russia says syria's government has handed them material implicating the rebels in the august 21st chemical attack. hello. welcome. you're watching al jazeera live from doha. also ahead, separatist rebels appear to be losing ground in the southern philippines where more than 100,000 people are left homeless after days of fighting. the united states orders a security review at all military bases after 13 people are killed at a washington navy yard.

plus, why paintings are now fetches hundreds of thousands of dollars on the international market. russia says that syria has given them material implicating rebels in a chemical attack near damascus that happened last month. this is as the u.n. security council is trying to agree on a resolution over syria's chemical arsenal. fred ware joins us on the phone from moscow. what other details do you have? >> reporter: we don't know crucially what this evidence is yet, and everything will depend upon that. it has got to be probably some kind of investigation of the forensics, of the materials themselves, of the scenario that the syrian government wants to paint. there's no question that this plays into a highly uncertain

situation where nothing is sure, no evidence looks solid, and yet, there are huge political stakes. so what we need to see is the russians to turn over to the united nations or to the organization for the prohibition of chemical warfare this evidence. >> what's happening right now is the u.n. security council is trying to agree on a way to secure syria's chemical weapons, and there is some disagreement with russia on that. are they any closer to getting some momentum on coming together on that? >> reporter: well, not so far. i mean, you know that there are intensive discussions going on. the part on these two issues. once is whether the security council has to pass before they kick this ball into the air,

whether that resolution will contain a threat of force to enforce it. secondly, who is responsible for the chemical attacks? until they come to an agreement or an agreement to disagree and going forward on this, nothing is going to happen. >> thanks very much, fred. we're there with the latest from moscow has russia says syria handed them over that the rebels were behind this chemical attack in syria. thanks, fred. in the philippines ten days into the siege of zamboanga city. it's been at a cost. scores have been killed and 1 hundred -- 100,000 people are lem homeless. a major military offensive has taken back areas in the center of the city.

there's been heavy fighting in the east, and there's also been fights on the outskirts of the city of talon. it's not known how many rebels remain. we can now speak to our reporter live for us. give us a picture of how things have moved over the past few hours. >> reporter: well, the military, as you said, indeed quite confident they have the upper hand here. they have surrounded what's left of a very weakened rebel force. they say because there hasn't been as much gunfire exchanged today, this shows they're conserving what ammunition they have left. there's no way the rebels can get any more supplies into them. you will see behind me, actually, the area where they have been con stricted basically containing the area and they're taking very deliberate action as

they have strict orders from the philippines president to not doing anything to endanger the lives of the hostages held by the moro national front. >> it seems there are pockets of these rebels. are they unified and still asking for the same thing? >> reporter: this is the thing. the biggest problem here is the complexity of the situation on the ground, because the rebels seem to be acting on their own, as it were. they keep appointing a finger at the chairman of the moro national liberation front, who, in a way, has not really come out and either said he has ordered them to do this or indeed disavowed them. he haven't come out to try to offer to negotiate with these fighters who were allegedly acting on his behalf. the fight for an independent muslim state. that in itself is problematic as they signed a peace deal with

the philippine government back in 1996. in and of itself, there are many armed groups that claim to be fighting and speaking for the muslim nation in the southern philippines. now the one thing the government is saying is the muslims have to get their act together and stand unified. >> as we go forward, we say the military is taking control of 80% of the areas once held by rebels. does it seem like they have a clear strategy going ahead or does it look like more fighting? >> reporter: they say they do. there hasn't been any fighting, at least none that we've seen or heard in the last few hour. they say they're still conducting operations and working very detailed intelligence reports over with the president, who is still on the ground here already on his fifth day. he doesn't plan to leave apparently until this siege is over. the interior secretary is also here as well as the social welfare secretary. the government is taking a very,

very strong and keen interest, obviously, in what's happening here in zamboanga. even though it costs the city reportedly $1 million u.s. dollars a day, this doesn't affect the economic stability as a whole. they plan to put an end to this problem with as little loss of life as possible. >> margot, thank you. well, this stadium is used as a center for the homeless in zamboanga city. >> reporter: first we'll show you the result of ten days of armed conflict in zamboanga city. the social welfare department puts the number of evacuees at over 100,000. there's barely enough food and drinking water. not enough tents for many of them. now, we've spoken to some of

those who have been affected by the fighting. they said they're eager to go back home. their children still have not been back to school. some of the human rights workers are saying that they've also discovered that some children are actually showing signs of trauma from the violence that they have witnessed in the last ten days. this is just one of the many, many issues that human rights workers are having to deal with here. a lot of these evacuees are wanting to go home and want to be able to see if they still have a home to go back to because there are reports that at least 600 homes have already been razed since the crisis began. human rights workers are saying this crisis may impact the people here long after the clashes are over. gunman have killed a senior election official in afghanistan. he was shot dead leaving his house just days after campaigning kicked off for next year's election.

to the united states now where it's been revealed that the gunman that attacked a security base had a valid pass to enter it. aaron alexis had a history of mental health problems and run-ins with the police. we report on the fallout from monday's killings. >> reporter: armed guards stand at the gate of the washington navy yard where a partial return to work for employees was anything but normal. workers say they're struggling to understand how 12 people could be shot and killed in what should have been a secure military facility. >> i'm still, obviously, in shock like everyone else is, you know, digesting everything that occurred. >> nearby cafes remain mostly empty, but neighbors told to stay in their homes following the mass shooting are now beginning to venture out. >> today seems like it's back to normal, sort of. you can tell parking lots are not as full, people are uneasy. >> reporter: the navy yard remains an active crime scene as investigators try to learn more

about the gunman, 34-year-old aaron alexis. the former navy reservist was let go in 2011 with a general discharge and a record of misconduct. it's also been revealed alexis had a history of mental illness and two gun-related arrests. yet, somehow alexis was still able to legally purchase a firearm to carry out his crimes. the fbi reports the search for evidence could also be time-consuming. it's a process many say could delay grieving. still, at the nearby washington nationals baseball stadium, canceled games are now resuming, but there was a moment of silence to honor the navy yard victims. fans reacting with disbelief that a shooting occurred so closeby. >> it was a sad day. it's a shame that people have to express themselves in that manner, and they can't find another way to communicate. >> that's just terrible news. i mean, you wonder what motivates somebody. >> reporter: it's a question that still remains unanswered

and may take time to understand. al jazeera, washington. president barack obama says a lack of thorough background checks is putting the u.s. at risk of mass shootings. >> the fact that we do not have a firm enough background check system is something that makes us more vulnerable to these kinds of mass shootings. you know, i do get concerned that this becomes a ritual that we go through every three, four months where we have these horrific, mass shootings, and yet, we're not willing to take some basic actions that we know can make a difference. brazilian president rouse saf has canceled a visit next month after they revealed they were a target of the spy

program. he's tries to ease tensions between rousseff. the white house says it understands why the revelations have caused so much controversy. >> they both look forward to that visit that will celebrate our broad relationship, and the president believes and president rousseff believes, as i understand it, shouldn't be overshadowed by any single bilateral issue. no matter how important or challenging the issue may be, and we're certainly acknowledging that the concerns that these disclosures have generated in brazil and other countries. still to come on this program, top nuclear envoys from north korea and china consider returning to the negotiating table. people are desperate and they want to get home and out of here. >> hundreds of tourists try to leave a mexican resort after the worst floods there in decades.

you're watching al jazeera, and here's a reminder of the top stories. syria has given russia what it claims to be evidence implicating rebels in last month's attack. t the. separatist rebels appear to be losing ground in the southern philippines. the army says its taken back 80% of the territory seized by fighters. 100,000 people have been made homeless after ten days of fighting in the southern city of zamboanga.

the u.s. navy has ordered a review of security at all of its facilities after monday's mass shooting at a base in washington, d.c. a pentagon audit shows that dozens of convicted criminals gained access to bases because of cost cutting with security programs. syrian refugees in egypt are campaigning about a -- complaining about a campaign against them. they said therm receipted well in egypt, but that changed after the overthrow of morsi. our correspondent has this story from cairo. >> reporter: this empty flat is a far cry from how he lived in syria. back home he and his family were comfortable. until they fled the war, he sold cars. now he's a refugee in a land where he no longer feels welcome. >> translator: i feel like leaving this country, to be honest. i'm afraid. >> reporter: he and his sons

were fired from their jobs on monday. they get harassed on the streets, so he stays inside smoking cigarettes and making coffee the syrian way, too afraid to go out. >> translator: we didn't do anything wrong. the problem is they think the syrians support morsi, and this is absolutely false. now the syrians are being punished for something they didn't do. >> reporter: on egyptian television recently a number of popular presenters accused syrian refugees siding with them. he's telling syrians they have 48 hours to abandon the muslim brotherhood or face the destruction of their houses. they also warn syrians they will be beaten in the streets. the man that deals with the u.n. refugee program here said some syrians probably did join street protests, but insists that's no excuse for the treatment. >> reducing syrians to support

one political family here is simplistic, is utterly wrong. we have daily contacts with syrians who really distance themselves from engaging into any political debate, but unfortunately, tv has a strong influence on the people's minds and mindseting. >> it's estimated 250,000 to 300,000 syrian refugees have come here. until july 8th they didn't need visas, but the new government is less welcoming. it's restricted entry, and many syrians have been arrested. we asked the government to explain what's going on, but we're told no one was available. hundreds of countrymen have left egypt in the last few weeks. if he could only find the money, they would leave, too. al jazeera, cairo. >> and egypt has re-opened border crossing with gaza as it

was closed for a week. it will be open for four hours on wednesday and thursday and for emergency cases only. the egyptian military limits the number of people that can cross the border. about 1200 people crossed every day before mohamed morsi was deposed. they're discussing ways to resume the six party talks to end north korea's nuke r lar program. china is holding a program to mark 10 years since the talks began. we have more from seoul >> reporter: the last time they sat down together was in december 2008. the following april, north korea pulled out of the process. it said never to return after its failed rocket launch was met with u.n. sanctions. nonetheless, two senior north korean figures are in beijing to attend this informal version sponsored by china's foreign ministry. >> if they can send some signals

and some willingness on this seminar, i think that will be a positive message to the united states. so if we can do that, i think there will be so-called concrete results on this. >> reporter: in march this year, north korea declared it will pursue twin goals. economic development and its nuclear program. it said any talk of denucle denuclearization the core purpose was off the tail. it was commented by satellite images released last week suggesting the plutonium reactor was restarting. for south korea and the u.s. that position has to change before six-party talks can resume. >> translator: holding six-party talks here early is not that important. what's important is the possibility of changing north korea's intent on the nuclear program and verifying north korea's changes. >> reporter: with that in mind

south korea is sending two relatively junior officials. only americans at the talks are academics. away from nuclear matters north korea's general at tud has shifted considerably since the tensions of mark and april this year. seoul and washington are interested to hear what pyongyang has to say. >> earlier we spoke to a professor in seoul, and he said that the north koreans want to be accept as a nuclear power. >> they want something very simple. they want to be accepted as a de facto nuclear power, but they are willing to compromise most likely what they're expecting is the revival of the 1994 geneva framework agreement. in essence, they are going to probably fleece their nuclear program. recently they just started their nuclear reactor, which is producing weaponry plutonium.

they have a uranium enrichment facility and they show it to the americans. they're likely to expect they can say we are willing to stop it. they're not going to produce plutonium and uranium as long as the international community and the united states and south korea are learning to. they have gone on strike across the country. one man has been killed in violent protests, and team took to the streets after a senior figure of the party was sentenced to death for war crimes during the 1971 conflict with pakistan. he was the sixth senior opposition leader to be convicted this year, and the group's supporters say the trials are politically motivated. tony abbott has been sworn in as australia's prime minister. he led his conservative coalition to a comfortable lower house majority in elections early this morning. they don't control the senate,

which could make it difficult to pursue his legislative agenda. >> we pledge ourselves to serve the people of australia for their benefit to the very best of our ability. we are determined to honor our commitments, to scrap the carbon tax, to stop the votes and to build the roads of the 21st century. we will be a problem-solving government based on values, not ideology. rescue teams in the u.s. state of colorado have stepped up their search for people still stranded by floods. eight people are now know to have died in flash floods, which was triggered by a week of heavy rainfall. at least 600 homes have been destroyed. mexico is bracing itself for more extreme weather as a new tropical storm heads towards the east coast. at least 47 people are dead after two powerful storms hit mexico earlier this week.

more than a million people have been affected, and the state of guerrero on the pacific coast is one of the worst hit. it's expected to take another day to get relief to people stranded there. we have this report from acapulco. >> reporter: it might look like a perfect holiday destination, but here in acapulco, one of the premier tourist destinations people are desperate to get out. more than 40,000 people have been trapped here for the past three days while major storms have dropped heavy rainfall and caused flooding and landslides in the area around here. now supplies are getting short and people are trying to get back. we're at the military airbase, and we have military planes taking people out by the hundreds. they've got plans for one plane every hour. they use the planes to bring supplies in, and now they use the same to get people out. like i said, people are desperate and want to get home and out of here. public sector workers in greece are holding a 48-hour strike in protest against the government. now, they're opposing the

dismissals of thousands of state workers under new reforms. teachers and doctors have been demonstrating since monday. the prime minister says greece has to wait six years for living standards to reach the pre-economic crisis level. a new report says suicide is on the increase since the economic crisis in 2008. now, those figures rose in parts of europe with more men affected. we met one man many london pushed to the edge after losing his job. >> reporter: three and a half years ago kevin shepherd felt like his world was falling apart. the loss of his job through redid you understand see and the breakup of his relationship led him to the brink of suicide. >> i remember going out, and i don't remember walking through town. next thing i know, i'm on top of a multi-story car port looking down. the redone dancy from work is a massive impact, as a middle-aged

man is the breadwinner. it's to get his job, his family and house and you're set for life. all of a sudden you wake up one day, and that's all taken away and gone. >> reporter: kevin is now in good health and working again. what happened to him was by no means unusual. a new report examining data from 54 countries found that suicide rates increased after the start of the economic crisis. researchers found that around 4,900 more people committed suicide in 2009 than expected based on previous trends. in europe more men of all ages took their own lives, but the rise was sharper among the 15 to 24 age group. in general, rises in national suicide rates seem to be associated with an increase in unemployment levels. in greece the financial crisis is still biting hard. as the poverty and unemployment levels have risen, so, too, have

the suicide rates. >> as a matter of fact, it's common knowledge to everybody there's many more deaths because of the economy. we're seeing almost a 50% increase in suicides. >> reporter: researchers of this latest report say the rise in the number of suicides is a small part of the emotional distress caused by the crisis. for kevin, though, life is now moving forward. emma hayward, al jazeera. the demand from modern arts from africa is growing and knee jeerian artists are getting a lot of attention. we report on the showcase of their work. >> reporter: she's one of nigerian's budding modern artists. his exhibition is called

"unmatched beauty." it includes diverse seasons and not steer yo typical images from africa. there's revelation and creation in the garden of eden. in this series of work she calls "still they rise" she focuses on the strength and resdmril yens of women, and these paintings don't come cheap. they have sold for as much as $10,000 each. >> right now african art is wanted. a lot has changed drastically, you know. last year we got where we are now. they just want to have something hanging on their wall. >> reporter: sales of her paintings somehow there's a growing command of modern art from africa. last year a piece from neighboring ghana sold for

$750,000. sales have increased by 500% according to an auction house in johannesburg. the idea that traditional african artifacts represent all african artists have to offer is changi changing. they say there's a decline in sales of traditional african art and shoppers are going more more modern pieces. at the apart gallery near by, art dealers say the increase in sales is relative to the fact nigeria and west africa are more accessib accessible. >> african art in general underpriced. it's amazing some of the pieces -- i've been in the business here for 15 years. it's amazing the prices we used to sell for some top-notch art 15 years ago as compared to the prices now. this is why it's a great time to be collecting as an investment, if you want, to be collecting african art in general.

>> that's good news for artists like her. she'll take her exhibition to london next month where she hopes to find new buyers. and remember, you can always keep up to date with all of the latest news, analysis and features on our website. to find that go to aljazeera.com. take a look.