the news continues live from london, next. ♪ north korea says 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 here on al jazeera, i'm david foster. also coming up in the next 30 minutes. syrians displaced by fighting ask for help as storms and snow blanket their camps. u.n. peace keepers face new allegations of sexual abuse in

central african republic. a number of young cuban couples are choosing to delay having children. ♪ north korea has prompted international outrage after claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. people living in the area close to where the underground nuclear test is reported to have taken place say they thought they felt an earthquake. but there is scepticism about the validity of the claim that this was a more powerful device than any it had tested before. >> reporter: in pyongyang people stood to watch what they had been told would be an important announcement. [ applause ] >> reporter: on queue they cheered. the country's latest military

success. state media showed north korean leader, kim ki-jong, signing off of the on der. he is a man who likes attention, particularly close to his birthday, which falls 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. >> 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 also deepening concern. china is about the only friend north korea has, but it is a friendship going through testing times. at the daily foreign ministry news conference, an special spokeswoman admitted 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 commitment and stop taking further action to make the situation worse. >> reporter: it 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 area three months ago, where a series of recent murders and robberies have been blamed on hungry north careen soldiers. china's leadership has supported sanctions against north korea in the past, now it could be under pressure to do so again. our diplomatic editor, james bayes live at the united nations for us. security council meeting takes place right now. are you getting any sense of where the ambassador, where the ministers want to take this? >> reporter: well, i think there will be strong condemnation, but how is that going to effect north korea? and what else can the u.n. security council do? what can they do with regard to sanctions? that's the normal step you take when a country has done something the international community doesn't like, but of course, north korea already has a very strict sanctions regime, there is a question mark whether

there is anything left to sanction going towards north korea. it creates a big problem for the u.n. security council, and for the u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon. worth reminding you that he was at the advanced stages of trying to make a trip to north korea, the first by the secretary general to start a new peace initiative. that clearly is not going to take place right now. ban ki-moon telling us reporters he is deeply concerned. >> 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 profounding destabilizing for regional security, and seriously undermines, international

non-proliferation efforts. i condemn it unequivocally. >> james, two points i would like you to consider here as this meeting is going on. if sanctions aren't working, and you have taken them pretty much to the extreme, what would be done? and secondly, china's position on this. so long north korea's stanchest ally, but feeling slightly left out in the cold on this, and of course with a permanent position on the security council. >> reporter: yes, china is important in all of this, and if they were to go for stronger action, and some sort of new sanctions, and certainly the only country that is talking about that at the moment on the security council or among the permanent members seems to be the u.k. who are suggesting there is still more that could be -- be sanctioned, then you would have to get the buy-in from the chinese. i remember last time they came up with a resolution on the north korean nuclear program, after the last nuclear test in

february 2013, the resolution was basically negotiated without most of the security council, all of the heavy lifting was done by the u.s. and china alone. there are now other players on the security council that will want to look in. japan is serving on the u.n. security council, russia will clearly want a say, but it does raise again the questions, david of if you have fresh sanctions, what do they actually achieve? they already have a sanction's regime, this report is the latest sanctions report. it says there were no violations whatsoever. >> james we'll leave it there for now. thank you. ♪ thousands of syrian refugees who managed to escape civil war at home are now struggling to survive the harsh winter. snow has blanketed refugee camps in and around their home

country. our correspondent sent us this update on turkey's 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 who are trying to live in this very harsh conditions. one family who had taken refuge in a tent in the southeast of turkey, their four-month-old son couldn't cope with the freezing temperatures, and the family couldn't keep their tent warm enough, and he died on monk of hypothermia. this is just one family in any thousands that have taken shelter outside of syria. those living in a tented refugee in the valley are also struggling to keep those tents warm enough to keep their children alive. but conditions are even more severe inside syria across the border. in the mountains they are

talking of a lot of snow and freezing-cold conditions, and many don't have the money or resource to find fuel to keep warm. in idlib, they are demonstrating for the people further south of the country. 40 kilometers south of damascus, 40,000 people have been besieged 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 moneys through. one of the ngo's managed to get moneys through to try to get food for people. but the prices have been really heightened, a kilo of rice used to cost just a few cents, now as much as $250 u.s., so they are saying to those trying to get all of those around the negotiating table, that these

negotiations, the lifting of the blockades, and the humanitarian aid cannot come enough. 20 iraqi soldiers have been killed near the city of ramadi. sources say the islamic state of iraq and the levant was responsible for the attack. meanwhile air strikes by the u.s.-lead coalition against isil have killed 15 isil fighters. the commander of iraqi forces in anbar province says aircraft hit targets north of ramadi and in the city center. iraq has offered to immediate in the diplomatic crisis between saudi arabia and iran. iraq's foreign minister travelled to tehran to meet his iranian opposite saying his country wants to prevent the crisis from spreading. the relation between iran and saudi arabia inflamed after a shia cleric was executed in saudi arabia over the weekend, and after that, the saudi embassy in iran was set on fire by protesters. >> translator: iraq is at the heart of the region, and we have

sought to use our brood relations with arab countries and other countries so that iraq can play its role and alleviate tennings between iran and saudi arabia. we have been active to lessen fengss to prevent disaster from happening that could effect the entire region. the united nations is investigating new allegations that its peace keepers sexually abused girls in the central african republic. it is alleged that four underaged girls were assaulted in the capitol. victoria gatenby has that story. >> reporter: there around 11,000 u.n. peace keepers in central african republic, their job is to protect the people. but new allegations suggest some soldiers may have failed in that mission. four underaged girls say they were sexually abused bier u.n. peace keepers. the u.n. has launched an investigation.

>> unicef staff from the office in bangui have undertaken four visits to meet with the four alleged victims. unicef is also working with local partners to help the girls receive medical care. >> reporter: this follows a series of sexual abuse allegations made against u.n. peace keepers in central african republic. in december last year, an independent report criticized the u.n. response to occasions of child abuse in the capitol bangui in 2013, and 2014. the report said the u.n. has carried to carry out proper background checks on peace keepers, and needed to do more to protect children. >> there are certainly many things that can be done to prevent this type of abuse. troops can be vetted. the types of allegations made, and the abuse that we hear of can be investigated properly, and probably most importantly of all, those deemed responsible for those kind of crimes can be

prosecuted -- or should be prosecuted. >> reporter: thousands of foreign peace keepers were sent to central african republic after a coup in 2013. in april last year, a peace agreement was signed between the seleka and the anti-balaka groups. but divisions between communities run deep. votes from last month's presidential election are still being counted, but two-thirds of the candidates want the process suspended because they say there are irregularities. the u.n. says it has zero tolerance for peace keepers who abuse civilians. victoria gatenby, al jazeera. stay with us if you can. we have this coming up. protesters in hong kong demanding information about the disappearance of a prominent book seller. and -- i'm in spain where a new generation of eco hot air

balloons are taking flight. ♪

>> they just turned a blind eye. >> within two blocks, three people have serious cancer. ♪ time for the top stories on al jazeera. north korea says it has successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb, prompting the u.n. to hold an emergency meeting to discuss a response. harsh winter weather has covered the latakia refugee camp with snow, and forced thousands to seek emergency shelter. and the u.n. is investigating new allegations that its peace keepers sexually

abused four underaged girls in the central african republic. u.s. investigators are now piecing together the goes of the san bernardino attackers have asked for help to fill in 18 minutes during which their whereabouts were unknown. they were eventually killed by police after shooting dead 14 people last month. meanwhile a man accused of helping them out is due in court. he faces five charges, including buying assault weapons which were used. if convicted he faces up to 50 years in jail. over the topic of gun control dominating washington, 4,000 miles west a group of armed civilians continued to defy the government. the standingoff in oregon where armed ranchers have taken over a remote state-run wildlife center is now into its fifth day, 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 the medical government. this man says the government intrudes on the livelihoods and way of life. in town, at the big are 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 to wrestle control of land away from the government. >> 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 is 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: you think it is bringing bad attention to the community or what do you like the most? >> i think most of the community are scared, and that's not a good thing 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 that are 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 residents are growing increasingly sang house trying to figure out how this will all end. the funeral of a palestinian youth killed by israeli police on tuesday has taken place in the occupied west bank. the body of the 17 year old was carried through the streets near hebron by thousands of mourners. the israeli army says he stabbed

a soldier injuring him. at least 145 palestinians and 21 israelis have been killed in the up surge of violence, which started in october. well, the president of the palestinian authority has responded to claims made by israel's prime minister benjamin netenyahu that the authorities on the verge of collapse. speaking in bethlehem he said he is not going anywhere. >> translator: i have heard in the last few days some things about the destruction of the palestinian authority. we're not going to allow it to be destroyed. i will not leave, and we will not give up from here. but we will also not allow for the situation to remain the same. we want to live in two countries. kenya's university has reopened fine months after al-shabab gunmen stormed the campus and killed 148 people.

security was understandably tight as malcolm webb reports. >> reporter: the first students since the attack last april have come here and registered at this desk just by this gate. 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 says they now have finally gotten the security they were asking for all along. they say they wrote to the government on numerous occasions requesting armed police to be deployed here. now the attack happened, dozens were killed, and nine months later they finally got what they were asking for. the students we have spoken to say they think it is secure, and they are willing to continue studies here. the british government says china will be breaching its

agreement to rule hong kong if it is abducting people. this is the result of a series of book sellers who have gone missing, all are critical of the chai that's government. >> reporter: it was revealed a local book seller who disappeared recently holds a british passport. they say they reject china's position that hong kong matters are its internal affair. >> i would like to say it is a matter for all of the citizens worldwide who have concern about china issue. >> reporter: lee is one of five book sellers to go missing from a company specializing in titles about the chinese leadership, which are banned in mainland china. despite demands for information, china's failure to confirm that lee is being held has lead to

rumors, a number of probeijing figures are now saying lee could have made his own way to mainland china for reasons varying from troubled business relationships even to be involving with sex workers. they point to a handwritten letter apparently from lee saying he found his own way across the border. >> until and unless he appear before us to be safe and absolutely safe, then we must utilize all of our resources to -- to locate him and to save him. >> reporter: with lee's bookstore now closed others seem to be taking precautions. this chain has taken banned titles off of its shelves. at another bookstore the owner continues to receive messages of support. >> i'm a book shop owner, to what happen 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. birthrates in cuba are falling faster than anywhere else in latin america. in part two of al jazeera's look at falling global birthrates. daniel meets a young couple in havana. >> reporter: these two married three months ago. they are living with his grandparents in a tiny apartment just outside of havana, dreaming of their own home where they can one day bring up children. >> translator: the economy here makes it hard for us to fulfill our dream of getting our own home and children to fill the house. unfortunately in this country, it's only a dream, but we have

to keep fighting, studying, and preparing to get there. >> reporter: they are typical of many young cuban couples who are leiing having children or deciding not to have them at all. >> translator: i would like to have my own house and the conditions to do that, but i have got to work three more years at the basic salary, so we won't be able to fulfill our dreams in that time. >> reporter: cuba's national statistics office says in 1970, 30% of the population was under 14 years old. now it's just 17%, and decreasing. with less births, and long life expectancy, the elderly population is growing. it's normally wealthier countries where birthrates fall. cuba what they have, including education and health systems, but cuba is not a wealthy country, and many young couples either leave or decide that they can't afford to bring their children up here.

the comprehensive health system ensures lower infant mortality, and provides easy abortions, while a good education means that more women are aware of their options, and are choosing to pursue a career. with the difficult economic situation, and an uncertain political future, some couples leave the country, while others simply choose to wait and see. >> this is a challenge for cuba, because what it has is a very uneven age structure. if you look at the age structure instead of a nice pyramid, which a developing country has, or a relative column, which a developed country has, cuba has this bulge. >> reporter: young cubans continue to fall in love and marry, but until the economic and political situation changes, many will choose to put their dreams on hold. hot air balloons appear to just drift along, but it takes

tun hundreds of liters of fuel to keep them up there. now a spanish company is working on ways to make ballooning greern. our tech editor went to their factory. >> 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 seams. it's a standard check performed before new balloons are shipped to customers. the spanish company is the world's largest maker of hot air balloons, producing around 200 each year. the design, color scheme, and branding of each balloon is customized then stitched together by hand from thousands of pieces of lightweight nylon fabric. >> also it undergoes the stress test, just to -- well, to double

check, because our supplier already checks it. 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 that is dramatically more efficient. using two layers of fabric instead of ones makes the balloon stronger and longer lasting. it is also better insulated which means it is cheaping to fly and uses about half as much gas. >> the main benefit is the fuel saving. you can save fuel up to 50%. so this gives you options to spend less fuel so you fly cheaper. or you can have more capacity for a flight, so if you cannot

land in the long flights in the alps, for example, in the mountains, so you can have extra fuel to go to another place to land. >> reporter: the company has also been working on technology to make hot air ballooning safer. it has developed a smartphone app to track and log flights in real lime, and a monitor that alerts the pilot if the balloon comes too close to power lines. for some it's the simplicity of the sport that makes it a attractive. >> 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 feeling that you are alone to nature, and you can enjoy it. >> reporter: the eco balloon is more expensive to make, but the company says because it lasts longer and is cheaper to fly, it's a cost-effective alternative, and one that its

developers hope ensures that hot air ballooning will be a sustainable sport in the future. >> you see the headline stories there at aljazeera.com, but click on any number of links, and you will see the background as well. ♪ ♪ claims that north korea set off a nuclear bomb are being met with scepticism and global condemnation. going after obamacare again. the house preparing to vote on a measure to repeal the law for the 62nd time. 18 minutes missing, the fbi having trouble piecing together the time line for the san bernardino massacre. and making a murder, a