syria's president admits his army and diminished and exhausted but insists he can still win the war. this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up turkey blames the kurdish pkk for a bombing that killed two soldiers and caused the nato-backing for its air strikes. a special report from el salvador where gang violence is killing 24 people every single day. u.s. president barack obama arrives in ethiopia after telling kenya it stands at a cross roads between peril and promise.

hello. after four and a half years of fighting in syria, it's the president's first real admission that government forces are struggling. in a speech to the nation assad said his army is tired and lacks numbers. in order to claim victory admitted that his forces may have to concede some territory to their enemies. we have the report. >> reporter: for the first time since the war began in syria, president bashar al assad admits government forces have a problem, and they've been forced to abandon some areas. >> translator: we do have new recruits every day. the military is caring out the mission, but the syrian army is sometimes required to give up areas in order to hold on in more important areas. we are in a fateful period and there are no compromise solutions.

>> reporter: assad tried to put up a brave face. >> translator: in order to win and succeed in anything, everybody gets tired. it is quite normal that the state, the army gets tired, but the word "defeat" doesn't exist in our dictionary or the language of the syrian armed forces. >> reporter: for your years he rely on the military backing iran and fighters from hezbollah in lebanon. he also enjoys the backing of russia and china. the syrian army is under huge pressure. it once had around 300 to you thousand members, but accords to estimates it has been roughly ravelled in size by deaths defections and the rise in draft dodging, a fact that assad publicly acknowledged. >> translator: we have everything we need, but there's a lack of human resources. >> reporter: isil fighters and opposition rebel groups have seized more territory in recent months. they took control of the province of he had lib in the

north and pushed towards attack on the coast. various areas close to damascus are battlegrounds. >> damascus is the center of power to him, and he's trying. he wants to get all of that also and trying to get also to protect the main highway. that's very important to him. overall he's losing ground. he lost in the north and south and even in the center of syria. so he's in trouble really and possibly a no-fly zone. it may bring him to the negotiating table in the future. >> more fighting is being reported in different parts of syria. government helicopters dropped bombs in northwestern syria killing a number of people. syria has turned into a proxy war for local, regional and international powers which could prolong the war. the u.n. says more than 230,000 people have been killed and

millions more are displaced. a syrian activist and member of the opposition syrian national coalition is questions the president's motives. >> assad's regime is suffering. there's a lack of people and lack of manpower. they are losing in syria, but i'd like to insist that he said he would give up some regions in order to be able to gain some other regions, but this is not the fact. the fact is that a regime announced loudly saying that syria is not only for syrians to hold a syrian i.d. syria is all who are fighting for assad's regime. syria is for who would keep assad in power controlling the whole country, even destroying the rest of the whole country. the only thing assessed was to

stay in power, to stay on his to keep his own. nato will hold an emergency meeting about the air strikes. turkey blamed the pkk for a road side bombing that killed two soldiers and launched more air strikes against the group. the latest hit the pk k's headquarters in northern iraq. they say turkish jets hit the fighters from the islamic state of fighters and levant in aleppo as well as a town close to the turkish border. the complex political landscape in turkey adds to already rising tensions. >> reporter: in turkey another attack. this time a car bomb targeted a military convoy in the predominantly kurdish southeastern province.

two soldiers were killed and another four were wounded. no group has claimed responsibility, turkish officials believe the pkk is behind it. it's the latest jolt in a volatile 48 hours full of fundamental shifts in military strategy. a country for so long has been wary of intervening in any clakt involved in two. bombing both isil in syria the pkk in northern iraq. this turkish journalist it is a skeptical turkish public wasn't prepared for this. snoo there's too many question. if isis is attacks us why are we fighting the pkk fighting isis in any case? on top is turkey strategically speaks scompl in terms of the spirit are we capable of fighting two wars in two different countries

simultaneously? >> reporter: when it comes to renewed hostilities between turkey and the pkk, they believe both parties are very much to blame. >> the military turkish military has been seeking a confrontation with pkk for some time now. of course, the pkk is also to blame, and it's very important for them to realize that their legitimacy their increasing legitimacy vis-a-vis the international community comes from the fact that they had stopped military confrontation. >> during the past few days raids weren't just conducted from the air. on the ground security forces stand out across dozens of provinces and arrested more than 600 people with ties to what are striebed as terror groups. turkey's prime minister declared he will not allow dick security to be disturbed. the military will take any measure necessary to ensure turks remain safe. now anger is on the rise.

and activists are on the move. this was supposed to be a starting point for a huge peace rally today. the istanbul governorship canceled the rally and they called it off as well trying to de-escalate tensions. some committed peace activists have shown up and have their peace signs and some are wearing peace jerseys and vests. security forces have now encircled the area and many are worried this area will be cleared soon. many here were supporters of kurdish rights. one reason so many officers were on hand. now strained in an already fraught relationship may reach the breaking point once more. reports are coming in that a policeman has been shot done in istanbul after police clashed are protesters that blocked a main street and attacked them with sticks, stones and molotov cocktails. at least four protesters wearing mask at a funeral of a woman of

the liberation party front. at least 13 people have been kimmed a suicide bombing in the mogadishu mogadishu. al shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack. it blames ethiopia for the deaths. they're fighting the african union are coordinated by embassies using the hotel. u.s. president barack obama arrived in neighboring ethiopia. it will include talk with the government. they have been criticized othe human rights. we report on the earlier visit to the kenyan homeland of his late father. [ cheers and applause ]

>> reporter: president barack obama receiving a rousing welcome from thousands of kenyans invited to hear him speak in this arena. the u.s. president said kenya is a success story with a vibrant economy and good democracy, but he's also well aware of economic inequalities and endemic corruption. >> across the country it shows corruption costs kenyans 250,000 jobs every year because every shilling that's paid as a bribe could be put into the pocket of somebody who is actually doing an honest day's work. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: outside the arena, thousands of kenyans lined the streets. they see this as a homecoming and so they went all out to welcome him. those posters welcome him. most of these people have been here since early in the morning

to catch a glimpse of the motorcade of president barack obama. they've been following very keenly what he's been saying. >> you don't needed to what my father did and leave your home to get a good education. >> reporter: this man from where obama's father was born was hoping to catch the president's attention. unemployment is his biggest concern. >> i'm a graduate with a bosh lor sdree and i can't find a job in this country. >> reporter: president obama focused on the threat from al shabaab fighters from neighboring somalia and terrorism and young people and trade, matters that resonate with people here. >> >>. >> this is enough to help the tourism industry. >> we're very grateful to see how he can -- he has embraced youth and women. >> god bless you. thank you. [ cheers and applause ]

>> reporter: he left the arena on a high. out here though they didn't get close to him, they just hope his visit will mean prosperity. al jazeera nairobi. east onto ethiopia's capital. what kind of issues will obama be addressing when he goes on that stage of his trip? >> reporter: we're dealing with different issues. first of all, they'll have talks with the ethiopian government touching on issues pertaining to trade with ethiopia. ethiopia is one of africa's fastest-growing economies, and is it's attracting a lot of foreign investment. most of it is from china. the united states wants to improve trade between ethiopia and washington. also they're going to discuss

the issue of security. ethiopia is a key ally to the united states in the so-called war on terror. right now ethiopia has its troops in somalia. they're involved in the fight against al shabaab ma lish yas and just this week they took two of the last remaining strongholds of al shabaab. this is something the president and the prime minister of ethiopia are expected to discuss in length and what the prime minister is prepared to ask the president is more funding for peacekeepers in somalia, especially whether the european union is trying to cut back funding for the activities. president obama is also expected to meet with mediators and parties that has the conflict in southern sudan. right now mediators that we spoke to are saying they do not expect a breakthrough however,

they believe that the talks once prime minister -- once want president of the united states speaks to them then maybe it could hasten the timing of an agreement, and president obama is going to be joined in the talks with the south sudanese parties by the president of uganda and kenya. >> thank you very much indeed for that live update there. still to come on the program, a cancer scare over the world's most widely used weed killer. we're in france where there are new he radio strikzs on sales. also ahead. >> on patrol in el salvador. coming up police say they're increasingly under attack as the country experiences a historic wave of violence.

here are the top stories on al jazeera. syria's president bashir al assad says his government is struggling. speaking in damascus assad said his troops are tired and lacking manpower after almost four and a half years of conflict ifrnths nato will hold an emergency meeting to discuss turkey's air strikes against isil and pkk. turkey is blaming the pkk for a roadside bombing that killed two soldiers. u.s. president barack obama has arrived in ethiopia for the next stage of his african visit. he's the first u.s. leader to address the african union as he joins talks to end the civil war in south sudan. there's been fighting on the outskirts of aden ahead of a

ceasefire due to come into effect in less than two hours time. the saudi-led coalition declared a pause to allow for a deliver deliveries. >> reporter: military planes arrive in aden after four months after of fighting. it's now under the control of pro-government fighters. it's after taking this strategic city from houthi rebels that the saudi-led co-wigs announced a five-day pause in the campaign. it comes at the request of the president to allow in humanitarian aid. saudi arabia warns it will respond to any houthi attacks. >> translator: the goal of the new truce is to help lift the siege imposed on cities and reach those areas with much-needed humanitarian aid. it is also another opportunity for the houthis. >> reporter: the houthis say the saudi-backed government is out of touch with the reality on the

ground, and that saudi strikes are killing many civilians. coalition strikes hit several houthi positions in the province on friday but the rebels say a residential area was also hit including a shelter for intirnlly displaced people. dozens were killed. houthi activists uploaded this video with bodies of women and children. we can't verify the pictures independently. this means very little aid maz hated it through, and the humanitarian situation has become worse. roads have either been damaged or being held by fighters. in western parts, yemeni military has held off houthi advances and they're for the tieing positions. >> translator: our goal is to liberate those displaced took back to their homes. we want to build a modern civil state for us and for our children. >> reporter: back in aden the destruction of months of fighting is every why since they

took control. jurmists are trying to document the damage. aid agencies have welcomed the brief pause but are calling for a longer ceasefire to reach those that need aid. >> the situation is extremely dire. we have 20 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance cutting across health care, water, food shelter and all the rest. so we desperately need a resolution to the conflict. >> reporter: whichever side prevails it will be left with a yemen tattered and exhausted. a pro-houthi activists accusing the coalition of not being honest about the reasons for a ceasefire. >> the saudis want to use the ceasefire to position their troops and loyalists in aden and will use this ceasefire to bring more troops in the name of humanitarian aid to aden. at the end of ramadan, there was a ceasefire that has been

working for two months there to have it and the saudis have refused that and used it for -- to start an operation in aden: u.n. must be involved in a ceasefire. they must watch and bring aid. thesh be want one that coordinates the ceasefire not only on one side with the aggression the ones that started the war. they will be studied by parties inside yemen, because they want this ceasefire to end in the advantage of the saudi troops because with the parties in yemen irthey always welcome any ceasefire. the saudis are always there and have violated it. the central american nation of el salvador has seen a terrifying surge in violence this year. during the six six months 2,965 people were killed two-thirds more murders than the same period last year. there were 677 killings in june alone, an average of 24 every day. adam rainey has part one of the

special series on the gang violence causing so much death and suffering. >> reporter: a common sight in el salvador a police funeral. at least 33 officers have been killed this year some on the job, but most targeted while off duty. just some of the victims in a wave of killings unseen since the civil war ended in 1992. june saw nearly 700 murders in a nation of 6 million. the vast majority blamed on criminal gangs. the government's response? more guns more police more patrols. for so long police were the hunters in this violent gang-infested country. now they're the prey. this female officer buried a close relative on the force. she was 27 the first policewoman ever to be killed in the nation's history.

>> reporter: she still washings the beat caring for two families on her one salary. in an exclusive interview, a gang leader wouldn't admit that gangs are responsible for the massive spike in killings or members have been ordered to target police. >> police say there are no death squads but in a change of policy the vice president this year said officers should feel free to shoot gang members when threatened. both gangs and police say they're under attack.

>> there are have been far fewer killings this month thanking last month, a sign some say that the gangs are sending a message they have the power to control the violence and now they want to negotiate. a new truce could prove as controversial as the last one agreed in 2012. no negotiating and no end in sight to the killings. the world's most widely used weed killer is at the center of a health care. roundup has been on the market since 1974 and it's sold in more than 160 countries. earlier in year the world health organization said it might cause

cancer, an allegation still debated leaving consumers confused about whether they're in danger. as jacky reports, the french government has decided to act. >> reporter: farmers and gardeners face similar challenges from weeds and insects. many products are now on the market promptsises help in the struggle against nature. one of the most widely used weed killers is roundup. the key ingredient is glysofate which was discovered by monsanto in the 1970s. a recent report by the world health organization says this chemical probably causes cancer a finding that monsanto rejects. >> translator: we at money santo consider that opinion to be absolutely invalid because there's no new information that permits anyone to say that the product is carcinogenic. >> reporter: this man owns a farm in normandy where he grows

wheat, grape seed and other crops. he says he could not run his farm profitably without roundup because it kills certain stubborn weeds. he says farmers are trained to use the product responsibly. >> translator: the farmer has a toolbox at their disposal. he will use the right product at the right time in the correct quantity. the amount you use fenddepends on the season, the crop and the weed you want to destroy. >> reporter: in reaction to the world health organization report, the french government is introducing new rules on the sales of roundup. as of january, garden centers have to remove the product from display. people will still be able to buy it but it will be kept behind the counter. the restrictions won't affect farmers. environmental alal activists say the government measures don't go far enough. >> translator: we won't completely take it off the market and stop selling to

gardeners and farmers, these products are dangerous to the health and environment. the government shouldn't take half-measures like this. >> reporter: consumers in the west expect their food to be high quality and cheap. an industrial chemical enables farmers to deliver that. if you want to be sure that your food hasn't the come into contact with any herbicides or pesticides, you can buy organic but, of course, that's more expensive. it's a dilemma that affects governments, big corporations and ordinary people. how to balance the advantages of today against possible risks for the future. there are no easy answers. y jacky roland, al jazeera. hong kong isn't usually associated with rice production but rural areas were once home to a thriving agriculture industry. that's long gone. one man is hoping to bring some of the heritage to the modern generation. >> reporter: leaving behind the high-rises the hong kong these volunteers are bound for one of

its forgotten corners. a day of work in a rice paddy. issued with gear and given a quick lesson in how to then straight to work. overseeing the harvest, victimager david sang last saw rice cultivation as a boy. >> in that schoolhouse, both of them. >> reporter: the village schools long since closed. he was part of the exodus in the 1970s and '80s. now he's moved back and trying to reverse the fortunes of his village. >> about 110 years old. i was the first to have a house after 30 40 years. now everybody has seen my house, and they want to come back and make a house liveable. >> reporter: in his restored home, an aerial photo from the 1960s shows the extent of the rice territories. now and then rice could hold the

key to the victimage's future if this pilot project succeeds. >> of course we can provide for it. at the same time it's very good educational material because kids nowadays don't know where it comes from. they think it all am kos from the supermarket. >> reporter: more territories are cleared and will soon be under cultivation. villages like this one could be found throughout the more remote parts of hong kong often with just a few elderly residents remaining, sometimes abandoned altogether. it's hoped that lessons learned here could hep breathe new life back into them. for the volunteers this trip has been a lesson in a byegone way of life. >> it's fantastic. you have to learn where the rice comes from. >> there's more families in hong kong for the hong kong people go more to the countryside. >> reporter: experiences and memories to savor at the end of

a weary day. rob mcbride al jazeera, hong kong. much more news for you anytime on our website. that's aljazeera.com, and details there of turkey's nato meeting that will be held on tuesday to discuss the air strikes. i'm david shuster in for ali threat. we take a deep dive into the darkest corners of the web where no one knows your name and anything i don't say. the trade. . >> the hacking last week of ashley madison, a website that helps married people cheat on their spouses sparked a hand ringing of jokes.