thomas: robert parsons reporting. brand-new reception center for migrants has opened its doors this thursday. the center will be home to 400 migrants. it's in the north of the capital. the opening comes a few weeks after the jungle camp in calais and a makeshift camp were both dismantled. >> this giant inflatable dome is paris's newest reception center. a place of transit where new arrivals will wait to be transferred to other camps. it was also set up to host up to 400 people. equipped with bedrooms, showers, bathrooms and on-site medical aim is toproject's offer a dignified alternative to life on the street. located in northern paris, the center is reserved for men. a similar one for women and children is set to open in 2017. french authorities cleared 3000 people from a makeshift camp near the stalingrad metro station last week. this followed the evacuation of another 7000 migrants from the calais jungle in october. most were relocated to centers across france. some more thought to have joined other illegal settlem

robert parsons is in the city and sent us this report.to believet's hard it now, but this was once one of the most magnificent archaeological sites in the world. it's here that a king 3000 years ago built his power. many of the statues and frescoes from that time were preserved, the highest quality, but all of it destroyed an act of wonton barbarity, the likes of which in ourrely been seen time or any other time for that matter. in the destroying of what it calls idolatrous images. the iraq he army is celebrating the defeat of isis here, but the damages irreversible. the place was completely destroyed. the islamic state group is destroying our heritage and fighting against humanity. >> the destruction is even worse than that inflicted by isis on the archaeological site at paul myra in syria. you can just make out one of the stone carvings for which the site was most famous, the bull with human head and wings. by doing this, the islamic state organization is not just destroying an archaeological the, it was destroying collective memory, de

genie: that's robert parsons in nimrud.the syrianikes city of aleppo killed 35 people in just one day. the bombing hit a children's hospital and a school in the rebel held east. either strikes from syrian regime or russian forces picked up on tuesday after almost a month of calm. moscow claims it is still observing a cease-fire. france will send its first astronaut in eight years to the international space station. he is one of three people blasting off today from the zakhstan.e in ka good 20 minute conversation with him. a very approachable man. that's part of why these astronauts are chosen. they are not just very intelligent. they are not just very strong. they are also very good at speaking to people. very approachable. he has said that he is very much looking forward to what's going to happen today. he's been posting on his twitter. his last haircut, meeting his family for the last time before he goes up. he says he's looking forward to getting down to work. 55 different experiments he's going to be taking part in. he

"france 24" robert parsons is in northern iraq with more. reporter: it's still in its infancy has but a growing era of perm assistance. the kurds are consolidating their presence. a soldier gazes out across the plain that stretches to mosul, 12 kilometers away. the commanding officer believes his first task is to defend kurdistan. for now against the islamic state group. >> it's the pesh mesha for now but i don't know if this is the border of kurdistan or what will happen next. perhaps it will be the border or just filled in or stay as it is. reporter: they take us to a village recently retaken from isis. in the courtyard of this house, a cannon has taken a direct hit from a coalition rocket. there are signs this was an armaments workshop. rockets at firing the mountain. you can see the batteries they were using from cars and motorbikes. >> they tell us they have the situation under control. but four hours earlier, just a kilometer from here, a furious gun battle has left 16 i.s. fighters dead on the plain. they've been trying to escape from