[singing]

>> singing the praises of a project to teach american school children about opera. >> we'll have all the sport including: >> i feel the support of everybody. >> pressure mounts on lou van hal. >> the group will attend talks in geneva.

russia has been accused of effecting the peace process. >> the syrian opposition has condemned the killing of zahran alloush. he said that the alloush could have been key to the success of planned talks to solve the syrian cries. >> they killed a man who was going to play a crucial role in

syria. the death of zahran could be the beginning of targeted commanders. >> the rebel commander was killed the same day that the syrian government and announced a deal with isil and al nusra front and al qaeda affiliate. the deal was to allow fighters of the two groups and their families a safe passage out of damascus in exchange of their pulling out of the refugee camp on the outskirts of the city in the nearby neighborhood. the deal was seen by the opposition as an decision of the syrian government can lewding with isil. >> the regime has deflected attention from the fact that was happening is a fight for political rights and against tie ran any to invite security regime in the fight against isil. >> these are delicate times for the opposition.

over the last two years they have lost significant ground in southern aleppo, homs and other areas. many of its commanders have been killed and it is coming under mounting pressure to join talks with assad. >> joining talks with archenemy is a major concession with the rebels, who had hoped to force assad out of power momentarily. now some of the heavyweight allies such as america, are no longer insisting on an immediate de3rdture of the syrian president. al jazeera, on turkey's border are syria. >> joining us via skype in u.k.'s director chris doyle, thank you for being with us. this new leadership has said it will go to the talks in geneva, but how strong is the new leader and can they hold the group together for a month or so until those talks actually happen. >> well, frankly because the

talks are imminent, what we will see as we have seen each and every single time there has been political process is an escalation and intensification of the fighting, and therefore it comes as no real shock that we've seen such a prominent leader being killed and it will be very difficult for the new leader, who is not so well-known. he doesn't have the same standing will be able to hold it together. all of these opposition groups are in themselves former coalition, and they are under intense pressures pulling them towards other groups. some fear perhaps fighters from islam will join groups such as isis. so time will tell about this. but the key thing right now is how does the international community, the regional actors and syrian players keep together the political process, because

it will come under further attack. this is really very clear. there is a number--there are a number of spoilers on the ground, and they will do everything to ensure that it will go forward. >> in that respect what has been happening around damascus. we have this deal between assad's government and the rebel fighters out of certain areas given face passage so they clear some of the areas. what do you think is happening with that, and how will that affect any future talks? >> we understand that this deal is now on hold. it may go forward. who knows. that depends on the climate after what is happened. it depends somewhat on who is held responsible for having carried out the attacks on zahran allo ush and the group.

hopefully this can happen, but the big fear in damascus now is with these fighters, also with this group they'll attempt some form of revenge for the killing of their leader. we'll see further shelling. >> do you have an inkling of what was going on the other side of things? >> the russians were in talks with zahran alloush as part of their attempts to have working relations with the various armed

factions. if the russians were responsible, it is clearly an act of bad faith, treachery, no doubt, in the eyes of islam, if this had carried out the killing. did the russians have any hand in this? i think the opposition now fears that the russians are now moving away from the move towards political solution and reverting to military options. it may be that they wish to reinforce the regime's control not just inside damascus, but also in the outskirts of damascus. of course, it is a major problem for the regime. and we may see some major

advance trying to exploit the weakness of isla he's this islamic group because it's leader is no more. >> thanksgiving fo--thank you for taking time for talking with us. >> thank you. >> military said it is engaged in a gunfight with isil fighte fighters. they began their new offensive on tuesday with the help of u.s.-led coalition airstrikes. 27 soldiers have been killed by isil fighters south of fallujah. doctors in the city said seven civilians were killed after their neighborhood was sheffield united by the army. the military has besieged fallujah in a year in an test to force isil fighters out. thousands say that they need help getting home safely. the tribesmen fled their homes during fighting between

government-backed shia militias and isil. >> this man used to be a soldier. he was fighting isil, and then captured by shia militias. he said his crime was being sunni. he showed us burn marks on his body when he was tortured for ten days in a youth center that is being used as a prison. >> they used to hang us and ten people used to hit me. they used electric torture on me. they used nylon, set it alight and put it on my body. they told me to confess and to tell the truth. so i told them that i'm an iraqi soldier. if isil see me, they'll kill me. >> now a ghost town after tens of thousands of its people were reportedly forced out of their homes. those we spoke to say there were

no isil fighters there, and they were punished under suspicion that they might be harboring them. after militias took over, they were denied and taken back to their own areas. it's not the first time that the government-backed militias have been accused. human rights watch has reported that they have exacerbated regional hostilities. everyone here has a horror story. people are afraid to go back to their homes. they want an international body to guarantee their safety. >> they say that the iraqi army turned a blind eye to abusers. >> we were surprised to see shia militia forces. when they came they started to kill indiscriminately. they destroyed houses, took

belongings. we traveled day and night without food. >> they denied accusations against them. >> for us this issue i is silly and has no affect on us. as we continue to progress we will get more accusations. we don't care about it. we expect it. >> the distrust runs deep in this community. and thousand who is don't want to return are coming to terms as these tents as their new homes. al jazeera, northern iraq. >> austrian police say intelligence services have warned them that there is a risk of shooting or bomb attack in the new year. several possible names of attackers were mentioned in the information passed on to them, but they have no concrete results so far. still to come, france's

prime minister has called it a desecration, the details of a mosque attack in corsica. bush fires threaten more homes. and in sport, agreeing to play ball with a teammate seeking redemption. >> palestinians demanding the return of their dead loved ones are being attacked by israeli security forces. [ explosions ] >> about 150 protesters took to the streets of occupied jerusalem near damascus gate. israeli soldiers fired tear gas and hit protesters with batons. they are protesting for the bodies of those killed in recent fighting. israel's military said that

a palestinian man tried to stab a man friday and woman tried to run them over. 22-year-old man was killed on friday allegedly for throwing rocks at israeli soldiers. a wave of violence that started in october has left 137 palestinians and 20 israelis dead. protesters have stormed a muslim prayer hold in corsica. the prime minister called the incident an unacceptable desecration. >> a christmas day crowd but no spirit of good will. instead, violence and desecration i in a this low-income neighborhood in a corsica capital. the crowd ransacked the pray hall of this mosque chanting arabs get out. and then attempted to tur burn

copies of the qur'an. >> some installations were broken. they broke through the barriers. broke two doors and the entrance. the window, the piece of furniture where we leave shoes. the air conditioning, paintings, the closet. >> the latest violence appears to be in retaliation for an incident on thursday night when firefighters responded to an emergency call were tacked in an housing project in town. authorities say it is not clear what prompted that incident. the french government condemned the latest attack and sent police reinforcements to other religious centers. they have followed the mass killings in november which resulted in heightened security measures across the country. about 120,000 french police and soldiers were mobilized over the holiday period. but france's muslims are also facing backlash in the wake of the attacks. in corsica far right

anti-immigrant parties did well in this recent local elections. in this climbing region of suspicion. >> attacks during friday prayers is a latest of a series of attacks. isil has claimed responsibility for some of them. the government denies that isil has a presence in bangladesh and blames the attacks on homegrown groups. bush fires in the australian state of victoria has destroyed over 100 ocean homes. now emergency services warn that threat of more fires remain. >> an eerie silence hangs over australia's great ocean road. the scenic route outside of the city of melbourne is packed, but

it's off limits for now after bush fires swept through towns along the coast. >> there are significant property losses. today is really assessment day. whether it's assessing damage to part, roads, power, water, environmental issues, the other issue today is smoke and what impact that will have in terms of those who have underlying conditions. >> overnight rains helped to get the 22-hectare blaze under control, but the area is still not in the clear. >> this fire does not go away. this fire is a fire that will remain with potential to burn in january and february of this year. the forecast for a long drawn-out summer is here. >> firefighters battle into the night on friday, water bombing aircraft were brought in, but they continue to engulf trees and homes. many residents and tourists spend their holidays at

evacuation centers. >> i thought, gee, that is like getting close to home. you get to home, and looking out my back door it's just apocalyptic. >> australia is no strange for bush fires. they strike every year during summer in the southern hemisphere, and each time the losses are no less painful. gerald tan, al jazeera. >> the u.s. state of alabama has declared an emergency after tornadoes and storms swept through the region. homes have been damaged and power has been knocked out in parts of the city of birmingham. it has been a week of extreme weather in the south. 15 people have been killed in tennessee, arkansas and mississippi. and in the next part of the series people--i beg your pardon. we have a report on the world's most dangerous cities. >> no, i'm sorry, we're not

going to have that report. let's bring you one more story. families of 43 missing in mexico students were marching through the capital on saturday to find out more information about where their loved ones would be. the students disappeared after confrontation with police. the case is complicated by the case of drug cartel involvement and government cover up. there is a meeting with the kurdish democratic party saying that the party is rooted in violence. it came after an operation against kurdish separatists in the southeast of the country. bombings killed six kurdish fighters near the syrian border. peace talks collapsed earlier this year.

as the end of 2015 approaches, al jazeera looks back through the eyes of five families whose lives have been affected by events. the wars in syria has forced 1 million people to escape to turkey. >> just 50 kilometers from turkey across the border into syria open christian worship is now impossible. there isil is in control, so this family fled here to turkey seeking refugee with a small community of fellow syrian christians. he's wife is bedridden. getting treatment is harder in a country where they don't speak the language. >> when we came to turkey we stayed in the monastery for nearly four months. but it was too crowded with refugees, so they put us in this house. gave us blankets, pillows, a

fridge, everything we need. >> their lives have been torn apart by the syrian civil war. with no work in turkey two of their sons have gone to europe. >> they're working here for just 15 liras a day. it wasn't enough to help us. so we sold our home and used the money to send the boys to europe. >> every day just 15 lira. how can you live on that? >> now we're in refugee camps. >> too sick to get to church, the priest now comes to them. >> i used to walk. but now it's difficult. now all i can do is go to the bathroom and back with this frame.

we have no friends here and no family. >> a proud double they now face a retirement dependent on charity. >> we want to go back to our life as it was before, but it's hard. >> believe me, there is no place in all the world better than syria. rich or boor, everyone has a life. there was work. now syria is destroyed. >> he praise that next year he'll be able to take his family back. bernard smith, al jazeera, in southeastern turkey. >> greece estimates it could end up spending half a billion dollars on the refugee crisis this year. most of that money is reimbursed by the e.u. but the may cost may come in the form of lost tourism. we have this report from the

island ever lesbos. >> this woman used to be at the bottom of the food hospitality. she would park her food van and wait for business. but now the crisis has put her to the top. >> in summer we would make 200 euros a day. now 500. before we used to make 50 euros a day. >> her van is one of several outside of the refugee camp. hierarchals can warm themselves by her stove, eat, and resarge their cellphones. refugees and migrants have set up a tent city in the surrounding olive groves. those with money have moved into hotels that would normally be closed in december. the in town they buy credit for cell phones.

>> the refugee windfall is evidence all over town but some worry that this may prove to be a partial and temporary replacement of the tourist industry, an industry that the greek islands spent decades building up. >> lesbos hotels experienced a 3.5% drop in business last august. charter companies shut down flights and most travel agents and hoteliers here expect a drop in business. >> it depends on how visitors will react. will they come as volunteers to help, then it's positive. will they feel put off by what they see on the news and worry they'll see sad things here, then we'll take a loss. >> then there are the official costs. the e.u. defrays the government cost but that's not always true for local governments. >> this month i won't pay all the salaries.

the burden is enormous. the taxes are covering the costs of 440,000 migrants arriving. >> there is no doubt that lesbos is seeing the losses and benefits of coming refugee capital. at the end of the day people say this is the loss of life that touches them and that's the reason why they want refugee flows to end. al jazeera, lesbos. >> mexico has been trying to deal with a large number of central americans passing through on the way to the united states. the action plan is not only resulted in a huge increase in deportation but complaints of human rights abuses. john holman has more in a three-part series. >> the road to the u.s. has been barred to central american migrant as never before. this is mexico where deportations have gone up by 70% in the last year and a half. authorities send hundreds back every day to honduras,

guatemala, el salvador, countries that suffer brutal gang violence and desperate poverty. >> we're poor. that's why we look to the american dream. unfortunately, they catch us and send us back. what can we do but to try again. >> child migrants turning up on the u.s. door step. rather than focusing on the root causes that force people to flee from central america, the u.s. instead has given mexico more money, more equipment to cut off that flow at its southern border. >> and it's worked. roving check points is a constant watch has meant this mexican detention center, the biggest in latin america, is full to bursting. as migration officials close the net accusations of extortion and

physical abuse has soared. this is what happened to oscar's arm when he was run over by patrol that saw his bleeding and left him on the roadside. >> ear people would have helped me. they didn't care. it was as if i wasn't even human. >> to avoid authorities migrants are often forced to travel through isolated areas where bangs of robbers and kidnappers lie in wait. the protection office say they're acting against criminals and corrupt officials. >> we've shown clearly that we don't tolerate impunity in the state. we've had accusations against officials and we caught and tried them. that's the best proof that migrants can trust us. >> that trust is far from earned yet. the vast majority of the migrants we talked to in mexico feel authorities is just another threat in an increasingly

hostile land. john holman, mexico. >> still to come on the al jazeera news hour we're live in serbia as there are details of a massive corruption crackdown. twitter claims it is winning the war o on the internet trolls, and in sport more doping misery for russia.

hello again a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. iraqi soldiers have reached the center of ramadi as it tries to retake the city from isil. serbian police have arrested 80 people including a former minister in an anti-corruption crackdown. the country's largest

investigation in decades. it isest mated to have cost 100 million euros since 2004. >> parts of lands for building with millions of euros. it was mostly damaged by this kind of fraud. but it was all equally damaging. >> what are the people who have been arrested suspected of? >> yes, this was one of the largest police operations in serbia in decades. the investigations have been i don't know going since 2004. they're talking about 80 cases of eruption. one of the arrested is a businessman suspected of fraud with large bank loans.

loans from state owned banks and never returned them. anti-corruption agencies suspected of irregularities that led to personal gain. among them the minister of agriculture, an opposition member, he's charged with use of officers during his team. the police say that the investigation, the gathering of evidence was long and thorough, and that the attention case. these arrests come two weeks after talks with european unions and it demonstrates its progress to fight against corruption and organized crime. >> the opposition has been claiming there is a political motive to these arrests. why?

some of them gathered outside here outside of the courthouse today and spoke of a political witch-hunt, ruining the reputation and families. they also say that there have been arrests of their members. so far before they were conducted with a lot of noise in the public, but then nothing happened. they were released and no charges were brought. >> live in belgrade for us, thank you very much. in april 148 students were killed at the university of garissa by armed group al-shabab. catherine soi spoke to families whose lives are still basketted by the tragedy. >> they shot her seven times. one bullet shattered her spine.

she's now paralyzed from the waist down and she's undergoing rehabilitation. she was studying at garrissa university in kenya. her parents come in to the city every other week to visit and take care of rachel, and it's taken a toll on the family. >> at first it was really hard. she would not eat. they did not want to talk to anyone. we had to go there to make sure she's well taken care of. >> they'll never forget these images from the attack and the days the family members spent looking for her not knowing if she was alive or dead. >> i was realized that life is in the hands of god and you have to find strength in this situation no matter good or bad. >> garrissa university is due to open next year.

a police camp has been set up inside the university compound. many of the security changes have also been made for this region. >> security officials say this is because o there has been enter belbetter intelligence and communication with the community. >> this man's son was taken and he has not been seen since. >> they say they don't have him. but nothing. >> human rights groups accuse security forces of unlawfully detaining and executing suspects more than 70 people in this vast region are say to have disappeared since april. >> we don't kidnap anybody.

were they arrested from their homes for whatever? and they are in custody. >> rachel is far from the politics in the hospital that is now been her home for months. she's working hard on regaining her fitness. at the same time coming to terms with the fact that she may never walk again. catherincatherine soi, al jazeera, northeastern kenya. >> over the past few years twitter has changed the way we communicate. but the social media service has a side to it that is anti-social linked to a high number of bullying cases. now twitter has vowed to stamp out trolls. they will make it clear to trolls that it has a lasting affect in the off line world. and they have asked to publish

their names. specializing in international law, thank you for being with us. do you think these measures will reduce the amount of bullying that will happen on twitter? >> yes, i think if it becomes compulsory for every user to provide their mobile number that, would pretty much diminish bullying from twitter. my understanding is that twitter has asking a small number of users to provide mobile telephone details. unless this policy becomes more wide-ranging, i feel we are only going to see a big change very soon. >> why do you think twitter has

been perhaps more prone to that cyberbullying than other sites? >> we know that--twitter reluctantly to ask users for private information. by doing this they're encouraging bad users and neglecting their good users. why they're doing that i think is up to the viewers to make up their own mind. but if it asks for as little information as possible from its users it will increase the number of users. >> what can we do to protect users from trolls on the internet? >> up until two or three years ago our advise was very similar to what th the advice the

police give. just quick tweeting on twitter, and it will go away. but for those who rely on twitter for work. don't quit twitter. you should not be quitting twitter. what we say people should be doing is face the problem. go to the high court very quickly they can obtain a court order. and up until now it always involved the problem. i think it's very important that users are not encouraged to quit twitter because they're being abused. then if we do that, then the trolls win. >> thank you very much, indeed. >> you're welcome. >> still to come on the program. >> no place to call home. i'm adam raney at a camp on the haitian-dominican border where

haitians have had to dominican republic. >> promises, promises, has he failed foes who voted him in? we look at fantasy sports in the united states.

>> thousands of people are forced to leave the dominican republic and now are facing cholera outbreak in hate whyy. --haiti.

. >> close quarters for those who live in this camp, and they've received no help from either country. hungry and penniless they wait for help while children keep their spirits up some how. >> many are weakened after being struck by cholera. >> i was vomiting. i had diarrhea. i went to a clinic for one or two nights and they had no medicine. >> manuel is more fluent in spanish than in creole. he left a home behind and here he has nothing. he showed me a packet of rice that the local priest will give him and his family to eat. with filmed here in july when

dominican republic began a sweeping crackdown on migrant workers who lacked documentation, and many established haitians appeared to be caught up in that sweep. many said that they feared for their lives and came here on their own. others say they were deported. >> there have been dozens of cases of cholera, the local priest said that nine people have died. people say they sleep in the dirt, they breathe in dust, and they get sick. they have little to eat, little to drink, and every day there are signs that people keep showing up. >> this woman survived cholera, too. alone here her husband and son are back in the dominican republic. >> i hope the government helps me move to a better place. that's what i'm asking goo god for.

>> the camp is known as gift park but there were no signs of presents on christmas. a water filter supplied by the haitian government arrived just a day ago. >> we were here in july. it's now six months. why has it taken six months to bring these people water? >> we thought this was tempora temporary. now we have to do something. >> other projects like the reception center on the border has been promised but so far have not been military. back in the camp cleaner water should arrive soon, but what people are really looking for is a way out of here. adam raney, al jazeera, haiti. >> japan's prime minister shinzo abe swept to power three years ago, he promised to revive the economy. he also wants to restore japan's image. the results are mixed. the series of unpoplar policies have resulted in lower support.

>> in central tokyo these people gave their opinions about the prime minister's performance. >> i didn't like him from the start. >> i see economics working, but there are issues, too. >> i think he should listen to the people more. >> a few months ago many people had much stronger messages for the government over legislation that allowed japanese troops to assist allies in combat for the first time in world war ii. despite the opposition the laws were passed by the parliament in september while the anger still simmers in many quarters, ar abe's personal approval rating has inched back. >> while he talks a lot, there has not been a lot of move on

reform. threform. >> shinzo abe became prime minister in 2012 with a mandate to fix the stagnant economy. on that front he has had hits and misses. the share market corporate profits and economic growth are up. but there are still major problems with the economy such as the huge debt, dwindling birth rate and falling productivity. >> the japanese government has to show continuously to the nation, to the business community, and that there are committed. they are dedicated to bring about change. that's what shinzo abe must do. >> japan will vote in upper house elections in july of next year, and the ruling he coalition is opening to win a two-thirds majority across both houses of parliament. this would bring forward abe's

plans to revive the constitution. the prime minister is also benefiting from weak and disorganized opposition parties. the people we spoke to found it very difficult to name an alternative leader. >> i can't think of anyone. >> this might mean that shinzo an abe is safe in the top job for now. >> sport now with farrah. >> lauren, thank you so much. they've gone several games without a win. they would say seal the win for stoke. the result means man united drops down to six. the next game is against chelsea

on monday. >> i have said already in former press conferences that it is not always like that, the club has to fire or sack me. sometimes i do it by myself. but i am the one who wants to speak first with the board of manchester united, with my members of staff, or with my players. and not with you. >> leicester city has been beaten for the first time since september. they went down 1-0 to liverpool. they move the reds into eighth. so with leicester losing it means that arsenal could go top if they beat southampton. that game starts in less than an our.

giving australia the advantage going into day two of the second test at the mcg. day one in melbourne saw the home side rack up, australia sits at 1-0 in the best of three series. and england lost early wickets against south africa on a rain-interrupted day. but nick compton and james taylor put on a partnership to help them recover 179-4. pakistan's most high pro tile players ove has come to an end. they refuse to join their

teammates. lexie lovchev has failed a doping test. the suspension comes just days after the iwaf launches a task group. >> we'll support them in any way possible until the fleet is accused, the decision is made. as far as i know he had a very major injure, a torn ligament, and he was given medications. >> now fantasy sports are popular around the world. and in the united states fantasy sports is big business. it has prompted some to call for

the industry to be shut down. >> 2015 the year fantasy sports grew up. fans for years played fantasy sports picking players and following their statistical success on imaginary teams. >> yes, i'm a jets fan. it's good to win. but to also make some money along the way rooting for other teams, other players, it's more exciting. >> the league takes on hundreds of dollars at seasons end. but in 2015 a new way to play fantasy sports exploded. >> fan duel is paying $75 million a week with immediate cash payouts with no commitment. >> daily fantasy sports, or dfs leagues give a players a chance to win over a million dollars all for an entry fee for as little as $1 a week.

>> companies like draft kings and fan duel ran around 8,000 ads per week by the start of the nfl season. funded in part with mega partnerships with big media and the sports teams themselves. >> in the second full week of october alone, fan duel took in a record $40 million worth of entry fees, but all those ads drew more than just those entry fees. politicians started asking if dfs is illegal gambling? officials from all over the country began coming to the same conclusion. >> how is it any different from sports betting? why, because you call it fantasy? >> the dfs companies say it wasn't gambling because by law gamble something a game of chance while dfs should be considered a contest of skill. but fall brought a scandal and

legal action that called the very fairness of the games into question. nevada moved to restrict the site and class action lawsuit from filed against fan duel and draft king after insider trading scandal in october. employees at draft kings used their inside information t. then december an appeals court said that the two companies could continue operating until january 94 of the new year. in the meanwhile significant damage to the industry has been done. entry fees have plunged since their record highs in october and cooperate partners like espn and the nba have begun to distance themselves. john henry smith. al jazeera. >> that's all your sport for

now. it's now back to lauren in london. >> thank you very much, indeed. a new york metropolitan opera has hosted some of the world's greatest singers, but these days it's attracting a different type of crowd: kids. kristin saloomey discovers a whole lot more. >> these children may be more familiar with adele or rihanna, but the metropolitan opera house never fails to impress. >> we were gasping. we were like. [ gasping ] >> it was just like watching on television but in real play. >> for many city kids it's their first formal exposure to a classic art form. attending a address rehearsal is just one part of the opera based program sponsored by the opera

gild. [singing] the gild represents the artists like carolyn blackwell, who in addition to being a world class performer has herself spent time teaching children. >> i made them realize how opera was already in their lives. i said to them, bugs bunny cartoons. i said, you hear ♪ figero, figero, figero you hear that, right? oh, yes, they understood that. ♪ row, row, row your boat gently down the stream ♪ >> in the classroom the children learn to tell a story with music and lots of drama. >> this is opera, is it has to be something epic. they're escaping from the police. >> they even write their own storylines. [singing] >> the class may be all about opera, but the lessons apply to other subjects as well.

a four-year study by the metropolitan opera gild found that students who participated in the program did better in math, science and english than those who didn't. and at a time when many schools are focused on improving test scores, teachers say the class is a fun compliment to their lesson plans. >> the big thing for third grade is being able to tell a story and find all the parts of the story. we do a lot of work with it in reading and writing, but it's so nice to have them see that show up in drama. >> with more than 15,000 students already taking part in the program, it's no wonder schools are singing it's praises. kristen saloomey. >> you can always catch up any time online by checking out our website. that's www.aljazeera.com. that's it for me this news hour. maryam nemazee will have a full round of news for you in a couple of minutes.

bye for now. >> 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.

>> al jazeera america brings you independent reporting without spin. >> not everybody is asking the questions you're asking me today. >> we give you more perspectives >> the separatists took control a few days ago. >> and a global view. >> now everybody in this country can hear them. >> getting the story first-hand. >> they have travelled for weeks, sometimes months. >> what's your message then? >> we need help now. >> you're watching al jazeera america. >> we're here to fully get into the nuances of everything that's going on, not just in this country, but around the world. >> what, as if there were no cameras here, would be the best solution? >> this goes to the heart of the argument. >> to tell you the stories that others won't cover. how big do you see this getting? getting the news from the people who are affected. >> people need to demand reform... >> we're here to provide the analysis... the context... and the reporting that allows you to make sense of your world. >> ali velshi on target.

>> accusations against russia after the death of a prominent syrian rebel leader. hello, i'm maryam nemazee. you're watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up. palestinians demanding the return of the bodies of loved ones who are attacked by israeli security forces. and claims of human rights abuses