>> pakistan allowing cameras inside the school where taliban fighters killed 132 children. >> taliban gunman attack a bank in southern afghanistan, 11 dead. >> a symbolic vote in the european parliament recognizing the palestinian state in principle. >> instability in the russian economy, trying to change rubles for foreign money.

>> there have been mourning across pakistan for the victims of the attack on the school. cameras were allowed inside to show the aftermath. 142 people were killed tuesday. 132 of them were students. pakistani taliban said it was behind the attack in retribution it claimed for the army campaign targeting pakistani taliban in north waziristan. we have been given access to the school. this is what we saw. >> the perpetrators of the attack used this wall and ladder to climb over it. after that, they had a free run going towards the auditorium where all the students had gathered. the blood is still on the ground, still fresh, and of

course so is the memory. that is what is left of the principal's room. she was the last one to be discovered dead and burned here in this particular room. this is where the suicide bomber detonated his device. this administrative building became a last ref final for some of the students who escaped the carnage inside the auditorium, but this is where the heaviest fighting took place. this is where it ended. as you can see, it is a telltale sign of destruction. the shrapnel, ball bearings, the bullets that peppered the walls, and all the administrative paperwork of the school is on the ground mixed with blood and human remains. it appears that the perpetrators knew exactly what they were going for, because the minute they crossed that wall, it was just less than a few seconds' run to the main auditorium where

the maximum number of students were present. the students reeledding that they were in trouble tried to escape through the exit and entry doors, however, they were blocked by the gunman and that is where the maximum number of students were killed. according to the military, more than 100 people that were killed yesterday were in this room alone, and you can still see the telltale signs of the carnage. >> there's been a gunfire between taliban fighters and afghan security forces, 13 killed including six attackers, four members of the afghan military and three civilians. we are in kabul. >> the target of that taliban attack, the kabul bank, the bank that pays the salaries of the police, the army and government workers here. eyewitnesses say that the bank was full of government workers

collecting their pay when it was attacked. security guards at the bank say the attack happened very quickly and that fire fights with afghan special forces and the afghan army went on for several hours as they tried to dislodge fighters from the bank, a three story building. this is the latest in a series of taliban attacks, both here in the afghan capital and across afghanistan. this is just two weeks before nato's official combat mission ends. for the last few months, nato forces have been drawing from around the country, they left he willman province in october, so no nato forces down there. the afghan security forces very much on their own, without the support they used to get for logistickical support, and air support. it is just two weeks before nato forces completely pull out, a small force will remain, about

13,000 nato soldiers will remain to train and assess afghan security forces, but the new president afghani recognizes that the biggest challenge for his new government is keeping the people of afghanistan safe. >> the european parliament adopted a resolution supporting palestinian statehood in principle. the home of the european parliament is in france. >> the vote was a clear majority for the resolution, calling for recognition of palestinian statehood, but of course, that was conditional recognition. what some people on the left in the european parliament wanted was simple recognition of palestinian statehood, but in the end, there was a compromise text, which said that they supported palestinian state hood and a two state solution, which

should go hand-in-hand with the development of peace talks, of negotiations between israel and palestinians. basically, answering the concerns of some on the center right that in fact any simple call for recognition as many national parliaments have done, that would have appear happens removed an incentive for the palestinians to get serious about returning to the negotiating tail. on the other side, on the center left, some voices had said that the time was right to try to put pressure on israel to move back towards direct negotiations, particularly with the increase in violence in the region over the last few months. in all, i think many people here are trying to see this as the european union reentering the arena. it remains to be seen exactly

how active the european union can be, as well as the united states, of course, and all of the action happening at the u.n. in new york, but certainly here in strasburg, most are happy with the way things went wednesday. >> the european courts lower house requested that the armed palestinian group hamas be removed from an e.u. list of terrorist organizations. secretary general of the palestinian national initiative gave his reaction: >> the united states itself not only holds hamas as a terrorist organization, but the p.l.o., as well. the p.l.o., including the palestinian authority, and that requires from the palestinian leadership and all palestinians to demand also changes in the united states. in reality, what you see today, this whole political struggle is a reflection of the fact that the negotiations have failed, that the american side, the united states cannot continue to monopolize the so-called you

peace process which proves to be useless and that israel cannot be allowed to have more time to continue its plans of settlement building and changing facts on the ground. all of this is a reflection of the fact that we need an alternative strategy. >> the iraq military has begun arming more than 1,000 fighters in anbar province to help in the war against isil. activists uploaded these images of the aftermath of recent fighting with isil close to anbar province. sunni fighters are being given medium and light weapons after training. >> japanese can be net agreed to send soldiers to train soldiers in iraq. personnel will not be engaging in combat.

the decision comes months after the chancellor angela merkel said her government would not be sending soldiers to iraq. >> these are some serious allegations against british forces of multiple homicide, murder, torture and mutilation of wimp they have now been exonerated. the judge concluded that the vast majority of allegations were wholly and entirely without merit and many the product of deliberate and calculated lies. those findings were reiterated by the minister of defense and parliament using stern words for the lawyer, saying they had wasted the time of the soldiers and saddled the british taxpayer

with a bill of $47 million for this inquiry. he said those areas would be investigated for breaches of professional standards. as for accusations detainees were abused, some were instances found of mistreatment, deprived of food, sleep and of site by being forced to wear blackout goggles during detention periods. he's made recommendations to the ministry of defense. >> the russian prime minister has assured ministers and industry leaders that the country has enough resource to say come through the economic crisis its facing, despite the ruble's plunge in value. it's still falling despite the central bank's attempts to prop it up by selling dollars on the foreign exchange market. western sanctions over the crisis in ukraine and falling oil prices have hit the ruble

hard. there could be more government intervention. >> doesn't seem to be working, and everyone is waiting until tomorrow's press conference by the president, by president putin, who has been silent so far and hasn't spoken once, just as the ruble continues to drop and the expectations for the russian economy of very grim. nobody knows what the president is going to say. it looks like time has come for the president to make a choice, either for more economic rationty or crack down, wimp is also possible for an even more harder involvement of the government in the economy. both options, in fact, are not ruled out, and it remains to be seen whether the president will indeed opt change the head of his cabinet and proceed to change his policy in ukraine, there are improving his

relations. >> we report on migrants hoping to get into britain, but unlikely to be able to do so. >> take him out. >> you want us to kill the leader of north korea? >> yes. >> whaaaat? >> this movie is not going to be screened by most theaters in the united states. stay with us, if you can.

>> three days of mourning are underway in tack stonn after the

taliban attack on the school in the taliban said this was retribution for the army campaign targeting them in the north waziristan region of the country. >> 13 died, six attackers, members of the afghan military and three civilians. >> the european parliament adopted a resolution supporting palestinian statehood in principle. >> the european court's lower house requested that hamas be removed from an e.u. list of terrorist organizations. >> we've been taking a look at all sides of the attack on the school in pakistan.

word leaders have been expressing shock and outrage and we've listened to what they have to say. >> as pakistan buries its children, the international reaction to the attack has been united. strong condemnation. >> the perpetrators must be brought to justice, and we pledge our full support to the people of pakistan in this difficult hour. we will help them in anyway that we possibly can. >> i condemn this heinous act in the strongest possible terms. no cause can justify such brutality. >> world leaders appeared he shocked by the scale of the attack. >> it is a dark, dark day for humanity when something on this scale happens with no justification. >> children should be kept out of this. >> after consulting with the turkish president, they decided to stand a day of mourning to

stand in solidarity with the people of pakistan. >> to the noble pees prize laureate malala yousafzai, it was personal. she was shot in the head for demanding girls get an education. >> now is time wee unite. i call upon the community, all political parties and everyone that we should stand up together and fight against terrorism. >> the afar began taliban has said this attack is too much. >> the intentional killing of innocent people, children and women are against the basic of islam and this criteria has to be considered by every islamic party and government. >> however, all of these statements will not console the families, sending their children to school not knowing it would be the last time they would see

them alive. >> australia's prime minister said there be a review of events surrounding the hostage siege in sydney. we report from australia. >> the period of mourning and reflection is likely to go on for sometime in sydney, but increasingly, there is analysis about the events in the heart of the city has led to the deaths of two hostages, and what if anything can be done to prevent it happening again. there's been a notable increase in police presence not because of particular threat, but to reassure the public the streets are safe. >> there is certainly not intelligence to suggest there is going to be another incident, but we've seen the looks on the people at martin place and there is fear. the best way to ensure people that they are safe is to have a strong police presence. >> new footage of the scene has been released. the gunman can be seen and then

confirmation from a police sniper that there were casualties. >> in recent months, the government started tightening anti terror laws designed to give greater powers to security agencies, and at a similar time, police launched several raised on suspected terrorists. >> the increased focus on the possibility of terrorist attacks came in september, as australia confirmed its participation and coalition strikes against isil fighters in iraq. leaders of the group have called for attacks on several western nations, including australia. >> criminologist vince hurley is a former negotiator with the new south wales police and said there is no need for an increase in concern about terrorism. >> it wasn't a hard target, it wasn't the upper house, it wasn't the bridge, it was a

cafe, so i don't think that it was a terrorist related incident at all. >> many details would emerge about the siege and whether any further change to security laws will be made because of it. al jazeera, sydney. >> cuba has released a u.s. government contractor five years after he was jailed on the island. he was arrested in 2009 for smuggling in band communications equipment to cuba. an official said he was freed on humanitarian grounds at the request of the u.s. his family reported earlier this year that the 66-year-old's health was worsening. >> african leaders are calling on western countries to intervene in libya, warning violence could destabilize neighboring nations. there has been chaos in the last months in libya, rival governments competing for power as fighters from have launched

an offensive to seize major oil facilities in the east of the country. fighting's forced two terminals to be shot down. >> one of the reasons behind a flood of migrants across the mediterranean moving to france and hoping to make it to britain in search of a better life. for thousands, the port is the end of the road. >> the port of calais, the closest french town to england. the iconic white cliffs of dover are visible. for the migrants held up, that is their destination. as their numbers grow, tensions between them and the town's residents increase. a member of the local counsel owns a bar not far from a

migrant makeshift camp. >> business has gone down, people are suffering. they are desired come to this neighborhood especially after the problems in the summer with the migrants fighting on the streets. >> the people of calais are uncomfortable, the migrants in the town have doubled as new conflicts in africa and the middle east send them into europe criminal activities rising with complaints rising 10 fold since 2013. a police officer says it's only a small number of the migrants who are involved in such activities. >> the police load has tremendously increased. investigating these incidents takes a lot of our time and there aren't enough of us to deal with the work load. >> not everyone dislikes the

migrants. maya is part of a group of volunteers hoping to assist the migrants with food and clothes. >> just for you! >> if you get to know them, you realize they are not scary, they are veer nice people, of course, you know, very nice and not so very nice in every slice of a population. people from calais included. >> the migrants also have their own tales, stories of horror not lost in the battle to survive. they complain of police violence and lack of human rights. he had five stitches on his head after police hit him with batons. this violence does little to detour the migrants. they believe a better life awaits them across the channel.

it's a hope fueled by desperation. al jazeera, calais, france. >> it's three years since the death of kim jong-il and the official mourning period is coming to an end, making way for his successor, kim jong-un to further consolidate his power. all this ties into a movie about a fictional tale of an attempt to kill kim jong-un. it won't premier in new york because of threats by the same group which hacked into sony super at the same time's database, the producers of the movie. we have more. >> every night, millions of people watch our show. i just want to cover actual news. >> th "the interview" was suppod to be sony's blockbuster, instead has caused cyber attacks. >> if that ain't a real story, what is? >> three weeks after the release

of sony employees' social security numbers, salaries and emails, the hacker group claiming responsibility has released more stolen internal files in what it is calling a christmas gift, but now something more ominous, a threat against movie goers. someone post add warning of an attack on people who go to see "the interview," a comedy depicting the fictional assassination attempt on the leader of north korea. >> take him out. >> you want us to kill the leader of north korea? >> yes. >> whaaat? >> a file reads in part: >> sony has not responded for our request for comment. some sony executives were concerned "the interview" could in flame north korea. seth rogen said he has no

regrets about making the movie and it was never meant to be verse. he has canceled at least one publicity appearance. industry insiders say sony is unlikely to pull the movie out of theaters entirely. >> maybe they will do something completely different, release i did on netflix, amazon and live stream. they do have the option to take control away from people threatening our safety and put it out for the american public to enjoy the movie in a safe way. >> the f.b.i. said it is aware of the threat against movie goers and is continuing to investigate the hack, while a department of homeland security official tells al jazeera: >> this is no credible intelligence indicate an active blot within movie theaters within the united states.

even if movie goers are not at risk, for sony picture, this may be not be the worst to come. >> has malware has the capability to wife drives clean, not just disrupt operations, but it can actually destroy data. north korea has most likely the capability to do that, but whether or not this particular hack was by the north korean government is still an open question. >> "the interview" is supposed to open in theaters on christmas day. >> the second part of our series on u.s. retirees spending their later years abroad for a simpler less expensive life. we have a report. >> you see them strolling on the streets, shopping in the markets, walking their dogs, even offering free hugs to

random strangers. at times, it seems american retirees have overrun the ecuadorian city, lured here by the city's reputation for being one of the best applies to retire in the world. >> david moved from florida. he and his wife now sell real estate to expats. >> business, they say couldn't be better. a furnished fully serviced three bedroom flat goes for $900 a month. smaller amounts can be had for about $300. real estate opportunities that might seem unreachable back home abound. bob and his wife bought the centuries old home of a former archbishop and remodeled it into a bed and previous. it offers ease of life and a sense of excitement. >> just a new adventure, wanted

to do it before we got so old we were in walkers and wheelchairs and oxygen. >> it is that sense of adventure driving many to move to ecuador, a country that is light years away from the united states culturally but offers enough stability to keep it within a certain comfort zone. >> that and access to the benefits the government offers senior citizens, discounts on drugs, health care, transportation, low cost of living. one man's heaven can be another's hell. the local chamber of commerce is working to ensure the in flux of cash heavy americans doesn't drive prices up too much, making life unafford only for locals. >> we need to make sure costs remain accessible for everyone. we want it to be a city for everyone, citizens and foreigners alike. >> there's a whole big word out there and if you can explore it and enjoy some of it, you should.

>> when coupled with a sense of adventure, it can make for a pretty good retirement. al jazeera, ecuador. >> al jazeera.com for all the news in the background. >> the russian ruble is tanking and western sanctions over ukraine. later the cost of flying. how come it has not dropped with the price of oil? that's inside story. >> hello, i'm ray suarez.