push for peace. syrian opposition groups meet ahead of potential talks with bashar al-assad's government. you're watching al jazeera. live from doha. coming up in the next half hour. >> we have no choice. some donald trump causes outrage by calling for a ban on muslims entering the united states. more than eight million people are in need of help with ethiopia's worst draught in 30

years. red alert, china issues the highest warning on the pollution for the very first time. a meeting between syria's opposition groups is due to get underway in the saudi arabian capital in the coming hours. they will be discussing ways to overcome their differences before any potential talks with the syrian government. iran, a rival of saudi arabia and supporter of the syrian regime, has criticised the meeting say it will hurt the peace process. under a plan agreed by 17 countries last month, both sides of the syrian conflict should hold negotiations by 1 january and those talks should be followed by elections in 18 months, but the deal doesn't specify where syrian president bashar al-assad fits in. his future is one of the main

issues dividing the opposition. >> reporter: they have fought together on the front lines when faced by an offensive from the syrian government and its allies. apart from the political and armed opposition lack a unified command and have different visions for the future of syria. they now need to come together as peace efforts gain momentum. saudi arabia is hosting a gathering to unite the opposition before possible talks. world and regional powers who recently met in vienna agreed that peace talks and the political process should begin, but there was no agreement on president bashar al-assad's role in that process. that is the issue dividing the opposition. >> the majority of the opposition has said as add is part of the-- bashar al-assad is part of the problem and there will be no change or solution unless he gets out. there are some members of the opposition who are based in

damascus and they are in many ways under the influence of the regime. >> reporter: on the ground armed groups don't share similar ideologies and one of the most powerful forces, al-nusra front, won't be attending. it has been designated as an a terrorism organization. al-nusra has been asked to disassociated itself with al-qaeda. so far it hasn't. >> everything is going to be all right in the meeting. my understanding is that some of the groups are going to try to distance them selves. that is not going to be easy. that could disrupt al-nusra in that there might be a split. >> reporter: if the opposition can speak in one voice, some in the delegation may not be acceptable to russia, the

syrian's government's main backer. russia doesn't want to associate with some groups. it wants them added on the list. they are the backbone of the armed rebellion and there are realities on the ground that could cause further conflict while syria's kurds will be represented, the largest kurdish group, the democratic union party and the ypg haven't been invited. they are part of the fight against i.s.i.l. turkey considers them terrorists. the alliances in this conflict is a complicated maze. there is no clear way as this new attempt gets underway in saudi arabia a closer look on this issue with the head of gulf studies at the al jazeera studies program here in doha. thank you so much for coming into the studio and chatting with us. this is really quite a task for

these groups to come together, overcome their differences, and they have a very short time limit to do so because these peace talks with the asad regime is within the next month or so. how confident are you that they're able to actually overcome the differences, ethnic, secretary tearian, political difference? -- sectrian. >> i believe the saudi have been asked to organise this kind of conference and to invite many participants and from many, as you said, factions and ethnic issues. so it's very important for sash saudi arabia. they tried to take the role of the leadership for the movement. since the young team arrived

with him to the power. they would like also to - i mean, this - a conference will be as the first step towards a solution in the syrian crisis you are optimistic that they will be able to over come their distances in such a short period of time? yes explain to us what is saudi arabia's idea of moderate groups? who is involved here?

in the transition period except the extremists and maybe we can call terrorist group like i.s.i.s. or even the al-nusra. they're not invited these groups. they invited, for example, the national coalition, the syrian free army and many other groups. they tried with these groups to aarrive to a kind of deal for - and to unite actually the main objective of these groups we're going to have to leave it there, but thank you so much for coming to speak to us. >> thank you so much the syrian government has released 35 opposition activists in the city of homs. it is part of a cease fire deal which will lead to the withdrawal of up to two thousand

rebel fighters in the neighborhood. that's the last rebel stronghold in the city which has been under siege for about two years now. iraq is warning turkey that it must withdraw its forces stationed near mosul on tuesday. russia has requested a u.n. security council meeting over the issue. ankara says it won't forward more soldiers. turkey says it's a routine to train fighters against i.s.i.l. over to imran khan in northern iraq. we know that the deadline is drawing close. are you seeing any movement from the turkish troops at all? >> reporter: no. we're not at all. like you say, the turkish troops are not leaving as of yet and this is a real surprise to ankara. they said that baghdad knew that they were sending the troops in,

that there was an agreement with the defense ministry which allowed them to send the troops in. they're very surprised at the president's reaction. as you say, the 48 deadline is coming u what is the president going to do? will he go to the u.n. security council? russia are likely to go to the u.n. security council a little bit later on today to talk about turkey's role in syria and iraq. what practical steps can there be taken? right now what we're looking at is the governor of mosul, he is the man at the center. he has to make a deal with baghdad and turkey. he asked turkey to send in the troops in the first place and nobody has heard from him. he has been very quiet since this whole thing began. he hasn't issued any statements. he says that he needs these troops to be able to train his fighters in the war against i.s.i.l. we're not seeing any movement at

the moment, but like i say, this 48 our deadline is coming to an end soon thank you for that. the leading republican presidential hopeful donald trump is calling for a ban on muslims entering the u.s. the push back came immediately with many people from his own party criticising his comment. meanwhile, obama is sending his advisers to meet were muslim community leaders. >> reporter: the u.s. secretary of homeland security, j johnson at this mosque to send a message to the muslim community, they are not the enemy, but in annex clue sieve interview with al jazeera he admits islam aphobia is on the rise in the u.s. and there is growing concern about the potential for a violent back lash. >> we've seen incidents already. i heard about incidents in the meeting i had here that were

just horrible. so i am concerned. >> reporter: one reason is that which is come frp donald trump who is calling-- from donald trump who is calling banning muslims entering u.s. it is believed that the islam aphobia in the u.s. is worst than it has ever been, even worse after september 11 attacks. he says it is muslim children paying the price because many of them are being bullied. >> what i'm worried about, this kind of talk is impacting the average american who does not know us. the children go to the same school as our children. >> reporter: another presidential candidate, paul, is pushing a bill to stop immigration from 34 countries, all muslim majority countries, except one. the spokesman says it proves it isn't profiling. >> because a country was on the list, my logic is if you have a

country on there in which there are no muslims, it's not just based on muslims. >> reporter: at the mosque where they've increased security, there is growing concern but also hope. >> some people have said the same thing about jewish community before. some people have said about president kennedy. can he be trusted? where is his loyalties? america had went through that before. america is going through this now. we shall overcome. >> reporter: a hope for an end to the politics of fear, but one that apparently won't be realized in this election cycle still to come on al jazeera, turning the art world on its head. surprising winners of the u.k.'s most press at this stage use modern art price - prestigious.

you to make sense of your world. >> ali velshi on target.

>> "inside story" takes you beyond the headlines, beyond the quick cuts, beyond the soundbites. we're giving you a deeper dive into the stories that are making our world what it is. you're watching al jazeera. a quick reminder of our top stories. a meeting between syrian groups is getting underway in saudi arabia. they're working out ways to over come their differences to form a united front. iraq is warning turkey that it must withdraw its forces stationed near mosul on tuesday. russia has called a u.n. security council meeting over the issue. turkey says the soldiers are on a routine mission to train

fighters against i.s.i.l. the leading republican presidential hopeful donald trump is calling for a ban of muslims entering the u.s. his comments at a rally were condemned including from leading figures from within his own party. more than eight million people in ethiopia are in urgent need of emergency aid according to the united nations. parts of the country are experiencing one of the worst droughts in 30 years. al jazeera charles stratford reports. >> reporter: this family is proof that it hits the poorest people the hardest. they're waiting to receive humanitarian aid. hot winds of el nino generated over the pacific ocean the effects of which scientists say are being made worse by global warming have destroyed this year's harvest in parts of the

ethiopia. the u.n. says there are 8.2 million people like this family who need emergency aid. it says that figure could raise to 15 million in coming months. >> translation: we have nothing this year. we have no plan. it's up to god. after the harvest fails the men and children who are strong enough left to try and find work. >> reporter: the government thats allocated money but 600 million may be needed. international donors are slow to respond. u.n. says around 350,000 children are expected to require treatment from malnutrition. ethiopia has plenty of water. this is the worst droughts to hit some areas of ethiopia since the 1980s. it is important to recognise that this country has vast water resources. this is the lake. the surface area of that water covers around 440 square

kilometres. the problem is the lack of irrigation infrastructure to get that water to some of the affected rathers close by. -- areas close by. farmers lucky enough to be near the lake pump water into their fields >> translation: it's difficult for us because the pump is so small and the pipes creep breaking >> reporter: there's virtually no irrigation infrastructure to get water from lakes and rivers to the areas hit hardest by the draught. aid agencies say aid investment has been slow because projects such as drilling bore holes is expensive. >> translation: we are trying to reach every farmer giving them access to water by using different methods. the government is investing heavily. some of the projects is supported by donors. >> reporter: around 80% of the country's approximately 96 million people work in

agriculture and farming generates around 40% of the country's gdp. with such limited access to water, millions of people like this woman can only hope that next year there's a lot more rain china's capital beijing has issued its first ever red alert for air pollution. this is the highest possible warning level. schools have been advised to stay closed and half the city's private cars have been banned from the street. some industries have been ordered to stop work until thursday. >> reporter: beijing really feels like a city under siege. the enemy, if you like, is all around you. you can see another very bad pollution day here in beijing. so bad that the government felt compelled to introduce a red alert. the first time they have ever done this. this time a week ago the second highest tier of warning was in

force, an orange alert. the pollution then was twice as bad as it is today which leads people to question why this red alert has been enforced. i think one of the reasons is this, the government wants to be seen to be doing something. it wants to be proactive and what that means is this. schools and middle schools have been closed. work on construction sites has come to a halt. traffic is being restricted to alternate days, depending on odd or even number plates. the government says these restrictions will stay in force for at least another three days when strong winds, it's hoped, will blow all this smog away ban ki-moon has warned the circumstances if an agreement on climate change is not reached. a draft needs to be finalised by 9195 states attending a global climate summit in paris.

it is hoped the agreement will reduce global warming. >> translation: a climate catastrophe is close. the world is expecting more from you than half measures and incremental approaches. it is calling for a transformative agreement, an agreement opening the way for long-term peace, stability and prosperity. the decisions maw make here will reverb rate down. seven billion people want to know that the leaders, up all, have their interests at heart and those of their children the american rock band that was performing during last month's paris attacks have made an emotional appearance at a u2 concert. some fans were draped in french flags at monday's concert in paris where security has been

heightened as france is under a state of emergency. the coordinated attacks in the french capital killed 130 people. most of them at the barack obama hall-- bataclan concert haul. a police officer who shot and killed a black man last year will not be charged. the attorney says this police video showed that he was armed with a hand gun but the family insists he was running away and the gun was planted by police. the decision coincides with the start of a department of justice investigation into chicago's police force. venezuela's opposition party say they will use their new majority in the parliament to push through an amnesty law to free jailed political activists. the coalition of center right parties won more than twice the number of seats as the socialists in sunday's election.

latin america reports now. >> reporter: the people of venezuela woke to calm after an electoral storm that has profoundly changed this oil rich nation. it is change that people say they are betting on. >> translation: with the national assembly in the hands of the opposition, if chavas was still in power things wouldn't have deteriorated like this. >> translation: i don't have running water in my house. no money for food. for clothing for the children >> reporter: 24 hours after the poll, the electoral council had still not confirmed the final tally. an impatient opposition announced it had won a stunning two-thirds majority in the legislature. the wave of anger expressed against the government at the poll has been like a political tsunami. people are telling us the real

issue is how this will affect their daily lives and what will it take to reverse this country's economic meltdown. newly elected opposition deputys say the economy and an amnesty for jailed politicians whom they regard as political prisoners will be their first priorities when the new assembly con seens on january 5. >> translation: the disaster these people have created is such that we the have to start working right now on the agenda that we will present to the nation. >> reporter: whatever their plans, they will meet resistance. the president insists that what he calls the counter revolution has only won a temporary battle. back in this rubbish-infested neighborhood, people are more interested in the pace of economic recore >> translation: we are dependent on oil and the price is still dropping >> reporter: nevertheless, he says giving the opposition a

vote of confidence is at least a start brazil's congress will meet on tuesday to discuss whether president dilma rousseff should be removed from power. she is accused the manipulating government accounts to hide the extent of the budget deficit. her supporters say the attempts to impeach her is politically motivated. a report from the capital. >> reporter: this is the presidential palace. on monday president dilma rousseff said if the impeachment proceedings are going to progress, she wants them to progress quickly. she says right now she has enough support to block it, but this is her concern. the congress is about to go on a recess. it would last from a few days before christmas until early february. it could give her rivals enough

time to get support both within congress and on the streets. >> translation: in an economic and political crisis like the one the country is going through, i believe it is important that the congress is convened. >> reporter: the quest to inpeach the president is dominating media. the man leading the effort and the president, the words frustration and revenge as the government focuses on political infighting, the country is in a midst of a depression and people are suffering. >> translation: this is the worst crisis in the last few years. the bras illians are very-- brazilians are very disappointed with the government. >> reporter: on tuesday law makers here at the congress will form a committee to explore launching impeachment proceedings against president dilma rousseff. she is accused of misusing money from state banks to fill in gut gaps. the man behind this latest

political crisis is a speaker of the lower house. his name is edwardo and he is facing trouble. a general prosecutor said he hid the existence of swiss bank accounts, something that he denies, and now there is are calls for his ouster. on tuesday law makeser could determine his fate there has been some controversy in the art world. britain's most prestigious art price has gone to 18 architects and artists. their scheme to fix up derelict apartment block. >> reporter: architecture, psycholo psychology, opera and fashion. these were the pieces nominated for the u.k.'s top contemporary art award. an unusual line-up even by

turner price standards. the ones that really stood out for the judges. >> 2015 winner is assembly. >> reporter: assemble, a group of 14 designers and mostly unqualified architects who together transformed a street of derelict houses in liverpool to turn them into affordable homes for the community. they don't consider themselves artists. unsure to accept the nomination, it came as a shock. >> this was a surprise to all of us. the last six months has been kind of super surreal experience, but it's an amazing opportunity to start something, gram by workshop which we hope will live on for a very, very long time. >> reporter: the collective are

socially engaged and when i interviewed them i found them utterly unpretentious. here is products shown that were used in the renovations. they're available on line. for $12 you can own an original tile made by a prize winner. one form of winner, dame yount hurst is the richest winning artist. for many art critics their favorite nominee has one big. >> there couldn't have been another winner really. they were spot on. first of all, they're thinking about social issues, political issues. they're using art for one of the main reasons that it exists. it's not about painting pretty vases of flowers or about kittens playing with balls of wool. it is about speaking to people. >> reporter: in awarding a design collective, this prize

will shake up the art world, but it shows the best of what art can be. charlie angela art for the masses. of course you can always get all the latest news and analysis on our website. the address is aljazeera.com. >> on "america tonight": a good trip. from party drug to a way out of the darkness? >> i was very skeptical, i just thought it was ecstasy, this party drug and something that people take and get messed up but i was going down a very bad road and didn't feel i had anything to lose at that point. >> "america tonight's" christof el