the u.n. discussions north korea's controversial rocket launch, accused of intolerable proffer occasion. that is al jazeera live from london. unrest in haiti, leader agree to a caretaker government to take over from the president. hang on in there, rescuers race against time to free 120 people still buried after the taiwan quake. quiet.

[ booing ] >> boos for trump and pressure on rubio in the latest u.s. republican debate. >> a warm welcome to the program. the united nations is holding an emergency meeting after north carolina launched a long-range rocket into space. it has provoked condemnation from many countries, including south carolina, japan, the u.s. and russia. they say that the launch is cover for testing new missile technology. north korea's state t.v. made the announcement, saying that a rocket carrying an observes satellite had been successfully put into orbit. pictures of kim jong-il watching that launch were released. >> u.n. secretary ban ki-moon

called the launch deplorable. there are calls for strong punitive measures. seoul will begin talks with the u.s. on the new missile defense system. we'll have the very latest from that emergency u.n. meeting in new york, but first, harry fossett reports from the south korea capital. >> north korea had already brought its week long launch window forward by a day and wasn't wasting time. two hours into that window, the rocket carrying the bright star satellite lifted off. all overseen by the country's young leader and relayed by its

most famous news reader. >> the complete success made in the liftoff is fruition of the great workers of korean policy. it's an event in developing the countries science technology and defense capability. >> a rocket that can launch a satellite could also carry a nuclear warhead. even if this one, slow to fuel and hard to conceal is far from the ideal weapon. >> this system itself doesn't really have military applications but nevertheless, some of the applications, some of the technologies, some of the systems and sub systems, they could use for the military programs. >> south korea's president immediately convened her national security council, calling the launch an unacceptable provocation. >> recognizing the nuclear missile launch by north korea as a threat to world peace, the security council should quickly come up with strong sanctions. >> seoul announced it would start formal conversations with the united states on deploying fad missile system on south

korean soil. that's a signal to china. beijing is resolutely opposed to the fad system so close to its territory. the u.s. and south korea are trying to pressure china to get tough on its ally. >> in pyongyang on sunday, there was celebration. this launching comes at the start of the lunar new year and days before the birthday of the leader's late father, kim jong-il. al jazeera, seoul. our correspondent joins us live from the united nations in new york. hi, there, gabe. what are we expecting to happen at this meeting? >> this is going to be a closed door private meeting, journalists and cameras will not be allowed to follow it as it's taking place. we expect a lot of discussion

and condemnation by the security council members. i can tell you the meeting is just getting underway here within the last minute or so. all of the ambassadors just went into the security council chambers and several stopped and spoke to us briefly. i want to tell what you they were saying. first, the venezuela ambassador is important because venezuela holds the temporary presidency of the security council this month. mr. ramirez said that he is hoping and expecting that the security council will come out with some sort of condemnation of this rocket launch by north korea but beyond that would simply say he couldn't go into anymore details beyond that. we do expect that this will be a lot of talk in the security council meeting, a lot of discussions about the next stems. i can tell you what women not see most likely is any sort of new resolution. that would take days, if not

weeks. that's generally the pace of how the security council works. i want to run down what a couple of other ambassadors told us again as they were going into the security council chambers, the u.k. deputy ambassador said that condemned the missile launch, said that there needs to be strong action. the russian ambassador also said that he hopes very briefly stopped and said that he also will be discussing this in the chambers. the french ambassador to the u.n. said weakness is not an option. he said firm, strong and action is needed by the security council right now. who we did not hear from is the chinese ambassador. he went in without speaking to the journalists. he is important and because china obviously being the key ally of north korea, cline that holds a lot of sway on the security council on what the council can implement or do

moving forward. we hope to hear from the chinese ambassador after the meeting. >> live from the u.n. in new york, thank you. the united arab emirates said it is ready to send ground troops to syria to fight isil. it is the third gulf nation to say so, following saudi arabia and bahrain. they are already part of the u.s. led bombing campaign against isil in syria and iraq. syria warned it will fight back against what it calls a ground incursion into its territory. meanwhile, turkey said it's ready to let in thousands of syrian refugees trapped on its border if necessary. they are stuck in the area.

another 70,000 syrians may head to the border if the fighting continues. stephanie decker has more from the turkey-syria border. >> they believe around 10,000 people are on the other side that have border. they are registered because it is a security concern. they want to manage the situation. they say they are perfectly well prepared to deal with them when it comes to supplies, relief, blankets. it is incredibly cold at night. there is no chance of opening the border. the turkish penalty expects a potential of 70,000 people to

come over the next days or weeks if this offensive continues. that's showing no signs of letting up and if need be, turkey would be opening its borders but at the homes, they remain closed. let's go to zeina hodor who joins us live. how close is the government now to encircling the city of aleppo? >> they are a few kilometers from the last line of defense, the opposition's defense. the town which lice on the only road that leads into and out of the rebel controlled part of eastern aleppo. it is under heavy bombardment, really to weaken the opposition's defenses before ground forces move in. the threat is real. the people inside the city, we don't have, you know, official figures on how many people are inside, but there are believed to be 200 to 300,000 people.

they are already bracing for this possibility. some families have left, but the majority of the people are still inside. the local council of aleppo called on the people to start rationing. they are starting to store food, medicine, whatever they can store, and but the problem is that if the siege actually happens, it is going to be a very punishing one, because aleppo, the rebel controlled side has no electricity, so you need fuel and there's already a shortage of fuel. you also need electricity to pump the wells for water, so people know the consequences of a siege, because they've seen it happen and elsewhere across the country, but inside aleppo city, people are remaining really steadfast for the time being. people took to the streets today. there was a demonstration. they called on the various rebel faction to say unit. they said we need an aleppo army to confront this. whether the opposition will be able to do this, it is still not

clear. >> on that note, are the rebels able to bring in reinforcements? >> well, the regime's objective really, this offensive, is to cut rebel supply lines. they have cut through rebel territory. they have disrupted those fly lines and the lines of communication. now, what the government is doing and its allies, advancing toward the turkish forder on two fronts. first from the southwest of aleppo towards it lip, there are approximately 45, 50 kilometers. they want to reach the crossing in idlib that the opposition controls. on the border crossing which is in the province of aleppo, they are approaching a very key town. there are seven kilometers from this town. if they reach this town and if it falls, they will be 20 kilometers to the turkish border. if it falls, the other opposition towns along that main

highway may not be able to confront this offensive, so the situation on the ground is precarious at the moment. the opposition says yes, we are fighting back, but it's very difficult to bring in reinforcements simply because the lines have been disrupted by the ongoing defensive. the russian airstrikes are targeting rebel supply lines to prevent reinforcements from interesting syria. >> thank you. hate's president is due to step down on sunday following a lost minute deal with parliament to in stall a transitional government. the move keeps the country from plunging into a power vacuum to replace martelly. haiti's runoff election is scheduled for april 24. we are joined now from haiti's capital. we saw protests yesterday and of course more protests today.

what message do protestors want to send? >> that they are not onboard with this agreement. let me tell you a little bit about where i'm standing. i'm in front of the parliament. there is an air of participation and formality, dignitaries, foreign dignitaries have been arriving and we are expecting the arrival pretty shortly of marteli to discuss an 11t 11th hour agreement to prevent additional political turmoil. the presidential runoff should elect a president and that president would take power in may, but first, before all of that happens, the parliament has to elect an interim president, and here is where things get murky. no word on when this election will take place, and certainly no idea of just who this may be. the big concern here of course in haiti, given its troubled

history is that what becomes a transitional government that should only be in place according to the constitution for three months will end up being a longer term proposition. the last transitional government in haiti was in 2004 and it stayed in power until 2006. you can understand why members of the opposition in particular are not onboard with this agreement. >> if they are not onboard with the current agreement, what is it that they want to see happen? >> they want to roll back a little bit to a couple months ago. they believe the entire electoral process that began in october is rife with corruption. they also view the president as corrupt. they've made allegations that he's miss appropriated the country's money. they also believe the parliament as accomplices, if you will. there were recent election.

they believe the election that brought members of parliament to their seats were fraudulent, so they believe that the parliament is tainted. one of the suggestions, a way out of this political quagmire that has been offered by the opposition is that the president of the supreme court would act as an interim president. >> natasha joining us from from port prince. thank you. still to come here on al jazeera. >> a push to retake the yemeni capital from houthi rebels. government forces make territorial gains in the capital sanna. a project to help people with disabilities in serbia is facing an uncertain future. we'll have more when we come back.

>> a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. the u.n. security council called an emergency meeting after north korea carried out a rocket launch the west insists was a cover for a missile test. united arab emirates joined saudi arabia and bahrain saying it will send ground troops to fight isil in syria. haiti's government agrees on an interim leader just hours before the president is due to step down. >> in southern taiwan, rescue workers found signs of life under the debris of a high rise building which collapsed after

the earth conveying. 24 people were killed in the worst affected area. >> as they work further down into the ruins, conditions for the rescue teams are getting harder. hang in there, the rescuer's shout. we will soon get you out. >> people are trapped in very small spaces and we can't use big machinery. we mostly dig with our hands. >> around the edges of the site, relatives of the missing have been waiting anxiously for news, since the earthquake on saturday morning that caused this entire complex to crumble in seconds, trapping hundreds as they slept. this man is looking for his father and younger brother. he believes rescuers are looking in the wrong place and urging them to look again. this woman is looking for her

three month old baby who was being cared for by her sister. she still can't understand what happened. >> it's the construction company's fault. other buildings didn't collapse like this one. >> many are now saying the complex was poorly designed and poorly built. language, it's called a building called a building like a bean curd structure. now exposed in the ruins, these are tin cans which had been used in place of concrete on several floors. local media have been focusing on how the building resulted with the ground floor turned into commercial space that may have weakened it further. of equal concern is how the authorities in this quake-prone area of taiwan didn't prevent such alterations. >> the local prosecutor's office

are doing a full investigation and are here to collect evidence. >> as that investigation ramps up, so the search of the building continues with the likelihood of finding more bodies than survivors. rob mcbride, al jazeera, taiwan. u.s. presidential hopeful marco rubio has come under attack from several republican rivals in the latest debate in new hampshire. with four days to go before the state chooses its presidential nominee, it couldn't have come at a worst time for the surging florida senator. from new hampshire,al lean finisher reports. >> dr. ben carson, please come out of the stage. he's standing there, as well, dr. carson. >> bizarre announcement with candidates seemingly wandering on the stage. he is back after missing the last debate in iowa, donald trump, but the attack was to

marco rubio p.m. that's what washington, d.c. does, the drive by shot at the beginning with incorrect and incomplete information and then the memorized 30 second speech. marco, the thing is this. when you're president of the united states, when you're governor of a state, the memorized speech when you talk about how great america is at the end of it doesn't solve one problem for one person. >> we are seeing the launch from a nuclear north korea is the direct result of the failures of the first clinton administration. the clinton administration led the world in relaxing sanctions against north korea. billions of dollars flowed to north korea in exchange for promises not to built nuclear weapons, so what we are seeing with north korea is foreshadowing of where we will be with iran. >> an attack from jeb bush brought this reaction from

donald trump provoking in the audience. >> he wants to be a tough guy. >> let me talk, quiet. >> a lot of time. [ booing ] >> that's all it is, his donors and special interests out there. >> i would not bring it back in any sort of widespread use. >> it was used sparingly. congress has changed the laws and i think where we stand is the appropriate place. >> i would bring back waterboarding and i'd bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding. >> the story going into this debate was all about marco rubio's momentum, how he could do well in iowa and new hampshire. chris christie and others attacked him and that could be enough to damage the florida senator. maybe not too much, but enough. >> we thank the people of manchester new hampshire for having this debate. >> the candidates now spend their final hours in new hampshire, chasing support and chasing the dream of success.

al jazeera, at the republican debate in new hampshire. in israel, a sudanese migrant shot by security forces after stabbing an israel soldier has died. it happened near a bus station. police say it was an act of solidarity with palestinians. if the move is confirmed, it would be the first attack of its kind involving a foreigner since the surge of violence began in october. forces in yemen has made gains in sanna. government loyalists backed by loyalists are making a new push to capture the city. we have the story. >> special forces retake coastal areas in the province and advance towards the port city which is a a shia rebel houthi stronghold.

it's also home to yemen's biggest oil refinery and its sea port is crucial for oil exports. the houthis and their allies still hve troops stationed in the area. losing the city and its sea port is likely to undermine chance of getting supplies of weapons from abroad. >> we are making major military gains. the army is gradually tightening the grip on the the grip on the coastal province and they will make sure the houthis won't receive weapons anymore from iranians. >> as fighting in the coastal areas continues, pro government troops are on the move. they are now in control of an area a few kilometers from the capital sanna. this is where the future of the city may be decided. special forces loyal to president adou rabbo mansour

hadi have led siege on a military base on the city's outskirts. the push by government loyalists is a significant development since the houthis took over sanna in september, 2014. backed by a saudi-led coalition, these fighters say they are determined to continue the fight until their rivals surrender or face defeat. the coalition has intensified airstrikes hoping to force the houthis into retreat. the shia rebels and former president sala remain defiant. they say they are determined to fight to defend the area's controlled. four people have been killed by grenade attacks in bujumbura. amongst the victims was a young boy selling eggs. ten others were also wounded. algerias parliament passed a

new constitution that aim to say reform the military-dominated political system. the government says the changes will strengthen democracy, but analysts have cost out whether they'll come into fruition and end the presidential grip on power. changes will require the president to get the backing of a parliament majority in appointing a new prime. >> it does not emanate from a popular demand. rather than promoting new changes within the constitution, the feeling is that algerian leaders should at least -- what already exists. macedonia has started building a new razor wire fence along its border with greece, stretching 37 kilometers. the government said the fence is

needed to increase security. they can only enter the country once interviewed. people with disabilities in certain he be i can't have often struggled to find jobs but a project in the town has changed that. it employees people with minor disabilities to help those with severe disabilities and the project has been a success. funding cuts mean it's facing an uncertain future. >> from making a cup of coffee, to other help, she helps this couple. >> i can't believe it will end. i really hope it won't. it's really needed. >> she is employed by the city council of the western serbian city. it's part of a pilot scheme to help people like her with minor disabilities find a job. the idea is that she then works

for people with zero disabilities who needed extra help at home. >> this means a lot to me. i have a disability and doing this helps both me and them. this job is fulfilling. we feel for each other and it keeps us happy. >> the project is coming to an end and the city council doesn't know whether the syrian government will provide the money needed for it to continue. >> a three month pilot project is not enough, because it normally takes a month or so for the service users and providers to adopt to each other and once they get to know each other and things start going well, the program ends. >> the serbian government is committed to helping people with disabilities find work. >> this year, we plan to hire 1600 disabled people for public services jobs. the hardest thing for a person with disabilities or any unemployed person is not being able to find a job. >> statistics show 16,000 serbians with disabilities are

unemployed. most like her want to work and offer help to the best of their ability. al jazeera. you can find out much more on our website at aljazeera.com. [♪ music ] this week on "talk to al jazeera" - chef and restaurateur marcus samuelsson. >> being able to have windows into three, four different communities is something that i feel privileged to the swedish-raised celebrity cook was born if ethiopia but group in scannedan ava. he and his sister were adopted after their mother died from tush