leaders of china and taiwan are due to meet for the first time in almost seven years but not everyone is happy about it. ♪ ♪ hello there, i am shiulie ghosh you are watching al jazeera live in doha. also coming up on the program more talks on syria. could moscow be moving way from its position that president assad stays in power. we are on the greek island of lesbos where officials say there is not enough room to bury refugees who have died making the journey to europe.

and meet canada's new prime minister. we take a look at what canadiens and the world can expect. china and taiwan have announced that historic talks between their leaders will take place in singapore on saturday. it will be the first such meeting since the end of a civil war in 1949. taiwan split from china when national assists fled there after defeat by the communists in the conflict. taiwan is recognized as an independent state by 21 u.n. member states and the vatican. china considers the islands its territory. and says it should be under beijing's control. taiwan's president has been friendly to china since he came to power in 2008. but his spokesman says no breakthrough is expected at the meeting. >> translator: she will exchange views on issues such as politing peace across the trades and

maintaining the status quo across the straight. there will be no deal signed and no joint announcement after the meeting. the president will return to taiwan on the same day. >> taiwan's opposition leaders have called the upcoming talks a threat to the island's democracy. around 100 activists have gathered outside taiwan's parliament to protest the meeting. demonstrators waiting the china's influence o on the islad say their president has let down the people. >> reporter: this will be hugely historic for mainland china and taiwan and is the culmination of a process going on for several years now especially you were the stewardship of the president of taiwan who has been pushing for closer ties, we have seen those links in business terms, communications, transport. millions of tourist, for example, now travel back and forth between taiwan and mainland china.

what we haven't seen is their corresponding closeness in dip 3459 i can terms, that's obviously been far more fraught. this is hugely significant. it also adds a very interesting dimension to presidential elections in taiwan in january. now, the main opposition parties is expected to win those elections, they are opposed to closer ties. so this was seen as the last best chance of this historic meeting taking place while the president is still in power, both sides of cautioning there won't be any agreements signed at this meeting. it is purely symbolic. but as symbolism goes in terms of cross-straight relations it doesn't get much bigger. the tensions over competing claims in the south china sea have led to an impasse at a south east asian defense sum i a joint declaration of the air january nations was due to be sign odd wednesday but the ceremony has now been canceled. china is not part the a see an

has has been blocking mentions of its disputed eye lands. the growing division between the u.s. and china is having an effect on the block. >> earlier this week in asean they chair managed to cobble together a joint statement including die jeff gent views, just among the asean countries. that means the defense minister meeting plus with its eight dialogue powers the great power rivalry is intrinsic in this organization and can't even mention it in a joint statement. a few countries, in particular cambodia are close to china and toe china's line and can prevents consensus from being reached. in this particular case, we have u.s. officials saying there were a none of asean countries that wanted this mention but majority doesn't rule. one can block the entire group.

it also means that china is able to reach in to a regional organization and get its way. an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has struck. causing minor damage, it was recorded at a depth of 143-kilometers. there are no immediate reports of casualties. the u.n. special an sa envor syria will meet with sergei lavrov in moscow. part of the effort to his end the syrian conflict. but president's assad's future role is still a main obstacle. gerald tan has the details. >> reporter: the outcome of an aerial bombing campaign laid to bear. this video up loaded onto social media is set to show damage caused either by russian or syrian military strikes. in the city of raqqa. there is no way of independently verifying this. the russian government says it's working with syrian opposition

groups to fight isil but the free syrian army says it isn't within of them. >> translator: we are in a state of war with the russians. they are bombarding the positions of the freer is i can't army and all infrastructure and hospitals. if they want to coordinate with the free syrian army they have to stop all miles an hour tail i operations forever and be ready to move forward to the final stage. a transitional stage without assad under the sponsorship of the united nations. >> reporter: the issue you of assad's future continues to be the main sticking point in efforts to resolve the conflict. there was renewed optimism that talks in vienna last friday between world powers backing both sides. no representative from syria was there. although iran was at the table for the first time. now a senior syrian minister speaking from teheran, says nothing has changed. >> translator: some may be have published that our russian friends are looking to hold another meeting between the syrian government and opposition

groupings but we have not received any formal inning station. the so-called transitional period does not exist exempt in the minds of those who are sick and those who don't live in reality. >> reporter: separately, russia appears to be stepping way from a long-held position that assad must remain in office. >> translator: we have never said that assad has to go away or say we said a regime change in syria could become a local and regional catastrophe and secondly only the local syrian people can decide the fate of assad. >> reporter: the fate seems to be decided for em them more than a quarter million people have been killed in the war a figure that grows each day with the airstrikes and failed diplomacy. gerald tan, al jazeera. >> russia says it's possible that the syrian government and opposition members could hold talks next week in moscow. the u.s., though, says that would be too soon.

>> we look forward to moving the process forward getting syrians involved as soon as possible. we are not ready for those discussions yet until the international community can reach a greater consensus on the way forward. >> the u.s. says its pilots have conduct aid communication test with their russian counterparts overseeover syrian skies done to validate the safety pro protocols. the deal is to make sure clashes between the two air force are avoided. russia began carrying out airstrikes in september. the conflict in sear i can't is refueling the refugees crisis in europe. the head of the red cross says the continent is being overwhelmed by the numbers arriving every day. officials in lesbos say there is not enough room to bury those who have died trying to reach the greek island, from there mohamed jamjoon reports. >> reporter: at this hour in greece, the sky darkens as quick

as the fear sets n but still they come. attention turns first to the ones they risk everything for, the young they must comfort. the old they must aid. having survived the sea, they land in to a situation so chaotic, even our team was asked to help translate. >> reporter: yes, she has on the side of her head and her cheek. a car accident in turkey just a few hours ago was bad. but this woman and her family still made the crossing. i can't even explain my emotions he tells me. we came such a long way. we were just praying we would make it to greece. and then we did. thanks god. the medics arrived quickly and treatment was given. but during these days of crisis on lesbos, even aid workers a customed to helping the emotionally traumatized are at a

loss. >> they want a better life. most of them feel guilty because they bring the family, brought the families with them, children, and now they are dead or they are looking for them. actually, you cannot say anything to a woman that has lost a husband and children as well. but they just need a hug, someone there to be next to them and facilitating it will the procedures. >> reporter: it's not just fire identifying layer loved ones that's so different even finding a final resting place is near impossible. these graves are a stark reminder of how harsh a life and how sad a death these refugees had. what make their fate even more tragic, is the fact that many of those buried here were put in to the ground anonymously. overcrowded with bodies, this cemetery has ran out of room.

this grave digger understands death better than most, but this he struggles to comprehend. the refugees come to find a better future, he tells me, instead they get a painful death. we greeks, we also were migrants, but we didn't have to die in the sea. now even for the refugees who manage to escape with their lives, it's death that seems closer than ever. mohamed jamjoon, al jazeera, lesbos, greece. russian media say unusual sounds have been heard from cockpit voice recordings at the moment a passenger plane went off radar and crash ed inky jump. the belonged to russian airline metro jet and came down in the sinai killing all 224 passengers and crew on board. it was on its way to st. petersburg, no distress call was made by the pilot. members of doctors without borders have gathered in rio due

janeiro a month after that are hospital was bombed in afghan's kunduz. demonstrators called on the u.s. and afghanistan to allow an independent investigation. u.s. is conduct its own inquiry. coming up here on the familiar. >> the sweetest game just keeps getting sweeter. >> call of duty meets candy crush, what is behind the gaming industry take over? and a landmark moment one rome's best loved tourist sites is back in business.

>> our american story is written everyday. it's not always pretty, but it's real... and we show you like no-one else can. this is our american story. this is america tonight. ♪ ♪

welcome back, i am shiulie ghosh, the top stories on al jazeera, there have been protests in taiwan against the upcoming talks between its leader and the chinese president. the two announced the first talks in 66 years will take place on saturday. a territorial dispute in the out china sea has led an impasse as a southeast asian defense summit. china has been blocking the mention of any its man-made islands from a joint deck los angeles raker know the signing ceremony has been canceled. russia appears to be moving away from the position that president assad stays in power in syria. the u.n. special an say for syria will meet sergei lavrov in russia later. as we just said diplomatic efforts on syria continue but the war goes okay its people wants a better life in neighboring countries but in

lebanon children born to syrian parents risk not being officially recognized zeina khodr has more on the growing problems of newborns who find themselves without any nationality. >> reporter: these children are among a new generation of stateless people. two-year-old mohamed, one-year-old, her cousin, they were all born in lebanon. syrians who escaped from the war but are not faced with another crisis. she says she sees no future for her children, they have they don't have proper identification papers because she has to renew her own residency and she doesn't have the money to do that. >> translator: living in lebanon is very difficult. i can't go out with the children because they haven't been registered and we can't go back to syria because i have in proof they are mine. >> reporter: for this family and many like them whatever money they make is spent to survive. but with no i.d.s these children cannot enroll in skills and access to healthcare is

hard. syrian refugees are able to register their newborn children with the u.n., but the children risk becoming stateless if their parents don't complete let process by registering them with the lebanese government and for some that is a complicated process. parents need proper doyl documentation. some don't have marriage certificates or any identification because they entered lebanon illegally. others don't have valid residency permits or are too poor to pay for the paper work, then many are afraid to go to the syrian embassy. >> we know that 60 to 70% of parents who have had newborn babies in lebanon have not completed the first three steps, the necessary steps in order to insure the rights of their children to the syrian nationality and that's a very large number. >> reporter: there are more than a million syrian refugees in lebanon the u.n. says no other country has taken in as many

refugees in relation to its size and lebanon is now treating the refugees crisis as a security issue. >> translator: their father, my son-in-law is too scared to move around because of the checkpoints, my daughter just gave birth to another child. it is difficult to get him papers. we need a sponsor, and to go from one government department to another. >> reporter: her grandson is among the 10s of thousands of sear i don't know refugees born in lebanon at the age of one just like many others he has a future which is already threatened. zeina khodr, al jazeera, beirut. now, canada's new government led by its liberal leader justin trudeau will be sworn in later on wednesday, trudeau the son of former premier pierre tried owe won with with a majority two weeks ago, a report on what canadians can picture from their new prime minister. >> reporter: during the election campaign justin trudeau was the star attraction.

and that star power translate ed in to votes. he takes office with a strong majority. and high expectations from voters for rapid and positive change from the outgoing government of stephen harper. justin's father pierre trudeau was a canadian political superstar who won several elections and gave the country its first real constitution and bill of rights. many of today's voters hope there is truth in the phrase like father, like son. >> justin represents the value system of his father but he says i will be adopt that go to the 21st century, that's a very attractive proposition for many canadians. he also shares his father's flare for the dramatic dressing up for halloween. and two years earlier winning a charity boxing match against a conservative opponent. there is no denying canadians voted for a change it style in government. they will be expecting real

substantive policy differences between the conservatives and the liberals led by justice opportunity trudeau. not least foreign policy where he has confirmed that canadian fighter jets will no longer take part in u.s.-led air strikes in iraq and syria. he's also promise to go take more syrian refugees and restore canada's reputation as a peacekeeping nation that emphasizes human rights in contrast to the more aggressive international tone of the harper years. >> canada does tending to through cycles of, you know, outward engagement and honest broker versus focused principled strategic. i am not sure which is the right way for canada. because at the end of day it's a small country with limited resources. >> reporter: even the look of canada's parliament is different now. it's much more diverse, there are 10 muslim canadian march p.s the most ever, aboriginals won 10 seats again a physician,

nearly 2/3 a electrics for the first time. it's all adding to great expectations of great change that might be hard to meet. >> he's signaling on the issues he campaign odd that change has come i think he will be successful. in the longer run there are bigger issues that will take many days, perhaps months, even years to achieve. >> reporter: can a charismatic son of a much-loved former prime minister accomplish what he promise odd the campaign trail? that's what canadians will be wondering and watching for in the weeks and months ahead. daniel lak, al jazeera, ottawa. protesters in burundi say opponents of the president continued to be persecuted after he was voted in for a controversial third term. thousands have fled the country since then and now a leading human rights activist who was shot in the capital in august is speaking out again. malcolm webb reports. >> reporter: he's one of the most prominent critics of the

government. this was last year when supporters of pierre came in droves when he was impressed and put on trial after he accused the government of training militias ahead of elections. he was later released. this year, he criticized the president's controversial bid for a third term. in august he was shot in the face and neck by gunmen in the capital. but he is still speaking out. he's released this video statement to a rights group called protection international in the belgian capital brussels where he is receiving treatment for his injuries. >> translator: today we still continue to peck up all types of dead bodies here and there, men, well, children, school students, it's very sad. this is the situation currently prevailing in our country. >> reporter: among activists who called on people in april to demonstrate against the bid of the president to stay in power. in presidential elections in july, the supporters said he was

victorious. but the opposition and observers say the election was deeply flawed. since then the violence has escalated in the capital and throughout the country side. many activists, opposition members and journalists are in hiding, many others have fled the country. and some opposition members have taken up arms too, said both people from both sides are being tagger tell and the killings are happening eve almost every day. he says the security forces are responsible but contact the government but nobody was available to respond to his statement. many say human rights work is dangerous. as the killings continue, he says he still is documenting them from abroad. malcolm webb, al jazeera, nairobi, kenya. there is controversy in myanmar over a video posted on the president's facebook page warning of bloodshed in the aftermath of the arab spring if the ruling party loses power in sunday apt polls. the pop six is expected to make major gains in what the

government is touting as the first free, and fair post vogt in years. but the rohingya are not allowed to vote or run in apartment including sitting lawmakers. more than 2,000 leading architects from 60 countries are meeting in singapore for the world architecture festival awards an international school in bangkok is among the final assists in the education category. he designed the school and tells us about it in his own words. >> my name is boone sim. my architectural company is. we are the principle architects and designers for ivy bound schools. this site in the context of bangkok is very unusual. it's a really acies in the city with some very large old trees on the site. i decided that these trees were the singular characteristic that had to be preserved. we then fit the architecture

around the old trees on site. designing a school for early learning, kind der garden has its own own challenges, you are dealing with young kids so safety is important of but at the same time the owners have a very aspirational idea about how to conduct early learning in a very progressive way. and the school is designed to be on many parts there is a welcome portion where kids are brought in from the city and parents let the kids go beyond. there is the classrooms, and obviously there are other areas like the courtyard where external play is a part of the curriculum. and finally there is a very interesting pavilion with a swimming pool that is a facility for the kids to have their other physical activities like meditation and yoga, for instance.

i think what i enjoy most about seeing the school finished the difference pieces came together in such a way that it really encourages exploration and discovery. shares in japan am postal service have been bought for nearly $12 billion in the world's biggest stock offering this year. japan post holdings along with its banking and insurance markets made their debut on the tokyo exchange. they hope selling stakes in the postal service will boost investments in japanese firms. with 500 million players across the word it's one of the most successful online games now candy crush is set to be sold for a record amount. gaming giant action hav division blist blizzard the company behind world war came in a deal worth 5.9 billion u.s. dollars it will create one of the world's largest entertainment

networks. tom ackerman reports. >> reporter: it's a union of entertainment titans, action division blizzard making of interactive games including call of duty and world of war craft, buying out king digital entertainment. the company that owns candy crush, which has addicted facebook and smart phone user around the globe. combined their revenues out strip microsoft, sony or electric arts another global video game giants. and together the two claim more than half a billion active gamers each month in nearly 200 countries. that's more than twitter's base user ship. but lately, king has failed to come up with new titles to match the huge appeal of candy crush. that game is initially free to play. so the company relies for its revenue stream on selling added content. what the industry calls free miums. that's been the model for

previous successes like angry birds. and farmville. but their lust hears faded. a drop in revenue from candy crush has accounting for king's 28% profit decline in the last quarter. yet the $5.9 billion buyout, one of the entertainment industries most expensive purchases ever, signals confidence. the joining with smart phone games can benefit the inter active console game market. >> activision wants to get more behind it. i little we'll see even more of these games in the future the free mium mod is not dead. >> reporter: if show that would be a sweet outcome for candy crush as well as it's a fans. >> the sweeter game just keeps getting sweeter. >> reporter: tom ackerman, al jazeera. now, it's one of rome's best loved monuments. after a $2 million makeover, the fountain has been unveiled to the public once again. bev more from rome. >> reporter: water started flowing again in the fountain for the first time in almost a

year and a half. for the past 18 months 20 sick restorers have been cleaning up its beautiful marbles and almost improved the hydraulic lighting anlightingand surveillance syst. and now look at it. it looks as beautiful as it must have looked at the end of the 18th century when it was first completed the $2.5 million respiration works were paid in full by fend fendi. the latest italian fashion how to pay for the respiration of important monuments here in exchange for a tax break from the government. bulgari has paid one point pave million dollars to restore and remember i'd have italian steps, while todd happens has paid more than $25 million to clean up the coliseum. but in the case of the fountain fendi won't be the only one to throw money in to it. italians and tourists alike will

start tosses coins in it. a tradition for anyone that wants to return to rome. al jazeera. rome. and you can keep up to date with all the day's news on our website. all the news all the time aljazeera.com. game down? >> absolutely not, no one was slowing the train down. >> and the white house trying to rein them in today. thank you for joining us i'm joie chen. tonight a look at crime, justice and what may prove president obama's last major campaign. an all-out effort to force change in the criminal justice system. a key part reducing the sentences that many consider excessive for minor drug crimes. much identified is