i think what you heard there was a rallying call to try and encourage all the delegates to get this agreement over the finishing line. the fact that you heard from ban ki-moon and francois hollande and the minister himself all just putting people to make that final effort to get the agreement done. it clearly shows that there is still some disagreement within that text, but it's also interesting because he only gave the delegates an hour before they should reconvene to look at the text, and then he will call the plenary and then we will see what happens then. so it's unclear exactly how that will pan out. what we will be able to do very shortly is to able to get an idea of what's in the text and we will talk to our experts here and gauge from that about the final agreement. there's a lot of rallying calls and the likes from francois hollande who said that history is here.

there are still demands to be met and he said failure will confine ourselves - failure would be to confine ourselves to the natural interests. you have to ask yourself one question, do you want an agreement and that's what everybody has to go away and look at this text and come up with the right answer what has been the major sticking points up until now over the past two weeks at the summi summit? >> reporter: well, what it did with the previous draft text was really highlight, to hone in on the main issues, which is finance, ambition and responsibility. these are the old problems that have always cropped up. finances, mainly the issue of 100 billion dollars which the developed countries agreed to provide developing countries by 2020. it hasn't been clear where that money is coming from or the pathway to getting that money.

athis conference what has been interesting is how the richer nations, the developed nations, have been encouraging the richer developing nations like india and china to come to the party too and throw money into the climate fund, and those like india and china think that's a bad why idea. so there has been a big tussle about how that should pan out. when we talk about ambition, it's the road to get to the 2 degrees c target, how to make sure the temperatures stay below 2 degrees c. before this conference you had these so-called ingcs, nationally determined contributions which meant that all the countries came up with their own voluntary contributions towards reducing emissions. the problem with that was that a lot of them did, all of them did, about 183 countries did it, but it only enabled a reduction

2.7 or 3 degrees. which was above. there needs to be a road map to get to the retired 2 degrees c. what has been mentioned a lot was 91.5 degrees-- 1.5 degrees target. a lot of low-lying states have been pushing to for that. scientists says 2 is insufficient. 1.5 is now in the text. that's one good thing, but it's not clear exactly what the main point of defyings is. we will find out shortly the people that you've spoken to, do they believe that they will get a strong final agreement here or a strong text or weak? >> reporter: it depends who you speak to. i think the middle ground is probably the way you go. i don't think it's going to be perceived as a universally strong agreement. the thing is here, you're dealing with more than 190

countries and to get them all to agree on the way forward is a nearly impossible task as it has proved over the last 10/20 years. here we are on the brink and it may be able to happen. it may not be the strong agreement that people want, but it could be that launching pad that will enable the world, countries and economies, to start adjusting to make the move forward to dealing with climate change, and cleaning up the atmosphere okay. we will leave it there for now. thank you very much for the time being. let's just listen into the u.n. chief ban ki-moon who spoke and addressed the delegates just a short time ago. >> as to climate change are on the table. they are ours for the taking now. let us have the courage to grasp them. i look forward to joining you later today to celebrate an

agreement that will offer new hope for safety, prosperity and happiness for all on a healthy planet crossing over to the philippines and we will speak to our correspondent in manila. the philippines, one of the countries that has really felt the effects of global warming. >> reporter: yes, indeed. what they want to see here is a pledge from the richer developed nations for financial aid to help with those effects of global warming. the country sees more than 20 storms on average every year. these are coming in more frequently and the rains are actually stronger. it's taking much longer for communities to rehabilitate and recover from such storms before another storm comes in again. so the country really desperate for help from the international community. they're, obviously, very commitmented to the goal of this climate change-- committed-- but

they were concerned over some of the language and wording. they found it too soft and a little too aspirational. so they will be looking at every single sentence of this draft agreement before they agree to it what is it that they wanted to see in this draft agreement? the draft agreement, we understand, is now being put to the delegates. >> reporter: yes. what they wanted to see, there is that pledge of a billion hundred dollars in aid from the developed countries to the developing nations. that is something they did want to see there stated very clearly. another thing that concerns the philippine delegation was liability. they wanted the richer nations to take more of a responsibility for the damage that their greenhouse emissions have caused to the climate. now, this is something that the richer nations did not want to put in writing. in fact, as much as they wanted

to aid the more developing-- emerging countries, cut down as well as find ways to adapt to the effects of global warming, they did not want to take responsibility for any kind of future damage that this might cause the countries that are on the so-called front line of climate change. this is something that the philippines definitely did not to see in the agreement. they wanted the richer nations to take responsibility, they wanted it to state liability and compensation thank you for that update from manila. let's find out what china wants to see in that agreement. across to adrian brown in beijing. what reaction we could possibly get from china as we await to find out the exact details of that draft agreement. >> reporter: i'm sure that china will want to basic in the

glory, if there is, indeed, glory in paris. it has been trying to rehabilitate its image. china doesn't want to considered the bad boy in the environmental debate. china is unique. it is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, but it is also spending possibly more money than any other country that tackling pollution. when china went to paris, it said it wanted to be involved in decisions that were pragmatic and balanced. it wants to remind the world that even though it's the world's second largest economy, it is also a developing country. the reason for that ask this: if china were to be classified as an industrialed nation-- industrialed nation like the unites stated it would have to contribute to the fund to help

nations that are suffering the worst from climate change. that's why it has been clinging to the status of a developing nation and that's one of the reasons of friction in paris. this summit was opened at an embarrassing moment for china pause for the past few weeks we have suffered some of the worst mrulgs the capital city has seen in many years and in a sense that has giving-- pollution-- the government a wake-up call because there is growing discontent, even anger, about the rising levels of pollution here. people want to know what the government's long-term strategy is if, indeed, it has one. now, the government actually has been quite open about the problem compared to the way it was, say, several years ago when it censored information about the air quality. that no longer happens of the state media has free reign to report on what is happening.

their coverage on the atmosphere that is been detailed and expansive. a few days china imposed a red pollution alert, the first time it has ever done that. that led to a series of emergency measures which saw the number of cars on the road curbed, factories had to reduce their output, some closed, and schools were closed. that was simply a stop-gap approach. it didn't really have the desired effect. what cleared away the pollution a few days ago was strong northerly winds that swept through bay jane. it-- beijing. it was nothing the government did. they can control most things, the government, but it can't control the weather. so what people here want to know, as they do really in the west of the world, is what is china's long-term strategy because without a long-term strategy, really, whatever is signed in paris won't make a difference thank you for the time being. adrian was just referring to

what potentially could be signed in paris. i will bring you up to speed now. it is the final day with the climate talks and we heard from the french foreign minister that a draft climate pact that has been hammered out, he said it is ambitious, balanced, and if adopted it would be an historic point to keeping temperature rises to below 2 degrees. the delegates will have a look at that draft, final agreement, and the question is whether it will be adopted or not. so the draft text will then be submitted to a plenary session on saturday. we have to wait to see if a consensus is achieved and what happens after that. we will keep you posted on all

the developments coming out of paris. we're covering the story extensively on al jazeera and we will bring you all the latest news. a cease fire in yemen will start on december 14. that has been announced by the head of the delegation. he will be heading to sitser land for peace talks. the country has been engulfed in conflict ever since a saudi led coalition intervened to take on houthi rebels this year. a day after 15 people were killed in coordinated attacks at a military site in burundi's capital bujumbura, we are getting reports of at least 40 people being found dead on the streets of the capital. let's get more detail from martin webb. you have spoken to eyewitnesses in burundi. what have they told you? >> reporter: that's right.

they say (audio distorted)

thank you for giving us that update. polls over in saudi arabia have opened and they're being described as ground breaking elections and that is because women are being allowed to not only vote but they're also allowed to stand as candidates there. joining us now from riyadh. >> reporter: so far it has been a smooth process. you will maybe get the impression at the poling stations that these were historic elections because the turn outs haven't been as strong as in other places, but there are reasons behind that. it is important to know this is the only time a saudi arabian has been allowed to vote.

can you tell me what's your impressions of how the voting has been so far and how the turn out has been with regards to your expectations? > reporter: how has the turnout been so far?

voters because the women are voting in another place it which we can't access. can you tell me what you're hearing from your colleagues maybe there? > reporter: some people are saying that, yes, it's good that women are finally getting their right to vote and even be candidates in this election, but there is a funny reality, that a woman could be elected into the council but she won't be able to drive to her office. >> this is not a big deal. this is a habit. no women drive. women go to the markets, they go to the works, their jobs, they

go to every place to invitations or parties, different places with their family members, brothers, fathers and some other times with the drivers, private drivers. so it is not a big deal. we are actually used to it. this is not a bad thing for women. they come. >> reporter: thank you very much for your time >> thanks a lot. >> reporter: as you've heard, the process has been smooth, although numbers are picking up as ahmed was mentioning. it is important to bring a few facts and figures. there's about 1.2 million women eligible to vote. only 130,000 have actually registered, which means only about 10% of the population that will be voting. nonetheless, what a lot of the

authorities is saying is that it's a start and when there is a new era taking place in any country, it does take a form of gradualisism to take place. a lot of people are hoping that this will be the beginning of maybe establishing more rights and more freedoms for that section of society if not across the board thank you very much for that update from riyadh. a son of lybiy's deposed president has been held captive. the coucourt of appeal in cairo

dismissed a hearing. it will now be heard in february. it caused 37 people being retried after being resentenced to death or life in prison. an iraqi army commander and six soldiers have been killed in a suicide bomb attack. the explosion was at border. i.s.i.l. fighters have captured largest areas. the capital of ambar. nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. syria's president says he is willing to find a political solution to the war, but won't negotiate with armed groups. opposition factions needing in saudi arabia have agreed to peace talks with syrian government leaders in january. the u.s. is cautiously optimistic. >> reporter: early days of the cease fire in homs after nearly

five years of civil war the syrian government once again controls that city. some hope this might cause as a template for a broader national cease fire. an umbrella group will try to negotiate peace with the regime next year. >> there are some questions and obviously a couple of, in our judgment, kinks to be worked out. i'm confident that they're going to be worked out. >> reporter: what could hold up the talks that president gad quit before power. >> translation: god willing, we will not be negotiating with killers. if this conference does not aim for the fall of the regime, then we will not accept it. >> translation: our first goal is the removal of bashar al-assad. >> reporter: not surprisingly

russia rejects the opposition's demand. >> translation: when we hear of such talk as let's first decide the fate of bashar al-assad, it brings into question the priorities that guide our partners. >> reporter: bashar al-assad is going further, suggesting the opposition isn't a legitimate representative of the syrian people's will. >> it depends on the deck in addition of opposition. opposition for everyone in this wrorld doesn't mean militant. >> reporter: so what could compel him to step aside. >> people have to believe that they can get a better deal on the table rather than on the battle field. the only way you make him afraid to lose is putting him under significant military pressure. >> reporter: in moscow the president defended his stance. >> translation: use of the most modern high precision weapon helped us change the situation

is syria. >> reporter: leaders said they're expecting moscow to do what is promised >> >> in order to stop propping up the bashar al-assad regime, help us bring this civil war to an end, stop bombing the opposition groups that have been opposed to bashar al-assad. >> reporter: trying to raise war against one and trying to broker an end to another. a difficult balancing act with no degree of success in afghanistan seven people have been killed in a taliban siege. four afghan policemen and two span yards died in an attack in kabul. >> reporter: the attack started with a car bomb explosion that could be heard around the city. it went off just by the spanish embassy. >> translation: at first i thought it was a gas balloon explosion. i don't know where the explosion was, but i saw two wounded.

>> reporter: taliban fighters exchanged gun fire with afghan police and security forces. the taliban says the target was a guest house for foreigners. the fighters claimed to have them trapped inside the building. >> translation: the car was blown up. after the blast happened we turned the lights off in the area and special sources started searching. >> reporter: the area is heavily guarded. home to senior governor officials, ngas, medical clinics. >> translation: we can all be targets of terrorist attacks, all of us, any western country, but in this case it was not an attack against a spanish embassy. >> reporter: this was the taliban's third high-profile that tack in four days the chinese internet giant alibaba has bought the biggest

english language papers in the country. >> reporter: not surprisingly news of the long anticipated sale to alibaba was front page of the newspaper itself. with its 112 year history the post is considered by many the paper of record in its china coverage >> >> reporter: in an open letter to readers, it pledges to uphold the editorial writing. when it comes to china coverage, it adds the world needs a plurality of views with a western bias in much of the mainstream media. the fear for many is that under the founder, that will translate into a self-censorship of china stories. >> he is also very close to the party and state leaders of china, so it is most unlikely that he would want his newspaper

to run critical articles about individual leaders or major policies. >> reporter: a former china editor of the post who says many colleagues at the paper are unhappy with what they see as an erosion of hong kong's press freedom. >> they figure if they can control the mass media in hong kong, it will facilitate their effort to enhance political control of hong kong. >> reporter: the post joins other media entities being acquired by mainland owners, but the trend is also leading to an online news alternatives. in both contonese and english. >> if you look at what we intend to do and the response we've got, then i think the appetite for free press in hong kong is still there. >> reporter: changing

technology opening up new fronts in the battle for hong kong's media a professor of politics at the chinese university of kang kang and he explains the motivation. >> this is a plan by the chinese government to boost the soft power projection around the world and the morning post being an influential paper in asia-pacific region it will be used to project soft power and also ensure that alibaba is accepting the coverage will no longer be biassed japanese bullet trains on the way to india. japan is to invest in india's first high speed line. a preliminary agreement on nuclear power plants has also

been signed. >> we greatly appreciate the prime minister's aid of approximately 12 billion u.s. dollars and technical assistance on very easy terms for this project. this enterprise will launch an evolution in indian railways and square up our journey into the future marijuana smokers in mexico hope they are one step towards legal the drug. four permit holders have been granted the right for possession of marijuana. stay with us on al jazeera.

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