catherine: and we have unrest in kurdish towns. can you give us contact in those regions as the government continues its crackdown? >> yes. ince the insurgency revived july, the pkk has decided to bring its battle against the government into the towns. this has resulted in the state thesing curfews on all of city in the name of hunting down the pkk militants in those urban districts. this is have the results of actually paralyzing the civilian population in those towns. it prevents them from fleeing when there are bullets and tanks going down the streets outside their houses. they can't go out and it is preventing them from going to hospital. this was highlighted on friday when a baby being taken down the stairs in a block of flats were shot. we don't know who buy. the family radio for an for the police to say they were going to take the child to the ambulance. the police said, ok. firing and wave white flags. the child's grandmother, holding the child, the grandfather with a white flag, took the baby out into the street. they were

peshmerga forces say they have repelled several isil attacks across the kurdish region.l 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 ann

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

what we can tell you about this kurdish offensive is according to the kurdish media, it is saying that more than nine i.s.i.l. fighters were arrested, over 12 were killed in a joint operation on friday night just slightly away from kakuk near the town of howeeja. this is the place where necessity earlier carried-- they earlier carried out an operation where they released a number of captives held by i.s.i.l. there is no government official report. the reports are via the semi-state news agency quoting news officials. one u.s. official, security fish, that we spoke to last night said that this operation did not take place. there are conflicting reports about this operation. the kurds are confirming it, but some sources in the u.s. are denying it >>> also there is a trial that has started in baghdad. if you could tell us more about that. 26 men accused in a mass-- accused in a mass shooting in i.s.i.l. what can you tell us about this? >> reporter: these are 36 men who have been charged with a massacre as the iraqi government calls it that took place in the military camp. the government s

in kurdish iraq.of fear and uncertainty. this is not an unreasonable assumption on anyone's part. fear works. fear gets votes. the opposite had hoped that the tide was turning. it remains to be seen if they have any reason to hope. ♪ s. >> a unanimous yes to peace in syria. the u.n. counsel agrees to a plan, but can it be a means to end the civil war? >> pollution levels in beijing force a red alert, and much the same but still different, we take a closer look at what separates and what brings together. donald trump's post debate rivals. welcome. "cnn newsroom" starts right now.

and the kurdish soldiers that are captives. peshmerga fighters say after the battles, they dispose of bodies in a humane matter, and i.s.i.l. never showed interest in the prisoner swap. as the fight intensifies. a priority for the fighters is to keep i.s.i.l. at bay zoo elsewhere in iraq, i.s.i.l. fighters killed 13 police officers, in a suicide car come attack. happening at a village east of ramadi. the capital of anbar province, ramadi was overrun by i.s.i.l. parts are retain by ramadi forces in the past few weeks. the saudi-led coalition carried out more air strikes pt the raids targetting the outskirts of the city. the saudis say they struck a camp run by the houthi rebels. in an incident, more than 75 people died fighting close to the yemeni border. u.n. brokered talks are wrapping up in switzerland, as the violence continued >>> the ceasefire lasted all but a few days. if it began at all. here an army of sorts, made up of yemeni soldiers and tribal leaders claim a rare victory. >> we have dean control of the military base

kurdish forces say they need stronger international support and more weapons.re are at least 25 million kurds living in parts of syria, turkey, iran, and iraq. in turkey, the pkk has been fighting for independence for decades, but is closely allied to syrias ypg, the people's protection unit, who are syrian kurds fighting isil. the iraqi kurdish forces known as the peshmerga are based in the north of the country, and despite their requests for help, they are having some success against isil, as our correspondent reports from the peshmerga base in 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 the isil leader. vehicles and heavy weapons were also ceased, which the peshmerga are now using on the front lines. they say most of the captured military equipment is u.s. made, which isil stole from the iraqi army. the hardware is a reminder for soldiers that they can defeat isil, also known as

some ended up in the kurdish region in the north. imran kahn reports from the region. >> abdullah has been a butcher for most of his life. he ran a small shop in fallujah. two years ago, he found isil fighters were taking territory on the outskirts of the city, so late one night, he took his family and headed north to here in the kurdish region of northern iraq. he said that decision saved his life. >> life was just hell for us. the iraqi army would charge fallujah every day. we had nothing, couldn't do anything. his story is common. at least 4,300 people from anbar have settled in this small town tucked away in the hills. kurdish and arab communities get along here and have transformed the place. >> those who fled the violencen anbar province had a very positive effect on this community. they've opened businesses and that means jobs and money. this used to be a holiday town. people would come here once a year, now it's a very busy bustling market town all year long. >> this town represents a new start and chance for peace. he's than

don't have to go far in you are bill to feigned out how close the ties are between turkey and the kurdish region. trade is the big one, ankara imports a lot of its oil from here and in turn the kurdish region imports a lot of turkish products. but relations between baghdad and annik ankara are restrained. it turkish troops on iraqi soil tension has risen. despite baghdad knew about them since they arrived. he writes regularly on political affairs, he says other concerns lie behind ankara's decision to send in troops to help train militia belonging to the governor of mosul, particularly ray crane vinnie role. >> iran opposes that. so by sending in troops it's just one way to maintain good relations within the region. >> reporter: but those good relations have angered others. speaking in baghdad, a leading

erdogan does not want to see an autonomous kurdish area in or just outside of turkey. all of these things are bred by a beginning when we walked away. it's another example of when the united states leaves, there is a vacuum, and that vacuum is filled by bad people. howll be glad to talk about every step of the way lindsey graham and i have been right as to what has taken place, and this president has failed to lead. [inaudible] >> there have been several instances where an audience member has said something inappropriate. do you have advice for the now?idates you have to repudiate that. if you -- my view, you allow those things to be said or done, in the case of beating up a antester, and go that responded to, then you are complicit. you have to do what's right. no matter what the cost is, you have to do what's right otherwise you will lose in the long run. even if you win, you lose. speaking as the loser -- [laughter] you must have a level of political discourse, otherwise the consequences are myriad. [inaudible] just a lovely man, and his background and his story and

iraqi kurdish forces have raided an i.s.i.l. base. kurdish media say the u.s. commandos were involved in this operation, although the u.s. has denies this. several i.s.i.l. fighters have reportedly been killed. others captured. this comes two months after u.s. and kurdish commandos conducted a joint operation freeing 70 i.s.i.l. captives. joining us live from erbil. tell us more about in kurdish offensive. >> reporter: we've heard from security sources here that this was a raid that was carried out to gather more information about a specific i.s.i.l. cell and to dismantle it. kurdish officials have been down playing the scale of the operation. they say two i.s.i.l. commanders were among those who were killed and more than a dozen were captured as well. the u.s. officials, however, are denying that this operation took place entirely. so there is conflicting reports about the specifics of this operation, but this is an indication of more cooperation that we are seeing between the kurds special forces and the american forces regarding specific i.s.i.l. targets tha

and that is going to create great tensions, and already we have seen erdogan attack kurdish areas. >>should we -- >> i think it's incredibly complex. i think we should tell erdogan that we need to have restraint shown, that we have a common enny, and we have e ene enemy, and we need to defeat isis first, but we need to sort out the kurdish representation and recognition of the kurdish population and have certainly not some of the persecution that has been practiced by the erdogan government. let's face it. erdogan is an islamist, and erdogan does not want to see an autonomous kurdish area outside of turkey. all of these things, by the way, are bred by a beginning when we walked away. it's another example of when the united states leaves there is a vacuum and that vacuum is filled by bad people. and i'll be glad to talk about how every step of the way lindsey graham and have been right as to what has taken place. and this president has failed to lead. >> i have two very quick ones for you, senator. >> yes. >> as the campaign began, lindsey graham seemed to be having fun. is he still ha

six kurdish fighters and one turkish soldier was killed. turkish tanks have surrounded the town in an 11-day operation against the kurdish workers party or the pkk. talks with the group collapsed yearly this year. in yemen 13 houthi rebels have been killed in fighting with pro-government forces. houthi fighters have been trying to reinforce their positions in maree province east of the capital. rebels have held that city since september of last year. thousands of displaced sunni iraqis are calling on an international body like the u.n. to guarantee their safety to return home. the tribes fled their homes in the province of saloou darks ne. some now live in the kurdish region. >> reporter: this man used to be a soldier. he says he was siting i.s.i.l. and then captured on his way back home by militias. his crime was being sunni. he showed us burn marks on his body where he was tortured for ten days in a youth center because used as a prison. his uncle, who was a police officer died. >> translation: they used to hang up. they used an electric

we also have to sort out this whole issue of kurdish representation, and recognition of the kurdish population. certainly not some of the persecution that has been practiced by the irna one -- irna one government. they do not want to see an autonomous kurdish area in or just outside of turkey. all of these things quiet by -- by the way are bred by a .eginning when we walked away it is another example when the united states leaves, there is a vacuum. the vacuum is filled with glad -- bad people. every step of the way lindsey graham and i have been right as to what has taken place. >> from npr. your friend lindsey graham -- is he still having fun? question, audience members have said something inappropriate or racist or rude. or something over the top. 2008, do youin have advice for the candidates running now about how to deal with those --. [indiscernible] my view, if you allow those things to be said or done, in the case of beating up and leave that and responded, you are complicit. you have to do what is right. no matter what the cost, you have to do what is right. otherwise you will lose in

peshmerga forces have repelled several isil attacks across the kurdish region. besides suicide bombers, isil fighters use armored vehicle bombs to fill frenches dug by the peshmerga. for now, a push towards mosul remains on hold, but soldiers say they're ready. >> this is a political decision now, peshmerga and the coalition fighting with the iraqi military have a plan to liberate mosul from daish. >> they complain about a lack of weapons. they are helped by coalition airstrikes and foreign volunteer he witness but they don't seem to be enough to win the war against a more sophisticated and better equipped enemy. >> daish are armed to the teeth, but the peshmerga, the ones that are holding the line, defeating daish and they're holding the line for the west, so enough it's time the west starts doing more than air support. they must be crushed here for humanity. it's that simple. >> the competing interests of international powers involved in this conflict, defeating isil remains far from simple. al jazeera, northern iraq. >>> iraqi medical sources say 11 people fr

kurdish forces have killed more than 100 i.s.i.l. fighters in past two days. more than two dozenen peshmerga fighters have also been killed. u.s. foreign policy and national security dominated the third tv debate between the democratic presidential hopefuls. all three were united against donald trump. more than 75 people have been killed in fighting close to the yemen saw deborder as another round of u.n. peace talks are closing in switzerland. >> reporter: the ceasefire lasted all but a few days, if it even began at all. here an army of sorts made up of yemeni soldiers and tribal leaders are claiming a rare victory. >> translation: we have taken control of the military base that we have been surrounding and which was under the control of the houthis and their allies. thank informed we have taken it over and we are advancing. >> reporter: necessity have been fighting to-- they have been fighting to restore to power the internationally recognised president hadi, making it this far to the city is a milestone. the houthis have controlled this region for months an

siting the kurdish peshmerga forces so they can't cross back. those families say if they go back towards the identify lines they will be killed by i.s.i.l. fighters and they're in no man's land at the moment. there are negotiations going on to get them out. there are two main tribes in the area. they're trying to bring them together to get them safe passage. i'm told there may well be a solution coming, but this has been two weeks now where these families have been stuck and there's at least 213 families stuck up there. that might be at least a thousand people that are stuck in this no man's land. this keeps happening in places where sunnis have been trapped between i.s.i.l. forces and kurdish peshmergas families - families should should say. u.n. hkr have now commend on it now and that's why >>> thank you. the u.n.'s world food program says yemen is at risk of flipping too fam ine. it is now classified being on an emergency level of food and security. the world food says over 14 million job people with struggling to get enough food because of t

also ahead, iraqi kurdish forces raid an i.s.i.l. base in the north injure months after-- just months after a joint operation with the u.s. i cannot believe that this amount of damage was done. it's probably 30 seconds. people in texas pick up the pieces that a deadly tornado left behind. severe weather is not over yet. u.k. scientists invest new tools that will allow doctors to perform vital surgeries on babies in the womb. investigation finds a possible connection between medical professionals and professional athletes. allegations involve the host of americans sport stars. debra davies has this report. >> no blood test. i've taken that stuff. >> reporter: talking about using drugs banned in sport. in particular, a steroid known as delta 2. >> i used it last year. i was scared to be honest with you. i took it for, like, two weeks. i had a test. four weeks after my last administration, i was also taking peptides too. >> reporter: the conversation took place in texas in the apartment of a pharmacist charlie sly. he it was recorded by

hounded by the kurdish peshmerga in syria, weakened by nonstop allied airstrikes, indications the feared i.s. is in trouble. police in belgium arrest someone thought to be planning an imminent attack on brussels. ♪ >> sex, drugs, and a hell raiser named lemmy. rock 'n roll loses one of its all-time greats. i'm sarah harmon. it's good to have you with us to 10 senior is thomas state leaders erased -- islam and state leaders erased i strategic strikes on the oil infrastructure that funds their terrorist designs. they have been chased out of three cities. kurdish fighters are prevailing in syria as well. as one analyst put it, losing matters. >> u.s. military footage of an airstrike near a syrian town last thursday. colonel steve foreign, spokesman for the us-led coalition, says attacks like this killed high-ranking leaders of the so-called islamic state. >> they have killed 10 isis leaders with airstrikes, some who were linked to the paris attacks and others had designs on further attacking the west. >> among those killed was one i.s. leader who had links to abaooud, the suspected ringlead

many have headed north to the relative safety of the kurdish regions.ran khan now reports. >> reporter: this man has been a butcher for most of his life. he ran a small shop in fallujah in anbar province. two years ago he found out isil fighters were taking territory on the out-kurts of the city. so late one night he took his family and headed north to here. he says that decision saved his life. >> translator: life was just hell for us. the iraqi army would shell fallujah every day, then isil will try to control us. we had nothing. couldn't do anything. >> reporter: here his story is common. at least 4,300 from anbar have settled in this small town. kurdish and arab communities get along here and have transformed the place. who have fled have had a positive effect on this community. they have opened businesses, and that means jobs and money. it used to be a seasonal holiday town, people would come here once a year for their holidays, now it's a very busy marketing town and that is year round. for this man this town represents a now chance for peace. >>

ankara imports a lot of oil from here and in return, the kurdish region a lot of turkish products. the relation between baghdad and ankara are strained over revenue disputes going back a decade and with turkish troops on iraqi soil, tensions was risen, despite the fact baghdad has known about the troops since they arrived. writing on political affairs, this reporter said other concerns lie behind the decision to send trooops tohelp train the militia belonging to the governor of mosul, in particular the iranian role in the region. >> turkey wants to maintain good relations with kurdistan and wants to help the kurdish regional government, but baghdad and iran opposes that, so by sending in troops is just one way to maintain good relations within the region. >> those good relations angered others. speaking in baghdad, a leading shia politician issued a warning to ankara. >> in case these forces didn't leave and didn't get hit by iraqi air force, it will be followed by other forces, american, saudi, qatar and other islamic countries. therefore, it's a beginning and a test. that's why t

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 thes

baghdad says turkey is allowing the kurdish government to remain independent and it can't maintain aontrol over the whole country. that's a real issue. the latest spat between bagdaleddad and ankara is only going to make that worse. imran khan. >> stay with us. we have this coming up: france's far right made gains after the paris attacks. voting underway to elect key regional leaders. >>> how mali is trying to convince tens of thousands of people displaced by fight to go return sure, tv has evolved over the years. it's gotten squarer. brighter. bigger. it's gotten thinner. even curvier. but what's next? for all binge watchers. movie geeks. sports freaks. x1 from xfinity will change the way you experience tv. >> it's good to have you here. you are watching al jazeera live from london. these are the global headlines. libya political rivals have signed an agreements aimed at resolving the country's deep political crisis which has ripped libya apart. the governor of aden has been killed in an explosion along with six of his bodyguards. a local affiliate of isil said it carried out the at

the area is a base for kurdish fighters battling isles and kurdish security forces are thought to be the dead. >>> there has been an agreement for a basic diplomatic solution to end syria's civil war. but assad says he is unwilling to leave syria, and has the support of the majority of the country. he also says he is unwilling to negotiate what he calls terrorists, but will speak to the opposition if they are unarmed. >> translator: we were ready and are ready to start negotiations with the opposition. but opposition for everyone in this world doesn't mean militant. there's a big difference between militants, terrorists, and opposition. opposition is a political term, not a military term. >>> three palestinians have been killed in the occupied west bank on the border with gaza. a 22-year-old man was killed after israeli officer used live ammunition during fighting in hebron, and another was shot dead after allegedly trying to drive his car into a military check point. another man was killed in fighting with israeli police near gaza. >>> thousands of iraqis have been forced out of the

the kurdish fighters. who are--who control the territory along the north of syria, long its border with fur can i. these are the people who defended this city of kobane a year ago. a large majority of them are close air support for the ypg. >> hoiraq saying that turkish forces in iraq should not be there. >> well, this is a very interesting development. first the turkish base, which is about 15 kilometers east of the center of mosul have been there for a number of months. it now has 250 troops, and the troops have come in basically operates as an independent country. and the fact that they're there is simply a sign of the fact that iraq has disintegrated, and that turkey has decided to align itself with a soon to be independent kurdistan rather than with iranian dominated iraq. when you say iraq has disincident grated, he said ours is a federation, a federal country, and it is work very well righ just now. >> well, that is a little hard to believe. it is true that the institution sets up a system giving th

they wear two insignias, one from france, and one for the kurdish perp schmerber -- the kurdish hirschberg of -- peshmergas. >> it started with the attacks on charlie hebdo. i felt i had to do something. having military knowledge, i felt i could do something. >> in this region, the french are very well received. we were warmly welcomed after the french government airstrikes. groundr: soldiers on the are iraqis. the volunteers all have significant military experience, peshmerga general keeps them what away from the frontlines. he does take advantage of french tactics and the equipment the men bring with them like radios. it's not putting up reconnaissance unit in data. >> we thank all of those who kurdish support the people against the attacks of the isis group. we ask the entire world two in cruz support for the forces so we can kick the troops out of iraq. will keepalso, it them out of legal trouble when they return to france in a few months. aey are mostly making symbolic stand against the islamic state. in northern iraq, a controversial contingent of troops has been withdrawn. furious a

trade is the big one, ankara imports a lot of its oil from here and in turn the kurdish region importsot of turkish products. but relations between baghdad and annik ankara are restrained. it turkish troops on iraqi soil tension has risen. despite baghdad knew about them since they arrived. he writes regularly on political affairs, he says other concerns lie behind ankara's decision to send in troops to help train militia belonging to the governor of mosul, particularly ray crane vinnie role. >> iran opposes that. so by sending in troops it's just one way to maintain good relations within the region. >> reporter: but those good relations have angered others. speaking in baghdad, a leading shia politician issued a warning to ankara. >> translator: in case these forces didn't leave and didn't get hid by iraqi air force it will be followed by other forces, american, saudi, qatar, and other islamic countries. therefore it's the begin a tests and that's why there should be a real confrontation and i ask the parliament to hold an emergency session to take the right decision that backs our go

six kurdish fighter fighters anh soldier were killed. matin gurgan is an independent security analyst. what he describes as urban warfare. >> this is a new conflict for ankara, the type of pkk militants involved. first this is an urban warfare not a one that ankara is used to. pkk, copying i.s.i.s. tactics and techniques. imposing its will over ankara. but unfortunately i don't see a clear road map on how ankara will translate this military victory into a political one. there was an urgent need for a ceasefire and ankara and kurdish politics this look for a venue to push for ceasefire. if not, consequences will be very grim for both ankara and pkk. >> as the end of 2015 approaches al jazeera is looking back through eyes of five families whose lives have been affected by some of the year's most significant developments. that includes of course the war in syria which forced almost a million people to seek refuge in turkey. and elderly couple spoke to bernard smith. >> just 50 kilometers across the border open christian worship is now impos

relations between the government and kurdish groups and pro-kurdish parties was strained over the lastew weeks in the south-east of the country. the government says it will not tolerate talks of separatism or autonomy of those areas, and that a deal should be part of a comprehensive settlement between the government and the different components of the kurdish society. but the government accuses p.k.k. of trying to expand further into the areas, taking advantage of the instability in syria, acquire more weapons, and stage counter attacks inside turkey, and this is why we have seen instability and further violence in the areas. thanks very much, hashem ahelbarra >>> north korea's state newsagencies says a top advisor died in a car crash. he was involved in negotiations with neighbouring rival south korea. very few details have been released about the circumstances surrounding the car crash that killed kim yang gong. north korea's state newsagency announced his death in a brief statement. >> translation: member of the political bureau. deputy to the supreme people's assembly died sadly in

the region has strong kurdish majorities, and it comes as turkish fighters battle. ankara has imposed curfews in many parts of the city. >> welcome, confirmation comes from saudi arabia. it's head of special operations and commander have been killed in fighting in yemen. the saudi arabian colonel was taking part in the offensive in the city of taiz when he was attacked. early led coalition airstrikes around taiz killed around 54 hut54 houthi rebels, and in haija province, civilians died after a bomb went off on several homes and a marketplace. the seven-day cease-fire yemen's foreign minister said that fighting and forces loyal to president hadi will stop december 14th. >>> there was confirmation of the agreement. >>> at a bus stop 11 people are originalled. the attacker was shot dead by security guard. an axe was found in the vehicle. it was near the city lead together main highway to tel aviv. a baby is among those to have been hurt. >>> an egyptian report into the crash of the russian plane into at peninsula said it was an accident. moscow said that a bomb caused

and wants to help the kurdish government. it's a way to maintain good relations within the region. >> reporter: but those good relations angered others. speaking in baghdad a politician issued a warning to ankara. in case the forces did not leave and get hit, they'd be followed by other forces. therefore it's a beginning and a test. that's why there should be a confrontation, and i ask the government to hold an emergency segh session to take the right decision to take the government back. >> this is a matter of trying to force them out of the country. >> translation: around 2,000 volunteer fighters from mosul have been trained for the past year, supporting them in a fight against d.a.e.s.h., it's been launched upon the request of the governor of mosul and coordinated by the iraqi defence ministry. >> iraq is divided. it is divided between the kurdish, territory controlled by i.s.i.l., and areas disputedy kurds and arabs. >> turkey supports the iraqi kurds. it doesn't look at the turkish and syrian kurds, and views the troops

. >>> kurdish fighters in iraq appeal for more help in the fight against isil. >>> and shell can be suedor oil spills in nigeria. >>> the u.n. says that refugee numbers are at record levels and millions more will soon be on the more. >>> and the vatican says mother theresa will be named a saint. >>> foreign ministers from around the world are trying to revive the syrian peace process. they are hoping to arrange a ceasefire and direct talks between the syrian government and the opposition. there are, though, major obstacles. one of them is which groups will be defined as radical. jordan will be compiling a list. and lastly, the future of syrian president, bashar al-assad, the opposition says it won't agree to a ceasefire unless he steps down. let's go to james bayes. these talks are now underway after a delay? >> reporter: yes, that's right. and that shows the difficulty of all of this. they have a very ambitious goal to try to get in january, a ceasefire, and talks between the syrian government and some of the syrian opposition. that's going to be very, very hard to achieve, and as you s

the area is a base for kurdish fighters battling isil, and kurdish security forces are thought to behe dead. >>> syrian opposition groups meeting at a conference in saudi arabia's capitol have agreed to the basic principals for a democratic solution to end the civil war. assad says he is unwilling to leave syria and has the support of the majority of the country. he also says he is unwilling to negotiate with terrorists, but will speak to the opposition if they are unarmed. >> we were ready and we are ready today to start the negotiations with the opposition, but it depends on the definition of opposition nch opposition for everyone in this world doesn't mean militant. there's a big difference between militants terrorists and opposition. opposition is a political term, not a military term. >>> turkey has reiterated its refusal to withdrawal its troops from a base near the iraqi city mosul. it comes as iraq's shop shia cleric criticized the deployment of turkish troops. turkey insists its soldiers are not combat troops, but they are to protect other training groups fighting the islami

. >> tell us about the kurdish airstrikes. what's changed in the way that the iraqi army and their partners have worked to make them be a bit more successful the this time? >> the iraqi forces have been trying to surround ramadi for months now. now they are trying to use air power. it is not just coalition strikes, but trying to help them move forward. the tactical approach is the fact that iraqi forces go in, they try and gauge the resistance to facing some isil fighters and call in either airstrikes or try and push forward into that particular area. from the front lines, they've seen some pictures that have come to us. sometimes they coordinate the iraqi forces, sometimes with the airstrikes. >> thank you very much indeed for giving us a clearer picture of what is happening in ramadi, thank you very much. >>> the new leader of one of syria's most powerful rebel groups vowed to take revenge for the killing of his predecessor in in a air strike on friday, he has called on all opposition forces to show a united front, but other

the area is a base for kurdish fighters battles isil, and kurdish security forces are thought to be amongead. >>> meanwhile syrian opposition groups meeting in riyadh have agreed to basic principaling for ending the civil war. but president assad said he is unwilling to leave syria and has the support of the majority of the country. he also says he is unwilling to negotiate with what he calls terrorists, but will speak to the opposition if they are unarmed. >> translator: we are ready to start negotiations with the opposition, but it depends on the definition of opposition. opposition for everyone in this world doesn't mean militant. there's a big difference between militants, terrorists, and oppositi opposition. opposition is a political term, not a military term. >>> still to come for you on al jazeera, we'll have the latest from burundi, as gunmen attack three army bases in the capitol. >>> and we'll being looking at the debate of altering human dna. >>> welcome back. you are watching al jazeera, an update of the top stories. libya's rival factions have agreed to sign a u.n.-backed nat

six kurdish fighters and one kurdish fighter were killed in an attack near the syrian border. tanks have surrounded this town. peace talks with the group collapsed yearly this year. in yemen 13 houthi rebels have been killed in fighting with pro-government forces. houthi fighters are trying to reinforce their positions in the maree province. that is east of the capital. rebels have held that city since september of last year. afghan special forces are struggling to drive out taliban fighters from the tan of sengeen in helmand province. they have had some success in retaking the police department. our correspondent joins us now. how easy would it be for the taliban to regain control of the syria. how frustrated are the people there? >> reporter: people are very frustrated and they're tired of fighting. it is not only this year, it is almost 15 years that there is heavy fighting in this part of the country. we talked to many people here. the reason that they're supporting is very simple. in this province people are relying on poppy cultivation and their income mainly comes from

some are now living in camps in the kurdish region. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: he used to be a soldier. he says that he was fighting i.s.i.l. in the province and then captured on his way back to home by shia militias. his crime, he says, was being sunni. he showed us his burns that was inflicted on him while in prison. he says his uncle was a police officer who died after being tortured by the same militia. >> translation: they used to hang us and ten people used to hit me. they used an electric torch on me. there was nylon set allied and placed on-- alight and placed on my body. i told them that i am an iraqi soldier. if i.s.i.l. see me they will kill me. >> reporter: the area is now a government town after tens of thousands of the people were forced out of their homes. they were pushed by shia militias on the suspicion that they might be harbouring soldiers. it is not the first time iraq's government backed militias is being accused. human rights watch says that militia abusers are reeking havoc on some of the country's

kurdish and arab communities get along here.hose who fled the violence in anbar province have had a positive effect on this community. they have brought in jobs and money. it used to be a seasonal town, now it's a very busy and bustling market town all year around. for this man this town represents a new start and a chance for peace. he is thankful the kurds have allowed them to open shops. >> translator: i really like it here, it's peaceful. it's not easy, but at least it's not a camp. i can't imagine i'll ever go back to anbar. there is nothing there. it has been totally destroyed. many former anbar residents feel the same way. they say they want to live in dignity and not in camps. but this is a rare positive example. elsewhere in iraq, sectarian divisions continue to lead to violence and isil continues to hold territory. but here it's peaceful and secure, and that's what people want. imran khan, al jazeera, northern iraq. >>> breaking news coming to us from afghanistan, we are getting reports of an explosion in the diplomati

the kurdish fighters say they have been able to defend their positions. isil knows about the trenches dug by the peshmerga and they come prepared with ladders to storm them. these weapons were left behind by the isil fighters who launched multiple attacks on the 60 kilometer long front line. soldiers say they have killed more than 100 fighters in less than a week. >> an officer told me that the number of suicide attacks used by isil show that it's desperate, but the ferocity and frequency of the attacks have taken the peshmerga by surprise. they thought they pushed the group back. >> the attacks are taking a toll on the peshmerga. two dozen fighters have been killed and 120 injured in the last few days. the continuing conflict is concerning human rights observers over the treatment of the dead and how kurd soldiers are treating captives. peshmerga fighters say after battles, they dispose of bodies in a humane manner and isil has never shown interest in any prisoner swap. as the fight intensifies, a main priority for these fighters is to keep isil at bay.

cameron, the 25-year-old kurdish man working as an interpreter for the bbc, is nervous about the journey. >> please wear your jackets. >> about three or four miles down the road suddenly the convoy stops. you could see everyone get out and start inspecting an iraqi tank that had been blown just to the side of the road. >> scott sees an opportunity to get some new footage of american f-14 jets flying overhead. >> i'd never seen them banking and turning that low before, so i grabbed the camera. and i remember, i think i asked tom to grab the tripod. >> i remember opening up the back of the land cruiser. and just as i did i'm getting a call on my phone. >> a kurdish military cameraman recording his colleagues preparing for battle captures producer tom giles pausing next to the phone to answer the phone. >> it was my mother ringing to wish me happy birthday. in all the fuss i'd forgotten at that moment it was my birthday. and i remember saying, mom, i really can't talk now. there's a lot of front line activity going on. and at the time there was a huge great swelling sound of american air fo

iraqi kurdish forces have raided an i.s.i.l. base near the town of chili aweeja. kurdish media is saying that u.s. commandos were involved in northern iraq but the u.s. has denied that. several i.s.i.l. fighters have been killed and others captured. this comes two months after u.s. and kurdish commandos conducted a joint operation in the area having 70 i.s.i.l. cap activist. police have said they have arrested a palestinian who stabbed a soldier near the central bus station in jerusalem. the soldier was lightly wounded. it is the latest incident in as many months. it happened in the town , after the funeral of a palestinian woman who was shot dead for trying to ram her car into a security check point. at least 165,000 people have been forced from their homes by heavy rains and flooding across south america. experts are blaming the bad weather on the el nino. >> reporter: of the four south american countries dealing with their worst floods in years, paraguay is the most severe. more than 100,000 people in the capital have had to leave their homes and belongings beh

he was on a kurdish peshmerga patrol a year ago. it is a moment he remembers like it was yesterday. >> translation: there were three of us in our vehicle when a roadside bomb exploded next to us. we have cleared the village of i.s.i.l. fighters. in the days after, i lost hope that i would ever walk again. >> reporter: this injury rehabilitation clinic is a private foundation and a life line for in man and a handful of others. he has also received aid from the peshmerga ministry to pay for his treatment. most injury victims are not so fortunate. even here the conditions are far from ideal. just getting into the building requires effort. one of the founders of this institute says it is not just soldiers that need help, but also civilians. he says the biggest challenge is no-one knows how many injury victims there are. >>> i'm telling you, in the past nine months i saw more than myself and the crc. maybe more than 200 people. i don't know what is the numbers. this is what we saw because we are new now. we started three months before, f

iraqi kurdish forces have raided an i.s.i.l. base. kurdish media is quoting police saying that u.s. commandos were also involved in the operation but the u.s. has denies this. at least six people have died in some of the worst flooding in south america for decades. around 160,000 people have been forced from their homes. a state of emergency has been declared in paraguay. relatives of 43 missing students and hundreds of their supporters have taken to the streets of mexico's capital. they're trying to keep the pressure on the government to tell them what happened to their loved ones. a report from mexico city. >> reporter: the anger towards the mexican government you can co-ed on the-- echoeked on the streets. among the chants these are the people who are destroying our country. the agony of the families of 43 missing students has been 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

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 att

kurdish fighters in iraq appeal for more help in the fight against i.s.i.l. u.n.s refugee numbers are at record levels and millions more will soon be on the move. and mother theresa miracle and says she will be a saint and get reaction from her adopted country india. ♪ we begin with breaking news a dutch court has ruled that the oil company shell can be held liable within the netherlands for the actions of its subsidiary in nigeria and fishermen from river and balsa state filed the lawsuit first in 2008 and want shell to cleanup its oil spill and pay compensation and it opens the way for other possible legal action against shell. the company has faced accusation of human rights violation connected to alleged arrest, torture and wrongful death in nigeria 2009 shell paid more than 15 million of the family of the environmentalist but the company denied any culpability in the deaths saying the money was a humanitarian gesture. in january shell agreed to 75 million out of court settlement with communities in nigeria delta region and the rusted infrastructure erupted in

six kurdish fighters and one turkish soldier were killed. 11 hour operation against the kurdish workersparty, pkk. let's get more from an independent security analyst. how have you seen this conflict evolving or changing? >> thank you ma'am for having. i just returned from the city center, clash is stilling going on. for almost three weeks we saw drastic escalation in violence in 18 city centers and the townts towntownsin turkey. three or four civilians and one, two security personnel. around 20,000 civilians got stuck into neighborhoods of those aubur urban settlements. ankara with with a siege strategy, encircling those neighborhoods. not allowing people to go in and out has been trying to break the will of those pkk fighters. the type of pkk militants got involved, first this is an urban warfare not a rural one ankara got used to and will adapt to. those neighborhoods are mostly the ghettos of those city centers which mostly poor people live in and pkk, copying i.s.i.s. techniques in this stress, has been trying to. >> can i stop you for just a moment? you think tactics are changing

and maybe they wanted to go inside iraq in order to support the president in his dispute with his kurdish allies up until now or maybe just to prevent the russians from gepg an agreement with the kurdish government >>> one of the things we've heard particularly when we've heard the debate of a u.k. involvement in syria in this country, we hear politicians saying progress has been made in iraq in terms of reclaiming territory from i.s.i.l. and they say that the same can be replicated in syria. what is your opinion, with fighting still in the province, another area seems to be eyes are all on >> up to now nothing has achieved through the international coalition bombing over iraq and i.s.i.l. is still there, still in mosul as you said, and still in and around kakuk >>> it keeps changing. >> yeah. they are still there in parts. i don't think that the power or air strikes could achieve something and the americans and the british and other allies are not willing to sends through on the under-- send through on the ground so i think it will remain for a while >>> thank you. meanwhile british bomb