>> burundi's president said he doesn't want the african union to send peacekeeping troops to his country to stop the silence there. the a. usaid that burundi is on the brink of civil war and will send 5,000 soldiers without the government's consent. they told al jazeera why they won't be wonderfulle--welcomed. >> there are international regressions in sending peace keepers in any given country in the world. we as the government believe that these regulations have not been followed because the center has not been consulted on this, and was surprised that troops are being prepared to be sent to burundi. and which has an army and a police which are fully functioning. we don't believe that the u.n.

security council is going to back such a solution. they passed a resolution, and they didn't point to anything that would point to a situation where peace keepers would be needed in burundi, and very recently there is a special enjoy in the u.n. council, who was here in burundi, who received an audience by the president of burundi, he went back to the u.n. who said that there was no need for burundi to be considered as a place where peace keepers should be sent. they have a small contingent that will involved burundi in the country and outside of the country. >> we have more from burundi's capital. >> the african union peace and

security council decided to send 5,000 troops and policemen with the mandate to protect civilians and ensure that the ground is laid with peace talks and his opponents. the troops will be mainly drawn from east african nations and if the events of last week that move african union as well as the united nations to call for urgent action to insure that about a run di does not slide back into chaos. the violence in burundi started after the president announced that he was seeking a third term in office. now the violence that's been going on in the past few months has affected life in general in burundi, and has hit the economy, which the international monetary funds says is going to shrink by 7.2% this year. >> rwanda's said that base on votes counted so far.

98% who voted in friday's referendum are in favor of their president running in further terms in office. in addition to that seven-year team they would be eligible to serve two further five-year terms and he could stay in power until 2034. we have this update. >> the elect traditional commission said that 98.3% voters said yes to change the constitution, to change it's presidential term limits. they also said in what is an unusual kiss begins that the voter turn out was 98.3%. critics of which there are few here. very few in rwanda who criticize officials, they say that rwanda's polling results are not credible, and there isn't a free and fair environment here to conduct conducive polls as people vote in a climate of

intimidation and fear. they were questioned and it was a true reflection of the will of the rwandan people because they want to keep them in power after 2017. >> the car bomb has gone off in somali capital. the attack was carried out in a busy street in downtown mogadishu. there has been no claim of responsibility for the blast. but the armed group al-shabab has been behind a series of attacks in the capital. >> iraq has opened an investigation into an u.s.-led coalition airstrikes on fallujah which killed nine iraqi soldiers. the coalition jets targeted fighters in the city on friday.

an airstrike thought to be carried out by an u.s. plane hit when both sides were in close combat. >> the air forces were not able to fly due to bad weather. there was an airstrike which killed them. investigations are ongoing by the iraqi and the american sides. >> well, the u.s. military will launch it's own investigation and admits it may have been a mistake made by both sides. >> these kinds of things happen when you're fighting side by side as we are, and we recommitted ourselves to that campaign against isil. so it is a regrettable incident. we both know that these things happen in war. >> the u.n. special envoy to syria will send out invitations to talks in january on the u.n.-backed peace plan in the

country. the security council backed for plans for talks between syrian government and opposition when the cease-fire will start in january. but who will take part of those talks as well as the future of syria's president bashar al-assad. >> a unanimous vote for a timeline with face-to-face talks and possibly a cease-fire in just a matter of weeks. but this resolution was the result of very last-minute negotiations. it's a demonstration of the difficulty of the task ahead, and the minister who is were arriving in new york talks were still under way. diplomats ultimately reporting to the russian foreign minister were fighting with their counterparts over many of the words and details of the resolution. when it was finally past it was praised by the current president of the security council the united states.

>> after four and a half years of war this is the first time we have been able to come together at the united nations' in the security council to embrace a road forward. during that time one syrian in 20 has been killed or wounded. one in five is a refugee. one in two has been displaced. the average life expectancy in syria has dropped by 20 years. >> here in the corridors and offices of the united nations they now face a tough challenge convening peace talks between the syrian government and the syrian opposition next month in january. there are still many unresolved issues who should be in that opposition delegation, and which groups should not be allowed to go to those peace talks or even take part in the future of syria because they're designated as terrorist groups. despite this the man charged with leading the peace efforts says it is now doable.

>> you remember the name "mission impossible"? well, "mission impossible" is becoming possible. >> but the hardest issue of all is still in dispute. the russian foreign minister again stressing it was not for the international community to decide his fate. >> so we talked about bashar al-assad's fate recently. president putin addressed the nation's annual press conference and if in principle we cannot agree with any approach that pre-supposes a certain vision of what the syrian leadership should look like. >> at one point he spoke in russian and secretary kerry was not getting the translation on his head set. this on the day the two men as well as the rest of the security council finally negotiated the exact language of the resolution, but will those

carefully agreed words still make sense to both men when they're put to the test in the coming months. james bays. united nations. >> for millions of syrian displaced they bring hope that they can finally return home. they've been talking with refugees living on the turkish side of the border to find out what they think of the peace plans. >> more than 30,000 syrians live in and around the ancient city just across the border in turkey. they're escaping the civil war but staying close enough that if peace comes they can quickly get home. hamaed is from aleppo. he thinks there will be no problem forming a transitional government that represents all syrians. >> syrians are one people. there are no problems between us. we lived together for hundreds of years when the revolution came everybody joined it. the reason the people rose up

was the assad family. >> if the price for peace is letting bashar al-assad stay in power for now, then so be it. >> let him stay if it means peace. we just need to go back to our country, our schools, our homes. we're tired of living in exile. we've had enough. >> but mohammed thinks that assad should go. >> if assad is allowed to stay in the country, so what will be left? every family in syria has been split up because of him, now we're expected to let him and his ugly regime stay? >> all of them want the fighting to end. >> the roof of our home has fall no one on us. can it get any worse? >> isil controls the territory on the other side of the border, and no one here is thinking of going home it until they have been cleared out.

bernard smith, al jazeera, marden. >> 18 people have died. ten of them children after a boat carrying refugees to greece sank. local fishermen alerted the local coast guard when they heard screaming. 14 horse were rescued and taken to opt. many in serious condition. many are said to be from iraq, pakistan and syria. 600 people have died taking the mediterranean sea route this year alone. still to come this half hour, yes, we can says sporters of spain's new left party. is it time for the prime minister to leave the stage? >> and the high price to pay for changing economic landscape. a community in iraq being affected by the loss of its river.

>> hello, a reminder of the top stories. spokesman for burundi's president has told al jazeera he does not want african troops deployed to the country. the a.u. believes the nation is on the brink of civil war and is prepared to send 5,000 peace keepers without burundi's accident. >> the. >> as u.n. sponsored peace talks in yemen wrapped up, troops loyal to the president has

gained control of an important city in the northwest. government forces have aseed the capital of. >> we're now at a government complex, the regional military command, and we've traveled 80 kilometers to reach this place. some other forces have gone to areas in the northwest. we'll continue t until we reach saada. we'll liberate all cities from the persian and those who want to attack our land, our religion and our dignity. >> nine tons of uranium meant to be shipped out of iran and to russia, to reduce its stock pile as part of the nuclear agreement.

uranium is used for autumnic power and nuclear weapons. authorities in switzerland are investigating a leading figure in a key muslim organization. it's on terror charges over videos allegedly made in syria. >> spain heads to the polls on sunday. the contest likely to bring to end the traditional two-party system. the people's party and socialists have alternated in power since 1982. the support now stands at 27% and 20% respectively. not much more than the new party of average of 19% and just two points behind another newcomer, close ally of greece's ruling party which has 17%.

many spaniards are disillusioned after six years of high unemployment and economic stagnation. barnaby phillips went out on the streets of madrid to talk with voters and found that people are interested in another contest right now, the lottery. >> this queue goes right around the block 300 meters or so, and it has nothing to do with sunday's elections. all these people have come here to buy lottery tickets for christmas. they've come to a particular kiosk in the center of town which apparently has a track record in selling winning numbers. i find all of this to be confusing. it does tell me that the spanish people do have enormous amounts of faith. but what about people in this queue and sunday's crucial elections? let's speak to them to find out what they're hoping for in the vote. >> we're now in the sixth year

of the crisis. i feel that the solution of the parties in europe doesn't work, so i feel that we need to chan change. >> i don't think anyone is happy with the state of the country. you'll see people living on th the streets. bravo to any party who can solve this problem. the right or the left, i don't care. [singing] >> this election will be unlike any we've seen in spain over the past four years. the expectation is that the old two-party system is over. the new parties on the left and on the right will get into parliament, and after the vote we may have to have a coalition or some sort of partnership between the different parties in

other words. predictions are hazardous. but i'll make one. i do not expect to see a queue the voters on sunday as along as in one. all of these people have come out to try to win the famous christmas lottery. >> going on strike sore wage cutstrike over wages. strikes have increased since prime minister alexis tsipras. >> i came all the way from the philippines to see the acropol acropolis.

>> i wanted to see what it was talking about: it's a big disappointment. >> again, if makes perfect sense, there is no better time than this. >> nigeria's army has commuted the death sentence handed down to 66 soldiers by giving them a ten-year prison sentence instead. the chief of staff made the decision. the 66 soldiers mutinied. they're reviewing other cases including 579 soldiers who were tried in secret last may. hundreds of people in nigeria have been protesting against the new law that will limit the use of social media.

people will be fined and even be sent to prison for spreading what it calls false information on social media. >> hundreds of people demonstrate outside the nigerian parliament in abuja. they want to stop the anti anti-social media bill from becoming law. if it does nigerias can face two years in prison and a $10,000 for what the government considers false statement about government officials and public institutions on social media. citizens would have to produce a court affidavit saying they're telling the truth. this woman is against the proposed law. she has been critical of the government's response to the kidnapping of 200 girls by boko haram last year, who still have not been rescued. >> it i is not a bill in the interest of the people.

the citizens should be able to have their voices to be heard. >> th >> we want to say, fine, if you believe what you're doing, you have freedom of information, which entitles you to look for whatever facts you want from any government office. and if you have those facts we have nothing to allow you to continue on falsehood. >> there are lies in social media. >> this social media club called "fix my yea nigeria" started an online campaign #no to social

media bill to fight the legislation. >> the law in itself has the potential to violate many human rights the institution protects that nigeria has signed up to regional and international levels. >> those against the proposed new law also say it would be impossible for the nigerian government to enforce it. >> before the frivolous petition can be called law, it has to be approved by nigerian's house of representatives and then sent to the president. if he doesn't approve it, senators say it could still become law. but given the controversy it has generated many civil society groups say it is unlikely to pass in its current form. >> firefighters are battling fires in victoria. temperatures crept above 40 degrees celsius, and strong winds made it difficult to

tackle the 300 blazes. the main road between melbourne and sydney has been closed, cooler tempt are expected on sunday, but the situation continues to be extremely dangerous. rivers are a crucial component of life on earth, but the environmental groups say that two-thirds of the world's rivers have been damaged by the 50,000 large dams built over the past century. some rivers no longer reach the ocean. it means once productive wetlands have been turned into ecological dead zones and over the years the rivers have lost 50% of its population, and a third of the fresh water fish species are threatened extinct. over the next few days we'll look at how people's health and livelihoods are effected by the

decline of the rivers. >> this field should be full of crops, but as far as the eye can see, nothing. the rivers that feed these fields have dried up. nothing can grow here. a landowner and environmentali environmentalist, he blames dam building in neighboring turkey for causing this crisis, and there is not a power following the war and now the rise of isil. >> these dams in turkey and lack of response from the government affected our crop. i'll give you an example. when we had water, 30 acres of land would produce a ton of barley a year. now it produce as kilo. >> they've had to resort to digging large wells, but it didn't enough and they only have enough water to air gate a thi --irrigate a third of their

land. >> this is a costly and time-consuming business. they need to dig deep into the ground between 30 and 150 meters to get the kind of water, clean water, they need to be able to irrigate these lands. that's not only having an impact environmentally, but also economically. >> during the harvest season thousands of people worked here. now just a handful are employed. across this region unemployment has risen dramatically. >> all the farmers here are desperate. i had to layoff 30 farmers who can provide for their families. now our markets are flooded with foreign products. >> to keep up with demand iraqi is deporting wheat and rice. the collapse of iraq's farming industry is concerning for many here. given the many challenges iraq faces. fixing the farming industry does not seem to be a priority.

al jazeera. kirkuk. >> in part two of our rivers of life series, we have reports from the mekong river in cambodia where plans to build dams anger many people and environmental experts. that's on sunday on al jazeera. >> engine trouble has been blamed for a ship running to trouble off the coast of indonesia. it was traveling in southeast sulawesi. it was carrying more than 100 people and reported to have sunk according to local media. all passengers are alive. rescue teams are working to reach them but strong waves have been making it difficult. people in the chinese capital have experienced another alarming day of pollution levels. beijing declared it's second red alert this month because of the smog. it settled over the city of some 23 million people overnight, and is forecast to last until tuesday. many cars have been forced off the roads and factory

productions have been restricted to try to ease the magazine. a poll has found a third of republicans and 19% of democrats support bombing an imaginary city from aladin. and a dockerred photo of presidential hopeful donald trump has the caption "bomb them." the latest "star wars" film is a force to be reach saadaened with. "the force awakens" opened on thursday. seeing the return of much-loved actors of princess leia now

known as general leia. disney bought the movie rights from creator george lucas. for more you can catch up on all our news on our website www.aljazeera.com. you can watch us by clicking on the "watch now" icon. the slaughter is being fueled by demand from asia... ...where rhino horn is a status symbol and believed to even cure cancer.