jihadist fighters attack a regime troops and their allies. a depraved, cowardly strategy is how the u.n. is describing the islamic state's use of thousandses of human shields as it tries to hang on to iraqi city of mosul and today's strike in venezuela designed to put pressure on president ma dewaro appears to be getting only very

limited support. good evening. we begin in the syrian city of aleppo where 15 civilians are reported to have be killed and dozens other injured. as a counter attack against the allies. the defense ministry is moscow asked the kremlin earlier today for the green light for fresh air strikes there. but president putin said earlier on this evening g that the timi is not right to resume those air strikes so western powers are concerned that some of those leading the offenses there are jihadist organizations. to be a considered

terrorist organization. the iranian, russian and syrian foreign ministers held talks in moscow earlier today after which they vowed to stamp out when they called terrorism. speaking to reporters after their meeting, the russian secretary reiterateed that its warplanes struck a school in italy killing 22. he said greater effort must be made to allow civilians access to humanitarian ade. >> we are still ready to re instate the cease-fire in aleppo and is the surrounding area but only if we get guarantees that people will be able to benefit from it. >> i am pleased that in recent years, relation between the islamic republic of iran and the russian federation, two key players in the region and good neighbors have made a lot of

positive progress together. >> meanwhile, the u.n. says that militants from the islamic state group have abducted tens of thousands of men, women, and children from in and around the iraqi city of mosul and are using them as human shields. this as iraqi troops continue to try to retake that city. they say that none who -- tpwhoin refused to cooperate with the jihadists was promptly stopped. here's when a u.n. spoke woman said. >> depraved, cowardly strategy to attempt to use people as human shields. effectively using tens of thousands of women, men, and children as human shields. >> a un sfokes woman in towns that have been liberated from islamic state groups. some have return told their homes where they're now trying to rebuild their homes.

"france 24" has more on what some say were the living conditions and cruel perspectives under the -- punishments under the jihadist group. >> broken tomb stones, one of the many reminders of life under the islamic state group. he used to regularly visit his brother's grave but when the islamic state took over, they started destroying the headstones saying thermofor builden because they didn't exist during the time of the to have et then i.s. went a step further and made the residents smash up the grave jarled themselves. >> islamic state group has brought everybody that was in prison, whether it was for smoking or shaving or wearing illegal clothes and they punished them by bringing them here to destroy the extension to. >> now the residents are trying to repair the damage, piecing

the held stones back together. -- headstones back together. >> this was my grandmother. >> the wanton destruction has angered many here. >> i can't express my feelings. we wanted to fight them, to beat them and stone them but we couldn't. e are weak under their flag. >> as smoke billos across the grave yard from burning oil fields nearby, mourning relatives gather once again among the destroyed tomb stoges. [sobbing] >> now following a series of large demonstrations, the opposition in venezuela is continuing to call for president nicolas maduro to stem down but today's general strike, which was designed to put further pressure on the government, so far appears to have only very limited support. the low level of participation

is a result of the government threat, some say. the participants taking part in the strike are besieged. reporter: many of these residents are on their way to work. they've decided not to go on strike, which was called for by members of the opposition. the opposition wants a recall referendum to be revived. which would remove maduro from power. the strike is dividing locals and threatens to exacerbate the food shortages already gripping the country. >> this is a political issue, a power struggle. the clark of the titans who see who can get what. in the ends it's the people who suffer. labor powers the country. without it, there's nothing. >> for now, the venn zwail i-capital is at the epicenter of a movement to oust nicolas maduro. he's blamed for the country's economic decline. the president has vowed to respond forcefully to the strike, saying that if a company

stops, it will be taken over. a change in tactics since thursday, when he tried to appease the nation by announcing a 40% increase in the minimum wage. >> in order to monitor, to -- ct the workers' income their salary, i have decided to launch the fourth integral salary raise of the year from november 1. [cheers] reporter: but the opposition has-pound pointed out that the rising salaries are still not up to pails with inflation. venezuela's congress heard emotional testimony from citizens announcing maduro from violating their rights. the president is holding another vote. >> we're continuing to exhaust all democratic routes in order to find a way out of this tragic

situation. i believe the only answer is through a referendum. >> the opposition has called for another protest next week unless the election board allows the referendum. >> just over four months have passed since the u.k. voted to break away from the european union. one of the challenges came from a cross party group of apologieses in northern ireland who argued that belfast should have been granted a veto on leaving the e.u. according to the good friday peace accords, that legal bid faced a fresh setback with the high court in belfast diss -- dismissing the challenge, although one campaigner saying he now plans to take the case to the supreme court in london. >> a democratic system. 56% of the people of this country voted to remain in. the only people in the country hat's been against us is the

democratic union, the torrys. o again i say we're right in what we're doing for the people of this country. >> now residents of the kay lie migrant camp known as the jungle has been given a final ultimatum to lead, as authorities continue to demomish that camp. more than 5,000 mike rants have been taken to centers around france but against the bleak backdrop of charred tents and camps, dozens remain saying they have nowhere else to go and others are refusing to leave. the charity for children say it's extremely concerned for the fate of unaccompanied minors living there. >> once a temporary home to some 6,000 people, the jungle is now being torn but -- down but scores of mike grants, including uncompanied minors are spending

their days on the grounds of the camp, unsure where they'll go next. >> their homes where they were previously sleeping are being destroyed and definitely unsafe. we just need to make sure that they have? somewhere to sleep. >> france's interior ministry says that nearly 5,600 migrants have been moved to shelters around the country as workers tear down the camp. workers here say that gaps in the relocation effort have left youngsters stranded. >> many of them waited in line the first day and told to come back the next so they did and then they were told to come the following day and that day, there were no more lines. >> until this week, thousandses have champed here in homes of reaching the u.k. by stowing away on trucks or trains headed across the english channel. britain called on france to take

care of the remaining migrants. france officials say they'll be relocated to a center on friday. >> the belgian french-speaking region of wallonia has agreed on the a trade pacts. ll 20 e.u. agents backed the bill but belgian's government was prevented to doing so until ll five agents supported it. >> across the e.u. in canada, political leaders are aassured that they've accepted the new version of the trade deal. their decision could save an agreement that took seven years to negotiate. canada, however, remains cautious. >> this is a positive development but there's still work to do. additional stems remain before

signing. canada remains ready to sign this important agreement with europe when yurme is ready. >> changes to the deal include some protection for farmers, who fear cheap canadian imports would flood the market. the most controversial part of the deal, arbitration courts, were also redefined. the agreement allows multinational to use them to sue states and the judges would be selected and paid by e.u. and canadian authorities. >> it is a fundamental question. do we want a world with rules or with no rules? we want to regulate this market and protect the citizens. this is why we fought and i believe it was worth it because we were heard. >> will the changes be enough to those still opposed to the deal? some say more issues need to be renegotiated. >> now with less than two weeks to go before election day, the presidential race is heating up in the united states but the issue of hillary clinton's use

of personal email service when she was secretary of state resurfaced again today with the f.b.i. saying it's going to investigate yet more emails which have come to light. her opponents donald trump has been quick to react, saying this proves that she uses her public position for personal gain. after years of wrangling and high-level talks, a deal has been struck between 24 countries which will result in the world ast largers marine park. antarctica's waters are covered by that accord, which is hoped will bring greater protection for marine life in the area. reporter: the raw scene known as the last ocean because it's still intact is the home of whales, seals, penguins and tooth fish. in about a year's time it will be a protected reserve, coveraging a million and a half

scare kilometers. the reserve will not only protect the area, scientists will also use it as a laboratory to study the effects of climate change. >> we've had a real achufmente today. we've created the world east largest marine protected area and that's a major step forward for marine conservation globally so it's a wonderful moment. reporter: the international body that oversees the waters around antarctica has 24 member states. they hah all had to agree on the reserve project. russia was the last country to hold out because it refuses to ban fishing the in the final aft, which moscow allowed, fishing is still allowed in 20% of the reserve. -- the significance of the solution for protection of the marine environment but at the same time and it was actually the basis for compromise here.

we should have found a right, correct balance between the interests of protection and the interests of the fishing nation. reporter: the sea is one of the last intact marine eco systems in the world. countries such as france are working to create reserves in other parts of antarctica. >> now, if like me, you're a chocolate lover, paris is the place to be this week. the trade fair is currently under way. the trade fair entirely dedicated to all things cock lat. not just the food burr even a fashion show happening there. if you want to check it out you have until november 1. brian quinn tells us about it. reporter: melted or shaved in every color imaginable and sizes you may have thought impossible. re the cocoa bean takes many

forms. the french eat an average of seven kilos per year. makers go to great lengths. >> just the trim to find the beans can take 40 hours. whether it's lima or mexico still. >> that is adventurous work in the service of a universal pleasure. they get transported back to childhood looking for these moments of pleasure that they remember from their past. >> chocolate with fruit and wasabi taking home honors this year for japan where, just like in the west, dark chocolate is celebrated for its health benefits as well as its taste. >> a reminder of our top stories, a counter tack in leppo. firgetse trying to break a siege on that city. a depraved, cowardly strategy, how the u.n. is describing the

use of thousands of human shields in trying to hang on to mosul. and riots designed to put fresh pressure on president maduro appears to be getting only limited results. time for news stories with kate moody. let's start with the latest on a landmark case in the united kingdom, which could have far-reaching applications for the ride sharing app uber. >> the london employment tribunal has requested the entire premise of the uber platform, saying they should get paid vacation days and be guaranteed a minimum wage and be treated like full time blows. if upheld, this could de stabilize the country's business model, which relies on groups of individual workers rather than those entitled to benefits.

>> a landmark victory for british uber drivers. they've won the right to be cast as employees rather than self-employed workers. they'll be entitled to basic workers rights including holiday pay. set to have an impact on drivers who had complained about working conditions. >> if you put normal hours like 34 or 40 hours, it is even less than the mini mall wage because i don't know what happens to their fare. them slashed it down, down to the bottom. >> the taxi company had argued it shouldn't be considered an employer because it functions merely as a platform to connect the 40,000 u.k. drivers with potential riders. the ruling could hit the so-called gig economy where individuals work for multiple employers without fixed cracks. that would mean apps like uber might have to change their

entire business model. >> the wilder implications are really important because so many of these companies run on this basis where they label the people who work for them as self-ployed when the reality of the situation is they're not self-employed at all but they work for the business. >> uecker has already announced plans to appeal the verdict. meanwhile, a further hearing has been scheduled to calculate the holiday and pay that drivers should receive. future policies on sick pay, pensionings, and other benefits will come under the spotlight. >> the american economy has beat expectations, growing at its fastest pace in two years. g.d.p. grew as a rate of 2.9% from july to september compared to the same period a year ago. that's the strongest acceleration since 2014 and double what was seen in the second quarter. you can see there how the economy has been faring over the past few years. this last quarter indeed a

pickup. exports reeked about 10%, which helped boost that growth why consumer spending grew at a solid 2.1% rate. the decision about whether to raise extra rates. signs of economic strength could help make the case for a rate hike in december. it was a different story here in france which reported an anemic 0.2% growth rate, putting total expansion for the year at 1.1%, making it all but impossible to reach the 1.5% target the government had set out at the beginning of the year. >> the figures for this year, even if they mean we don't quite hit 1.5%, don't mean that we're not hitting growth targets. what i can say is that the french economy has been in

recovery since 2015 this year, things have gotten even better and there will be even more growth still in 2017. >> let's look at the markets. a mixed close for the european indexes. soosh closing lightly lightly below this friday. most stocks have dropped. the dow jones just trading in the green there. this since the f.b.i. announced it was reopening its incurery into hillary clinton's emails. that's impacting the markets because it seems a potential hurdle for our campaign. we'll have all the details of that story as they emerge. looking at other business headlines.

the messaging service what's-up has been served it could face legal trouble for sharing its user information. the european union's 28 data protection authorities said in a statement they'd requested it stop you sharing adapta with facebook until the appropriate legal protection should be assured. the parent company of british airways and iberia has cut its earnings outlook as third quarter profits dropped 4%. i.a.g. said it was facing challenges since the u.k.'s decision to leave the european union and warned it might be forced to raise prices. and apple as increased the price of its exutes in the u.k. the price of a mac book pro has been raised about 20% or about 500 pounds. electrolucks also announced it would increase british prices by

10%. other international companies are considering similar action. staying with that post brexit news, the u.k.'s business secretary has denied that the country has been opening its checkbook to nissan. on thursday, the japanese carmaker said it would continue to produce new models at the sundayerland plant in northeast england. nissan said it was given specific assurances protecting the company from any dangerous of a brexit. >> two new car models in sunderland, a u.k. city when voted overwhelming for the u.k. to leave the european union. this is now set to become one of the largest car pants in the world. >> it means job security for more than ,000 people and opens the door to the future, increase in employment levels. >> along with other foreign

carmakers. nissan warned that leaving the e.u. would make the u.k. less attractive. it was only after receiving specific assurances from the government nannie san decided to keep operations in sunder land. >> in the long term, we need to assure that britain gets the right deal with europe. >> the u.k.'s government's assurances could prove costly. the u.k. arm sells vehicles worth six billion euros a year. around 55% of which head to europe. potentially 320 euro trailed riffs without a free trade deal. other carmakers like toyota said they now expect similar aassurances for their u.k. operations. >> a crackdown on money who make money on the sharing economy by

cars parents ir or cars. they should therefore be taxed on those earnings. >> homes, cars, and even tools. nowa days, everything is for hire. thousands in france of making billings out of something they own without paying tax. this student rents out her car to pick up a bit of extra cash, announcing -- amounting to several thousand euros a year. >> it cost quite a bit of money to run the car. petrol, maintenance, insurance so the 234k i get from renting it out allows me to keep it. >> french lawmakers want to crack down on the sharing academy. so renting out vehicles or appliances would be subject to the same tax as professional services if they own more than 7, 20 europeos a year.

the same goes for those renting out their homes though the cap would be set higher at 23,000 euros a year. not all m.p.'s are happy about the proposals. >> you have people who already pay tax on their earnings so they shouldn't be taxed for amounts like 7,000 euros. that's not even enough to live on and it's not their profession. >> other politicians have pointed out the changes would only hit those who make major earnings from the sharing economy. the sharing economy. the measures have already been approved by france's national assembly. they'll be discussed by the senate in the coming weeks. >> air, -- air bnb in the cross hairs across europe. >> absolutely. shared economies in the so-called disruptive arrivals in the industry. thank you very much indeed. don't go away. i'll be back with the top stories in a couple of minutes.

10/28/16 10/28/16 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from pacifica, this is democracy now! >> generally, procompetition and less concentration, i think, is generally helpful, especially in the media. but this -- i've not had a chance to dig into the details, but those are the kinds of questions we need to be asking. amy: at&t has agreed to purchase time warner for $85 billion. if approved by federal antitrust