>> breaking the siege, aid finally arrive in syrian towns where people are starving. >> hello there, i'm felicity barr. this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up. violence in cologne as gangs target foreigners germany's foreign minister warn against hate and intolerance. talks in pakistan aimed at resolving the peace process at the border in afghanistan. [singing] >> and getting used to a world

without music star man. tributes have poured in for the innovator and alleged that was david bowie. hello, trucks carrying food and medicine have now entered three syrian towns which have for months been cut off by war. under a deal reached by the government, aid delivered to pro government villages opposition groups are surrounding many towns. there are many areas included in this deal. 176,000 people are said to be cut off. and the u.n. said isil fighters have cut off 200,000 people in the eastern city.

>> caring aid to besieged towns in western area. there are demands that more has to be done to help many others in need. >> sending aid is not enough. the united nations have done this three months ago and looked a where we are at now. >> to the north supply trucks from the aid organization trundled through idlib pro government forces have blockaded the area for months. areas are cut off by armed rebel groups. people say they have been reduced to eating handfuls of salt, tree leaves, cats and dogs. >> are we not arabs as well? i wear to god we are arabs. these children, what wrong have

they done? this child, what wrong did he admit? >> the world food program said that the aid carried will meet the needs of 40,000 people but only for one month. the u.n. said that there are 400,000 people trapped by various sieges across syria. activists say it's vital they're lifted. the u.n. has more aid convoy planned across syria but their delivery depends on the war inside if they let that aid through. al jazeera, in the syrian-lebanon border. >> we'll bring you news out of iraq gunmen have attacked a shopping mall in baghdad. eight people have been killed and 19 injured, an unknown number of hostages have been taken. we'll bring you more news as soon as we get it. >> well, the russian airstrike has reportedly killed 12 people

at a school in aleppo province. it happened in the rebel-held town. five adults including a teacher are also reported to have been killed. turkey has announced plans to offer syrian refugees work permit to encourage fewer of them to migrate. they said they were far from satisfied with the effort to prevent people from crossing the aegean sea in greece. there were 2.2 million refugee who is saw refuge from the syrian war. only 6,000 have been given official work permits. in iraq residents in ramadi to leave in the next 48 heroes. [ gunfire ] the announcement was made as coalition forces and the iraqi army prepare to target certain neighborhoods with airstrikes and artillery. fighting between the iraqi army and isil in the center of

ramadi. dozens of iraqi soldiers have been killed in several isil attacks. >> now talks aimed at reviving the peace process in afghanistan has been held in pakistan. the negotiations in islamabad which include the u.s. and china, will pave the way for talks to resume with the talib taliban. al jazeera has more from kabul. >> the meeting in islamabad was described as significant. delegates from afghanistan, pakistan, united states, china, but none from the taliban they've been invited later if the framework deal is eventually agreed. the aim of monday's talks was to agree on a road map to achieve peace with the taliban. pakistani leaders say that the main objective is to get the most powerful group in the

country to negotiate to give incentives to abandon violence. >> it is important that pre-conditions not be attached to the process. secondly proper sequencing of the action in the process should be significant in paving the way for the taliban group. >> in kabul the afghan government said that the meeting is different and important. >> it is going to be opened to all those groups that are willing to come to the negotiation table. but for those who do not come to the negotiation table both countries have already agreed to work out very practical and significant steps in fighting those groups. >> despite the relentless multi national military contained by

nato for the past 14 years the taliban has recently increased attacks and seized more territory. most foreign troops have left in 2014 leaving behind a force of 14,000 mostly u.s. troops and afghan army, which is still not ready to battle the taliban on its own. on the treats of kabul there is hope these talks could lead to a lasting peace. there is also pessimism and mistrust. >> we rely on god because only god can bring peace. we hope this time to bring an outcome. >> we're not even hopeful. they've been talking over the last 15 years with no result. >> reaching peace depends on a number of factors including the islamic state in iraq and the levant in afghanistan and the sincerity of the many regional and international stake holders. the challenges faces peace are big. the taliban is not unified and it's not clear if they will

attend peace talks. the group has said they will not negotiate while foreign troops remain in afghanistan. the government on the other hand demands the taliban to denounce violence recognize it and accept the constitution. al jazeera, kabul. >> we'll take you back to events in syria now and we'll show you the latest pictures we're receiving of trucks carrying food and medicine. which we now know have entered three syrian towns they've been cut off for months by the civil war people inside those towns we've seen are on recent video picture of people literally starving to dead. we go to caroline malone, who has more information. caroline, on this convoy what is it carrying and where is it going? >> that's right. we know now at least that three trucks have goon in mada and also those in idlib and carrying

much needed aid for these people in these areas. something like 350 tons of aid are going in. 175 in to the smaller populated areas in idlib. they're carrying mainly food, wheat, flour, drinking water and also medical supplies. those medical supplies will go to the communities. the other aid will go into the relief committee who will distribute the rest of it. other things like sanitation kits and necessary things. >> caroline, the area has had worldwide publicity, it's been in the headlines for the last couple of days or so. but what about other areas in syria that are still being besieged. they're not getting aid, either. >> absolutely. we're talking about a small community of people that definitely need aid. but there are 400,000 people across syria living in besieged towns and villages and cities right now.

different sides to blame for that. we've got 200,000 people who are being held under siege by isil. there are government-held areas something like 175,000 people being held and also rebel groups and many people to blame here for holding people under siege and not allowing people to get food at this time and it's very necessary to get medical supplies as well. the u.n. tried last year to be able to get aid to lots of people around different parts of the country. they're making requests to get aid in. only 10% of those requests were delivered. so very difficult to get aid to had hundred thousand people who definitely need it across the area. >> caroline malone in that convoy that is reaching those groups with aid. in cologne gang attacks, two happened on sunday night. pakistanis, syrians an were

injured in assault. foreign men were accused of attacks of women on new year's eve. half of them involve allegations of sexual assault. they say criminals are entering the country along side refugees. the federal interior minister has warned against people feeling hate and suspicion. >> when asylum seekers are being assaulted, when they are their refugee shelters are being sentenced, when politicians in charge of this country are being label as traitors when the media is defamed or asylum seekers call women crossing the streets whose, all of this is absolutely unacceptable. >> dominic kane is live in the capital of berlin and joins us right now. this is a huge, huge issue for the government. how they're trying to contain what is happening in cologne. >> well, felicity. we understand that angela merkel

will be speaking for a in a short time to a group of industrialists but it seems likely she'll touch on this issue given the mood music, as it were from the government over the weekend, how can they toughen measures against asylum seekers who are found guilty of serious crimes. it is worth pointing out that we have heard the federal interior minister, but the state interior minister where cologne is has spoken he's certain that almost all of the attackers of the community were, indeed, of migration origins to use the jargon. that chimes with what we heard over the weekend and prior to that the nationalities of the people concerned, north african and from the middle east region. and certainly there is a sense that the government is talking about what can be done to toughen, and reducing the sting

of time in sentence asylum seekers can receive before being deported back to country of origin. if the country of origin is safe, they can be sent back. if the sentence was one year they can be sent back. that's one thing that's been talked about here from germany on the political front. >> thank you very much. >> still ahead on this program, building momentum, why there is a growing student protest movement in south africa. plus. >> i'm in indonesia where community is divided between preserving the beauty of a natural stone garden or natural stone garden or exploiting it.

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>> hello again, a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. aid trucks carrying food and medicine finally deliver: 40,000 people have been starving and cut off from food and other essentials since the government siege began there in july. four foreigners have been your in attacks in the german city of cologne. it comes after a wave of violence on new year's eve where hundreds of women say they were attacked by foreign men. and attacks in an at a shopping mall in baghdad where eight people were killed and 19

injured. an unknown number of hostages have been taken. the legendary musician david bowie has died at age 69 after a 18-month battle with cancer. he'll be remembered as a musical innovative. he broke into mainstream success with his number one hit "space odyssey." bowie was hugely influential in defining pop music. as well as his versatility and ability to transform his sound and image. when he reinvented himself to zigy stardust lead to go a string of hits. the rolling stones tweeted they were shocked by his death. madonna said that bowie changed her life. we report on a life that transformed music. [singing] >> relevant to the very end it was just last friday on

69th birthday that david bowie released his 25th studio album "black star." critics praised it's sound in keeping with bowie's five-decade career defined by being on the cutting edge. the music video. his leap from cult figure to flamboyant rock star was cemented in alter ego ziggy stardust. the character was all about wild costumes, avant garde sounds and decadence. david bowie had invented rock style. but the musical chamaeleon was never one person very long.

over the years bowie would transform himself repeatedly through his image and his work. in an interview in 2003 he acknowledged what this meant for the evolution of his music. >> most people, they get to 20, then they stay 20. it didn't happen for me. i went on and on and suddenly i'm 56. i have to write from this unique perspective of someone who never stopped being 20. i went on. isn't that weird. >> through the 1980s bowie alternated between music and acting gaining success on stage and in film. it was his ability to embrace new forms each decade with such smash albums as "die monday do dogs"; "heroes," and many more.

[singing] bowie was inducted in the rock-n-roll hall of fame in 1996. he died after an 18-month battle with cancer. social media is being inundated with tributes offering just a glimpse of the of the legacy david bowie has left as a genre-breaking futurist unmatched by any in the history of rock music. >> for the first time in history a member of the spanish royal family is on trial. princess christina faces up to eight years in prison if convicted of fax fraud. the charges have angered many spa spaniards who are unemployed and facing austerity. measures. >> vehicles video gamen has made another apology to american buyers for cheating diesel car emissions tests. the first official visit to the u.s. since the scandal broke in september. vw cars were fitted with

software to turn on pollution controls when tested. u.s. government is suing the german carmaker for billions of dollars in damages. >> we have let our customers, authorities, regulators, and the general public here in america, too. we are, i am, truly sorry for that. our most important task in 2016 is to win back trust. it is the not only our cars we have to fix. we know we have to repair our credibility, too. >> well, the volkswagen diesel scandal is expected to overshadow the largest car show getting under way in detroit. the u.s. justice department filed an environmental lawsuit against the carmaker. the company is said to have allowed 600,000 diesel engines used a fitted cheating

mechanism. the north american international auto show is the industry's most important show in the country. chinese stock markets are continuing a poor start to the year. the main shanghai index closed down more than 5%. it lost all of 2015 gains last week by 10% in just five days. investors are worried about the health of the chinese economy as the yuen continues to weaken and oil prices continue to weaken. we have the latest from hong kong. >> the gloom of last week carrying over to this week with continued selling pressure on the mainland chinese and hong kong stock exchanges. the more than 5% fall in the shanghai index puts it back right down at the depths it was at after monumental crash last summer. the many voices here are saying that the shanghai index was at a grossly overinflated level last summer. it is now finding a more natural

level that it should be more comfortable with. there are more bearish voices who say that it has further to fall. 3,000 points. some predicting it could go down to 2500. and of course there is the possibility of more bad economic news to help it in that direction. we're expecting import and export figures next week and then the gdp figures to tell us what china's economy was growing at in the last quarter of 2015. all those figures expected to indicate a slowing generally of the chinese economic. >> south korea is restricting the number of workers staying overnight in the joint case on industrial complex just over the border in north korea. it is the latest sign of escalating border tensions after claims of north korea that it tested a hydrogen bomb last wednesday. the complex houses 120 south korean companies and employee

20,000 north korean workers in a rare example of cooperation between the two nations. in south africa students are protesting as hundreds of thousands of young people are denied the chance of an university education. universities say they're doing their best, but there just aren't enough places or resources. students say they want the government to do more to accommodate them. meanwhile, thousands of professor hav professors have gone on strike that they say is indefinite. they've walked out over a long dispute of low pay. students complain of facilities compared to private universities. >> the professor remains toiling in this very laboratory during his student days. the lab brings nostalgia for the professor. however, his fond memories don't blind the professor from the

glaring reality. the lab is under equipped and out of date. >> we are fining a lot of low grade soil with fake chemicals because we're buying cheap. one of my students failed three times even though she did everything right because the chemicals were fake. >> have been complaining of funding for several months. 15,000 professor of 37 universities across bangladesh began an indefinite strike leaving students without any classes to attend. >> providing an important low-cost alternative to private institutions. but one student from all over the country arrive on campus. they find that keeping costs down has its own price. >> in the first year more than 20 students are cramped into rooms designed for four people but fit two. it's a big adjustment for many

freshmen who make the best of bizarre circumstances. >> our plan is that instead of sleeping a group of us will go out at 2:00 a.m. and explore our campus and singing songs all night. we'll sing in the canteen and the campus student center. we'll climb coconut trees. we're all friends. we'll manage to have fun. >> only by the third year are the students assured of less cramp conditions. even then eight of them could end up having to share four beds. >> if you're sick you really can't afford to. you can't turn the light off when you need to. if you have an exam you can't study properly. the others in the room have things they need to do as well. >> unlike these teachers these students are not about to protest. they're resigned to what they think is an inevitable reality. it's their living conditions more than anything else which urgently need improving.

al jazeera. >> former inmates of guantanamo prison have been protesting outside of the u.s. embassy in london including the british form detainee who was released from the prison in october. monday is the 14th anniversary of the opening of the prison in cuba. last week two yemeni detainees were transferred to ghana bringing the total number of prisoners remaining there to 105. >> now to the fights of saving a beauty spot in indonesia threatened by mining for marble and limestone. 80% of the population rely on the mines for their income. but the mines are eating away the spectacular hill landscape as we have reports now. >> the local population makes itself at home along the limestone outcrops but now they have to share their habitats with tourists.

>> this place has tremendous historical venue. we're trying really hard to promote this place. >> he and a group of like-minded individuals have started to make the place more accessible and tourist friendly. rather than wait for government assistance they've taken it upon themselves to up keep the place, taking in entrance fees to protect the cost. >> there is so much potential in this place as a tourist destin incarceration, the beauty of stone garden, as the locals call it, a marred by the destruction from the machines and lorries and smoke from the factories pollute the air. limestone and marble extraction has been taking place in these hills for years. but environmentalists fear the rate at which it happening is devastating the environment. excavators have carved out huge chunks from the hills. the raw materials are used to make goods ranging from marble

and cement to vet lieser. some of the industries are poorly regulated with workers toiling in hazardous conditions. but many depend on the jobs created by these businesses. >> around 15,000 people are employed in these industries former an formal and informal. >> some of the factories have been accused of encroaching on land that is not theirs. the provincial government said it is working to keep mining in check. >> we will not extend permits in protected areas. if they're operating there we will stop them. we won't issue new permits. >> but how much of these hills will be subject to protection is unclear. those who want to see it preserved know they have to offer an alternative to those who have come to see the hills as a resource waiting to be exploited. or the beauty of this place will be lost. florence, al jazeera, indonesia.

>> lovely pictures. just a reminder you can find out much more on many of the stories we're covering by heading to our website. the address to click on to is www.aljazeera.com. www.aljazeera.com. for all your latest news and sport. >> the trial for baltimore office implicated in the death of freddie gray is dallied before it even begins. g.m. heading to quarter over faulty ignition switches. starving residents in syria welcoming food and aid for the first time in months. [singing] >> and--fans around the world mourning the death of music legend david bowie.