nato confirms columns of russian tanks, artillery and troops have entered ukraine. ♪ i'm sami zeidan in doha. also ahead, more tension in the west bank. palestinians accuse israeli settlers of setting fire to a mosque. the world's two biggest polluters agree to cut greenhouse gas emissions. but will they be able to fulfill their promise? the regional crisis that is

overshadowing what should be myanmar's triumph. i'm reporting on the rohingya boat people tragedy. ♪ now russia's defense minister is denies reports its troops have crossed the border into eastern ukraine. nato says it has seen columns of russian military equipment entering the country over the past two days. the organization for security and cooperation in europe said on tuesday it saw a convoy of 43 unmarked military trucks as well as heavy artillery heading to donetsk. >> reporter: nato is saying that they are seeing pretty much what the osc has been reporting that some columns of russian military

has entered into east ukraine. they are not sure of the numbers, but they say they have seen them come into this area. we ourselves witnessed a military column traveling to donetsk yesterday just as we were on our way to the crash site. there is certainly a build-up, a daily, almost, sighting of much military equipment here, and the fight ing has been intensifying. throughout the morning there has been large shelling rounds going around. we can hear it in the center pretty clearly. >> what is the ukrainian government saying about this? >> well, the ukrainian defense ministry has announced it is going to prop up its military in order to defend against possible rebel advancement across ukrainian territory. we know that the rebels have said they might be taking the

city of mariupol. they say they need it to send coal from this region to crimea. so the situation remains very tense and everyone is on the ready. >> thanks for that update. to the occupied west bank now, where palestinians are occurring israeli settlers of setting fire to a mosque. it's the latest in inteasing tension between the israelis and palestinians. >> reporter: this mosque wasn't just a place of worship it was the focal point for a community. it serviced around a thousand families, and now it is mostly just ash. let's take a look at what happened here in this mosque after what investigators are describing as an arson attack

carried out by israeli settlers. you can see holy books have busht. you can see windows blown out and this is just ash. it really underscores the tensions we have been seeing not only here, but also in occupied east jerusalem and parts of israel. many people fear what we're seeing here is now tit-for-tat violence. now we're seeing israelis settlers targeting palestinians in the house of worship which is now all but ash. in the background it would appear the israeli authorities are trying to take some steps towards trying to calm tensions. just today an israeli border guard implicated in the death of a palestinian around six months ago was taken into custody, but again, many people seeing that as not enough, and many

palestinians feeling that they are being oppressed and attacked. palestinian president has accused hamas of trying to sabotage efforts for palestinian unity. he is blaming the group for a series of bombing targeting leaders of his fattah party. he made the accusation during a speech. but he stopped short of calling for a formal break with hamas. >> translator: who committed this crime? the leadership of the hamas. and it's responsible. i don't want any investigation by them. these actions delay rebuilding. it delays moving a hundred thousand people back into their homes before winter. >> a hamas spokesman responded by accusing the president of being divisive. >> translator: it's a partisan and despicable speech that did not carry any good intentions

neither toward hamas nor towards the people of gaza. the leaders of the u.s. and china have struck an agreement on climate change in beijing. the world's two biggest polluters have agreed to reduce their carbon emissions. in 2013 china produced 29% of the world's carbon dioxide. together the two countries produced almost half of the world's carbon emissions. the question now is whether these other countries might be pressured to follow the u.s. and china's lead. adrian brown reports from beijing. >> reporter: china's go engineered clear skies for this week's apac summit. on wednesday president's barack obama and the chinese president,

agreed to measures that might one day ensure those blue skies. after a welcoming ceremony for mr. obama a deal was confirmed that would cut both country's greenhouse gas emissions by close to a third over the next 20 years. >> i commend the president, his team, and the chinese government for the commitment they are making to slow, peak, and then reversus the course of carbon emissions. >> reporter: it was he said an historical agreement. the united states has committed to cut its emissions by between 26 to 28%, by 2025. china didn't set a specific target, but says it emissions will peak by 2030. significant, because it's the first time china has ever made such a promise. the hope this deal will

encourage other nations to take action before a global agreement is signed in paris next year. >> translator: we have announced our target for climate change for the two countries after 2020. we agree that we should promote further talks in the 2015 conferen conferen conference in paris. >> reporter: nothing appears to have been off limits during obama's visit. politing restating their positions on growing military positions, human rights, as well as calls for democracy in hong kong. >> i described why it is so important for us to speak up for the freedoms that we believe are universal. rights we believe are the birthright of all men and women wherever they live, whether it is in new york, paris, or hong kong. >> translator: both president obama and i believe when china

and the united states work together, we can become the balance of the world's stability and the propeller for the world peace. >> reporter: domestic politics could still derail obama's pledge. dealing with china's leader possibly easier with a kong now controlled by the republicans. another day of violence across iraq. five policemen have been killed in a suicide attack. a car bomber blew up a check point outside of the headquarters injured nine people. six soldiers have been killed in a bombing, the army backed by shia forces launched an offensive to retake a bam from isil fighters near the city. they say 14 isil fighters were killed and several vehicles destroyed. on the syria now where three civilians have been killed by

shelling by isil fighters. several others were injured in the attack. kurdish forces have been struggling to defend the town. seven people have been killed in government air strikes targeting isil positions in the city of the self declared capitol in syria of the islamic state of iraq and the levant. five people from the same family were killed in the strikes. syrian rebels are warning they could lose their main strong hold year the capitol of damascus. government forces are making gains and cut off supply roads. it is affecting hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped inside. >> reporter: these people are appealing for help from the international community, the syrian government has closed the last supply road into rebel-controlled eastern area. the syrian regime is starving our children, they say. like some other suburbs around the capitol damascus it has been

under siege for more than a year. >> translator: it's a disaster zone. we are calling on the syrian government who are supposed to rep -- represent the people to save us. >> reporter: they have also been under constant fire. in recent weeks the government has stepped up its bombing campaign. people here say they no longer have the medical supplies to treat the wounded or those who are sick. residents have been finding what wood they can to keep warm. shops are closed because they have nothing to sell. >> translator: you can notice the children that are mall nourishes. we survived the siege for a long time. sometimes by eating grass, but now the alarm bells have started to ring. >> reporter: it is considered a vital gateway for rebel forces wanting to advance on damascus.

>> translator: they tried to enter from the only humanitarian corridor. this is a message from them. they want to starve people, so they surrender. >> reporter: for the opposition, the government tactics are not new. starve the people to put pressure on the rebels, but the fighters remain determined. they say they won't compromise, because it would end the rebellion north of the capitol. seven suspected al-qaeda fighters have been killed by a u.s. drone strike in southern yemen. yemen's military has accused fighters of planning an attack in the area, and dozen of shia houthi rebels have reportedly been killed in two attacks, one by armed tribesmen, and the other by al-qaeda fighters. at least 13 people have been killed in two car bombings in eastern libya. 10 were killed and 15 wounded when a car blew up in the current home of the

internationally recognized parliament. three policemen were killed in another car bombing near an air base in the city. still to come on al jazeera, health scandal in india, more women die after botched sterilization surgy. plus we'll join a volunteer burial team in liberia. ♪

♪ welcome back. let's recap the headlines now. russia's defense minister is denying reports his troops have

crossed the border into eastern ukraine. nato says it has seen columns of russian military equipment entering the country over the past two days. palestinian security officials have accused israeli settlers of setting fire to a mosque in the occupied west bank. china and the u.s. have agreed to drastically reduce their carbon emissions after 2020. it is hoped it will inject momentum into global climate talks due to start in three weeks. myanmar in the diplomatic spotlight over the next few days as it hosts a summit of asian nations. but there are concerns that

recent reforms in myanmar may will slipping. flaersd russia and china are also expected to attend. together they are expected to finalize details of cross border trade and travel by next year. attention will also focus on myanmar's questionable human rights record. >> reporter: expectations are high here as international leaders meet with the leadersover the southeast asian nations as myanmar steps into the diplomatic spotlight to host such a big summit as this. one of the top things on the agenda here, the maritime disputes between china and several of the neighborhood states. now we saw a more conciliatory tone when the u.s. president met with the chinese leader earlier in beijing he has called on his

allies to basically cooperate with china on all matters to improve the regional peace and stability. this will mean a lot to nations like the philippines who have been counting on u.s. support. the philippines is claiming a portion of the area as its own in conflict, of course, with china and other countries in the area, such as vietnam and malaysia. the philippines has taken the case to the u.n. and international tribunal. china saying that was an unnecessary move. now with this call by the u.s. leader for all nations to sit down and find a way to cooperate, the philippines say that is a positive development, but does not impact the call for international arbitration. everybody here is saying they are looking a way to move forward peacefully and stabilize the country to economic

development can be even more improved as it comes into 2015 which is a time when they are looking to stand together as an integrated economic hold. pressure is growing on myanmar to protect the minority musl muslim rohingya. veronica sent this report from thailand. >> reporter: one by one they line up to be counted. about 250 rohingya men, women, and children at a thailand district office that has become a temporary shelter. they are fleeing in unprecedented numbers from persecution so extreme that some experts, including a former u.n. special envoy for human rights say it may amount to genocide. >> translator: life was hard and cruel. i want to have a better life. that is why i fled. but i still have no hope. i have nowhere to go. >> reporter: this is the boat

that was ferrying them from a bigger ship where close to a thousand people took their chances to get away. it's difficult to imagine, but as many as 300 people were crammed into this small space when thai authorities caught up with this boat. many of them have horrific stories to tell. >> translato she speaks to her father in malaysia for the first time since her family's ordeal began. they desperately don't want to be sent back to myanmar. now the government here is to decide their future. thailand doesn't recognize any refugees even rohingya despite the ukraine prosecution they face in myanmar. many more thousands are expected to flee in the future, feeding the ruthless trafficking of humans. >> translator: we have to crack

down on the criminal syndicates that are behind human trafficking. we're working with the police, investigators and prosecutors on this issue. >> reporter: in the past month alone as many as 16,000 or around 1% of the total population of rohingya in myanmar have fled. a leaked document causing international outrage outlines the government's plans to segregate the rohingya in camps where they will be held indefinitely. rohingya like these face a stark choice, suffer from what human rights watch call segregation at home, or escape with the help of criminals. thailand and other nations are having to face the consequences. protesters have taken to any streets of india following the deaths of several women after

botched serialization surgery. the surgeries were performed over the weekend in government health camps. some reports suggest that [ inaudible ] instruments were used during the operations. faiz jamil has more. >> reporter: this is the state government hospital where several patients from two other sterilization camps have been brought to. relatives have been coming in and out all day. and some say the women have been experiencing vomiting and fever for several days. state health officials say this is a rare case of any death let alone critical illness happening and all of the procedures are done by professional doctors. but a activist says the sterilization camps are very unhygenic, the same instrument

being used on several patients and she also says that doctors try to rush through the procedure to meet targeted numbers. and the fact that so many deaths happened at one time is the only reason attention is being brought at this time. a former serbian leader accused of crimes against humanity has arrived in belgrade. he has been in custody in the hague for more than ten years. he is being released temporarily for cancer treatment. al jazeera continues to demand the immediate release of its journalists who have now been detained in egypt for 319 days. peter greste, mohammed fahmy,

and baher mohamed are accused of helping the outlaws muslim brotherhood, a charge they deny. they are appealing their prison sentences. a third person has dieded of ebola in mali. mali has become the sixth west africa country to report ebola when a 2-year-old girled in november. the world health organization says not enough resources are being into the safe disposal of bodies. al jazeera joined the burial team in liberia. >> reporter: a group prayer before they begin another difficult day. this red cross burial team has been called to a house in the outskirts of the city. the body of a young man, called robert has been left in an

outhouse. >> this is not just any kind of dead body. this is an infectious disease. those taking the bodies, we are also very concerned about them, if you don't follow the protocol properly, you yourself can be infected and a victim of the disease. >> reporter: around 500 burial teams are needed to bring the epidemic under control, says the w.h.o. many doing the dangerous job are volunteers. by the end of the day, the burial team's truck is full. the bodies are taken to a crematorium and disposed of without ceremony. it's another front line in the fight against the virus. this woman has recovered from ebola. she now works as a volunteer helping to care for the sick. >> ebola if you have it, you

feel like -- it's a sickness [ inaudible ] because it have [ inaudible ] from head to toes. you can even see the [ inaudible ]. it just come and come. >> reporter: so far more than 300 health works in liberia have caught the virus. >> health workers [ inaudible ] stop. for what? for money. >> reporter: in one of monrovia's most densely populated areas, is man is hiding on a roof top. neighbors say they suspect he had ebola. >> all of the people saying if this man [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: the man agrees to come with health workers to the

hospital. there are signs the number of new cases of ebola in liberia might be going down, but experts say it's just too early to say whether progress has been made or if the worst is still to come. the world parks congress is underway in australia. the biggest meeting for those responsible for looking after places of natural importance. while an interactive map is being launched. it shows what is beneath the water in sydney harbor for example. andrew thomas has been given an exclusive preview. >> reporter: it looks like the opening scene of a james bond film. but these aren't guns, they are sophisticated cameras. >> on oning end there are three cameras, which are perfectly synchronized to take images

every three seconds. >> reporter: the scooters can travel two kilometers on each dive and take a thousand pan raf mix pictures in 15 minutes. they have surveyed 700 kilometers of the world's corral reefs. but this survey is capturing the underwater world in the middle of australia's biggest city. it is mapping sydney harbor. back on land the images are stitched together. the same twofold. first to provide a record of the current state of the underwater world. this will provide scientists with a baseline with which to compare the state of reefs and fish in years to come. but second is to create an open-access way for anyone to see and via the computer move through pictures of what is below the surface of the sea. >> the ultimate ambition is to create a global record that

engages people with these environments and allows scientists to put the policies in place, or help put the policies in place that will ensure they are protected in the long term. >> the surveyors are teamed with google to tie their record into its street-view technology. >> using a computer or phone to go on a vertal journey, ended when you landed. but now i can use these to go under there. you can click around sea horses, off of shelley beach, a blue grouper. near at beach, a gray nurse shark. and off of the town, schools of yellow tail. the response of this project is an insurance company that associates it's a with technology that looks at change and risk. the aim is for this to become an

extensive navigatable map, but it could become an historical record of what was once beneath the wave. if you want to keep up to date on all of these stories we're following, head over to aljazeera.com. >> the need is massive. the purpose noble. after the widespread problems were there, there is a new manager in charge who is promising change. fixing the veteran's administration is the inside story. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher. it is no stretch to say that the department of veteran's ir