the interim prime minister of syria's opposition group says it will attend peace talks in geneva the loss after key rebel leader. ♪ hello. you are watchingays live from london. also coming up: palestinians demanding the returns of the bodies of their loved ones attacked by israeli security forces. also, i am tanya page where, reporting on a volatile security situation improved just in time for a crucial election.

one year on, the families of mention close's missing students make a renewed call for answers. >> the interim prime minister of syria's opposition group has spoken to al jazeera about its role in the country's peace process. u.n. peace talks have been scheduled for january the 25th in january eva. there are concernses those talks could be in jeopardy after the killing of the leader who died in a raid on friday. his death has been condemned by a key umbrella organization for syrian rebel groups. the national coalition for syrian revolutionary and opposition forces blaimz russia for the attack calling it an attempt to disrupt the peace process? report from the turkey syria border. a new commander: following the

death from an airstrike. the group vowed revenge. the killing has been condemned. nominated in an interim government announced by the syrian opposition in exile in 2013. he said could be key to the success to solve the kirrian prices it could be the son of more targeted killings of prominent opposition commanders and politicians. the rebel commander was killed the same day the syrian government inounced a deal to

allow fighters a safe passage off of damascus in exchange of pulling out of the camp on the outskirts of the city and the nearby neighborhoods. the deal was seen by the opposition as an indication the syrian government colluding with isil isil. >> the regime seeflected attention. to a secure regime. fight against isil comes 1st. >> these are delicate times for the opposition. over the last two years, many command it will have been killed. he is coming under mounting

pressure some of the alleys such as the french and americans are no longer insisting on an immediate departure. >> richard white at the u.s. think tank, the hudson institute told me the change of leadership will affect the strengths of the opposition in syria. >> reporter: a bit of a mixed picture. charismatic leader, the successor is not as well known. not associated as much with the it founding of the group and so on. so there is the suspicions that it will, even if it stays together, it's going to be a

weaker force. a less effective role. not too much on the opposition. there hasn't been a defendant very powerful opposition lead ner syria the way there has been, for example in iraq and afghanistan. >> move to go iraq now, forces there are saying they are close to the center of ramadi in their latest advance to retake the city. the army began the newestest offensive iraqi security forces say 27 soldiers have been killed by isil fighters south of fallujah. swreven killed after their neighborhood wasshelled by the army. the military's besieged fallujah for a year now in an attempt to force isil fighters out. thousands of displaced sunni iraqis need help get home safely.

they fled their homes. a story from northern iraq. he used to be a soldier said he was fighting and captured on his way back home he showed us burn marks on his body when he was tortured for 10 days at a youth center when was used as a prison. he said his uncle who was a police officer died after being tortured by the state militia. they used to hang us and 10 people used to hit me. they used electric torture on me. and they told me to confess and tell the truth. so, i told them that i am an iraqi soldier. if isil see me, they will kill

me. am? those we spoke to say there were no isil fighters there and they were furnished on the suspicion they might be operating. snefb denied not the first time the militia have been accused the people, hostility. everywhere in this town. people are afraid to go back to their homes. they want an international body like the united nations to guarantee their safety. among those for guarantees said he was gee sieged for months. it we were surprised to see shia militia forces. they started kill

indescriminally. we traveled day and night without food or anything else. shia militia are an important part of the iraqi government's fight guess isil. they deny accusations against them. for us, this has no effect on us. we will get more accusations. we don't care about it. we expect it. >> fear runs deep in this country. thousands who don't want to return are coming to terms with these tents as their new homes. arizona. northern iraq. >> palestinians demanding the return of their loved ones.

about 150 protesters took to the streets of occupied east jerusalem near the old city of damascus gate. soldiers fired tear gas and hit demonstrators with batons. several have been arrested. knife 7 bodies held. israeli forces have shot did a palestinian nan occupied east jerusalem. israel's military say the man tried to stab an israeli. on friday, border guards killed a palestinian woman who they say was trying to run them over. another palestinian man in the border with the gaza strip has been buried. 22-year-old was killed on friday for allegedly throwing rocks at israel soldiers. a wave of violence that started in october has left one 37 palestinians and 20 israelis dead. protesters have stormed a muslim

prayer hold. the incident called an unacce unacceptable desecration. a report: a christmas day crowd but no good will. violence and desecration is a crowd shouting anti-muslim slogans chanting airabs get out. >> some insulations were broken. they broke through the barriers, two doors and the entrance. the window, the piece of furniture where we leave shoes, the air conditionings, paintings, the closet. >> the latest violence appeared to be in retaliation for an incident on thursday need when fire fighters responded to an emergency call were attacked in a housing project in town.

authorities say it's not clear what prompted that incident. the french government condemns the latest attack and sent to others. resulted in heightened security across the country. about 120,000 french police and soldiers were mobilized over the holiday period. fuss lims facing backlash. in courseka, far right anti-immigrant parties did well in recent local elections. >> in this xlooiment of s suspicio suspicion, fellowship may prove difficult for some to find. >> a bomb attack on a mosque in bangladesh has killed one person and wounded at least another others. it happened during friday prayers. it's the late nasty series of attacks. isil has claimed responsibility for some of them.

the government denies isil has any presence. six people have died in some of the worst flooding in south america for decades. it until pairga hit the hardest, but neighboring brazil and argentina and uruguay have been affected. experts say an usually strong el n. ino if is behind the flooding. >> security beefed up in the central african republic ahead of a crucially. the presidential vote is meant to restore diplomatic rule after a wave of violence. al jazeera's tanya page is in the capitol and sent this report: >> reporter: his signature names a second chance. the leader they have all seen and some seen things no child should ab part of.

he wants to put it all behind him. a muslim area would be killed and vice versa. i couldn't just stand and wait for something bad to happen. but i can't be angry. a chance of a better u.s. peacekeepers are taking a more active roll under a new commander. request so many armed groups still loose, under no alotions good how fragile the current calm is. no peace agreement so far. >> ittun with day one of the faxes for one reason or another can just say go back, you know, to square one. >> the central african army has come back on the streets in

recent weeks, too, taking over some of the united states peacekeepers' patrol. national forces for the ones who know nair neighborhood, their soeshthz, towns and those thought to be holding weapons. the international community has impressive resources but the national forces can gather precise information much faster. belows stopping cars on a daily basis. streets like this mace making people feel safer but even if the election passes pooefl the long-term statementy of the country could say whoever wins could form an inclusive government. >> that means sectarian divides that have turned children into soldiers. there are thousands more young, small hands holding weapons. the more they are occupied with gang and not war.

>> central african republic. still ahead for you on al jazeera, separate change the american dream: now, there are complaints of abuse as mexico stops migrants trying to reach the united states. ♪ new york's pretmetropolitan oa is attracting a different kind of talent.

well, back. you are watchingays. a recap the top stories now. the interim head of the syrian

opposition said he will attend peace talks in zen eva despite the death of powerful rebel leader. at least 27 iraqi soldiers have been killed byis ill fighters south of the central city of fallujah. israeli forces hit with the batons as palestinians demand the return of their dead loved ones. >> mentioncon can students are marking through the country's capitol dpavending more information about where their loved ones could be. the students disappeared last year following a confrontation with police. al jazeera's natasha tells us what's happening there. has the march started? >> is a what that's families are going through has been it described as a permanent kind of

torture. we are here in one of the main squares in mexico city. people are right over here in front of this church. the feels of the 43 young men missing since september of 2014 have turned the 26 of each month into a very sad kind of ritual. relevant that's in the date the men went miss. gathered here good a two-hour walk. support so they can get at the truth of exactly what happened to their loved ones. perhaps the only thing the ne next can government and mentixi agrees with is that the men had most likely dead. >> they have not received any

information about what happened to their children y they disappeared. what do they want the government to do now? >> they believe the government has deceived them from step 1. an zup said they believe the government was complicit and has intentionally lied and withheld evidence to keep families from understanding expected what happened. a group of independent experts have obliterate the mexican government's line. the mexican government says these men were massacred by a drug gang, burned and the remains bur naishingd land if field. this is what an inindependent investigation says thefbl had a happened. they hijacked fwousz try to get to the city to fund raise for

their teacherschool. that's not uncommon in mexico. one of the buses they hijacked may have been used to transport drugs. police believe they ran afoul with a drug game and that's where they believe these men were killed. it's interesting to note we went to guerrero state, 4 hours south of mexico city and spent time wi with the family of one of these men. there is a general consensus that these men are dead. this family spoke to another family. some believe they are alive and they are being forced to work by the military or a drug gang. >> natasha in mexico city, thank you very much. serbian police have arrested 80 people including a former minister. they are still on the hunt for at least four more suspects. it's the by and largest

investigation in, in decades. what millions of your owes, it was mostly damaged by this kind of fraud. all were equally damaging equally hazardous for siting. >> police are specifically targeting abusive power allegations. investigations in these cases have been going since 2004 up 209 present day. businessmen suspected of fraud former head of anti-corruption

agencies arrested suspected of irregularities with land thisch led to her personal gain. democratic party, 20012. belows say the preparation in the investigation, the gathering of evidence was long. arrests come two weeks after certain talks with the european union. progress and fight against corruption. >> a worker trapped in a collapsed mine has died. 17 other people remain underground in a gypsum mine f messages on football and throwing them down the mine shaft. the communist party has been

paying trib utility to dozens of victims missing. a pile of construction waste collapsed damaging more than 30 buildings. mexico has been trying to deal with a large number of central americans. deportations but also in complaints of human rights. john hallman has more in the first story of a three-part series. the road to the u.s. has been barred to central american migrants like never before. this is mexico. deportations in the last year and a half. authorities send hundreds back every day to honduras, guatemala, el salvador. companies suffering brutal gang violence and desperate poverty.

>> we are poor. that's why we look for the american dream. they catch and send us back to death. what can we do apart from trying again? >> until record numbers of child migrants turning up on the doorstep. mexico stepped forward to help send the root causes forcing people to flee from central america, the u.s. is instead given more money and more equipment to cut off that flow in the southern border. >> it's worked. my grants clam ordinary have met this mexican detention center, the big ernesto latin america is full to bursting. as migration officials have closed the net, accusations have soared. this is what happened when he was return over by a patrol

sooso saw his injury and left him bleeding on the roadside. >> others would have helped me, taken me to a hospital. they just didn't care. it was faz i wasn't even human. >> moore glantsz are forced to travel through isolated areas. they say they are acting against the criminals and also against corrupt officials. we have had accusations against officials and caught and tried them. that's best group that my grant can trust us. >> trust is far from earned yet. the authorities feel it's another threat in an increasingly hostile land. >> in the next part of the series a people smuggler prowl did the streets of one of the

world's most dangerous cities. john hullman will have more this monday at 1300 gmc onnays. don't miss it. now, new york'sna metropolitan opera has hosted some of the greatest singers but it is attracting a different kind of crowd. kids. a unique program featuring inner city schoolchildren top appreciate a classical form of music. these schoolchildren may be more familiar with adele or rhism ana than pucini. but a trip to the opera house in new york never fails to impress. >> we were gasping. it was just like watching on television but in real play. >> for many city kids, it's their first formal expose you're to a classic art form. attending a dress rehearsal is

one part after comprehensive opera based arts program sponsored by the opera guild. the guild represents artists like carolyn blackwell who in addition to being a world-class performer has intents time teaching children. i made them realize how opera was already in their lives. so, i said to them: bugs bunny cartoons. i said, figaro, figaro, figaro. ♪ you hear that? right? "yes." so 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. there is opinionra. they have it has to be epic. escaping from the police. >> they write their own

libretto. >> the class may be all about opera but the lessons apply to other, you know, as well. a four-study found that may students who participated in the program did better in math, science and english than those who didn't. at a time when many schools are focused on improving test scores, people say the class is a fcompliment to their lesson plans. >> the best thing is being able to tell a story and find the parts and we do a lot of work with it in reading and writing, obviously, but it's nice to be able to have that show up in drama. >> with 15,000 students taking part in the program, it's no wonder schools are singing its praises. kristin saloomey. >> the 11th anniversary of the boxing day tsunami has been commemorated. hundreds gathered at a memorial park in thailand that spilled on

a fishing village that was destroyed by giant waichz. the tsunami tilled 230,000 people across 14 countries. the addressed address is aljazeera.com. >> three locations, three different stories about the environment. one message. >> this year is blowing our minds. >> storms generated by a powerful weather system. >> these urchins are in trouble right now, why is that? >> our oceans getting warmer and more toxic. land frozen for years now melting. what is happening around the planet and what can science do about it?