the u.n. envoy to syria is in damascus meeting government officials, expressing alarm over the use of barrel becomes on the town of zabudani hello, i'm martine dennis. you're with al jazeera live from doha. also to come - u.s. defense secretary ash carter arrives in baghdad on an unannounced visit and we meet one of the survivors on the attack of a turkish border town that killed more than 30 people. anger and beijing after myanmar

hands out long sentences to more than 150 citizens for illegal logging. >> i'm andrew simmonds at the home of barack obama's grandmother, and she's been telling me about his first presidential visit to kenya first, u.s. defense secretary ash carter made an unannounced trip to iraq, meeting u.s. commanders and the prime minister. m imran khan has more from baghdad. >> it's been a bloody week. i.s.i.l. taking responsibility for several car bomb attacks.

the defense secretary will beet with haider al-abadi and senior generals, but not leaders of the popular mobilization forces and shia militias. one of the things they'll discuss with the prime minister and senior generals is the delivery of the f-16 aircraft that the iraqis are using to great effect. i have four of the f-16s making a total consign. . of 36. it may be a schedule for the rest of these to be discussed, looking at regional powers. the one thing that will not be discussed is syria, there's a lot of people that have begun to criticise the u.s.-led iraq first strategy. saying that iraq has been put under too much pressure when it comes to dealing with i.s.i.l. without a political or military solution i.s.i.l. will use the safe havens that they have to mount attacks and the strategy

means that iraq is under a tremendous amount of pressure. >> the u.n. envoy to syria will meet the government in the capital damascus. wednesday, deep concern was voiced over the plight of civilians. government air strikes caused widespread death and destruction. the town which is close to the lebanese border, has been subjected to several barrel bomb attacks this week. >> the situation in syria is spilling across the border into turkey. the outlawed kurdistan workers party claimed responsibility for killing two turkish police men. the p.k.k. claims they had cooperated with i.s.i.l. in an attack that killed 37 on monday. we met one of the victims. >> slumped over and seemingly crushed by survivor's guilt. this man is in deep unrelenting pain. >> i left them there.

i left my brothers there. how could i have done that. they felt far closer to each other than most cousins. as members. turkish federation of socialist youth associations they plan to cross into kobane syria, and help the fellow kurds rebuild a devastated city. on monday as the group held its precedent. things were going well at first. ismail grew tired of holding up the beener under the hot sun. in this video you see him move away. then the blast. [ explosion ] >> translation: if i had been patient, he says if i had waited just four more seconds, i would be with my brothers now. like many other members of the kurdish population they are pointing the finger of blame to

turkey's government. he is offended by how officials handled the aftermath of the blast, telling me the army arrived before the ambulance. after an explosion, do you send an ambulance or an armoured vehicle. anger and anxiety appear to be on the rise. some say the attack underscores how much of a threat i.s.i.l. has begun, and highlights the volatile relationship between turkey's government and its turkish population. here at the crossing on the border with syria the threat of infiltration of i.s.i.l. members cannot beoverstated. turkey sent military forces. many say the measures are not enough. tensions have risen since it was announced that the outlawed kurdistan party was behind the killing of two turkish police officers whom they accuse of collaborating with i.s.i.l. >> ismail believes kurds will

continue to be targeted. there's a lack of security here. i.s.i.l. is everywhere uphere have any of i.s.i.l.'s members been arrested. ismail lost the use of his legs in a car accident nine years ago. the wounds from this is worse. >> ecologically in my heart i was injured. i feel like this arm is gone, and this arm is gone. this was my arms and legs, my comrades, my brothers. >> now. the war has hit moment. and is conflict pails in comparison to the turmoil he burundi's opposition called to yemen, and pro-government forces say that they have pushed houthi fighters from the last remaining strongholds in the southern city of aden. fighters loyal to the president

in exile, abd-rabbu mansour hadi recaptured the palace. victoria gatenby reports. >> reporter: pro-government forces celebrate victory at the presidential palace in aiden. they are allied with the government fighting for almost 4 months to drive out the houthi rebels. >> translation: we entered and thank god we are here. now we are clearing out to other areas in the airport. now we are standing at the presidential palace. >> reporter: there's not much left of the presidential ball as. it's been badly damaged. forces loyal to exiled president are soaking in the victory. they are confident they will be repeated in other cities. >> translation: we will liberate all areas of yemen, we will not stop until we liberate other

areas, we will not stop. >> the yemeni government success in recapturing aden led to the reopening of the airport. a plane carrying supplies was the first to land. aid agencies started to deliver food water and medicine to millions of yemenis. >> reaching it by road but reaching it by sea is a break through. >> the vessel was carrying food, enough for 180,000 people for a month. >> the houthis control the capital sanaa and proved a resilient enemy despite months of air strikes. the collaboration between fighters in aden and the saudi coalition lead to defeat in the southern port city. it's the first in a series of victories, leading him to gaining control of the country

israeli forces shot dead a 52-year-old palestinian man in the occupied west bang as they tried to arrest his son. it happened in hebron. he was shot several times in the chest as he tried to help his son, who was shot in the leg well there has been weeks of violence in the occupied palestinian territories as israel carries out arrest operations. wednesday a man was shot dead during a rain on houses near janine. last month soldiers killed a palestinian who opened fire at troops at a checkpoint. israeli soldiers killed 16 palestinians in the occupied west bank since the beginning of the year for the first time in a year israel is expected to approve an additional 906 housing units in existing illegal settlements, the slow down had been attributed by some israeli

officials to u.s. pressure. but any announcement would come just days after a visit by the u.s. defense secretary iran's president hassan rouhani has been defending the nuclear agreement with world powers on state tv. he tells conservatives who oppose the deal that iranians sought policies of moderations and an end to sanctions. he said a new page in the nation's history was opened when iranians voted for him as president in 2013. while top republicans in the united states say president obama has a lot to do to convince them that the deal with iran is a good one. they say they are campaigning for votes to veto the deal in congress. >> secretary of state john kerry has been holding closed door talks to persuade legislators not to fight it. >> we are very much looking forward to answering any and every question that the members of the house have and later the

members of the senate. we are convinced that the agreement that we have arrived at with world powers is an agreement that will prevent iran from the potential of securing a nuclear weapon, and make the region, friends and allies safer, making the world safer, and are convinced that the absence. more from our correspondent rosalind jordan. >> reporter: u.s. secretary of state john kerry is one of three obama administration officials to brief members of congress behind closed doors on wednesday. he the energy secretary and another talked to legislators about a deal to make iran give up nuclear weapons ambitions. some members that came out to speak. said in between the sessions

that they had skepticism that the plan would work and were hoping that the president and his team would make a stronger argument to make the deal go through, not just through congress on the international stage as well as john kerry was talking in washington d.c., thousands gathered in new york in times square for a stop iran rally. the crowd demanded that congress vetoed the deal. kristen saloomey was there. >> reporter: the crowd was large, speakers many and the message was clear. >> we are here as americans to speak with one voice to stay stop iran now, reject this deal and let's speak loud enough that they hear us in washington right now. >> the stop iran rally was billed as bipartisan interfaith and grassroots but organised by the jewish rapid response

coalition, consisting of dozens of jewish and pro-israel groups. some launched ad campaigns against the deal. >> concessions go too far. >> we must make sure that the security of israel never depend on the outcome of an american election. israel must always be a bipartisan issue. its support and its defense must join democrats and republicans, liberals and conservatives. >> a few dissenters were escorted out after waving flags in support of the deal. the overwhelming sentiment is that the republic could not be trusted. >> this crowd wants congress to reject the iran-nuclear deal and return to sanctions in the hope of getting more sanctions in iran. >> organizers say there should be no limit.

killing the deal would likely bring an end for any expectations. >> the elimination of the sanctions will guarantee a war, and the need to take out the sites. >> in the week president obama accused critics of rehashing past failed policies. >> some politicians and pundits that are quick to reject the possibility of a diplomatic solution to the nuclear programme, are the same folks that are quick to go to the war in iraq. >> reporter: neither side is backing down from their interpretation of what the iran deal will deliver. protesting miners in bolivia stormed a ministry building in la paz demanding more government support. 44 people were arrested. a police officer was injured. the miners are demanding more hospitals, roads and an airport

in their region in the south-west of the country almost 300 firefighters are battling a fast-moving wildfire in california forcing many to leave. the fire was sparked by a vehicle crash on a nearby highway. so far it's burnt 1,000 acres. officials are urging videos or hikers nearby to stay away from the popular camping area still to come on al jazeera - russians scientists say world war ii survivors could offer clues as to how some can withstand starvation better than others. plus... [ singing ] cash for company, why online chat rooms are big business in china.

>> "inside story" takes you beyond the headlines, beyond the quick cuts, beyond the sound bites. we're giving you a deeper dive into the stories that are making our world what it is. >> ray suarez hosts "inside story". only on al jazeera america.

hello again, let's look at the top stories in al jazeera. i.s.i.l. claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in the iraqi capital killing 20 people. 17 others were killed in other attacks on wednesday that targeted markets in shia neighbourhoods. meanwhile, the u.s. defense secretary has arrived in baghdad. the u.n. envoy to syria is meeting the syrian government in damascus. wednesday, there was concerns voiced after several government attacks this week pro-government forces in

yemen say the push to move houthi fighters after their last strongholds in aden. fighters recaptured the presidential palace. >> burundi's potential called on the president to hold talks about a unity government after this week's controversial election. opponents accused pierre nkurunziza of violating the constitution by seeking a third term in office. pierre nkurunziza's spokesman said the president will not oppose a national unity government. earlier numbers suggest voter turn out was 74% despite the threat of violence. results are expected thursday the u.s. e.u., and african union said that they will not recognise the result well haru mutasa is our correspondent in the burundian capital and has been speaking to

the leading opposition figure and asked about a proposed power-sharing deal. >> it was an interesting discussion. he didn't seem confident about the government of national unity. he said it was a proposal put on the table. we doesn't trust them to keep their word. i asked if the opposition was behind it. he said that the problem the country has is that the opposition is splintered and weak. his concern is one party will say yes, another cold. he's not confident it will hurt. a lot of concerns on the take. he said if it works, there's no way he'll grow to a 5-year proposal. a lot of things are up in the air right now.

>> the u.n.'s aid chief warn that millions are at risk of starvation. hunger levels are rising. nearly 70% of the population will run out of food. hundreds of thousands of people live in refugee camps because of fighting. the conflict began in december 2013 soon after the president fired his deputy at least 30 people have been killed in three bomb attacks in in north-eastern nigeria. one of the attackers is believed to be a female suicide bomber. last week 50 were killed in the same city, in twin bomb ecks by boko haram fighters. the greeks parliament passed legislation paving the way for bailout talks with creditors to begin on friday. the bill was backed by 230 out of 300 m.p.s. most of the opposition backed

the proposal while 61 m.p.s from mainly the ruling syriza party voted against it. the bill includes civil justice reforms, bank government schemes and making sure they have enough cash. greek m.p.s explain why they supported the vote. >> we want greece to remain in euro and europe. we do the best of all this for how long we don't care. we support thx. >> we don't feel well. we have to think of the country's fewer, future generations and greece within europe and the eurozone some people may be better able to withstand starvation than others. scientists in russia say researching a gene that we carry

could help to fight metabolic disorders. hey has more. >> they tried to build a lifetime together. >> this couple are haunted by childhood memories. >> translation: there were mountains of dead bodies. at night they carried them away. >> the couple were lucky to make it. their city was cut off from the outside world. for some of that time and against the bitterness of winter, residents consumed less than 200 calories a day. >> our jewish neighbour taught us to watch this. she sliced it added it providing a home. we looked and compared.

surviving was a test. some want to know how they did it. scientists looking at blood stamps on those that lived here during the siege found some differences. scientists say we all have a gene, these survivors had the abbive gene. researchers hope by better understanding the genetic make up we'll learn with nom are more prone to metabolic disorders. >> disa-lowes science to work on prolonging human life, before confirming that calorie

restriction helps expand life. calorie restriction is a mechanism in prolonging life. >> all the data from the survivors will go into a new biobank. researchers believe it will help to personalise medicine and maintain a link between the past. in this city of survival and reinvention a russian rocket success successfully docked with the international space station. it took three new astronauts or cosmonauts from russia japan to join those there. this is the first time it had a full crew. china expressed concern before more than 150 citizens were given long gaol innocences for illegal logging in myanmar. they were arrested in an area

bordering china. a court sentenced loggers to life in prison expected to be around 20 years. china gained access to the raw material. >> translation: this will destroy the environment and we'll lose many forests from what we see from people that we lose. we have decided it. >> translation: if they are not satisfied with the decision, i can appeal to the union court. >> japan released aerial photos from chinese construction in disputed waters of the east china sea. this could be an escalation in the row between the two countries. tokyo demanded beijing stop building oil and gas rigs in the area. china described japan's claims as misleading and malicious online chat rooms have become a becoming business in

china, with millions of users willing to quay for conversation. from the eastern city scott heidler explains what is behinds their success. >> like millions of cline he is. -- chinese, this man moved from the countryside to a city. he owns the working class restaurant. with long hours of a small business owner he became lonely, that was until me met a performer in a video chatroom. they'd been chatting for three years. >> we talk about each other's lives, even with about unhappy time, she tells me about her live, it's a way to let out emotions. 9158.com is t largest video chat room in china. it has 50 million users. >> this is a full-time performer.

she makes $40,000 a year. >> translation: in real life not too many pay passengers. -- pay attention to me. online i have so many friends. sometimes they say why so ugly. i try to be patient and friendly. >> this is how she and 40,000 other performers make money. the users buy a gift, ranging from $0.06 for a virtual rose all the way to $60 for a virtual cruise. the company tacts a percentages -- takes a percentage. the more they like her, the more they buy. the company insists that all the chatrooms are monitored. if a user and performer wants to meet offline, it's under control. and something that she wants to do. >> translation: i consider it a form of entertain: and i

-- entertainment, but also i consider her a good friend. i will try to find a girlfriend like her. >> the company calls each chatroom a family. and is developing off line connections for the family. linking them in karaoke. >> translation: it's a virtual chat room. if they feel anything, they can meet. >> he hopes to get the time to meet up soon. >> a type of friendship they hope will successfully transition from the virtual to the real world. he gets to meet his friend and the companies have more ways to make money now, indian and pakistani musicians have been sharing the stage in punjab state to promote

peace. mousse [ ♪♪ ] the idea was to might what is common between the two countries. the prime minister held talks, but there has been tension on the line of control that separates indian and pakistani administered kashmir. you're with al jazeera. >> checking [ ♪ music ♪ ] heroin - in the words of one addict. makes he who i wish i was. heroin - makes life worth living. but the addict admits it's incredibly easy to build up tolerance to the drug and to slip into addiction. despite all that heroin use in