>> breaking the siege, trucks with 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. at least eight people are killed in a siege in a shopping mall . in germany officials warn

against hate and intolerance. [singing] and getting used to life without a music star man. the legend that was david bowie. >> hello. trucks carrying food and medicine have now entered three syrian towns which have the most been cut off by war. under a deal reached by the government the aid convoy left damascus. there are many areas not included in the deal. 176,000 people are said to be cut off. the u.n. said isil fighters have cut off 200,000 people off the areas. >> aid has finally arrived.

a red cross convoy carried desperately needed aid to madaya in western syria. but there is more that needs to be done to help many others in need. >> what is going on now dropping or giving aid to people is not good enough. the united nations have done this exactly three months ago. and look at where we are at now. >> to the north, supply tonks trundle through idlib heading to foah and kefraya. both had to arrive at the same time. pro government forces have blocked kefraya for months. people have been reduced to eating salt, tree leaves, grass, cats and dogs. >> are we not arabs as well? i swear to god we are arabs. these children, what wrong have

they done? this child, what wrong did he commit? >> the world food program said that the aid carried to madaya will meet the needs of 40,000 people but only for one month. the u.n. said there are 400,000 people trapped by various sieges across syria. activists say it is vital they're lifted. the u.n. has more aid convoys planned across syria, but it depends on the warring sides and whether they'll let that aid through. al jazeera near the syria syria-lebanon border. >> in madaya the aid has finally arrived. >> you have people cheering, asking questions, and thankin thanking--thanking for coming, for bringing assistance. some people are wondering if we

got here too late. but in general it is very positive. at the same time the convoy led by th they're doing a wonderful job. delivering aid to foa h and kefraya at the same time. the goods are being checked. >> a russian airstrike killed 12 people at a school in aleppo province. activists say it happened in the rebel-held town. students and a teacher are reported to have been killed.

turkey's announced plans to offer syrian refugee work permit to nuclear fewer of them to migrate. they said they were satisfied with turkey's efforts to prevent people from crossing the age the agee january sea t. asking residents of ramadi to leave in the next 48 hours. [ gunfire ] the announcement was made as coalition forces and the iraqi army prepare to target neighborhoods with airstrikes and artillery. dozens of iraqi soldiers have been killed in several isil attacks.

>> in germany four foreigners have been injured in gang attacks in cologne. two pakistanis, is syrian and others have been assaulted on sunday night. the four men have been accused of attacks against women on you years avenue. the police had received 500 complaints. a statement that there are fears that criminals are entering the country along side refugees. >> when asylum seekers are being insulted as cattle, when and their refugee shelters are set on fire, when they're called traitors or when asylum seekers call women crossing the streets whose, all of this is absolutely unacceptable. >> dominic kane joins us right

now. dominic, this is obviously a big issue, a big problem for the government. how do they plan to deal with it? >> well, there does appear to be a consensus forming. the two ministries that would have to work together to find some sort of measures that would be brought into place regarding this situation in terms of asylum seek whose may commit crimes of the justice ministry and inteary ministry. we heard just a few moments ago the cdu conservative party interior minister talking about the situation. we understand that his ministry is going to be talking this week with the adjust ministry that is run by social democrats ministers about what measures might be taken so far asylum seekers who commit crimes. the current situation is when asylum seeker who has committed an offense that carries a three-year prison offense or

higher or comes from a country which is safe to be returned to can be return there had. they'll consider making the sentence one year at which point the asylum seeker found guilty of an offense may be returned to their own country. certainly that is one element that we understand that is being discussed this week. the other thing to point out is that the state interior minister, the interior minister of the state concern has said that it believes that the attackers on new year's eve were of migrant origin. that gives you a sense of what the politicians are saying of what happens on new year's eve and how they see this situation unfolding. >> a that's what politicians are saying. what about ordinary people? how much of a debate is there in the country as a whole about the refugee situation? >> well, it's worth making the point that all through 2015 the

media were referring to the culture of welcome. it's something that angela merkel has spoken about several times, that people need to show solidarity with asylum seekers. the workforce in germany is short in some respects of many different types of workers, so it has been suggested that the refugees might be able to fill the gap in some way. but it is also worth making the point that groups such as pegida, the far right movement in eastern germany, it felt emboldened to the point of going to cologne on saturday and demonstrate against the events in new year's eve there and believed that the asylum policy pursued by the government was not working. now whether pegida has support right across germany is open to question. certainly the major political parties would say no, that's not the case, and their supporters would say that, too. but certainly there is a growing feeling that questions are now

being asked whether th it has been slightly eroded, and we'll know more about that in the next few months because there are key protests in a few months time. three big states and that will show us what the people of those states will think about this policy towards asylum seekers. >> dominic in berlin. thanks. now governmen attacks at a shopping mall in baghdad, 12 people have been killed and 19 others injured. [ gunfire ] iraqi security services say that the attackers have all been killed. we're live now from baghdad. tell us more about this attack on the mall. >> we can say it is one of the biggest assault that has cured in baghdad in a long time.

the attackers succeeded in entering the mall, and control the whole mall and have taken the people in the mall as hostages. they have confirmed that the hostage situation is finished. one medical source confirmed that the number of dead people, 12 killed and 35 people injured. some sources, security sources talking about a death toll maybe much bigger than this death toll mentioned by the hospital. so far the iraqi security forces surrounding the area, and some security forces confirm that the whole situation is under control, and huge military

security forces were sent to this place. >> i know you'll keep us updated for the story. thanks for joining us from baghdad. now talks aimed as reviving the peace process in afghanistan have been held in pakistan. the negotiations in islamabad which include the u.s. and china will pave the way for talks to he resumed with the taliban. we have more from kabul. >> the meeting in islamabad was described as significant. from afghanistan-pakistan to the united states and china, but none from the taliban. they'll be invited later if a 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 the main objective is to get the most powerful group in the country to negotiate by giving incentives to abandon violence. >> it is therefore important

that pre-conceived conditions are not attached. this would be counterproductive. secondly, actions in the process should be significant in paving the way for direct talks with the taliban group. >> in kabul the meeting is different and important. >> the news for peace is going to be opened to all those groups that are willing to come to the negotiation table. but would not come to the negotiation table both countries have already agreed to work out some very practical and significant steps in fighting those groups with all available means. >> despite the relentless multi national military campaign by nato for the past 14 years, the taliban has recently increased the attacks and ceased more

territory. most troops have ended operations in 2014 leaving behind the force of 14,000 u.s. troops and an afghan army that is still not red to battle the taliban on its own. and the streets of kabul there is hope that these talks could lead to a lasting peace. there is pessimism and mistrust. >> we rely on god because only god can bring peace. we hope this time it brings an outcome. >> we are not even hopeful because they've been talking over the last 15 years with no result. >> the challenges facing peace are big. the taliban is not unified and it's not clear if they will attend future peace talks. the group has previously said it will not negotiate while foreign troops remain in afghanistan.

the government, on the other hand, demands that the taliban denounce violence, recognize it and accept the constitution. al jazeera kabul. >> still to come on the program, building momentum, why there is a growing student protest movement in south africa. and hope and change is what is promised eight years ago, but has he delivered?

>> hello again and a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. aid trucks carrying food and

medicine have entered the syrian town of madaya. 40,000 people have been starving and cut off from food and other essentials since the government siege began there in july. an attack at a shopping mall in baghdad where 12 have been killed and many others injured. and foreigners injured in gang attacks in the german city of cologne. this comes after a new year's eve attacks that were said to be--where women said they were attacked by foreigners. david bowie was hugely influential and helped define modern pop music. he was known for his versatility and ability to transform his

sound and image. for example, when he reinvented himself as the glam rocker ziggy stardust in the 1970s lead to go a string of hits. the rolling stones tweeted they were shocked by his death while singer madonna said that bowie had chinged her life. tributes are paid around the world. this is outside of bowie's apartment in new york where flowers have been laid in his memory. gerald tan reports now on a life that transformed music. [singing] >> relevant to the very end. it was just last friday on his 69th birthday that david bowie released his 25th studio album "black star." critics praised it's innovative sound. [singing] in the music video for the song

"lazarus," he showed his penchant for theatrics. borne david jones in 1947 in south london, bowie rose to fame with the 1969 single "space odyssey." his leap from pulp figure to bouyant rock star was cemented in his 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 for very long. over the years bowie would transform himself repeatedly through his image and his work. and in an interview in 2003 he acknowledged what this meant for the evolution of his music. >> most people, they get to 20, and then they stay 20.

it didn't happen for me. i went on and on. suddenly i'm 56. i have to write from this unique perspective of somebody 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. [ music ] >> it was his ability to embrace new forms each decade with such smash albums as "diamond dogs," how heroes," and many more that kept him in the front and center of pop culture. 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 inundated with tributes offering just a glimpse of the legacy david bowie has left as a 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 facing up to eight years in prison if convicted of tax fraud. the charges have angered many spaniards who are unemployed and suffering under government austerity measures. the 50-year-old is on trial along with several others including her husband. volkswagen's chief executive has made another apology to american buyers for cheating diesel emissions tests. some vw cars were fitted with software to turn on pollution controls when tested. the u.s. government is suing the germany carmaker for billions of dollars in damages. chinese stock markets are continuing a poor start to the year. the shanghai index shut down to 5%. it's lost all its gains last

week. investors are worried about the health of the chinese economy. a >> the continued selling pressure on mainland china and hong kong stock exchanges the fall in the shanghai index puts it right back to the depths it was at after it's monumental crash last summer. but many voices here are saying that the change high index was at a grossly over inflated level last summer. it is now finding a more natural level that it should be more comfortable with, there are more bearish voice who is say it has further to fall. it's at 3,000 points. some predicting that 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 expert figures next week and the all important 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 economy. >> south korea korea i is restricting the number of workers from over the border in north korea. it comes with tensions following claims by the north that it tested hydrogen bombs. they employed 50,000 north korean workers. students are protesting because hundreds of thousands of young people are denied the chance of an university education. universities say they're doing their best but there simply aren't enough places or resources. students say they want the government to do more. >> well, thousands of professors

at dozens of public universities in bangladesh have gone on strike. they say is indefinitely. it's because of a long running dispute over low pay and students are gaming of poor facilities compared to private universities. we have reports. >> this professor remembers toiling in this very laboratory during his student days. the lab is cloaked in nostalgia for the head of department in the university. however his fond memories do not blind the professor from a glaring reality. >> we are always buying cheap. one of thigh students failed an experiment three times even though she did everything right. the chemicals were fake. >> professors and other teachers have been complaining about funding and their pay for several months. on monday around 15,000 professors at 37 public universities across bangladesh

began an indefinitely strike leaving students without any classes to attend. >> bangladesh's public universities provide an important low cost alternative to private institutions. but one student from all over the country arrive on campus, we find that keeping costs down has its own price. >> in the first year more than 20 students are cramped in rooms designed for four people but are fit for two. the freshmen try to make the best of bizarre circumstances. >> our plan is that instead of sleeping a group of us will go out to around 2:00 a.m. and explore our campus while singing songs all name. we'll go singing to the canteen and the teacher student centers. we'll climb some coconut trees. we're all friends. we'll manage to have fun. >> only by the third year are

the students assured of less cramped conditions. but even then eight of them can easily end up having to share four beds. >> if you're sick you can't really be--you can't study properly. the others in the room have things theyed into to do as well. >> unlike their 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. >> u.s. president barack obama is due to his give last state of the union address on tuesday. our white house correspondent patty culhane looks back on his presidency and if he has been true to his promises of hope and change. >> the country was in a panic. jobs were disappearing. companies closing, retirement plans vanishing. >> our economy is in crisis.

>> in his first address u.s. president barack obama said that he had a plan to fix it by spending $780 billion. >> over the next two years this plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. >> estimates said the plan created between 1 and 3.3 million jobs. statistics show thechy mass dramatically improved, but for many those seem like just numbers. >> we had a very slow painful recovery from the great recession, and wage growth has been virtually flat. most people don't feel like they have recovered even if the statistics suggest that the overall economy has recovered. >> this was a speech of big promises to reform wall street to, bring health insurance to millions, most accomplished. but promised to fix federal spending fell short. >> yesterday i held a fiscal summit where i pledge to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office.

>> that didn't happen. the deficit went from $1.4 trillion in that year to $1.1 trillion in 2012. >> we'll double the supply of renewable energy in the next three years. >> that did not happen. three years later it was 11.2%. and foreign policy he did dramatically decrease the number of troops in iraq and afghanistan, but he still has not closed the prison in guantanamo bay, cuba. >> i know we haven't agreed on every issue thus far. >> this was the speech that called for the country to come together for a new day in american politics that haven't dawned. >> he swore he could do a much better job than george bush in bringing citizens together, democrats and republicans. exactly the opposite has happened. we are as divided maybe more divided today than we were at the end of the bush administration. >> seven years later the economy is healthier. the same cannot be said for

washington. patty culhane, al jazeera, washington. >> and remember you can find out much more about many of our stories on our website. the address to click on to is www.aljazeera.com. www.aljazeera.com. >> the trial for baltimore police officer implicated in the death of freddie gray is delayed even before it begins. going to court over faulty ignition switches. starving residents in syria welcoming food and aid for the first time in months. [ music ] >> and fans around the world mourning the death of music and show busy legend david