a swift resolution, iran releases ten u.s. soldiers who entered its waters days before the nuclear deal is due to be implemented. ♪ hello there, i'm barbara are sarah, you are watching al jazeera live from london. turkey says the suicide bomber who killed ten tourists in istanbul entered the country as a refugee. warnings of more attacks to come after a bomber kills police outside of a polio eradication center in pakistan. denmark's government gets cross-party backing for a plan to seize cash and valuables from

asylum seekers. plus who wants to be a billionaire? the lines get longer as the prize gets bigger in the record-breaking u.s. powerball lottery. ♪ the u.s. secretary of state has expressed his gratitude for iran for releasing ten american sailors it held overnight, but an an nows mouse official said there was no express of regret after their boats strayed into iranian waters. john kerry said diplomacy played a critical rule, pointing to how the relationship between the two countries has improved in recent years. iran said it freed the u.s. personnel after determining they entered the iranian waters by distake -- mistake. the u.s. vessels had been

heading for bahrain. iran says they had navigation problems. mr. kerry also said iran's nuclear deal is likely to be implemented in the coming days. and he said the sailor's incident could have gone differently. >> these are always situations which as everybody here knows have an ability, if not properly guided to get out of control. and i'm appreciative for the quick and appropriate response of the iranian authorities. >> reporter: our correspondent in washington rosiland jordan says kerry leveraged his relationship with his iranian counterpart. >> the u.s. secretary of state john kerry says he is grateful to iranian authorities for arranging the quick release of ten u.s. navy sailors from iranian custody after more than 16 and possibly as long as 20 hours between tuesday and early wednesday morning. the u.s. defense department is

crediting the secretary of state for negotiating the swift release of the sailors because of his direct channel to the iran an foreign minister. they established this relationship during the more than two years of negotiation over ending iran's suspected nuclear weapons program. however, a senior administration official has been telling reporters in recent weeks that just because there is this direct channel of communication between the two, does not mean that the u.s. and iran are any closer to reestablishing diplomatic ties after 35 years. what the u.s. is stressing is that the pragmatism of trying to fix issues of mutual concern between tehran and washington is an opportunity that the u.s. should always try to take advantage of. it appears in the case of the ten navy sailors this was one of those opportunities that was taken. ♪

turkey's prime minister says the suicide bomber who killed ten german tourists in istanbul on tuesday was a syrian national with links to isil who entered turkey as a refugee. five people have been arrested over the attack along with dozens more suspected isil members. germany has offered to help turkey in its fight against the group. here is andrew simmons. >> reporter: on the approach to an ancient egyptian obelisk, where the tourists died, a solemn group lead by the prime minister, the interior ministers of turkey and germany also present. there is a surreal feeling here. the whole area has been cleaned up. red flowers are the only visual signs of death. there are no signs of blast damage apart from some wood gouged out of a seat.

turkey's government blames isil for the attack. saying it is the third coming in the country, and the first aimed at foreigners. the suicide bomber has been named by security forces, as a 27-year-old syrian citizen born in saudi arabia. he is sited here on cctv foodage when he is said to have given his fingerprints a week ago. it was hours after the blast that the police say they were able to identify him from his fingerprints. they say he wasn't an isil suspect. one of the most historic places in the world, an attack on turkey's tourist industry. it all sends a chilling message, and a wraellization of the colossal task placing security and intelligence agencies. some tourists appear defiant although many are staying away. >> life here goes on, and if we

let these sort of attacks like impact our daily lives, i think you are giving into the threat all together. >> i don't feel safe look going to this place, so yeah, there might be an issue from my side. >> reporter: as the mourner defins, the germans who lost their lives on a package tour in this setting the leadership here is calling for foreign governments to show more solidarity and cooperation with turkey in its fight against isil. andrew simmons, al jazeera, istanbul. >> joining me in the studio is an expert on radicalization. what we have really seen between arrests and detentions as well, i think it's nearly 70 people that have been detained after this attack on tuesday. how big -- i'm sorry, the

turkish government said some arrested were suspected of planning huge attacks. how big do you think the isil threat within turkey itself right now? >> i think it's fairly reasonable in the sense that both the nature of the type of attacks that have happened previously, can demonstrate the nature of what we're dealing with. it's quite substantial, not minor attacks. we're looking at much more major types of incidents that happened recently. >> this summer it was more than a hundred each time. >> yeah. and on a secondary level i guess there is a growing issue where you have remnants of people that have come in either from syria, and also within turkey itself. given the change of stance where

turkey is taking a much more hostile stance towards isil, i think you will see more and more of those types of incidents taking place. >> the main person that turkey is accusing right now seems to be a syrian refugee. do you think the isil threat within turkey is mainly people coming from outside, or is there a radicalization process happening internally in turkey. >> i think first of all there are individuals that are coming in from syria. that is going to be inevitable, and there have been large numbers reportedly being radicalized within turkey, and turkey has been a gateway into joining isis. many who began to join isis were from chechnya. so we have a number of different causes rather than just inside -- >> it's interesting you menning chechnya, because some of people

finger pointed at have been russians. how big of a threat is isil in russia? >> i think it's difficult to describe. russians have claimed actually it's fairly proportionate, they have claimed more than a thousand or 2,000 individuals have traveled over to join isis. so you are larging at large swathes even in that perspective. these are former [ inaudible ] these are the al-qaeda network, that eventually became isis, and also a charge number of chechnian jihadists. so that constituent element have always had a large proportion from russia or surrounding regions. >> we'll certainly more about

the threats that turkey faces from isil. thank you so much for sharing your views with us. >> thank you. other news the pakistani taliban and the group linked to it, say they carried out a suicide bomb attack outside of a polio vaccination center that killed at least 15 people. and they have warned of more attacks to come. the anti-polio campaign is part of a nationwide effort to reach 2.5 million under five. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: security forces were on their way to guard a polio vaccination center when they were attacked. polio health workers and those sent to protect them are the all too frequent target of those who say the polio campaign is a cover for western spies and the vaccine is used to sterilize children. some in pakistan say those accusations are themselves a cover. >> they use it as a

means -- under the government [ inaudible ] they promote their own agenda of -- of causing havoc in the country. >> reporter: polio used to be a global problem. 350,000 cases were reported in 1988. from 125 countries then, now the disease is now known to exist in only two countries, pakistan and afghanistan. they were just over 300 cases of you -- polio in pakistan in 2013, now that number has fallen to around 50. the w.h.o. wants polio stamped out completely, and is on track to make that happen. this attack highlights how vulnerable anti-polio workers and the security forces sent to protect them still are. coordinated attacks in the eastern afghan city of jalalabad

have killed seven security personnel. two gunmen who barricaded themselves inside of a government guest house were killed after a shootout with security forces. earlier an accomplice blew himself up next to a police vehicle. still lots more to come in this half hour, including we'll report on plans to evict as many as 2,000 refugees from a camp in the french town of calais. plus spain's political dead lock. there is still no government. ♪

♪ now a reminder of the top stories on al jazeera. the u.s. secretary of state has helped secure the speedy release of ten u.s. sailors who were detained by iran after their boats entered iranian waters. john kerry says diplomacy played a key role in the swift resolution. the pakistani taliban has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in pakistan, where at least 15 people were killed. and turkey says it has detained five people over tuesday's suicide blast in istanbul which killed ten german tourists. the latest attack exposes just how porous the border is between syria and turkey. istanbul has bolstered security, but it is still a haven for smugglers.

sue has this exclusive report. >> reporter: a student in northern syria films his journey towards a turkish border crossing. a journey he has made several times. it is possible to leave legally with the correct documents or illegally for the right amount of money. going the other way appears to be open too. al jazeera's secretly spoke to a man at one boarder crossing who said he is a smuggler. >> translator: if you want to go the illegal way it will be 75 to 100 turkish lira, from here we take 150, he'll walk next to the trucks. he gives a thousand lira to the syrian drive and he'll pick him up. >> reporter: the turkish police say the istanbul bomber crossed the border illegally.

this man says he is a former isil smuggler who provides weapons. he says the turkish border into isil-held territory is the only way in and out for fighters. >> translator: it's like daesh is sitting in a room with no windows but one door. even if turkey closes a little daesh won't break down the door, because they still hope in the following days turkey will reopen the door fully. >> reporter: the houses in the distance are in isil-controlled territory in the syria, and it's along the boarder that is effectively the front door to turkey and europe for isil fighters. the united states had called on the turkish government to station a 30,000 strong border patrol there, but turkey said it couldn't afford the spare troops. for business for the network of isil smugglers remains brisk. the network of smugglers for isil seems very organized.

>> translator: totally. groups come freely. they travel by bus not planes. where they meet up. there is a man responsible for managing hotel bookings, transport, and another for entry into syria. >> reporter: 68 isil suspects have been detained across turkey since the istanbul attack. the interior ministers says turkey is committed to tracking down isil sympathizers. >> translator: a week before the attacks 220 suspected members were detained. 847 have been arrested, significant number are foreign fighters. >> reporter: sealing the border completely is a tall order for turkey. it's the first port of call for syrians trying to escape the humanitarian disaster of the civil war. if the istanbul attack is a sign

of an increase in insurgent attacks on turkish soil, then the turkish government may now have to consider closing the door completely. syrian state tv says government troops have captured the rebel strong hold of selma. it was one of the last rebel front lines in any northwestern province of latakia. russian war planes have carried out more than 120 air strikes in the last 48 hours. russian air strikes have also reported to have attacked the city of aleppo. at least 12 children and their teacher are reported to have been killed. human rights groups say the jets targeted several schools in the rebel-held down. more than 5,000 air strikes have been conducted by the russian air force since its air offensive began in september. -- danish mp's are debating

measu measures to deter people from going to denmark. >> reporter: hard times for refugees in copenhagen are getting harder. there is another new law meaning refugees already here will have to wait three years before their families can join them. for people like this woman from syria, that matters more than losing the rings from her fingers. i don't want to lose my things, but if it means my family is safe i will pay anything. >> reporter: denmark has a breakdown of cooperation inside the european union means the

government here joining countries like poland and hungary innen acting provocative laws. the powerful dane initial people's party says the laws aren't enough. they would like to go after refugees bank accounts as well. >> the message is quite clear. if you want to come to europe, you should stay clear of denmark, because we are defining the rules, and if we have the opportunity to send you back, we will. >> reporter: a good half of danish society is horrified by all of this. where is the denmark that helped this yous in world war ii. what has happened to denmark's pride in leading liberal thought in europe. this placard reads you can take the gold out of my teeth for a decent denmark. no doubt there's an intentional shock value so this new laws, but many are asking if it

doesn't sde mean a country as rich as this to be acting as a sort of pawnbroker, taking the brings off of refugees fingers to process their asylum claims. >> reporter: the legislation forcing families to have to wait three years before being reunited is against human rights law, and they will try to challenge it. and they wonder how improve riching refugees further will help them find a knew life here. >> they cannot take part in -- they cannot send their children to football because they need to pay a fee, et cetera, et cetera. so they can actually not integrate themselves without having the same amount of money as other danish people in the same situation. >> reporter: those who do get asylum get treated really well. but denmark has changed. the door is fast shutting on anyone who thinks it is

welcoming. as many as 2,000 refugees living at huge camp in calais are to be evented on thursday. large areas of the camp will be dismantled. more than 300 women and 60 children are among those faced eviction. jacky rowland now explains. >> reporter: the jungle refugee camp in calais is also terrible, but in january it is particularly grim. it's cold and wet and there's a lot of mud. i'm climbing up to this high point to give you a better view of what is going on. in fact you can see these white containers behind me. and these have been brought in now by the french authorities to

create warmer, drier accomodations for people. they are turning them into dormers to. there are bunk beds inside. electricity. heating. washing facilities, toilets. and the idea is that about 1500 refugees are being asked to leave the tents and move into this new facility where they can live more comfortably. so with all of these facilities on offer you would think the refugees would be literally rushing to move into the new container park, but it's when you get to one of the entry points that you start to understand why so many people are reticent. this new camp is completely surrounded by a metal fence. there are only a few gates, and those are guarded by security. and to go in, you have to register your fingerprints. and that is making alarm belling

ring for quite a few people. they are afraid once inside they won't be able to come and go freely, and they are afraid they may be forced to register for asylum here in france, and the greatest fear that they could be expelled back to their countries. most of the people who have made the journey across the mediterranean and up through europe to reach calais have done so with the goal to cross the channel and reach the united kingdom. there is a fear among some here that to go through the gates into this camp could spell the end of that dream. an avalanche in the french alps has hit a high school ski group killing at least three people. two students and a ukrainian skier have been confirmed dead, and a number of people are still thought to be missing. spain's new parliament has

been sworn in the spanish capitol. but almost a month after elections, the country still doesn't have a new government. barnaby phillips reports on the political dead lock. >> reporter: the opening of spain's new parliament had the feel of the first day of school, lots of interesting new boys and girls. the greens arrived on bicycles. but the police said they would have to leave them outside. and the man with the ponytail, who's left-wing party is a new political force. spain is waiting to hear under what terms he would go into a coalition government. the old parties are damaged but still live. sanchez, leader of the socialists, and mariano, the outgoing prime minister, who still hopes to lead a new coalition that excludes padermobjections. >> translator: the people's party has the responsibility to

lead the new government. we call on the socialists and the citizens party to join us in a government that could last for the full four-year term. >> reporter: but the spanish people delivered a very inconclusive result in december's vote, and now it's not easy to see how such parties can work together. >> [ inaudible ] highest level in spain since 1977. in my point of view, i think the most probable scenario is to have a new election in june or the end of may, no? >> reporter: spain's politicians can't agree on the composition of a new government, but this country certainly needs leadership. it's economy is in a precarious situation, and in colonia, nationalists are making a new push for independence. this is a time of great

uncertainty in spain. barnaby phillips, al jazeera, at the spanish parliament in madrid. the european union is to investigate whether new media laws in poland break e.u. laws on democracy. critics say it would allow the governing party to influence what is in the news. the laws have been introduced by pola poland's law and justice party which one elections in october. the u.s. powerball jackpot for wednesday has risen to a staggering $1.5 billion. the odds of winning have not stopped long queues from forming across the united states. it is already the world's biggest potential prize for a single winner, and if the jackpot rolls over again, then the prize could reach $2 billion.

>> i would definitely pay my mortgage. get that out of the way. i would pay my brother and sister-in-law's mortgage, so they don't have to have second jobs, and donate money to a charity that help people with diabetes, because that's how i lost my beautiful mom. and i don't know maybe do a school for kids. >> i give number one to the homeless. i give them the money. and the charities. for the young people, the children everything, and what is left, i give it to my grandkids. >> good luck to them. students in india have taken part in an unusual world record attempt. more than 5,000 took part in a cooking competition. they made their own solar ovens using reflector sheets. india is one of the world's

biggest polluters. and the government plans to spending more than $700 million on roof-top solar panels over the next five years. lots more on that, and everything else we have been covering on our website, aljazeera.com. bryan stevenson. >> we have to stop telling the lies that we tell about who we are. we celebrate our history of slavery. we celebrate our era of terrorism. >> stevenson has spent his career fighting racism in the criminal justice system--the legacy of slavery and times of "racial terror" continue to impact the lives of african americans today. >> what we did to african americans between the end of reconstruction and world war ii