syria's president admits his troops are tired after four years of war, but says defeat is not in his dictionary. >> hello there. i'm laura kyle in doha. the world news from al jazeera. also in the programme. >> and of course i'm the first kenyan american to be president of the united states. >> a national address from president obama as he ends his trip to his father's homeland. >> two soldiers killed as turkey launches air strikes. plus the struggle to weed out a

controversial chemical from the farming and gardening industry. syria's president says the army is struggle. the troops are tired and lacking manpower. the army must defy key regions, but he is not willing to accept defeat. >> translation: we do have knew recruits every day. the military is carrying out its mission. sometimes we are having to give

up hearse. it's been said that the leader is trying to appear in control. >> i think his army is overstretched. they are doing well. how they want to remain like damascus and other areas. it's that problem, i think. intervention in syria, after a while, that is them understand pressure, and they will not be able to defend themselves more. of course, there's iranian and hezbollah there. but i don't think it's the same. i think they'll be forced to negotiate. taking initiative in no-fly zone and buffer zone. i think he will come to

negotiation. he doesn't do well. as i mentioned. he lack man power affects them very much. and i think the only way to win is to go to the shore, the area. it affect them very much. it's difficult for them. fighting in several - i mean forces there. we cannot sustain that. they don't even do that. even we have this air power, in the area advantage. but that will not solve the problem. boots on the ground in this

area. two soldiers have been killed in a car bomb explosions. tischingy's armed forces launched air strikes against the p.k.k. in northern iraq. turkish fighter jets targeted i.s.i.l. in syria. the white house reaffirming that the white house urge restraint when it comes to the p.k.k. villages north of aleppo have been targeted. the border town was struck in northern iraq. air strikes hit the headquarters of the p.k.k. in the mountains. >> zeina khodr following event in south-eastern turkey. first of all, explain where you are, and the significance of that position. >> well, you just mentioned the syrian border town of jirablous.

it's a border town. it was a quiet border. it is. there is a fear that the situation would escalate now that turkey has declared war on i.s.i.l. we have to remember thursday i.s.i.l. gunmen opened fire on a turkish military outpost, and that is when turkey responded carrying out the first ever air strikes against i.s.i.l. positions in syria. people that lived in the towns in southern turkey are afraid. they are embracing for retaliatory attacks, worried that i.s.i.l. will respond in one way or the other. we have to remember that turkey didn't just declare war on i.s.i.l. - it declared wore... (no sound) we have lost zeina khodr. we have a package from her from southern turkey.

>> turkey is at war on two fronts, the jets hitting the target across the border in iraq and syria, a day after beginning an air campaign in i.s.i.l. and syria. jets began hitting p.k.k. or working party positoins. the pkk declared the already strained 2013 ceasefire dead. turkish officials are not faced, -- phased and r talking about a long-termed fight. >> reporter: whenever we see a decrease or the vanishing of the threat we'll make a re-assessment. the third wave operations are a part of this. >> this is a major shift in policy. >> for turkey, i.s.i.l. declared war on a cultural center in ser -- serug erks on monday, many believe the decision to fight against the armed group has a lot to do with the battlefield in northern syria. the government is concerned

about i.s.i.l. threatening syrian opposition groups in the stronghold in aleppo province, and is worried about what it sees as the growing strength of syria's kurds. syria's kurds, or ypp is linked. turkey says it would be a red line if kurds create a state in northern syria. officials and u.s. air strikes were helping the kurds gain ground from i.s.i.l. now those believe that a deal with the united states addresses turkey's concerns. >> translation: turkey doesn't want the y.p.p. to take more territory.

now the u.s. and turkey are working together to clear aleppo from i.s.i.l. it seems turkey is hoping for a safe zone inside syria will eurge. >> our aim is to get rid of the i.s.i.l. threat in syria and iraq. after that safe signs will be formed naturally. >> it may come at a price. a peace price seems to have ended and turkish police have conducted raids against hundreds of suspected p.k.k. and i.s.i.l. sympathizers. it seems the government believes there could be an attempt to destabilize turkey from within president obama call on turkey to confront regional threat and promote equality for women and girls. it's the first time the u.s.

president has been to the country. >> the corruption and cronyism and tribal. >> sometimes confronts young nations. what the stories tell us is an arc of progress from from engagement with the wider world, foreign rule, and speaks of incredible progress. the visit was viewed as a homecoming, catherine wambua-soi has been on the streets. >> reporter: thousands lined the streets, some from early in the morning to cut a glimpse. look at this. this is how it aim. they have flags. it's decorated. welcome to kenya.

people are excited. they are saying that president obama is a fan and they want to welcome him. they have been watching what he's been saying about corruption, which is endemic in the country, about good governance, and the presence is going to boost terrorism and trade between gen kenya and america still ahead... >> just like anyone else. it's among those in life. making it easier to own property. new reforms encouraging banks to lend more money. >> i'm rob mcbride in the rice paddies of hong kong with the townies being farmers for a day.

>> "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, top stories on al jazeera. syria is struggling to hold on to areas. they are tired. but pick their battle. they are not willing to accept defeat two soldiers have been killed in a car bomb. they have targeted the kurdistan workers party. p.k.k. in northern iraq. they targeted i.s.i.l. fighters in syria. and president obama head a national address to the people of kenya. it came on the last day of a

trip to the nation where meal be the first sitting president to agrees the nation. >> air attacks have been lunched at a military recruitment center. it followed bombings at a military camp. less than 11 hours since a ceasefire begins. let me remind you who is in control of what. the houthis are stronger than the north. a large part contest the by al qaeda. let me warn you that some may find the images disturbing. >> saudi-led coalitions are arriving in aden. after four months of fighting the airport is under the control of fighters. it's after taking this city from

the houthi rebels that a 5-day pause was announced, saying the truce comes at the request of president abd-rabbu mansour hadi. >> the goal of the new truce is to lift the siege and impose on cities and reach the areas with much-needed humanitarian aid. it's a much-needed move for the houthis. >> reporter: the houthis say the suede backed government is out of touch with reality on the ground and saudi strikes are killing civilians. houthi positions in tiaz, but the rebels say the residential area was hit. dozens were killed. houthi activists uploaded this video, that appears to show bodies of women and children. al jazeera cannot independently verify the pictures.

battles in tiaz means little aid made it through, and the humanitarian situation is worse. survivors are damaged or held by fighters. in western parts they have held off military advances. our goal is to liberate tiaz and help those displaced to go back to their home. we want to build a modern state for us and their children. back in aiden the destruction took months. journalists are trying to document the damage aid agencies welcomed the pause, but are calling for a lasting ceasefire to reach those that need aid. >> the situation is dire. we are talking about more than 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. health care water, food shelter and the rest. we need a resolution to this

conflict. which prevails, it will be left with a yemen that is tattered and exhausted a pro-houthi activist says the timing of the that's fire is significant. >> saudi, i think, will use the ceasefire to reposition droops and loyalists in aiden and will use it to bring more troops in the name of humanitarian aid. at the end of ramadan, there was a ceasefire that the we worked to have it. saudis abused it and used it to start operation in aden. the u.n. must be involved in a ceasefire. they must watch and bring aid and should be the one to coordinate the ceasefire in the the one side with aggression. they'll be studied by parties inside yemen because they want

the ceasefire to end the advantage of the saudi troops because all the parties in yemen, they welcome a ceasefire, but the saudi violated. >> at least 33 fighters from the combined iraqi forces have been killed during fighting in ramadi. it is part of the anbar offensive to retake ramadi and fallujah. >> palestinians and israeli police fought outside a sensitive holy site in jerusalem. worshippers were praying at the western wall on a day of mourning and repetance aid agencies say israel's 50 day bombardment of gaza has been catastrophic for health care. many thousands injured are losing hope as imtiaz tyab reports. >> for this man

spending time with his 2-year-old daughter is the happiest part of his day. he struggles with depression after losing his legs in an israeli strike on the united nations school he and his family were sheltering in during the war. his father and brother were killed on the site and has bits of shrapnel. still lodged in her skull. >> i am destroyed. i lost my legs and job. i can't leave gaza, we are under siege. all i want is one artificial limb to feel like a normal person again. >> reporter: once a week he travels to this clinic, where he receives physiotherapy and is taught ways to manage his pain. like many of thousands of palestinians wounded during the war, he can't afford to buy the medicines are the treatments.

aid agencies say the continuing impace of last year's war is nothing short of catastrophic. 17 hospitals, 56 facilities were damaged or destroyed. costing the health care system $50 million. according to the united nations 2251 palestinians were killed in the fighting. 10% of those wounded had disabilities. there could have been survivors. an investigation found 500 of those killed should have lived. obstacles including military zones, isreali checkpoints and a lack of accord in addition found many died before the paramedics got to them. >> this is a physiotherapists at one of the few rehabilitation centers.

he said the health care system was stretched after the two previous conflicts with israel. >> there's a closed border. because that can't bring that medication or the medical teams from abroad to make treatment in the gaza strip. >> the thousands of palestinians who have been seriously wounded will continue to suffer. now does a popular weed kill ir cause cancer. the world health organisation says it probably does. monsanto that makes round-up says it needs more evidence that it's not just a killer of weeds, but as jacky rowland reports, the french government is sufficiently worried it's banning the government from buying

it. >> farmers and gardeners face similar challenges. many promise help in the struggle against nature. the key ingredient is glifo skate discovered in 1970s. a report says this chemical probably causes cancer. a finding that monsanto rejects. >> translation: we at monsanto consider that opinion to be invalid. there's no new information that permits anyone to say the product is carcinogenic. >> alexander owns a farm in normandy. he said he could not run the farm without round-up. it kills certain stubborn weeds. he said farmers are trained to use the product responsibly. >> the farmer uses a toolbox.

he'll use the right product at the right time. the amount you use depend on the cropping and the weed you want to destroy. >> in reaction, the french government introduced rules on the sale of round-up. as of january, garden centers will have to remove the product from display. peoplw will be able to buy it. it will be kept behind the counter, restrictions will not affect farmers. environmental activists say the government measures do not go far enough. >> we want them to take it off the market. and stop selling to farmers and gardeners. the government shouldn't take half measures like this . >> consumers in the west expect their food to be high quality and cheap. industrial chemicals enable farmers to deliver that. if you want to be sure your food has not come into contact with herbicides and pesticides.

you can buy organic. of course that is nor expensive. it's a dilemma that affects governments and organizations need to balance challenges of today against the risks for the future there are no easy answers. nigeria's president plans to divide the state-owned oil company into two. they want independent monitoring body. and a strait one to focus on investment. the oil industry provides the government with 70% of its revenue. few banks in nigeria offer mortgages, so many do not own their own home. government reforms are trying to change that. >> reporter: this man wants to buy this 4 bedroom house in abuja. it's on sale for $250,000. he can't afford or meat the terms of a bank loan.

the developer is allowing him to play in instalments, if he can't afford to finish paying he can get his money back. >> mostly in nigeria that want to buy poverty it's in cash or fool. >> it is like anyone else. it's among the basic principles. you need to have a roof over your head and it's a natural thing to honour home and shelter, giving you that security. >> in nigeria there's no culture of long-term lending. banks want borrowers to hold back the loans. borrowers get 20-30 years. consistently according to the government there's 13,000 existing home loans. property developers say banks think there's a high chance borrowers will be followers, there are other factors.

they want transactions to get a return on their dividends and investors. >> at this fair in abuja, government and housing executives med to discuss reforms needed to increase home ownership, including making lands ownership easier improving the policy of construction and foreclosure, making banks feel they are taking less risk. >> land is way too expensive because of the long-winded process of getting assurances. construction is the other key challenge. where there's numbers. part of the drive of affordability against house price itself. >> banks charge up to 28% interest on home loans, making it more expensive. many nigerians spend most of their place.

it is one of the lucky ones. he has a deal. soon he and his family will move into the new house. most people until the reforms are implemented, owning a home it elusive the somali armed group al-shabab is carrying out an attack. three people, including a member of parliament are killed. the gunmen escape after the drive-buy shooting in medina district. >> hong kong city is not usually a place associated with rice fields. they are home to many villages. most are run down and neglected. rob mcbride met a man on a mission to restore his home. >> leaving behind the high-rises of hong kongs, these are bound

for their homes and a day of work in a rice paddy. issued with gear. then straight to work. overseeing the harvest, villager david sang saw rice cultivation as a boy. >> both of them. the village schools long since closed - he was part of the exodus during the '70s, and '80s. now he's moved back, trying to reverse the fortunes of his village. >> i was the first in my house. after 30, 40 years. and now everybody has seen my house and want to come back and make the house liveable. in his restored home. an aerial photo showing the rice. now it could hold the key to the future, if it succeeds.

we can provide for it. it's good educational materials. if you ask the kids, they don't know where the food come from. more terraces have been cleared and will be under administration. villages are like this with a few elderly residents remaining. it's hoped they can breathe new life into them. for this trip it's a lessen in a bygone way of life. >> you have to learn where the rice come from. >> it's more fun in hong kong. the hong kong people go more to the countryside. experiences and memories to save our at the end of a weary day.

>> headlines in a moment. if you are not able to stay with us. you can keep up to date with the latest news and you have a chance to watch the programme on the website. there it is on your screens, aljazeera.com. >> people wonder how long can we stay when sea levels rise or do we flee and become some of the world's first climate change refugees. a number that some say could swell to 200 million if global warning is not halted.