. >> tacloban - tacloban stand up. we can stand up. >> determined to recover - we look at how the philippines is trying to rebuild after a devastating typhoon. >> this is al jazeera live from our headquarters in doha. we'll have more on the philippines in a moment. also ahead: afghanistan's president wants to stop u.s. soldiers searching afghan homes. the security may be at risk. >> mocking the mayor - rob ford is stripped of his powers and

phytes back on his own tv show. >> everybody has skeletons in their closet. mine have been exposed. >> and the record-breaking session on wall street. the leading index hits its highest ever level. >> hello. we are getting breaking news out of lebanon. we are hearing that two rockets have been fired into southern beirut. we are hearing that another security source is, in fact, saying it was a car bomb, and not rockets. several people have reportedly been kill. that's according to sources quoted by the reuters newsagency. that breaking news coming out from lebanon. in fact, from the south of beirut. a loud explosion has been heard in a - in the south of the capital of lebanon.

one security source saying that it was two rockets fired. another security source coming out saying it wasn't rockets, but was a car bomb. this is according to the reuters newsagency. we are working on getting the details for what is going on. we will be speaking to our correspond, getting her up on the telephone. stay tuned for that. >> but let's move on for the time being, bringing you news out of the philippines. we'll look at how 11 days after typhoon haiyan, the country is recovering. the clean up is under way with aid groups and the army doing everything they can to clear the debris. the convention centre in tacloban has been serving as a shelter for families, but it is full to the brim. it's forcing many outside. millions of people are facing an uncertain future. there's some hope too. dozens of survivors march through the streets, trying to

lift spirits. they sang hymns as they walked past body bags. >> we speak to people in tacloban, but first veronica pedrosa with an update from one of the hardest-hit districts. >> welcome to this district in palos city. this district saw the highest number of deaths. it's been transformed from a wasteland from what was a bustling seaside town. there were big cement houses here for middle class families. it's all been laid to waste. this area used to be a bustling neighbourhood shop. this spot. the people who own it came bay a few hours ago, trying to salvage their airconditioner, which they think they can get working

again. they were furious. they see the helicopters going overhead, but have not received any aid at all. they say it's taken too long to get to them. that just gives you a sense in a way of the scale and intensity of the devastation. new united nations figures say that 2.5 million people need to be fed. 13 million people have been affected across nine provinces. this used to be a happy place. it would be popular during the weekends - people would come to the beech that you are looking at and rent a beach hut for a couple of hours. now it's a grave site. >> as far as reconstruction goes it's meagre, but it is something. the government is trying to get some street lights functioning, downed power light need to be hung and a generator installed. four petrol stations are open. lines are forming. the main branch of the

government bank is due to open thursday. they don't expect much demand to their services. >> inside city hall the admin chief is on the phone to the business community. many fled to manila amid concerns of the early days of the disaster. >> it's to inspire the people and give them the signal we are getting up and everything is going back to normal. >> the governor is talking about a push for normalcy, trying to persuade businesses to reopen on a limited steal, talking about getting cash machines installed. for many this is what passes for normal and doesn't look like changing soon. there's no pros -- prospect. a handful of people continue to find shelter even here, while a few metres away the tell-tale group of recovery workers

signifies another body found. >> this man worked as a day labourer. he lost his wife, the mother of his four children in the typhoon. he doesn't know when he'll earn money again. >> translation: my because doesn't know what to do. he needs to set up a business first. >> the effort is on to give the people something to stay for. >> taking you back to the breaking news story. these are the latest picture from the explosion that took place in southern beirut. that's the lebanese capital, in an area we understand is near the iranian embassy. some security sources, according to the reuters complaint say rockets were fired. others say it was a car box. these are the latest pictures. we are joined on the telephone.

what happened? >> well, there's panic in the streets. the bomb site next to the iranian embassy. it's in the southern province. ambulances are rushing to the scene. we understand that there are a lot of casualties. this place has been on alert and they've been warning about the possibility of a bombing. it's tie early to say who carried it out. but it is the embassy in the beirut. like i said, there's no claim for responsibility.

there were two car bombs. in the southern suburbs of beirut. hezbollah is participating in the fight in syria. there's a lot of chaos. the army is arriving. we can hear the sound of sirens. >> okay. zana - that's our reporter from lebanon, where you are looking at the latest pictures of an explosion that has gone off in the sorp - in the south of beirut, in the lebanese capital. we are keeping on eye out on the casualties numbers, and we'll bring you that information here on al jazeera. >> for now, at least, nine died

in storms on the island of sardinia, heavy rain burst banks, bridges collapsed. hundreds are missing from their homes. >> should the u.s. forces have the right to search homes in afghanistan as part of a u.s.-afghan security pact? the president hamid karzai is saying no. that is putting the whole deal at risk. let's hear from jane ferguson, who is joining us from kabul to tell us why this is a controversial issue, and what else will be covered by the proposed security deal? >> well, this has been a controversial issue for afghans, but especially for the president hamid karzai. he is criticised and said he wants on end to those night raids. he sees it as challenging afghan sovereignty as well as the dignity in the houses searched. this agreement is down to the

wire when it comes to the negotiations. there are less than 48 hours left before a draft proposal is meant to be handed over here in the capital. now, sources in the palace tell al jazeera that most of the other issues have been well sorted out between both sides. there were other contentious issues such as immunity from afghan law. it seems to have been smoothed over. the forces will continue to be tried in american courts and subject to us law. another issue which seems to have been agreed on is a tax issue, whereby u.s. military and firms working for them will not be subject to afghan taxes. of course, at the end of the day all the issues that are included in this agreement will have to be agreed on by the jirka this week. they'll have to hash out each and every specific clause.

>> thank you jane ferguson, reporting from kabul. >> well, egypt looks set to face unrest on a second anniversary of a deadly street protest in cairo. >> many died and were wounded in 2011. the protest was a milestone for post hosni mubarak era. we have this report >> on november 20, 2011. this man's life changed forever. he decided to join the protest in central cairo. it started when security forces removed a citizen in tahir sqare, a protest organised by relatives of the 2002 revolution. >> the last thing i saw was an armoured vehicles, barbed wire, a man with a helmet pointing a

weapon at me, and a red light. i did not feel anything. there was no pain, i was aware but the light was off. protesters called for an end to military rule. they tried to reach and storm the interior minister ris building on the other end of the street. it was transformed into a battlefield. riot police opened fire with tear gas, rubber-coated bullets and live ammunition. mahmoud abbas marked a split. the muslim brotherhood was criticised for staying away from mcmoud. >> they made fun of us and our blood. we remember our own suppression, our girlfriends that had been killed with no punishment for

the people who did that. we see a police officer and snipers who did that still up and running with absolutely no trial. >> two years later the wolves chronicled the bloody est it witnessed. then, like now calls for freedom, dignity and social justice. >> eye patches became a symbol of police brutality. that police brutality was the last thing they saw. >> let's taking back to lebanon and show you the latest pictures from that explosion that took place a few moments ago in southern beirut. i understand that explosion took place by the iranian embassy. this is the scene now in the lebanese capital. you can see the army has come out.

people are out on the streets. latest pictures there. something obviously on fire. still burning. we are hearing. security sources are saying there were two rockets fired into the area - according to the reuters newsagency. another security source said that, in fact, there was a car bomb, the source of the explosions. not clear yet what the causes. we are working to confirm what happened in lebanon. reuters is saying that there are casualties. we are hearing seven people so far. we'll work on getting you the exact numbers and figures, this is all according to prepreliminary information from the news agency. that is the scene. southern beirut. by the iranian embassy where an explosion took place. you can see the damage and the fires in that area. more than that here on al jazeera in a few minutes.

let's move on. >> toronto - the mayor there is putting the spotlight on the city for all the wrong reasons, now the city council has taken away most of his powers after a series yaving embarrassing scandals. >> and a meeting in kuwait to find better economic ties. back in a moment.

we have at al jazeera, from that explosion that took place in southern beirut in an area down south, residents, we understand, did hear reports - did hear a loud explosion, rather, and it was big. this is according to reports, but as i'm saying, not yet clear if it was a car bomb or rockets. these are the pictures. you can see them now coming from southern beirut.

there are, of course, casualties. there are reports of at least seven people dead so far. we are joined on the telephone by our correspondent. what more do you know about this? sorry. >> sorry, can you hear me in >> yes, go ahead. >> yes. after the explosion, the sheer scale of the damage and destruction is an indication of how powerful the blast was. it is a chaotic scene on the ground. the ambulance is arriving, taking away the dead and injured much there's not an official casualty toll because they are still picking up the wounded.

people here are in a state of shock. they were expecting some sort of an attack. people have been warning about the possibility of explosions for some time now. again, i have to make it clear, no one has claimed responsibility. the target was the embassy. there's no responsibility. you talk to people and they think it could be a message to the iranians and allies in lebanon. they are taking part in the war in syria, alongside the regime. >> i'll try to keep it going, but it's loud where you are, but do you know exactly what caused the explosion? some sources say

it was a car bomb, others say rockets were fired? >> we are trying to reach the area, the site of the explosion. most of the people here are talking about a car bomb at the embassy. can you hear me? >> yes, we can hear you. all right. we seem to have lost our correspondent. she was on the telephone from lebanon. she is making her way to the scene of that bomb blast in southern beirut. it is in the lebanese capital. we understand an explosion, as you can see, in fact, from the pictures have taken place in that area. still trying to confirm whether it was a car bomb or rockets fired near the iranian embassy. reportedly the target was the iranian embassy. these are the latest pictures you can see. scenes of panic really in that

area, and there are casualtyize putting the number of dead at seven. we will work to confirm all of this information and bring it to you on al jazeera. >> in other news - the mayor of canada's biggest city has been stripped of most of his authority. rob ford refuses to step down after admitting to using drugs and drunk driving. >> chaotic scenes inside a packed city council meeting thanks to tornado mayor rob ford and his brother doug. as ford rushed to help his brother, it almost turned violent. city council was making its latest move to restrict rob ford's authority. he admitted to smoking crack cocaine, buying narcotics and drunk driving.

councillors are restricting his powers. >> this is a slippery slope for dem abbing rahsy - not only now, but for the next 10 mayors and every elected official. >> that's what the ford brothers said. they are victims of a conspiracy and have the support of voters. >> people believe that the mayors political achievements comment for his challenges. >> he ran on fiscal claims. the promises he made have been fulfilled. he's responsible nearly as much. he's been morally irresponsible. it's hard to say how popular it is. after weeks of sord ied information emerging about him. this cann eyedian football game he was mobbed by supporters. he's a staple of comedy routines and has been all over the media.

>> rob ford has become a celebrity, there's a degree of cult personality. he's been an effective vessel for people's identities than a governing mayor. people gathered at city hall to watch the council. news of the vote, when it came made the crowd's political feelings obvious. >> so now, after the series of votes, city council left rob ford as mayor, but with few of the powers of office. there are legal challenges ahead, possibly more revelations about the mayor's private life and a vow to stay on and fight. >> we are taking you back to lebanon where there has been explosions near the iranian embassy in the south of beirut. we are looking at the latest pictures. they say there has been casualties.

zena is on the line. is it clear, who carried out the attacks? >> yes, yes. >> i'm asking you if it's clear yet who carried out the attack, and what more can you tell us about what happened? >> no one has claimed responsibility. they are still cleaning up after the explosion. you can see charred bodies. the scale is massive. this was a car bomb, some say that it was an explosion. it's still to be determined. what is clear is that the tart was the iranian embassy. there was a lot of panic.

people are scared because everyone has been on the edge for some time. this country is still reeling from cop flicts -- conflicts. the bombing has not been linked to a person. this is not the first one. there has been car bombs. at the time there were unknown [ inaudible ] some are saying it's in resaliation for hezbollah's participation in the fight in syria. a lot of confusion on the street. they are picking up the dead and injured. >> seeing as this happened near the iranian embassy, were there already officials, dignitaries

in that area when that explosion took place. >> yes, it is an amazing security breach. the lebanese army, the internal security forces and hezbollah's own men - they have been protecting the southern suburbs of beirut for some time. their cars are - there are checkpoints at the entrances d and - there was information about the possibility of dommings. it was a major security breach. it's not clear who carried this out. but undoubtedly it will cause more tension in lebanon. >> stay there for us. that's a report on the explosion in southern beirut in lebanon. i would like to cross to kuwait

and tell you what is happening there. african leaders began a 2-day summit. we are joined by kuwait. that meeting is taking place obviously after all of the revolutions in the middle east, and now we have the explosion that's taking place in lebanon. >> absolutely. i was there when they met in 2010 in libya. it was basically about finding common ground between african countries, creating something similar to what is happening in europe. common market and interest. however, this time many things changed on the ground. many countries have been be set by instability, there has been mass protest movement toppling long-standing presidents in egypt, tunisia and yemen, and in

libya. and also the civil war. this is something that will be debated today and tomorrow in the summit. the president of the lebanon is going to raise the issue of instability, and they are trying to ask the international community for more of a robust approach to tackle the influx of thousands of refugees into syria. so while you have the issue of economic cooperation between the african and the arabs on the table, syria will be on the agenda given the latest developments. i think the explosion will be tackled. we have the iranian delegation which has been invited to this summit. it's an arab afghan summit. rain had the non-allied movement. it will be present in this

summit and therefore will be involving regional and other countries talking about risk of instability and spill-over because of the crisis in syria. >> you mentioned syria, and economic cooperation,... this is "real money." you are the most important part of the show, so join our live conversation for the next half hour on twitter at ajrealmoney. for the first time in history, the dow crossed the 16,000 mark.