>> hello there, i'm julie mcdonald. this is the news hour live from london. coming up, confronting isil, the u.s.' special forces on ground in iraq and potentially in syria. back home, 16 lebanese soldiers freed in a prisoner exchange with al nusra front rebels. and burkina faso with a new leader in after four decades. a world hunt called

"scientific research." >> which are in sport we're live from doha. the 76ers to break one of the nba records in history. >> hello there, a warm welcome to this hour of news. the u.s. defense secretary said it is prepared to expand the role of special forces combating fighters from the islamic state in iraq and the levant. ash carter told the committee and congress the u.s. is to send a specialized expedition force in iraq. he said that the deployment is being coordinated with the iraqi government to help retake ground from isil. it boo free hostages, gather intelligence and gather isil leaders, and might be in position to launch operations in syria. ash carter's comments came a few

hours after barack obama laid out how he sees the war in syria ending. a white house correspondent patty culhane reports now from paris. >> the united states is intensifying the war in iraq and syria in the hope that it will eventually lead to talk of peace. >> next, in full coordination with the government of iraq we're deploying an expeditionary targeting force to put even more pressure on isil. these special operators will overtime be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence, and capture isil leaders. that creates a virtualou virtualous cycle of better intelligence which generates more targets, more raids, more momentum. >> the military says when they find an isil leader, the teams will go into syria to get him and get out, adding more special

forces will be sent into the reason as they find more local forces capable of fighting, and more military hardware is moving into the conflict. germany's cabinet has agreed to send in troops in promise they won't be used for combat. the u.k. parliament will send jets for bombing missions. and the u.s. president barack obama describes how he sees this conflict ending. it begins with all the parties including russia agreeing on a list of opposition fighters. the next step, a cease-fire between those groups and those loyal to bashar al-assad. >> it is possible given the existing accord that the parties have agreed to, that we start seeing at least pockets of cease-fires in and around syria.

that may mean, then, that certain opposition groups no longer find themselves subject to either syrian or russian bombing. they are then in a conversation about politics. >> but there is a problem with that conversation. the u.s. coalition says it has to end with assad out of power. russia doesn't want that. president obama thinks that could change in the coming months, and it could be especially true if the balance of power shifts on the ground in syria. patty culhane. al jazeera, paris. >> in syria diplomat say the measures will more likely include more nato ships i more missile defense as well as turkey shooting down a military jet last week.

>> well, i think the person who sums it up is again the german foreign minister saying that ther everybody knows there will be no military solution to this conflict. he has been talking about his hopes that the various opposition groups from syria can get an united line. but he's also said--he's referred to his own cabinet, agreeing to back france in the fight against isil and syria. german troops won't be involved in combat, but there is a frigit that will help the french aircraft carrier. there will be a reconnaissance plane and so on. he's hopeful that more countries will come on board. the u.k. will decide whether or not to stop bombing isil in syria. but most are aware that russia plays a crucial role. it said its bombing isil. some o of the today nato

members are trying to call it a broad coalition against isil. that's why the de-escalation of the argument between russia and turkey is so crucial right now. >> now michael stevens is in italy at the defense and security think tank at the world united services institute here in london and thank you. we could talk for five hours and we wouldn't be able to mirror how complex this is becoming. when you talk about u.s. special forces capturing isil leaders, it sounds like engagement, but it isn't. >> they're already doing a lot of that already. if you look at the targeting of a number of senior isis leaders, u.s. special forces have been

inetergral. they're involved in assassination leadership. this is a special strategy where special forces plays one part, air force plays another part and the forces on the ground play another part and this is a link that puts it all together. >> why now? >> there medes to be given there, there is political impetus. what ash carter is saying putting on record what has been happening for a while. he's saying that we're going to increase that. we're going to do more. we're going to support the french, who is trying to do more, and the brits are coming in with a vote tomorrow, it's building momentum. we're going to take on isis and this is a concerted effort that we'll win. >> could this be a sign of more to come, and some are worried

about mission creep. >> yes, that's the one thing that people are worried about. in special forces today, a brigade tomorrow and entire division the next day. what you have to be careful with if you're ash carter, say listen, they're here to do a specific job. that's the agreement that we have right now. we're not looking to escalate at the moment. the key thing here is for obama, cameron and hollande to say listen, it is still about local forces on the ground. they've got to do the bulk of the work. we can provide support and forces but it's the people on the ground who have to do the majority of the work. >> we saw nato leaders independently. the main message there seems to be let's support our allies turkey. but there are any terms and conditions that go along with that? what do they want to see? >> well of course there was some frustration for turkey last week. the americans made it absolutely clear just today, actually, that both russia and turkey need to

put this spat aside. isis is the main threat, and nato felt a little bit squeezed into a corner by the turks. they acted very rashly. yes their air space was invaded. but at the same time there are other processes that could have been taken. there was frustration on the nato side, but it is an alliance. when one of your members get into a fight, you have to back them. that's what nato did. there was an obligation to defend turkey and put more operators missiles on the border and ask them not to do it again. >> what was the main message to russia? russia, we need you. >> at the moment it's difficult. the main strategy of russia is to protect bashar al-assad, which is where not western states are. if we look at the number of airstrikes that they have taken against isis it's not really an anti-isis strategy. the main message from obama is you have to do more.

if you want to be our friend, quote/unquote, isis is the main target. if you're not willing to do that, then we're not interested in working with you. hollande has been pushing this as a french president he has to be seen doing the most. but obama is really the one pulling the strings. >> michael, thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> now staying with syria, a long awaited christmas swap has taken place. 16 soldiers were released after being held by the syrian-based rebels for more than a year. 13 prisoners, including the ex-wife of an isis leader.

>> we thank those who helped with our release and negotiate the release of our comrades being held by isil. >> 13 prisoners associated with al nusra front linked to al-qaeda has now been released by the lebanese government. it is not only al nusra who had taken hostages. 13 lebanese were captured. four were executed. one died by injuries. the lebanese government said it is doing all it can to secure the release of the remaining hostages. >> we have a target. a big target that is a real challenge. i mean, the military personnel being captured by isil, and we need to free them, and liberate

them for the sake of lebanon, for the sake of our nation. >> among those released was the former wife of isil leader who insists she had nothing to do with them. >> they said i am the wife of al baghdadi. i was divorced for seven years. he was not al baghdadi at that time. i want to go to turkey. i will be in beirut, and then i will go. >> meanwhile, the families of those released some of who had been in central beirut for months spoke to al jazeera about their release. >> i can't recall my happiness. what i have to say thanks to god for safe return, and we hope to see them soon. >> they returned with a dream to us. thank got it happened. we thank everyone who worked for

their release. >> tuesday's release will ease pressure on the lebanese government, which has come under increased criticism since soldiers and policemen were captured. it may boost the standing of al nusra front presenting them as a group that could potentially strike deals with. al jazeera. >> middle east analyst and senior writer live from beirut, joseph, a very warm welcome to the program. how did it come about? is there a position that money changed hands here? >> much more than money. i think that the conditions under which these hostages were released was very complicated. although everyone here was jubilant and very happy that the 16 soldiers were r released very few details have been published under which these men were let go.

when the dust settles people will realize this is far more serious than what they have bargained for. >> joseph, what about the fact that this appears to have elevated the position of al nusra front? negotiating, i guess, with the state gives them some serious kudos. >> this is actually al nusra victory more than anything. al nusra has negotiated during the last several months and today has delivered, and it has gotten several of its people back as the report said 13 of its soldiers including five women plus several children. and of course, it has gained a concession from the lebanese government where presumably some of the ravens and supporters will be able to move very

freely. that's one concession that no one is really talking about. the fact there, there is now a safe zone. plus the commitments that been made by the lebanese government probably with funding from qatar that monthly assistance will be provided to a refugees who are in this region, very remote region, very isolated region, nevertheless where several hundred thousand syrian refugees have found a place. and al nusra has in fact demonstrated it could gain such concessions, and it is becoming a very important interlocutor that it could ignore. not the lebanese government and certainly not the government of syria, whatever government after the dust settles. >> could this perhaps set a precedence and encourage more hostage taking, perhaps? >> well, the danger, of course,

is that this zone is a war zone, and hezbollah and lebanese party that has deployed a whole bunk of troops inside syria to fight on the side of the regime now has to contend that it's actives in this region will no longer be as free as they perhaps wished. which means that the spill-over effects will necessarily occur in this country as well. time will tell whether or not hezbollah is making a huge concession in trying to withdraw from this very sensitive region because it is overstretched and has commitments elsewhere in syria. there could be more hostages, but there could be more disputes in the region. this is the beginning of a long process. there are still nine soldiers in captivity of daesh or isil. strangely enough the fact that one of the individuals that was

let go was a former wife of a daesh leader means that perhaps some kind of negotiations also may have occurred with daesh that allowed this woman to go free. we'll have to wait and see whether it will have an impact on the rest of the nine soldiers still in captivity. >> joseph, joining me live from beirut. thank you for joining me with your analysis. thank you. >> thank you. >> still ahead on the al jazeera news hour. the last year's airasia aircraft crashed due to faulty involvement. >> i don't have to look at other drivers as targets. i'm a target now. >> what the future holds with

his first world title. >> the old testament number of refugees arriving in southern europe by sea is already four times as many as last year. with the month of 2015 still remaining, that's according to the united nations refugee agency. the unhcr said almost 105,000 people passed the mediterranean, that's just the ones who arrived safely. however, they do say that the number dropped in november compared to october mainly owing to bad weather and increased action from the turkish coast guard. voters in burkina faso has elected in a new president. >> the moment results the

elections, former prime minister will become the leader. in his victory speech he promised to follow through on his campaign promises. >> we owe to those who sacrificed their lives for their country. >> the citizens of burkina faso tonight celebrating the end of political turmoil in their country. it is hope that the election of a new president will usher in a new era of democracy. compaore was the national party. not everyone is happy with his

victory. >> he was not my candidate. i don't see any difference between him and compaore. >> the elections will bring to end an administration. he was toppled when he tried to change the constitution to extend his rule even further. >> no institution will impose an idea or practice of government. this is a very good thing. this is the biggest achievement since the resurrection of october 2014. >> comfortable in the knowledge that it is now behind them, the

people burkina faso continue to celebrate their country's new president. >> china's president xi jinping is in zimbabwe at the start of a five-day visit. he is expected to promise more chinese investment in the african nation. china is zimbabwe's largest foreign investor. it pumped $600 million into the economy. 26 people have been arrested in kenya as anti-corruption protesters have been tear gassed at a demonstration. 200 demonstrators took to the streets of nairobi on tuesday demanding an end to corruption. they were dispersed by riot teams who fire tear gas at them. a fire drill at a nairobi

university that ended in chaos. catherine soi reports now from the kenyan capital. >> this woman died on monday when she stride to escape what she thought was gunmen at the university. another recuperating at a nearby hospital, he also thought that students were under attack. he jumped from the first-floor window and fractured his legs. >> i was standing up. i see four men advancing wearing white, something red, something red, and they had the guns. >> now the fear kicked in. >> but the university was not under attack. it was a security drill gone wrong. this student's legs and hands

are broken. she dropped off the second-floor balcony, and she's still too traumatized to talk to us. in all, more than 30 people are injure: many of the students said they were not informed. they panicked, and some of them jumped off the window ledges. the university admin strayers said that they told the local police by the drill but they did not inform the relevant security forces. >> the incident, the possibility of even the military sending specialized units. they would find themselves in an awkward position where they are fighting on their own. that is why we're saying that the higher level of protocol must be followed. >> following a series of attacks based in somalia. gunmen killed 148 people in northern kenya earlier this

year. since then several universities across the country have been carrying out random drills to prepare everyone for attacks. >> when you're doing a drill you inform people. they have to be informed. well, not the details of the timing, but what is actually bound to happen. i saw students hanging on rooftops. they were scared. it was a real situation. it ended up looking like a real terrorist attack, actually. >> martin said he's lucky to be alive, but he's also angry that they were not warned, that someone died, and another might not be able to walk again. catherine soi, nairobi. >> there has been an explosion near a metro station in istanbul. the direct's mayor said that it was a pipe bomb. they're still investigating the cause. the blast happened near a subway station during evening rush hour. five people were injured. it cracked the windows of a passing train. passengers were evacuated and

some trains were stopped from running. israeli forces are shot and killed two palestinians. they say were involved in separate knife attacks in the occupied west bank. the 16-year-old was shot dead near the settlement south of jerusalem. on tuesday israeli forces said he tried to stab a performance-enhancing drugs. later a 19-year-old woman was shot after trying to stab a soldier near a settlement. >> gunmen have kidnapped a tunisian aid work in yemen. she was kidnapped as she was leaving home to go to work with the red cross. another worker was kidnapped but released just a few hours later. the charity has suspended all movements of its staff in yemen and called for the immediate release of its staff. hundreds of women are running for election in saudi arabia. it's the first time that they've

campaigned since the late king gave them the right to run for office. >> a small celebration of a first in saudi arabia's conservative history. this woman is one of 900 women running for office. she and the male members of her chai campaign team are launching her election website. >> we've been waiting to be given this opportunity as ladies to participate in the political and social decision making in the country. since the door opened for us i was one of the first female entrepreneurs actually able to participate in decision making. >> in 2011 the late king granted women the right to play a part in politics but women are only allowed to run more municipal office. he said that women should make up 20% of the council which advises the king. but activists say that any

changes are minor at best and still face restrictions. they're discouraged from driving and have to get the approval of a male guardian to go to work or open a bank account. >> i think there are limitations in being able to meet with the public. so i decided to meet in malls to meet with the community. this is what prompted me to focus on social media to get the largest number of voters. >> female voters say having women in office will make it easier to raise issues. >> it was difficult in the past to communicate with men but with the presence of a woman now i can speak to her directly. >> it's a step towards greater freedom for women in saudi arabia. the critics say that there is still a ways to go. al jazeera.

>> still to come, disappearing islands that face the greates greatestistic of climate change. and venezuela gets ready to go to the polls. and still ahead in sport, meeting the prime minister showing up in the newest acquisition.

>> at 9:30 - "america tonight" - top investigative reporting, uncovering new perspectives. >> everything that's happening here is illegal. >> then at 10:00 - it's "reports from around the world". >> let's take a closer look. >> antonio mora gives you a global view. >> this is a human

rights crisis. >> and at 11:00 - "news wrap-up". clear... concise... complete. >> the top story here on al jazeera. the u.s. defense secretary ash carter deployed troops to fight isil. any deployment must happen with the consent of the iraqi government. prime minister welcomed home 16 soldiers. >> news of conflict have severely damaged the system.

unicef said that it's only go to get worse. >> meehe need from the violence a year ago and lives in the camp in northern iraq. he should be in school polishing his reading skills. instead he polishes metal 37 he's one of 2 million children syrian and iraqi in this country who have not completed a school year because of the war against isil. put simply there aren't any schools to go to. >> i loved going to school in bow ca can ban kobane. >> private charities and individuals are trying to fight

back. this is a school in irbill. it is started by student teachers for students who fled from elsewhere. the education is provided for free. >> they are without school. so you can't imagine they come t here. >> lack of school.

>> they're looking. >> those children not in school either work in places like this or they beg in the streets. the aid agencies need millions of dollars just to provide basic services. but there are other issues, the militias and isil have taken over schools and they're using them as military bases. even if the money was there to provide the schooling, they simply can't get into the buildings. >> france has promised to give african countries to invest in renewable energy. at a meeting on the sidelines of the u.n. climate change conference the french president françois hollande said that

africa was not responsible. african leaders want the biggest polluting nations to commit for money to the climate fund. >> lake chad is almost gone. we must not abandon africa. africa has been shortchanged by climate change. africa must shot be shortchanged by climate finance. >> the u.s. president has met with leaders of pacific island nations on the sidelines of that summit happening in paris. action on climate change is an economic imperative. >> if we let the world keep warming as fast as it is, and see levels rising as fast as they are, and whether patterns

keep shifting in more unexpected ways, then before long we're going to devote more and more and more of our economic and military resources not for growing opportunity for our people, but to adapting to the various consequences of the changing climate. >> our environment editor nick clark has been the. >> this is where 50,000 people. it has a population density similar to tokyo or hong kong, and it is growing fast. wherever you look it seems that there are children, and you can only wonder what the future holds for them. you can see how low lying the island is. practically no elevation at all. there is just this narrow strip of land, and then more water on

the other side in the middle of million and million square miles. there is nowhere to go but up. there is nowhere to go at all. there were once homes, but now there is water. people have been forced to abandon houses and relocate to other areas. >> there is still stuff here. they were going back for their stuff. >> they moved away. >> so they finally had enough. it was just too much. >> it was too much. [singing] >> while we are there, the

president hosted a conference on the troublesome issue of climate-induced migration. also there the prime minister highlighting the challenges they face. >> knowing the history. >> president tom has long campaigned for urgent action. he invited me to visit him at home where he enjoys visiting with his grandchildren, whose generation depends on our actions now. >> i always referred to climate change as the greatest model for humanity. if people knew this is happening to us, why do they continue to do it. if you know what you're doing is hurting people on the other side of the world. >> there is no doubt that rising

sea levels threaten the very existness of these communities. perhaps with massive investment the islands can be built up to defend themselves with encroachment. but time is running out. this ship lost it's moores in a recent storm, and it smashed into the sea wall. the ship's name means good luck, something that the children desperately need. al jazeera. >> people in china's capital of beijing have been told to stay indoors for the first time in almost two years. the second highest orange alert has been issued. >> this is the fourth straight day of hazardous air quality. on monday evening in the south

of beijing, the air quality index as measured by the government's own monitoring stations reached nearly a thousand. that's how serious it was on monday evening. the government has pledged b by 2013 its emissions will have peaked, that means we're going to have many more days like this or perhaps even worse. into the meantime, the government is ordering factories to slow the output or close. schools are not closed but many parents are choosing to keep their children home. >> a plane crash that killed 162 people. the first official explanation since the plane came down in the java se sea last december.

>> more than a 11 months after the crash investigators have revealed the final report. they were forced to pla fly the plane manually. the airbus began to roll left and right and almost flew vertically. the co-pilot was flying the plane, together with the captain failed to gain control. >> the recommendation that the pilots be trained, and second recommendation with airbus to provide and prevent the pilot

improvise. >> that's what did he. >> yes, that's what happened. >> a very serious message for the national transport commission. pilots get more training to fly their planes manual in upset condition. the commission never points fingers as to who is to blame for an air crash, but the message to the pilots are clear. >> it took rescuers more than two months to recover 106 of the 162 bodies from the remains o of the jet from the bottom of the sea. this woman lost her 24-year-old son who worked as a flight attend. his body was recovered five days after the crash. to her the outcome of the investigation does not make any difference. >> i cannot blame anybody. no human being would deliberately make this kind of mistake. i'm sure no one wants to fail in

his work. he must have done his best. >> following the accident, airbus has included upset and recovery training for pilots in their manuals and the technical failure to cause the alarms to sound during the flight have been resolved. and investigators are insisting that airasia should improve the way it's aircraft are maintained. al jazeera, jakarta. >> four vessels have left for southwestern japan for the whaling seas where the fleets are planning to kill 400 whales. japan insists it is done for scientific reasons and not commercial purposes. harry fawcett has the latest from japan.

>> they'll meet up with two ou other vessels as they head towards the antarctic ocean. they told the crew that they were not happier for this day because of the ruling that japan's scientific ruling had no scientific basis. there was no need to kill the whales in order to monitor their population, eating habits and reproduction. but japan has always said that they want to resume commercial whaling. that's why this research is necessary, and it will continue, it says, to take a reduce number a third of what it used to take, 333 whales every year between now and 2027. the government said it does not

agree with the concept of killing whales for research, and it has been examining it's legal options. and they said, that it, too, will be sailing towards the antarctic ocean to resume the tactics that are used against these whaling vessels in the past. >> puerto rico has made a crucial payment. there was speculation that the u.s. territory was going to default, which could have triggered lawsuit and encourag discouraged investment. it is in debt $72 billion. >> many predict a change of tide. al jazeera's virginia lopez spoke with supporters who vow to

protect the late leader. >> a free musical education for her granddaughter is one of the achievements of venezuela's revolution that they enjoy. she said that the social and political transformations achieved during the hugo chavez government run deep, and the crime problems and chronic shortages are not enough to sway the vote. >> venezuelas have to wait outside shops to get what we need. today i came home without toilet paper, but i still support the revolution. >> known for its revolutionary fervor and being homed to armed groups vow to defend the revolution. such is the level that hugo chavez, two local leaders

consider long side jesus christ in a predominantly catholic country and raise no eyebrows. but even in strongholds like these, polls have shown that support has faded and for the first time in 16 years the opposition could control the 167-seat congress. for robert longa, a government defeat is unthinkable. we will remain in the streets to defend the revolution. >> referring as a social movement with public spaces covered with murals.

the wave of violent protests that left 43 people dead show along side security forces. with stakes still high many fear renewed episodes of violence could flare-up once more. sunday's election could be as much a test of democracy as the future of the ruling party. al jazeera, caracas. >> still ahead on the program. how this robot submarine could revolutionize how shipwrecks are explored. and raul will tell why manchester city are about to get even richer.

>> we have all the day's sports news, raul? >> thank you very much. the golden state warriors continue to enjoy their best-ever start to a season. it's a record extending 19 consecutive games unbeaten. now steph curry had to be in top form against the utah jazz. >> every team in the league would like to be the one who finally ends the golden state warriors' start. the utah jazz with their first opponent for a seven-game road trip.

>> they were 57-48 at the end of the first half. they had 20 points for the night. but the jazz saved their best for the final period as they hit the, prompting steph curry to lift his game. >> 33-good. and we're tied. >> back and forth, and the game was level again with 51 seconds left on the clock. it was curry who clinched it, finishing with a tally of 26 points. >> curry, good! he untie it is. >> the result takes the warriors over all unbeaten record to 23 games dating back to last season. that's the third longest streak in nba history. they'll need four more wins to equal the miami heat from

the 2012-2013 seasons while the 1971-72 l.a. lakers hold the overall record with 33 straight wins. >> next up for golden state, the charlotte hornets on wednesday where the streak goes on the line. >> now in a few hours time kobe bryant will play his first game for the lakers since announcing his retirement. most of the attention won't be on bryant. it will be on the laker's opponent. so, another defeat on tuesday the season records their worst-ever start to a season. >> well, sunday's defeat was the

76s defeat that stretches back to last season. they have the longest losing streak in american sports. >> bangladesh were a four-test playing nation, but they still managed to record 28 defeats in all formats from 2003 to 2004. but undoubtedly, the world championship of losers, the panthers lost a remarkable 80 consecutive games over a period of ten years between 1989 and 1998. no wonder he's so upset. investors in a stake in

manchester city. that will take the value of city's parent group $3 billion. the plan is to expand the fan base in asia. the group's football club portfolio including new york city fc and the marinos. >> chelsea have submitted plans for a new stadium. thchelsea said in a statement on their website that the planning process will last beyond the end of the season. in spain atletico madrid has taken the advantage in the copa

del rey. they're also keeping the pressure on league leaders barcelona, barca are now able to boast they have the top player in la liga in their ranks. >> lionel messi. >> they were shocked to find out that he was named striker of the year in a ceremony in barcelona. he was short listed for the award where others are in contention. >> the truth is i'm very happy and grateful for this award and this recognition. i think after the year we have winning everything we deserve these awards and maybe more. we're happy and grateful for the recognition that we received today. >> despite scouring his third formula one title, luis hamilt

lewis hamilton with his next goal of matching schumaker's seventh title. that's still tar from his mind. >> i got into formula one, and i wanted to be front and center. there was no other driver. now i'm just focused on--i don't have to look at other drivers as targets. i'm my own target now. >> great britain's winning cup team with david cameron. the team which includes the world's number two andy murray won the first cup since 1936.

they shot off the version of the trophy. murray won two other matches in the best of five finals. that's all your sport now, more for later. >> thank you. researchers in estonia are testing a robot submarine that they hope will revolutioniz revolutionize submarine. it is currently remote controlled. the next step is to make it fully autonomous so it can navigate shipwrecks by itself. >> you can find out much more on our website. the address for that is www.aljazeera.com. all the stories with plenty of analysis you can find there. we'll be back with much more of the day's news. bye bye.

>> confronting isil, the u.s. expanding special forces on the ground in iraq and potentially in syria. >> i'm julie mcdonald. also coming up, 16 lebanese soldiers freed in a prisoner exchange with the al nusra front rebels return home. burkina faso elects its first leader in four decades. >> anand