this is america tonight. china introduces strict trading controls after a sharp decline in stock markets for a second time in a week. you're watching al jazeera live from our headquarters in doha. also coming up on the program, calls for action against north korea even as doubts are raised over its nuclear test announcement. out in the freezing cold, syrian refugees struggle to stay alive and warm. plus how hong kong's new food trucks could drive other street

vendors out of business china has introduced trading restrictions after a sharp drop in the markets for the second time this week. stock markets have been closed after heavy losses triggered an automatic trading halt. the shares sold by 7% and that wiped $640,000 off market in just 15 minutes. the drop is being blamed on poor economic figures and tensions after north korea's nuclear test. traders are also worried about the weakness of the chinese currency and that is causing them to draw money out. on monday, more than 7% on the first trading day of this year. since the china stock sell off began last april, it's down more than 23% from its peak. speaking to charles horn.

joining us, the circuit breakers, are they making the situation worse? >> hi. yes. i think the circuit breakers are making the situation worse. they are set at incredibly low margins. there's no precedent for setting them this low. by comparison the circuit-breakers that were introduced on the new york stock exchange after 1987 currently only close market trading after the snp500 drops 20% or there is a fluctuation of 7%. it is not uncommon. between mid-may 2015 and 7 september when the draft measures on the circuit-breakers were initially introduced, the market dropped 7% on more than four occasions

what do investors and analysts like yourself want to see now? >> we want to see the regulator step away from such tightened market controls. i think that the regulator's motivation is to try to steady markets before it implements another round of reform. so the china securities regulatory commission is trying to move from an approval-based ipo to a registration-based ipo system. i think it is anticipating a lot of volatility in response to this. also the pension funds will start to be invested in the chinese stock market. i think there's a lot of motivation for the regulator to control for fluctuation problems what about kon stage i don't know-- contagion.

are you worried about global contagion? what are the wider implications for the economy now? >> from a technical perspective, i'm not worried about that because of capital controls, the chinese markets are fairly insulated from the global economy. so it will be based on sentiment rather than on connections. the chinese market is only accessible through qualified investor scheme. the hong kong connect. it has very limited exposure globally thank you for speaking to us from beijing. doubts have been growing about north korea's claims of a hydrogen bomb test. the strongest scepticism coming from its southern neighbor. first, our diplomatic editor with reaction from the united

nations. >> reporter: in a typically staged manner, a crowd was arranged to mark what is considered in pyongyang ace proud achievement. the announcer on state tv seemed almost gleeful as she announced the country's further nuclear test. this time she said a more powerful and advanced hydrogen bomb had been tested. experts have cast doubt on that, but either way it is a clear breach of international law. -- breach of international law. >> it is a serious threat to our community and cannot be tolerated >> any nuclear test like the one that north korea conducted last night is provocative and a flagrant breach. >> reporter: what explanation the motivation of north korea in choosing this time to carry out or at least attempt a nuclear test. it is a country where one man

has ultimate authority and he directly signed off on the test. there is speculation it was timed ahead of his birthday. it is believed he will turn 33 on friday. in new york a meeting of the u.n. security council was hastily convened. ambassadors condemned north korea and said new action was needed >> the members of the security council will begin to work immediately on such measures in a new security council resolution. japan which rejoined the security council just a few days ago is one of the regional country's most fearful of north korea said those measures must be tough otherwise the credibility of the united nations will be at stake. >> reporter: what else can the u.n. security council do? there is already a strict sanctions regime in place. what else is there in north korea to sanction? beyond that, everyone on the u.n. security council knows they

need to tread carefully. they don't want to further provoke a leader who makes unpredictable, some would say rash, decisions and who has nuclear weapons, however primitive > more on the reaction in seoul. >> reporter: recommitting their resolve. here in south korea, it is neighbor to east japan and the united states, all allies in dealing with north korea. all very concerned about that bomb that was tested on wednesday morning. they say that they are working more closely than ever before when it comes to surveillance, but also making sure tlaes no more provocative action coming from the border in the north. something interesting coming out of the defense ministry, saying that they believe in is a failed h-bomb test but they're very concerned that there could be more action coming from north korea and they're stepping up their surveillance. there have been discussions between the u.s. and south korea

and japan, defense and the executive, saying that they're going to work closely together, even ratchet up this close relationship and all levels calling for an international action against north korea's provocative move. what's going to be very interesting is what is that action going to be? we have this security council resolution probably going to say more and stronger sanctions against north korea, but is that going to be enough? are these leaders now discussing something more outside the united nations resolution at least 250,000 people have died since the syrian conflict began almost five years ago. millions have been forced to seek refuge in neighboring countries. these severe cold is now making worse for many of them. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: necessity thought they were safe-- they thought they were safe. this kurdish family had fled syria and made that makeshift tense in south east turkey their home. then the snow came.

they didn't have the fuel to keep warm, their four month old baby died of hypothermia. >> translation: we ran from the war and god believed me with a son but i lost him to the cold. >> reporter: now he fears his three-year-old son will also succumb to the cold. he calls on the world to witness their suffering. they buried baby close to the tent. across the border outside aleppo families forage for fuel. it is a daily battle to stay warm and alive. >> translation: we're cold. we never warm up. it's always cold and now it is snowing. we don't have food and we've no warm clothes either. the bombing is all around. my son screams when they bomb just near us. >> reporter: as many as 400 families live in tents here hoping that the syrian regime's

claims don't target their camp. at least the snow brings cloud cover and the welcome respite in the aerial bombardment. this is the fifth winter that syrian refugees have faced since this conflict began. it is the fifth year that syrian children and babies have fought to stay alive as temperatures have plummeted, but it's the first year that there has been a glimmer of hope that those behind the war might be willing to sit down and talk. the shadow of syria's suffering will hang heavy over that negotiating table. nowhere is the situation more desperate than in north of damascus. besieged by syrian forces and hezbollah fighters for over 170 days people are starving. one doctor told al jazeera one or two people die every day. only a lifting of the blockade and immediate humanitarian aid

can save these syrians. their cry is desperate. the responsibility is global the u.n. special envoy to syria is continuing his tour of the middle east. part of an effort to get all sides talking ahead of peace negotiations on syria. on wednesday, he met with saudi arabia's foreign minister in riyadh. the special envoy will travel to syria, iran and turkey over the next few days. peace talks are scheduled in geneva for the end of january. here is what is coming up next. baghdad offering to mediate in the dispute between saudi arabia and iran, but many iraq ease want to cut ties with their saudi neighbors. plus the environmental disaster that has forced a state of emergency in an l.a. suburb. urb.

the top stories on al jazeera. for the second time this week chinese stocks have plunged and market have been closed after heavy losses triggered an automatic trading halt. investors react to the weaker economy and the falling chinese currency. south korea says it will increase military cooperation with the u.s. after north korea's claim of a successful hydrogen bomb test on wednesday. the u.n. security council has strongly condemned the country and promised new sanctions. refugees are struggling to feed themselves and to stay warm.

aid agencies say many are dying from hypothermia caused by the cold conditions. german chancellor says she wants to stem the flow of refugees into the european union. she has lost public support in germany which has taken most of the one million refugees arriving in the e.u. over the past year. she defended free movement of people in the border after denmark and sweden imposed new border controls this week. the first anniversary of the "charlie hebdo" attack. this was the scene outside the offices of the magazine where flowers have been laid. 17 people died during the attack on the office and the jewish supermarket. questions are being raised about whether the government is addressing the root ka causes of the violence. from par.

>> reporter: a plaque outside the newspaper's headquarters is unveiled. it was on january 7 last year that two armed men broke into the newspaper's offices killing 11 people inside and a police officer on duty outside. the attackers were later named as these men. both brothers had been known to intelligence agencies but were not apparently considered a high priority. the government rushed through new security measures in the aftermath of the aattacks. laws were passed to give intelligence services wider surveillance powers, but those agencies are faced with an overwhelming task bearing in mind the hundreds of french citizens who went to fight in syria or iraq and then returned home. >> who are we monitoring? what is the criteria? because these people, they know

very well the intelligence is using to detect. >> reporter: the government also promised to tackle the causes of radicalization by focusing on young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods. a year on leading members of the muslim community say that if anything the government response is making matters worse. >> this service hit for us and they want a divided society. look at how we are behaving today. completely fragmented in society, government acting with measures failing to address the deeper social issues leading to radicalization. >> reporter: what should the authorities be doing to start tackling the cause of radicalization? >> more integration, more freedom and jobs and access to

opportunitys. >> reporter: so melgs mistakes, inadequate resources and a failure to address the root causes of radicalization. this fatal combination left the way open for the attacks of november 13. much deadlier and wider reaching than the events of january iraq is offering to mediate between saudi arabia and iran to end their dispute. it began when riyadh executed a prominent shia cleric on saturday. many want to cut ties with saudi arabia instead. >> reporter: across iraq shia protests continue over the execution in saudi arabia of shia cleric nimr al-nimr. anger too in iran as diplomats return to tehran from riyadh, expelled after demonstrators in iran attacked saudi consulate

buildings over the weekend. >> translation: saudi arabia committed a big historic mistake by cutting off ties with the islamic republic of iran. >> reporter: iraq's foreign minister is now offering to mediate between iran and saudi arabia. >> translation: we have solid relations with the islamic republic of iran as neighbors. we have mutual interests, history and relations. iraq cannot stay silent in this crisis. >> reporter: protests over the death of nimr al-nimr have spread beyond the immediate region to greece, but in turkey president erdogan says it is a domestic issue foresaw des. >> translation: 46 of those who were executed were sunni and because they're affiliated with al-qaeda. one was a shia cleric.

this decision was taken in saudi arabia complemented it. this is their their decision. you may approve it or not. that say different matter of dispute. >> reporter: his remarks are unlikely to change the opinions of these protesters. the united nations and western governments remain concerned. their fear is that the ongoing dispute will setback efforts to end the far bloodier conflicts of syria and yemen the u.s. has transferred two yemeni men who were imprisoned at guantanamo bay to ghana. they were captured in afghanistan and held without charge for nearly 14 years. they were accused of training with al-qaeda and fighting with the taliban. 105 prisoners remain at the u.s. base in cuba. the governor of the u.s. state of california has declared a soemg in the suburb of l.a.

after a methane gas leak made people sick. thousands of people have been located. >> reporter: this is what an environmental disaster looks like. a massive natural gas leak spewing methane into the air since late october, captured by infra-red cameras. down wind of the leak 30,000 people living in the upscales bedroom community of porter ranch, 28 miles north of down town l.a. >> it's just impossible to go outside. we have to close all the doors, all the windows. >> reporter: first came the smell. >> i thought that i left of the barbeque on, so i ran over to the barbeque because we smelt gas in the air. >> reporter: these people say in the beginning the stench was annoying, then irritating and then sickening >> our 3-year-old has had three sin us infections in the last few months. our other daughter is coughing

and another has migraines >> reporter: it is is coming from a blown well at the storage facility. first detected on october 23, the leak has continued to release methane for the past nine weeks. that is enough to equal the carbon footprint of 300,000 cars on the road for one year. since the leak began, other residents have also complained of headaches, nose bleeds and breathing problems. two schools have been closed. thousands have been forced from their homes. if you drive through here, it looks more like a ghost town than a vibrant community celebrating the holidays. >> reporter: there so so many residents in need of assistance. a resource center is now open. the gas company has fled to pay for temporary housing but is unable to keep up with the demand. >> there is a line out of the community service center from the gas company every single day. some 300 people waiting to get

answers. >> reporter: the council member is trying to get answers as well. porter ranch is in his district. >> how does something like this happen in today's environment? where we have technology that we can monitor these kinds of situations. why does something like this go so unchecked for so long? why are the regulatory teeth not there? >> reporter: are you able to get answers to these questions? >> no. i'm not >> reporter: the gas company says it's working as fast as possible to stop the leak, but with no safety shut off valve, drilling a relief well is the only option and that will take months. >> shut it down. >> reporter: residents say they need help now. the city of l.a. has filed suit against the gas company of the handling of the leak. the state tells al jazeera it's launching an investigation into the cause of the leak and the gas company's response, but for thousands of families, that does little to help them breathe easier. as methane gas continues to escape into the air above their

homes a canadian energy government is suing the u.s. government in relation to a pipeline last year. trans canada is seeking 15 billion u.s. dollars saying president obama exceed his powers under the constitution. the keystone xl project which was proposed by environmentalists was rejected seven years after it was first proposed. smart refrigerators, electronic mouse traps and high tack monacles are on display at the consumer electronic show in l.a. the new technologies unveiled are looked at >> reporter: this is the buzz, a world where every aspect of every day life is computer controlled and interconnected.

german technology company bosch shouted off a cloud-connected refrigerator that tells you when to stock up. there is a camera in the fridge so you can look up with your app the last photograph which was made from the inside of your fridge. >> reporter: from this display panel every device in the home can be remotely controlled. these are the first steps on the road to a fully wired world says iot consultant elizabeth chewlaski. >> we have about five connected devices in the home and in the next five years you will have 500. think about that. everything will be connected. >> reporter: including the clothes on our backs. a canadian company makes a shirt with tiny sensors. >> we record everything about your arteries, your respiration. you just wear the shirt.

>> reporter: tokyo company developed an monacle for people to play games on the go. >> you can share your vision you see. that is a new experience. >> reporter: some wonder will advanced technology fundamentally change humanity. >> we're moving into a direction where we're encapsulating the human species inside technology. you will see in the future implantables, hexo skeletons. what does it mean to be human? we've yet to answer this question. >> reporter: those are hard questions, but there are answers here for smaller ones too. remember the old pro verb, build a better mouse trap, a company did just that. >> when the mouse goes in, it

detects the mouse through the two plates and then delivers enough current to quickly eliminate the mouse. i get a text message that tells me the garage just caught a mouse. >> reporter: somebody still has to do the yucky task of getting the mouse out there. >> yeah. >> reporter: maybe humans are still necessary for this things after all the force is strong with the new star wars film as it continues its strong run at the box office smashing previous records. the force awakened is now the highest grossing film of all time in the u.s. and in canada. on wednesday it passed the 760 million dollar record set by avatar in 2009. so far the seventh film has

earned 1.5 billion dollars globe aly. traditional street food vendors in hong kong. food trucks are being introduced to the busy streets of the city, but critics are arguing authorities should be doing more for the traditional food vendors. >> reporter: his nickname is the iron chef, able to use two woks at once in his traditional food store. operating in the same location for 50 years, he took over running it from his father. >> translation: hong kong is the birth place of the cart. it is important to keep it alive. >> reporter: it is proving harder to do. the number of stalls has declined instead lee. long hours toiling over pots in rough and ready street venues is

far less attractive to a younger generation. although the government has stopped issuing licences for new ones, it has relaxed the rules allowing stall holder to pass them on to their extended family. that might help to keep the tradition alive. many feel the government wouldn't mind a much smarter street food alternative. enter the food trucks. the government is planning to introduce mobile street food outlets similar to his operating in the u.s. as a way of increasing tourism. >> translation: it is good for western food, but hard to cook traditional chinese food from a van >> reporter: some say this promotes foreign food instead of home grown cuisine. like many in hong kong, many welcome the small vans, but they add there's nothing wrong with the humble stall. >> we're not in a five star hotel.

the environment are okay. we grew up here. >> reporter: for many in hong kong the stall still offers the food of comfort in these fast changing times just a reminder, you can keep up-to-date with all our stories at al jazeera.com >> welcome to 101 east, i'm steve chao. after giving birth in china, many new mothers and their babies spend weeks behind closed doors in an age old tradition known as confinement. strict rules govern this