north korea announces that it has tested a hydrogen bomb, experts not convinced the device was that powerful. >> this act is a profoundly destabilizing for regional security. ♪ good to have your company. i'm david foster, and you are watching al jazeera live from london. also in the next 30 minutes, syrians displaced by the fighting appeal for help as

storms and snow blanket their camps. i'm tarek basely in spain where a new generation of eco friendly air balloons are takes flight. ♪ north korea has prompted international outrage after announcing that it has successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. people living in the area said they thought it was an earthquake. the u.n. security council is holding an emergency meeting to discuss how to respond. there is scepticism though, that this was a more powerful device from anyone it had tested before. people stood to watch what they had been told would be an important announcement.

[ applause ] >> reporter: on queue, they cheered. state media showed north korean leader, kim ki-jong, signing off on the order. he is a man who likes attention, particularly close to his birthday, which false on january 8th, so this may have been his way of celebrating early. but it could take months or even years to prove if north korea really has successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. it says it deserves to possess nuclear weapons to counter threats from the united states. around the region, leaders responded with familiar alarm. it was north korea's fourth nuclear test in ten years. >> translator: our government has to take decisive measures against any additional provocations by north korea, and work with the international community to make sure the

isolated country pays the price for its latest nuclear test. >> reporter: japan's government is also promising a firm but as yet unspecified response. >> translator: north korea's nuclear test is a serious threat to our nation's security and cannot be tolerated. >> reporter: here in china there is deepening concern. china is just about the only friend north korea has. but it is a friendship that is going through testing times, since the government is alarmed at the prospect of having a nuclear-armed neighbor. a spokeswoman admitted that its old ally had not notified china before the test. >> translator: the chinese government has always tried to keep stability and peace in northeast asia. we strongly urge north korea to stick to its commit for denuclearization, and to stop taking action to make the situation worse. >> reporter: the test happened close to a chinese city.

whatever was tested, it was felt here. fearing an earthquake, many local residents were evacuated. al jazeera visited this tense border area, three months ago, where a series of cent murders and robberies have been blamed on hungry north korean soldiers. now china could be under pressure to sanction north korea again. >> this test, once again violates numerous security council resolutions despite the united call by the international community to cease such activities. it is also grave contravention of the international norm against nuclear testing. this act is profoundly destabilizing for regional

security, and seriously undermines international non-proliferation efforts. i condemn it unequivocally. >> our diplomatic editor, james bayes is at the united nations now. the ambassadors and ministers have had something to say as they went in? >> reporter: yeah, i have just run up the stairs, the floor below us here in the united nations is where the security council chamber is, meeting is now underway. we tried to get comments from ambassadors as they were arriving for the meeting. i have to say most did not want to tell us very much ahead of their -- discussions. the chinese delegate said you are going to have to wait, that's why we are meeting and we'll tell you afterwards. the ambassador of japan, a very important regional player,

japanese ambassador telling me that they hoped to have a strong response at the end of the security council meeting. deputy ambassador for the u.k. when he arrived said that the u.k. is pretty sure that there was a nuclear test but not necessarily the test of a hydrogen bomb, and the security council should look at all options. those options include strengthening sanctions, perhaps, although it is already a very strict sanctions regime, i asked the ambassador of new zealand whether there would be stricter sanctions, and he said i hope so. and the longest-serving ambassador on the u.n. security council, the russian ambassador, his comments, i think will have a little sway on this -- on this issue, because he has been through various crises with north korea, and russia is a country that has better relations, perhaps than some of the western countries. he said we need cool heads and a

proportionate response. >> it must be very difficult for them, because there are already sanctions in place, and north korea doesn't seem to care the slightest about that. and it always doesn't even care that china wasn't even involved in the discussions. so where could this go? >> reporter: there are only certain tools that the u.n. security council can use in these circumstances. the tool of sanctions is seen by most countries in the world to be a pretty serious measure, but of course, north korea has had sanctions for very many years. they keep trying to tighten the sanctions regime, but they are constantly evolving. there is a panel of experts that looks at the sanctions and they change some of the designations on the list where north korea is bringing a different company to bring goods into the country.

really the next step for the security council, if it wants to take a step stronger than sanctions is some sort of military option. everyone knows you are dealing here with leader who makes unpredictable decisions, and has some sort of nuclear capability. but obviously the scientists are still assessing what that capability is, and what sort of test this was in the last few hours. >> james thank you very much indeed. we'll hear from our diplomatic editor a little bit later. ♪ terrible winter weather has hit thousands of syrians who have been displaced by the war in their country. storms sweeping across western syria, forcing people to seek shelter at camps. here we see latakia.

>> translator: we are refugees here. we have been here for four years. the local councils are lacking. the relief and support is all going to the new refugees. we don't have wood or heaters. we ask those concerned to look into refugees rights, because our situation is very, very bad. >> translator: i was displaced from the kurd's mountain. it took us a couple of days until we secured ourselves in this cold. we barry managed to get a tent. we don't have anything at all. we have an old person. it's a too cold. we are unable to get firewood or relief. >> our correspondent is on the turkish border with syria. >> reporter: these arctic conditions that have faller here in southeast turkey, and across the border behind me in syria, are having a grave impact on displaced people and refugees. one family who had taken refuge in a tent in the southeast of

turkey, their four-month-oldson couldn't cope with the freezing temperatures and he died on month of hypothermia. this is just one family in the thousands that have taken shelter outside of syria. those in the valley, living in a tented refugee camp are also struggling to keep their children alive. but conditions are even more severe inside syria. in latakia province, they are talking of a lot of snow and freezing-cold conditions, and many of them don't have the money or the resource to find fuel to keep warm. in idlib, though, they are demonstrating for the people further south of the country. 40 kilometers south of damascus, 40,000 people have been desieged in that town for over 170 days by the syrian forces and hezbollah, that town being very close to the lebanese border.

one of the activists tells me they have managed to get some money through to try to get food for people, but the prices have been really heightened. a kilo of rice now costs as much as $250 u.s. so saying to those diplomats and parties charged with trying to get all parties around the negotiating table later in january, that the lifting of the blockades and the humanitarian aid cannot come soon enough. united nations is looking into allegations that its peace keepers sexually abused girls in the central african republic. it's alleged that four underaged girls were assaulted in the capitol. victoria gatenby reports. >> reporter: there are around 11,000 u.n. peace keepers in this central african republic. their job is to protect people

in a country that has been mired in religious violence. but some soldiers may have failed in that mission. four underaged girls say they were sexually abused by u.n. peace keepers. the u.n. has launched an investigation. >> unicef staff has undertaken four visits to meet with the four alleged victims. unicef is also working with local partners to help the girls receive medical care, and is assessing their psychosocial needs. >> reporter: this follows a series of sexual abuse allegations made against peace keepers in central african republic. an independent report criticized the u.n.'s response to allegations of child abuse. the report said the u.n. failed to carry out proper background checks on peace keepers. >> certainly many things can be

done to prevent this type of abuse. troops can be vetted. the abuse we hear of can be investigated properly. and as much as anything, probably most important of all, those deemed responsible for those kind of crimes can be prosecuted -- or should be prosecuted. >> reporter: thousands of mourn piece keepers were sent to the central african republic. in april last year, a peace agreement was signed between the mostly muslim seleka, and mostly christian anti-bellka groups. people in central african republic have suffered from years of chaos and violence. the u.n. says it has zero tolerance for peace keepers who abuse civilians. victoria gatenby, al jazeera. coming up in this program, we will see the protesters in

hong kong demanding information about the disappearance of a prominent book seller. also reporting on how malaysia is moving to limit the mining of minerals, as it try it says to protect the environment.

♪ the top stories. north korea says it has successfully tested a high again bomb, prompting the u.n. to hold an emergency meeting to discuss its response. harsh winter weather in

latakia refugee camp forcing thousands of displaced people to seek emergency shelter. and the u.n. says it is investigating new allegations that its peace keepers sexually abused four underf-aged girls. ranchers in oregon accuse the government of bullying them into giving up their land. but as gabriel elizondo reports, the influx of armed men has alarmed locals. >> reporter: this is cattle ranching country, where cattle outnumber people 14-1, but where nearly 70% of grazing land is owned or managed by a federal government many here deeply distrust. steve turner sympathizes with the ranchers. >> because i do think the federal government is

overreaching and doing things they are not supposed to do. >> reporter: in town at the local cattle ranching supply store, most view the federal government with suspicion, but they are divided on whether the protesters are helping or hurting their efforts. >> i support what they are trying to get done, not how they are doing it. >> i think they are causing a lot more chaos than what needs to be brought into this town right now. i don't believe it's necessary. >> reporter: some people like this man, are too scared to show their face or give their name. >> i don't agree with what they are doing. >> reporter: do you think it's bringing bad attention to the community or what do you like about it the most? >> i think most of the community is scared, and that's not good at all. >> reporter: why are they scared? >> because they don't know what is going to happen. >> reporter: here in town schools and some businesses remain closed due to safety concerns because of the government buildings now

occupied by the armed group. that's why on wednesday the local sheriff will be having a townhall meeting to try to address those concerns. meanwhile this is a community where residences are growing increasingly anxious, trying to figure out how this will all end. 20 iraqi soldiers have been killed near ramadi. sources they the islamic state of iraq and the levant was responsible for that attack. meanwhile air strikes by the u.s.-lead coalition against isil have lead to the deaths of 15 more isil fighters. the commander of iraqi forces in anbar province says air targets hit north of ramadi and in the city center. iraq says it would be happy to immediate in the diplomatic crisis between saudi arabia and iran. he has been to tehran to meet his opposite number, saying his country wants to prevent the crisis from spreading.

relations were inflamed when a shia cleric was executed in saudi arabia over the weekend, and the saudi embassy was set on fire by protesters in tehran. >> translator: we have sought to use our brood relations with other countries to alleviate tensions between iran and saudi arabia. this responsibility has been given to us, and we have been active to lessen tensions to prevent a disaster from happening that could effect the entire region. >> saudi arabia is signalling that the breakdown of relations with iran won't effect the peace talks over syria. another round of peace talks on syria are scheduled in geneva this month. governments of germany, sweden, and denmark have said they hope to lift border controls as soon as possible. senior immigration officials

have been meeting in brussels. sweden recently introduced checks on people traveling to denmark, and denmark tightened controls on its border with germany. european union passport free area has been under huge strain as countries try to deal with the flow of refugees arriving in europe. there is mystery still about the whereabouts of the british passport holder. all of the people missing have sold books critical of the chinese government. >> reporter: protesters take their demands to foreign consulates in kong long off it was revealed lee, a look call book seller holds a british

passport. they say they reject china's position that hong kong matters are its internal affair. >> i would like say it's matter for all of the citizens worldwide, that concern about china issue. >> reporter: lee is one of five book sellers to go missing from companies specializing in titles about the chinese leadership. despite demands for information, china's failure to confirm lee is being held has lead to rumors and conspiracy theories. a number of pro-beijing figures are saying he could have made his way to china, for various reasons. they point to a hand-written letter apparently from lee, saying he had found his own way across the border, but many lawmakers in hong kong are not convinced. >> until and unless he appear before us to be safe and absolutely safe, then we must utilize all of our resources to

locate him and to save him. >> reporter: with lee's bookstore now closed, others seem to be taking precautions. local media say this chain has taken banned titles off of its shelves. at another bookstore, the owner continues to receive messages of support, and has no plans to remove controversial titles. >> i'm a book shop owner, so what happened next, if it happen on me? >> reporter: as a seller of books rather than a publisher of them, he believes he is safe, for now at least. rob mcbride, al jazeera, hong kong. >> reporter: kenya's university has reopened nine months after al-shabab gunmen stormed the campus and killed 148 people. malcolm webb has more. >> reporter: the first students since the attack last april have come here and registered at this desk, by this gate at the university.

it is through this same gate nine months before that five armed men from al-shabab entered the university. and 142 students were killed. university management say the situation has changed, and they finally got the security they were asking for all along, even before the attack happened. they say they wrote to the government on numerous occasions requesting armed police be deployed here, but their calls went unheeded. now they finally got what they are asking for, and they say that means the university is now secure. the students registering today say they think it is secure too, and they are willing to continue their studies here. malaysia has suspended bauxite mining. mining of it has polluted the coastline in an eastern state where most of the bauxite is

produced. >> reporter: waves of anxiety hit this community a few days ago when their water turned red. fined earth continues bauxite seems to have leaked into the local rivers. 150 deep sea fishermen depend on the catch from the surrounding waters, including this man. his family have been living off of the sea tloor three generations. but he says he is not concerned. >> translator: this community of fishermen is not worried, even though the water turned red for two days last week. we have asked authorities to take control of the situation. >> reporter: but the rest of the community is worried. their concerns were further heightened when this online video showed the spread in the water. there has been a growing opposition to mining activities in the area. 15 million tons makes its way to the port annually where it is

exported to countries like china. hundreds of trucks sent to the port each day. the dust that is kicked up remains in the atmosphere and travels for miles. local politicians have been trying to push the government to act. >> i suggest to the minister to suspend export licenses, and that will cut off the supply chain and put a stop to the activities for a while, while we look into the regulations. >> reporter: at a news conference on wednesday this is what the environment minister had to say. >> translator: the cabinet had planned a three-month temporary ban from tremendous 15th of january onward. >> everything will stand still. >> reporter: the government says that stockpiles of bauxite will be removed from across the state and port area, as well as a full review of all of the mining licenses, but that may not be sufficient for the people that live here. they still have questions about the long-term effects of bauxite in the air and water.

hot air balloons may appear to just drift along effortlessly, but it takes hundreds of liters of fuel to keep them aloft. a spanish company is working on ways to make ballooning more eco friendly. >> reporter: it's dawn in the hills near barcelona, and in the still morning air, a newly completed hot air balloon is inflated for the first time. the team inspects the rigging and the stitching on all of the seems. it's a standard check performed before new balloons are shipped to customers. the spanish company is the world's large maker of hot air balloons, producing around 200 each year. the design, color scheme, and branding of each balloon is customized and then stitched together by hand.

>> the threads are test, just to check that -- well, to double check, because our supplier already checks it that it is good, but we also check it when we process them. >> reporter: hot air balloons use propane gas to heat the air that lifts them. a typical hour-long flight can use up to 100 liters, enough to drive a car more than a thousand kilometers. this means hot air ballooning is a gas-guzzling sport, that's why this company has developed an eco friendly model. using two layers of fabric, instead of one, makes the eco balloon both stronger and longer lasting. it is also better insulated, which means it is cheaper to fly and uses about half as much gas. >> the main benefit is the fuel saving. you can save fuel up to 50%. so you can spend less fuel so

you fly cheaper. you spend less money in a single flight. or you can have more capacity for a flight, where you cannot land on the long flights in the alps, for example, in the mountains, so you can have more able to fly longer. >> reporter: it has also developed a smartphone app to track flights in real time, and a monitor that alerts the pilot if the balloon comes too close to power lines. >> you see the world in a very different way, and also when you are up in the air, and it's very quiet, you can relax and feel yourself as you need to fly following the winds you cannot control too much the direction, so it gives you the feels you are alone and you can enjoy it. >> reporter: the eco balloon is more expensive to make, but

because it lasts longer and is cheaper to fly, it's a cost-effective alternative, and one that it hopes will ensure that hot air ballooning will be a cost-effective sport in the future. claims that north korea set off a nuclear bomb are met with scepticism and global condemnation. 18 minutes missing. the fbi having trouble peacing together the time line for the san bernardino massacre. from drought to drench. el niño already taking its toll on california. and a net