night. the coyote managing to capture a wayward bat. that's it for us here. the news continues next live from london. ♪ they were actively planning additional attacks in the u.s. >> u.s. air strikes have killed an isil leader suspected of masterminding the paris attacks. ♪ hello from me david foster, you are watching al jazeera live from london. also in the next 30 minutes, more than 20 are killed in pakistan as a suicide bomber targets a government office. his sentence over bribery charges has been reduced, but he will still be the first formal israeli leader to go to jail.

the west african country of guinea is officially ebola free, as the search for a vaccine continues. we have a special report. ♪ the u.s. military says air strikes in syria have killed ten leaders of the islamic state of iraq and the levant in the last month, and that one of those killed had direct links to the attacks in paris. >> he was a syrian-based isil member with a direct link to the paris attack cell leader. we killed him on december 24th in syria. he was actively planning additional attacks against the west. not too many additional details to present. he was killed by an air strike in syria, and that's as far as

we're going to go on him for now. >> rosiland jordan is live in washington, d.c. that u.s. colonel saying, listen, i'm not going to tell you very much more at the moment, but it was a long briefing. what else was he able to add? >> well, he noted that the man who apparently came from one of the paris suburbs, was from a family of moroccan immigrants, had disappeared from paris after sometime in 2012 when he ran afoul of the authorities. it's note worththy that the military spokesperson who is in baghdad did not give many more details about him, because the other nine isil leaders, which he said had been targeted and killed in december by the u.s.-lead coalition. he did note more details about where they were and what they

allegedly been up to. all he did indicate was that he apparently had direct ties to the so-called mastermind of the recent paris attacks, and that he apparently was trying to plan other attacks on other western targets. >> ros, i want to talk about a story which we haven't mentioned in this bulletin yet. and that's the retaking of iraqi forces of ramadi. what is the u.s. position on the fact that the prime minister of iraq says listen, we're going to get rid of isil next year. we will be retaking mosul, and yet the u.s. is ta -- saying let's be a little bit more cautious. >> reporter: the u.s. is saying let's be a little more cautious and let's put in more time preparing for the retaking of mosul. that's because in the u.s.

military's view, there needs to be much more work done in not just retaking territory or communities from isil control, but also making certain that the iraqi government both at the national level and at the local level are able to maintain control of those communities. ramadi is the third in a number of areas that they have retaken. key is holding on to those communities, keeping them out of isil control, and perhaps more important getting rid of the isil fighters who had moved into those areas. one thing the military also points out is that it's not just the cities that isil has been trying to take control of, in order to establish its so-called caliphate, it is also taking control of considerable amounts of this countryside both in western and northern iraq, and

in the u.s. military's view, it's important for the iraqi government to regain control of that territory before trying to put their energies into trying to retake mosul. let's not forget, there had been talk earlier this year about trying to move in quickly to retake mosul, but that was pushed back in large part because the u.s. apparently persuaded baghdad that more training and support needs to be given to the iraqi military before taking on a mission of that size and scope. >> thank you very much indeed. we're going to take a look at some pictures inside of ramadi. the troops there inside the city, where it is said that some isil remnants remain. but the victory is probably the biggest success since seizing control in may. and the iraqi prime minister said he -- he and his forces

would by sometime next year, defeat isil in 2016, but the u.s. says there is a great deal more to do. >> translator: i congratulate the iraqi people on the liberation of ramadi and retaking it. the iraqi forces have dealt a heavy blow to isil and their followers and collaborators. our troops won't stop until each city and village is liberated. we can say that we are coming to liberate mosul. we will achieve the final victory over the group with a determination and resolution of our great people. >> let's hear from our correspondent in the north of iraq and reporting on the fact that isil remnants are still inside ramadi. >> when the prime minister made his way towards the west of ramadi his helicopter came under fire. there were isil firefighters

present in the area who tried to attack the plane, but they couldn't really, because it was out of range. but it gives you an indication that this area that the isil forces are very jubilant that they are retaken is not completely under their control yet. there are still large pockets of isil fighters who have always been there, and there have been some fighters who fled from the southern areas retaken by iraqi forces. yes, it's a symbolic victory, but there is still a lot of work ahe ahead of them. belgian police have arrested two people they suspect of plotting a new years eve attack on landmarks in belgian's capitol. the arrests after a search in a region. propaganda and computer hardware

were found. belgian has been on high alert since the paris attacks in november which left 130 people dead. ♪ to pakistan where at least 22 people lost their lives. 42 others were hurt when an explosion targeted a government office in the northwest of the country. they say it was the work of a suicide bomber. and a breakaway group from the taliban said it was behind the attack. >> reporter: the attack was time today cause maximum devastation. the government office issuing identity cards was packed with people. there was chaos in the moments after the bomb exploded. police say it was a suicide attacks. many were killed and many more injured. >> translator: there was a blast in the office around 2:00. around 100 people are injured

and around 20 have been murdered. >> reporter: i was offering my prayers in my house when the blast occurred. when i came running here there were dead bodies. >> reporter: the attack happened in the tribal area bordering afghanistan. a group once linked to the pakistani taliban has claimed responsibility. but the pakistan taliban said it had nothing to do with the attacks. numbers of fighters have declined over the past year in part because of an increase in military operations and the efforts to shut down sources of funding. the explosion cos two days after the head of the pakistan army was in a meeting with the president. they were trying to restart talks with the taliban. >> what pakistan is trying to do is persuade them to engage in a political negotiation with the afghan government, instead of fighting this insurgency in afghanistan. so pakistan's focus today is

that there should be some sort of a political settlement between the afghan government and the afghan taliban. >> reporter: although both governments have been adopting a new approach towards the armed group, it appears there are many fighters committed to continuing the chaos. >> reporter: the former israeli prime minister has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after his conviction for bribery, the israeli supreme court partially reversed the verdict of a lower court reducing the sentence from six years. >> reporter: the hearing was brief, but the ruling was clear. he will become the first israeli prime minister to serve time in jail, the supreme court ordered the 70 year old to serve 18 months in prison for bribery starting in february. he had initially been sentenced to six years in jail by a lower

court after he was first convicted in 2014. the case resolves around the holy land development project in west jerusalem. the supreme court found he was not involved in the main aspects of the bribery allegations in the case, and that is why it reduced his sentence. speaking to the media after the ruling, he welcomed the verdict. >> translator: a large weight was lifted from my heart when the supreme court decided to acquit me of the main charge in the holyland affair. >> reporter: he is going to jail for accepting a bribe of around $15,000 for a separate project. despite accepting the supreme court sentence, he maintained his innocence. >> translator: no bribe was ever offered to me and i never accepted one. i repeat this today.

in line with my way of life i respect the verdict of the supreme court judges. >> reporter: he was a relatively popular leader, but as his caseworked its way through the legal system, there were increasing demands by the public that he serve time in jail, saying israeli politicians are treated far too leniently by the courts. he still faces a potential sentence of eight months in prison over allegations of fraud and making illegal payments to an american businessman. but the supreme court has yet to rule on that case. his legacy as the first israeli prime minister to be handed a prison sentence is cemented. the chief palestinian negotiator has responded to a report that says israel now plans to build 55,000 settlement

units in the occupied west bank. the report is based on findings from government data obtained under a freedom of information request. he says that would end all hopes of establishing a palestinian state by cutting off the south of the west bank from its center. and he wants the international community to reconsider its relationship with israel. >> we need to immediately knock on the door of the security council to have the motion resolutions to the effect that not only the illegality, not only asking israel to revoke, but also to declare that these actions are absolutely a violation of international law, and to -- to hold israel accountable. in just a couple of minutes here on al jazeera, they have been stranded for a month, but now these cuban migrants are being allowed to make their way

to the u.s. we'll tell you their story. and how china's economic shift away from city means huge disappointment for many families. ♪

♪ run through the global headlines this time on al jazeera. the u.s. department of defense says in the last month, its forces have killed ten isil leaders in air strikes in syria. among them, a man involved in the paris attacks. during a visit to the recently retaken city of ramadi,

the iraqi prime minister says his country will push isil out of ramadi and mosul, and defeat the group entirely in iraq in 2016. 22 people have been killed in a suicide attack targeting a government office in northwest pakistan. a group once linked to the pakistani taliban says it was behind the attack. from the world health organization a declaration that guinea is now free of ebola. it has been 42 days since the recovery or death of a final patient and there have been no new infections. it was guinea that the outbreak was first reported in 2014. 2,809 have died in liberia, and almost 4,000 in sierra leone. eight people have died in nigeria. although the world health organization said nigeria was free of ebola in october of last

year. sierra leone ebola free last month. liberia at the end of may. but weeks later further cases were reported, the last two people discharged from hospital there earlier this month. >> today is an incredibly important milestone for the huge effort that has been ongoing. as of today for the first time in two years, we can say that all three countries have stopped the original trains of transmission which have been driving this crisis, and had lead to such international and national alarm last year. well, west africa is pretty close to being ebola free. the search for a vaccine is far from over. nicklas hawk visited a laboratory in dakar. >> reporter: these two come to the lab for testing, and wonder which one has been injected with

the experimental ebola vaccine. one was given a placebo, the other a trial vaccine. scientists are stilling looking for a cure against the ebola virus. >> translator: at first my family and i were scared. i didn't know what they were injecting me with, and i wasn't sure what reactions it would cause. but it's my way to contribute to the fight against the virus. >> reporter: volunteers are not injected with ebola but with a genetically modified safe version of the virus, then researchers give them two experimental vaccines, one to stimulate their immune response, the other to boost it. the idea is to boost the immune system all together to fight the virus. >> translator: we expect some side effects. our priority is to ensure our

volunteer's safety. >> reporter: it normally takes 10 to 15 years to get a vaccine approved, but scientists here are accelerating the process to get the vaccine developed as quickly as possible. they say it is justified because of the scale of the outbreak. and the virus is still lurking in the environment. according to the united nations, ebola infected 28,000 people, and killed 11,000 in west africa alone. the vaccines are tested on chimpanzees known to carry the virus in the wild. a third of the world population of chimps have died of the virus. scientists still don't know how the virus jumped to humans. the outbreak has generated fear and an unprecedented global response, and brought west africans closer together, the battle against ebola is one they

see as their own, and so far, the vaccine they are testing is working. nicklas hawk, al jazeera, dakar. burkina faso's new president has been sworn in. [ cheers ] >> reporter: a month after winning the election, the constitutional court swore in their first new leader in decades. he used to be one of the former president's political allies but went into opposition early last year. central american countries have reached an agreement to allow several thousand cuban migrants who have been stranded in coast sta rica to continue that travel to the united states. nicaragua has prevented them from crossing the costa rican border. victoria gatenby reports.

>> reporter: around 8,000 cuban migrants have been stranded at this camp in costa rica for more than a month. nicaragua has refused to let them cross. the migrants are trying to get to the united states. central american countries have been holding talks in guatemala on how to resolve the crisis. they agreed that the cubans will fly to el salvador where they will be bussed to the united states. >> translator: they initially expressed two guarantees the first was for mexico to allow the people to pass and the second was for there not to be any cost to guatemala. >> reporter: many flew through ecuador, but they were stopped in nicaragua. under u.s. law any cuban who makes it on to u.s. soil

soilal -- soil is allowed to apply for residency. >> translator: it's allowed these people to enter their country. >> reporter: the cubans are expected to restart their journey next week, and realize their dream of making it to the united states. victoria gatenby, al jazeera. four people have died in landslide brought about by heavy rain in brazil. it was in the southeastern state of sao paulo. four people were reportedly hurt. among those rescued this one-year-old girl, her grandmother used her body to protect the child, but she lost her life. the latest incident has been

highlighted as the thai government launches a crackdown on those it believes could cause trouble. >> reporter: the army is the self declared protector of the monarchy, a new army built park featuring giant statutes of past thai kings is supposed to be a symbol of that loyalty. but the project is mired in allegations of corruption, which the army says are false. in the past weeks two men have been arrested and charge for criticizing the military and sharing social media posts refer ing to the alleged corruption. they are not the only people. >> translator: since the coup there has been a surge in cases. the investigation, interrogation, and court system have changed. so the atmosphere in general is getting more stressful and serious. >> reporter: one of the two was charged with insulting tmonarch.

he allegedly shared online what were described as sarcastic comments about the king's dog portrayed here. he could be jailed for 37 years. the police say they are just doing their job. >> translator: i don't think the number of cases is any higher than before. we arrest those who breach article 112 just like before, we can easily see that only certain groups of people commit this crime. >> reporter: anyone found guilty risks up to 15 years in prison on each count. the king himself once said he shouldn't be above criticism. his stance gives rise to the suggestion that politicians and the military may be using the law for political gain or to stifle dissents. this park has come to symbolize a lot of what is happening in thailand right now. when the army ceased power last

year, it promised to clean up corruption. they have also been promoting nationalism and loyalty to the monarchy, ahead of an event that most thais have never seen. at 88 the king is in poor health. raising the issue of succession. whether they feel at ease talking about it or not, thai has realized that change is coming, and the army's senior officers believe they can provide the security thailand needs during this delicate time. wayne haye, al jazeera, bang kong. 2016 coming and china is likely to shift its emphasis economically away from heavy polluting industries. steelworkers have already lost jobs and there are more cuts to come. let's hear from adrian brown.

>> reporter: this man has more time to play with his daughter these days. she was born just months after her father was told that the local steel mill where he had worked for more than 20 years was closing. that was nine months ago. >> translator: with this money, they bought your whole lifetime, they bought it. many people have been working hard for several decades, but finally what did you get in just this money. but your youth, your time, all have been wasted. this is the biggest lost. >> reporter: she is named after the steel metal to which he devoted so much of his life. his father also worked in the steel mill. many of his work mates pass their time drinking tea. for $0.50 they is can sip all day. like him, they too were paid off. the amount depended on how long you had been with the company.

but the money will eventually run out. >> translator: we try to save every penny for my daughter's future. but i'm not very well educated. it's very difficult to find a good job in this society. >> reporter: slowly the life is being drained from the area. the closure of the mill has been taking its toll on the local community, forcing many businesses like these to close. the steel mill had been one of the largest of its kind in china, employing more than 16,000 workers. in many ways it was the city. the closure is part of china's gradual transition away from the heavy industry. >> it has been painful, and it will continue to be painful. we have a global problem of excess capacity. there's -- there are way too many steel producers in the

world, and there's just insufficient demand. >> reporter: the apartments the company built for its workers are beginning to empty as many join the search for work elsewhere. this man's wife bought their apartment before they met. but it's a home in a town without a future. >> translator: my life is a failure. my life is very bearing. i didn't study hard enough. every day just keeps repeating itself. i thought about it, even though i took the severance pay i don't think i really hate the factory, but i have to say i'm very disappointed with my life. >> reporter: he worries about his daughter's future, and hopes it won't be spent here. if she can leave this place, he says, she can have a better life. adrian brown, al jazeera, southwest china. now a story with legs. giant squid here was spotted

swimming in a bay near tokyo on christmas eve. thought to be about 3.7 meters long. pretty young, but still big. fully grown they can be five times that large. it was taken back to sea, politely. aljazeera.com for more. gone confirming that ten ice sit leaders are dead after u.s. led air strikes. not guilty plea, a chicago police officer making his appearance in court over murder charges in connection with the shooting death of a and a challenging community. now dumping snow and ice across parts of the u.s.