>> he was actively planning additional attacks against the west. >> u.s. say that airstrikes in syria has killed fighters with links to the paris attacks. hello there, i'm felicity barr. this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up, more than 20 people are killed in pakistan when a suicide-bomber targets a government office in the northwest. the sentence to bribery convictions is reduced, but still the former israeli leader to go to jail. and the west african country

of guinea is officially ebola free, but the search for a vaccine continues. we'll have a special report. hello, forces fighting the islamic state in iraq and the levant say they have made significant gains against the group in both iraq and syria. the iraqi prime minister hyder al abadi has visited ramadi, which was recaptured earlier this week. the iraqi p.m. vowed to retake the city of mosul next and said that the group will be defeated in iraq by 2016. a man suspected of involvement in the paris attacks was among ten isil leaders killed in syria during the last month. roslind jordan has more details. >> this is charaffe al-mouadan,

ties to the mastermind of the paris attacks with plans of his own to attack western targets. the u.s. said it killed al-mouadan, and he was one of ten leaders targeted this month. >> our ability to dismantle their facilitation networks, our ability to dismantle, and take away some of their enforcers and execution necessary and extortionists, that eats away at their biblical to instill fear. >> they long talked about the need to attack isil on many fronts. but it's the military campaign that has captured the most attention. indeed, the u.s. has praised the military success and driving out of ramadi military leaders

applauded the fight to retake beji, hub of the iraqi oil industry, and sinjar, home to yazidis and sunnies. but when the iraqi prime minister addressed his nation on monday, hyder al abadi had nothing to say about the 3500 u.s. troops who have been training and advising the country's army for more than a year. >> they won't stop until each city and village is liberated. we can say in full confidence that we're coming to liberate mosul. to be the final and heavy blow to beat daesh. >> i think what the prime minister is trying to say this is iraqis iraqis taking control of their destiny. if it looks like it's more u.s. operation than iraqi operation

this again would feed into the narrative that it's the west that is struggling with groups like isis. >> while iraq and the u.s. are celebrating what they call progress against isil there is a split on the way forward. hyder al abadi says 2016 will be the year iraq kicks isil out of mosul. the u.s. view that it might take longer. roslind jordan, al jazeera, washington. >> the french security analysts said that charaffe al-mouadan was very well-known and his death would be a blow to the group. >> he was one of the leaders, and he was very charismatic and most well-known french jihadist in syria. he was a target of importance for this, and, indeed, most probably there must have been informers on the ground that helped to track him down.

but we know already that he was part of the paris cell that organized the attacks. he has been named as a hostage as talked about by two of the suicide-bombers. and most probably the fact that the americans of today mentioned that he was on to organizing other attacks in europe makes him a target of importance remember as well you had potentially attacks in brussels and in geneva. those two cities are part of the french-speaking europe that have operatives that are talking to each other. it's not by chance that the paris attacks were organized through brussels without being on the radar of security services. he had the wherewithal to be

able to pick and shoes operators in new york. >> belgium police have arrested two people suspected of plotting a new year's attack on landmarks. the arrest happened in brussels. the the police say propaganda and hardware were found but no weapons or explosives were seized. belgium has been on high alert after the attacks in november which killed 130 people. in pakistan 22 people killed and others injured local police say that the attack was the work of a suicide-bomber. >> the government offering identity cards packed with

people. there were moments after the bomb exploded. police say that it was a suicide attack. many people were killed and many more were injured. >> there was a blast, and 100 were injured and 100 were martyred. >> i was offering my prayers in my house when the blast occurred. it was a huge blast. when we came running here, we saw the bodies. >> a group that was once linked to the pakistani taliban claimed responsibility, but the pakistani taliban has denied the attack. the explosion comes two days after the head of pakistan's army was in kabul in a meeting with ashraf ghani. they were trying to restart talks with the taliban.

>> what pakistan is trying to do is persuade them to engage in political negotiations with the government instead of this insurgency in afghanistan. so the focus today is that there should be some sort of political settlement between the as government. >> there are many fighters continuing the chaos. >> a powerful storm has triggered snow and widespread flooding in the u.s. up to 13 people have died in missouri bringing the total number of weather-related deaths to 47 over the past week. en estimated 150,000 people have been displaced by widespread flooding in argentina, paraguay and uruguay.

al jazeera traveled to the argentinian city of concordia to speak to some of those affected. >> we're told that the situation is stable. they are now placed in staged areas. every once in a while you see somebody trying to go back to their homes to recover some of their belongings. but all of this area is mostly empty. there are dozens of shelters where people have been given food and water and other medication among others things. what will come next? we've been told by experts that the effect of el niño can take places a long as april. >> this woman hopes to go home soon. her house was destroyed by the floods, but the recent rain is complicating her situation even more. >> i have nothing left.

my children have no shoes, no clothes. we were told it will take weeks before the water goes down and if it continues to range it will only get worse. >> one of thousands of argentinians who have been forced out of their homes because of flooding. it's happening in concordia the river is not far away from here the problem is that this time the rain and the amount of water coming were so intense that it flooded other parts of the city. >> authorities here are monitoring the barricades built around the city and trying to keep the situation from getting worse. they're getting organized in case the water continues to go up. >> the current situation could continue until march.

so we need to be ready. it doesn't mean that everything will be underwater by then, we hope not, but we're seeing a lot of rain where everyone. >> the city is trying to cope, and many have lost it all. they're facing heat, humidity, bugs. the local government is trying to deliver food, water and mattresses, but it's not an easy task as there are thousands of people in need. >> this is not something that happens over time. all the perimeters have been broken. we're receiving help from around the country and trying to reach those who. >> for now these people are trying to get by over the next few days, but they know it will be months before they make it back home.

>> and sixes like this one happening in is fierce floodings all around the region and people have been evacuated from their homes. greenpeace are saying that climate change is not the only one toll blame but the deforestation. since 2007 around 2 million-hectares of forests have been cut down. they're the they're saying that it is in part respondty in south africa. >> an historic bridge in u.k. has collapsed. as flooding intensifies in the north of england, large sections of the 18th suspect across the live river, and there has been significant flooding reaching record-breaking levels. still to come, we'll meet the refugees arriving in canada

including the family of the three-year-old whose death in september shocked the world. and find out why the number of chinese americans living in traditional chinatown neighborhoods is falling across the united states.

>> hello again, the top stories. the u.s. department of defense said that it killed ten leaders in syria including the man linked to paris attacks in november. during a visit to the recently retaken city of ramadi, the iraqi prime minister hyder

al abadi vowed to push out isil from iraq in 2016. 22 people has been killed in a government office in northwest pakistan. the former israeli prime minister has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after his conviction for bribery. the supreme court partially reversed the verdict and reduced the original sentence of six years. we have the latest for wers jerusalem. >> the hearing was brief. but the ruling was clear ehud olmert will be the first former prime minister to serve time in jail. he was ordered to serve 18 months in prison for bribery starting in february. he had originally been sentenced to six years in jail by a lower

court in 2015. it all surrounded a construction deal in 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, olmert welcomed the verdict. >> a large weight was lifted from my heart when the supreme court decided to acquit me of the main charge in the holy land affair. >> olmert is going to jail for accepting a bribe of around $50,000 for separate real estate project that was also approved while he was mayor of jerusalem. he maintains his innocence. >> no bribe was ever offered to me and i never accepted one. i repeat this again in line of my beliefs i respect the verdict

of the supreme court judges. >> ehud olmert served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009. he was a relatively popular leader at the time, but as his case worked 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. >> this is not the end of olmert's legal troubles. he still faces eight months in prison over allegations of fraud and making illegal payments to an american businessman. the supreme court has yet to rule on that case. olmert's legacy as first israeli prime minister to be handed a prison sentence is cement: al jazeera, west jerusalem. >> plans to build new settlement homes in the area of the west bank has been ruled invali invalid by the israeli

government. following a freedom of information request palestinian authorities argue the proposed settlement in the zone known as e-1 would split and end hopes of establishing a palestinian state. >> plans themselves exposed the vision of the israeli government for the settlement for the future of the occupied palestinian territories. this is a vision that is not that of a two-state solution that prime minister netanyahu is talking about, but an one state. the government has canceled plans in this area in the past. three years ago the government approved the plan and then had to cancel it during the negotiation with the palestinians because of massive international pressure in which we discovered through our

freedom of infirst imagination act that the plans were canceled two years ago and continued last year without a tender, without any way for the public to know that these plans were being implemented. >> the area of 12-square kilometers between jerusalem and the settlement. construction in this area is going to create a wedge in the heart of the west bank and separating the northern part of it from the southern part of it and separating jerusalem from the rest of the west bank. and construction in this area will present the possibility of a viable palestinian state that can develop, that can prosper next to an israeli state. >> the "world health organization" has declared guinea free of ebola. it was the country where ebola

was first reported back in mark of 2014. there have been no reports of new infections. >> today is an incredibly important milestone for the effort to stop the abel crisis. as of today for the first time in two years we can say that all three countries have stopped the original change of transmission which had led to--which had been driving this crisis and led to international and national alarm last year. >> central american nations have reached an agreement to allow several thousand cuban migrants to continue their journey towards the united states. the migrants can now by pass nicaragua which had stopped them from crossing the border. >> around 8,000 cuban migrants have been stranded at this camp in costa rica for more than a

month. nicaragua refuses to let them cross across their territory. the cubans are trying to get to the united states. it agreed that the cubans would fly to el salvador and then be bussed to the united states. >> they expressed to guarantees. the first was to first allow these people to pass through the territory. and the second was for there not to be any cost for guatemala. >> the cost has been long and complicated. many flew direct to ecuador which does not require cubans to have visas. from there they would fly to costa rica. but they were stopped in nicaragua. under u.s. law any cuban who makes it to u.s. soil is allowed to apply to u.s. residency, but many cubans worry that may change.

>> it's important for the united states and cuba to work together at the center of the issue along with ecuador. it has allowed these people to enter the country. >> cubans are expected to restart their journey next week and make it tot taws. >> russian state television is reporting a number of refugees and migrants stranded on the border of finland. finnish border guards have blocked them from entering the country. refugee had been allowed to cycle across the border but that now has been said to be banned. relative of the three-year-old boy whose death in september helped focus the world on the flight of refugees has arrived in canada. he died with his brother and his mother when the boat capsized. we have reports from va

vancouver. >> at the vancouver international airport a family reunion, greeting her older brother mohammed, his wife and five children. just a few of the thousands of syrian refugees being welcomed to canada. >> thank you, canada. thank you every. >> another brother lost his wife and two sons trying to get to greece. they drowned off the coast of turkey. the images of the three-year-old's body being recovered prompted outrage around the world and helped raise awareness of the hundreds of thousands of people streaming out of syria, iraq and afghanistan. and it trust this syrian born hairdresser, who has lived in canada since 1992. >> the international spotlight. >> it changed my life.

>> nobody, just a normal person, it is not easy. it is the most emotional--the hard thing i've ever done in my life. >> since the tragedy in september she has traveled abroad with the human rights organization avaz and met with officials publicizing the plight of syrian refugees. a go fund me page will help them with expenses as they move mohammed and his family into their home outside of vancouver. he'll work as a barber in her new salon, and as this family justed t just adjusted to a new life, the world is tampered by the war. >> enough suffering, enough people dying. i want to tell the world stop the war. >> canada is expected to accept 50,000 syrian refugees by the

end of 2016. al jazeera, vancouver, british colombia. >> thailand's top court has upheld the police officers accused of being involved in the disappearance of a prominent human rights lawyer. it was alleged that five police officers carried out of the an just but the court found them not guilty in 2011. the lawyer had been defending suspected muslim fighters and accused the police of torture. rescuers are still trying to reach trapped minders. 20 were working underground when the gypsum mine collapsed on friday. 17 miners are still trapped. areas known as chinatown has existed in cities across the world for centuries. but in the u.s. property development and rising rents are

pushing many ethnic chinese out of the neighborhoods they call home. >> when jenny came to washington, d.c. with her family almost 20 years ago from china, she chose to live in a tight knit ethnic enclave of chinatown in order to hold onto some of her cultural heritage. but today chinatown is fast disappearing. the famous gate only remains as a tourist attraction surrounded by western food and clothing franchises. but it's about the people. at one time 3,000 chinese lived in washington's chinatown. today only 300 remain, and half of those might soon be gone. their building being replaced, jenny tang being evicted so

luxury don condos will be built. >> every month we pay our rent on time. >> they're victory of gentrification, a process in which poor minorities are pushed out as the city develops and the wealthy move in. according to one study non-chinese populations in these areas have doubled in a decade, some researchers estimate that of the 15 large china towns in america only three remain authentic to their chinese cultural past. >> the chinatown is not just with the people chinatown is a place where social networks, economic fabrics, it's been built. >> but when chinese are pushed out, it breaks up cohesion of the community and threatens it

was. in new york people are fighting back. >> in some ways new york city has been one of the loan success stories of people taking to the streets to fight back against development because everyone knows once the heart, soul and original character of their chinatown is gone it will likely never come back. >> in washington, jenny tang knows this and is deeply saddened. >> my sister tells me to come back to china but i don't want to go back. >> looking out at a chinatown that she now barely recognizes. gabriel elizondo, al jazeera, new york. >> here is a story with legs if you're a sucker for marine biology. this giant skid was spotted swimming in a bay near tokyo on christmas eve. this is estimated ton 3.7 meters

in length and relatively young. fully grown specimens can be five times as large as this one. the quite was later ushered back to sea. that's about it. there is more on the website. bye bye. >> this week on talk to al jazeera, director and producer spike lee. >> oh snap! >> we gonna make sure these fools put down these guns. >> lee's new film "chi-raq" tacklesgang warfare in chicago - and the idea that a "sex strike" could help quell it. while it's a satire based in one inner city, gun violence is an epidemic. >> how long will be... will we... will we bow down before the