elections predicted to be the country's tightest race in history. hello, this is al jazeera live from doha. also ahead on the program. rare footage from the front lines in the fight against i.s.i.l. peshmerga forces say they've killed more than 100 fighters. plus. >> 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 united against one rival the

democratic candidates for the u.s. presidency gang up on donald trump. anger in india at the release of a man convicted of the gang rape and murder of a woman on a bus in new delhi. voters in spain could be about to end the country's two-party political system. the ruling people's party and opposition socialists have dominated politics for more than 30 years, but the effects of the economic downturn, including rising unemployment and corruption have created two new parti parties. no party is expected to win enough foes to govern loan. opinion polls predict that the prime minister conservative people's party will be the single largest force but will not get a majority. it's up against the socialist party who is a 43 year old

former economics professor. one new comer is opposed to austerity, another former university professor. the other new force is the center right citizens, is headed by 36-year-old who has pledged to crack down on corruption. let's speak to david chatter live from the polling station in madrid. why is the vote so divided in this way? it's unusual in spanish elections, isn't it. >> reporter: i think if you look at what spain has just been through, the youth unemployment has been hovering around 50%. the gen unemployment, 20%. that shows you where the real weight of the austerity measures is, fallen on the young whier

gen-- younger generation. it is the voice of the young that has come through on both sides here, the new parties, a party less than two years old led by a very charismatic figure, he has a ponytail and removed the stud from his eyebrow for this election, maybe to calm the older voters. on the other side the citizens party, also a young man described as the favorite son-in-law. these are very different people to the traditional politicians we've seen. they're new parties, they're untainted by the austerity measures, by the corruption scandals. this is going to be a very emotional vote for the young. they want a future in this country and at 50% youth unemployment, that's not much of a youth at the moment. they want their voice heard and that's why we're seeing three of the parties roughly together

around about 19%. so it's going to be a very complicated coalition haggling to try and find who exactly is going to rule spain, but at the moment we can just tell you that the very brisk turnout and because of the way the youth has been energyised by these two new parties, i suspect a turn out will be much higher than the last elections which hovered around 70%. this will get right up to the 70s and 80s because the youth movement is there and wanting their voice to be heard as we're seeing, it is pretty busy. we said earlier the opinion polls showing that the conservative party should be the largest force but won't get a majority. i guess from his point of view he is going to want to avoid a leftist coalition taking power, isn't he. >> reporter: he is. i mean, you could say that ahoy is down but he is not out. he is going to have the largest number of seats in the congress,

but does that mean that he is still going to be able to hold on to power? a lot of political analysts are saying perhaps not, perhaps it's a socialist, the old socialist party, part of the old duopoly to come to some sort of deal, but everything is up for grasp at the moment. we don't know the actual state of the parties because polls are banned in the last five days before a general election here in spain. there is one storm in the wind and that's the principality which is allowed to promote their own voting. newspapers have been doing that and they're catalan speakers and they're saying a late surge by pradam os can over take the socialist party and be the second largest party here. this is what the speculation is. this is what everyone is excited

about, but, of course, you can't seduce it because they're not allowed to discuss polls. so at the moment we're expecting a good showing by that party and, perhaps, a strong showing from the citizens party. it is going to change completely, the political landscape here as we're talking, we're watching the 36-year-old who is the head of the party that you've been referring to just about no cast his-- to cast his ballot. from the point of view of the major issues hitch, corruption has been-- here, corruption has been a big talking point, hasn't it. >> reporter: corruption has, and the point about that is that it's tainted both the ruling party and the socialist because it has chucked in with austerity. people are emotional about that. they want a clear, transparent, uncorrupted government. they want a future for

themselves, the young people. they want a majority voice. they think they've been disenfranchised. they want a new start, a new spain and very much a new future and i think there is a very good chance that we are going to see it at the end of the day when the polls close this evening thanks very much for that. kurdish forces say they've killed more than 100 i.s.i.l. fighters in iraq in the past few days. i.s.i.l. fighters have been launching attacks from their stronghold in mosul in northern iraq. there have been weeks of intense fighting between the armed group and the peshmerga. al jazeera has obtained rare footage from the front lines. some pictures may be disturbing. >> reporter: these kurdish peshmerga soldiers have just

reported an i.s.i.l. attack. don't approach the body there the soldier can be heard. that's a dead suicide bomber. they say most i.s.i.l. fighters are foreigners and take drugs from the attack peshmerga positions. later they drag a body on a military vehicle. this, the fighters say, is the future of d.a.e.s.h., as they call i.s.i.l. this one, this is our land and we will defeat i.s.i.l. these are some of the most intense attacks faced by the peshmerga in recent months. i.s.i.l. fighters have had six front lines in the area. the kurdish fighters say they have been able to defend their positions. i.s.i.l. knows about the trenches laid by the peshmerga and they prepare 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. they say they've 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, but the verocity and the frequency of attack has taken the peshmerga by surprise. they thought they had pushed the group back. the attacks are also taking a toll on will peshmerga. more than two dozen fighters have been killed and more than 120 injured in the last few days. the continuing conflict is concerning human rights observers over the treatment of the dead and how occurred soldiers are treating captives. they say after battles they dispose of bodies of a humane manner and i.s.i.l. has not shown interest in prisoner swap. the fight with i.s.i.l. intensifies and the main priority for these fighters is to keep i.s.i.l. at bay elsewhere in iraq, i.s.i.l.

fighters have killed at least 13 police officers in a suicide car bomb attack. it happened in a village east of ramadi. it was over run by i.s.i.l. earlier this year. parts of it have been retaken by iraqi forces over the past few weeks. turkey's president has criticised russia in the role in the syrian war. erdogan says moscow is targeting moderate rebels and not i.s.i.l. fighters. relations soured after turkey shot down a russian war plane 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 brothers. please let's not trick each other any more russia's president says he is ready to use more military means in syria if need be. putin says russia is using modern weapons but more are in reserve. russia has been launching air

strikes in syria since september. syrian state t says an israeli air strike was a terror attack. a leader was among one of those killed. he was convicted in israel for the murder of four israelis, including a four-year-old girl. he was amongst prisoners released seven years ago in exchange for the bodies of two israeli soldiers. there have been more saudi-led coalition air strikes in yemen. the latest raids happened in the outcurse skirts of the capital. a camp run by houthi rebels and their allies was targeted. fighting has continued despite talks in switzerland. sunday is the last day of those talks. u.s. foreign policy and national security have dominated the third tv debate between the democratic presidential hopefuls. hillary clinton, bernie sanders and martin o'malley have laid out their plans for the presidency and they were united in the contempt for donald

trump. >> reporter: hundreds stood in the weather for a look at the third debate. supporters convinced that another democrat in the white house is what is still needed in the united states. >> the economy has been better, there would be better job creation and i think that if you look at just the general policies of the republicans have been trying to push, especially in the house and the senate in the past several years, i really don't want more of that. >> reporter: inside the debate haul the candidates also tried to convince voters of the same thing, distancing themselves from comments made by the top republican presidential candidate donald trump who believes the solution to u.s. security problems is to ban muslims from entering the united states. comments third place candidate martin o'malley called >> fascist pleas of billionaires with big mouth. >> we need to see that the

messages donald trump is putting around the world don't fall on ears. he is i.s.i.s.'s best recruiter. >> reporter: >> if the united states does not lead, there is not another leader. there is a vacuum and we have to lead before - if we're going to be successful. the last word on this >> the united sthats is not the policemen of the world. it must not be involved in per pet ewe alwarfare in the middle east >> reporter: it was not solely focused on national security but also income insecurity. highlighting another difference between himself and the front runner. incline tore tonne has accepted donations from corporate donors. sanders has not. >> hillary and i have a

difference. ceos, large multi national like hillary clinton and they won't like me. >> reporter: despite his strong attacks against the democratic front runner there is little time to close in on hillary clinton's lead. the first presidential contest will be held in less than two months. the national polls, she leads as much as 30 points ahead of her nearest competitor protests have been held outside a prison in india where the youngest convict in a gang rape and murder is about to be released. the parents of the woman who was attacked on throat years ago led the protest. he is one of six men convicted of the shocking crime. because he was 17 at the time he was given the maximum possible sentence of three years. campaigners are trying to get the law changed so longer sentences are imposed for juveniles. despite nationwide protests and

a swift trial, india has 43% increase in rape crimes from three years ago. some has been attributed to victims' increased willingness to speak up. the bureau says three times as many rates are being reported in delhi compared to 2012. an average six rates have been-- rapes are reported every day. our correspondent who is a lawyer at the supreme court. welcome to the program. it's good to see you. i understand a petition has been produced by the delhi commission for women to try and proceed long this man's-- prolong this man's detention. is that likely to gain any tracks, do you think-- traction do you think? >> no. as such there is no rule, no provision under the laws of the

land which stall his release as of now what is the situation? do you think that he-- >> he has already served his sentence. can you come again on thorax i'm sorry. i'm not able to hear you properly what is your point of view about the release of this man. it's following the rule of law, isn't it? >> no. in the first place when he was tried there was a lot of human cry to have brought about a bill in the juvenile justices act which can bring about an amendment enhancing the punishment for such crimes and such culprit be tried as adults who have been found guilty of committing such heinous crimes. so for us and foremost there is no rule, no procedure, no provision under any law as of now which can stop him from being released.

now, having said that, it is really annoying for me, not only annoying but equally disturbing and frustrating to know that the parliament has been utterly failed to bring about the amendment in terms of providing enhanced punishment to such criminals what should be done to improve the legal process? >> the political parties should rise above their differences, should come together and act in unionsoshgs on and without wasting a single minute, must pass the bill which has been pending for the last one year, to bring about the amendment in the juvenile justice system so that such criminals be tried severely and they must be given the proper sentence which they deserve, not according to their age, but according to the crime

they have committed we will leave it there. we appreciate your perspective on this. thank you. still to come on the program, we will tell you how plans for a dam on the mekon river can be a disaster. >> reporter: i'm in a cuba where work is being done on the next nation's stars.

welcome back. the top stories. voting is underway in spain. the result could mark the end of

the country's two-party political system. there are four parties in the running. in iraq kurdish forces say they've killed more than 100 i.s.i.l. fighters in the past few days. more than two dozen peshmerga troops were also killed. u.s. foreign policy and national security dominated the third tv debate between the democratic presidential hopefuls. all three were united in their contempt for a donald trump and his recent anti muslim comments. a land slide has caused the collapse of at least one building in an industrial park in the southern chinese city. seven people have been rescued. the number of casualties is unknown. state media is reporting most of the area was evacuated before the land slide hit. more than 600 rescuers are on

the scene. it is a smoggy sunday for people in the chinese capital of beijing. on saturday a red alert was issued for the second time this month. the air quality is said to be nearly 20 times the level considered safe by the world health organisation. only half the number of cars will be on the roads. schools will remain closed and construction will be stopped. a plan to build 11 dams along the mekong river is going ahead with the project is being called a threat to life on the riverment the first of the dam is being worked on in laos. cambodia is next. in the second report, wayne hay reports on how these could be a disaster for the environment and local people. >> reporter: it is known as the mother of water and flows for almost 5,000 kilometres through six countries. the lower mekong river is the long urge inland fish rein the world and a vital source of food and income for the tens of

millions who depend on it. in cambodia over fishing is already making life difficult in some areas. >> translation: i can't catch as much as i used to. there are fewer fish. before i might get 10 to 20 kilograms. i've been out here since 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. it is creating a 620 scare 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. further north the laos

government ignored calls for a 10 year moratorium of damming the mekon. recent footage shows just how big this project is. laos is planning a second one. >> the region is at a crisis point and it is clear that 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 dolphins. the dolphin population has been in steady decline for years but more recently the rate of decline has fallen thanks to conservation work. the concern is the construction of dams could undo that work. it is thought there are only around 80 left in the mekong and even minor changes to a fragile ecosystem could wipe them out. governments in the region

handwritten essing the-- harnessing the energy is needed. the alternative is that the price for that development is too high. wayne hay. al jazeera, cambodia celebrating christmas can put a financial strain on families, but in south africa saving scenes are take-- schemes are helping. >> reporter: stea and chops and barbeque is the flavour of the month in this happy home. these women are part of a scheme. they have been putting money aside for this big christmas shop. it takes the financial pressure off at what can be a very costly time of the year. it's organized chaos but everyone is happy. >> it is going to be hectic because you can not afford it. you still have your kids to buy

clothes, snacks, and food on top of that. it's not going to work out. it is good to know you have something on the side and it is helpful. >> reporter: this man makes sure his stock customers get the correct order. most south african supermarkets and banks offer special services for members, including discounts. they became very popular when black people were excluded from formal banking. they are not just for christmas, but also for weddings, funerals and holidays. there are 420 thousand stock groups. one of five adults are part of one. they're worth about 1.7 billion dollars to the economy. >> it is all available to us as a business. as we are talking now, we are looking at the stock group right here to deliver which is worth $20,000 to one stock group. we are doing one a day as from

now until 27 december. >> reporter: back at the house, the first pile of food is about toing taken home. for these families and millions more like them, this scheme means meeting the costs of christmas easier this year cuba has produced a number of sporting world champions. it is due to its rigourous state sponsored training programs. the brightest talent is thought will leave. >> reporter: this is the boxing gym in the heart of the havana. nearly all of cuba's boxing talent has passed through here in the past 50 years to go on to win medals at world and olympic games. the gloves are donated, the ring is precarious. >> translation: they start at eight or nine years old in

boxing. it's the age at which they take everything in. 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's no hidden formula, no secret plan to the success. it begins here with this raw talent and plenty of hard work. the hopes and dreams of national pride, the specialized coaching, all of that 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. you have to do high jump and that was the one i liked the least. i wanted to leave the school when they told me to do it. with the help of trainers and family i was jumping two metres at the age of 14.

>> reporter: he went on to win gold in 1992 in the olympics. 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. cuba is proud of, but can they keep producing world leaders? >> translation: nearly all athletes retire and become qualified. they continue studying. we keep working on science to achieve better results. >> reporter: that way talent and experience are kept in the game. it is national pride and sporting position. sporting success is always offered a potential escape from the everyday life and as an added incentive, cuban athletess now retain a larger sum of their prize money

a little nudge in the direction of our website. al jazeera.com. all the news that we've been covering there. there's also plenty of comment and analysis on that site too. al jazeera.com. >> we're in the eastern part of the democratic republic of congo. it's one of the least developed countries in the world, but there's an estimated $24 trillion worth of minerals here. tantalum, tungsten, tin, and gold have all been linked to violence in eastern congo by rebel groups and the congolese army. >> millions of people have been killed in the congo over the