syria's army says it has launched a major offensive against the opposition with the help of russian air strikes. ♪ hello, you are watching al jazeera live from doha. tensions rise across israel and the occupied palestinian territories after a series of stabbings. fifa's ethics committee provisionally ban sepp blatter and who other top officials. sentinels of the shore,

rescuing canada's lighthouses in an age of modern technology. ♪ first to syria where the chief of staff of the armed forces says the military has started a major offensive to take back towns and villages. the army is getting support from russian support. >> translator: the arab syrian armed forces formed armed ground troops, the most important of which is the fourth legion raid. we began a wide-ranging attack with the aim of eliminating the terrorist groups and liberating the areas and towns that suffer from their scourge and crimes. zana hoda reports from lebanon. >> reporter: the syrian army is on the offensive.

they have sent ground troops to the front lines in the west of the country. the syrian army commander saying that a big assault is underway, and the syrian army confirming that this is a coordinated assault with the russian military. both militaries are involved. russia is going to provide air cover as the ground forces push deep into contested territory. it's important for the syrian army to recapture the countryside of hama. as of late rebels were advancing in that region, and pushing towards the government strong hold. and this whole area is strategic. it lies between three provinces and it is the entry point to the government strong hold, so it's very important for the state to push the opposition back, but the rebels are fighting back. they have reviesed videos. you see them use american-made

anti-tank missiles, targeting advancing syrian army tanks. they are promising a war. they are calling this a battle against russian occupation. now really is going to be the first test of the coordination between these two militaries, since the russian aerial campaign began over a week ago, it was really just focusing on air strikes, now there is a new phase with a coordinated attack on the ground, and this will be the first test on whether or not the government can reverse recent losses. nato has described russia's military involvement in syria as a troubling escalation, the secretary general has been speaking in brussels. >> i call on russia to play a constructive role in the fight against isil, but russian actions, and the support to the regime are not helpful.

the recent violations of turkish air space are unacceptable. nato will continue to follow the developments closely, and we stand in strong solidarity with turkey. a political solution to the crisis in syria is more needed than ever. and nato supports the efforts by the u.n. and others to try to find a political negotiated solution to the crisis. neave barker is in brussels and sent this report. >> reporter: the first action that nato feels is absolute necessary is coordinated efforts from all 28-member states to remain committed to defending the security of the alliance. we also talks about the necessary need for combat readiness as well. he talked at length about a plan to unveil a new task force that

would be established across nato member states. new bases in the baltic states in places like latvia and estonia, and also bases in the likes of hungary and slovakia too. he said this force would be able to be deployed to nato's southern borders. the only way we can really interpret this is to assume he means turkey. of course one of the main reasons this meeting was called came off of the back of two incursions of russian fighter jets into turkish space. the russians say the first was a mistake and the second one an unfortunate incident. but nato is very suspicious of what russia is doing. the concern is that russia is targeting anti-assad groups that are currently being backed by

the cia. in other world news tension remains high across israel and the palestinian territories after a series of stabbings. in tel-aviv police shot an attacking after he stabbed four people with a screwdriver. mike hannah has the latest from jerusalem. >> reporter: this occurring deep in the occupied west bank in the settlement. police say that a settler was attacked and stabbed at the end transto the settlement by a palestinian. he is said to be in a serious condition. the palestinian, police say, managed to escape. this is the third stabbing incident in the course of the day. the one here in jerusalem, one shortly a while ago in tel-aviv, and now this attack in the occupied west bank. so clearly a series of attacks

happening. what is difficult for police and army is they are clearly in a ran dam and uncoordinated way. with respect to these particular stabbing attacks, the police are making very clear that it is a very, very difficult situation to deal with. the attacks are random, unplanned, they are clearly uncoordinated, app these are precisely the type of attacks that are difficult to prevent. but they are happening within a wider context of a rising frustration in the occupied west bank and of course in and around jerusalem and in gaza. one in seeing at all lec lechl -- levels the tensions continuing to simmer. israel has lifted the very strict restrictions were in place to access to the new city.

so there are moves underfoot to try to reduce tension to a degree, meetings as well between israeli security and palestinian security says the israeli military. once again those meetings aimed away of finding ways to reduce tensions. hoda abdel hamid has this report from ramallah on what is driving the unrest. >> reporter: their frustration is boiling over. young palestinians many in their teens throw rocks, sometimes petrol bombs. israeli's retaliation goes from tear gas to bullets. the palestinian crowd also has israeli infiltrators, much as these four masked men. one of them was even carrying a flag of hamas. all of a sudden they drew

pistoled and opened fire with the backing of the israeli soldiers. one of the protesters was critically injured, others seized. it's a risk this young man was willing to take. he says he is an engineering student, but won't tell us his name. >> translator: both studies and the struggle are important. but these days this is more important to take part in the clashes, even if it leads to a third intifada. >> reporter: clashes erupt here nearly on a daily basis. this is creating anxiety for young people here who wonder how long these clashes will last and if they will evolved into something bigger. this man took part in the second intifada four years ago. now he watches from a far.

>> translator: i don't join anymore because it is useless. when i was younger i was feisty, now i know i might get wounded or kill. the youth are upset about what is happening at the al aqsa mosque. >> reporter: this is an organizer of student protests, even though she says it is not yet time for a full-scale uprising. >> translator: our generation has more energy than the older ones. they are tired or disillusioned. but i don't support a third intifada, because if we don't have a planned clear goal, we will get nothing out of it, and this will benefit our enemy. >> reporter: many of the protesters were born after the oslo according were signed in

1994. recently president abbas warned he could withdraw from the agreement. many palestinians feel it is long gone. football's governing body fifa has provisionally suspended his president, sepp blatter and three other executives for 90 days. andy richardson reports. >> reporter: the ethics committee sepp blatter set up has suspended him for 90 days. it's not a proof of guilt, and blatter could yet return to his desk before the election to choose his successor takes place. his lawyers issued this statement:

in may swiss police arrested 7 top fifa officials on various corruption charges. fifa, it was revealed was also being investigated by united states police. blatter did go on to win a presidential election, but days later said he would have resigning his post, and a new vote was set for february. last month swiss police said the 79 year old was now the subject of a criminal investigation, accused of making a $2 million payment to the head of european football. while both men deny any wrongdoing, pat tinny has also been suspended for 90 days. the frenchman said in his own statements: his immediate prospects, though,

appear bleak. >> theeth thicks committee that just suspended him has checked his credential, and you can't see a way for him to go forward, and you would think that uefa would start to think who else they could nominate. the ethics committee has also hit this man with a six-year ban. this is hardly the end game blatter had been hoping for. still ahead, e.u. ministers discuss ways of getting tough on people who flee to europe who don't qualify as refugees. plus a father's struggle to find his daughter. we report on international parental abductions. ♪ the only way to get better is to challenge yourself,

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affected. >> people need to demand reform... >> ali velshi on target weeknights 10:30p et ♪ welcome back. a recap of our top stories on al jazeera. syrias armed forces chief of stoof says the military has launched a big attack to take back towns and villages. nato defense ministers have been meeting and its chief says russia's action is a troubling escalation. tension is high across israel and the palestinian territories after a series of stabbings. in tel-aviv police shot an attacking after he stabbed four people with a screwdriver. and sepp blatter has been shown a red card by fifa. he has been suspended for 90

days after being questioned over corruption allegations. fifa's ethics committee has always banned michelle patini and two other executives. europe's staggering refugee crisis will be discussed in lucks umberg. more than 600,000 refugees have arrived in europe this year. but that journey may become even harder. hungary opposes the e.u.'s plan to enforce refugee quotas, so far investing more than 100 million euros on razor wire to keep people out. jonah hull has more. >> reporter: arriving in the croatian town, no one takes this root for granted anymore, having sealed its border with serbia, and the fence almost complete,

now only the smaller window into hungary remains. this is it a gap just 3 meters wide. through this gap pass most of the refugees heading into europe. 4,000 people a day now. and into the pitch darkness of night. the entire refugee policy cur rengly depends on what hungary may or may not decide to do with this gap in the fence. the government has made it abundantly clear, the gap could be closed at any moment. hungary doesn't want the refugees on its territory, they are seen as a threat to the country's christian values. but this is a vital route to the secure future these people crave. before you came here you heard there were problems with the border? >> yeah. >> reporter: what have you found now? >> completely different.

i fear that i never come here to hungary. >> reporter: does it matter to you which country you get to in europe? >> no, i'm looking for a safe country for me and for my children. i'm sorry, i have to go. >> reporter: good luck to you. for now the way through hungary remains open, albeit sanitized and highly controlled. the refugees are crammed on to trains and whisked away to the austrian border. they will barely see hungary and it will barely see them. what would happen if they told you had to go to another country in europe, not germany? >> i don't have any idea. i just hope. >> reporter: you hope for the best. >> yeah, sure, just safe, peace, legal situation. >> reporter: but hungary and some other central european countries oppose the european union's plan to share the refugee burden among the member states. there's talk of poland,

slovakia, and the czech republic sending troops to help hungary keep the refugees out. in that would pit european nations against one another, and leaving thousands with nowhere to go. jonah hull, al jazeera, on the croatia, hungary border. the 2015 nobel prize for literature has been picked. the swishish academy said her writings were a monument to suffering and courage in our time. her books written in russian are not published in her home country. now months of fighting in yemen has pushed the country to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. the health sector has been the hardest hit. hospitals are barely coping.

hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: she was told that it was too late, and that her daughter didn'ter is vief her injuries. we hear her say may god avenge those who killed my daughter. the woman blames the hospital for poor medical care. health facilities across yemen are overwhelmed with a growing number of victims from the conflict. many have been killed or injured in the military campaign that has entered its seventh month. >> translator: my father was injured in air strikes targeting our people. my father was coming down the stairways when the house was targeted. he suffers a head injury. >> reporter: thousands are stranded or have fled from their homes. in the capitol, sana'a, where coalition forces lead by saudi arabia have intensified their air strikes, people are

struggling. international aid agencies say yemen is critically short of food, fuel, and medicine. >> translator: there is no authority that controls the prices of fuel, cooking oil, and flour. each bakery imposes its own prices and we pay the price. bread has become very expensive. >> reporter: many hope the conflict will end soon, but the country's warring factions reject dialogue, and as the conflict drags on, millions face a difficult future. hashem ahelbarra, al jazeera. rwanda's highest court has thrown out a legal challenge to constitutional changes that could allow the president to run for a third term. rwanda's opposition green party mounted the challenge after article passed the motion to scrap term limits. rwandans could now be asked to vote the constitution amendment

into law through a referendum. boko haram has released a video, saying its leader is in live and in charge of the nigerian armed group. he does not appear in the film. in the footage they reannounce their allegiance to isil. in the six years since boko haram waged its rebellion, 17,000 people have been killed. now a group of parents in australia is calling on the government to criminalize international parental abduction. every year more than 300 children are stolen by parent and taken overseas. steve chow has the story of one father trying find his daughter. >> reporter: in indonesia, an australian father is dreaming of the moment he gets its daughter back. >> it has been five years since

i last saw her face, and i felt every single day, you know? i have counted every single day. >> reporter: six year old kayla was taken by his ex-wife to indonesia five years ago, since then he has had no contact. >> one you have a date you will then leave the vehicle and start the recovery. >> reporter: campbell has hired a child recovery expert to help on his mission. >> we only need a short head start here. six seconds for you guys to block them. >> reporter: australia has the highest rate of international parental abduction in the world. every year more than 3 -- 300 children are stolen. >> if a jumbo jet full of children disappeared there would

be public outcry for it. >> reporter: there are calls for the australian government to change the law and make such abductions illegal. in their statement to us, government officials say they are doing more to help families, but as to whether to make international parental child abduction a crime, they remain mum in the manner. it costs 10s of thousands of dollars for a recovery, and it's controversial, as it risks traumatizing a child. do you feel it's right for you to take kayla back? >> i don't know any parent that wouldn't want to give their child access to the best opportunities in life. and this is what i want to do for my daughter. >> reporter: hiring a recovery expert is no guarantee of success. security is tight at the school

kennedy's daughter attended. >> we are going to be surrounded by them. i can't guarantee that the recovery is going to go ahead. i didn't guarantee the result. >> suppose we turn around and go back to australia without even seeing her. after all of these years of coming this close. >> reporter: campbell says until government tighten laws, parents and children will continue to be torn apart. and you can watch steve choi's full program, bringing them home on 101 east thursday at 2220 gmt right here on al jazeera. now tourism officials have closed a newly opened glass walkway in china after cracks appeared in the structure on monday. dozens of tourists were on the sky walk when start of it shattered, the manager said the

walkway met safety standards during routine inspections. the bridge hangs roughly 120 meters above a canyon in a remote mountain area. now with the longest coastline in the world, canada has well over a thousand lighthouses along its ocean and inland shores, but the government wants local communities to take over maintenance of the lighthouses while it cuts back on funding. daniel lak reports. >> reporter: sentinels of the shore, canada's lighthouses have stood for centuries, but modern technology and a cost-conscious government mean many could disappear if local communities don't start maintaining them. that is what is happening at the boors headlight house. >> they do something once in a while to the road, but as far as

the lighthouse itself, they are not going to touch it. if it fell down, it fell down. that's just the way it is. >> reporter: in 2008 ottawa declared nearly 500 lighthouses as unnecessary to navigation. 75 now have heritage status, but preservation is still worried, the country is losing touch with its past. >> we don't have the castles that europe have, or the great wall of china, but we do have our lighthouses. my dad moved us out on to the island in 1964. >> reporter: once lighthouse keepers lived with their families in places like this island just outside of nova scotias largest port halifax. kelly grew up there and served as keeper herself in the final months before the light was

automated. >> it suited me. if they hadn't have closed it down, i think i would have pursued that as a career. i would have been very content to raise my family out there. >> reporter: even today in the age of electronic communications and global positioning systems not all lighthouses are heritage buildings, this is a working light station, and it presides over one of the most treacherous stretches of water on the east coast, they call this the graveyard of the bay of funding because of the shipwrecks. catastrophic wrecks are thankfully rare these days, but there's nothing quite like the blink of a lighthouse. >> we have a lot of container traffic coming in, cruise fishes, fishing vessels, and they defend on their electronic navigation, a lot of captains

will tell you they still want to see that light flashing. >> reporter: and in a few places they'll continue to see them, so long as local communities keep doing what used to be the federal government's job. a reminder you can keep up to date with all of the news on our website, aljazeera.com. right now, the head of volkswagen america is talking to a congressional hearing. he is telling them he knew about an emissions problem in vwdiesel cars for more than a year. a midnight agreement keeps 40,000 auto workers on the job. and nato nations promise action over fears moscow's air strikes into syria,