iraqi kurdish forces raid an i.s.i.l. base in the north two months after freeing cap tiffs in a joint operation with the u.s. -- captives. hello from doha. this is the world news from al jazeera. relatives of 43 missing students in mexico pressure the government to find out what happened to their loved ones. flood waters caused thousands of people in south america to be evacuated from their homes. some, though, are refusing to leave. people in south sudan find traditional creative skills are

worth preserving in a nation emerging from conflict. iraqi kurdish forces have raided an i.s.i.l. base near the town. hawija. police in kukuuk say u.s. commandsos were involved. the u.s. has denies this. several i.s.i.l. fighters evidence reportedly been killed and others have been captured. this is two months after a joint operation freeing 70 i.s.i.l. captives. live to erbil now. >> reporter: they're getting conflicting reports about this. the officials in the kurdish government who are down playing this incident leading some to believe this is an operation that didn't go to plan.

kurdish media are saying that more than nine i.s.i.l. fighters were captured, over 12 were killed in this operation carried out, a second joint operation. what is not clear is that if this was an operation meant to take i.s.i.l. captives, meant no attack i.s.i.l. and find out more about the group in the area or whether it was designed to free some hostages as we saw earlier in october when such an operation was carried out, but details are sketchy about it and we are still waiting to hear from the kurdish government regarding an official response about this, whether this operation took place or not and what are the exact number of i.s.i.l. killed and captured there's a trial of 36 men in baghdad accused of a mass killing of army recruits by i.s.i.l. tell us about that.

>> reporter: more than 160 army recruits were-- 1600 army recruits killed by i.s.i.l. this as housed air force cadets, more than 1600 of them were massacred by i.s.i.l. there in 2014. this is the second bachelor of people who have been accused of taking part in this i.s.i.l. massacre after the-- batch-- the iraqi forces took them back. in july we saw 25 people sentenced to death and this trim hasn't begun and this is trying 36 people that took part in that massacre. the trial that took place in july raised a lot of questions about the impartiality of the judicial system. >> reporter: they're said to

have killed many in june last year. this was one of the men killed. for his family the upcoming trial isn't enough to heal the pain. the government keeps saying it will capture those who killed our sons. yet i did not receive the remains of my dead son. nor did the purpose traitors be-- perpetrators be brought to justice. we want justice to be served quickly. >> reporter: in july 29 men were sentenced for the massacre of the soldiers. human rights groups say the trial was flawed and the evidence was lacking. that's a charge the iraqis have denied and are hoping that justice will be served in this latest trial >> translation: those who were aaccused of this massacre have confessed to the judiciary that they have carried out mass killings. the case is being in process. >> reporter: the families of the dead are angry and have mounted regular protest new zealand

baghdad demanding justice. -- protests. >> translation: let the speaker and mps go to hell. >> reporter: others are hoping that they will not only get justice but also the iraqi government will try and find out where the soldiers are burred in and around the area. the bodies of only 400 of the 1500 soldiers said to have been killed by i.s.i.l. have been found so far. nearly 600 suspects are wanted in connection with the massacre. so far only 24 have been sentenced. imran khan moving on to other news. the relatives of 43 missing mexican students as well as supporters are out on the streets of the capital trying to keep the pressure on the government to tell them just what happened to their loved ones. a report from mexico city. >> reporter: the anger towards the mexican government you can coed on the street of mexico city on saturday evening grebe echoed.

these are the people who are destroying our country are the chants. the agony of the families of the missing students is described as a permanent torture. the men are believed to be dead, but the truth of exactly what happened to them has yet to emerge more than a year later. independent investigators say they were kidnapped after trying to hijack buses for transport. a common move for students in mexico. the investigation also found the mexican government lied and whits held information from-- withheld information from the family. >> translation: i have seen repression and the social demands are being growing because people are disappearing and now we are demanding that the government give us back the students alive. >> reporter: the mexican government is refusing to launch a new investigation. the hope is that independent experts will expose the truth. those experts say they still need some assistance from the government. >> reporter: fortunately the

protests last year and legal action have helped discredit the government's version of events. >> reporter: the relatives have been protesting in mexico city each month. their activism is viewed by some as representing the conscience of all mexicans at least 160,000 people have been forced from their homes by heavy rain and flooding across south america. experts are blaming this bad weather on the el nino phenomenon. >> reporter: of the four south american countries dealing with their worst floods into years, paraguay is the most severe. more than 100,000 people in the capital have had to leave their homes and belongings behind and move to higher ground. the paraguay river has reached three and a half metres would have its regular level and is close to bursting its banks. that could lead to widespread

flooding across the capital city. the president has declared a state of emergency to help mobilise the army and free up funds to help those in need. >> translation: this situation really pains me, not because of me. i have the means to survive, but you see elderly people, old men and women, carrying their belongings over their hits. >> reporter: many people are refusing to move to higher ground, concerned about looting. >> translation: i have my apartment up here. that's why i didn't leave. besides, if you leave the thieves will clean you out. everything you have they will take. >> translation: i'm not leaving because if i do thieves will take everything. they will take stolen goods away on anything, rafts, boats. i just can't leave. >> reporter: tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in argentina, brazil and uruguay as well. heavy rain began falling over these countries last week, swelling rivers. some climate experts have linked the weather to a stronger than

usual el nino phenomenon which is known to spark global climate extreme as a result of warmer ocean temperatures. the u.n.'s weather agency says this year's el nino is the worst in more than 15 years further north in the u.s. at least eight people have been killed as tornadoes hit parts of north texas. they swept through several cities across dallas. several victims were in vehicles that were fwloen off a highway. there are reports of roofs ripped off houses and motorists facing debris falling from the sky. meanwhile over in southern california, firefighters have gained control of fires there. 60% of them have been detained. evacuation orders have been listed for dozens of home. parts of an interstate highway and the scenic pacific coast

highway have been reopened. northern england has been hit by more flooding. as a result prime minister david cameron has called an urgent meeting with emergency services. hundreds of people have been evacuated from there from rains that begun earlier this week. thousands are without power. it is on foot to be the wettest month on record. extra police have been deployed on the french island of the cores ca. democrat-- crrseca. a prayer hall was ransacked. >> reporter: a christmas day crowd but no spirit of good well. instead, violence and december craigs - dececration. a crowd shouting anti muslim slogans ransacked the prayer hall of this mosque chanting "oar aborigines get out". they even attempted to burn copies of the qaran.

>> translation: some installations were broken. they broke in the parers, two doors and the entrance. the window, the piece of furniture where we leave shoes, the air conditioning, paintings, the closet. >> reporter: the latest violence appears to be in retaliation of an incident on thursday night when firefighters responded to an emergency call and were attacked in a housing project in town. authorities say it is not clear what prompted that incident. the french government condemned the latest attack and sent police reinforcements to other religious centers. this is on the heels of the paris attacks. soldiers were mobilized over the holiday period. france's muslims are also facing backlash in the wake of the attacks. in corsica parties did well in

the recent local elections. in this climate of suspicion, a feeling of fellowship may prove difficult for some communities to find in the news ahead we look at the security situation in central african republic. ahead the elections it could be crucial for peace there. japan accused the tolerating child exploitation.

top stories for you. iraqi kurdish forces have raided

an i.s.i.l. base. kurdish media is reporting u.s. commandos were involved although the u.s. denies this. the relatives of 43 missing students have been leading protests in the streets of the capital trying to keep the pressure on the government to tell them what happened to their loved ones, more than 160,000 people have been forced to leave their homes by some of the worst flooding in south america for decades. the state of the emergency has been declared in paraguay. security in africa is tight. voting on wednesday which hopes to restore stability of two years of conflict. tania page reporting. >> reporter: his signature means a second chance. the leader of the christian vigilante group is releasing 18 child soldiers. they have all seen and some done

things no child should be a part of. this child took arms up his father was killed. he wants to put it all behind him. >> translation: by the time the i couldn't stand and wait for something bad to happen. i can't be angry and bitter any more >> reporter: his chance for a better future has improved in recent weeks as security in this war ravaged country has been better. so many armed groups still loose, he is under no illusions. >> we are trying to do this referendum. there is no piece agreement so far. -- peace agreement so far. one of the day one. factions for one reason or another can just go back to

square one. >> reporter: the central army has come back on the streets in recent weeks too taking over some of the u.n. peace keepers patrols. >> translation: the national forces are the ones that know their neighborhoods, their towns and neighbors. the international community has impressive resources, but the national forces can gather precise information much faster. >> reporter: only in the last few weeks police have also been stopping cars on daily basis. streets that were quiet a few months ago are now busy. it is check points like this that are making people feel safer and confident about voting. even if the election passes peacefully, the long-term stability of the country could depend on whether whoever wins can form an inclusive government. that means mending the process that turn children into soldiers. the more they're occupied with games and not war, the better

the future looks the latest now to one year and five year series. kenya is the story. gunmen stormed in april killing 140 people mostly students. they shineded the building 15 hours. four gunmen died and the fifth detonated his group. al-zhabab claimed responsibility. hundreds of hostages but freed muslims while killing christians. one family struggling to move on from that attack. >> reporter: they shot her seven times. one bullet shattered her spine. she is parcel identified from-- paralysed from her spine down and she is in a rehabilitation hospital. she was studying at the university in northern kenya

when al-shabab fighters attacked in april. her parents live more than 100 kilometres north of the city and come to the week every other week to visit and take of her. it has taken a toll on the family. >> translation: at first it was very hard. she will not eat. she did not want to talk to anyone. we had to be there to make sure she is well taken care of. >> reporter: they will never forget the images from the atabbing. the days family members spent looking for her, not knowing whether she was alive or dead. >> i have realized that life is in the hands of god and you have to find strength in each and every situation, no matter good or bad. >> reporter: the university is due to reopen next year. a police camp has now been set up inside the university compound. many security changes have also been made in this region. the number of al-shabab-related

attacks in kenya has gone down significantly. officials say it is because of better intelligence and cooperation with the local community. members of the somali community believe that security has come at a cost to them. this man says his nephew was arrested by police before the attack. his family haven't seen him since. >> translation: we have looked everywhere. we went to the police station where he was taken. we were told they didn't have him. we went to mortuaries and also involved parliament, but nothing. >> reporter: human rights groups accuse security forces of unlawfully detaining and executing suspects. more than 70 people in this region are said to have disappeared since april. >> would edon't kidnap anybody, but they are arrested from their homes or from whenever and they are in custody.

not necessarily here, but in kenya for proper processing. >> reporter: rachel is far from the politics. in the hospital that has now been her home for months, she is working hard on regaining her fitness and at the same time coming to terms with the fact that she may never walk again police in chicago say they accidental shot and killed a 55-year-old african-american woman. she was among two people killed on saturday after police responded to a domestic call. there have been protests over the past few days where anti police feelings are running high. they're under investigation after the police video which showed a white officer shooting a black teenager 16 times back in 2014. rescue workers in eastern china have reached 17 workers trapped in a collapsed mine. they've sent food and communications equipment down to them. 29 people were in the mine when

it collapsed on friday. 11 people have been rescued while one person died. japan must do more to stop child abuse and especially the exploitation of young girls. this message comes from a u.n. expert as japan records a 20% increase in cases of abuse from last year. harry faucet reports from toke i don't. >> reporter: it is the weekend but she is still wearing her school uniform. it is part of the job, drumming up business for a café where adult men pay to sit and chat with teenage girls. >> translation: some of the men are my grandpa's age and i do sometimes get short of things to talk about. >> reporter: she says it beats her old restaurant job insisting her customers treat her well. >> translation: they say you're quit cute, but i say there are many other cute girls here. >> reporter: it's something that her boss makes sure of in selecting his staff of 15 to 18-year-old girls. >> translation: basically, they

need no be pretty. this is an absolute requirement. they should look slim and stylish. they should will being be smart. >> reporter: in the group on child explodetation said that up to 30% had taken part or comp. sated dating. that figure wasn't official and it would not be in her report. campaigners argued the lack of official figures is itself a sign of complacency >> this concept has been discussed for how long. 20 years. in japan we don't have data for that. that's very, very shocking. >> reporter: the groups like lighthouse goes beyond dimly-lit calf ace. it is how sexualised conduct has been accepted. cartoon depictions of such abuse

is not illegal. campaigners tell us that these image can be used to convince their young victims that their criminal behaviour is, in fact, perfectly normal. we were given a tip about one location where a lot more than conversation is on offer. ploughing teenagers in adult entertainment is illegal, but it seems good for business. here massages are on the menu. >> reporter: i can massage the girl? >> yeah. >> reporter: for $40 and up we could go for a walk somewhere. next-door i'm told only chatting was on offer, but the menu lifts everything to be slapped and hit to having your head cradled on a young girl's lap >> reporter: he said nothing like that happens here. but he did employee under age girls in his club >> translation: i say don't sit next to the customers. >> reporter: this is a world full of fine g remarks dations

and legality. one way or another it's about young girls being sold to older men and it is happening in plain sight this is quite fascinate itting the scientists developing procedures that could be used to perform surgery on unborn babies correcting defects at an early stage of pregnancy. university college of london and the university in belgium are collaborating on this project. our report from london. >> reporter: a healthy ultrasound, relief for annex pact tenth-- an pace space expectant mother. it's not always the case. birth defects can be seen as 12 weeks. it are a few options if defects are seen. open the mother up and perform surgery which is dangerous and can lead the mother to have no month more children. or keyhole surgery. scientists in london are designing tools to increase the

options and allow complicated by vital surgery on unborn babies. >> this technology is going to help us to be cleverer, to able to do it less invasively earlier in pregnancy and probably have a better long-term outcome for the babies that we treat. >> reporter: surgery to repair holes in the heart or spina bifada are risky, too risky to come apply caked. surgeons will only operate if there is a throat that the baby or babies will tie. some in womb takes place. to be that as it may the ballooned nutrients between two twins. there's much more they could do, doctors say, if they had the right tools. they're being designed here in the college. it is a seven-year, 70 million dollar project funded by the british government and the welcome trust. more proceed toe types and researches are to be had, but one day a tiny probe will go

into the mother's skin into the uterus. it will carry a camera, scalpel or laser. like all keyhole surgery, doctors have to rely on cameras to see what they're doing the challenge is greater because of the tiny space and poor visibility. one wrong move can damage the unborn baby. >> you have a lot of challenging things happening around and you need to be able not only to take care of the foetus but also of the mum. so it does make at the time environment far more challenging and the tools we have to use have to be as small as possible. >> reporter: owe bottlics to compensate for unsteady hands, micro engineering for tiny bones and veins, all come together to revolutionise foetal medicine to south sudan where

skirmishes continues despite a peace deal signed in august. the war killed tens of thousands and displaced two million people. people returning home continues a tradition. >> reporter: inside the house this woman shows off some south sudan ease crafts. >> in this is from an area that is traditionally - well, a necklace with a bone decorated with fire. that's the patterns there. >> reporter: after 20 years as a refugee abroad she came back to help rebuild the country of her birth. >> i've always had an interest in living here and knew that there is a lot to be required. being able to contribute one way or another was certainly something that influenced my studies, influenced what i

wanted to do. >> reporter: part of that contribution is an effort to preserve the culture of south sudan. this craft market run by the patch organization, a trader demonstrates some traditional craft. >> translation: >> you use it like this t you use is for the smoking. >> reporter: at this women's cooperative, people from all tribes come together to make beaded july re. two years ago the war started with the president accused his deputy from starting a coup. tribes were pitted against each other. this prompted a debate about whether south sudan has a national identity. it is hoped that people will feel better connected through one another through the cultural practices they have in common, which clues these handy crafts. a lot of south sudan ease people grew up outside their their communities. many of them were refugees from war in neighbouring countries. these traditional skills have been lost. what this project is aiming to

do is to bring together the older generation with the younger one in the hope that they can pass on these skills and that crafts like these can be revived plenty more news for you online. breaking new video, breaking new and everything else on al jazeera.com >> on august 3rd 2014 us and afghan special operations forces deployed to charkh district about sixty miles south of kabul to clear taliban from the area. there's nothing unusual about this. us special operations forces often accompany afghan soldiers on these sorts of missions.