freed by isil, hundreds of yazidis are released by the armed group in northern iraq. ♪ ♪ >>> hello, ior teen dennis, welcome to al jazerra, we are live from doha. coming up on the program. at least five people die in rioting in niger during protests against the magazine charlie hebdo. greasegreece arrests four people within an alleged belgium terrorist cell. and this is the scene in manila where around 3 million people have gathered to celebrate the pope's final mass on his tour of the philippines. >>> but first isil has released more than 200 captives from the minority yazidi community in northern iraq. they were transport to kurdish-held territory. it's not yet clear why they were leased. the yazidi captors many of who were were elderly were take to hospital for check up. thousands were believed to be killed or kidnapped by isil after its advance across large parts of northern iraq. mohamed adow is our correspondent there. >> reporter: this is an incidents or development that raises more questions than answers. they say most of these people have been held by isil in mosul. they are

isil fighters in northern iraq have released around 250 yazidi kurds.derly who have been taken to hospital in erbil for check ups. isil is believed to have killed thousands of yazidis in its advance across northern iraq last year. >>> more protests in niger have been called for later on sunday over the charlie hebdo cartoons at least five people killed and churches set on fire on the second day of rioting against a front page cartoon of the prophet mohamed. >>> millions of roman catholics in the philippines have gathered to hear pope francis hold an outdoor sunday mass in manila it's the final event of pope's six-day tour of asia. >>> now brazil and the netherlands have recalled their ambassadors to indonesia in protests of the execution of two drugs offenders. they were among five foreigners condemned to death. despite pleas for clemency. step vaessen reports from the capital, jakarta. >> reporter: most of them have been on death row for at least 10 years they included a dutch national filmed here in 2004 shortly after being sentenced to death for prod

thank you so much. >>> kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern iraq are launching a major offensive againstl. isil sends many supplies from its base in syria to mosul, iraq's second-largest city which is under the armed group's control. peshmerga forces which control the nearby mosul dam are now trying to take a key road and effectively cut off the supply root. zana hoda explains. >> reporter: this battle is for a supply line. we are south of mosul dam in northwestern iraq and a few kilometers that isil uses to move supplies. on the ground kurdish peshmerga forces advance from more than one direction. up in the skies the u.s.-lead coalition provided cover. this military operation has been planned for some time now. there was intense air activity. and at one time heavy and almost constant bombardment. this is not an easy battle the islamic state of iraq and the levant is fighting back and they are using heavy weapons. rockets have been landing near peshmerga positions. but the in-coming fire then forced the peshmerga to retreat. the forces pushed on capturing a number of towns and villages.

it's the strategic village of sultan abdullah 80 kilometres from the region of kurdistan in northern iraq. we cannot go to the village, because there are fighters held up in the village, it's where there was heavy fighting two days ago between peshmerga and i.s.i.l. fighters. although at one point the peshmerga say they were in control of the town they say now that there are pockets of resistance in the town and get incoming fire from the positions. we have seen it as unexploded, particularly mortars. which the lost to some meb. the village is close to the strategic i.s.i.l. stronghold also and they don't want to lose it they are using it. the peshmerga are closer. what the peshmerga here are telling us it is a source of water, the main town around this place, which is far from here. it's on the highway to mosul. they say get in control of the village within the possibility to cut the i.s.i.l. supplies. >> bad weather is preventing us from the airplane. 31 bodies have been recovered, and they have found another large object on the seabed. the minister threatened to grab the airline, becau

fighting for a strategic are area of northern iraq. >>> are its glory days over? >> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> this trial was a sham... >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy let the journalists live. >> hello gen and welcome back. the top stories here on al jazeera. the two activists from the main opposition bangladesh opposition party have been shot dead. comes on the first anniversary of the controversial parliamentary elections. >>> al shabaab has carried out another attack in the somali capital of mogadishu. attacking foreign trained elite agents. >>> there has been an explosion in yemen at a house used as a base of houthi fighters in sanaa. comes hours after another blast in dama city south of the capital. >>> now to

. - hundreds of yazidis released by the armed group in northern iraq. hello, this is al jazeera, coming up on the programme >>> at least five are killed in niger during protests against the "charlie hebdo" newspaper. one of the nominees from a cabinet position in the afghan government is on interpol's wanted list. [ singing ] >>> and 6 million in manila - a record crowd fills the philippine capital on the last day of the pope's trip to asia. [ cheering and applause ] >>> hello. i.s.i.l. released 250 captives from the minority yazidi community in northern iraq. transported to kurdish held territory - it's not why they were released. the yazidi captives many who are elderly, were taken to hospital for checkouts. thousands of yazidi are believed kill or kidnapped by i.s.i.l. after its advance across large parts of the north. mohammed adow is in erbil. >> reporter: most of the yazidi released by i.s.i.l. are said to be elderly or people with medical problems or infants. a commander for peshmerga forces were taken 8km away from kirkuk to the city of mosul, a

zana is outside mosul in northern iraq. >> reporter: mosul iraq's second largest city is under controlil and lavonte and impossible for residents to leave and isil says they need a guaranty to make sure they return. >> we cannot leave. the isis guns and refuse anyone to depart. >> really? >> they want us as human shields. >> reporter: for security reasons this person has to remain anonymous and been communicating inside mosul to his friends in the kurdish capitol erbil and even they hide their identity and left the city when isil took over in june and the armed group cutoff most communication lines in mosul but the voices that do come out speak of isil's harsh laws and hardships. >> there is no money because there is unemployment. but we can still have hope that the liberation it's this hope that keeps us alive. >> some of the people welcome them but at the same time there are hundreds of thousands of people who were sitting home crying about the city. >> reporter: many in the predominately sunni city welcomed isil fighters when they first entered in june iraqi army was seen as sectari

we have reports now from gwer. >> these heightened activities on the front lines of the northern iraq kurdistan region. the defense minister are visiting kurdish peshmerga positions. the peshmerga have been making gains but this has less to do with their victories and their plans to take mosul. >> they will help each other to rise up against the foreigners and their helpers. we'll clean our land of this evil isil courage. >> the fight for mosul will be a long and tedious one. these men are seeking help from every corner in iraq. the iraqi vice president and minister for defense are keen to get the peshmerga support in the campaign to retake mosul from isil fighters. in return it is promising the peshmerga more military support. but the need for even more urgent support as sunni militiamen from mosul. they've been camped out to train to fight isil. made up of volunteers and former policemen they say they have not been paid for seven months. just a few rivals, soony sunni leaders have complained that the government in baghdad do not trust them enough and does not support them. but. >> t

she's been covering the islamic state from northern iraq and syria. >> news reports about kenji goto are continuing. media say sajida al rishawi will not be freed unless it's confirmed that the jordanian pilot is alive. i spoke with an iraqi aid worker who helps displaced people. she noted that the situation may be tough for japanese people but she say she understands the response of the jordanian government government. she said she hopes kenji goto will be released. and that the pilot must be set free, as well. both syrians and iraqi still have -- in japan. many people have a favorable sentiment toward japan. many have expressed sadness and

hundreds of yazidis released by isil in northern iraq. joining the fight against boko haram, chad sense troops to cameroon to help combat the armed group. >> thousands rally for peace in ukraine as fighting between the army and pro-russian rebels intensifies in the east of the country. >> we'll begin with more breaking news out of libya where the self declared government in tripoli says it will not attend u.n. backed talks in geneva next week but is willing to negotiate if those talks are moved to libya. the rival eelected government has declared a ceasefire while the tripoli based government declared one friday. in the last three months, heavy fighting between militia's has killed 600 people. >> we are joined now from

your thoughts. >> isil has released around 200 captives from the minority yazidi community in northern iraq. they were transported to kurdish held territory. it's not clear why they were released. the yazidi camp, many of whom are elderly were taken to hospital for checkups. we have details from the iraq capitol, baghdad. >> most of these people have been held since june, when isil took over large parts of iraq's north, including the yazidi homeland around sinjar mountain. a lot of them are traumatized elderly, even disabled. lucky to be free, but still suffering the effects of months in captivity some of them tell that you say they were put on buses, told that they were going to be taken to talafar. some believed they would be executed. instead they were taken to a point between the stronghold of isil and erbil where kurdish fighters picked them up and took them for medical treatment. there are about 200 of them and still 4,000 yazidis in captivity. a lot of those are women. isil said that because it does not recognize the yazidi religion it believes it can buy, sell and use those women. t

of many dotting the countryside of northern iraq. a few hundred meters away is the village of sultan abdullah. two days ago it was the sea of heavy fighting between the islamic state in iraq and kurdish peshmerga forces. peshmerga now control the village, but it's still within the range of isil fire. we were advised against going in to the village. >> it's the front line. the mortars almost daily. every day, there is a mortar between us and them. >> unexploded bombs litter the area around the camp. they say isil has killed some of their men. a few kilometers blind the sultan abdullah front lines is the village of. alama, destroyed military vehicles and walls riddled with bullet holes are stark reminders of the battles fought here. >> in some of the villages recently overtaken by the peshmerga, life is slowly returning to normal as more

freeed by isil, hundreds of yazidis are released by the armed group in northern iraq. ♪ ♪ >>> hello,come to al jazerra, i am martin dennis, coming up on the program. at least five people die in rioting in niger during protests against the charlie hebdo newspaper. one of the nominees for a cabinet position in the afghan government is on interpol's most wanted list. >>> and this is the scene in manila where around 3 million people have gathered to celebrate the pope's final mass on his tour of the philippines. ♪ ♪ >>> isil has released more than 200 captives from the minority yazidi community in noun iraq, they were transported from anyone have province to kurdish held territories not yet clear why they were leased the captain captives many think who are are elderly were taken for check ups. mohamed adow is in iraq's kurdish capital irrelevant erbil. >> reporter: most of the yazidis released are said to be elderly examine people with mel problems and also infants a commander for the peshmerga forces were on the frontline away from kirkuk, told us they people were brought from the city

we are on the front line with peshmerga forces still trying to drive isil fighters out of northern iraq. >> the palestinian authority has chosen to launch a confrontation with the state of israel. we are not sitting idly by. >> israel's prime minister justifies cutting off urgently needed tax revenues to the palestinians. can russia return to the front ranks of science, or are its glory days over? ♪ welcome to the program. attempts to hold yemen together as a country are in deep trouble. there has been a bombing of the presidential guest house in domar city about 100 kilometers south of the capital sanaa. several have been killed including a houthi t.v. reporter. an agreement has been rejected to dive i'd the country six regions. houthis control most of the army's assets and are growing impatient for reform. the latest from the yemeni capital sanaa. >> reporter: it is the first time the houthi leader came out and announced the regression of his group to the idea of dividing yemen in to six regions. he said this is a western scheme backed by regional powers to have a weak and divided yem

northern iraq. >> troops will be heading to the middle east in coming days to set up training sites for syrian fighters fighting isil. on the ground in syria military forces control 70% of kobane. it was seen as a nery-collapse a few months ago. coalition forces have been launching airstrikes in the area since september. >>> dozensthousands of people in yemen have been protesting against the houthi rebels. >> thousands of people, the largest group yet made it clear they're get the houthies, whose armed men moved in in september. >> we're protesting to overthrow the armed militias and keep them out of the capitol of sanaa. >> these protesters do not want president hadi to resign. he said on thursday that his country was in political deadlock and he could not stay in office. it's been four years since they pushed president ali abdullah saleh out of office. some people believe he still has power in the houthi movement. >> the 2011 up rising began in the southern city, on saturday 5,000 people protested they're against the houthies. but there are many others who are pushing for new leadersh

has released more than 200 captives from the minority yazidi community in northern iraq. they were transported from one province to kurdish held territory. it's not clear why they were released. the yazidi captives were taken to hospital. thousands had been killed in i.s.i.l. mohammed adow is in iraq's kurdish capital, erbil. >> reporter: most of the yazidi released are said to be elderly or people with medical problems. a commander eight kilometres tells us that he believes they were brought from mosul driven through the towns before they were released near the front line. i.s.i.l. fighters took them out of the territory and bringing them into the heart of the peshmerga. he says they have taken them to medical facilities on the road between erbil and kirkuk where they are receiving medical treatment. a campaigner for yazidi rights believes that the people were released because of their medical condition, and i.s.i.l. did not want to continue to keep them. we know that there are thousands of yazidi particularly young girls, in the hunt for i.s.i.l. and who have been used a

shiulie ghosh with the world news from al jazeera, also coming up. [ explosion ] >>> the battle for northern iraqurdish forces fight to hold off isil. >>> kenya's high court suspends a controversial new security law. plus -- a brawl in india with police drills with targets dressed up as muslim fighters. ♪ >>> a cargo ship is being towed to italy after its captain and crew abandoned hundreds of migrants on board. it cost power about 65 miles off of the coast. it is now being taken to the italian coast. well that's the second migrant ship found abandoned by its crew off of italy's coast. more than 700 syrian migrants were captured days ago. despite the dangers of a perilous voyage across the mediterranean sea, migrants continue to risk everything. >> the turmoil of the arab spring has caused an increasing number of migrants to risk their lives, crossing the mediterranean in over-crowded routes. another popular route involves traveling to yemen and saudi arabia before continuing the journey to europe. according to the italian interior ministry 60,000 migrants arrived in the country in 2013. but last

there's few issues about the state being on the same page >>> kurdish peshmerga are forces in northern iraq were launching on an offensive against i.s.i.l. those no control of the mosul dam are trying to push from there across a front line to the stronghold of tal afar. zeina khodr is near there where the offensive and getting underway. tell us what you are saying. >> there is a major military operation in the north-west corner of iraq. like you mentioned, peshmerga forces. hundreds of them have been deployed along the front lines. they have been pushed south from the mosul dam. i can tell you right now the islamic state of iraq and levant is fighting back. they are putting up fierce resistance. they've been lobbying mortars. this military operation is being carried out jointly with the u.s.-led coalition since the early hours of the morning. we have seen the planes in the skies. they have been dropping bombs, targetting i.s.i.l. positions. what we understand from commanders on the ground they are not divulging much details, because it is a sensitive military operation, but the aim is to ta

observers in northern iraq say the militants are losing power in their area, as well. the situation surrounding islamic state may affect kenji goto's safety. nhk world, erbil, iraq. >>> muslims in japan are closely watching the hostage situation. a religious leader made a statement denouncing the actions of the islamic state militants. >> taking or killing of japanese hostage is also forbidden action. >> one group of around 50 muslims, including university students gathered in western japan to pray for the immediate release of kenji goto. >> translator: we muslims are worried about goto. the militants' violentability are against islamic teachings. >> i wish they will release the hostage, and i hope the drama already finish. >> muslims in japan are observing friday prayers by asking for the safe return of the hostages, and world peace. >>> officials with the world health organization say their response to the ebola outbreak has entered a new phase. they say the focus is shifting from slowing transmission to ending the epidemic. w.h.o. officials said only 99 new cases we

she now is in erbil, northern iraq. >> translator: local media in northern iraq haven't given this incidentide coverage but people, mostly the young know about it through the internet. many ordinary iraqis were shocked that islamic state took two japanese hostages. they're expressing concern and hope for their release. i have no information on how goto entered the area controlled by islamic state militants. knockout they took part in a fierce battle with kurdish forces around syria's border. so goto may have entered the area amid the confusion that followed. i know that goto was always trying to report news from the perspective of children, ordinary people and those in a difficult situation. and i can say that he is not the enemy of the islamic state. he is no one's enemy. i'm really worried. commanders of islamic state may have gotten the idea that japan is part of the crusade, subordinate to western countries. i believe ordinary people done share this view at this point. i'm afraid that the commander's view of japan might spread. but there is another thing. refugees who fled from islamic

door to door house to house peshmerga fighters confront isil fighters in northern iraq. using actors to play muslim fighters, this video of a police drill is causing outrage in india. ♪ >>> within the last hour the palestinian ambassador to the united nations says that palestine has applied to join the international criminal court. they said the move will pave the way for palestine to pursue israel for alleged war crimes in the court. kristin kristin kristin joins us now. how long before the palestinians can actually file cases with the courts? >> reporter: the standard procedure is 60 days between the filing of the application and being able to take action with the court. we just received a statement from the spokesperson for the secretary general. it acknowledges the documents have been received and are being reviewed with a view to determining the appropriate next steps, which speaks to the fact that this is a bit of unchartered territory. we have a state that many countries don't recognize yet as a state, trying to join the international criminal court. that being pa

mohammed al jazeera, on the front lines of northern iraq. >>> coming up next republicans have full controlss. they are promising to get things done but do they have a plan? that story when "real money" returns. stay with us. ♪ ♪ >>> republicans take control of congress starting tomorrow it will be the first time in eight years that the party holds the majority in both the house and senate. democrats and republicans say there is room to compromise but there will be multiple opportunities early on to test how much goodwill exists. libby casey has more on that from the white house where she is now. do you believe any of this stuff? they are all talking con sill lags and doing stuff together. but on a daily basis, it doesn't happen that way. >> republicans are definitely energized coming off of the victory of midterm elections, but now the hard work of governing really begins. and they will have to decide which issues they are willing to fight for. first up approving construction of the keystone xl pipeline. it's already passed the house multiple times, the white house won't say how the presid

>>> the battle for northern iraq, kurdish forces fight for hold off isil. 80-kilometers from their regional capital. >>> hello, i am mean teen dennis with the world news from al jazerra. also coming up the family of one of al jazerra's three journalists jailed in egypt calls on the president to deport him. days after hundreds of refugees were fountained abandoned at sea, italys coast guard scrambles to get control of another my grand ship. many types of cancer are down to bad luck rather than other risk factors, according to a new u.s. study. ♪ ♪ >>> kurdish peshmerga troops have been engaged in-house to house battles with isil. the peshmerga just recaptured a strategically important village around 80-kilometers south wests city of erbil. three peshmerga fighters have been killed so far. as they hunt isil fighters who may be hold up in homes. sultan abdullah is on the banks of the tie agrees river and the road to mo sus the largest iraqi city controlled by mosul mohamed adow has the latest seven the fighting we have witnessed in the village is a clear example of what the peshmerga have to g

we are on the frontline with peshmerga forces still trying to drive isil fighters out of northern iraq. and looking to the future can russia return to the front ranks of science or or are its glory days over? ♪ >> welcome to the program. let's start with some news from somalia. a massive car bomb has hit the capitol mogadishu where african union peacekeepers are based. the armed group am shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack which targeted somalia's national intelligence agency. it's confirmed four civilians were killed. the bombing comes after an al shabaab attack in bydoa. that was believed to be in ret trib rettribution for a u.s. air strike that killed one of the group's leaders a few days before. over the past few months somali troops and african union forces have stepped up their offensive against al shabaab fight to go impose islamic law in somalia. attempts to hold yemen together as a country are in deep trouble. there has been a bombing at the presidential guest house in damar city about 100 kilometers south of the capitol sanaa. several have been killed including

mohammed, al jazeera, on the front lines of northern iraq. >>> coming up next, republicans have fullngress. they are promising to get things done, but do they have a plan? that story when "real money" stay with us. ♪ >> "consider this". the news of the day, plus so much more. >> we begin with the growing controversy. >> answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> why did so many of these people choose to risk their lives? >> antonio mora, award winning and hard hitting. >> people are dying because of this policy. >> there's no status quo just the bottom line. >> what is the administration doing behind the scenes? >> real perspective. "consider this". monday through thursday, 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. ♪ >>> republicans take control of congress starting tomorrow, it will be the first time in eight years that the party holds the majority in both the house and senate. democrats and republicans say there is room to compromise, but there will be multiple opportunities early on, to test how much goodwill exists. libby casey has more on that from the white house where

elderly and afraid, but now free, 200 members of the yazidi community have been freed by isil in northern iraq. >> an awesome sight in manila, 6 million celebrate mass with pope francis on the last day of his trip to the philippines. >> the start of the news hour in nigeria, there have been reports of a suicide attack in the town, five have been killed, dozens have been wounded. let's go to our correspondent live with us now from the nigerian capitol. i've given the details of the casualties. what do you know about the attack? >> well, basically, according to eyewitnesses the young man was grabbing a car parked by the roadside and two minutes later there was a loud bang. they realized the vehicle was on fire. it looks like suicide bomber was trying to aim at probably a larger building with a lot of people so according to the police there, five have been killed and we've spoken to hospital authorities who said may not have been taken to hospitals. they can't say exactly how many, but we are talking about more than a dozen people. >> it's in the north asp country, a town we've reported from befo

. >> reporter: these heightened activity on the front lines of northern iraq's kudish stan region. minister are visiting kurdish peshmerga positions, the peshmerga have been making modest gains against ice nil recent months, this visits however has less do with their victories and more with a plan to retake mosul iraq's second biggest city. >> translator: the fight to liberate mosul will begin soon. both inside and outside the city will help each other to rise up against the foreigners and their helpers, we'll clean our lands of this evil isil scourge. >> reporter: the fight for mosul will be a long and tedious one. these men are seeking help from every corn never iraq. the vice president and minister for defense are keen to get the peshmerga kurdish forces support in the campaign to retake mosul from isil fighters. he is promising the peshmerga more military support. but in need of even more urgent support are the sunni militia men from mosul. they have been gant erred in this camp outside the city for months to train to fight isil. maids up of volunteers and former policemen they

more from northern iraq. >> reporter: the front lands of northern iraq's kurdistan region, the defense minister is visiting kurdish positions. the peshmerga have been making modest gangs in recent months. this visit, however, has less to do with their victories and more with a plan to retake mosul, iraq's second biggest city. >> the fighting will begin soon. some inside and outside helping each other to rise up against the foreigners and their helpers. we will clean our land of this evil isil scourge. >> reporter: the fight will be a long and tedious one. these men are seeking help from every corner in iraq. >> the iraqi vice president and minister for defense came to get the peshmerga kurdish forces support in the campaign to retake mosul from isil fighters. rasad is promising the peshmerga more military support. in need of even more urgent support are the sunni militia men from mosul. they have been in this camp by the city for months to train to fight isil. men are volunteers and former policemen. they say they have not been paid salaries for seven months. a few rifles is all they h

visited haider al-abadi, discussing attacks in northern iraq. part of a u.s.led coalition to wipe out the group. >>> in the next 15 minutes to pluto and beyond. gone but not forgotten. a unique giant tortoise is set for a new life, three years after he died. evidence >> al jazeera america presents lockerbie part three: what really happened? >> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> this trial was a sham... >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy let the journalists live. welcome back i'm judy gauche with al jazeera. let's remind you of the headlines. there's been a large explosion in somalia in mogadishu. state media says dozens have been killed and more wounded. >>> a new report says 7,000 people were killed in fighting last year i

iraq and the levant. they managed to cut off one of the armed groups major supply routes. we have more now from northern western iraq. >> this battle is for a supply line. we are south of mosul dam in northwestern iraq. and a few kilometers from a road that the islamic state of islamic state in iraq and the levant uses. on the ground kurdish peshmerga forces advance. up in the skies the u.s.-led coalition provide cover. this military operation has been planned for some time now. there was intense air activity. and at one point heavy and almost constant bombardment. without airstrikes it makes it very difficult for the ill equipped kurdish forces to make gains against an enemy who are well armed and well trained. >> the islamic state in iraq and the levant are fighting back and using heavy weapons. rockets have been landing near peshmerga positions. but the incoming power forced the peshmerga to retreat. the forces push on captureing towns and villages. they were accompanied by the president of northern iraq's kurdistan regional guilty government. he was overseeing an operation that kurdish say is strate

in northern iraq. we are focusing today on both of these regions, as kurdish forces are making significant gains against islamic state militants. for months we've been watching this town the town of kobani on the syrian border with turkey as kurdish fighters fought i.s. backed by u.s. war planes. well, now those kurdish forces say they've taken a key district in the town and control 80% of it. in the eyes of the world the capture of kobani would be a symbolic and moral boosting moment in the fight against islamic state. and we can also take you to northern iraq because kurdish forces there are making progress too against i.s. and the strategically important town of sinjar after breaking the siege of nearby mount sinjar. you'll remember those incredible scenes back in august as thousands of yazidis were stranded on the mountain after being forced from their homes by i.s. taking back control of sinjar would mean restoring much of the territory seized by i.s. from iraqi kurds in the last six months. here'

hundreds of yazidis released by isil in northern iraq.ram, chad sense troops to cameroon to help combat the armed group. >> thousands rally for peace in ukraine as fighting between the army and pro-r

and i reported on this from northern iraq.ing these women and girls, some of them not even teenagers into slavery across borders into iraq. and they have been distributing these captive women and girls at effective markets to their supporters. this is something that's been happening over the course of the last six months. modern day slavery targeting religious minority. in this case we're hearing about more than 200 of these yazidis, mostly children and elderly who have been released. it's going to be a long road for them to reintegrate to their def straited communities. pamela. >> let's talk about that, ivan. can't forget the heroic rescue mission you went on several months ago when you were on the helicopter rescuing the yazidis. if you could tell us, what has come of the folks yous rescued, the 15-year-old girl who was crying in the helicopter. and in addition to that, the newly freed group how do they move on with their lives? where do they go now? >> reporter: well there's an enormous population of displaced people living

. >> a top kurdish regional leader in northern iraq has told al jazeera that he needs more ground troops to defeat islamic state of iraq and lavant. he said that the international community need to send reinforcements to help peshmerga forces in the front lines. >> kurdish peshmerga troops have been winning battles but the war is far from over. the u.s.-led coalition has helped them but commanders say that it is not enough. they say the slow pace of the offensive allows isil to regain momentum. the chancellor of the kurdistan region security council oversees operations on the ground. he told me that the international community needs to engage more. this would require ground troops because it will take time for iraqi forces to be ready to defeat isil. >> to wait until the training is completed, until the forces, especially in iran, are able to come in position. that will take a longer time. there has to be a way of bringing more forces to the grouped. and not only depend on the airstrikes. >> so you're calling for foreign troops. >> i wouldn't be calling that. i'm just saying that that de

where artists are searching for weird and wonderful ways to entertain the crowds >>> we begin in northern iraq where the kurdish peshmerga are launching a major offensive against i.s.i.l. cutting off a route. supplies from its base in araka, in syria, to mosul - the second largest city of iraq which is under the armed group's control. the i.s.i.l. stronghold is one of the towns along the route. peshmerga forces which control the dam. what they are trying to do is take those another to the area and cut off the supply routes. zeina khodr is there for us. >> reporter: we have been talking to commanders they say they've pushed approximately 25km south of mosul dam, and have taken over a number of towns and villages. we saw for hour how the islamic state of iraq and levant is fighting back, using heavy weapons. they are firing rockets landing close to peshmerga positions. peshmerga commanders said this will take some time. the way i.s.i.l. operates they plant explosive devices, and have to advance slowly. this is a strategic battle and the peshmerga may be alone on the ground. they are getting supp

al jazeera northern iraq. >> to jordan and the latest on the negotiations to free a jordanian pilot held hostage by isil. jordan demands proof that the pilot is still alive before going ahead with a prisoner swap. we have more from amman. >> this has become the effective campaign headquarters for the family who are pleading with the isil hostage takers to show proof that he is alive. the 26-year-old pilot well, no one knows exactly the situation. his plane crashed in syria more than a month ago now and no conclusive proof has been given. the families say sources suggest that he was alive when that last deadline the second deadline was given by isil of thursday noon otherwise they would kill him, unless there was the release of the iraqi would-be suicide bomber. then, of course, the japanese filmmaker is also held by isil, japanese diplomats calling for his release. really, it's very hard to conceive that a three way deal can be done, and right now time seems to be running out the calls are being made to isil to say something. they certainly have the upper hand in this situation. >> egypt

in northern iraq the battle against i.s.i.l. is now being fought house to house.he peshmerga who is the u.s. allies on the ground recaptured a strategic village today on the road to mosul the largest iraqi towncity controlled by i.s.i.l. mohamed adow has the story. >> 80 kilometers outside erbil it is one of the few villages peshmerga fighters recently recaptured from spiel. i.s.i.l.i.s.i.l. i.s.i.l. fighters have battled to recapture it. and as the fighting intensifies i.s.i.l.ing focuses on one house. >> they have remained behind after the others retreated. >> more kurdish fightsers move closer to the house. they spray it with bullets. [ bullets firing ] >> reporter: there is nothing to confirm their bullets have hit their targets so some of them move even closer. it's a mistake. bullets coming from the house. one of the peshmerga fighters has been shot. he is dead. his colleagues carry his body away. overcome by grief one of them weeps over the body. in another part of sultan abdalla a huge explosion rips through the village. it's a car bomb targeting the peshm

mohammad adow, al jazeera erbil in northern iraq. >>> more than 100 people have been killed and dozens of homes seized by boarm. boko haram. hundreds of people are fleeing the area to get away from the violence. boko haram controls large parts of northeastern nigeria. al jazeera has learned the international criminal court may be close to opening an inquiry into last year's incidents in gaza. >> very little option but now to launch a preliminary examination into the events of last summer's gaza war. you remember on the last day of last year, president mahmoud abbas signed the rome statute the statute that governs the international criminal court but also this declaration palestine asking for the court to be retroactive going back to june the 14th, 2014, that means it would cover the whole period of the gaza war. if you look at the guidelines, this is the policy paper of the chief prosecutor. it says she is obliged to launch initial examination if she gets such a declaration. that is not a formal war crimes investigation, she needs to ask certain questions whether she believes certain w

elderly and afraid but now free about 200 members of the yazidi community released by isil in northern iraq and: an awesome site and sounds in man i will willa, 6 million celebrating mass with pope francis on his last day of his trip to asia. now, breaking news out of syria where several hezbollah fighters have been killed following an alleged attack by an israeli aircraft. it was in the proof ince of al kunatra close to the border with lebanon. nicole johnston is in beirut with this. i understand that it was possibly a helicopter that carried out this. what more details do you have? >> reporter: that's right. we are getting more information on this. this is really breaking news. so far we know that israeli helicopter did attacked quinetra in the southern syrian border with israel. it's near the cease-fire line in the golan heights. it's been a hotbed of fighting on the southern front. we have numbersra front fighters and other pro-opposition groups along with the syrian army fighting in that area. we know the son-in-law of mohalita his father was a top operational commander this is a real

. >>> the northern iraqi city of mosul has been under the control of the islamic state of iraq and the levant since june. many in the sunni majority welcome i.s.i.l.'s takeover accusing the government of waging a war against them. zeina khodr has the story. >> i.s.i.l. now demands they provide a guarantor to ensure they return. >> they cannot leave the i.s.i.s. can't refuse anyone to depart. >> really? >> they want us as human shields. >> reporter: for security reasons this person has to remain anonymous. he has been communicating inside to his friends. the turkish capital of erbil. they left when i.s.i.l. took over in june. cut off most of the communication lines of mosul but much of the lines that come out speak of i.s.i.l.'s harsh conditions. >> there is not enough food because there is unemployment. but we can still have hope that the liberation, it is this hope that keeps us alive. >> some of the people at the same time there are hundred of thousand people who were sitting at home crying about the city. >> reporter: many in the predominantly sunni city welcomed the i.s.i.l. fighte

in northern iraq kurdish peshmerga forces are tackling i.s.i.l. around the village of sultan abdullah it's close to mosul and an important strat eej yik defensive position. there has been heavy fighting here for days. peshmerga are gaining ground but there are pockets of resistance from i.s.i.l. the village is a source of water from the surrounding area. we joined peshmerga as they battled for control. >> this is a frontline for the kurdish peshmerga fighters. a few hundred meters away is the village of sultan abdullah. a few days ago it was the scope of heavy fighting between islamic state of iraq and levant and kurdish peshmerga forces. peshmerga controls the village, but it's within the range of i.s.i.l. fire. we were advised against going into the village. >> with the mortars, every day there's a mortar between us and them. we near the front line. >> reporter: unexploded bombs littered the area around the peshmerga camp. they say i.s.i.l. killed some of their men. a few kilometres behind the sultan app -- abdullah town there are bullet riddled

. >> the islamic state began a major offensive capturing huge areas of eastern syria and northern iraqthe american led coalition launched air strikes against isis targets and the us sent thousands of so-called military advisers to the ground in iraq. but president obama insists he will not send us combat troops. >>> israel invaded the gaza strip over the summer. the conflict fueled by the killing of three israeli teenagers by palestinian militants. the fighting ended with a cease fire. >> in the town of ferguson missouri protests turned violent after the police shooting of an unarmed teenager michael brown. a grand jury decided not to bring charges against officer darren wilson that sparked new violence in ferguson and protests all across our country. >>> in august, robin william took his own life at the age of 63. his suicide put a new spotlight on depression and mental health. >> in pennsylvania a huge manhunt for eric matthew 14. the 31-year-old survival lift accused of shooting two state troopers killing one of them. u.s. marshals finally captured frein at the end of october after

. >>> in northern iraq kurdish peshmerga fighters say they are investigating an attack on a an nigerian town. >> when 20 armed yaghts yazidis raided this town, the attackers acted alone. >> translator: we found out that three yazidi girls were abducted after three yazidi credits decided to storm the town and removed the girls. look at my children we've done nothing wrong. >> it's believed the attack on bu yanaya near ramida, was an attempt to recover the girls abducted by islamic state of iraq and the levant. the girls some as young as 10 had been raped and forced to the i.s.i.l. cause. but it was that attempt that prompted the u.s. to join the force against i.s.i.l. in september. and yazidi fighters have also since joined the battle, joined up with peshmerga force he in the u.s. together they will force i.s.i.l. fighters out of rabia. but this has exposed contraction in their campaign. >> we will make sure we know who the perpetrators are because we condemn what they did. >> arab towns say since i.s.i.l. was chased out they have been under siege and suspicion of the doamentdominatedoam

billions of dollars worth of equipment is required to put just a couple of hundred aircrew over northern iraq and area. this one ship is now providing nearly one third and it does so from the base of any political restrictions. >> the crew will last 9.5 months. most of the crew remain out of harms way, working their watches while the aircrew pummels the enemy. the u.s. navy can keep this up for as long as it takes. >> that means we dropped 144 some point. >> in less than three months on station, they've flown more than 1000. many missions don't release their weapons. it's not easy finding a target in the chaos below. each jet carries a selection of drones and missiles. >> two 500 pound j dance. >> few pilots know their target for taking off. instead, their missions can last hours. loitering over iraq, refueling multiple times from airborne tankers until maybe they get given a target. >> this task group has been operating more than 2.5 months. what do you think you have achieved so far? >> our job here is to degrade and ultimately destroy isis. i think we have succeeded in halting isis momentu

al jazeera gwer in northern iraq. >> still to come on al jazeera, what is ahead for sri lanka after friday's surprise win in the presidential elections. stay with us >> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> its disgraceful... the only crime they really committed is journalism... >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy let the journalists live. >> today on "the stream". >> a surge in predatory lending targeting our nation's military with the interest rates as high 300 to 1000 percent. what's being done about it? >> "the stream". today 12:30 eastern. on al jazeera america. >> here with us on al jazeera, these are the top stories this hour. french media reporting that hayat boumeddiene may have left france and could be in syria. she is with the people who killed fou

kirkuk is the gateway to iraq's northern oil fields. but isis also suffered a loss. late today the u.s. said an isis chemical weapons expert was killed in an air strike. thousands of our own veterans are in a battle with homelessness. the obama administration has pledged to win that war but first, the government must count the casualties. john blackstone went along. >> reporter: the volunteers counting the homeless in los angeles walked on streets most would usually avoid among people who are often treated as invisible. >> how many do we have so far. >> 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. >> reporter: robert malone volunteered to count because just months ago he was homeless, and like nearly one in 10 of the homeless across the country he's a veteran. so fortunately you had a car to live in at least. >> i did. >> reporter: now malone is in an apartment thanks to a veterans administration providing vouchers for housing. in 2006, an estimated 195,000 veterans were homeless. counts like the one last night show a significant drop, more than 74,000 in 2009 to under 50,000 last year. that