♪ make no mistake, president obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world's most heinous weapons. >> talk on chemical weapons, the u.s. edges closer to military action against syria. ♪ i'm in doho are the world news from al jazeera, also in the program signs of progress in what is a troubled relationship, hamid karzai extends visit to pakistan. thailand feels the strain as muslim refugees crowd into

detention centers plus. >> i don't know what the solution is but they need to come up with one. >> reporter: back to school in chicago. but the trip to the classroom for many students is even more dangerous. ♪ military intervention in syria is a step closer. the u.s. and some european states are considering using force in response to last week's suspected gas attack. hundreds died in the incident in damascus last week. u.s. secretary of state john kerry is convinced that the regime used chemical weapons and the diplomatic editor james reports. >> reporter: these horrific pictures of the aftermath of resent attacks have after more than two years of war in syria prompted the strongest words yet from the obama administration. secretary of state john kerry made it clear the u.s. is

certain chemical weapons were used and he knows who they were used by. >> the firsthand accounts from the humanitarian organizations on the ground like doctors without borders and the syria human rights commission, these all strongly indicate that everything these images are already screaming at us is real. that chemical weapons were used in syria. more over, we know that the syrian regime maintains custody of these chemical weapons and know the syria regime has the capacity to do this with rockets. we know that the regime has been determined to clear the opposition from those very places where the attacks took place. and with our own eyes we have all of us become witnesses. >> reporter: after a day of phoning world leaders, the secretary of state again watched the videos of the aftermath of the attack. >> it is really hard to express in words the human suffering

that they layout before us. as a father, i can't get the image out of my head of a man who held up his dead child wailing while chaos swirled around him. the images of entire families dead in their beds without a drop of blood or no visible wound and bodies contorting in spasm and human suffering we can never ignore or forget. anyone who can claim an attack of this staggering scale could be contrived or fabricated needs to check their conscious and moral compass. >> reporter: the government had been accused of stalling but un inspectors were finally able to begin their work setting out for the sites where it's believed the latest chemical weapons attacks took place. there was still someone trying to stop them, the lead vehicle in their convoy was targeted by snipers. opposition were quick to blame the progovernment militia but un

could not determine which side was responsible. the scientists gathered evidence and taken samples, but even in their final report the un mandate does not, again, allow them to determine which side was responsible. what some diplomates are previously predicting is a short targeted operation by the u.s., uk and france using cruise missiles and russia and china would say it's illegal but others say there is a moral justification and the words of john kerry the use of chemical weapons is a moral obscenity, the violation of an international norm and should be accountabili accountability. a decision will be made by the commander-in-chief himself and he is involved in the war in afghanistan and the ceremony was honoring members of his military fighting it. president obama has been cautious on syria but the words of his secretary of state suggest he is closer than ever to launching military action

against the regime. james with al jazeera the united nations. >> reporter: and the u.s. postponed a meeting with russian diplomates due to be held on wednesday because of on going consultations over the chemical weapons attack. russia says military intervention without un agreement would violate international law. >> we've had this movement in iraq and libya and no intervention resulted in things improving or stabilization and it's destabilized in an unpresented way and should act with responsibility and work together as agreed by leaders during the summit in june this year. >> reporter: iran is warning against military intervention and a statement a government spokesman said we want to strongly warn against any military attack in syria that will definitely be perilous for the region and consequences will

not be restricted to syria. it will engulf the whole region. >> they took control of a country from government troops. they blocked all the regime supply routes to the town and seized large amounts of ammunition left by government forces. to other news afghanistan's president karzai extended the visit to pakistan. leaders are discussing possible peace talks with taliban. and karzai saids he needs help as they leave the country next year and wants the government to arrange a meeting with the taliban and the afghan peace council. and we are joined from islamabad and things appear to be going quite well, commander. >> indeed. if you look at the past 12 years it's definitely a sign that things are improving because

over the last 12 years there have been serious routes which prevented a settlement in afghanistan. and as president karzai arrived in pakistan, he is encouraged by the fact the pakistan is offering support to the peace talks. however, pakistan does not have direct control over the taliban. it does, however, have some influence and there is talk that the afghans warn the senior taliban commander to be released and that is under discussion and it's possible that they my be sent to saudi arabia and there are talks and progress on the economic front, pakistan is offering help by buying a project on the river koonar and

also helping with expansion of the work to include kabul and linking it to pakistan and there is progress and the first time a willingness by the afghan government to come to pakistan and ask for direct help. >> reporter: is it your sense the pakistan military and the pakistan government are on the same page when it comes to the afghan taliban? >> well, there has definitely been improvement on that front because in the past whenever a high-level delegation came from overseas they were meeting the military leadership separately and civilian leadership separately, this time around the pakistan chief, intelligence chief was included in the discussions with the afghans, including senior ministers from afghanistan. for the first time it appears that the pakistani leadership and military are on the same page. >> reporter: thank you very much. doctors say a teenage boy died

of the bubonic plague and it's carried by fleas and killed millions in the 14th century but an epidemic is unlikely. they may decommission the fukushima facility. and they visited the plant crippled by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and promised to take a task force to take charge of cleanup. they are accusing muslim refugees from mamar of manipulating the media and they act up to gain sympathy. 37,000 fled since january because of the anti muslim violence there. and we report from southern

thailand. >> reporter: these, are conditions that have killed dozens of men crammed into a small space and not allowed to leave. since january 8 men have died in detention centers run by the tie immigration department. and have done nothing wrong and waiting to find out if they can get refugee status and be settled in a third country. there is no regular medical help provided. but volunteer doctors who are trying to help have been speaking out. >> and tried to say to the governor and also to the high ranking you must move urgently because if you have to contact. >> reporter: hundreds escaped in three out breaks from centers in the past ten days. we asked tie immigration for their side of the story but they declined. they are in thailand because of the waves of what one international human rights group is calling ethnic cleansing, wiping out muslim communities in

western mamar and it's terrifying and women and children are joining men in the exudus and shelters in thailand are better than the men's detention centers but there is a sense of frustration and grief. we were asked not to show any of the people's faces. this widow whose son has a serious blood disease tells us she has no idea what is to become of her. >> i wish that i would get help from the government and my boy get help for his treatment and i don't care where they want to place me but i will not return. >> reporter: international humanitarian agencies pay regular visits under the supervision of immigration police but there are deeper issues. and this is where some of the lucky boat people end up, in a temporary shelter run by the ty government but only supposed to be here for five days and the staff say they have been here more like 7 months. staff try to provide activities

for the children but it's not enough. some young children have run away and simply disappeared. >> this is the first time something like this has happened in thailand. i think we must share lessons learned and try to strategize for when many more of the people come. we need a concrete response plan. >> reporter: she tells me 60 or so people use this room and these are all their worldly possessions. researchers say governments in the region and not just thailand simply are not prepared for the boat loads of people expected to arrive when the sailing season begins again. no one seems to be able to answer the big question, what is to become of a people orphaned by the world. veronica with al jazeera cynne claire, thailand. >> reporter: thousands of syrians are flooding across the border to northern iraq and sheltering over crowded camps and we will show you what it's like to live there.

also ahead. >> i'm in one of the poorest villages and i'm reporting on people's expectations for the municipal elections. ♪

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uncovers unheard, fascinating news stories? >>they share it on the stream. >>social media isn't an afterthought. it drives discussion across america. >>al jazeera america social media community, on tv and online. >>this is your outlet for those conversations. >>post, upload, and interact. >>every night, share undiscovered stories. ♪ welcome back, the top stories on al jazeera. british prime minister david cameron is considering a proportionate response to the attack in syria last week and u.s. is looking at intervening and secretary of state john kerry says there is no doubt government forces used chemical weapons. syrian rebels reporting they

have take end control of a town in el leppo and blocked routes of regime and seized ammunition abandoned by government forces. karzai extended the visit to pakistan, leaders have been discussing possible peace talks with the taliban. extended stay is thought to suggest the talks are going well. 40,000 syrian refugees went to north iraq and we are live from the camp in the providence of de-hook in northern iraq and give us the scale and conditions of the camp. >> that is right, like you say 160,000 refugees were already here. most of those are living in the camp. let me just show you, what you can see is this camp has a much more permanent atmosphere and there is a row of shops here. so people are clearly setting up for the long-term and have been

here for about a year and a half but conditions here are tough and is leading to a lot of frustration and a lot of anger. i found out exactly how people are feeling. imagine in this was your home, not for one month or even six, but for over 18 months. then imagine sharing it with 60,000 others. it's no wonder then that the syrians living here are losing hope they will ever return home. as the war drags on the initial relief felt by refugees escaping has disappeared. there have been a few riots in the camp over the past four months. and the anger is easy to find. as soon as we start filming people want to tell us how they feel. >> we are syrian people are not used to live like this. we would rather go back to syria and end our suffering here in this place. but we can't because of our children. they might be killed and raped in syria.

this camp i'm in is all the fault of bashir and the groups, they are all to blame. >> reporter: their anchor led authority to take measures and important offices and workplaces are secured giving some parts of the camp a prison-like atmosphere. agencies noticed and try to manage it the best they can. >> to deal with this long-term this placement issue is a psychological issues, we try to provide refugees with a sense of community and they manage their own life. we promote the community management. >> reporter: as part of that long-term process many of the refugees have taken up manual labor jobs to support themselves and families. it allows them to buy groceries and other goods creating an informal but crucial economy in the camp. so this place has the feel of a permanent town. but the more permanent it becomes the more issues arose. this camp has a very different

atmosphere from the ones that have just been set up for the newest syrian refugees. there is a sense of relief they managed to escape war. here that sense of relief disappeared a very long time ago. there is a sense of anger and the longer they live like this it's going to get worse. with any kind of solution political or otherwise to the syrian conflict still to be achieved, time stands still for the refugees who try and make due as best they can. you saw the sense of anger there but here is the thing, you could turn this place into a model refugee camp and make it the envy of refugee camps across the world and you would have the sense of anger and the reason is simple, the government here and ad agencies cannot give the syrian people one thing they are desperate for, the safe passage back to syria and a peaceful syria and the people simply want to go home. they are here and stuck and that is a real problem for them because it's frustrating them and the frustration as i said is

leading to real anger. >> reporter: and we are reporting with enron, thank you. the polls opened in elections across jordan and people responsible for developing the poorest towns and cities but some believe the voting is pointless and we have speaking to residence in faloosh. >> reporter: for six years the home has been a make-shift shelter made of blankets and cardboard. one of jordan's poorest areas and no money to build a home. elections are taking place on tuesday but she is boycotts the polls because she sees no benefit in casting her vote. >> so many candids in the past have told us we will build homes for you and provide electricity, improve conditions and give you jobs in return for the votes. but after they win they did nothing. they are all talk and no action. >> reporter: this woman tells me she is voting to elect her

mayor as a duty without expectations her situation will improve. they are held under difficult economic conditions and growing unemployment and poverty and rising tribal tensions. here every tribe wants its own candidate to win so tribal allegiance are more important than electoral programs and promises made to the poor before election day. this is one of three women in the village who holds a university degree. it's four years since she graduated and still no job. people who live in fanoosh say their village is neglect z because they have services and infrastructure in their own villages where relatives and tribes live. >> we wish mayors would treat all people alike and serve the tribes and country too. the people should be more important than one's tribe. >> reporter: the last municipal

election was held six years ago but the rising influence of tribes made polls less competitive. and he is running for the mayor's position said he was born and raised in this area and understands people's needs. >> and the project of the municipalities to help the vulnerable get jobs and areas that are suffering and we want to help the areas and others that need improvement and no strong or weak system to me. all are the same. >> reporter: poor jordans have generally grown to accept their situation. they say they are afraid to speak up and face an angry backlash from the authorities and powerful tribes that support the government. the city is al jazeera. >> reporter: despite the recent crack down protests against military a continuing in egypt, in cairo they rallied after dark. the interim government has 9:00 p.m. curfew to stop

demonstrations and violence. this is the second largest city alexandria and the rallies are much small earlier since the army crack down. india passed a bill for subsidized cheap food to two thirds of the population. it would mean 800 million poor people would receive 5 kilograms of grain every month. and critics of the bill say that at almost 24 billion a year it's too expensive and will hurt the economy. india stock exchange fell 2% on tuesday after the announcement. the colombian president agreed to start negotiations with striking farmers. the decision comes a week after continuing unrest when farmers blocked major roads across many parts of the country and they want subsidies for agricultural products and fuel. an argument between argentina's

government and chilly airlines could lead to a strike of airport workers in the country and they want to vacate the main domestic airports and the unions are not happy. >> rules are meant to be broken. or at least that seems to be the message from argentina's government to chilly airlines which has until friday to vacate the hanger at this airport. and the contract expires in 20 years. >> these are investors who put money in the country and we want the government to inspect them who provide 3,000 jobs and respect contracts and end the harassment. >> reporter: pilots, flight attendants and ground staff were joined by the largest air transport unions to protest the government's decision which land says will prevent it from flying domestically. the union of airport technicians

said the government has until thursday to change its mind. >> otherwise we are going to stop servicing the whole country, to all airlines that operate in argentina. >> reporter: the government controlled airport authority which declined to speak to al jazeera said in a statement the measures are justified for reasons of, quote, national interest. this in the face of widespread charges that the move would favor argentina's depositionly indebted state arline. at the expense of the main competitor. last year's snap decision to seize control of the assets of the spanish oil company raised serious questions about argentina's investment environment. the conflict is not only sending another worry some signal to foreign investors in the country. it has spilled over on to the diplomatic front, turning into an all out rooil between

argentina and the outraged neighbor chilly. >> reporter: both countries met last friday in snatagio saying land is discriminated and at a time when neighbors are accusing it of violating its trade agreements. while the latest measure may aim to favor the state airline, it could well provoke enough turbulence to stop argentina's air traffic altogether. al jazeera buenos ares. ash from a wildfire in the u.s. state of california tainted drinking water in san francisco main reservoir. they are trying to send clean water towards other reservoirs near the city. firefighters are making progress in containing the huge blaze which swept into yosemite national park. nearly 7,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in brazil after heavy rains flooded

several towns and it happened in the southern state of rio grande de soul and one is missing. snow and rain have fallen on the desert. for the first time in 30 years. it's one of the driest regions on earth. but now there are mudslides and traffic chaos. in liberia not one of the tests who sat for the state university has passed. the president recently acknowledged the education system is a message needed to be improved but student representatives are blaming the university for the situation and say part of the problem lies with the examiners, all 25,000 papers were marked by just two people. students in the u.s. city of chicago have serious problems as a new term begins. 50 schools closed because of budget cuts and that left

thousands of children with longer and more dangerous walks to class. and john has the story. >> reporter: it looks like a scene out of a war movie. security guards escorting children to school. but this is chicago. this is the norm and violence is a big, big problem in chicago unlike other cities across the united states. >> reporter: they are often drug dealing gangs and the victims innocent bystanders and 15 were gun down in the out break of deadly shootings in the streets this weekend including a 11-year-old girl who would have started school on monday. >> something needs to be done because they don't have any respect for the kids or other adults now. so i don't know what the solution is but they need to come up with one. >>. police and firefighters now line the roads in a city wide show of force. the windy city is on high alert after the closing of 50 schools in the third largest education system and some children start the session with longer walks

through gang territory. the heightened security before and after school is part of a new safe passage program chicago tested on monday. >> it's necessary because neighborhoods are bad. >> reporter: a week before schools opened five people were gunned down in front of this church right on one of chicago's safe passage routes. for a city with 500 murders last year more than new york with 3 times chicago's population, all the high-profile security is an international embarrassment. but according to former gang members safe passage might work >> children have to go to school and our own children so it will work. >> reporter: and the people on the streets who have got problems or shooting at each other, they will respect that. >> yes they will. >> optimists view one that will be tested daily as the school year wears on. john with al jazeera chicago. >> reporter: there is a new weapon in the fight against mosquitos in the united states, drones are tested in florida to

find pools of water where they may breed and cameras attached to an and manned mini flyer called maverick and they spread diseases like the west time in the u.s. you can keep up to date with the news on our website, al jazeera.com.