al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula says it was responsible for the attack of the offices of charlie hebdo last week which left 12 people dead. ♪ hello, i'm jane dunton in doha. these are the top stories. one week after the attack in france a special edition of charlie hebdo sold out within minutes of hitting the news stands. the u.n. special envoy to libya hosts talks in geneva that aim to bring peace to the country. plus the battle against blight in detroit, while the

u.s. city's recovery still has a long way to go. ♪ the yemen branch of al-qaeda says it was behind last week's attack against the offices of charlie hebdo in paris. the group praised the attackers who killed 12 people calling it an act of vengeance in response to the cartoons of the prophet muhammad. it says the attack was ordered by al-qaeda chief. we are joined from the yemenny city. what has the response been to this claim? >> reporter: well jane the claim is quite strong to be very frank, and the guy who has made that recording he is considered

one of the leading members of al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula. we have got some information now about him. he has very strong links with the wider al-qaeda. he was very close to osama bin laden. osama bin laden apparently ordered him on a number of assignments in the philippines, and he was always sent to afghanistan as well as bosnia. and i think the reason behind al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula putting him to make that claim is to make the connection between the paris attacks and al-qaeda and i think it's to put it back on the spot light. now there hasn't been an official reaction after the claim was published on -- loaded on the internet. but howevers before that claim was made the president said that yemen has been under an unfair immediate wra campaign a

campaign he described as politicizing. he said that one of the kouachi brothers was indeed imprisoned in france for two years, so why would the french authorities allow such a person to travel and go to yemen. >> what does this say about the aqap and their reach and the effect of the drone strikes in yemen? >> reporter: well i think the -- the drone strikes intensified in the recent years. however, they have managed to kill a number of leading figures within al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula, but it's clear that it is not effective in ending the threat of the group. now the u.n. diplomats as well as western diplomats says the

al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula as very powerful. they carried out other attacks after 2009. so the group remains very powerful jane, and i think the strikes hasn't ended their intent to carry out huge -- large-scale attacks. but now this attack if it's confirmed 100%, then definitely it is putting the wider al-qaeda under the spotlight. >> let's hear about this there a consulted fellow. he says the armed group could just be looking to capitalize on the attack by claiming responsibility. >> it wouldn't have taken this long to organize this particular attack. this is one of the reasons why i'm skeptical. i'm also skeptical, because these two brothers were

certainly in touch with their coconspirator ameddy who then claims he has dedicated his actions to the islamic state. islamic state and al-qaeda are rivals. they are at war. and what we see from this statement is that they are dedicating this attack to amen al-zahili. and it's because he has been irrelevant that islamic state has declared himself caliphate. both want to claim responsibility for world events. >> a special edition of the satirical french weekly charlie hebdo has gone on sale.

it's the first publication of the newspaper from last week's attacks. barnaby phillip reports. >> reporter: they were queueing before dawn. and celebrating, if they managed to get their hands on a copy. >> translator: i'm so happy, i woke up super happy and went everywhere and they were all sold out. >> reporter: we're not showing the cover in case some viewers are offended. it shows the mm -- prophet muhammad but on the inside it mocks. vincent is part of the online organization. >> the majority of the demand comes from the north american and european regions.

we have asia as well. requests coming from india, and malaysia farther into australia, and maybe five or six coming from latin america. and those are mostly in argentina and brazil. here there is a substantial muslim population. and we have discovered a wide variety of reactions. >> translator: regarding the cover some muslims in france will take it differently. but in general we are not upset. what is important is that we condemn the attacks. >> translator: it's democracy, it's a bit up setting, but we have no choice. it's a newspaper in a democracy, we need to have it. >> reporter: but even in france there are limited to free speech. the comedian has been arrested after he wrote [ inaudible ] on facebook referring to one of the men in the attacks.

he and more than 50 others have been accused of condoning terrorism. by 10:00 in the morning, charlie hebdo has disappeared from the news standings across paris, sold out, the newspaper they tried to kill cannot print fast enough to meet demand. barnaby phillips al jazeera, paris. >> let's talk to jonah hull who is live for us in paris. it must have been a difficult task putting together this magazine. talk us through more of what is in it and what it says. >> reporter: yes, i imagine it was. i'm standing outside of the offices of one of the big national newspapers from where the editorial team put together this edition borrowing office space. we know what is on the cover is a cartoon of the prophet muhammad. inside 8 pages down from usual

16 is a showcase of the usual satire taking swipes across the borders a immoms and rabbis and even some sexual issues. it talks about the principle of freedom of speech and it says we cannot allow, but it should simply be yes. and the editor goes on to thank the millions around the world who have embraced that we are charlie tag line. but calls to the insinuation that charlie himself brought on these problems because it provokes islam. >> i guess it's how you balance

satire with news that's important. what has been said about all of that? >> reporter: well indeed that is likely to be a problem that will be around here in france for a good deal of time to come. the government has ordered a crackdown on hate speech anti-semitism, and glorifying terrorism. all of these exist on the statute books, and even while the prime minister has called for increased powers of surveillance over suspects it's sleer that the authorities are making maximum use of these powers. the comedian was arrested on wednesday. he has had brushes with the law before. and wrote on his face back page [ inaudible ] merging the tag line and the name of the killer at the jewish -- the kosher supermarket last friday ameddy

coulibaly. another man jailed for four years for allegedly praising last week's kills. so france is getting a taste very much now, just two days or so after millions gathered in defense of freedom of speech and with another cartoon of the prophet, and it's getting ta taste of what sort of speech is not acceptable. >> jonah hull. thank you. several of libya's warring factions appear to have agreed to talk to each other in what many say could be the last chance for talks. the talks are being hosted in geneva. the oil rich country has rival governments and parliaments as well as a number of armed militia fighting for territory. let's go live to zana hoda who

is in geneva. we have been listening to what he hopes to achieve. how difficult of a task is this going to be zana? >> reporter: well this is going to be a long and difficult process, but at the same time the united nations is attaching great importance to this meeting, saying time is running out. this could be the last chance for peace in libya, before the country desends into greater violence. so the u.n. attaching great importance. but who is attending? like you mentioned several of libya's factions are here. a key player the general national congress which is based in tripoli, they see themselves as legitimate rulers. they are not here. they have expressed concern, really about the mechanism and the framework of these talks, and they said that they would

meet again on sunday and decide whether or not to at-- attend. this question really was posed to the u.n. envoy, the very fact that the gnc is not here as well as armed groups. at the end of the day those who carry arms make decisions on the ground, and he said you know, we are here to talk. whoever doesn't want to come here means they are not interested in talking, and the only alternative is war, which will not be acceptable by the international community, so harsh words really there from the u.n. envoy, basically almost saying that this process is going to go on with those who want to be on board, and those who don't will be left out of the process. >> you were just highlighting how difficult it is considering how many different groups and weapons there are in the country, and the fact that many of these politicians, they say don't represent them. >> exactly.

you have two parliaments, two armies scores of militias on the ground. according to the united nations, the aim will be to create a national unity government that would be the starting point in the hope that it would reduce tensions. and this national unity government will take libya through the transition process and come up with coons coons -- constitution. they were saying representatives from municipalities are here. representatives from the third largest city and it holds a lot of influence in libya, because it makes up much of the libyan dawn forces. if they can bring them on board, that would be a positive sign. but the international community is trying to find an end to this crisis and left it up to the united nations. we have heard particularly european officials say time and

time again that libya is at our doorsteps and we are under threat. so the international community pushing this process forward it will not -- it will definitely not be easy especially since there is a regional dimension to this whole conflict. >> okay. we'll leave you to go back into the press conference. thank you. still ahead on al jazeera, the pope visits northern sri lanka urging forgiven for what he calls the evil done during the civil war. and al jazeera finds there are a number of problems with the registration process.

>> monday. the most secretive nation on earth. >> we're heading to the border between north and south korea. >> a rare glimpse inside. >> kim jong un sometimes does strange things, but he is smart. >> as tensions escalate, what will be the fallout? >> we're still at a state of war with north korea. >> we have to be ready to fight tonight. >> "faultlines". al jazeera america's hard-hitting. >> today they will be arrested. >> ground-breaking. >> they're firing canisters of gas at us. >> emmy award-winning, investigative series. new episode. "hidden state: inside north korea. monday 9:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

♪ the top stories on al jazeera. al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula says it is behind the attack on the offices of charlie hebdo in paris last week. the new edition of the french newspaper has sold out almost immediately after going on sale in paris. it's the first since the attack. the special edition is being distributed around the world in more than a dozen languages. talks to try to end the fighting in libya are being hosted by the u.n. in geneva but not all sides are participating at the moment. the oil-rich country has rival governments and parliaments as well as a number of armed militia fighting for territory. the u.n. is appealing for urgent help to deal with the cold spell that has swept across

the middle east. millions are struggling after leaving four neighboring countries. nicole johnston reports. >> reporter: it's freezing cold in aleppo and this man is desperately trying to keep warm. but without wood and fuel he can't, so he has no choice but to use whatever he can find. >> translator: we have no money. so we were forced to break our furniture for heating. we have no relatives here. they have all gone away. >> reporter: aleppo used to be a big city for business but all of that is buried under rebel. most of these neighborhoods have no electricity. the cost of diesel and gas has increased threefold. even if it is available people can't afford it. a few clinics look after the sick but they haven't got enough supplies to really

recover. >> translator: they die as a result of the cold. the direct cause was respiratory and cardiac arrest. >> reporter: tents aren't much of a shelter in these conditions. a dozen people have died from the cold including a baby. >> translator: the hospital in aleppo says there is an increase in respiratory and infection diseases. >> reporter: refugees living in champs in jordan and turkey and near in lebanon nine refugees have died. inside syria, there are 7 million people who are displaced. forced from their homes because of this non-stop fighting. opposition fighters say government forces are trying to take advantage of the bad

weather to gain ground. for the last few weeks, there's been heavy fighting in homs. rebels say 3,000 house were destroyed and whole familiar list buried in the rubble. a bitter wind whips through the streets of aleppo. it's a desolate place, cold and squalid. and there's likely many monks of winter and war left to endure. in sri lanka the 600 prisoners have been released to mark the pope's visit. he is visiting the north of the country, in a show of solidarity for those who suffered during the civil war. pope francis urges forgiven for what he calls the evil done during the conflict. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: more than half a million sri lankians joined in

prayer with pope francis. many camps overnight with extended families for what they described as the biggest day of their lives. teresa travelled to this capitol. >> translator: i have never had a chance like this and it's a privilege to be here. >> reporter: the mass also worshippers from further afield like this couple from india. for hundreds of thousands who attended mass here it was a chance of a lifetime to see the head of the catholic church and be blessed by him. pope francis is here. he worked to revise the church. choir sang hymns, while over 1,700 priests took part in the mass. the 78-year-old pontiff dubbed

this people's pope said reconciliation is important in a country struggling to come to terms with the end of almost 30 years of civil war. >> [ inaudible ] not discrimination hatred and violence, but in respect for the sacredness of life respect for the dignity and freedom of [ inaudible ] and robbing commitment to the wealth of all. >> reporter: catholics are a minority in sri lanka. they hope the goodwill created by the first papal visit here will help revive the faith. heavy flooding in malawi has killed 40 people and left many more homeless.

the president declared the country a disaster zone. the floods have damaged crops, washed away livestock and destroys roads and bridges. to nigeria's general elections, more than a quarter of the population are without their voter's card. that means that possibly millions may not be able to vote. >> reporter: confused and frustrated. this man registered as a voter four years ago, now with only a month to the elections, he is told he may not be able to vote in february. >> i actually went through the line and they said my details are not there. they were not captured. i asked him why? and he said he can't explain. >> reporter: there are hundreds

of thousands like him. even though who got their cards believe a lot needs to be done. >> you know, it's nothing good comes easy and due to the time shadow we see a lot of people coming to pick up their voter's cards, so i think it could be better. >> reporter: there are many problems with elections preparations most are related to voter registration. about 15 million voters are yet to receive their cards. there are expected to be a lot of first-time voters in the elections, but a lot of them may not get to do that. a lot of the people are displaced by boko haram violence sweeping the country, more than 1.5 million of them. but the opposition thinks the problems are deliberate. >> we are suspicious and this is a government you never can trust, because when they say one

thing, and they do the opposite of that because would the voter's card you cannot access voting. >> reporter: but the election commission dismisses the allegation saying even the displaced will get to vote. >> the idea of using the voter cards is to check [ inaudible ]. you know we are going to deploy [ inaudible ] in the 2015 general elections, so nobody against by not giving out the [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: but that still hasn't allayed the fears of potential voters like this one. the elections in february will be keenly contested, but in a situation where many people will not be able to cast a ballot, many will wonder if it will really count for much. in bangladesh a fire bomb thrown at a bus has killed four people including one child.

and 8,000 security guards have been deployed to stop anti-government protesters from derailing trains. it started eight days ago by the main opposition who are calling for the government to hold new multi-party elections. the russian space agency says the u.s. portion of the international space station may be leaking ammonia. six astronauts have had to lock up the iss, and return to that module as a safety precaution. the u.s. city of detroit has just emerged from bankruptcy leaders are boasting a city rebirth. but many residents say they feel forgotten. alan fisher reports. >> reporter: snow is a great leveller it makes everything look the same but it also hides many things. it is hard to tell the warm

comfortable homes from those who may never see another family through its dor -- doors. there is a feeling a suggestion that detroit is on its way back that people and businesses are being attracted to the city center but there is also a feeling and suggestion that those on the edge of the city are already being left behind. north end was once a thriving community, but those days are gone. now the streets are dotted with abandoned homes. shelley davis has lived here for 20 years and feels forgotten by the city. >> when i see something in front of me that is going to says ms. davis this is what we're going to do for your community, then i'll say, yes, it's getting better but until i see that and until i know that my neighborhood here can get her porch fixed so she can come up on her front steps, then i'll say, yeah it's getting better.

>> reporter: detroit ran into trouble when motor industry moved away around $20 million in debt the city filed for bankruptcy. the city and all of its neighborhoods have changed forever, one expert says. >> there are parts of the city that are never going to be the sort of neighborhood that the people who grew up there remember growing up in there. >> reporter: this woman runs an organization that buys run down homes, rebuilts them and sells them to families to renew neighborhoods. >> trickle down economics some say won't work for neighborhoods either. there has to be clear strategies

and a clear intent. >> reporter: north end remains a challenge for politicians, but also provides hope that it could renew from what it feels like a long winter. just remember you can check up on all of the stories that we have been broadcasting. log on to our website. ♪ >> after all this time the keystone xl pipeline does not run to the gulf of mexico, but the bill authorizing the project will run as far as the white house, where the president promises a veto. that's inside story. >> hello, i'm ray suarez. the keystone xl pipeli