the u.s. bombs an isil training camp in libya, saying it posed a threat to its national security. ♪ hello, i -- you are watching al jazeera live from london. russia calls a u.n. security council meeting saying it fears turkey could launch a ground offensive in syria. harper lee has died at the age of 89.

and we look at how the space tourism industry is finally taking off. ♪ first to libya where the united states has carried out air strikes targeting fightersal lined with the so-called islamic state of iraq and the levant, isil. libyan officials say at least 40 people were killed in the attacks west of the capitol tripoli. the pentagon says the operation hit an isil training camp and was aimed at killing a senior tunisian operative. he is accused of helping organize deadly attacks on a museum in tunis and a beach resort in the town of zeus last year. >> this was a facilitate we had had our eye on for sometime, and we had determined that there were isil fighters and folks in training at this facility, and

specifically that he was associated with this facility in particular. and we believed that they posed a threat. >> rosiland jordan joins us live from washington, d.c. what more do we know about the target, and the impact of these air strikes in libya? >> well, even those peter cook briefed us for about 45 minutes, we don't know much more than that, other than this training camp was being used to orchestrate potential attacks on the u.s. or in u.s. interests overseas. we also don't know, even though pentagon officials have said on background that two f-15 fighter jets that were based in the u.k., were taking part in the strikes on this camp. we also don't know whether or not the pentagon has confirmed

that the top-ranking official of isil has been killed. but one thing he did stress was this air strike was carried out with the knowledge and we assume the consent of libyan authorities so it might be easier to confirm, one, how many were killed and whether he was actually one of those killed in the attack. >> what might this indicate about medium to long-term u.s. intentions, possible further engagement in libya? >> reporter: well, that's a difficult question. the question came up, and while officials in both buildings were trying to say that this doesn't mean a shift in u.s. policy, they do stress that the u.s. is very much committed to going after isil no matter where it's fighters happen to be, so the big question is, is the u.s.

going to suddenly ramp up its air strikes inside libya. officials didn't want to say whether that is going to be the case, but certainly they have been hinting in recent weeks as the unity government tries to come together in tripoli, that if there is a unity government, then the u.s. would be prepared to go full scale after isil inside libya, because it's very concerned that libya has become a place for isil to basically attract new foreign fighters to train them, and then to deploy them, whether to europe, the u.s. or other places around the world. so there's a real concern about trying to stop isil's spread, but whether or not we're going to see the kind of air strikes that we have been seeing in iraq and in syria, while officials both at the state and pentagon, don't want to state that. >> thanks very much, ros. rosiland jordan live for us in washington, d.c. ♪

turkey is asking the united states to clarify itself position on syrian kurdish ypg fighters. turkey blames the ypg for wednesday's attack in ankara that killed 28 people. but many in the last few hours a group called the kurdistan freedom fall cobs has said it was behind the bombing in response to the president's policy. zana hoda reports. >> reporter: intense artillery shelling across the border. turkish is targeting positions of the ypg. it says it has evidence a suicide car bomber on wednesday was a ypg member and that he received help from the pkk inside turkey. >> translator: we have critical data on who is responsible for this attack. turkey is facing an attack

organized by the pkk and ypg once again. turkey's friends should stand with turkey against all terrorist organizations. >> reporter: security is increasingly a concern in turkey. the bombing in ankara wasn't the first. and since july the southeast of the country has been a battleground. turkey officials want their western allies to sever their links with the syrian kurdish fighters. >> translator: the u.s. must clarify its stance on terrorism. washington's statements are conflicted on the ypg. it's a sign of weakness to act with a terror organization like the ypg in the fight against daesh. >> reporter: but on the ground the u.s. continues to provide air cover to the ypg and its ally, the syrian democratic forces as they push deeper into isil-held territory. the kurdish fighters are closing in on a main supply route that

isil also known as daesh uses to move between its strong holds in syria and neighboring iraq. >> it's not about choosing sides here. there's no doubt about turkey's membership in the coalition. obviously there's no doubt about our commitment to a fellow nato ally, and there's also no doubt that some of the strongest fighters against daesh inside of syria have been kurdish fighters. >> reporter: but they have not only been taking territory from isil. they also have been taking ground from opposition groups backed by turkey. for turkey that is a red line. ankara wants to prevent further ypged a vabss particularly close to its border. ankara considers that a threat to its national security, and has made clear that it will take all of the necessary measures to prevent this, it also wants its western allies to stand by them in this fight. for now turkey's options are to

continue the cross-border shelling and provide support to the non-kurdish syrian opposition. the west has signaled it won't back turkey's grand plan inside of syria on the ground. the escalating tensions are straining long-time alliances and complicating an already difficult process aimed attending syria's war. zana hoda, al jazeera, southern turkey. now russia is calling for a u.n. security council meeting because it fears turkey could launch a ground invasion of syria. it wants a resolution demanding an end to action which undermines syria's sovereignty. daniel lak is at the united nations. and how soon can we expect this meeting to take place? >> reporter: well the meeting is going to be coming up a little later this afternoon, and russia called an urgent meeting of its security council colleagues, and the premise they gave was that they fear a turkish ground invasion of syria. now let's remind viewers that

turkey has not called for a ground invasion of syria, but it has said it is willing to be part of a multi-lateral ground force should one emerge that would probably include middle eastern forces as well as european and american forces. and they also said after the car bombing this week that they would take any means necessary to defend themselves. so both of those things put together maybe that's what the russians are referring to. but we have to remember that this resolution that they are going to circulate, we won't be hearing much more about it today, except they have introduced it. apparently they are not going to name turkey. so that's maybe an attempt to get support. the russians called an urgent security council meeting to do with turkish shelling, and not much came out of that. but it's safe to say for the moment, given russia's role in northern syria at the moment,

backing the kurds, backing the assad regime, and what it is doing here at the u.n. that the diplomatic effort at least for the moment, is trending russia's way. >> thanks very much. daniel lak watching for that upcoming security council meeting for us there in new york. now egypt's president says he will propose new laws to curb abuses of power by the security services. his statement comes a day after a policeman shot and killed a young taxi driver which lead to protests. the officer in this question has now been detained but it is the latest in a strength of incidents of alleged police brutality. >> reporter: picking up a police officer as passenger proved fatal for this taxi driver. he was just 24 years old. according to the egyptian interior ministry, the police officer shot and killed him by mistake after an argument over payment. but the thousands who gathered

for his funeral don't believe the official version of events. they blame the security forces who they say act with impunity. witnesses to the killing say the police officer verbally abused mohamed, and when he observed, the officer shot him. the victims relatives fear their demands for justice are falling on deaf ears >> translator: i want the government to bring me justice. why would this policeman shoot my son? what was he guilty of? is the president happy? we elected him to represent us and protect us, not to let these criminals kill us. he needs to stop them, and every corrupt policeman must face justice. >> translator: all they a care about is [ inaudible ] as long as there is chaos no one will get punished. enough is enough. every day one of us gets killed. why doesn't the government send an official to attend our funerals? because we are poor. we are nobody.

>> reporter: last week thousands of doctors protested after two colleagues said they had been assaulted by police in a cairo hospital because they wouldn't falsify medical records. more protests are planned. human rights groups say egyptian security services often act above the law and are rarely put on trial. when trials do take place, sentencing will usually reduced on appeal. >> i remember two years ago mr. sisi was addressing men in uniform, and explicitly encouraged them to use excessive use of violence against civilians, and promised them that nobody will be punished. >> reporter: many believe this has lead to a culture of police brutality, which was one of the main factors in the uprising. five years after the revolution it appears the security forces are still to be feared. the american author harper

lee has died at the age of 89. recrewsive writer who only published two novels in her lifetime is best known for her first book "to kill a mocking bird." a second book featuring the same characters was published 55 years later in july 2015. she died in a nursing home just a few miles from the house where she grew up. still to come for you this half hour . . . anger in uganda has police detain the main opposition candidate for the fourth time this week. also will he stay or will he go in we'll have all of the latest and david cameron tries to secure a deal to keep britain in the e.u. ♪

♪ welcome back. you are watching al jazeera. here is a reminder of the top stories. the u.s. has launched air strikes in libya, hitting an isil training base. the attack targeted a top isil commander, and the u.s. will continue to attack the group. russia has called for a u.n. security council meeting saying it fears turkey might launch a ground invasion in syria. meanwhile ankara has intensified strikes against syrian kurdish fighters. and egyptian president sisi has told the inteen your ministry to take measures to end police brutality. it comes a day after a police

officer shot dead a taxi driver triggering protests. e.u. leaders have been working with turkey to try to limit the flow of refugees to europe. germany's angela merkel says the plan is a priority. austria has started imposing its new quota system for refugees. the government says it will allow no more than 80 asylum seekers a day as of friday. but the e.u. top migration official says austria has a legal obligation to accept any asylum request made on its territory. meanwhile are britain's prime minister is digging in brussels. he was hoped to already be back in the u.k. briefing his cabinet on the terms of any deal to stay in the e.u. but he now says he is happy to stay until sunday. german chancellor, angela merkel has warned that reaching an agreement with all of the other

member states won't be easy. >> reporter: well, i think many people were expecting that this summit would be over by now, but we are still here on friday night. david cameron still looking for a deal. he has been locked in negotiation all day with different e.u. leaders, trying to persuade them to back his proposal, but we know there are still several stumbling blocks. they were supposed to get together earlier to have a working english breakfast, that became a lunch, and has now become a working dinner. there they will hope to iron out some of the differences, but it's still unclear whether cameron will get that deal tonight. he of course would have hoped to have been back in london by now discussing the deal with his cabinet. instead he is still here fighting for a deal. mp's from kosovo's main opposition party have set off tear gas in parliament. they are angry over deals they

have signed with serbia and montenegro. police later removed the opposition but only after tear gas has been launched for a third time. the president of uganda looks to extend his 30-year rule. but his tactics are alarming. malcolm webb is there. >> reporter: violence in the wake of a disputed election. this man was shot as security forces cleared protesters from some neighborhoods of uganda's capitol. opposition leader kizza besigye and some of his party officials planned to announce provisional results of their vote count here at the party headquarters. it's because, they say the electoral commission results are rigged. when police arrived supporters

became angry. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: the police said such an opposition announcement is against electoral laws. besigye and two party officials were taken away. that's what prompted protests. meanwhile the electoral commission's tally center say the incumbent is in the lead. >> you can tally your results [ inaudible ] electoral commission, nobody could dispute that. but you cannot make a pronouncement, because that is illegal, illegal. >> reporter: but here in any capitol, opposition supporters don't have confidence in the official results, so it took tear gas and gunfire to clear the streets. some were detained. the city is restless and tense. there are still groups of people hanging around on some of the street corners. what happens with the respected

vote count will dictate what happens next. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: the disputes weren't just in the capitol. angry opposition supporters were dispersed by police. people who didn't vote thursday because of delays and unrest, had a chance to vote friday in several polling stations across the country. but before final counts are even announced, it appears that many may not accept the official results. malcolm webb, al jazeera. at least 19 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in a suicide blast in northern cameroon. it happened in a market on the border with nigeria. it's not yet known who is behind the attack, but the bombing is the latest in a string of deadly incident in cameroon suspected to be carried out by the armed group boko haram. the government of the democratic republic of the congo

has been accused of trying to delay the elections so that the president can stay in office. catherine soi is in the capitol and sent us this report. ♪ >> reporter: the democratic republic of congo electoral commission officials meet with members of political parties. ♪ >> reporter: they are talking about the election dead lock. the government says it does not have sufficient funds for the polls, but opposition groups here are not convinced. they believe the government is deliberately withholding funds to delay the elections and effectively have the president stay in office beyond the end of his second and last term in december. many people just want a date set for the vote. but the head of the election commission says a new electoral role needs to be drawn up first. >> the question might be, are we

able to have this roll this year in this is what we started working on. and definitely, because we have to restart registration, it will not be possible to have electio elections in 2016. >> reporter: the electoral cycle was expected to start in october last year, with local elections. those polls have been postponed since 2006. the electoral commission says it hopes to register 41 million voters. the president cannot stand for a third term under the constitution, and the new president should be elected by november. members of parliament who say they have approved the election budget, and if they are having cash flow problems, them relevant ministers could come to the house and explain why and

how? >> translator: in 2014 the government spent $1 billion on projects not approved by parliament. even now they are just making statements out there, but not coming to parliament. >> reporter: at the university this professor and his students prepare to mark ten years since the constitution was published. he says it must be respected by everyone, including the electoral commission. >> how can you plan something going beyond what is already in the constitution? that is [ inaudible ] saying that they do not feel independent. >> reporter: many agree there is too much to do in very little time, but they also say the president must step down when his term ends. india's supreme court has referred the case of a student awaiting trial on sedition charges back to a lower court. he was charged after anti-indian

slogans were allegedly chanted. his arrest has sparked days of protests across india, with students, teachers, and journalists all calling for his release. our correspondent sent us this update. >> reporter: he is in judicial custody until march 2nd. he is facing charges of sedition, charges which could lead to life imprisonment. students have boycotted classes and held protests in support of their student union president. the university is one of india's most liberal and socially diverse. opposition party and free speech activists are linking the police crackdown on stubs at the university to what they say is a rising tide of intolerance within india's governing party. the protests in support of the

student and freedom express have spread across the country despite warnings from government ministers that any anti-indian sentiments will not be tolerated. the biggest march took place on thursday. students, academics, and people from all walks of life took part demanding he will released and the anti-sedition law to be repealed. but the bail plea has yet to be heard after violence disrupted proceedings on monday and wednesday. in fact he was assaulted on his way to the courthouse. his lawyers have lodged a bail opaccusation with deli's high court saying they fear for his life. >> reporter: the link between the zika virus and a brain disorder in babies could make months to prove. the world health organization says is a accumulating evidence between the virus and micro receively.

but it could take another four to six months to prove conclusively. thousands of pregnant women particularly in brazil have been infected. the w.h.o. declared the spread of the virus a global emergency, unblocking millions in extra funds. nasa has said it has received a record number of app contacts for his next astronaut class. and we are getting a glimpse of what travel may be like for space tourist. >> reporter: you might never have considered taking in the view from the cloud nine observatory on venus, traveling to jupiter, on board a balloon, or exploring the possibility of life under the ice of its moon. but nasa hopes these new posters will get us thinking and talking about the idea of taking a trip into space. a number of private companies have been working on the first

step. virgin galactic new modified spaceship two craft replaces an earlier model that broke apart and killed a pilot in 2014. virgin promises passengers a ride that will take them beyond the boundary of space, more than 100 kilometers above earth. once there, they will get a few minutes of weightlessness. this u.s. company is also selling tickets for flights. it had made an vanses on engine technology but hasn't said when it will start flying the plane. another company, blue origin recently tested its rocket landing technology in texas. it hopes to offer passengers a few minutes of weightlessness. another contender is world view, it's developing balloon trips will take passengers 26 kilometers above the earth. >> with some of these spacecraft

eventually the flights will just go up and down and land more or less in the same place, but in a few years we will be able to go in orbit around the earth. and perhaps in the future to build space stations which will be accommodating like a space hotel if you would like. >> reporter: but it might be the cost of the ticket that holds you back. virgin's tickets are going for a quarter of a million dollars each. ex-core is charging 150,000 dollars. and world view's balloon ride costs $75,000. there is plenty of testing to be done by all of these companies, so you might want to hold off until the technology is actually proven before you book your next holiday in space. another space story for you, a cargo ship full of garbage has departed the international space

station. it originally carried supplies to the iss. the garbage is expected to burn up in the atmosphere somewhere over the pacific ocean. more on everything we're covering in this program and much more right here, aljazeera.com. >> for millions it is a simple act, but for me it is often a game of chance. one wrong bite and my immune system goes haywire. for me, a peanut becomes an extreme threat. my heart races. my skin erupts. my stomach is under seige. i am sick, and i am in trouble, but i'm not alone. >> you have fiin