters have had front lines in various places. the kurdish fighters say they have been able to defend their positions. i.s.i.l. knows about the trenches dug by the peshmerga and they come prepared with ladders to storm them. these weapons were left behind by the i.s.i.l. fighters who launched multiple attacks on the 60 kilometer long front line. soldiers say they have killed more than 100 i.s.i.l. fighters in less than a week.

an officer told me that the number of suicide attackers being used by i.s.i.l. shows that it's desperate. the verocity has taken the peshmerga by surprise. the attack is taking a toll also on the peshmerga. more than a dozen killed and 120 injured in the last few days. over . the fighters say after battles they dispose of bodies in a humane manner and i.s.i.l. has never shown interest in any prisoner swap. the as the fight with i.s.i.l. intensify, the main aim is to keep the fighters at bay the turkish president has, again, criticised russia for its role in the war in syria. moscow is targeting moderate

rebels and not i.s.i.l. fighters. turkey's relationship with russia has soured over the weeks after it shot down a russian jet last month. >> translation: i look at the operations of a neighbouring country which is bombing syria. we see that it's targeting 10% i.s.i.l. and 90% muslims including our brothers. please let's not trick each other any more meanwhile putin is ready to use more military means in syria if it is required he said. he made those comments in moscow. russia first launched air strikes in september toricsing the four year conflict any aa new phase. russia and syrian government forces have used internationally used cluster ammunitions against civilians. the group has documented the use of such am ammunitions on at least 20 occasions since late september. civilians were targeted,

including at least two attacks on camps of displaced syrians. the report says the cluster weapons used were manufactured in the former soviet union or in russia. a total of 118 countries have banned their use but russia and syria have not signed on to the 2008 convention on cluster ammunitions. an israel air strike has been inside syria. a number of rockets hit a building killing nine people. a brother has confirmed death of cantar. a four year old girl was killed by him. he was released in exchange for the bodies of two soldiers from hezbollah. u. foreign policy and national security have dominated the third tv debate amongst presidential hopefuls, hillary

clinton, bernie sanders and martin o'malley. all three were united on was the contempt for donald trump. >> we also need to make sure that the really discriminatory messages that donald trump is sending around the world don't fall on receptive ears. he is becoming i.s.i.s.'s best recruiter. they are going to people showing videos showing him offending them. this is not america's interest to react with this kind of fear and respond to this sort of bigotry our correspondent has been following the debate in manchester. >> reporter: national security as well as foreign policy really dominated the first part of this third democratic debate. it was the candidates who want to distance themselves from rhetoric from donald trump who

suggested that the solution to america's security problems would be to ban all muslims entering the u.s. that's something that martin o'malley spoke strong about saying that the american should not be listening to the pleas of billionaires with big mouth. as a result, hillary clinton has presented a strategy that should defeat i.s.i.l., namely that she would have an air campaign supported by ground troops. this is where we saw a difference of opinion between her and her candidate, bernie sanders, who believes that the u.s. should not be america's policeman. as well there was also the domestic issue of america's economy being destroyed by the agreed of the billionaire class and the lives of millions of americans are being destroyed as a result he said he would take on wall street criticizing hillary clinton and the donations she received from wall

street, saying that she sees herself as a champion of the struggling and striving the youngest man convicted in the gang rape and murder of a woman on board a bus in the indian capital in 2012 is due to release on sunday. the victim's parents led a protest. he was 17 at the time of his arrest and was tried as a juvenile and can't be named under indian law. he was given the maximum sentence of three years. despite nationwide protests under swift trial, india has had a 43% increase in rape cases from three years ago. some of it has been attributed to victims' increased willingness to speak up. the crime records bureau says three times as many rapes have been reported in delhi compared to 2012. this year an average of six rapes have been reported there every day. fish data reveals one woman was

raped every 14 minutes in india last year. just to be clear, this individual is not going to weak free as such. he is going from one facility to another facility. >> reporter: well, at the moment it's a wait and see situation. as you've mentioned, the courts lot last week-- late last week says he can't stay after the three years. the supreme court was approached by the women's commission, a branch of the delhi government, who has asked for a stay and for a case to be heard against his release. that will only take place on monday. so the question going forward is will he, in fact, be released as per the court's decision or will the delhi government and the delhi police take the fact that a hearing is yet to be had in the supreme court on monday and hold off on his release. we should also mention that owing to security concerns he

was moved from the correctional facility where he has been for three years to an undisclosed location yesterday, saturday india time how strong are those calls to change the system? >> reporter: this has been an ongoing debate for the past three years in independent yachlt the changes to the system debate is one that has been very long and complex. we should say that there is a number of competing issues. one is the indian law ap and the provisions it has to deal with juvenile offenders, particularly those who commit crimes of this nature and the root causes of sexual violence in india which is a different systemic process all together. it's a complex issue, but, obviously, the legal side of things has taken a long time. that juvenile justices act amendment is still waiting to be heard by parliament and in terms of the other social cultural side, that is a long-term issue

that many indians say won't be dealt with in just three years thanks very much. in indonesia res ewers have found 23 survivors and two bodies from a ferry. it departed on saturday morning. high winds prevented rescuers from reaching the shift. it is a smoggy sunday for people in beijing as a red alert was issued for the second time this month. the air quality is more than 20 times the level considered safely by the world health organisation. half the number of cars will be on the road today. schools will remain closed and construction work where stopped. spain is getting ready to vote in a general election which is to shake up the political landscape. two new parties are posing a real challenge to the governing conservatives and the socialists. no one party is predicted to

win. >> reporter: this cue stretches right around the block, maybe some 300 metres or so and it has absolutely nothing to do with sunday's election. all these people have come here to buy lottery tickets for christmas and this one has apparently got a good track record in selling winning numbers. as a foreigner to spain, i find all of this rather confusing to be honest. it tells me that the spanish people do have an enormous amount of faith. what about the people in this queue and their feelings about sunday's crucial elections? let's find out what they are hoping for in the vote. >> we are now in the sixth year of the crisis. i think that the resolution of the parties in europe doesn't work, so i think that we need to change to the left.

>> translation: i don't think anyone is happy with the state of the country. near here you will see people living on the streets. brav to any political party who can solve this poverty. whether it is the right or left, i don't care. >> reporter: this election will be unlike any we've seen in spain over the past 40 years. all the expectation is that the old two-party system is over, that new parties on the left and on the right will get into parliament and that after the vote we may have to have a coalition or some sort of partnership between different parties. in other words, predictions are hazardous, but i will confidently make one. i do not expect to see a queue of voters in madrid on sunday that is remotely as long as this one. all these people have come out to try and win the famous christmas lottery, el gordo

an air france flight has been converted to kenya after it was suspected a bomb was on board. the spokesmen say all 459 and 18 crew members have been evacuated. it is suspected to be in the toilet of the plane. we will bring you more details on that as soon as we get them. still to come here, trying to clear the air, the new laws in the u.s. to keep drones and their owners in check. plus. >> i'm daniel in havanah where the next generation of sporting stars is in session.

only on al jazeera america.

welcome back. the top stories from al jazeera. in iraq kurdish forces say they've killed more than 100 i.s.i.l. fighters in the past two days. more than two dozen peshmerga troops were killed in some of the most intense fighting in two months. the third debate between the presidential hopefulfuls. all contenders were united in their cop tempt with donald trump and his anti muslim comments. the man in relation to the rape and murder of a new delhi case is to be released. the u.s. and iraqi officials are

investigating that nine iraqi soldiers were killed on friday on an air strike on the wrong target. it happened on friday. the defense secretary admitted that an american plane had carried out an attack. >> it was an american plane. that is the information i have now. it seems to be the case and, again, it seems to be a mistake that involved both sides and regrettable. it happens when you're working this closely together. >> translation: our air force was not able to fly due to the bad weather and the coalition air forces were covering the advance of our ground troops. there was a strike on the advancing heros and they were martyred. investigations are ongoing by the iraqi and american sides the u.s. government want drone owners to register their aircraft. that means owners can be traced

if the drone ends up where it is not supposed to be. >> reporter: with drones flying off the shelves this holiday season, the fa moved with lightning speed to require drone registration. the online process will be up and running monday. owners of recreational drones that weigh from about half a pound to 55 pounds will need to register. previous owners have until february 19. new owners must sign up before their first outdoor flight. there's a $5 fee but free if the act fast within the first 30 days. owners will get a unique identification number that must be marked on the drone so it can be traced back if it ends up where it shouldn't be. that has been the problem. air drones have turned up in the white house lawn, in the stands of the u.s. open. they of halted firefighting efforts and come dangerously close to airplanes. a new study finds that in the

last two years there were 327 close calls in the air. 90 involving commercial jets. 38 with helicopters. >> it's a nationwide issue that a lot of airports are experiencing, and certainly this is not just - we're not just talking about commercial airliners necessarily. we're also talking about even crop dusters, medical air lefter helicopters, pilots of all scale and at every level have experienced some kind of interference with a drone. >> reporter: there is already resistance from a hobbyist group. it is called an unnecessary burden for drone owners. it says educational campaigns like this one are key to keeping the skies safe. >> do you know how far away you can fly it? no. >> you are still should be able to see it. no more than 400 feet above

ground level. >> reporter: the fa also says education is crith accurately but with so many alarming incidents, it wants accountability from owners who could now face stiff fines for failing to register their dron . a car bomb has killed at least three people and wounded many others in the somali capital. the bombers car was parked in the down town area of the city. al-shabab claimed responsibility for the attack. thousands of people could be displaced by a second dam planned on the lower mekkon river in cambodia. there are ten more in the planning. it is in the second part of al jazeera's rivers of life series. wayne hay reports on how these could be a disaster for the environment as well as local people. >> reporter: it is known as the

mother of water and flows for almost 5,000 kilometres through six countries. the lower mekon river is the largest fishery in the world and a vital source of food and income nor the tens of millions who depend on it. in cambodia over fishing is already making life difficult in some areas. >> translation: i don't catch as much as i used to. there are fewer fish. before i might get 10 to 20 kilogram $. i've been out here since early early this morning and i've only caught one. >> reporter: it could be about to get worse. just a few kilometres upstream one of two huge hydro electric dams on the mainstream is being considered by the cambodian government. initial estimates had it creating a 620 square kilometer reservoir displacing around 20,000 people and blocking migration paths for some fish. for opponents, there is some hope that the government is taking notice of the potential

impact. >> translation: the government is cooperating with development partners to study different locations and new engineering to find out how to minimise the effects before we make the decision. >> reporter: further north the government ignored calls for a ten year moratorium on damming the mekon and began building a dam five years ago. footage shows just how big this project is. laos is planning a second one near the border with cambodia. >> the region is at a crisis point and we need better institutions in place, better governments, transparency and public participation in order to make proper decisions over the future of the river. >> reporter: the proposed cambodian dams are also close to the hand of the dolphins. the dolphin population has been in steady decline over the years but more recently the rate of decline has fallen thanks to conservation work. the scorn can the construction

of dams could undo that work. it is thought there are only around 780 left and even minor changes to an already franklying i'm ecosystem could wipe them out. governments in the region argue that harnessing the energy of this great river and turning it into electricity is essential to developing their economies. the alternative argument is that the price for that development is too high in part 3 of our rivers of life series, he is in nigeria looking at the rivers there. celebrating christmas can put a financial strain on families, but in south africa saving schemes known as stock vells are taking away some of the pressure on low income homes. tania page has that story. >> reporter: stake and chops and barbeque is the flavour of

the month in happy home. these women are part of a stock savings scheme. they have been putting money aside for this big christmas shop. outside the pasta is being added to their pile. it can be a very costly time at the year. it is organized chaos but everyone is happy. >> it is going to be hectic. you still have your kids to buy clothes, snacks and gross riese on top of that. it is easy to know that you have something on the side here and it is helpful. >> reporter: he makes sure his customers get the right orders. most banks and supermarkets offers banks. they became very popular when people were excluded from formal banking. they aren't just for christmas but for special events.

they are big business. there are had 20,000 stockvale in south africa. one in five adults are involved in one. they're worth about 1.7 ilbillion dollars to the economy. >> it is all available to us as ace business. as we are talking now now, we are looking at the stock right here to deliver which is $20,000 to one stock. we are doing every day from now until 27 december. >> reporter: back at the house, the first pile of groceries is about to be taken home. the savings scheme meeting the costs of christmas will be a lot easier this year for a small country, cuba has produced a remarkable number of sporting world champions. that is largely due to his state sponsored training programs, but as the company opens up there are fears the brightest talent

will be tempted to leave. >> reporter: this is the boxing gym in the heart of the city. nearly all of the talent has passed through here in the 50 years past and to go on to win gold. the ring is precarious. >> translation: they start at eight or nine years old in boxing. it is the age at which they take everything in and when we spot the talent in the child. >> reporter: that potential talent is then nurtured with intensive training and privileged treatment at specialized schools. in baseball and athletics, as well as in boxing. there is no hidden normal la, no secret plan to cuba's sporting success. it begins here with this raw talent and plenty of hard work. the works and dreams, national pride and specialized coaching

comes later. this man dominated world high jump in the 1990s. his talent was identified when he was eight or nine years old. >> translation: i always liked sport, especially running and then hurdles and triple jump. i wanted to leave the scale when they told me to do high jump, but we saw the results improving and at 14 i was jumping two metres. >> reporter: he went on to win olympic gold in 1992. the following year he broke the world high jump record. two metres and 45 centimetres or eight feet and a quarter of an inch, a record that still stands, that all of cuba is proud of, but can they keep producing world leaders. >> translation: nearly all athletes retire and become qualified. they continue studying and

getting qualified. we keep working on science to achieve better results. >> reporter: that way talent and experience are kept in the game, boosting national pride and sporting tradition. sporting success is always offered as a potential escape from the grind of everyday life and as an added incentive, cuban athletes now retain a larger share of their prize money. the conditions for youngsters like brian to continue winning medals now it's not your usual beauty contest with no bikini contest or alcohol. it did have all the glitz and glam our. the first ms iraq in four decades, a 20-year-old hails in the north. she is promising to push forward education initiatives. the competition was last held in

1972. back then iraq was stable and prosperous. lots more news, of course, whenever you want it on our website, al jazeera.com. always good to hear from you. drop us an email or on facebook. al jazeera.com. >> the warm blue waters off the coast of hawaii, a scene of incredible beauty but a world in transition. ironically this piece of coral, delicate as fine china, is also a sign of trouble. >> today, we are facing the potential loss or massive degradation of all of our reefs.