>> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream on real money with ali velshi on al jazeera america > >> dozens of children are killed in an air strike on a school in syria. humanitarian efforts to get aid into the country are fading. this is al jazeera america. live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead - jerry adams a leading figure northern ireland's rub -- republican movement is arrested for murder.

and the final moments before a south korean ferry sinks. teenagers ordered to stay in their cabins by the crew. . hello. at least 30 people, including children, have been killed on an air strike on a school in syria. the attack happened in an opposition-held district on wednesday. james bays has this report. >> reporter: every day for three years there has been bombs and bloodshed across syria. the latest attacks should shock the world. this was the result of a syrian government air strike in aleppo. the rubble here was a school building which, despite all the violence in the city, had been continuing to operate. the children had been preparing an section on the war in syria,

drawing images of the violence they, themselves, experienced. brutality no youngster should have to endure. they drew images of the future they wanted for their nation, a future they will not live to see. at the u.n. in new york, expressions of shock, deadlock around the security council table will again mean no action. >> it's absolutely horrific what is happening day by day. children, women are being directly targeted. it's a flagrant violation of the basic tenants of war. the security council in previous situations, when we have seen this, have come together around humanitarian issues. and have passed robust security council resolutions. the difference is that the political differences amongst council members, and again i

stated this today, is itself having an impact on the way resolutions 21:39 is being implemented. >> in addition to the bombing of the school, equally shocking attacks in suburbs of the damascus where a technical institute was targeted, killing 14, injuring 80 others. and the car bomb in a busy part of the city of homs. 100 dead, many of them children too. . in turkey hundreds of demonstrators are gathering in istanbul for may day. they are defying a government ban on protests in thaksin square. scuffles between police and protesters on the same day a nation-wide movement was launched against the government. thousands of police officers, and water canon trucks and vehicles are going to be

deployed. zeina khodr is live for us. telling us whether they have been deployed and what is the seen in thaksin, because we know there's a ban on protests. >> well, yes, as you see behind me, the state is making its presence clear. it's visible. up 230,000 police officers deployed in istanbul - we are in thaksin square, and the city is underlock down. the city center is under lockdown. public transport has been suspended in some areas. you can see the barricades put up by the police. the government is determined to prevent protesters from reaching thaksin square. they presented the unions with an alternative rally site, saying if you want to rally, you can go to the site, and they are providing free public transport. the unions, backed by opposition parties feel it is their right

to reach the square because it has so much symbolic value to them. earlier today we saw representatives of unions arriving at the square. the government allowed them to lay a wreath in memory of those killed in 1977. processes will not be allowed. all roads leading into that's correct sim care has been blocked. >> protests happen every year, why significant this year, and what are the protesters hoping to accomplish today >> yes, may day rallies happen in istanbul and over the world. it is not just about may day. the square has a lot of symbolic meaning. to the government it's a symbol of state authority. to the protesters, they see it

as a place where they have the right to make demands heard. it goes back to 1977. up to 30 were killed when gunmen opened fire, and there was a stampede, and the perpetrators were never found, since last year's riots and protesters occupying parts of the square and the movement spreading nationwide, the government doesn't want to see a repeat of that. we really have to remember that this is a democratically elected government. and opponents feel that the one-party rule is not providing checks and balances. this is part of a bigger political struggle in this country from those who hold power, and those that feel they are abusing power. >> zeina khodr reporting from that's correct sim square in istanbul. >> russia's military attache to ukraine has been ordered to leave the country. he's been held on suspicion of

spying. ukraine's acting president says police and security forces are helpless to stop the unrest in parts of the east. >> ukraine is entering is 4-day national holiday, what we see at the cabinet office in central kiev, as predicted, armoured personnel carriers bringing snipers and special forces into the building as a drill orchestrated for the cameras, gathered around, for reassurance for the public and protection of the building itself. the acting president oleksandr turchynov warned that provocation and diversions would be raised during a 4-day holiday. security services are taking no chances. there are guards on all the doors, loded gun here, as we can see. and reality is that the warning that the acting president put

out must not be allowed to spread to other areas here in kiev. they are adamant that places like odessa, and kiev, are just as much at risk as those places overrun by separatist elements. >> police in northern ireland arrested jerry adams for the death of a widow in the 1970s. >> sin fenn leader jerry adams is being questioned over the murder of a woman. she was shot dead in 1972, and her body found on a beach. the irish republican army suspected that the mother of so was an informer. her family said it was not true. >> the murder investigation had been revived amp interviews with fighters, and a testimony from the bomber.

adams said he's innocent and released the statement. while i have concerns, i am meeting with the police. i have never associated from the ira and i never will. >> during the 1980s. adams was a spocksman for the irishing republican -- irish republican army, during the northern ireland conflict. the good friday agreement was signed in 1988, ending decades of violence between catholics and protest ants. adams is a member of the irish parliament. investigators had been making arrests and adams is the most significant so far. a female passenger was killed. one person has been arrested.

no one has claimed responsibility for the attack in india. we go to new delhi. >> reporter: the bangalore expression arrived in chenni, an hour and 45 minutes late, when the explosions occurred. police described them as too low intensity blasts in s 4 and s 5. questions will be asked about house those managed to get on the train, and who put them there. at the moment there's one confirmed dead, a woman from the coastal town of vg weather. 14 at the moment are insecured, and one person, according to police sources, has been arrested and is being questioned. nobody has taken responsibility for the blast shms, but the national investigation agency is on its way to vet the crime. >> chenni central railway

station has opened and resumed normal service. at the moment security is keeping a tight cordon around the scene of the crime, until more analysis can be made and a determine nation as to who might have been behind it. >> new pictures emerged of wednesday's attack in china's jin jang province. three were killed in a pom attack in the regional capital, happening as the chinas president xi jinping ended a 4-day visit to the region. mobile phone video taken by a student who died has been released by family. he's seen nervously laughing and joking as the situation becomes more dangerous. harry fawcett reports from seoul. >> reporter: it's hard to watch, harder to listen to, the last 15 minutes of a motorbike phone recording made by a teenage

victim of the disaster. it's tilting more, someone says. save me comes another voice. a loud speaker tells them to stay put in the cab jips. the tone is nervous humour, not terror. children sit bare footed on the beds. it seems possible to move, one boy is standing in the corridor outside. later one boy says "we have to get out." it's met with last are. life jackets are passed around. some of the zips don't work. "where your life jackets" comes the message. >> this means we must be sinking. again they are told by the crew stay where you are. >> the video was recovered by the phone of a student. his father released it to a

local tv station. it was used in the form of still and audio. parents want the full video shown to expose how badly their children were served by adults supposed to protect them. >> it may be used in the trial of the captain, whose children were becoming trapped - he was stepping on to a coast guard rescue boat. all the crew who were involved in navigating the ferry are in custody. the coast guard is under investigation as to whether it could have tried harder to get the victims out. the coast guard chief apologised to the families, saying he'd accept criticism of the response. >> in ansan, the home town, 17 of the 74 who made it out of the ferry have been discharged from hospital. they paid tribute to dead and missing classmates. medical staff promise to monitor them for the psychological affect of dealing with so much loss at a young age.

>> brunei has become the first country to introduce criminal punishment. the sultan of brunei proposed the laws during the 1990s. he warned of rising crime and dangerous outside influences such as the internet. the oil-rich nation has one of the highest standard in asia. human rights organizations say the move is a step backwards. citizens can be fined, later this year punishments for those convicted of robbery can include robbery and amputation of limbs. death by stoning will be introduced by next year. >> we have worked with human rights watch and critics could face punishlets. >> this is a mystery why the sultan chose this time to introduce these particular kinds

of brutal punishments. we have heard some claims about rising crime, and there's absolutely no imperial evidence anywhere in the world that these punishments have impact on lowering crime. so these go against basically the trend in brunei, the trend in the region. they also very much turn their back on brunei's commitments under the investigation of south-east asian nations asian. brunei is a complete monarchy, under state of emergency for decades, and the sultan is the prime minister, the defense minister, the finance minister. so we have little capacity to gauge the real feelings of the people. we know that in brunei, which essentially has no outlet for dissent, this law prompted a highly unusual amount of feedback on social media, twitter, facebook, enough so

that it prompted the sultan in a fit of peak and anger to say that all of the critics themselves would be subject to punishment. coming up, thousands in egypt go on hunger strike to protest against their treatment. plus... >> yes, i have smoked crack cocaine. >> toronto's mayor is taking a leave of absence - time to get help.

here at al jazeera, the top stories. 30 people, including children

have been culled in a government -- killed in a government air strike in a school in syria. the security council resolution passed to build aid to syria is not working. police in northern island are questioning republican politicians in connection with the murder of a belfast woman 32 years ago. jerry adams is innocent. she was killed in 1972. brunei was the first country in south-east asia to introduce criminal law. punishment will include flogging, potentially death by stoning. 20,000 prisoners across egypt have gone on a hunger strike. it's in protest of conditions. we have more. >> reporter: from well outside the prison gates the chance of

protest can be clearly heard. down with the regime they chant. down with military rule. >> this is the prin in the coastal city of alexandria, one of more than 40 facilities caught up. >> we have started a hunger strike. we decided not to go out for exercise. we will not be attending court sessions, nor will we stand before any prosecutors. >> they allege appalling conditions as well as daily torture. prisoners showed poor basic facilities, including a lack of beds, action to water, proper lighting or overcrowding. here 16 prisoner were crowded in a cell meant for four. >> in a statement prisoners say

23,000 ipp mates were refusing food, including doctors, engineers, teachers, scientists, women and children. in addition, they object to the lack of access to justice, including mass trials of opponents of the military-backed interim regime. court decisions like this on monday, family members in shock when within egyptian court handed down death sentences to 683 supporters of the muslim brotherhood. the government says the rulings are open to appeal, families are not pinning homes on them being overturned. they are calling for a day of fasting and solidarity, this woman holds a banner saying "freedom for my family." . >> translation: we are not scared. we support you dad. we are behind you. don't be afraid. >> but the mass protests prosecutor to have hit resistance. a number of prisoners injured

when security forces tried to force them to attend court. but that is not deterred the prisoners or are supporters. there might have been little response to protests thus far. they are hoping the hunger strike of thousands would draw the attention. one of the four al jazeera journalists has been on hunger strike for 101 days. abdullah al-shami has been held without charge. al jazeera journalists peter greste, baher mohamed, and mohamed fadel fahmy have been in gaol for 124 days. their trial has been adjourned until 3 may. they are falsely accused of providing a platform for the muslim brotherhood. now declared a terrorist organization. the egyptian foreign minister commented on the detention of the journalist, the government's

stance was defended. >> after they were arrested the government issued a statement to assure foreign journalists that they will have free access, the right to work throughout egypt, security and safety. there has been no other journalists arrested, by the way. this case, once it went to the court, will be dealt with completely within the court system. that being said, our president september the letter to the families of the journalist acuring them there would be a free fair transparent trial and that he could not intervene, but he would follow if, as would the legal system. and if there is any need for medical treatment and so on and so forth throughout, he will do that. like you in america, whether you like it or not, we cannot interfere in anything. once it goes to the courts, until the end process, when it ends, one way or the other, if,

and if sentenced, the president at that point only can decide whether he wants to confirm the case or clemency. until they are finished with all the appeals, they can't interfere, you don't interfere here. democracy is based on separation of powers. >> now the world heritage organization u.n.e.s.c.o. recommends that the great barrier reef in australia be placed on the endangered list. the u.n.e.s.c.o. report is concerned about directlying sediment being -- dredge sediment being dumped in the marine park. the great barrier reef is rich in coral and marine life. toronto's controversial mayor rob ford is ready to deal with assistance abuse issues. the canadian gained global notoriety after admitting to smoke crack cocaine. the decision came after a video

surfaced after ford smoking what was alleged to be crack. he will take a black -- break from work and his election campaign. >> reporter: it's been a year for the toronto mayor, he'll step away for 30 days more, as long as it takes to get himself back to deal with his alcohol problem. but, in fact, the revelations that emerged are more shocking than that. the main newspaper in town, says two of its reporters have seen a video of him smoking what appears to becrack cocaine, and what they were told was crack cocaine. people will recall this happened to the mayor a year or so ago. there has been incidents of him behaving badly in public. he's been stripped of powers by city counsellors. with the election coming up in

october. the mayor has said he will stay in the race, but he's going to take what it takes, 30 days or more. he's not specifying to get clean. it's hard to know whether that mr help or hurt him in the election. he had a solid core of support. 25, 30% of voters. it's a blow to him and his campaign and family. as he says himself, he has to get this right. as he said in an interview, if he doesn't kick his substance abuse problems, he could die. he said that. he seems to be taking is seriously, we'll have to watch and wait and see. >> the governor of the oklahoma announced there'll be an inquiry into why a prisoner woke up during his lethal injection on tuesday. it's the second time a prisoner in the u.s. showed signs of consciousness during an execution. it provoked fresh discussion on the death penalty in the u.s. >> reporter: she took no

questions but the governor of oklahoma insisted clayton d. lockett's 14 minute death as he was strapped to a gurney will be investigated. >> an independent review of the department of corrections procedures will be effective and also appropriate. >> however, despite repeatedly calling it an independent review, a member of cabinet will lead the inquiry. we are looking for an investigation led by the justice department or an organization independent of state officials that wet feel are causing the problem. minutes after clayton d. lockett was sedated and declared unkongs kongs, he be -- unconscious, he began to stir. >> he was lifting his head off the gurney, grimacing. >> he was writhing as being administered the drugs to kill

him. doctors say it's an agonising suffocation if conscious. officials closed the blinds. clayton d. lockett was announced dead of a cardiac arrest 43 minutes after his execution began. it's a grim vindication for those that argued knew laws, violate the constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment. many pharmaceutical companies refuse to supply drugs. as a result state authorities acquire the drugs elsewhere. they refuse to say where, that led to strns about drug quality -- suspicions about drug quality and regulations. some argue how clayton d. lockett decide was unimportant. he was convicted of shooting a 19-year-old girl, and she was buried alive. the object was to kill clayton

d. lockett, that was achieved. >> we have a fundamental standard that when the death penalty is justified. it must be carried out humany? >> the argument in the united states was solely about the morality of the death penalty. now there's the argument whether state authorities have the proper means to carry out the league at right to kill without torturing prisoners to death. >> 17-year-old student and long island new york accomplished a rare feat. she was accepted into 81 of the eight u.s. ivy league universities. he is studying at yale to become a doctor. his talents were academic. he's a violinist and shot-put and athlete. >> at the end of the day, you're the one going to college, or doing what you do in life. and you have your passions. things that you love doing most

happens to be learning, education, if you develop that self-driven force to push yourself as far as you can go, i think any student, no matter where they are coming from will do better than before. >> there is much more on our website. thanks for watching. >> you're sick. you take the medicine meant to cure your illness. that's what we do. but with increasing regular layerty the medicine won't work. the . thi it's the "inside story." >> hello, i'm ray suarez. if you know al