the palestinian ambassador to the underhands over papers to join the international criminal court. ♪ hello, there, you are watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up a second cargo ship with hundreds of migrants on board is towed to italy after being abandoned by its crew. yazidis fighters attack an iraqi village trying to rescue women and girls kidnapped months ago by isil. cities across china start releasing real time air quality reading.

and why most types of cancer can be blamed on bad luck and not lifestyle. ♪ hello. the palestinian ambassador to the united nations has handed palestine's formal application for membership of the international criminal court to the u.n. the documents he gave to the office of the u.n. chief ban ki-moon was signed by abbas two days ago. he says the move will pave the way for the palestinians to pursue war crimes charges against israel. let's get more now from kristen saloomey at the united nations for us right now. christen that application has been submitted, what happens next? >> reporter: well we received a statement from the secretary general's spokesperson that says that the u.n. is now considering the appropriate next steps. typically, it takes 60 days once

an application is received for the court's jurisdiction to go into effect. but this case is anything but typical. we have the israelis arguing that the palestinians weren't even qualified to be members, because they are not an officially recognized state. that position is not shared by many here at the united nations. as the court has suggested they will accept palestinian membership. one of the things we heard from the ambassador is that the palestinians want the court's jurisdiction to be retroactive to the formation of the court, which would mean any incidents that happened even before the palestinians became members of the rome statute signed the treaty, joining the court, those incidents could also be considered by the court. in that is very much open to legal debate as to whether or not that will be appropriate. he also said he specifically

wanted the court to consider the issue of settlement building in the palestinian territories. israeli settlement building as a war crime or crime against humanity for the israelis. he also wants the court to consider the last incursion of israeli forces into gaza which happened over the summer killing about 2,000 civilians. these are the issues that the palestinians would like the court to take up but the court has to decide whether or not it wants to take up these issues and wlornth it feels it has jurisdiction over this issue. 06 days at least. and then it could be months if not years before the court even decides whether or not to take up the case. but this is what the ambassador had to say a short time ago. >> now this is a very significant step in which we will be going through it to seek

justice through a legal option. it is a peaceful option. it is a civilized option. it is an option that anyone who uphold the law should not be afraid of. >> as you say this could be a long time in the future but how does this immediately affect the situation on the ground in the area? >> reporter: well if you listen to the israelis and the united states, they are saying this was an awful move a unilateral move that is not going to help the situation on the ground in anyway. they think it will hurt the atmosphere from negotiations moving forward. the palestinians said they had to do this. they did it days after having a resolution rejected by the security council that would have laid out a time frame for peace negotiations for a two-state solution. so they say that all of those

negotiations can continue simultaneously, they are still open to pursuing another security council resolution promoting statehood here at the united nations. other groups have weighed in as to what this means practically on the ground. human rights watch says this is a good step because now both sides are on notice that any actions they take could result in prosecutions at the criminal court. that means the palestinians also could face charges if they fire rockets in to israel. so this group says this is a positive step. >> kristin at the u.n., many thanks. ♪ now a cargo ship carrying as many as 450 migrants is being towed to an italian port after being abandoned by its crew and left grifting in rough seas. it's the second-such incident

this week. official figures show that 176,462 undocumented migrants cross the mediterranean sea to italy last year. that's a huge rise on 2013 when about 60,000 people arrived. most came in fishing boats and dingies, but with the onset of winter traffickers appear to have switched to much bigger vessels. each migrants pays about $6,000 per person. simon mcgregor-wood reports. >> reporter: the italian coast guard boarded the ship overnight. the ship normally carries livestock. it was drifting miles off of the italian coast with around 450 migrants on board, many from syria, including women and children. one migrant used the ship's radio to tell coast guard there was no crew and no one steering

the ship. >> translator: certainly this is very dangerous, because it's like a bomb launched against the coastline. >> reporter: it has now been towed to an italian port. part of a european maritime force trying to deal with the increasing problem of migrant traffic. this is the second-such incident this week. on wednesday the blue sky m with 970 on board was brought into the port. most also came from syria, many suffering the efkts of hypothermia and frostbite. the use of much larger cargo vessels appears to be a new tactic by human traffickers. >> it is possible that they have discovered a new method of purchasing derelict or old crafts that are seaworthy for maybe one last voyage and then reporting that the crew has abandoned ship. they have also reported that there's violence on board and

they create a kind of emergency situation. that's what we hear. but it's too soon to judge how -- how much this is going to be the new tack nick. >> reporter: it's a new challenge for the thinly stretched agency charged with patrolling the boarders. the sheer scale of the problem is overwhelming. 170,000 migrants reached europe in 2014. so far 2015 promises even greater numbers. simon mcgregor-wood al jazeera. let's take you live now to lawrence lee in the southern italian region where the ship is expected to arrive in the next hour. lawrence what is the update on the ship? what is happening to the ship right now? >> reporter: well, it's being towed in as simon said by that icelandic ship. the reason why they have chosen this port which if you imagine the boot of italy at the bottom

there is an upturned u, where we are at the top of that upturned u, and they have chosen this because the ship has no power and can't steer itself. the seas are still rough, and they wanted to choose where for the ship to come that was flat and calm in order to dock it successfully. and that's they have chosen this remote commercial port. but outside of that everything -- insofar as it was a crisis for a while -- seems more or less to be under control now. we have just been talking to medics in the blue tents in the distance behind where they are preparing for these 450 or so refugees to come off of the ship, which will happen over there, and then they'll be walked down at the edge of the harbor there, and split into three groups. people who can carry on moderately hurt and anybody worse, and put in a variety of different places but the

doctors have been in touch with the coast guard and they don't appear to be expecting anything worse than you would sort of expect given -- given how many days at sea many of these people have been in a cattle ship. things like dehydration and the like. so it's not -- doesn't look like it's going to be a human tragedy, in the sense that fortunate nobody is going to die. they are all going to be put here safely and taken off somewhere where they can be taken someplace safe and warm. but it is more a question about what this means for the numbers of people coming into europe and parts of africa throughout this year, and the steps the traffickers are prepared to take. >> absolutely. the wreckage of a ferry that caught fire off of the coast of greece has finally been towed into the southern italian port. port authorities say they are

inspecting the craft to determine how many people were killed in the disaster. at least 11 are known to have died and 477 were rescued but around 98 people are still missing. iraqi government fors have retaken part of anbar province. rapid reaction troops and shia volunteers were backed by government jets as they regained the area. 100 isil fighters are reported to have been killed in the attack. peshmerga forces say they are investigating an attack by yazidis fighters on an arab town on the iraq syria border. it is believed they were looking by some of the women and girls abducted in august. but the peshmerga say they weren't told about plans to attack the town. >> reporter: when around 20

armed yazidis stormed this arab town on wednesday, it caused panic. several men were killed and women and girls were taken away. many escaped to surrounding towns for safety. but the raid has been condemned by high-ranking yazidis solders who say the attackers acted alone. >> translator: we found out three yazidis girls were abducted. and youth decides to storm the village and get the girls. condemn the attack. >> translator: they arrested my husband, the mayor of the village. we have done nothing wrong. >> reporter: it is believed it was an attempt to free yazidis women and girls abducted by isil forces. since august thousands have been taken from their home region. amnesty international says the girls some as young as ten have been raped, forced into sex

slavery, and used as a way to tempt fighters to the isil cause. >> reporter: but it was that assault on the yazidis community that prompted the u.s. and other allied forces to join the fight against isil in september. yazidis fighters have also since joined the battle. together they have pushed isil fighters out of one area. but this attack has exposed cracks in their joint campaign. >> translator: we will make sure we find out who the perpetrators are, and take them to the court, because we condom what they did. >> reporter: it has also exposed tensions between the ate nick groups in the region. arab towns say since isil was chased out, they have been under siege by the peshmerga forces. >> translator: the peshmerga is putting pressure on us and the entire area is under siege.

they have arrested our men without any reason. >> reporter: but in this case both peshmerga and yazidis commanders say they are against the attack. they realize to fight a foe like isil they need to act together. families of al jazeera journalists, peter greste and mohammed fahmy are calling on egypt's president to release by presidential decree. peter, mohammed and producer baher mohamed have now spent more than a year in prison. on thursday an appeals court in cairo ordered a retrial, which could begin within a month. still to come on the program, kenya's high court suspends eight onty terror measures signed into law by the president. and covering hatred with messages of leave.

how this swedish community responded to a mosque attack. ♪

primetime news. >> welcome to al jazeera america. >> stories that impact the world, affect the nation and touch your life. >> i'm back. i'm not going anywhere this time. >> only on al jazeera america. ♪ hello again, a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. the palestinian ambassador to the united nations has handed palestine's formal application for membership to the international criminal court to the u.n. a cargo ship with about 450 migrants on board is being towed to italy after the vessel was abandoned by its crew.

and 25 [ inaudible ] from iraq's yazidis group have attacked a town near the border with syria. kenya's high court has sus peckeded part of a security law, giving police sweeping powers to deal with what they call terrorism suspects. the legislation has been the subject of a heated debate. indeed causing a brawl in parliament last month, as our correspondent reports, this isn't the end of the argument. >> reporter: jamal says he plans to leave nairobi soon and take his son and daughter to one of the refugee camps near the kenyan border with somali. he feel the new security laws make him an easy target for police, because he is a refugee from somalia living in kenya. >> translator: we're afraid of these new laws. we can easily be arrested if

police suspect you are terrorists. if i'm arrested who will look after my children. >> reporter: the high court has suspended parts of the anti-terrorism law. the kenya government says it is not targeting any group, and that officials need more powers to fight what they call islamist fighters. the group al-shabab has claimed responsibility for most attacks in kenya. security officials expect some members of the group may be working in a neighbor. a number of people have been arrested for different reasons, some families feel the new security laws will make things worse for them. the security laws in their current form require journal isz obtain police permission before investigating or publishing

stories on domestic attacks and security issues and give security and intelligence agencies the right to detain suspects for up to a year. some peel this gives security forces too much power and violates constitutional rights in the name of fighting terror. >> the way the laws are being presented right now is an attempt to give authority the hand to decide when they feel somebody has infringed. and we're saying do not use any reason to deny people their fundamental rights. if there is a problem, people should be arraigned, but it should be done within the confines of the constitution. >> a three-judge bench will eventually hear the matter and decide whether the clauses do indeed violate human rights. there is still a chance the clauses may not have gone away. china is starting 2015 with

new laws to combat its notoriously bad air pollution. environmentalists aware quality in the capitol has reached the most dangerous levels recorded over the last months. >> reporter: it's rare that you get to see a clear blue sky in beijing. more often than not, the city is enveloped in smog. most people here start their day by checking the air quality index, a measurement of certain pollutants in the air. starting this year more than 330 cities across china will be required to release real time data on air quality. of course the public views these reader rather skeptically. most people prefer to rely on the readings taken by the u.s. embassy, and there's usually a

discrepancy between the two. the latest move to introduce real time readings on air quality is part of the leadership's attempt to show it is serious about transparent about tackling pollution. the new laws will allow courts to impose stiffer penalties and prosecutors the ability to bring criminal charges. a recent court decision fined companies a total of $26 million for polluting the environment. muslim groups in india have condemned a security exercise that feature terrorists dressed at muslims. the video was part of the preparations for an upcoming

security summit. the police have apologized. in sweden an arson attack on the mosque on new year's day has lead to hundreds of non-muslim swedes turning out in solidarity. it was the third such attack in a week and comes at a time of debate in the country. >> reporter: no sign remains of the arson attack on new years day at this mosque not far from stockholm. the message scrawled on the front door at 4:00 am that read go home muslim scum replaced now by hundreds messages of solidarity from non-muslims in the community. it was the third such attack in a week after more than a dozen last year. this one on christmas day in the southwest of sweden injured five muslim worshippers.

four days later, further south, another mosque targeted by suspected arsonists. here local support reflects a society shocked by signs of religious intolerance and intensified debate about impra grags. >> i don't know what to say. people are so rude these days. how can you do something like that i always consider like we not you, you, and you. it's just we you know. muslim, [ inaudible ], you are all from the same. >> everybody can believe in everything and anything. it doesn't matter where you come from or anything. we support religion, it doesn't matter. >> reporter: sweden takes in the largest number of refugees and asylum seekers per capita of any country in the european union, and that's a pretty popular thing with 60% approval according to a 2014 survey of government policy on immigration, but not everyone is

happy, the sweden democrats did pretty well in september's election. they want immigration cut by a full 90% and their support is growing. mosque authorities told us they were afraid that the relatively harmless attacks so far would get worse. >> translator: the members of the community are very sad, and at the same time were vorid, it's not only what has happened here, but all of the incidents in the whole country. >> reporter: the government says the attacks aren't eventtive of the country, instead they do represent, what is for the moment a very small minority. let's bring you some breaking news just reaching us now. u.s. president barack obama has ordered some new sanctions against north korea, following the cyber attack on sony pictures. let's go to tom akerman in washington, d.c. for us. president obama has promised a

response, and this is it i guess. >> yes, in the executive order, the government targets ten individuals who work for the north korean government or for entities associated with the north korean government and also specifically a government intelligence agency and a north korean arms dealer. and the white house officials say this is just the first part of the u.s. response to the sony incident. it's also the first time the u.s. has specifically retaliated officially for this and formally accused north korea of being behind the actual attack. of course north korea is already subject, not only to u.s. unilateral sanctions, but also sanctions that were authorized more than a year ago by the u.n. security council, but that was in reaction to its nuclear activities. so this is the first time that

we're talking about cyber attacks and cyber security. the question here now is whether the -- what kind of response the north koreans might engage in. there had been some statements from the north korean leader kim jong un, that he was seeking some kind of -- not to say [ inaudible ] but at least some kind of cooling of the tensions between the west and -- and -- and his country, but obviously that is not in the offering right now, and again, we're looking for what the white house says is not just this but subsequent actions, retaliation against the north koreans. >> tom thanks very much indeed. no doubt more on that later in the next coming hours. a new study has shown that some

cancer types can be caused by bad luck. ter rick bahsly has more details. >> reporter: as with all living things, our cells naturally divide and replace themselves with copies of the original cells. some tissue types divide more often, and sometimes the cells become cancerous. some tissue times are more likely to become cancerous, for example, breast cells, while other cells like those of our heart only become cancerous very rarely. so scientists looked at 31 different tissue types notably not breast or prostate cells due to a lack of data but what they found in 21 types was significant. cell division process is like roulette, the more frequently the tissue is developed, the more likely they were to develop cancer. what of the other nine types? these showed an unexpectedly

high rate of cancer. the result of environmental or inherited factors, these include lung cancer skin cancer. the researchers say what emerges is that you are reduce your risk of getting some cancers through lifestyle factors like not smoking or eating a healthy diet, but for other cancers it's a case of bad luck if and when they might occur. >> the speed of the replication has been linked with the probability of getting cancer. this does not negate the huge scientific evidence we have that linked environmental and lifestyle factors. we still have to put out smoking, avoid heavy drinking avoid obesity, and promote a healthy diet and lifestyle.

we can't change the biology, but we can change how it operates against the environment. and reminder you can always find out much more over on our website, the address for you is aljazeera.com. aljazeera.com. ♪ a show about innovations that can change lives. the science of fighting a humanity and we are doing it in a unique way. this is a show about science by scientists. let's check the team of hardcore nerds. specialising in ecology and revolution. tonight the green game. san francisco's new stadium has solar power, the g