a little more information is coming in, we'll check in with zeina khodr. zeina khodr, bring us up to date with anything more you know, and anything you are hearing from sources inside syria. >> well, the syrian observatory for human rights - they have a network of activists on the ground. according to them the air strikes targeted i.s.i.l. positions in the province of raqqa. the capital raqqa province as well as azor, a province close to the border. we are getting reports from this monitoring group, that these air strikes targeted the al nusra. syria's al qaeda branch. again, this information from the observatory for human rights. no confirmation yet. the observatory group told us.

a number of i.s.i.l. fighters have been killed. this is the beginning, this is not an easy fight. they target headquarters, as far as we know, i.s.i.l. fighters have now moved and are within the local population. they control cities and towns. this will be a difficult fight, you'll need ground forces. who does the united states have as an ally on the ground. the other force is al nusra, and they are considered al qaeda's branch in syria. >> this is a difficult fight. >> stay with me, i want to give a little more information to the viewers, the pentagon saying u.s. fighter jets hitting on monday. raqqa is where they hit. a strong hold. it was the have of their operations. i should mention the yellow

areas are the areas that i.s.i.l. has taken control of in syria and iraq. border areas were hit. buildings, checkpoints and weapons stores. the aaron penny said this, rear admiral john kirkby, confirming with these words: zeina khodr, the rear admiral referred to partner nation forces much this is key, that arab nations are participating. to what level we are not sure. but they are involved in this. >> well, arab nations give this some sort of a legitimacy in the eyes of arabs. it is not a war waged by the

united states against and in particular the sunnis. at the end of the day i.s.i.l. is a sunni force, and was able to set up base and get recruits because of the grievances of the sunni population in iraq and syria. first of all, it's an important political cover giving them legitimacy. as for partners on the ground, in iraq, the united states can work with kurdish forces, work with the iraqi army on the ground. there were air strikes, they carry out air strikes. we were there. they carry out the air strikes, and the local forces push i.s.i.l. fighters back. in syria, who are the fighters on the ground. the free syrian army exists only in name, and who does the united states consider to be a moderate force. so they are talking about last week, about arming and training a syrian rebel force. how long will that take. on the ground i have two major

opposition forces in syria, i.s.i.l. and nusra. both are not partners of the united states. who can forget the bashar al-assad government. the united states does not consider the government legitimate, does not want to work or coordinate or want the air strikes to help the bashar al-assad government stay in power. has the government responded at all to news of the air strikes? >> well, yes, the syrian foreign ministry issues a statement saying that the envoy of the united nations was actually informed by the united states that they were to be carried out. we have no official confirmition from washington. the syrian government and the state media showing that the air strikes were carried out after it gave its approval. at the end of the day washington made clear that it does not want to coordinate with the damascus

government even though there are reports that there's some sort of coordination since the sunni and iraqi government enjoyed both sides and the u.s. is working with the iraqi government. it's a complicated situation. this is just the beginning. >> it's a complicated web. thank you for that. zeina khodr with a background on that. we have another map to show you. i want to show you what i.s.i.l. controls. it's the parts marked in yellon on the map, where i.s.i.l. has a significant presence. it controls a third of syria and iraq from east of aleppo through to raqqa hit in the strikes. reaching from the border into iraq. down to the second biggest launch that i.s.i.l. have through the north of iraq. moving on. a video showing a hostage taken

is genuine. a group claiming allegiance to i.s.i.l. captured the frenchman in the mountains. he calls on the french president francis hollande not to intervene in iraq. french citizens would be targeted. france says it is taking the threats seriously. >> reporter: the foreign ministry issued a statement confirming sadly the authenticity of the video of airman taken hostage. the threats from the group are serious, and testimony of cruelty of this movement we call diash known as the islamic state and all that support it. a few hours ago i spoke with the foreign minister. everything is being done in close cooperation with the algerian authorities. we must not hide the fact that this situation is extremely

critical. >> a reminder that al jazeera continues to demand the release of its journalists imprisoned in egypt. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have been detained for 269 days falsely accused of aiding the outlawed muslim brotherhood. peter greste and mohamed fadel fahmy received seven year sentences. mohammed got an additional three for having a spent bullet in his pocket. the three are appealing their convictions. the u.k.'s foreign secretary phillip hammond spoke to al jazeera about our detained colleagues. >> on the question of the al jazeera journalists, i raised the issue with president abdul fatah al-sisi, every time i see the foreign minister. the counter situation is that the journalists have, as i understand it, appealed their convictions. and that means this remains at

the present time a judicial process. we have to respect the separation of judicial power. once it is complete, if the sentences stand, we would look to the executive to intervene to ensure they are released. the world health organisation says the west africa ebola outbreak could infect 20,000 by november. that is unless rigorous control measures are implemented. a country that limited the outbreak is nigeria. schools are opening in nigeria. >> reporter: students at this secondary school spent the morning sweeping and cleaning classrooms, a first day of school tradition in nigeria. children in most parts of the country returned to classrooms after debate on how to keep them safe in crowded conditions from

the threat of the ebola virus. this nurse showed the school's government-provided antiseptic gel and rubber gloves. with 1300 students, she says she'll need more. >> for now, this is not enough. >> government education officials say teachers have been given ebola prevention training and supplies. >> the government provided materials, such as the temperature machine, cleaning materials like sanitizers and others. >> none of those were to be found at this primary school outside the capital abuja. >> the dilapidated classrooms remain empty. the nigeria teacher's union says members will not work at schools that don't have sanitizers. >> everyone is afraid of ebola.

>> what we want is protective matters. to check temperatures, and sanitizer, running water, hand glove and the rest. >> reporter: this school doesn't have any, so school is out. the government insists all schools will be supplied and reopened as soon as possible. until then, students like 18-year-old remain anxious. >> are you worried about your examinations. i'm worried about examinations. i'm not worried about so many things. >> u.n. statistics show the education system has a long way to go. >> before ebola, nigeria struggled to educate children. 25% of boys and young men between the age of 15 and 24 cannot read or write. for young women and girls.

the figure is 42%. 9 million nigerian kids never go to school at all. >> more ahead - we look at a 40-year-old crime to find out why two doctors and a midwife go on trial in argentina.

for the first time welcome to our special coverage. u.s. air strikes in syria on i.s.i.l. targets. four arab countries are welcome welcome welcome back. a chinese court has imposed sentence on a weeing you are

school or. adrian brown is here to talk about the trial. how outspoken was he? >> well, he was pretty outspoken, but he was considered by many to be a moderate sort of mediator, someone that could have acted as a mediator between the government and the groups that want independence for zinc significanting -- xinjiang. we have to see the sentence in context. he was arrested in beijing, 2,500km from here. the reason, i guess, is the government wants to limit international attention, foreign journalists and diplomats barred from the trial. we have been detained twice today by the police, and that gives you a sense of how sensitive this case is. now, as to your first question, he is an democratic and economics professor, and someone

that has had strong views about the state of his former region, but a man who tried to build trust and understanding between the han chinese community, and the ethnic uighur community, he says he has never advocated separatism, which is what he's charged with, convicted of, and says that he's always wanted this autonomous region of china to remain part of the china. human rights groups say his conviction sent out an unambiguous message, and it's this: moderate voices are not immune from the crackdown against religious extremism in china, during the past nine months, 300 people have been killed in attacks that the government blamed on ethnic minority groups.

hundreds have been rounded up. many executed and given life sentences. >> adrian brown live for us with the latest on that life sentence. thank you. >> the self-proclaimed people's republic in eastern ukraine is trying to shake off depends with keef. the pro-russian separatists want to strike a deal with moscow to supply them with gas. as explained, that will not be easy. >> reporter: sergay and his men have important work to do. the pipeline has been peppered by shell fire. >> translation: there's a lot of work. the shelling can be terrifying. sometimes, after finishing a job, other areas within the district are destroyed over height. >> reporter: if they fix the pipes, gas may soon run out.

russia cut off supplies to ukraine in june. separatist leaders have a plan to keep their part of ukraine cosy. >> translation: it is technically feasible. if we make an agreement, we will receive gas. >> reporter: it's not that stimp. separatists held towns in d donet donetsk. that is why the separatists rent the ceasefire wanting control of the region, gas is part of the problem. engineers are working hard to coop it running. >> there is coal storage, we were preparing for the winter, we have enough fuel for the month of operations. they say it can run on gas and heavy oil. at the moment there's little

guarantee of supply. >> the economy in donetsk region is virtually suspended. the power station is operating one turbine at 15% of its ordinary capacity. there's a fuel shortage, it runs on coal. it can't provide the power to the coal mines to produce more fuel. >> reporter: for lack of power, many coal mines like this are flooded inside with groundwater. this engineer told me it will take two months to pump the shafts dry. sergay and his team are busy. with the economy at a standstill thousands are on unpaid leave. there'll be plenty to worry about for the self-declared republics this winter. >> two doctors and a midwife in argentina have gone on trial for kidnapping babies born 14 years

ago. it stems from the dirty wore when newborn babies were snatched from their mother. daniel schweimler has this report. >> reporter: this was the moment surviving victims and families of the murdered waited 30 years for. some of the commanders and medical staff of the military hospital on trial for some of the worst crimes committed during what became known as argentina's dirty war. this was a midwife accused of assisting at the birth of nine babies to mothers in captivity, they were given up for adoption, identities covered up, the mothers killed or disappeared. this man was one of those babies. only discovering his true identity four years ago. >> translation: it was where i was born, where my mother disappeared. i'm part of this and i want to

see their faces. >> he was the 101st stolen grandchild stolen. the searches were carried out by the grandmothers, saying there are hundreds of stolen grandchildren out there. >> the wheels of justice are moving, but very slowly in the courthouse. more than 30 years after the end of the dictatorship in argentina, some of those guilty of one of the darkst periods history may end behind bars. the victims families and accused are frail and elderly. many died. the campaign for justice in argentina is as strong today as ever. >> translation: what has taken so long? we have never given up. 40 years after the crimes were committed. >> translation: we never lose

hope. we know the military have a pact of silence, we hope the midwife will reveal something. >> the military were in power from '76 to 1983. when tens of thousands were kidnapped, tortured and killed. surviving perpetrators were brought to justice. many questions were unanswered and wounds unhealed. we are going to get an update on the situation in pakistan. recent flooding brought death to various parts of the country. we'll go and talk to nicole johnson at a camp where people have lost their homes. tell us what it is like there. >> well, the situation here is better than it has been north of here. initially authorities were expecting a disaster. the floodwaters moved so cloly and in punjab province they

breached major dyke areas, dispersing the water, flooding villages further north. by the time the floods reached here the tide of water lost two-thirds of its volume and the ind ris river has not been able to cope with it. fortunately there's not been a major disaster, the floodwaters are petering out. having said that, as you see behind me, many people have lost their homes, hundreds of villages, but not on a scale we see further north. i can see tents goodnight you and wondering what people have got, what they are supplied with. >> what we see here is an improvement from punjab province. seems the authorities had more time to plan, perhaps they were better prepared. tents seem well organised. there's solar electricity,

toilets, clean water, people have enough food. also the authorities have not had as pane people to deal with as was the case in the north. there the floodwaters were more sudden. here people say the conditions were not bad. having said that they have been here for 10 days and wanted to get back to homs and villages. villages and farms are built in the river area. they are living in the river. where they are most of the time it's dry, but any time there's a big flood, these are the people who are first affected. their houses and homes immediately go under water. it's a difficult situation for them, we say why do you live there, you don't own the land, it's the worst place to be in a flood. they say they have nowhere else to go. there's nowhere else the authorities can put them. that's where they live in the river ryan area. they say that they welcome a

flood every few years because it brings silt, good quality soil to increase the trulentivity of the props, and even though they have to go back and rebuild from scratch, they know from the next few years they should have good yields and good crops in return. nicole johnson with the latest from the floods in pakistan. >> the people that brought us into the age of fossil fuels are saying they are moving their money into renewable energy. the rockefeller family promised to divest their investments. they are meeting in new york. >> we embrace the irony that our wealth was made through oil, we think it puts us under greater moral obligation to be using that wealth through our

philanthropic means, personal, and profession means. >> a day after the world's largest change christopher gibson rally in new york, the protesters are back. this time they have gone nearby wall street rallying against corporate polluters. the largest gathering of world leaders onclimate change begins on tuesday in new york. rockets taking off for space will require special facilities on earth. an airport in texas has been signalled out as the new frontier for civilian space travel. heidi zhou-castro reports from midland texas. >> from the sky midland's airport is no more remarkable than its ranking, the 128th busiest. on the ground, it's number one in a new era of air travel.

>> i'm in what has been named the midland international airport and spaceport. it's incredible that aviation has gone from that to propelling people in space. midland is the first primary commercial airport to receive approval to offer space flights to the public. why here? >> the land surrounding the airport is sparsely populated. the air space is clear. existing runways are long enough to handle a vehicle that will take a passenger 62 miles up. steeper, steeper. it will cost $1,000. it will be run by andrew nelson. >> it will be a test have and

corporate headquarters. >> the company is building a hangar. soon it will house the links rocket plane in development. >> the left side is the pilot astronaut. and this side is the flight participant. >> it will be no bigger than a jet, talking off horizontally from the same run way, but with a key difference. >> this goes faster than the others. >> how fast? >> this flies to mok 3.5, 1,000 meters per second. >> what is na in miles per hour? >> it's a whole lot. about 3,400. >> literally faster than a speeding bullet. enough force to get passengers past the edge of space to experience weightlessness before coming back to earth. nelson says in this development stage, more than 300 people have signed up. there are focus that dreamed about this and used their

savings. people who at a young age were excited by the apollo programme or star trek. >> it's unbelievable to see the earth. you know, like astronauts see the earth, and see how significant and small we are compared to the universe. >> in the midland terminal we found plenty of interest. >> i want to go see. i'm 48 years old. i'm ready to do something exciting. >> something exciting and new in west texas, now the new frontier between earth and space. and that is the news to this hour. the major headline today is that the united states and arab partner states launched air and missile strikes on areas of syria. comprehensive coverage of that from around the region right here on al jazeera america in a

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only on al jazeera america for the first time welcome to our special coverage. u.s. air strikes in syria on i.s.i.l. targets. four arab countries are participating in the air strikes. also - air strikes are backed up by tomahawk cruise missiles and we'll hear from a former general on what they can do. bashar al-assad rij eem says it was not formed that i.s.i.l. targets would be hit. we have a report on kurdish