>> a spanish policeman has died after a huge explosion in the diplomatic area of kabul. the taliban claims it is responsible. >> hello, i'm maryam nemazee. you're watching al jazeera, live from london. also coming up, rival governments sign an u.n.-backed agreement bringing hope of an united leadership bolivia. hopes of a major deal on climate change as negotiators extend their deadline to reach an agreement. and bringing an icon, russian novel back to the people. a cast of a thousand take part

in the reading of tolstoya's classic "wawarwar and peace." >> a spanish policeman has died after a car bomb exploded outside of the spanish embassy in a heavily protected area of the afghan area of kabul. three attackers were involved in the incident during the evening rush hour. this hathere had been a shootout between the men and the police, that's still going on. al jazeera's jennifer glasse is in kabul for us. from there she sins this report. >> it started with a car bomb explosion. it went off near the spanish embassy. >> at first i thought it was a gas balloon explosion. i don't know where the explosion was, but i saw two wounded.

>> taliban fighters exchange gunfire with afghan police and security forces. the taliban said that the target was a guesthouse for foreign centers. >> the car was blown up. we turned off the lights in the area and they started searching the vicinity and nearby houses. >> the area is heavily guarded. home to senior government officials, ngos and medical clinics. the blast was closest near the spanish embassy. >> we can all be targets of terror attacks. all of us, any western country. in this case it was not an attack against the spanish embassy. >> let's get more now at richard white center of the military

analysis. thank you very much for speaking to us. so this attack in the afghan capital follows the capture of the crucial city of kunduz, and it has seen an attack in the south of the country. is this about the growing strength or afghan growing weakness? >> i think it's a combination of three factors. i'm not sure if i would call it growing strength. at least it's clear that the taliban is in an important fighting force despite the efforts of the u.s. to try to weaken them, and the afghan national security forces. it's also true that the afghan government and military is weak, in particular the divisions within the afghan government have appeared to negatively affect the morale of the security forces. there is another factor. the taliban is feeling divisions

and pressures from more extremist groups, the islamic state and others, which is causing at least some of them to behave more aggressively, more assertively with the other extremists. >> does that make the taliban more or less owe tent when the government uses those weaknesses and that division to their advantage some how? >> right, well, that's what makes it interesting. it will cut two ways. i think on one hand the threat the taliban is facing from being outmaneuvered from the islamic state, which has adopted a harder line, they will take their own firm stance. that's what you're seeing the high profile attacks. on the other hand, it's also going to give the taliban an incentive at least some of them

to make some kind of peace agreement bus if there were to be a peace agreement, that would allow them to basically unite forces de facto not officially, and outmaneuver and defeat the islamic state. i fear what will happen is that there will be both processes. there will be more of the taliban and those who want peace, and as we discussed the afghan security forces have their own weaknesses. there are militias fighting the taliban at the expense of another? >> right, what makes it even more complex there are other factors involved. uncertainty over pakistani policy. there is uncertainy how long nato and u.s. forces will

remain. that's what makes it hard to forecast what the long-term effects will be. there are so many issues at play. i think it is clear that any peace, any end in the fight something harder to achieve and take longer than many of us would hope. >> thank you very much. we appreciate your analysis. >> now libya's rival factions have agreed to sign an u.n.-backed agreement that will lead to the formation of an international unity government. we have reports now from roam where more talks will be taking place. >> leaders will meet on sunday to get what officials are calling a decisive push in libya. an u.n. draft deal has been on the table for months. now leaders say it will be

signed on december 16th. that follows last week's agreement in tunis, which saw the warring parties agree on the urgent need to work together. this latest announcement was made by u.n. special envoy, who held last-minute discussions with the two sides, and can be seen as a breakthrough. but they said that the way forward won't be easy. >> many problems will remain. they are always ready to support the new government of national accord. >> libya has been at war since the over throw of muammar qaddafi. there are armed groups who have rejected previous team attempts it's not clear if they will back the deal or give their support. the prime minister told us that

no deal is perfect, but he's hoping that the majority of libyans will put their differences aside. >> we won't have 100%. but i hope we have 90% because we need a solution. we have the responsibility. >> the international community ending the security and political vacuum in libya is their strategic priority, that's why they're pushing that they unite. >> the west is concerned about the growing strength of isil. some officials say that libya is becoming what they're describing as a fallback position for the

armed group since it has been coming under pressure in syria and iraq. italy in particular is concerned. not just because of migrants and refugees use libya as a transit point to reach europe, but isil is just a few hundred kilometers away. >> and isil has been trying to take more ground attempting to push into more areas where oil and gas terminals are giving it a source of revenue. the u.s. has carried out a few airstrikes, and the international community has not ruled out the option of concer concerted military action. >> i think that we have now concentrate not on plan b, but on the effort of the international community to reach a diplomatic agreement. the only solution--the only stable solution is a libyan unity government to stabilize the country. >> for now there is an agreement.

the days ahead, however, will given an indication on whether the u.n. deal has the quorum to form what can be called a national unity government. a deal without libya's main political and military actors could be a recipe for even more violence. al jazeera, rome. >> now we have more from the tunisian capital tunis. >> why these talks have succeeded where others have failed is because the sense of urgency. the clock is ticking, and the fact that groups are affiliated with isil and taking more important territory effecting the oil industry, that has been a wake-up call to these libyan delegates who have been fighting it out for so long. basically part of the deal will mean a presidential council will rule along side the union night government where all sides will be represented. there are many elephants in the room. where will this unity government

be placed? and there is no mention of general haftar, the head of the libyan army in the east right now. these could impact the stability of this new unity government. >> the participates and the political dialogue highlighted the urgency, the time factor, libya is in a race against time. it is very social fabric, national unity and territorial integrity is directly endangered in the forces of extremism of terrorism, the acts of daesh, which are seeking to extend their influence, the areas under their immediate control. >> now it's been reported that the son of libya's deposed leader muammar qaddafi has been

kidnapped in lebanon. a video shows him being held by a group demanding information about a shia cleric. he went missing in libya in the 1970s. his disappearance has long been blamed on the libyan leader. many fled libya during the arab spring, and forced the leader into hiding before he was eventually killed. >> the islamic state in iraq and the levant has claimed responsibility for the killing of 22 people in a kurdish-hell town in syria. they were killed on thursday. the area is a base for kurdish fighters battling isil and security forces are thought to be among the dead. groups meeting in a conference in riyadh have grayed t agreed to the basic principles.

it includes a plan for the removal of president bashar al-assad, but assad said he's unwilling to leave syria, and has the support of the majority of the country. he also said he's unwilling to negotiate with what he calls terrorists, but will speak to the opposition if they're unarmed. >> we were ready and we are ready today to start the negotiation world trade center opposition, but it depends on the definition of opposition. opposition for everyone in this world does not mean militant. there is a big difference between militants, terrorists and opposition. opposition is a political term not a military term. >> in other developments u.s. secretary of state john kerry is headed to moscow on tuesday to hold talks with the kremlin over the syrian peace process. our washington core ponce dent roslind jordan has this update. >> the purpose of the meeting between u.s. secretary of state john kerry and his russian

counterpart sergei lavrov next week is to hash out the two countries' concerns about the war in syria and the proposals on the table. they're trying to get to some sort of peace talks between the government of bashar al-assad and the political and military opposition. it is not, however, going to be expected to be a meeting that reveals or leads to anything in the way of a significant break through because that is still to come. however, there is a meeting next from where those involved in the international effort try to broker peace talks might have something more concrete to discuss. however, there is some concern that there might be a rushing, as it were, of the peace process because even though the political and military opposition had just formed what they say is an umbrella group to try to broker some sort of peace deal, it does not mean that the

group is strong enough to go through but could be a projected negotiating period. analysts suggest that the situation is such that bashar al-assad will have to have something that will compel him to step away from power. >> still coming from al jazeera this half hour, we'll have the latest of who will succeed robert mugabe. and the ethical merits of altering human dna.

>> welcome back. you're watching al jazeera. let's take you to the top stories. a spanish policeman has died when a car exploded near the spanish embassy compound in kabul. libya's factions have agreed to an u.n.-backed unity government that is set to sign that next week. and reports are emerging muammar qaddafi's son has been kidnapped in lebanon. now financing the cost of tack tackling climate change remains one of the top sticking points in paris. the summit has been extended for an extra day, but delegates insist they're close to reaching a deal to cut carbon emissions and slow global warming.

>> all night and all day they worked. all night and all day again. still there, there is no resolution. we're told they are close. >> after the consultations that i'll have, i'll be in position to present a text to all the parties which i'm sure will be approved w, which will be a big step forward for all of humanity. >> i think we're in a pretty good place. there is a struggle. there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we can do it, but there are positions that are quite hard to get to. it is quite political at the moment. we've moved past the substance. we've got a lot of good text. there is lots that we can live with, we need to push the bar and not make it below the common denominator.

even though you put them in like-minded groups, the regional groupings, there are some issues that are tough. i think we're on a good path. it's a struggle to get over the hill and deal with what we really need and not just with what we want. >> it is the same old problems blocking progress, the issue of finance, who pays who what. ambition of how to get to two degrees and below. and that old argument between developed and developing nations. it's all about what countries are prepared to tradeoff, and some feel poor nations are getting a raw deal. >> the loss and damage is an important concept. that's the whole concept that the poorest countries in the world that had nothing to do in the climate change needs to have some mechanism, some process where they can get compensated, some risk management litigation. it has led to a very key point in this negotiation. >> what do scientists make of

it? >> we need to cut emissions by 40% to 50% by 2050. those things are out. at the moment emissions need to peak and then in the next half of the century we emissions neutrality. >> oil producing countries like saudi arabia and venezuela seem to be blocking progress, particularly over the issue of decarbonization. when it comes the deal will be full of compromises but it is hoped to be the foundation of a safer, cleaner future for all. nick clark, al jazeera, paris. >> at least a dozen gunmen have been killed after they launch coordinated attacks on three army bases in burundi. another 21 suspects were arrested after they attempted to stock up on weapons and

ammunition. at least five soldiers were injured. now zimbabwe's party is holding it's 15th annual national conference. it's a long time leader robert mugabe wants to find an away around division. >> let's be one and work together. the people's call. there rewe main what?

the people's party. >> now one of the inventors of genetic editing procedures is calling for tighter restrictions on human dna restoration. >> at johns hopkins university, these mice are providing embryos for cells whose genes are being manipulated to fix what nature has broken. it's a simple and precise method of altering the dna of any organism. what it is called editing software for the genome. >> we can go to a specific chromosome to a specific spot to one of the millions of nuclei molecules that make up that dna and can change it. >> they say cutting it, removing

it or replacing with a healthy one. >> we can generate mutations that represent patience and we can also athlete those mutations, we will design lines that allow drug discover. >> i and to correct mutations. not just in any patient but future generations of their families as well. one company said that by 2017 it plans to begin clinical trials in children who curve from a c congenital defect that causes them to go blind. it could raise the specter of an industry that could produce designer babies. that's one of the reasons why they're making a global appeal for a moratorium until ground rules can be set for its application in human beings. >> in the end this technology will be used for human genome

engineering, but i think to do that without careful consideration and discussion of the risks and potential applications would not be responsible. >> yet chinese researchers have already attempted to modify human embryos. it has failed so far. >> japan's prime minister is on a three-day state visit to india india. shinzo abe is likely to finalize an agreement that will pave the way for japan to sell arms to india. abe is also expected to seal a $15 billion deal to bull india's first high-speed bullet trade. they've forged closer economic and defense ties with india's assertiveness in the asian region. >> a strong india is good for japan. and a strong japan is good for india. further, strong indo.

japan relations will create prosperous relations. >> prime minister was defending his policies when another attempted to present him a bunch of red roses in protest and then tried to manhandle him away from the podium, which prompted others to weigh in and support him. now in a birthday tribute. the only heir to the thai thrown there was a tribute called "bike for dad. they're all supporting yellow jerseys the longest reigning monarch turned 88 on the 25th.

now it's taken four days and four nights in a cast of 1,300 russians to read through three volumes of ""war and peace." the classic is often more talked about than read. now they're trying to bring the book back to the people as rory challands reports from moscow. >> and so it began. from moscow, st. petersburg, siberia, the arctic circle and the caucus, they're all taking turn to read from the opus. a great granddaughter of tolstoy and one of the driving forces behind this project.

>> it is uncomfortable for the russian society because he questions a lot of key rules of the--how society is--he questions the power, the government when you read "war and peace," the battles are--we understand that war is the awfullest thing in the world. >> he described "war and peace" not as a novel. less of a poem, and still less historical chronicle. what it is epic. over four volumes it tells th the author's interpretation of napoleon's effort to take over russia. it does not limit to the timeless quality. >> russian litter does not generally give answers. it asks questions, and we're

still trying to solve them. >> it feels like he's still nearby advising us on life. in the book there are simple people and politicians, and he those off a crane of mistakes that everyone makes mistakes, and we should be able to overcome them. >> great fanfare, this reading of "war and peace" has been broadcast live on russian television, radio, and online. the project's creators call it an unifying event. they say that great literature can bring people together in troubled times. whoever they are wherever they are. of course, i count do a report on reading "war anwarwawar and peace" without a go myself. here it goes. he ran off under a hail of bullets that poured down on him but luckily missed him. he wanted one thing, to find out what was going on and rectify it

in all costs in the era. if you want to know what happens next, read the book. if you're quick it will take about four days and four nights. rory challands. al jazeera, moscow. >> here is where you need to go for more on everything that we're covering, www.aljazeera.com. northwestern university is in the middle of a 40 hour work week. >> they are traveling more than even 10 years ago, they're being asked to sacrifice more they're asked to treat their sport as a year-round endeavor. so the demands on them are so intense that it has put them in a situation where it's like a fight or die situation.