targets. richard galvin has more. >> for seven days now the people of aleppo have come under relentless bomb bored ment, shatering the so-called cease-fire. government forces have been carrying out air strikes in rebel-held areas and the rebels have been retaliating. with 200 people reported to have been killed in aleppo this week, world leaders including the u.n. secretary-general bankyman have been holding crisis talks to try to save the cease-fire. >> we hope and i'm urging again the parties to refrain from such violence. there has been fighting enough. six years. >> but so far in aleppo the fighting continues. this reported to be the aftermath of more air strikes by government war planes earlier today. and following the destruction of this hospital on wednesday night there are now claims that another medical facility has been hit. >> the population of syria is absolutely exhausted after five years, so it's all so vulnerable now and if the fighting continues like it is now, i'm very worried that we will have a catastrophe beyond belief. in many areas in syria. >> some in this beleagu

>> narrator: tonight on frontlinin war-torn aleppo, we first met sara, farah, helen, and mohammed. we've been following them for the past three years as they make the difficult choice to leave the only home they've ever known. (speaking arabic) they're among the millions of children and their families fleeing their country for safety. the sorrow... (sniffles) ...the challenges, and the surprises of starting a new life. (screaming playfully) tonight: "children of syria." >> frontlinis made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. and by the corporation for public broadcasting. major support for frontliis provided by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. more information is available at macfound.org. additional support is provided by the park foundation, dedicated to heightening public awareness of critical issues. the john and helen glessner family trust, supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and inspires. the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the f

[ explosion ] >> the syrian army launches a major offensive against rebels around aleppo. ♪ >>> i'm lauren taylor this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up. protests in bangladesh after another blogger is murdered for posting secular views online. we take a look at the philippine's presidential candidate who is vowing to take on a major superpower. >>> this used to be nothing more than a giant junk yard, now it's one of america's most popular open-air car museums. and we're going to give it a tour. ♪ it's old car city, old car city usa ♪ ♪ >>> hello. syrian state tv is saying that the islamic state of iraq and the levant has abducted as many as 300 people near the syrian capitol. it says those kidnapped were cement workers and contractors. the latest on this, let's go to jamal live in beirut for us. what were the circumstances of this kidnapping? >> reporter: well, lauren, it preesty unclear. we are getting different reports from different sources as you mentioned the syrian government is saying that roughly 300 factory workers were kidnapped by isil. however sources

army are preparing to retake aleppo city. that's according to russian media. let's take you live now to our correspondent, who is in beirut for us this hour. this will very much one assumes be a joint operation here, the syrians working pretty much in tandem with the russians. >> what this goes to show is that if it wasn't for the russian involvement, the syrian army would not have the upper hand that it appears to have on the ground with rewards to the military battles or conflicts that continue to take place. in fact, it shows that a few weeks ago, the much-hailed withdrawal of russian forces from syria are in fact to the extent that the syrian opposition made doubts, they claimed it was some sort of victory from the opposition, that they forced the russians to withdraw their fire power or reduce it from syria after the comments made by bashar al assad's prime minister. that's what contradicted. in fact, also, the gains made by bashar al assad's army in recent days appear to have been the foundations or the setting the groundwork for what is a much bigger campaign, which would be a

launches a major offensive against rebels around aleppo as an upsurge in threaten threatens a fragile truce. >>> protests in bangladesh after another blogger is killed after posting views on line. >>> brazil protestors say president rousseff must go. >>> the syrian army and alis launched an offensive south of aleppo. it is the biggest government operation in the area since a partial ceasefire came into effect late february. the fighting threaten to say derail the agreement which has reduced overall levels of violence in syria. u.n. sponsored talks to try to end the war are set to resume monday in geneva. >> the battlefield is syria is a crowded one, further complicated because of fract odd opposition groups and foreign intervention. despite a partial ceasefire, there is violence on the ground. government forces and allies are attacking rebel groups in aleppo. the biggest damascus led assault since a ceasefire came into effect in late february. they threaten a take the important area of palmyra in the province of homs from isil. isil still maintains control of large parts of the provin

city of aleppo, at least 27 are dead after an air strike that hit a doctors without borders hospital, further threatening a fragile cease-fire >> sreenivasan: also ahead this thursday, as the presidential primaries enter the final stretch, we look at the race for delegates and preview next week's primary in indiana. >> woodruff: and, backlash in north carolina: how the new state law requiring people to use bathrooms of their birth gender has set off a business boycott. >> our series a funding is several million dollars, and that money could be here in north carolina. and we made a decision, it's going to florida. >> sreenivasan: all that and more on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> fathom travel. carnival corporation's small ship line. offering seven day cruises to three cities in cuba. exploring the culture, cuisine and historic sites through its people. more at fathom.org. >> lincoln financial-- committed to helping you take charge of your financial future. >> and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, t

>>> the syrian army launches a major offensive against rebels around aleppo as the fires threatening to derail a fragile truce. ♪ >>> hello, welcome. you are watching al jazeera. also coming up this hour. protests this bangladesh after another blogger is murdered for posting secular views online. >>> brazil moves one step closer to impeaching its president, the leader of a powerful congressional committee says dilma rousseff must go. >>> and taking on bollywood, pakistani film producers take their case to court. ♪ >>> the syrian army and its allies have launched an offensive south of aleppo. it is the biggest government operation in area since the ceasefire came into effect in late february. the fighting threatens to completely derail the ceasefire. the special envoy to syria has just announced talks to end the conflict have been pushed back two days. they will now take place next wednesday. >>> in the north of the aleppo countryside, rebel fighters have launched an offensive. they faced fierce fighting against isil. it is an important strong hold for the armed group.

>> i'm jane o'brien. a hospital is hit in the syrian city of aleppo where the situation is being called catastrophic. it tax further threaten a tenuous cease-fire. for the zika virus. it's already hit latin american countries hard. now nasa is helping u.s. officials to limit its spread. >> 2, 4, 6, 8, who directions appreciate? >> our man in moscow is still classic diner to find out why donald trump is proving so popular. welcome to viewers on public television in america and around the globe. the situation in the syrian city catastrophic, says the united nations. another hospital has been hit in a series of airstrikes. reports say at least 27 people were killed as a medical facility, including two children and the only pediatrician in the area. it all comes in the midst of a cease-fire which is barely holding by a thread. our chief international correspondent reports. >> peace time in syria. this is what russia, america and the u.n. calls a cessation of hostilities. tell that to the children of aleppo. this was the view from the streets of syria's largest city today. two months

the city of aleppo. as we've been reporting over the past few days, the prime minister has been speaking to visiting leaders from moscow in the syrian capital. the turkish prime minister is holding a cabinet meeting in the city close to the syrian border. it is now home to a large number of syrian refugees. this is the first time a cabinet meeting has been held outside ankara for 13 years. talking to our correspondent now, charles stratford. more, please, on the significance of the prime minister bringing his cabinet outside of the capital ankara and taking it to this area which is mainly kurdish, but also with many syrian refugees. >> reporter: the prime minister has just finished speaking before that cabinet meeting takes place this afternoon. it was a ceremony here at this stadium in which it was as a pretext, if you like, the prime minister was honoring the city in its battle against french forces in 1920. as you say, it is of huge significance that he has come here to this region, predominantly kurdish, to make this announcement, to honor the city at this time. what he said

is supporting the syrian government as it makes its move on aleppo further north. >> yeah, well the defense ministry held a briefing yesterday, on monday, in which they said that there were some 10,000 al-nusra front terrorist in and around aleppo and the intention of these el nusra front fighters is cutoff the link between aleppo and damascus the highway link. it's obviously speculative to say exactly why the defense ministry was telling us this sort of information but it does seem as if they are trying to prepare the ground for some sort of campaign operation around aleppo itself now they say they are not going to be planning a full on assault on aleppo but anything they do is going to be defensive but it's interesting that they are putting this kind of information out at the moment and also interesting they are putting this kind of information out not too long after the russian president announced that effectively the objectives that the russian military had in syria had been achieved and that the military campaign there was going to be wound down. >> all right for now reportry t

. 60 minutes of news and comment today. the syrian army launches a major offensive around aleppo. >>> the afghan taliban says it has adopted a new strategy in its dealings with the west. >>> protests in bangladesh after another blogser is murdered for posting secular views online. and taking on bollywood, pakistani film producers take their case to court. ♪ >>> the syrian army and itsal lyes have launched an of fennive in the countryside south of aleppo. it is the biggest government operation since a partial ceasefire came into effect in late february. the fighting threatens to completely derail the agreement which has reduced overall levels of violence in syria. the social envoy today announcing new talks to end the clon fikt have been pushed back by two days to next wednesday. in the north of the aleppo countryside, rebel fighters have launched an offensive on in one town. they faced fierce fighting against isil. isil says it was also shelled by turkey. well the battlefield in syria is a crowded one, complicated further still because of fractioned opposition groups and foreig

still some resistance. >>> activists in aleppo have confirmed that the only road linking the syrian city to turkey has been cut off by fighters. heavy fighting has been reported. our correspondent has this. >> reporter: achmed and his family rely heavily on food handouts, but it's barely enough. he is scared that kurdish fighters could cut off the only road out of aleppo. >> translator: god forbid if the road is closed, it would be a big problem for us. there will be shortages in food, and people are poor, they don't have the ability to stock food. >> reporter: aleppo is syria's largest city. its center is divided. government forces control the eastern side, and the opposition controls the western side. and since the truce between the government and rebels began in late february, syrian forces backed by russian air power have advanced on rebel-held areas in the northern countryside. there is also fighting in the city's northern parts. kurdish forces known as the ypg, seen as allies of the government are making gains. the goal is to surround and completely cut off the rebel-held areas of

people that got up to go to work find themselves in the midst of this conflict. south of aleppo, it is the biggest government operation in the area, since a partial cease fire in late february. the fighting continues to derail the agreement, which has reduced overall violence many syria, the u.n. special envoy just announced new talks to end the conflict have been pushed back by two days to next wednesday. in h the north of the country side, rebel fighters have taken over the town. they launched an offensive against isil fighters there, they have been an important strong hold for the group. says he is hoping there will be a major evacuation of the wounded and sick from four towns within the next week. all together it could be up to 500 people who are moved. >> we do not have much time. we need to see progress again very soon. it is very dangerous to lose the momentum, with humanitarian work, because if the humanitarian situation begins rapidly deteriorating in many areas at the same time, it will also effect the political system and will take effect of hostilities and so on. so we cann

. coming up. fighting flares around the strategic city of aleppo in syria, just days ahead of a new round of peace talks. >>> a stark warning from the i.m.f. about the impact the refugee crisis could have on the global economy. >>> the push for greater trans marijuana is a at the u.n. the candidates for the top job begin to put forward their case. >>> and a hero's welcome for the former or gun tin vinnie president ahead of a court appearance on money laundering charges. >>> i will be here with all the day's sport including real madrid and manchester city of the english premier league book their spots in the semifinals of the champions league. ♪ ♪ >>> there has been a surge in fighting in syria just a day before a new round of indirect talks gets underway in geneva. syrian government forces and their allies have launched an offensive to retake the strategic down south of the city of aleppo. it lies along the highway between aleppo and the capital damascus. pro-government forces say they have made advances but al-nusra front has managed to remain in control of the area. turkish go

launch an operation to retake aleppo. charles stratford is on the turkey-syria border, so rewarding aleppo, they seem to be exactly on schedule. this is the time table they were talking about towards the end of the laugh year. >> that's right. it's difficult to say exactly what's happening on the ground with any real verification, but certainly the people that we are talking to, activists and members of the free syrian army close to aleppo are saying certainly this morning, they report what they describe as at least three syrian government airstrikes south of aleppo. they said that they were as they describe it defending their positions in that area. this violence comes at a time when there's supposed to be a partial ceasefire that is only supposed to permit attacks against isis and al-nusra front, but we have a contact in aleppo who we sent down with a camera and he filmed some foot acknowledge for us. what seems to be happening is shifting allegiances amongst these rebels groups, and this i also our report. >> a free syrian army fighter fires at targets in the streets of aleppo. a

offensive against rebels in the countryside south of aleppo. it is the biggest government operation in antecedent report since a partial ceasefire came into effect in late february. the fighting threatens to completely derail the ceasefire which overall has brought a reduction of violence in syria. u.n. sponsored talks to try and end the war are set to resume on monday. the syrian network for human rights says six workers rescue workers and medical staff were killed in march. >> reporter: this man works for the syria civil defense, also known as the white helmets in aleppo. he is not just a driver. he is also a rescue worker. when there are no air raids he helps clean up the city. >> translation: we're trying to help the people in more than one way. not only do we recover people from unthe rubble, but we clean the streets, the debris, open the roads. >> reporter: around 3,000 people work in rebel held areas across eight syrian provinces. they are ordinary people from ordinary walks of life. they are paying a heavy price. always on the front line, always the first to help. many times

days to next wednesday. >>> in the north of the aleppo countryside, rebel fighters have taken over a town. they launched an offensive against isil fighters there. it's an important stronghold for the armed group. >>> meanwhile, syrian state tv is reporting that islamic state of iraq and the levant have abducted as many as 300 people near the syrian capital of damascus. those kidnapped were cement workers and contractors from the cement company. they say it's unclear exactly what happened, but several of those who were taken have now been released. >> there were complicately reports with the factory workers and cement workers, and state television saying isil kidnapped roughly 300 workers. sources on the ground have told al jazeera that the number was far less and one of the armed rebel groups, one of the armed opposition groups fighting the regime as well as fighting isil managed to secure the release of most of them. they say isil initially killed or beheaded ten of those that they took captive accusing them of espionage or spying against them. less than 100 remain in the hands of

enough. they're scared that kurdish fighters could cut off the only road out of aleppo. >> god for bid if the road is closed it would be a big problem for us. there will be shortage in cooking oil, flour, and other food stuff. people are poor. they don't have the ability to stock food. >> aleppo is syria's largest city. since a cruise between ththe crews have advanced on aleppo's countryside. kurdish forces seen as ally government. activists warn that up to 300,000 people could be affected. at this marketplace people say that they are worried yet they remain defiant. >> we have everything, thank god. there is food. >> mustapha relies on his farming to feed his family. he said it's the best way to survive. >> we can live like our grandfather lived before by farming and relying on animal stock if there is a siege. >> it may be tough for people in the days ahead. fighting is continuing and it is not clear if the kurdish forces will sustain the sean. it will be the people of aleppo who suffer the most. >> turkey is making plans to strip citizenship of anyone who supports terrorism. they wa

has taken territory near aleppo. >>> greece rescues a boat load of refugees off the island of lesbos the day before a controversial e.u. deal with turkey comes into effect. >>> a passenger plane takes off from the brussels airport two weeks after devastating suicide bombings. >>> armenia is disputing reports of a ceasefire in the region. earlier, azerbaijan announced a truce in the conflict area. dozens died saturday on the worst day of fighting in 20 years, azerbaijan says 12 soldiers were killed, armenia reports that at least 18 are dead. both are also saying that there have been civilian casualties. now the u.s. and russia have called for calm. let's take a closer look at the region. it is marked in yellow. the area was governed by azerbaijan during the soviet era, but it's been controlled by local armenia since the 1994 ceasefire officially ended a six year war. the shaded area that you can see to the left, linking it with armenia is the so-called buffer zone controlled by armenia but claimed by azerbaijan. >> armenian forces report there have been more attacks by azerbaij

escalation of battles, particularly in aleppo, in damascus suburbs. what is happening in aleppo is the most alarming because the government claims that the opposition along with al-nusra front have taken one of the most strategic hills in north aleppo. what the government has been doing in the last two days is recapture these territories. there is also major fighting between the free syrian army and the kurds in aleppo as well. there is a great deal of eskalation. my takes on is that as the geneva talks get closer, both sides are trying to maximise their interest and have the upper hand in the diplomatic talks in the next few days >>> the chairman of the u.s. says he hopes there will be a shift in the next week. there could be 500 people moved and he is push is for aid to be led in besieged areas >> we need top see progress again very soon. it is very dangerous to lose the momentum with humanitarian work because if the humanitarian situation began rapidly deteriorates in many areas at the same time, it will also affect the political process. we cannot fail. we must regain the momentum

taken control of two areas around aleppo, the country's second biggest city >>> al-nusra front said it has killed 50 government soldiers. aleppo is close to the border with turkey and it is strategical important. a boat full of migrants have been rescued off lesbos. greeks are struggling to cope with the number of refugees arriving in the country as they try to make their way to western europe. residents of the greek town of idomeni are becoming angry over the continuing presence of the refugee camp. they want the camp to be cleared saying their businesses are being badly affected. >> reporter: attitudes are changing, capacity has given way to anger. at first there was solidarity with the thousands of refugees and migrants, but now the people of idomeni are telling the government that livelihoods are at risk. some are furious. they say their quiet town no longer belongs to them. >> reporter: when they came here, we embraced them and gave them things, but now our lives are unbearable. we are scared to allow our children to play in the streets. no-one explains to us why they are stayi

russian air force and ir-syrian military are proposing a joint operation to take aleppo city from rebels. the operation is likely to put a strain on the agreement to end hostilities. >> reporter: some significant developments close to the turkish border today. we understand that i.s.i.l. fighters made an assault around seven villages close to the border. we've spoken to activists inside syria who say that the turkish ar till reinitially responded to those attacks with the help of coalition air strikes. activists now saying that at least three possibly four of those seven villages have been retaken by the free syrian army. we also under that fighting may be continuing in the remaining villages. these developments come on a day where the syrian government has announced that it plans to retake full control, the city of aleppo with the help of its allies, russia. this comes at a time where we're supposed to be seeing a partial ceasefire, a partial cessation of hostilities. the syrian government said they've made this announcement because they say they have come under repeated attacks

committee says there's any of evidence to put dilma rousseff on trial. taking the area south of aleppo. refugee crisis. >> translator: greece doesn't want to accept us, turkey doesn't want us to stay, where should we go, sink into the water? >> refugees are still making the dangerous crossing from turkey to greece. >>> tax scandal. >> translator: regrettably, people have been trying to use the media to attack the country and its financial system. >> panama's president promises to cooperate with any investigations after the panama papers leak. good evening, i'm roxana saberi, this is al jazeera's international news hour. we begin tonight in brazil where the impeachment of president dilma rousseff is a step closer to becom becoming a reality. the congressional group charged with looking into the case says the case should move forward. teresa vo is in in be rio de janeiro with the story. >> the congressional group that is in charge of investigating this issue says that dilma rousseff should be he impeached but it's the entire senate that should be voting on this. recommendation could be t

i.s.i.l. in aleppo countryside. this is the largest area in antecedent report since a partial ceasefire came into agreement in late february. the ongoing fighting has threatened to redetail the agreement which has reduced overall violence in syria. the u.n. has sponsored talks to stop the war resume in geneva on monday. the syrian network for human rights says six rescue workers and medical staff have been killed in march. despite all odds and attacks, the defense force in rebel held areas are making a difference. our correspondent reports from gaziantep. >> reporter: this man works for the syria krefl defense ares, also known as the white helmets in aleppo. he is not just a driver. he is also a rescue worker. when there are no air raids, he helps clean up the city. >> translation: we're trying to help the people in more than one way. not only recovering people, but we also clean the streets, open the rains, contain the rubble from destroyed buildings >> reporter: around 3,000 people work for the white helmets across eight provinces. they are ordinary people from all walks of

region, dozens are killed in the worst violence in two decades. >> taking territory near aleppo while assad forces make in roads into isil territory elsewhere. >>> greece rescues boat loads of refugees off the island of lesbos. >>> a passenger plane takes off from the bus sells airport two weeks after devastating suicide bombing. >>> armenia is disputing reports of a ceasefire in the region, now earlier, azerbaijan said there was a truce. 12 soldiers were killed and armenia reported at least 18 dead. both sides say that there have been civilian casualties, as well. the u.s. and russia called for calm. marked here in yellow, it is at the heart of a decades long territorial dispute, although it is predominantly ethnic armenian, it was governed by azerbaijan during the soviet era. a 1994 ceasefire ended a 6-year-old war that killed and estimated 30,000 people. the shade i had area to the left links it with armenia and is the so-called buffer zone, controlled by armenia, but claimed by azerbaijan. >> armenian forces report there have been more attacks by azerbaijan's military. both sides

army launches a major offensive on rebels around aleppo. >>> in bangladesh a brother is murdered for posting sexual views online. >>> we look at the philippines presidential candidate vowing to take on a major superpower. >>> i'm robin adams with the sports. he is defending his masters title in augusta. i have all the details for you later. >>> the syrian army and it's allies launched a marnl offensive against rebels in the countryside south of aleppo. it's the biggest government operation in the area since a partial ceasefire late in february. the fighting threatens to derail completely the agreement at that reduced overall violence across the country. the special envoy to syria announced new talks have been pushed back by two days to next wednesday. in the north of the aleppo countryside, rebel fighters have reportedly taken over a town. they launched an offensive against isil fighters there. it's an important stronghold for the group. >>> meanwhile, syrian state tv is reporting that the islamic state of iraq and levant has abducted as many as 300 near the syrian capital, damascus.

-linked al-nusra front says it killed 50 syrian soldiers and retaken two areas around aleppo. >>> and unraveling the mysteries of the universe. melky way like it's never been seen before. ♪ ♪ >>> armenia is accusing azerbaijan of continued fighting in the disputed region. that's despite announcing a unilateral ceasefire earlier to end the worst flare up of violence in the ring none more than two decades. al jazeera's robin reports. >> reporter: despite claims of a ceasefire biaser by john, armenian forces in the republic report that there have been more attacks biaser by john's military. both sides are accusing each other of firing the first shots on saturday they blame each other for violating a 1994 ceasefire that ended a six-year war. >> it was a clear violation of the ceasefire, the international law, international humanitarian law and the geneva conventions. >> reporter: some have called it the frozen conflict. it began with a decision, soviet leader joseph stalin made in 1922. stalin placed the mountain justice ethnically armenian an clayed inside the newly-created azerbaija

around aleppo taken >>> turkey rushes to build facilities for refugees, a day before greece sends back rejected asylum seekers >>> a slap in the first for the chinese government as '10 years" wins best movie at the hong kong film awards. >> and indian contradict - winning not one, but two world cricket titles, men's and women's. the men beating england by four wicket >>> armenia is accusing azerbaijan of continued fighting in the caucuses despite announcing a unilateral ceasefire to end the worst fighting in two decades. the armenian enclave lies inside the azerbaijan borders, but is controlled by separatists with ties to aria -- armenia. tension lingers on, despite a truce. 12 soldiers were killed, and armenia reported 18 dead and both say there has been tas utilities. the conflict threatens to pull in regional powers. russia has several military bases in armenia which it considers an ally, turkey backs azerbaijan, whose people are ethnic turks. more of that in a moment. first, robert forrester walker reports. >> reporter: despite a ceasefire, there's has been more attacks by the

. he is scared that kurdish fighters could cut off the only road out of aleppo. >> god for bid if the road is closed it would an big problem for us. there would be shortage in cooking oil, flower, other food stuff, but the problem is people are poor. they don't have the ability to stock food. >> aleppo is syria's largest city. government forces control the eastern side while the opposition controls the western side, and since the truss between the government and rebels began in late february, syrian forces backed by russian air power have advanced on rebel-held areas in aleppo's northern countryside. [ explosions ] there is also fighting in the city's northern pods. kurdish forces are seen as forces against the allied government are making gains. activists warn that up to 3,000 people could be effected. people say that they're worried yet they remain defiant. >> think rely on farming and say that it's the best way to survive. >> we have every vegetable you can think of. >> fighting is still continuing and it's not clear if the forces could sustain their siege. what will they do? it wi

back a large offensive by bashar al-assad's troops and allied fighters in southern aleppo countryside. well, heavy fighting has prompted rights groups to warn that the city could face a devastating siege. >> ahmed and his family rely heavily on food hand outside, but it's barely enough. >> god for bid if the road is closed there would be a big problem for us. there would be a shortage in cooking oil, flour, and food stuff. people are poor. they don't have the ability to stock food. >> the center is divided. government forces control the eastern side while the opposition controls the western side. and since the crews between the government and rebels began in late february syrian forces have advanced on hello-held areas in aleppo's northern countryside. there is also fighting in the city's northern parts. kurdish forces known as the ypg seen as allies of the government are making gains. there are fears that government forces and kurdish fighters are coordinating their campaigns. the goal is to surround and completely cut off the rebel-held areas of aleppo. activists warn th

parents, he sells curtains made in aleppo >> translation: we're not going to let the war stop us. our supplier has moved to turkey and we continue our work as best as we can. trade is the lifeline of our people. >> reporter: life in syria is a swipe away. not good news. pictures of his home or what is left of it. this feeling of loss is only broken by the arrival of a new customer, a chance to forget the war for just a moment and phonings on life here in senegal. nicholas hawk >>> the front runner for the republican nomination to become the next american president has reiterated his stance on syrian refugees. during a campaign tuna hall meeting donald trump - town hall meeting donald trump said he will sends them back it syria >> we have people coming from syria on migration, thousands of people. we have no idea who they are, where they come from, there's no documentation. we have to be crazy. no, i will tell you, they're going home. if i become president, we have to. we have to. we have no choice. where are these people coming from? where are our leaders coming from? what are they do

civil war is now reignited, after a tentative, two-month cease-fire. , ae in the city of aleppo series of airstrikes were blamed on syrian government forces, and left more than 20 people that, in areas controlled by different rebel groups. it is alleged that the russians, who withdrew warplanes last month, our spending in military equipment to help the syrian regime retake aleppo. >> we have been concerned about reports of russian material into syria. we believe that president clinton is certainly on the record and went public with his statement that russia would be removing that military. now there is: and also concerned that the peace talks in geneva are collapsing. today, a government delegation taking part. the opposition refusing to attend, as the fighting escalates. more on this u.s. military deployment. a supreme did allied commander for nato was there since 2013. in a war is intractable as this one, these extra 250 troops will make a difference? correspondent: i think they will make a marginal difference. a 500% increase. on the other hand, in a big, distributed battle s

september 2015. they now have territory from , which the aleppo syrian state controls. they have not use the power of the syrian air force and the russians have not used their power to strike against the islamic state across the board. that is also been one of the features, the disarming. arab states and european countries, united states, and canada a renewed effort to increase the tempo of the airstrikes and to be more effective through training and arms to some of the groups on the ground. the fight gets harder because they have to be successful in iraq and libya. laura: on the syrian peace talks front, they began in geneva against the backdrop of that shaky cease-fire. you expect those talks to go anywhere? >> i think there is a lot of pessimism. secretary of state john kerry has defied to the expectations. he has managed with the russian foreign minister to engineer a cease-fire that has held in many places. i've said been saved over the last 30 days or 40 days. tennessee's fire be extended? like the syrian government will extend the cease-fire. they feel they can make gains on t

-torn city of aleppo today. insurgents shelled a mosque in a government-held neighborhood, killing at least 15 people. meanwhile, new air raids hit rebel-controlled areas of aleppo, while the death toll from wednesday's strike on a hospital rose to 50. all that, as the u.s. and russia tried to reinforce a ceasefire in a damascus suburb, and the port city of latakia. >> we want to focus on strengthening the cessation of hostilities, renewing it, reaffirming it, so that we can quell the fighting or the violations, the ongoing violations in these areas. we're fully aware of that aleppo is a trouble spot. but we're starting here. >> woodruff: violence in and around aleppo has claimed the lives of more than 200 people in the last eight days alone. north korea's supreme court has sentenced a korean-american businessman to ten years of hard labor, for spying and stealing state secrets. kim dong chul appeared today in court in pyongyang. he was handcuffed and could be seen wiping away tears. kim is the second american imprisoned by north korea this year. the u.s. reported its first zika virus

has taken territory near aleppo, killing 50 government soldiers in the offensive. >>> the greek coast guard rescues a boat load of ref jeers and migrants off the island of lesbos. we'll have a live report. ♪ >>> we meet the opera singers lending their voices to the polite of refugees and applying grants. >> azerbaijan announced a truce in the conflict air, but the armenia defense ministry said there have been nor attacks sunday morning. dozens do it on saturday in the worst fighting in 25 years. azerbaijan said 12 soldiers were killed, armenia report 18 dead. both say there have been civilian casualties, the u.s. and russia call for calm. the area is marked in yellow at the heart of a decades long territorial dispute. the area was governed by azerbaijan during the satisfactory jet era, but has been controlled by local armenians since a 1994 ceasefire officially ended a six year war that killed an estimated 60,000 people. >> the shaded area to the left with armenia, this his the so-called buffer zone. it's controlled by armenia, but it's claimed by azerbaijan. >> both sides are

after an i.s.i.l. offensive on monday. the syrian opposition has taken another area in aleppo countryside after intense clashes with pro-government fighters. russian air strikes targeted at the time opposition and al-nusra front positions in the southern aleppo country sides. a syrian academic and writer at the doha institute has been following developments on the ground in syria and he said the opposition is making grounds in the fight against i.s.i.l. >> it seems to me that there is a race on the ground between government forces and their allies and opposition forces and their allies to gain as much territory from i.s.i.l. as possible. i think every party is trying to present themselves as a force to defeat d.a.e.s.h. the syrian regime and russian forces over the past two weeks have been trying to make a big deal out of the palmyra defeat of d.a.e.s.h. by saying the syrian forces, the syrian army is the force that can really eradicate d.a.e.s.h. and that is the duty of the international community, mainly the western powers, to support the sish regime in this-- syrian regime

government forces shelled areas in aleppo. they targeted the last humanitarian corridor linking the largest city to the countryside. control of aleppo is split between the opposition and government forces. syrian activists say barrel bombs are being dropped on residents in northern homs province. two people have been killed in the suburbs of tabr acres si and tarmulla. staffan de mistura is urging the government more humanitarian access ahead of the resumption of talks in geneva. a moderate member of the moderate opposition has called for discussions. they say bashar al-assad cannot be a key issue in the discussions. as a conflict in syria continues now into its sixth year, the country is preparing to hold parliamentary elections on wednesday. the vote is being held in areas controlled by the president bashar al-assad. thousands of candidates are exceeding and nearly all of them favor his party. the international community and the opposition have criticized the elections saying they will be biassed. 20 tons of food aid has been air dropped on the city of der asor. they had a high altitude d

offensive against rebels south of aleppo. it is the biggest government operation in the area since the partial ceasefire agreement came into effect in late february. the ongoing fight issing has threatened to derail the fleement which has reduced overall violence in syria. the u.n.-sponsored talks to stop the war are set to resume on monday. the syrian network for human rights say six rescue workers and medical staff have been killed in syria in march. dispute all odds and attacks, a civil response group in reb rebel-held areas are making an difference. >> reporter: this man works for the civil defense also known as the white helmets. he is not just a driver. he is also a rescue worker. when there are no air raids he helps clean up the city. >> translation: we're trying to help the people in more than one way, not only recovering people from under the rubble, but we also clean the streets, the debris, open the roads, contain the rubble from destroyed buildings >> reporter: around 3,000 volunteers work in the white helmets across eight syrian provinces. they are ordinary people from all

backed by russia's air force is preparing a joint operation to retake aleppo from rebel forces. the recent operations have led to a summering in refugee fleeing the area to neighboring turkey. nearly 3 million syrians are in turkey including a large number of children who have become separated from their families. >> reporter: this family has been through a lot. the terror of war in their syrian home town aleppo, the struggle to get out for the sake of their five children. it was nothing compared to what happened when they made it here to istanbul. the disappearance of their daughter. >> i won't stay here. even if the bombs are falling i will go back to syria but i can't go without my daughter. >> reporter: she was playing in the streets outside the house when she vanished 18 months ago. her parents are convinced that she was abducted and is still alive. authorities have done little to find her they say. in most cases, the separation happening on the roads. she went missing just few steps from her new home where her family thought they had last found safety. the desperation took the

erupted around contested aleppo, the country's largest city. opposition groups say government air strikes killed dozens of people there over the weekend.th >> ( translated ): warplanes around five people died, i carried two dead, one woman frod this location and a man from nearby.wo the attacks on aleppo in this latest period have been fierce p and strong. >> sreenivasan: the resumption in heavy fighting has all but derailed u.n. efforts at peace talks in geneva.ig u.n. mediators met with syrian government officials today, but the main opposition group backed out of the discussions last week. for more on all this i'm joined now by andrew tabler of the washington institute. he's in moscow learning more about russia's role in syria. and, nancy youseff, she is the senior national security correspondent for the daily beast. nancy, let me start with you. what's the purpose of these additional troops? what are they going to be doing on the ground? wh of 250ofe upwards special forces and support staff, medical staff and otherwise, and their job there is to build a capable, bigger, strong

take aleppo. our correspondent is following event from the town of gaziantep. >> reporter: some significant developments close to the turkish border today. we understand that i.s.i.l. fighters made an assault on around seven villages. it is said that the turkish artillery responded to those attacks with a number of coalition air strikes. activists are saying three or four of the villages have been retaken by the free syrian army. we also understand that fighting may be continuing in the remaining villages. these developments come on a day when the syrian government plans to retake control of the city of aleppo with the help of its ally russia. we're supposed to be seeing a partial cessation of hostilities. the syrian government said they made this announcement because they say they have come under repeated attacks. very worrying for the remaining civilians. we understand 65,000 families are still inside the city living in atrocious conditions. no running water or electricity. amnesty international saying that the syrian government has been targeting hospitals and medical facilit